More of You (Confessions of the Heart 1)

Prologue

Faith

Rays of blinding light streaked through the moss-covered branches that stretched across the old dirt road like a living canopy.

It was a road we’d walked together what seemed like a thousand times.

It was our secret spot.

Our sacred spot.

He stared at me from where he stood five feet from me. Big hands stuffed in the pockets of his ripped jeans and guilt written on the lines of his perfect face.

“I don’t care what anyone thinks.” The words poured from my mouth, begging for him to hear.

To listen.

To finally, truly understand.

“I don’t care what kind of trouble we’re in. The only thing that matters to me is that you’re standing right there in front of me.”

Sadness crested his features. Face masculine and striking. Every time I looked at him, it twisted something deep inside me. My love for him was bigger—more important—than anything else in my small, little world.

But that was the thing when I looked at him.

I saw great things. A future spanning out in front of us that would go on forever.

But it was the expression he wore this afternoon that scattered the butterflies in a shock of fear and sent dread gushing in to take their place.

“It doesn’t matter, Faith? How can you say that?” His voice was bitter and hard, every bit of disgust cast at himself.

I took a pleading step forward. “It doesn’t. The only thing that matters is you and me.”

He took a weary step back. It kicked up a plume of dust to hover around his old, worn shoes. “You matter, Faith. Who you are and who you’re going to be matters. And I won’t stand in the way of that any longer.”

Tears burned my eyes. “No.”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, but that seems to be the only thing I can do. What happened last night is proof of that. It ends right now.”

His broad shoulders heaved as he forced himself to turn around, bitterness and self-imposed rage coming from him in waves as he started up the road.

Panic filled my chest. A crushing force against my aching heart. I rushed for him. “Jace . . . please, don’t do this. Don’t leave me.”

My fingertips brushed down his back. I swore that I could see the snap of energy crackle from the connection. The way it’d always been. This boy my fire.

I could feel his burn when he whirled around. A gasp raked from my lungs when he suddenly captured my face in both of his hands. Those eyes searched my face.

A tender memorization that contradicted everything about this hard boy.

My heart stampeded when he dipped down and took my mouth.

His lips were soft and rough.

Possessive in their goodbye.

I knew that was what it was.

I could feel him taking pieces of me when he dropped his forehead against mine and breathed me in, his eyes squeezed tightly closed.

Pain radiated from him like the heat waves that held to the sticky, summer air.

He reached out and gripped me by both of the shoulders, pushing away from me as if he had to physically pry himself free.

Stripping and ripping and ruining.

The second he stepped back, I could feel the tear run through the center of me.

His gaze remained fixed on the ground when he reeled back around, his head dipped low because he couldn’t bring himself to look at me as he went.

So, it was me who had to watch him go.

I couldn’t stop staring as he trudged up the deserted lane. Spikes of sunlight slanted through the spindly branches, covering him in a golden, glittering light.

So bright he appeared unreal. Tall and strong and gorgeous in his rough, raw way.

An angel in tattered, demon’s clothes.

He’d always viewed himself as the town pariah. The outcast.

The outlaw.

Bringing trouble to everything he touched.

But that troubled boy was my shining star. He’d taught me to have faith that people were so much more than their exteriors and their reputations. Made me have faith that destinies weren’t based on our circumstances but rather what we made of them.

In that moment, I had faith he’d come to his senses. Stop and turn around and realize we were always supposed to be together. No matter what.

But he didn’t.

He just let the connection pull and pull and pull with each of his steps until my heart finally ripped under the strain of it.

It shredded me right in two.

That was the day Jace Jacobs walked out of my life.

And I swore I’d never be fool enough again to let him back in it . . .

One

Faith

Ten Years Later

“Bailey?” I called from the top of the stairs. “Is that you?”

The old house was cast in darkness. Intermittent blips of lightning flashed at the windows as wind howled and whipped at the walls.

The foundation groaned and shook.