I shifted my gaze down to the phone as my trembling thumb pressed my father’s name.
It rang a couple of times before he answered sharply. “Joseph Reed.”
“Hi father,” my voice shook as I spoke.
“Faith.” His voice evened out. “I have had little time to get a hold of you. How are you doing?”
“I walked in on Preston sleeping with his client on our couch today.” It felt foreign to hear those words together. And fuck, it bothered me more than I thought. I agreed to marry that cheater, and he fucked clients with no guilt in return.
“His client?” he clipped. “How unprofessional, immoral, and disgusting.”
I leaned against the rail overlooking the backyard into the woods, watching a squirrel run around. “I was planning on ending the engagement today, regardless. He’s been terrible to me, dad. I don’t love him. Not sure I ever really did.”
He heaved a long sigh. “Your mother would have known what to do.”
“But she’s not here. You are.”
“I’ll talk to his firm tomorrow, but there’s a good chance I won’t be able to get him fired. The firm probably already knows about his actions.”
“I’m not asking you to get him fired. I just—” I paused. “Wanted support from you.”
“You always have my support. I apologize for introducing you to him.”
“It’s not like you knew he’d do this. Anyway, I’m staying with Asher for a while. He has a spare room he offered to let me stay in.”
He hummed. “Asher Wells? Luca’s friend?”
“That’s the one.” I heard shuffling behind me. I tore my eyes away from the playful squirrel I’d been watching and glanced back and saw Asher sitting on his bed, likely waiting for my call to end.
“I’ll send a moving team over to Preston’s to pack and move your belongings to Asher’s. Text me his address.”
“I will.” I gulped. “And dad? Thank you.”
“It’s the least I could do. Faith, are you going to be alright?”
I smiled at Asher, who gave me a small wave in return. “I think so.”
When I got off the phone, I texted my father the address and walked back into the room. I noticed the scent of cedar and vanilla in the air.
“Luca and Mags are downstairs. Eve should be here soon,” he said.
I sat down next to him. “You didn’t have to call everyone.”
“I figured you wouldn’t want to be alone with me after that.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what I wanted.” I slumped over onto his shoulder. “Don’t just assume things next time.”
I felt his posture go erect. “Don’t say things you don’t mean. That’s cruel.”
My hand rested on his thigh, and I craved the comfort he offered me. “I mean it. It still hurts me when I think of you leaving me that morning with no word—”
He grabbed my shoulders and faced me toward him. His eyes singed with anger. “I did not leave you with no word. I left a note on the bedside table. I fucking told you I loved you on a shitty piece of paper. You’re the one that didn’t call.”
My heart constricted. “There was no note. I-I thought you just left.” Tears welled up in my eyes and poured down my cheeks. “You never called me. You never texted. You took my virginity, Asher. And left me with nothing.”
His grip on my shoulders loosened and he let his hands drop. “You were a virgin?”
“Of course I was!” I stood up and paced the room, his eyes were on me the whole time. “I had been in love with you for years! You finally showed a romantic interest in me and I gave you all of me.”
“Fuck.” He hung his head in his hands. “No wonder you hated me.”
“I could never hate you. That’s what was so frustrating. I never stopped loving you.” I dropped to my knees and met his eyes as he looked back up.
He pushed off the bed and ambled towards me. “You never got the note?”
I shook my head. “No. If I had, things could have been so different.”
“I thought you didn’t want me and that’s why you didn’t call.” His composure deflated as he dropped next to me and wrapped his arms around me.
I sniffled and grabbed onto him tightly. “You’re an idiot to think that.”
To think all the heartache could’ve been avoided if one of us had just reached out to the other.
“Eve is—” Mags' voice stopped, and I heard a low whistle. “What’s going on here?”
I wiped away my tears on his shirt before pulling back and smiling. “Closure.”
Asher shook his head. “We’re both idiots is all.”
She blinked and mouthed, okay then. “Anyway, Eve is here. She’ll be leaving soon though because my dumbass cousin couldn’t spare her for the night.” She frowned.
I scrunched up my nose. “That’s not like her.”
“Yeah, my point exactly.” She huffed. “I don’t like Gerald’s influence on her.”
I pursed my lips as Asher helped me to my feet. “We don’t know it’s Gerald. Maybe Eve is just loving having a boyfriend.”
She scowled. “I know Gerald. It’s why I warned her to begin with.”
I nodded. “I trust your judgment. Hopefully, Eve will hang out with us more soon.”
She shrugged before a mischievous glint twinkled in her eyes. “Enough about that, I expect details later about whatever happened up here.”
My cheeks grew warm and Asher put his arm around me. “You ladies should go hang out with Eve. Seems you haven’t seen her as much.”
“You’re right.” Mags threw up her hands. “And don’t leave me alone with your cousin again. He’s a dick.”
I smirked.
