I’d never before been so happy to see Friday roll around. Even if I did spend my weekends lying around with Jimmy or running around the park, it was time with him and that’s all that mattered.

I scrubbed the guest bathroom vigorously. It was one of the last rooms I had to get done before I left for the day and spend the weekend with my baby boy. I was leaning over the tub and rinsing the cleaner from the bottom, when I felt someone standing behind me.

I didn’t bother turning around. The soft scent of Finn’s cologne wafted in on the bathroom steam that was floating around. I’d gone a while without seeing him, but I’d always known that I’d run into him again. I was cleaning his condo after all. The heat from the hot water in the tub was no match to Finn’s heat when he moved up behind me.

“No backpack full of high school books today?” he asked.

“No,” I said as I continued to scrub.

“Gave up on tutoring high schoolers already? That’s so unlike you to give up on someone, Faith. Oh wait, maybe it’s not so unlike you after all.”

His sarcasm made my stomach turn. I knew exactly what he was getting at, but I was too exhausted to play battle of the wits with him.

“I wasn’t tutoring anyone but myself.”

I gave the tub a final rinse and stood full, stretching the ache out of my back. I was too young to feel so old.

“Tutoring yourself? You’re a little too old for high school, don’t you think? You graduated a few years ago. I’m sure you’re getting close to graduating from whatever fancy Christian college your daddy forced you to go to.” He continued to verbally poke my nerves.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said as I collected my things and moved on to the last room.

“Oh, come on. Enlighten me on this one, Faith. How’s your dad feel about the fact that you’re in my home every day?” He chuckled to himself.

I’d had enough. I was exhausted and tired of Finn’s smart mouth.

“Just stop already! I’ve seen my father once in the last three years, okay? I was going back to school to try and get my diploma. I was forced to quit school before I graduated. I’m sure it makes you happy to know that my life isn’t all peaches and cream, but that’s what it is.”

I turned and attempted to move away from him.

“What do you mean ‘was’ going back to school? Are you not going anymore?” he asked.

His eyes moved across my face, leaving me feeling entirely too exposed.

“I had to quit. It’s no big deal,” I said as I sidestepped him and made my way into the laundry room to drop off the dirty towels.

Again, he followed behind me.

“Please, Finn, just drop it. I’m tired and I don’t feel like this today.”

I was starting to feel weak. I didn’t know if it was his poking into my personal life, the lack of sleep I’d been getting, or the fact that I hadn’t really eaten anything in the last two days. Either way, it didn’t matter. The room was moving under my feet and the gray laundry room walls were starting to blur.

“Are you okay?” he asked with pinched brows.

I wasn’t sure what he was seeing, but I definitely wasn’t feeling okay. I just wanted to finish the job and go home and relax for the weekend. I turned toward him again.

“I’m fine. Just let me finish my—”

I never got to finish my sentence. The room danced around me a few times before going completely black.

Twenty-Four

Finn

She dropped like a sack of potatoes in a mix of dirty towels. I flew across the room and scooped her into my arms. She felt lighter than the last time I’d carried her. Something was up with her and as much as I tried not to care, I couldn’t help it.

All this time I’d wanted nothing more than to watch her suffer, but now that the pieces of Faith’s life were coming together, I wasn’t so sure I was happy to see her so unhappy. She never smiled—ever. It was as if she didn’t know how to anymore. I wasn’t sure if she just hated being around me, which was understandable since I’d gone out of my way to get under her skin, but she always looked so damn miserable.

I laid her on my bed and got a cold rag to press against her flushed cheeks. I was the only one in the condo since everyone had gone out for the night. I contemplated calling an ambulance, but by the time I got my cell, she was already starting to come to.

I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as she blinked and slowly figured out where she was. The room was so silent that I could hear her stomach growling loudly. Had she not been eating? And by the look at the dark rings around her eyes, she was either strung out big time or not sleeping. I had to go with no sleep since I knew Faith would never touch drugs. At least the girl I thought she once was never would have.