Gaining Ground

by Nikki Bolvair

  Or maybe I should just wait. They were already angry as it was. I wanted to get ahold of Raina to do her laundry during lunch since Kane wasn’t around, and if I waited, I wouldn’t run into the other guys.

  I knew I was being childish, but being disappointed did things to a person. Especially when I couldn’t seek refuge with one of the other guys because, per Raina's advice, that would be playing one against the other, which wasn't healthy for our relationship. So that meant when one was in the dog house, they all were. Sucked for me. I could have seriously used some comfort.

  I sighed as I put the rest of my belongings into my bag, including my phone. I had rethought the idea of messaging Kayden. I’d wait just before lunch to do that. That way it would give me enough time to talk to Raina beforehand. And hopefully, I wasn’t taking it all too far.

  “Ms. Daniels?” I popped my head up to see Mr. White with his gaze directed my way.

  “Yes?”

  “Before you leave, could I have a moment of your time in my office?”

  Holy Crap! I was in trouble. I knew it. Mr. White never called any of his students into his office. Ever. All I could think was: what could have Kane and Wendy had done to this poor man that would warrant me a disciplinary measure just for being associated with them? I didn’t know, but I was afraid I was going to find out soon enough.

  “Ms. Daniels?”

  I smiled sheepishly toward him when I realized I had been lost in my thoughts. “S-sure, Mr. White.”

  I walked into his office, leaving the door slightly open before I sat down in one of the two chairs that were situated in front of his desk. Mr. White had his back to me, gathering up some paperwork before turning around and doing the same. He organized them then sat back, folding his arms to give me a calculated stare. “Ms. Daniels, why are you taking my class?”

  A little taken back, I stuttered, “W-what?”

  “You’re very smart for being so young,” he went on. “And almost top in my class despite your lack of attendance.”

  “Um, thank you, Sir.”

  “With that said, what are you majoring in that requires you to take my class?”

  “Ah, I have a few options,” I told him truthfully. “But for my forensic analyst ambitions, it requires that I take this course.”

  Mr. White unfolded his arms slightly, moving the papers on his desk and looking curious.

  He made me nervous. What was he getting at?

  “That is a pretty big ambition, but I have no doubt that you could complete that goal. What was your other option?”

  “A cryptologist.”

  “Very ambitious indeed. And why these choices?”

  “They both involve some sort of mathematical degree and critical thinking. All things I tend to lean toward.”

  “Hmm. So you’re a problem solver. Well then, the reason I’ve asked you here is to offer you an opportunity to earn extra credit in my class as well as in Mrs. Shambles class, which, I’m sure you’re aware, you’re falling behind in.”

  I was a little offended. “Sir?”

  He sighed, “We want to offer you a chance to take the classroom experience outside of our lectures and into a... job of sorts.”

  “Mr. White, are you offering me a job?”

  “Essentially, yes.”

  “Why?”

  Mr. White leaned forwarded. “It would give you hands-on experience.”

  “And I’d get paid?” I asked piping up at the idea.

  “Yes. Not much, but it’s a check.”

  “Okay. What would be my hours, and what would I be doing?” I was excited at the prospect.

  Mr. White grinned and sat back. “Have you ever heard of the SSK program?”

  ***

  I was still grinning well into my third lecture class when Mrs. Shambles also pulled me aside and asked if Mr. White had talked to me yet. I murmured yes and told her the same thing I had said to him: I’d have to check with my “parents” because of my age, but I was definitely interested. The opportunity wasn’t something I’d ever thought of doing, but it was something. Something more than doing laundry for Raina. I was actually going to get a paycheck and a work schedule. I just hoped Brady would let me. I did have my reservations about the whole SSK idea, because it was cutting way too close to home, and I wasn't sure if my own hellish triggers would arise. But that wasn’t something either of my professors were aware of, so 'mum' was the word. If anyone asked, I would tell them, but I believed there was no harm in keeping things unsaid for the moment. Foster care wasn't easy as I'm sure the kids at Sunshine Kids Orphanage were aware. I would be assigned to a family as an Para-parent. Someone who came in during the evening, looked them over, made sure they got their dinner, bath, story and bed. After that we were supposed to make sure there were enough clothes in the drawers and to talk to the older ones and assess their emotional needs. After the kids were in bed, we students gathered in a group and discussed the children. Most children didn't express with words. They expressed how they were dealing with the world with actions and reactions. Social and emotional cues that we were trained to look for; as I had said, their emotional duffel bag with years of history, experience and triggers that made them who they were. I had been there. I had my own duffel and I wanted to help those children, desperately. I just hoped Brady and Sarah agreed to let me participate.

  As I left Mrs. Shamble’s lecture hall, I pulled out my phone to call Raina. With all the new excitement, I had forgotten to do so.

  “Faith Daniels!” she answered on the second ring. “You are currently wanted by all of my brothers and in Big Trouble, missy. Why aren’t you answering your phone?”

  “Raina, let me talk to her.” I heard Tyler say in the background.

  “No,” she snapped at him, her voice far away from the phone. “You’ll have to settle this lover's spat somewhere other than on my phone. Faith?” She questioned, coming back on. “You still there?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tyler wants to talk with you.”

  “Tell him we’ll talk later.”

  “She said later... No! I’m not going to tell her that... No! I’m not...Tyler!”

  “Faith?” his smooth voice filtered over the line. I stayed silent as I heard Rania grumbling in the background. “Baby, I’m sorry about last night. It was just something I had to do. Please forgive me.”

  “I’ll think about it, but in the meantime, let me tell you something. You ditched me, Tyler. Tucker keeps telling me things. Things about you. And honestly, I’m not sure who to believe because every time I get a chance to talk to you, you bail.”

  “Tucker's still harassing you?!”

  “You’re missing the point, Tyler.”

  “I'm sorry. Tucker’s taking things too far. I think it’s time to talk to Officer Brady.” Tyler was furious. “He has no right bothering you. Whatever he has to talk about, it’s between him and me. And Faith, you can always trust me.”

  "I'm sorry shouldn’t come with a “but,” Tyler. It cancels it out,” I recited, remembering the old saying my dad use to say. Even though my heart knew I could trust him, my mind held doubts. “Tucker gave me a message for you,” I told him darkly. “He said, the game has now changed. That you need to watch out. Roxie isn’t the only thing that he’s after now.”

  Tyler growled. “Get your ass over here, Faith. We need to go see Brady, now. I’ll call Kayden, but Lincoln had to get a new number. Something about a crank caller, but the two of them should be together. Faith? Are you listening?” he demanded, worried, but all I could think about was that he didn’t deny taking Roxie from Tucker. He didn’t deny anything. She was real, and he didn’t tell me.

  “Were you with Roxie last night, Tyler?” I asked in a soft voice.

  “Huh? What does that matter right now? Where are you?” My heart broke into a million pieces as my doubts won over. How easily I trusted him. How easily I fell into their arms.

  “It matters,” I told him, before I hung up and set out t
o find Sarah. I was numb and wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I was going to cry and wallow in self-pity until I felt it was time to get it together again. I wasn’t going to do Raina’s laundry today. Perhaps not ever, but at this point that was all right with me.

  Chapter 9

  On my walk over to see Sarah, I had a moment to think. My heart felt broken. Tyler brushed off my question like it was nothing. Like what I thought didn’t matter. Well, it did. Maybe independence was what I should be working on. I needed to do what I need to do to get myself on my feet. I could take the job that Mr. White offered, and I could try to get the one also at the antique store. If need be, I could use the bus system to get to those places and not have to rely on anyone.

  Even with my feelings still fresh, I had to admit, I may have overreacted a tad. I was jealous, and I had a right to be. Or I hoped so.

  When I got to the AV office, Sarah smiled when she noticed me. “Faith! I was just thinking about you!”

  “You were, huh?” I sat down in the chair that faced her desk as she tapped a few more times on her keyboard before sliding it up under her monitor to be put away. The computer dinged that it was being shut down, and Sarah stood up.

  “I was just going to head off to lunch and then head home. Today's a short day for me,” she explained, shouldering her purse and pushing her chair in. “Do you want to go to lunch with me?”

  “Yes. Please.”

  We ended up going to a bistro that catered to a more ‘healthy side’ of eating. It was in the same shopping center as the diner and antique store. The two of us ordered, and then sat down with our salads at a table. The window next to us conveniently faced the diner, and I could see Tyler's Jeep parked in the parking lot.

  As we both ate, Sarah gave into small talk, and I listened. Well, I tried to keep up, but my attention and thoughts were elsewhere as I studied the diner, willing for one of the guys to come out.

  Tyler was keeping secrets. Lincoln had a new number and Kayden... Kayden hadn’t struck out yet—wait. My mind halted. Was I waiting for that? Was I actively looking for problems that weren’t there? I couldn’t deny the first issue, but Lincoln’s? I shouldn’t read too much into that. People get new—

  “Faith?” Sarah’s voice questioned, gaining my attention.

  I glanced over to her, giving an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, what was that?”

  “I said that Brady agreed to you working at the Antique store.”

  That did catch my attention and was good news! My face lit up, “Really?”

  She grinned at me. “Really.”

  “That’s great!” I exclaimed, excited about the opportunity. Then I remembered the talk I’d had with Mr. White and sobered. “Sarah, I want to work at the Antique store, but I also have another chance to make some money as well...”

  Sarah’s brows rose with surprise. “Oh?”

  “It’s for extra credit.” Then I started to explain all about SSK and what I’d be doing there. “... and it would only be in the evenings on the weekdays.”

  “What about rides, Faith? You’d have to get there and back somehow, and when would you work at the Antique store?”

  I grinned, knowing I had her almost sold on the idea and explained. “For SSK, I have a ride. Antique store on the weekends, and SSK during the week. If it gets to be too much...” I shrugged. “I’ll drop one of them.”

  Sarah looked apprehensive, but she sighed. “Okay, but in your off time, I think it’s time to start those driving lessons. If you’re going to be working this much, maybe it would be a good thing to get started on that. Maybe Tyler could even teach you a thing or two.”

  Speaking of him, I glanced out the window, and I felt my heart leap. Tyler and his brothers were right outside by his Jeep, all seemingly in a heated discussion. I should go out there. I should... No. I needed some time to cool off before that.

  I turned back to Sarah. She had been watching the same thing I had, and she frowned. “You have to pick, Faith. Look,” she gestured to the guys out the window, “there’s already a fight.”

  “It’s not what you think,” I told her as I kept my gaze on the guys. The three of them did look furious. The two of us stood and got ready to go. “I’ll go out there and see what I can do.” I sighed, glancing at her. “But afterward, can we get an application from the Antique place?”

  “Sure, but see what you can do with those three first,” she said, pointing at the angry brothers.

  “Kay,’’ I said and marched myself out the door of the bistro and over their way. I could hear them as I walked, and I could tell the argument was about me.

  “We need to talk to her,” Lincoln stressed then turned to Kayden. “And what’s this about not going to college?”

  Oh boy.

  “Yeah, Lincoln. Daniels said something about a college in Arizona? I thought we all agreed to stay—”

  As I started to walk around to the Jeep where the guys were, I paused, wondering how to announce myself; I could see them through the Jeep opening. I didn’t have to worry about that, though. Almost as if he could sense me there, Kayden turned his head away from his brothers toward me.

  “Daniels?”

  He strode around his Jeep, coming toward me as the others did also. “Why aren’t you—” He went to lift me into a hug, but he didn’t get that far.

  “Kayden!” Tyler growled out, “Weren’t we just talking about this?”

  Kayden slowed to a stop in front of me, glancing at Tyler, hesitating before he turned back around and put a hand on my arm to give it a squeeze. “We were worried.”

  What was that?

  Lincoln put a hand on my hair, smoothing it down till it rested on my back. “Why didn’t you answer our calls?”

  I turned to Lincoln, “Didn’t you get a new number?”

  He grinned. “Oh yeah, give me your phone so I can put it in there.”

  I reached into my pocket and drew out my phone, handing it over to him. He walked away with it as Kayden leaned in. “It’s his third number this year.”

  “Kayden can you—” Tyler angled his head toward Lincoln then gestured toward me with his chin.

  “Sure.” Then he whispered to me, “Go easy on him. He didn’t mean to break his promise.”

  As Kayden stepped aside, Tyler step forward, and I felt sad all over again. He looked so torn and confused that I caved and took his hand in mine. I had to be missing something. I just had to be.

  With that small action, Tyler tugged me into his arms, his chest expand in a sigh that I could both feel and hear. “I’m sorry, Baby. I don’t like fighting. Will you forgive me?”

  “Maybe,” I mumbled into his shirt.

  “Please? I should have come last night. I know that but... I had things to do. Work things.”

  That answer bristled my nerves, and I tensed.

  “I promise that’s all it was.” My heart lifted a little at how torn he sounded.

  “Okay,” I gave in.

  “And I’m worried about this Tucker thing.”

  I pulled back to study him. “Have you seen him today?”

  He pulled back. “Yes. Why?”

  I let a grin slip. “How’s his nose looking?”

  Tyler looked shocked. “You did that?”

  I shrugged as if it was no big deal, He didn’t need to know that I had needed to ice my hand off and on last night. “I didn’t like what he said.”

  Tyler chuckled and lifted my hand for inspection. It still looked a little swollen, but it was worth it. He turned my hand over and raised my palm to drop a kiss in the center. “Well, don’t do it again. Leave the fighting to us if it needs to happen. Can’t have you all bruised up or Brady might never let you out of the house.” I grunted in agreement.

  “So what are we going to do, Faith?”

  “Not sure, but you know how I want to work and have some of my own money, right?“

  “Yeah...”

  I leaned back to look at him and angled my head
toward the Now Hiring sign still in the window of the antique store. “I’m going to apply there.”

  “What? No. Can’t you find another place to work?”

  “I want to work there, Tyler,” I told him firmly.

  “You do know who owns that place, right?”

  “Yes. Tucker’s Grandmother. But she owns it, not him. He probably never goes there anyway, and Brady said I could.”

  Tucker's eyes narrowed as his hands tightened around my waist. “Fine. But I get to talk to Brady about Tucker and...And”—he spoke more firmly when he saw I was about to object—“you have to tell me if you run into him anymore, Faith. No games. This is serious.”

  I nodded, relieved that he had agreed. “Okay. Fine.”

  I looked at him, I mean really looked at him, and realized he wasn't just possessive, he was scared for me. He was afraid that Tucker would hurt me. Tyler dealt with my moods, my tendencies to shut others out and was by my side when it was most important. Both he and his brothers. He had faith in me. He’d given me his heart to hold, and I needed to put some trust in him. If he thought Tucker was bad, then I need to listen to him. Not to what Tucker has said.

  I gazed at Tyler and saw worry in his eyes. He was pleading with me, I realized. I should trust him. I wanted to trust him because I—my brain froze as it dawned on me.

  Because I loved him.

  That thought had me scared. Was I ready?

  “Daniels?”

  Tyler was frowning. I was sure he wanted reassurance that the two of us were okay. That I wasn’t going to run. I had put that fear there and needed to replace it with love. If I was only that brave. Love comes softly, but this time, it crept up and stung. I wasn’t nearly as prepared as I thought. And what was the deal earlier with his brothers?

  “Yeah?” I replied softly, unsure of how to process my new feelings.

  “So... am I out of the doghouse now?” His eyes were hopeful as his mouth tilted upward into a smidgen of a smile, and I gave out a relieved chuckle. “For now, but what was that earlier with Kayden? Is there some kind of no hug and kiss rule now?”