Blamed me for it and always tried to threaten me. She got away though. I think she remarried, happily too.”
Faith’s distant look comes back into focus and I can tell she’s itching to turn around again.
“So,” I start over. “I don’t see what my past… what that has to do with us, today. What happened, or what did I do to make you so edgy, Faith? I’m only asking because I don’t want to screw this thing up between us. Because I love you so much, I really do,” I tell her earnestly, taking her hands in mine, feeling them tremble slightly.
“It’s not you, Noah… well. It is, kind of,” she starts to say, sounding undecided.
“I mean, it’s nothing to do with what you just told me. It’s something else.”
I look at her, waiting.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” she asks, searching my eyes, making me feel like I should have more guilt than I already do.
Thinking for a moment, I can answer her with a clear conscience.
“The only other crazy thing I ever did was climb up this tree once, to spy on the girl I knew I was in love with the moment I saw her,” I admit. Because it’s the truth.
Faith gives a smile and sighs, leaning over to kiss me, but she still has that damned worried look in her eyes.
I’m at a loss until she tells me anything more.
Her cell that she’s had on charge since we left chimes, making her gasp when she picks it up.
“It’s my Dad,” she says, turning pale.
“Then answer it!” I exclaim, wanting her to let him know I have her, and she’ll be back, safe and sound once I’m through with her.
Maybe in the next life.
Chapter Seventeen
Faith
I have to answer, it’s my Dad and Noah’s insisting on it.
He’s home now, been trying to call me all night on the way back, and only just found my note.
“I just came in through the back when I got home, ooh! Honey, just tell me you’re alright!” he says, trying to sound calm but I know his panicked voice when I hear it.
“I’m fine Daddy,” I tell him, trying to sound casual but hearing my own voice crack.
Noah didn’t read my note to my Dad and I haven’t mentioned to him that I didn’t say I was going anywhere with him.
“Well, for heaven’s sake, darlin’ where are you? Do you need me to come pick you up?”
I freeze, not having the faintest clue to any story I could spin him right now that isn’t the truth.
In my note I only mentioned I’d be gone for a day or two, not saying who I’d gone with or even where.
It’s totally out of character for me, I usually tell my Dad everything and he’s more worried because of it, I can tell.
“I just had to get away for a few days, Dad,” I tell him truthfully. “At home alone in that big old house after so long being away, with you not there…”
Dad moans quietly, I don’t mean to make him feel guilty.
“I just got back honey, and after Sheriff Brodie called last night, once he saw you were missing.”
Missing?
“What do you mean, Dad. Missing?” I ask, feeling my stomach drop. Noah glances over too.
“They got the other two, but I was so worried, Brodie thought that-”
“Here, gimme that,” Noah says in his best deep voice, easing the phone out of my hand as I make a stifled cry of protest.
“Mr. Holding? Noah Templeton, I spoke to you-”
I can hear my Dad shrieking in horror as Noah has to take the phone away from his ear for a second.
“Wh- What do you want?” Dad asks, sounding more desperate by the second.
Noah frowns, looking over to me to make me feel better by winking, but it’s only making it worse.
“Uh… Well to talk, man to man. It’s about your daughter, Mr. Holding. Thing is, I kinda- huh? What’s that? You’re breaking up. Now, Mr. Holding, there’s no need to raise your voice…”
I can hear my Dad chittering like a monkey. And there is some static on the line which sees Noah screwing up his face.
“Gotta bad connection,” he whispers over to me, a matter of fact, scrunching up his nose again apologetically.
“Listen, Padre? I’ll have to call you back. Right now, I have everything I want with Faith here, and I just wanted to let you know she’s safe and well. I’ll talk to you later about the uh, finer details… hullo?