CHAPTER 18
It was less than a week before Thanksgiving, and my world was even busier than I had ever imagined it could be. The boys practiced nonstop for the Tryptophan Torture Fest, turning Kill into a huge sexy ball of energy.
I wasn't sure if he was more nervous about the concert or meeting my dad. They’d even talked on the phone a couple of times. The first time, I’d been terrified my dad was going to go cop on him and interrogate poor Kill within an inch of his life. I tried to talk Kill out of it, but he explained that if he had a daughter, he would want to be able to figure out the intentions of any boy within a twenty-mile radius of her. I finally relented, and he spoke to my father-without me in the room.
Kill refused to tell me what they’d talked about. He would only say it hurt his feelings that I underestimated his charm.
While the boys practiced, I decided to go grocery shopping and finish preparations for the bulk of the feast. Although, I would most likely be sending one or more of them back to the store throughout the week to pick up the things I'd forgotten.
I made Martha swear she wouldn’t bring anything so she could just come and enjoy Portland with my dad. She tried to argue, but I explained to her this was my thank you for taking such good care of my dad. I refused to hear another word about her lifting a finger on Thanksgiving.
While at the grocery store, my phone rang. I answered it without checking the caller ID, assuming it would be Kill or Martha wanting to argue again.
“Hello.” I pushed the cart with one hand, holding the phone to my cheek as I reread my list, making sure I didn’t miss anything in the aisle I was on before venturing to the next.
“Faith?”
I stopped walking and glanced at my phone, verifying the number belonged to Jason’s dad’s advertising company. My stomach flopped as I reached for the bottle of Tums in my purse, popping a couple in my mouth. “Yes."
“Faith, this is Mr. Hutchingson. I would like to talk to you tomorrow. Two o’clock at the coffee shop across from my office building.”
I bristled at his tone and confidence. The way he ordered the time for our meeting made me feel like I was unable to say no.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hutchingson, but I don’t think there’s anything we need to discuss.” I sucked hard on the Tums in my mouth, willing them to melt quickly so they could settle the boulder as it rocked around in my stomach.
“This is about your father.”
“My father?” I questioned, confused as to why any of my family would have anything to do with this phone call. “What does he have to do with this?” I asked again, when he didn’t respond the first time I asked.
“I will see you tomorrow at two.” With that, he hung up, leaving me both confused and pissed off.
He'd put me in a corner, knowing I would show up just to find out what he was talking about. I finished shopping with my mind whirling instead of focused on the task at hand. Hundreds of possibilities as to why he wanted to talk to me presented themselves. The sad part was that none of them were any good.
The next day, I barely paid attention to my classes, my mind still reeling from what I had to do afterward. As I walked to my car, my feet felt heavy. They seemed to get heavier with every step I took.
I didn’t even notice Trent until I’d almost walked straight into him. The urge to lash out at him for his weird behavior simmered through me, but I bit my tongue. It wasn’t he who was causing my strife, so I would have just been using him as an outlet for my frustration.
“Hey, Faith. Are you okay? You seem out of it.” His forehead was creased with concern, and I softened a little.
Maybe telling him about my impromptu meeting would be a good idea, since he was the only one who knew about Jason’s continued harassment. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. My mind is kind of frantic right now. Jason’s dad called me yesterday, and he wants to meet with me today.” The gnawing in my stomach increased with the thought of the impending meeting.
His eyes went wide with shock. “Why does he want to meet with you?” he asked, his voice pitched with concern.
“I don’t know.”
“Are you going to meet him?” He looked around the campus like Jason’s dad would pop up and yell boo.
“I have to. He said it concerned my dad and wouldn’t tell me anything else before hanging up on me.”
Trent’s forehead creased further. “Are you going to tell him about the notes Jason has been leaving on your car?” he asked, glancing at my windshield.
I looked there also, noticing it was void of any paper. I shrugged, not knowing what I should do. All night long, I tossed and turned, trying to figure out what the cryptic conversation on the phone could mean, but nothing had come of it.
Kill had held me tight, but it was the first time I couldn’t get comfortable while lying in his arms. He didn’t sleep very well either because of my restlessness. The dark circles under his eyes were prominent during our morning run.
Trent was studying my face, trying to get answers to questions he wasn’t asking.
“I don’t know what's going to happen. I'm going to meet him and hopefully just get out of there as soon as I can,” I said, looking at the clock on my phone. I needed to go soon if I wanted to make it to the coffee shop on time.
