She feels so right—the piece I’ve been missing all these years.
I continue to kiss down her neck and to the base of her throat, feeling her rapid heartbeat against my lips before moving to the other side and repeating my trail up back to her lips.
Nothing could’ve prepared me for having Faith in the flesh again. No amounts of dreams or memories could’ve given me a glimpse into the way I’d react upon seeing her again. I hadn’t realized I was starving until I got a taste of her, and now… I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied when it comes to her.
Her nails scrape up the sides of my body, dragging one side of my sweater up with her. Her palm flattens against my stomach.
“You’re so hard,” she whispers, and I groan. She has no idea how hard I am. “Definitely keep the name, Hard Locke. It suits you.”
I chuckle, interrupting the trail I was following back to her lips, and drop my head back onto the cushion below me, bending up one knee. I bring a hand to my face and scrub it hard, trying to break the spell she has on me and catch my breath.
When I drop my arm and look at her, I’m met with wild hair, swollen lips, red marks on her cheeks from my scruff, and bright eyes. Pride fills me for being responsible for giving her that look, and suddenly I feel like a caveman, wanting to throw her over my shoulder and keep her locked up in my room.
I run my thumb across her cheek and smile. “Fuck, this feels good…you here with me.” Faith nods against my touch and sits up a bit, holding her body up with her elbow as she peers down at me.
Her hand roams up my body and lands on my chest. “So good,” she says. “Almost as if it weren’t real.”
“It’s real,” I assure her, placing my hand over hers. “What you feel…my heart, it beats for you.” I swallow thickly, putting myself out there so soon after arriving, but she’s here with me, and that has to mean something.
Faith lowers her body next to mine, keeping our hands as they are. Silence fills the space. Our breathing and the wind picking up outside are the only sound as we pause a moment.
My body comes down from its Faith-induced high, and my leg drops, my entire body relaxing as her fingers start to trace circles on my chest. I drape my arm over her body, bringing her closer to me, and kiss her forehead.
Closing my eyes, I breathe Faith in, grateful for having this moment with her.
“Do you think that if you hadn’t moved, we’d be together?” Faith’s soft words break the silence.
“Yeah.” I keep my eyes closed, answering with certainty.
“I always wondered if we would’ve been able to stick through it all—college, careers, life. People change,” she states matter-of-factly.
I finally open my eyes and turn to my side to look at her. “I think we would’ve made it work. Been one of those rare couples people talk about and look at funny, questioning if they’re together because they want to or because they settled. But we wouldn’t have cared. We would’ve been happy, so people’s scrutiny would have been irrelevant.” It’s exactly what I always thought would happen between us.
“But we didn’t,” she frowns.
“The distance…” I shake my head. “We were so young.”
“I know,” she whispers, nodding softly against my shoulder.
“It wasn’t like it was cheap to fly back and forth. We didn’t have money, and we were still minors,” I continue explaining, grasping onto excuses for our failed relationship.
“I get it, Easton.” Faith’s hand cups my cheek. “It was impossible.” Sadness washes over her words.
“In a sense,” I agree. “Maybe if we would’ve stayed in touch, emailed more, then…”
“Maybe we should stop running in circles about this,” she interrupts me. I lift my eyebrows and stare at her, waiting for her to say more. “No point in second-guessing what already happened. Choices were made, and life interrupted us.” She shrugs indifferently, but her pursed lips say she’s anything but indifferent when it comes to this.
“It happened, for whatever reason.” I leave it at that because it’s the truth. We may not understand or like it, but it’s what happened.
“Yeah,” she sighs, closing her eyes.
“Do you want me to take you home?” I don’t want her to leave, but if she’s tired, I’ll drive her.
“No, just leave me here for a little bit longer,” she whispers, moving closer to me and placing her head on my chest. I wrap my arm behind her and hold her to me, reeling in the feel of lying with her, even if it is on a blanket on my hard floor.
Faith
I take a deep breath and cringe as my stiff body cries out to me. My back is pressed into a hard surface. I stretch my arms out as I try to clear the fog from my mind.
“Hey,” a deep voice calls out, and my eyes fly open as my body tenses. A snicker draws my attention to the right, and I see Easton lying on the floor beside me, holding his jaw.
“No need to punch me. I was a perfect gentleman last night,” he smiles.
My eyes close, and I shake my head. “I guess we fell asleep here.” My words are scratchy, and I clear my throat.
“Yeah. You talk in your sleep, by the way,” Easton teases with a wide smile.
“I do not,” I gasp. “Do I?” I lift my head and scrunch up my nose.
He laughs at my reaction and nods. “Yup, you were calling out my name,” he winks.
“Jerk.” I shove his shoulder and sit up.
“Kidding, but you do mumble. I have no idea what you were saying.” He sits up next to me.
“What time is it?” I ask as a yawn takes over. I cover my mouth, and my eyes widen in embarrassment.
Looking at his watch, he says, “It’s seven.”
“So early,” I groan, falling backward and regretting it instantly when my back meets the hard floor. “Sorry, I fell asleep.” I peek over at Easton, who’s looking down at me in amusement.
“Why are you sorry?” His eyebrows quirk in amusement.
“I don’t know, because…” My eyes roam around, trying to find the right words.
“Faith, don’t apologize. I’m not sorry; I wanted you here. If I didn’t, I would’ve insisted on taking you home.”
I sigh and bite down my smile. Easton and I confessed a lot of our feelings last night. We talked about the past and the present. There’s no doubt he wants there to be an us again, but guys like their space. Or so I’ve been told.
Nodding, I stand. “I assume the bathroom is in the same place?” I lift my eyebrows. He chuckles and nods. I excuse myself and walk to the bathroom, needing to relieve myself and stare at the wild mess of hair in the mirror.
My fingers brush my swollen lips, remembering the feel of Easton’s stubble scratching my skin and his mouth taking mine. I could’ve sworn that kiss would’ve led to more, but then I had to open my mouth and joke about his hard body. I couldn’t help myself. His muscles rippled beneath my touch, and I’m certain that he’d be a sight to admire when naked.
I comb my fingers through my hair and twist it around, letting it fall over one shoulder as I return to the living room. Easton is already folding the blanket, and the cushions are back on the sofa.
“Do you want coffee?” he asks with a bright smile, his green orbs calling to me.
“Yes,” I groan.
“Great, I’ll make some and shower. We can go by your place so you can shower and change, and we can grab breakfast. What do you think?”
“What you’re saying is you want to give people in this town something more to talk about?” I lift an eyebrow and grin.
“That’s part of the fun.” He stalks toward me. “But what I’m really saying is I don’t want to let you go just yet.”
He holds my face, but before he can kiss me, I bring my hand over my mouth and mumble, “Morning breath.” Easton laughs and pecks my hand as if it were my lips and steps back.
“I’ll make coffee. I have mouthwash under the sink in my bathroom,” he winks. “I expect a good morning k
iss soon.”
My cheeks heat, and I nod, turning toward the hall that leads to the bedrooms.
“I’m in the master now,” he calls out behind me.
I head that way, smiling as I step into his bedroom, all neat and sleek. A king-size bed rests against the wall in front of me with a dark wood frame headboard and navy blue sheets peeking out from under a gray comforter. A dresser that matches his bed is on the opposite side. A picture of Easton and his dad sits on top of the dresser. I smile upon seeing it. The large windows have the perfect view of the barn out back and the mountains, no curtains covering them yet.
I walk into the bathroom after taking in his room. Opening the drawer under the sink, I find the mouthwash and take a swig, rinsing out my morning breath. Then, I wash the sleep off my face. I could really use a shower.
Mouth rinsed, and face washed, I head into the kitchen where the smell of roasted coffee makes my mouth water. Nothing beats a cup of coffee in the morning, especially in winter.
“Better?” Easton asks, lifting an eyebrow and giving me that crooked grin that looks like trouble.
“Much.” I walk closer to him, and his arms reach out, holding on to my hips.
“Good morning,” his voice is husky, causing me to shiver.
“Morning,” I smile before pressing my lips to his.
“Maybe I should cook breakfast and keep you here,” he slaps my butt, and my core clenches. My nipples tighten, and the image of showering together claims my thoughts.
“Looks like you agree,” Easton taunts, his voice deep and eyes darkening.
“I need coffee,” I interrupt the moment awkwardly, trying to remember if I’m wearing cute underwear or not since I planned to change before our date. Oh, that’s right, I’m wearing my Taco Tuesday underwear with the tacos all over. It’s probably best I do go home and shower.
Easton lets out a deep belly laugh and nods. “Coming right up. I’ve got milk, or do you take it black?”
“Milk, please.”
“Perfect, tell me how much you want.” He fills a mug, and I tell him to stop when he’s about halfway. He serves himself a cup of black coffee, and we sit at the counter, drinking in silence as the tension grows between us.
The memory of our first time has been ever-present in my mind since I saw Easton again. Two inexperienced kids, and yet he made me feel something no one else had. The more we made love leading up to his departure, the more I craved him back then.
Now, I crave him in a way I never thought I could. In a way I never thought existed. No longer kids, I know it would be more explosive.
“Where should we go for breakfast?” Easton breaks my train of thought, which is probably a good thing.
“How about Beehive?”
“Is that new?” His eyebrows bunch together.
“For you, yes, but they have great food.” I smile over my coffee mug before taking a hefty drink.
“Sounds perfect. I’ll be quick.” Easton drains what’s left of his coffee and kisses my cheek before disappearing into his room.
I sigh as I look around the house, so many emotions surfacing, both happy ones and sad ones. It’s hard to believe that Easton is here, unattached, and with me. How did some woman not sweep him up already?
…
“You were right when you said their breakfast was good,” Easton comments after wiping his mouth with his napkin.
We arrived at Beehive just in time to beat the brunch rush since most of town was at church. As we finish our meals, people start to trickle in, some of them glancing our way with secret smiles. I shrug off the Nosy Nellies and smile at Easton.
“Best breakfast in town,” I respond.
“Whatever happened to Waffles and More?” He leans forward on his elbows.
“Mr. and Mrs. Lane decided they wanted to retire and closed up shop. The entire town came together to celebrate, making a huge waffle bar and music for an all-day affair. It was definitely the end of an era.” I remember when everyone’s favorite waffle house closed. Fortunately, Beehive opened not long after, giving us all another beloved breakfast place.
“This seems like a good alternative,” Easton says.
“Aunt Faith!” A voice yells from across the restaurant before my nephew, Luke, runs into my side.
“Hey there, Peanut.” I smile as I hug him, bringing him up to my lap. “How are you?”
“Good. We didn’t see you at church today.”
I chuckle. “I’m having breakfast with a friend.” I point toward Easton.
“A boyfriend?” Luke twists his lips.
I laugh and shake my head. How do you tell your seven-year-old nephew you’re having lunch with an ex-boyfriend who maybe could possibly be a boyfriend again?
Thankfully, Easton speaks up. “Hey, Luke, I’m Easton.”
“Hi.” Luke waves before looking back at me, expecting something more.
“Hey,” a deep voice greets us. I look up to see my older brother, Will, and his wife, Rose.
“Hey, guys.” I smile at them but don’t miss my brother staring at Easton and Rose’s lifted eyebrows demanding information from me.
“Uh, you remember Easton, right?”
“Hey,” Easton stands to shake my brother’s hand and smiles at Rose.
“How are you?” Rose asks. She was dating my brother when Easton moved away, and she was so supportive when I was devastated.
“Good, happy to be back. I didn’t know you guys had a son.”
“I didn’t know you and my sister were out again.” Will’s overprotective mode is turned on, and I scoff.
“Again?” I speak up.
“Yeah, remember he and Brett asked me the other day if it was true we had coffee,” Easton looks at me as he explains.
“That’s right.” I nod.
“So he is your boyfriend…” Luke questions, and his lips purse.
God, why are we making a scene in the middle of Beehive?
“Can we talk about all this later?” I whisper.
“Of course. It was great seeing you,” Rose smiles, and I look at her with grateful eyes.
Will stares at Easton. “Yeah, we’ll definitely be talking about this later.” His harsh tone surprises me.
Instead of backing down, Easton smiles as he tells him, “Call me whenever or come by the house.”
I kiss Luke’s cheek, and he hops off my lap, heading to a table with my brother and sister-in-law.
“Awkward…” I sing out. “What the hell was that about?” I arch an eyebrow.
“Remember I told you I ran into your brothers while having lunch with Camden?” I nod. “Well, they were giving me shit about seeing you and rubbing in my face that you were out on that date.”
I roll my eyes and take a deep breath. I’m going to have to talk to those two jerks.
“And you were…” He fishes for information even though I already told him.
“If they told you I was on a date, then I was on a date,” I lean back and cross my arms. We haven’t talked about past relationships, and I don’t think that’s something we need to get into, at least not right now, but I don’t have anything to hide. It’s not like I’m anxiously waiting to date Paxton.
Easton blows out a deep breath and runs his hand across his jaw. “Sorry.”
“I do have a life, and I had one before you arrived here. So I dated, what’s the big deal? I’m sure you did, too. If you’re wondering if I’m currently dating someone, the answer is no. I already told you that, and I wouldn’t be here right now. I wouldn’t have kissed you the way I did last night if I was seeing someone.”
Easton visibly relaxes, dropping his shoulders forward. “You’re right.” He nods, taking a deep breath. “A part of me feels like no time has passed and you’ve been mine this whole time, and another part of me knows that you haven’t been.”
I tilt my head and look at him. “I know the feeling. We’ve fallen into this rather quickly, right? Coffee, the basketball game, our date… It’s ju
st a couple times that we’ve hung out, and yet…” I trail off, afraid to say anything more.
“It’s like we haven’t been separated at all,” Easton says for me.
I swallow and nod, unsure of what that means or how to go about this. With Easton, it doesn’t seem like I’m starting a new relationship, yet I know I am. We can’t just pick up where we left off, but we can’t treat each other like strangers either.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks after a beat.
“Yeah.” I much rather leave this place after everyone witnessed our conversation with Will.
As soon as Easton pays, we stand and leave, greeting a few people on the way out.
“Where to?” His breath smokes as he asks.
“Um, I don’t know. I thought you’d want to drop me off and go home,” I say with honesty.
“Well, you thought wrong,” he smiles. “Not done with you yet.”
I shiver and wrap my arms around myself. “I have no idea. I’m usually home on Sundays, to be honest.”
“The day is young,” Easton declares, opening his arms wide before wrapping one around my shoulder. His warmth immediately envelops me, and I sigh into him. With an arm around his waist, I look up at him.
“How about we grab some more coffee?”
“I very much approve of this plan,” I say.
As we walk down the sidewalk to Cup-O-Joe, I pretend Easton and I are a real couple, one that has years of memories stored away in boxes and others displayed in a home we share. I pretend that this is more than a date and reunion.
It’s not, though, and that’s the thing with pretending; eventually, reality crashes down around you, and you’re left with fake memories and broken wishes.
For now, I’ll pretend that my heart doesn’t already belong to the man next to me because I can’t handle reliving the pain of losing him again.
Faith
This week could not have dragged more than it did. Not only did I not get a chance to see Easton, but we’re also leaving for Poppy’s bachelorette weekend this afternoon—both things making the week never-ending. It never fails that time slows down when you’re looking forward to something.
My Way to You: A Second Chance Romance (Love in Everton Book 7) Page 8