Page 110 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
I nod, my breathing ragged. When he releases me, I swipe at my mouth to see a lot more blood than I expected. I glance at Evans to see a good amount on him too and wonder if I look as bad as he does. Shit!
“Come into the office and get cleaned up,” Jaxson says.
I shake my head and stand up slowly. “No. I’m out of here. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
I walk out and don’t look back, not wanting to see what I just did to my best friend, and the whole time I drive back to my place I wonder who I am and how the fuck I am going to fix this.
CHAPTER 32
Faith
After Ruthie finishes brushing her teeth, she walks into her room and puts her pajamas on, which now consists of Cade’s white muscle tank. The sight of it, along with her black beanie, has pain striking my already heavy heart.
I glance at the clock again and wonder where Christopher is. He said he was going to visit Alissa after his shift at the gym but said he would be home before it got dark, and the sun has just fallen. He’s never later than what he says he will be. I go grab my cell phone and bring it back into Ruthie’s room, and call him as she crawls into bed.
It goes straight to voicemail. I decide to call Alissa’s house. When she tells me he never showed up or texted her I can’t help but be worried. I push down my fear and call the gym next, hoping he’s still there.
My heavy heart thumps rapidly as the phone rings, hoping Cade will answer, my soul aching to hear his voice. These past two days without him has been absolute torture. Unfortunately, it’s not him who picks up—it’s Jaxson. When he tells me Christopher isn’t there and gives me the rundown of what happened, my heart breaks knowing that he and Cade fought. I hate to think he’s alone and upset, by himself somewhere. At least I’m hoping that’s what’s going on. But five hours by himself? Where would he go if not to Alissa’s?
I quickly call Cooper and he answers on the first ring: “McKay.”
“Cooper, hi, it’s Faith. I hope I’m not disturbing you?”
“Hey, Faith, no not at all. Everything okay?”
“I’m hoping so, but… Christopher hasn’t come home yet. He had a shift at the gym after school then was going to visit Alissa. He said he’d be home by dark. However, he didn’t end up staying at the gym, he and Cade got into a fight,” I explain softly, my throat clogging with emotion at the thought. “Jaxson said he left really upset and I just talked to Alissa to find out he never showed up at her house, but what worries me is he never texted her to tell her. I guess his phone could have died, since it’s off right now, but I don’t know where he could be for this long. I was… I was hoping you wouldn’t mind taking a drive around to find him? Maybe check the skateboard park? If you’re busy that’s okay, I can ask Katelyn to come stay with Ruthie and I’ll go look.”
“No, it’s fine, I’m getting in my car now. Keep your cell with you and I’ll call you when I find him, or let me know if he comes home first.”
“Okay, I will. Thanks, Cooper, I appreciate it.”
“No problem. Don’t worry; I’m sure he’s fine. I know a few places I can look for him, I’ll call you back soon.”
Thanking him again, I hang up then look down at Ruthie, lying in bed, her big, blue eyes sad as she stares up at me. “Tade and Twistphwor fought?”
I nod sadly and crawl into bed beside her, my back resting on her headboard. I lift my arm as she curls into my side and I hold her like I have been for the last two nights. Our hearts both heavy from missing Cade. “Yeah, Jaxson said they got into an argument, but Sheriff Cooper says not to worry. He knows a few places to look where Christopher might be.” I’m hoping he’s right and that I hear from him soon, but I can’t help the doubt plaguing me. Where could he be?
“Shoure do miss de big guy,” she chokes out sadly.
I swallow thickly and try to talk past the tears clogging my throat. “I know, honey, me too, but we need to be patient right now and have faith that everything will work out. We have to remember he’s hurting right now too and needs time to work through it, but I know he’s missing you too, and he knows we are here if he needs us.”
I told Ruthie all about Cade’s sister, not in grave detail but in a way her six-year-old mind would understand. I felt bad betraying him, but she deserved to know why he acted the way he did, why he feels the way he does and why he lashed out at my father like that. I just hope that he is working it out, or at least trying to, but after hearing about his and Christopher’s fight I’m assuming I may be wrong.
We lay in heavy silence for a few minutes, my cell phone still clasped in my hand, anxiously awaiting Cooper’s call when a noise draws my attention behind me.
“What was dat?”
Thinking it’s Christopher, and wondering why he’s coming through the back, I sit up and peek out the blinds of Ruthie’s window only to have fear slam into me at seeing two men, dressed in black, trying to get in the back door. My heart pounds in my ears but I push down the panic threatening to take me and spring into action. I pick up Ruthie and rush her over to the closet.
“Faif, what’s going on?”
I place her in the far back corner and cup her scared, pale face. “Ruthie, baby. I need you to listen to me right now and do exactly what I say, okay?” She nods, her bottom lip trembling as I pass her my phone. “I want you to call Sheriff Cooper and ever so quietly whisper that he needs to come here right away. Tell him that two men are trying to break into our house.” A small terrified sobs slips pasts her lips. “Shh, shh, it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay, I promise, but I need you to be strong right now.” She nods and takes a deep breath. “Good girl, now I need you to listen to me. No matter what happens, no matter what you hear, you do not leave this spot until Sheriff Cooper comes and gets you. Do you understand? No matter what, Ruthie.”
