Status: Complete
Before the Fall
Ch. 10
July ended and August began. Logan called her every other night to check in on her. Nace resented those calls now, but never let on to Faye. She lit up every time Logan called and Nace didn’t want to ruin that. Still, she noticed that he was never cheerful on those nights. They’d long since learned how to read each other.
“Why don’t you and I go to California for a week?” Logan suggested casually and out of nowhere one night on the phone. Faye was so shocked that she almost dropped it.
“Are you serious?” She glanced over at Nace, who was watching intently, as always. She knew that he tried to follow her conversations with Logan. For once, it didn’t bother her.
“Absolutely. Sherry just had a baby, you know. And I know how much you miss her.” Logan was right, Faye did miss is sister, a lot, and she had a weakness for babies. But California?
“For a week?” she clarified. Nace’s brow raised, and she had to look away. She didn’t want to admit to herself that, if she didn’t know him, she would have jumped on the chance. But now…
“Give or take. C’mon, Ace. I miss you. I haven’t seen you in a month. Let’s just go. I’m sure you can get the time off of work, and it’s not like you’re going to be too missed over in that cold, dusty mansion.”
“Well… alright. I’ll come. When?” Faye asked.
“Let’s leave tomorrow,” Logan suggested. "There's an excellent deal running right now with Southwest and there are still seats open. Mom says she wants to pay for the tickets. She feels terrible that she can't do more in this situation. You know she loves you like family." Logan was anxious to press any advantage he could, and he didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind. Faye squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at her forehead. She could feel a tension headache coming on. In fact, leaving immediately should never have been practical with work, but one of Faye's coworkers had recently had to cancel a vacation and was looking to pick up as many shifts as she could to make the money back up. Faye was certain that the girl, Paige, would happily take over for Faye.
“Alright. What time should I meet you at the airport?” She was already bustling around the room, throwing things into one of her suitcases.
Nace was careful not to let on, but inside, he was panicking. She was leaving? Going off with Logan? What about him? He tried giving himself a pep talk. ‘It doesn’t matter if she goes.’ It did. ‘It’s only a week.’ Might as well be forever- she might not come back, after all. ‘It shouldn’t matter to me that she goes.’ But it does. ‘Why?’ And Nace realized the why- he was falling in love with her. Shit.
It was as simple and as complicated as that. He stared at her with new eyes, listening miserably as she set her plans.
Faye hung up with Logan, and looked guiltily at Nace. She crawled into bed and lay silently, waiting for him to speak first.
She couldn’t stand the silence for long. “Nace, I’m going on a visit with Logan, to California. I’ll be back a week from tomorrow. I don’t think your parents will notice, since your dad is always somewhere for work, and I only ever see your mom in the mornings, anyways. But you’ll cover for me, won’t you?” She hated that she was asking him for a favor, especially when she could see the strain on his face, but what was she to do?
“I heard. And yeah, I’ll take care of you… Of them, my parents, I mean.” Nace inwardly cursed himself, and was glad that the darkness would hide his blush.
“Thank you,” Faye whispered, grinning at his slip-up. It made her feel worse about leaving for the week, guiltier, but she was glad that he cared. “You’ll hardly have a chance to miss me. In fact, I’m sure you’ll revel in the freedom of not having to entertain me all the time.” Faye was fishing a little. She felt awful that she was taking over his life- when he wasn’t at school, he was invariably with her. And while they’d gotten to be great friends, it still had to be getting on his nerves at this point.
“Faye, I really don’t mind at all. And I’ll miss you as soon as you step on that plane.” Nace turned over, signaling an end to the conversation. He really didn’t want to know her response to that. It probably wouldn’t be good. He knew that even if she, by some miracle, felt for him half as much as he for her, she wouldn’t act on it. As a matter of pride, he was off-limits to her. Sometimes, he really detested his parents.
“Good night, Nace,” Faye whispered, already on sleep’s threshold.
“Why don’t you and I go to California for a week?” Logan suggested casually and out of nowhere one night on the phone. Faye was so shocked that she almost dropped it.
“Are you serious?” She glanced over at Nace, who was watching intently, as always. She knew that he tried to follow her conversations with Logan. For once, it didn’t bother her.
“Absolutely. Sherry just had a baby, you know. And I know how much you miss her.” Logan was right, Faye did miss is sister, a lot, and she had a weakness for babies. But California?
“For a week?” she clarified. Nace’s brow raised, and she had to look away. She didn’t want to admit to herself that, if she didn’t know him, she would have jumped on the chance. But now…
“Give or take. C’mon, Ace. I miss you. I haven’t seen you in a month. Let’s just go. I’m sure you can get the time off of work, and it’s not like you’re going to be too missed over in that cold, dusty mansion.”
“Well… alright. I’ll come. When?” Faye asked.
“Let’s leave tomorrow,” Logan suggested. "There's an excellent deal running right now with Southwest and there are still seats open. Mom says she wants to pay for the tickets. She feels terrible that she can't do more in this situation. You know she loves you like family." Logan was anxious to press any advantage he could, and he didn’t want to give her a chance to change her mind. Faye squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at her forehead. She could feel a tension headache coming on. In fact, leaving immediately should never have been practical with work, but one of Faye's coworkers had recently had to cancel a vacation and was looking to pick up as many shifts as she could to make the money back up. Faye was certain that the girl, Paige, would happily take over for Faye.
“Alright. What time should I meet you at the airport?” She was already bustling around the room, throwing things into one of her suitcases.
Nace was careful not to let on, but inside, he was panicking. She was leaving? Going off with Logan? What about him? He tried giving himself a pep talk. ‘It doesn’t matter if she goes.’ It did. ‘It’s only a week.’ Might as well be forever- she might not come back, after all. ‘It shouldn’t matter to me that she goes.’ But it does. ‘Why?’ And Nace realized the why- he was falling in love with her. Shit.
It was as simple and as complicated as that. He stared at her with new eyes, listening miserably as she set her plans.
Faye hung up with Logan, and looked guiltily at Nace. She crawled into bed and lay silently, waiting for him to speak first.
She couldn’t stand the silence for long. “Nace, I’m going on a visit with Logan, to California. I’ll be back a week from tomorrow. I don’t think your parents will notice, since your dad is always somewhere for work, and I only ever see your mom in the mornings, anyways. But you’ll cover for me, won’t you?” She hated that she was asking him for a favor, especially when she could see the strain on his face, but what was she to do?
“I heard. And yeah, I’ll take care of you… Of them, my parents, I mean.” Nace inwardly cursed himself, and was glad that the darkness would hide his blush.
“Thank you,” Faye whispered, grinning at his slip-up. It made her feel worse about leaving for the week, guiltier, but she was glad that he cared. “You’ll hardly have a chance to miss me. In fact, I’m sure you’ll revel in the freedom of not having to entertain me all the time.” Faye was fishing a little. She felt awful that she was taking over his life- when he wasn’t at school, he was invariably with her. And while they’d gotten to be great friends, it still had to be getting on his nerves at this point.
“Faye, I really don’t mind at all. And I’ll miss you as soon as you step on that plane.” Nace turned over, signaling an end to the conversation. He really didn’t want to know her response to that. It probably wouldn’t be good. He knew that even if she, by some miracle, felt for him half as much as he for her, she wouldn’t act on it. As a matter of pride, he was off-limits to her. Sometimes, he really detested his parents.
“Good night, Nace,” Faye whispered, already on sleep’s threshold.