“We’ve been partners for a long time, friends for even longer, so I know you want to go out there and find this person, we all do, but you’re going to need a level head. You can't go around scaring every person that she had contact with either, thinking it could be them. We will work together on this and find the person responsible. Once you leave here and go to Faith she’s going to need someone who isn’t ready to blow up. She just buried her mom today and had to come home to this so do what you have to do to calm the fuck down.”
He walks away to check out the rest of the place to see if we missed anything and fuck he’s right, I do need to calm down before I go home she doesn’t need to see the rage I’m carrying. Walking down the hall towards her mom’s bedroom and hoping that it isn’t like the rest of the house. Since we got them to take out all the medical equipment and bed it’s not too bad thank god, just an overturned chair and plant. Walking to the closet I open it and find a picture album on the floor, opening it up. I'm greeted by a young Faith and her mom. In all the pictures they have the biggest smiles on their faces. Walking back into the hall I meet Damon.
“What’s that?”
“Photo album of Faith and her mom. I'm sure she is going to want it with her. Did you find anything that we missed?”
“No nothing. I think we are gonna have to wait till the results come in with the fingerprints but in the meantime, I’m going to look into the nurse that Faith let go. From what you guys have said he could be a person of interest since he wasn’t so happy about being dismissed like that. Add in what Rhylie told us the other day at the cafe he’s someone to look into.”
“Thanks Vic, I’m gonna head home since we found nothing else here. Hopefully, Ry has Faith settled in and is resting.”
Walking to the front I lock the door making a mental note to have the locks changed tomorrow. I need to see if Faith wants me to get a cleanup crew in or if she’s able to go through everything herself. “Alright call me if you find anything out about the nurse thanks for your help today.”
“I’ll call you.”
Getting into my truck I sit there and stare at the house trying to get myself under control before I head home, not wanting to bring my anger to Faith. Right now she needs someone to lean on and that’s always going to be me. I just hope we find this fucker before he does something else and gets someone hurt. Pulling out of the driveway I make the short drive to my house. I moved into it a while ago. It's a four-bedroom, open floor plan with a massive kitchen and a fenced-in backyard. Don’t ask me why I wanted such a big house when it’s only been me, but I have a feeling I bought it with a certain blonde in mind. I can’t even pinpoint the exact moment I knew Faith was going to be mine. It's like one day I woke up and saw the woman she became and it all clicked. I saw my whole life as if it was in real-time; the house, the kids, and marriage. Hell, I’ve even gone as far as to get a ring. I'm that confident this is meant to be, its fate. I know I’m not good enough to be with someone so pure as her. I've seen too much shit in my life that would scare her but I’m selfish and nothing is going to stand in my way of what I want. I know telling her I loved her wasn’t the right time but she needed to know that she will never be alone and that I will always stand beside her in all aspects of her life. Pulling in the driveway Lucas walks outside to meet me, no doubt wanting to know if we found anything else out. Grabbing the photo album I met him by the front door.
“Hey, how’s she doing?”
“Not good man, Ry just finally got her to calm down enough to fall asleep. Skylar and Damon stopped by earlier with a bunch of shit for her but she hasn’t moved from your couch. She just has this lost look on her face and she keeps asking when you’re coming home. I was getting ready to call you but I heard you pulling in. Did you guys find anything after we left?”
“Not a fucking thing, though Victor is gonna look into that nurse Faith let go, the creepy bastard that kept following her around the house.”
“Anything you guys need you let us know and we will take care of it.”
“Thanks, brother, I appreciate that.”
Walking in the front door I turn to the living room and what I see breaks my heart. Faith has her head in Ry’s lap sound asleep, but you can see her eyes are puffy and swollen from crying. Walking over to her I bend down so I’m eye-level with her and brush her hair from her face giving her a light kiss on the forehead so I don’t wake her. Transferring her over to a pillow so Ry can get up we all walk to the front door. “Has she been able to eat anything yet?”
“No nothing, I was able to make her tea when we got here but she hasn’t had anything since then so you might want to order something before she wakes up. We are gonna head home. It's been a long day but I’ll check in with Faith tomorrow, just take care of her Mason. She's going to need your strength now.”
Watching them pull out of the driveway I shut the door quietly but it wasn’t needed. Faith has her eyes on me; she must have heard them leaving. “Hey, how are you feeling? Do you need anything, maybe a shower and to change? I know Skylar and Damon brought you some new stuff.”
“ Ya, I think I’ll have a shower and get out of these clothes. Thank you Mason for everything.”
“I told you already I’m not going anywhere there’s no place I'd rather be than to stand by you. I love you Faith and nothing is going to change that. Come, it's been a long day. I'll show you to the shower then I'll order us some food you should eat something.”
Taking her hand in mine we walk up the stairs and I lead her to my bedroom. I see all the stuff Damon and Skylar dropped off. Faith walks over to it and takes out some clothes to change into. She walks towards the bathroom but stops and turns towards me. She looks deep into my eyes biting her lip as if she’s nervous about what she’s going to say.
“Mom was right, you know with what she said about telling someone how much they mean to me and that I’ve been in love with them for years. That I shouldn’t waste any time because life is too short for that. So what I’m trying to say is that I love you too Mason, I always have.”
I wasn’t expecting her to say it back right now. I was willing to give her all the time she needed with this. Splitting the distance between us I hold her face in my hands so she can’t look away from me. “You’ve just made me the happiest man alive. We don’t have to rush anything. We have all the time in the world. Just know I will always be here for whatever you need, never forget that. Now go relax in the bath and come down when you're ready.” kissing her on the forehead I watch as she closes the door and I’m left standing there with the biggest smile on my face. I know with time she will be at a place where everything doesn’t hurt and I won’t leave her side for a second of it. I finally got what I always wanted.
Faith
One month later
It’s been a month since mom died and every day it gets a little easier to breathe. There are some days that I see something that reminds me of her and I fall apart. During those times Mason has held me through it. He’s been my rock, every night he holds me in his arms while I sleep as if I’m going to disappear. Rhylie gave me as much time off as I needed and said not to worry about the cafe. The girls could handle everything. Almost every day someone would stop by to see how I was doing even if it was just to drop off a coffee and some of Isabella’s baked goods. I’m so blessed to have these people in my life. I haven’t gone back to my house. I just couldn’t stand the thought of going back after everything that happened. Mason, Rhylie, and the rest of the guys packed what was savable and brought it here for when I’m ready to go through it. I’m just glad not everything was destroyed. The day they brought me the stuff I couldn’t stop crying, just thankful for them being in my life. Mom was right it’s okay to lean on those that love you. Every night when Mason comes home we spend the night cooking and just enjoying each other’s company, getting to know each other on another level. We've gotten so close that we know everything about each other. After the night I told him I loved him he hasn’t brought anything else up, we haven’t gone as far as a kiss on the forehead or being held at night. He knew I needed time to grieve but lately I’m finding it hard not to jump him. I have a hard time sleeping at night because my body is burning from the inside wishing he would do something that I’m too chicken shit to ask for. I’m a virgin and by the feel of him in the mornings I know once we take that step I’m going to be walking funny the next day because holy hell is he huge! Today is my first day back at work, this is something I needed to get back to normal. I’m sitting here doing payroll thinking back to this morning while Mason was driving me in. I’m not sure why I couldn’t just drive myself but pulling in the parking lot of the cafe I understood why and I was pleasantly surprised and a lot turned on.
“So if at any time you need to leave just give me a call and I’ll be there if it becomes too much for you. But when your shift ends I'll be taking you out on our first date tonight. Sit tight, let me get your door.”
Watching him walk around the truck to my door I’m left drooling looking at him in his uniform. It fits him like a glove and when he turned around this morning at his house it took everything in me not to whimper at the sight of how it fit around his ass, there is nothing hotter than a man in uniform. Opening my door he grabs me by my waist and lifts me out of the truck slowly dragging my body down his. This time I do whimper at the feeling of him against me. He lowers me to the ground and says ‘fuck it” then slams his lips down on mine, devouring me like I’ve been wanting him to. He doesn’t ease into it. Mason dominates me, fighting for control and I’m all for giving it to him. Slowing down he gives me one last kiss and we were both breathing heavily. “Wow” because that’s all I can say at the moment. Mason gives me a cocky smirk and he's earned it. Walking to the front door he gives me one more kiss and says “I’ll see you later baby, call me if you need anything.” Walking in the front door I’m met by the girls who saw the whole thing and have shit-eating grins on their faces wanting to know everything.
I’m brought out of my daydream with Rhylie walking in the office sitting in the chair opposite the desk.
“Hey girl, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay. It’s good to be back. I needed some normalcy in my life, you know. Looking at the same walls for a month was starting to drive me crazy.”
