Mine to Steal (Mine to Love) (39 page)

You are in love with me. You can deny it all you want, but that night at your place, you
declared it. You were hurt, and pissed and thought I betrayed you, and you still said you love me.

I recall
before earlier you demanded I tell you the truth because I owe it to you, so here it is:

Faith Young, you drive me insane. You push every button, pick fights, make me laugh
, and impress me with your talent. Somewhere along the way, I fell for you. The woman who loves the fight, puts her heart and soul into her work, and says exactly what’s on her mind. That woman - Faith, you - I fell for you. I’ve never wanted something -
someone
- so much. And to know you are giving yourself over to some guy who doesn’t deserve you makes me question why it is I’m drawn to you. I want the woman who knows what she wants. The woman who won’t settle for less than she deserves, but apparently, you don’t realize I’m talking about you.

I’m not asking you to marry me.
At least not yet. But I
am
asking you
not
to marry him.

You’re a smart woman, but you are falling for every lie Brad is spinning and I don’t get it. You have to know I would never sabotage your career; it’s not in me to do something like that to
anyone
. I wasn’t lying when I said we would make a great team, but you need proof.

In this folder is everything you need to know. It’s not pretty, and you’re probably going to feel betrayed, but you have to know that it wasn’t me. And I’m sorry if I’m ruining your chance at happiness, but I don’t think you can be happy with someone who goes to these lengths to take something you’ve worked hard for.

And for the record, in case you didn’t know, I do love you, Faith. I love every infuriating, beautiful, and untouchable part of you and if you decide to go through with the wedding, don’t bother sending me an invitation, because I won’t be there.

Always,

Trey

The document is saved, and I don’t bother to reread or send it. I put everything in there I need to, and a few things that I don’t. The oven clock reads a quarter after eleven, but between the drinks and the draining day, it feels like it could be three. Em surmised writing this note and giving Faith the file of information might be the only way to reach her and it would make me feel better.

I still feel like shit.

Before I go to bed, I turn on the shower to wash the smell of the stale bar air and coffee off my body. The warm water does little to soothe my exasperation over the day’s events, but it’s a start. A good night’s sleep is what I need, and if I can manage any amount of shuteye, maybe things will appear simpler in the morning.

Maybe I’ll wake up and discover Faith knows the truth.

Maybe I’ll be able to move on with someone else.

Hell, m
aybe I’ve had too much alcohol to think rationally.

“Get your ass up,” Jett howls as he throws my bedroom door open, hitting the wall in the process. “It’s already ten.”

“Jett,” I point in the direction from which he came, “get the hell out. I had a long night.”

“Don’t I know it,” he laughs. “You left your shit all over the place.”

I grab the pillow next to me and pull it over my head to block the blinding light that seeps into the room, but he grabs it away and I sit up prepared to attack. Unfortunately, the hangover I was anticipating is present and accounted for.

“It’s alive,” Jett whispers with a laugh.

“Leave him alone,” Cheyenne warns. “He looks like shit.”

I throw myself back to the pillow that remains and place my forearm over my eyes
. “And he can hear you both, can you get out of here?”

“No can do, Bro,” he says as he throws himself onto my bed,
jostling me more than I’d like to at the moment. “What happened last night?”

Last night? What happened last night? I met with Faith, but all we did was argue. I left and went to the bar and proceeded to drink my anger away. And then-

“Oh shit,” I groan. “I called Em.”

“Who’s Em?” Cheyenne asks, obviously confused because she knows Faith is the one I want.

“She’s the one I told you about, the one who rejected him.”

“Again, right here,” I kick at him. “And she didn’t reject me. I left.”

“Why’d you call her?” Jett asks, ignoring my last comment.

“No idea.”

“So you hook up with her?”

The evening floods back to me and I laugh, “She found me at the bar and then we went to a coffee place and talked for a
while. She’s pregnant.”

“Damn,” he hits my arm, “you’re good.”

“Jackass, not me,” I argue. “She and Ryan are having a kid.”

“Did you tell her about Faith?”

I sit up in my bed as Cheyenne leaves the room, “I’ll make some coffee.”

“Thanks, Babe,” Jett calls behind her.

I nod my head in her direction. “How did it go meeting the parents?”

“They love me, of course,
” he scoffs and plays aloof.

“What do you two have planned for the day?”

“Nope, you first. What happened with Faith yesterday? Why didn’t you give her the file? All that sneaky shit, and you don’t out the asshole? I don’t get it.”

“She said I owed her the truth.”

“And you didn’t take that as your open invitation to blow the fucker out of the water?”

“I was pissed, alright? She was being demanding and accusing me of shit I didn’t do.”

“So what’s with the note on your computer then?”

I run my hand through my hair and groan in frustration
. “What about it?”

“What about it?” he
mocks and raises his voice. “Are you going to give it to her?”

“I really haven’t decided yet.”

“Then I’m guessing you didn’t call her back last night, either.” He knows the answer, he’s merely trying to make me feel worse, and it’s working. “You sound like a whiny little bitch, you know that, right?”

“You need to find someplace else to live,” I mutter like the bitch he says I am.

“No, you need to take the note to her. And the file. If she goes through with it, at least she’ll know what she’s getting herself into.”

“Why are you so concerned about Faith now? You were a shit to her when
we were kids.”

“You’
re a dick, you know that, right?” I’m taken aback by the bite in his tone, because in all the times he’s called me names it was never in anger; but this is different.

Jett continues, “You
think I don’t know what I did to that girl? I was an asshole - I know it, she knows it - but you want to throw it in my face because you know it’s
you
being the dick now. At least back then I had an excuse, I was a dumbass kid who had a crush on a girl and liked to make people laugh. But I was a kid. You’re a grown-ass man hiding behind your damn ego. You need to let that shit go and grow the fuck up. Take the file to her and move on. But stop moping around here and at work like a rejected little girl.”

I have no words. His jaw is tense and
hands are fisted by his side, but slowly he relaxes, all tension exiting his body. This must be something he’s had on his mind for a while. He tosses my jogging pants to me before he leaves the room. “Go get cleaned up so we can eat and then you can do what you need to do.”

I sit at the edge of my bed and give myself time to consider everything Jett
mentioned to me. He and Faith did come to a truce, not that I think either of them acknowledged what he did to her, but I know they are both aware of it. She put it behind her and moved on, not holding it against him. When she has time to think, maybe she will come around and listen to what I have to say.

He’s also right about the file. I need to give it to her. What she chooses to do with the information, whether she opens it,
that’s on her. Despite everything else, we became friends, and I’m frustrated she didn’t hear me out. But as her friend, I need to at least arm her with the information about the guy she’s going to marry.

Between
my shower, shaving, dressing, and eating, it takes me no more than thirty minutes to get ready. Jett printed out the letter, and I’m pretty sure he read it. The note is on the counter with an envelope awaiting its fate. Before I give myself any time to think about it, I fold the note and tuck it into the envelope and write Faith’s name on the front.

Cheyenne and Jett give me approving nods, though it does little to calm my nerves. “Alright, I’ll see ya when I see ya.” I start to leave but remember my car is still parked at the bar from last night.

“Yeah, we got ya,” Jett pats my shoulder before walking past me with her hand tucked into his. “Let’s get your car so you can get your girl.”

* * *

The drive from the bar to Faith’s place isn’t long, but the entire ride, I talk to myself as I try to determine what I’m going to say to her.

Here’s evidence your fiancé is a prick who wanted to tank your career.
I think that sounds too much like a bitter scorned chick.

I would have given this to you yesterday, but you wouldn’t shut up and listen.
Hmm, I think that would start, yet another, fight between us.

I settle on the simple truth.
Here’s everything I think you need to know.

The typically empty parking lot is full, no doubt because of the turn in weather. It’s
ten degrees colder than yesterday and overcast, the type of day that people love to spend inside. I can’t find Faith’s car, so I find an open spot and grab the file to give to her.

It feels like a death march as I make my way up her stairs. I’m unsure what waits on the other side of her door, and as much as I’d love to see a smile on her
lips, I’m prepared for the tongue-lashing she will probably deliver. When I reach the landing I take a moment to relax and exhale a tense breath. The fog escapes into the air in front of me, and I lift my hands to my mouth and blow into them to warm them up before knocking.

Three rapid knocks sound and I step back and wait for her to answer.

When there’s no answer, I knock again and try to peek through the slit in the blinds, but I see no movement.

“Shit,” I mutter to myself. I look around the complex and debate leaving it for her in the office, but if they don’t tell her or if she doesn’t go by there, who knows what’ll happen to it. I have no plans to come by here and do this again.

The folder in my hand moves as a blast of cold air moves past. I spot the thick, black rubber welcome mat that has grates so you can see the ground beneath. If I put the folder under it, she’ll see it when she gets home and do with the information as she chooses.

I open the folder one more time and thumb through the contents before placing it under the mat and walking away.

There’s a weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that I’ve done what I set out to do. I didn’t get to make any grand speeches or have a face to face, but it’s done. Jett mentioned she called last night; I assume it was after I left the park, but I never bothered to ask.

I walk into the apartment
, and he’s sitting at the counter reading over some papers. He sets everything down and looks up at me expectantly. “So?”

I shake my head
. “She wasn’t there, but I left the file for her.” I walk through the short hallway to my room and call out to him, “I’m going for a run.”

I grab a hoodie and my iPod off the dresser and walk back to the front door. He hasn’t said anything else, though I’m not sure what he could say. “I’ll be back in an hour
.” I stick the earbuds in and look back at Jett who’s eyeing the papers in his hand again. “You gonna be here when I get back?”

“Yeah, probably.”

I close the door behind me and head out to my favorite jogging trails. In the summer, the paths are crowded with bikers and runners, but this time of year, it isn’t as busy. The fast-tempo music is blasting in my ears as I increase my speed, taking in my surroundings. The cold air is harsh against my face, but it numbs me to anything else and almost distracts me from thinking about Faith.

Almost.

People always talk about finding the one, but it was never something I aspired to find. I don’t look for signs, believe in fate, or any of the other crap, but it’s hard to deny there’s something bigger when I see the overall picture.

Had I not hired Elle E. Grant to plan my client event last year, I never would have met Emogen and realized that I was open to something more. With the distance and clarity I have since Lang’s wedding, I can see what I felt for Em was infatuation. There’s no doubt she’s a beautiful woman, but it would never have worked out between us. Aside from the
fact that she was in love with Ryan; we were never a match. She didn’t challenge me the way Faith does.

Somehow, Faith managed to see all the way through to who I
am and liked me anyway. Or so I thought.