Her cheeks went pink, begging me to touch her face. I curled my fingers up in my palm and kept my hands to myself.

“No. Just another kiss on the cheek,” she said with a frown. “I’m starting to think he doesn’t like me very much.”

“That’s impossible. He likes you, trust me.”

Why was I helping him? I needed to shut my big mouth.

“How do you know?” she asked.

“Because I just know.”

She turned toward me and her eyes took me in. She bit at her bottom lip nervously and tucked a strand of her hair behind ear. I wanted to kiss her again. Stupid Stephen had the chance and he wasn’t taking it. Damn him.

“Finn, what was yesterday about?”

“What do you mean?”

I knew what she meant. I had no business grabbing her hand that way, but I hadn’t wanted her to go with him. I wanted her to stay and go out with me.

“Never mind.” She turned away and picked at a weed growing between the brick of the steps.

I watched her for a bit before deciding to answer her question.

“I didn’t want you to go. That’s why I grabbed your hand.”

Her eyes moved over my face as she tried to figure me out. She opened her mouth to say something, but Stephen chose that time to come out of the church.

“Hi, James,” he said with a grin.

If he wasn’t such a preacher’s boy, I’d think it was a knowing grin.

“Hey. What’re you doing here?”

“I was just stopping by to pick up Faith, but I had to speak to her father real quick. Is everything okay?” he asked as he saw the tension between the two of us.

I was probably tenser because he called me James. Not to mention that he was practically rubbing it in that he was taking her out and best friends with the big preacher man. As far as I was concerned, he could suck my dick. I was getting about sick of him and his little brownnosing ass.

Faith looked away like she felt guilty. There was no need to feel guilty. We weren’t together so she wasn’t doing anything wrong. It still sucked, though.

I stood and wiped dirt from the back of my jeans. “Well, you kids have fun at dinner.”

“Oh, we’re not going to dinner tonight—just the movies.”

He reached down for Faith’s hand and pulled her into the standing position. She smiled at him and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“That sounds exciting,” I said sarcastically. “Have fun.”

I walked away. I was getting mad and the last thing I wanted to do was punch the kid in his nose in the churchyard.

Once I was in the Jeep, I looked over and watched as they walked to what looked like his parents’ car. He opened her door for her and she slipped inside. I revved my engine and pulled out of my parking space. When I made it to the main road, I peeled tires pulling out into traffic.

I was being childish. I knew that. I should’ve been used to being the unwanted one. I’d been the unwanted one for most of my life and it wasn’t fair. I didn’t ask to be born to someone who didn’t want kids, just like I didn’t ask to fall for the preacher’s daughter. Things happened that way and there’s nothing you can do to control it. All you can do is ride the ride and pray you don’t crash.

I never did take my mom her stuff from the store. I’m sure she was pissed about that. I wouldn’t have known, though, since I’d left the cell with her and she had no way to reach me. I was hitting a low place—a place I hadn’t been to since I was taken into my mom’s home. It was like reliving the foster homes and the families who never wanted me over and over again. Having Faith walk away from me was nothing like being tossed on your ass and back into the system. If anything, it was worse. I wasn’t used to feeling that way about a girl. Everything about my situation with Faith was different.

I should’ve gone home and talked to my mom. I should’ve done the right thing, but instead, I found myself at a friend’s house, drinking away my sorrows … again. Once I drank away all in inhibitions, I did something crazy. I drove to the movie theater and waited for Faith to come out.

Nine

Faith

My dad seemed to be pushing Stephen and me together even more. I think it was because he caught Finn and me together so much lately. That and the secret touches Finn made sure to get in whenever we were together. Either way, I assumed my dad thought Stephen and me being together would make me forget about Finn.

It was exhausting and it was starting to get on my nerves. Especially since I couldn’t stop thinking about Finn. It made me somehow feel dirty being on a date with one guy while thinking of another. I didn’t even enjoy the fact that I was being allowed out. I’d gotten to the point where I’d rather sit home and do nothing than go out with Stephen, but I didn’t want to be rude. I wasn’t one to hurt someone’s feelings on purpose.