Finding Faye (K&S Securities 1)

“I don’t… I don't know. Dad just told me that was the deal. Everything happened so fast. Then there was my wedding night…” she trails off, crying harder.

This is where she tells me why she ran. Something happened. Something bad. Something that broke her heart, and she ran instead of having to face it. I can feel it.

“What happened on your wedding night?”

Her laugh is brittle, her voice rich with sarcasm. “What usually happens on someone's wedding night?”

“You made love?” I venture a guess.

She laughs, that same mirthless laugh. “Well, I thought we were going to. It started out that way. Champagne and dancing after the wedding mass. Making out in the limo...but when we got to the room, everything changed.”

“Did he hurt you?” I ask, imagining how devastated I would be

if my new husband hurt me on my wedding night. Could he be so callous?

“I don’t know exactly how to answer that...I was a virgin. He was rough with me. Out of control?” Her voice lifts in question at the end. Her face is flaming red now, and she keeps her eyes focused on her twisting fingers. “I liked it… Does that make me bad?” Her voice is small.

I don’t know what to say to make her feel better.

“I don’t think so,” I tell her. “I’m still a virgin, though, so I only know what I've read in books.”

A genuine smile finally settles on Ana’s face. “All of my experience comes from trashy novels, too. Other than that one time.” She laughs a little. “Aren’t we the pair?”

I nod, the tension finally breaking as I laugh with her. I guess sometimes it's just easier to laugh than to face up to something upsetting. I think we have both had plenty of bad stuff in our lives.

The laughter feels good.

“I wish he hadn’t left that night," Ana says, becoming serious again.

“So after deflowering you,” I say in a dramatic voice, and we both giggle, “he walked out on you? That’s so messed up.”

“I know, right? He walked out, and I heard him apologizing from the hall.”

“Apologizing for what? Not getting you off?” I ask, and we both laugh again.

“No! He did...I mean...I did.”

That sets both of us off into peals of laughter again. I’ve never had a girlfriend I could talk about these things with, even if what we are discussing is messed up.

“At least he did it right!”

“Thank goodness,” she says with another theatrical eye roll as we collapse, laughing, back into the couch cushions. It good to laugh, even though I know that we shouldn’t be laughing about this.

Chapter Fifteen

Travis

I can hear the laughter in my living room as I end my call to Blake. I filled him in and asked him to come over and make sure Ana gets home safely. I want to take her to Xavier as soon as possible. In the next couple of days if she will agree to it.

Women are confusing. I don’t how they went from tears to giggling like out-of-control teenagers, but I’m relieved by the sounds they are making.

I’m hoping it will make the next few days easier for both of them.

The one thing I can’t make up my mind about is if I want to bring Faye with us or ask her to stay here. We have already spent so much time apart. I don’t want to leave her here, but not knowing what we might face in Vegas worries me. It’s time to start making plans so that I’m ready for anything.

“Analise,” I say from the doorway, drawing the attention of both women to me. “I haven’t contacted your husband yet, but I am planning for us to leave by the end of the week. I have someone coming to pick you up tonight and take you back to your apartment, if that’s alright with you, and if you need help packing I can send someone over to help you with that as well.” It’s more of a statement than a question, but I do want her to know that she is allowed to speak up if something isn’t to her liking.

She takes a deep breath before acquiescing. “That’s fine, Mr. Keller. It’s time for me to go back. I don’t really want to do this alone anymore.” She gestures to her belly, and I know it’s time to lay all my cards on the table.