Status: Complete
Before the Fall
Ch. 18
Faye felt better, so much better. She was in Nace’s car, and he was holding her hand like it was a lifeline. “I love you,” she said again, enjoying the taste of the words in her mouth.
“Don’t they all?” was his reply. She would have hit him, but she didn’t want to let go of his hand.
His eyes drank her in. She was disturbingly thin, and she looked sick, she was so pale. Her cheekbones stood out, razor sharp. She really hadn't been doing well these past few months.
But she would get better now, he told himself. They were together again, and she was smiling. She was already on the mend.
Nace wondered if they'd ever talk about that dark time, about their time apart. He knew that, if they did, it would be the one thing he lied to her about. She knew he had missed her. She didn't need to know how badly.
He'd been a wreck.
Sure, he'd held up better than she had, but he imagined that that had something more to do with guilt she might have felt over leaving him hurting than anything else.
“Nace, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry that I was stupid enough to leave just because your parents thought they could make me stay. It was the worst thing I could have done, and I hurt us both.” So she'd been thinking along the same lines as him.
“It’s alright. You’re back now.” He squeezed her hand comfortingly.
Still, despite all of the warm and fuzzy feelings they were sharing just then, they were off to break the news to his parents, terrifying and horrid as they were. For once, his dad was in town, so at least this would be quick and they’d only have to explain it once.
When Liz saw Faye, she grinned knowingly. “I thought you’d be back,” was all she said. Faye found herself liking his mother much more.
Richard, however, wasn’t quite so welcoming. He gave her a cold smile that was enough to freeze the blood in a weaker girl’s veins. “Look who comes crawling back. Did you run out of money? Sick of living in a dump, are you?”
“I’m here because I’m going to marry your son, and for no other reason. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Faye asked, giving him a sickly sweet smile.
“I don’t think Tanya is going to like that very much.” Richard looked knowingly at Nace. “You did tell her about Tanya, didn’t you?” Oh, that was low, Nace thought. He was hoping to make Faye jealous, to make her leave. Too bad that wasn’t happening.
“Absolutely. And I’m very much looking forward to seeing the last of her.”
“Fine. Don’t think you’ve won here. Remember, this is me getting what I wanted, just like I always do,” was Richard’s parting comment. He strode regally out of the house.
“Good riddance,” was Faye’s under-the-breath comment. Nace heard her and grinned.
“Don’t worry, we can live wherever you want.”
“As long as it’s far, far away from him, I’ll be happy,” Faye said dryly. Then she glanced at Liz and her cheeks colored.
“Don’t worry about it, darling. I understand. I’m just so glad Nace will be able to stop that moping he’s been doing since you left.” Liz came over and gave her a tight hug. “I couldn’t be angry with someone when she makes my son so happy. Welcome to the family.”
“Don’t they all?” was his reply. She would have hit him, but she didn’t want to let go of his hand.
His eyes drank her in. She was disturbingly thin, and she looked sick, she was so pale. Her cheekbones stood out, razor sharp. She really hadn't been doing well these past few months.
But she would get better now, he told himself. They were together again, and she was smiling. She was already on the mend.
Nace wondered if they'd ever talk about that dark time, about their time apart. He knew that, if they did, it would be the one thing he lied to her about. She knew he had missed her. She didn't need to know how badly.
He'd been a wreck.
Sure, he'd held up better than she had, but he imagined that that had something more to do with guilt she might have felt over leaving him hurting than anything else.
“Nace, I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry that I was stupid enough to leave just because your parents thought they could make me stay. It was the worst thing I could have done, and I hurt us both.” So she'd been thinking along the same lines as him.
“It’s alright. You’re back now.” He squeezed her hand comfortingly.
Still, despite all of the warm and fuzzy feelings they were sharing just then, they were off to break the news to his parents, terrifying and horrid as they were. For once, his dad was in town, so at least this would be quick and they’d only have to explain it once.
When Liz saw Faye, she grinned knowingly. “I thought you’d be back,” was all she said. Faye found herself liking his mother much more.
Richard, however, wasn’t quite so welcoming. He gave her a cold smile that was enough to freeze the blood in a weaker girl’s veins. “Look who comes crawling back. Did you run out of money? Sick of living in a dump, are you?”
“I’m here because I’m going to marry your son, and for no other reason. Isn’t that what you wanted?” Faye asked, giving him a sickly sweet smile.
“I don’t think Tanya is going to like that very much.” Richard looked knowingly at Nace. “You did tell her about Tanya, didn’t you?” Oh, that was low, Nace thought. He was hoping to make Faye jealous, to make her leave. Too bad that wasn’t happening.
“Absolutely. And I’m very much looking forward to seeing the last of her.”
“Fine. Don’t think you’ve won here. Remember, this is me getting what I wanted, just like I always do,” was Richard’s parting comment. He strode regally out of the house.
“Good riddance,” was Faye’s under-the-breath comment. Nace heard her and grinned.
“Don’t worry, we can live wherever you want.”
“As long as it’s far, far away from him, I’ll be happy,” Faye said dryly. Then she glanced at Liz and her cheeks colored.
“Don’t worry about it, darling. I understand. I’m just so glad Nace will be able to stop that moping he’s been doing since you left.” Liz came over and gave her a tight hug. “I couldn’t be angry with someone when she makes my son so happy. Welcome to the family.”
♠ ♠ ♠
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