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Chapter 18
"The whole deal is that the company won't help me. I'm on their plan, so I should be covered, right? But they said that I have too much insurance already."
"Well that's just ridiculous," Derek scoffed. "Too much insurance never hurt anybody…maybe their bank account…" He shrugged. Christian nodded.
Faith cowered in her seat, pouting. She had once again attempted to explain to Derek, but he had not let her get a word in edgewise, saying that he and Christian had not come to the girls' condo to argue. Where were the other girls when she needed them? She just wished they would leave quickly.
"Well, this is so interesting and all, but-" Faith was interrupted by the knocking on her door. She jumped up, more than relieved, and made her way to the door, feeling Christian's almost malicious stare on her back.
Brian could see Faith's immense relief in her eyes when she saw him. She quickly closed the door and took his hand.
"Everything okay?" he asked, and his eyebrow rose.
"Now that you're here," she muttered and stepped into his arms. His hands found her waist, and he pulled her close and grazed her jawbone with his lips.
"Uh…the lady next door is staring," he murmured. "Let's go inside."
She looked almost scared. "I have to warn you…Derek dragged Christian over, or vice versa, and they're still here."
If he was angry or hurt, he didn't show it. "No problem. Let's just kick them out," he joked. She laughed.
"I wish," she sighed.
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and rubbed her back. "It's okay," he soothed. "We can deal with them."
"Two to two," she remarked. "We can take them."
"We're undefeatable."
"Let's go," she said bravely, and took his hand. They walked into the house together.
"Derek…" Faith began, and Derek looked up. Upon seeing Brian, his mouth dropped open and he almost lost his Coke. Brian dropped Faith's hand and reached for Derek's hand.
"Hi, I'm Brian," he said. Derek stared at his hand, then blinked and grabbed it.
"Derek," he managed. "Faith's uncle. And I know you're Brian."
Faith held back her laugh.
"I know you're Derek," Brian replied, grinning. "I've heard a lot about you."
Derek seemed to have recovered, and he laughed. "You couldn't have possibly have heard as much about me as I have about you."
Brian smiled at Faith, and she felt the heat rise in her neck. She cleared her throat.
"I tried to tell you the other day…" she said to Derek. "But, uh, you had company."
Derek snapped out of his shock and looked embarrassed. "Oh!" he exclaimed. He turned to Christian apologetically, who was glowering in Brian's direction. "This is Christian, Brian."
"We've met," Brian said wryly. Christian nodded curtly in his general direction. Brian frowned.
"Oh?" Derek questioned.
"Brian was just stopping by to pick me up, Derek, do you mind?" Faith said quickly. Derek shifted his gaze to his niece, and stared for a minute.
"Oh, yeah, okay," he said. "Where you going?"
"For a walk," Brian said. "Not far. I'll get her back soon."
"I'm 25," she muttered out of the side of her mouth to him. "He doesn't live here."
"He owns it," he said. She rolled her eyes.
"See you then," Derek said. "Nice meeting you Brian."
"You too," Brian smiled. His eyes crinkled, and Faith's heart skipped a beat.
"Bye," she said, practically dragging Brian out of the house.
"Bye, Christian," Brian called as he was forced out of the house.
"Yeah," Christian called back. Brian shrugged.
Once out of the house, Faith breathed a sigh of relief and laced her fingers through Brian's. "You're too polite."
"'Kill your enemies with kindness'," he quoted. "'If they are thirsty, give them water, if they are hungry, feed them. Turn the other cheek.'"
"Biblical?"
He nodded. "Yep."
"How…perfect," she sighed. He squeezed her hand. She looked up at him, and he smiled. His eyes sparkled, and he was grinning from ear to ear. She loved it.
While she was busy melting under his gaze, he was studying her face with pleasure.
The couple walked leisurely up and down the beach for a while before they stopped at a small dock and hung their feet over the edge. Brian's hands were behind his back, supporting him, and Faith's were in the same position, only her right arm was linked through Brian's left. Any professional photographer standing at the end of the dock would have taken a picture right away with the idea of a postcard in mind. Faith knew she would never forget anything about that moment. The look on his face…every word he said…every irregular beat her heart had…every thought that went through her mind…
"What next?" Brian wondered out loud.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't you ever wonder…where'll you'll be in five years?"
"Yeah." She shrugged. "But I live each day to its fullest. I try to pretend like it's my last day here on earth, and I make the most out of it."
"I grew up on that."
"I know."
"Right."
He looked at her sideways. "But, don't you ever want to skip town and do something you've never done in your life? Something that you could tell your grandchildren about? Something…something that will make people who know you so surprised that they don't know what to say because they'd never have thought that you, of all people, would do something like that?"
"Am I serving as your diary?"
"I'm serious." He lifted his hand and scratched his knee. "Sometimes my life is so…" His forehead wrinkled as he searched for the right word. "Repetitive."
"Repetitive?"
"Same thing, day in and day out. I get bored."
"Is that why you proposed to Leighanne? You were sick of abnormality and you needed marriage to make you feel like you're an ordinary, boy-next-door, guy?"
He nodded slightly, and she rubbed her hand up the inside of his arm.
"You're not, Brian. You won't ever be an ordinary guy. You gave that up seven years ago. You'll just have to learn to really deal with the constant attention."
"I wonder if I'll ever be able to." He heaved a deep sigh.
"Aw, don't worry about it," she comforted him. "It's you, now, and you have to accept it."
"I will, in due time. I just want to go to college and not be thought of as a Backstreet Boy for once. That's my dream right now."
"Encourage your dreams. Don't squash them," she advised.
He nodded, and his fingers sub-consciencely rubbed the fabric of his board shorts. The two were submissive for a while.
"I guess I should get back now," Faith spoke up.
"All right," he said. His voice was low. Faith glanced at him, and nearly fell off the dock at the look in his eyes. "Can I have a kiss first?"
His request was satisfied as Faith leaned forward and caught his lips in
her own possessively. One thought crossed his mind. Life is good.
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