Page 57 of Until We Weren't

Destiny laughed and Faith felt a luscious feeling of warmth pass through her body. God, it had been ages since she felt a rush like that.

“Your birthday is coming up,” Destiny said. “I always wanted to throw you a party, but you wouldn’t let me. What if we came here and sang karaoke? We could invite Mark and your workers, Monica and Kim, and a few other friends. What do you say?”

Faith sat back and smiled at Destiny. “You want to spend my birthday with me?” she said gently.

Destiny smiled. Faith watched as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She recognized this behavior. Destiny always did this when she was gathering her words.

“Yes, I want to spend your birthday with you,” Destiny said. “We have a lot to work through and I don’t know what’s next in our story, but I’m not ready for it to end just yet.”

Faith smiled. She’d take that. It wasn’t a no and it meant Destiny was willing to at least try. “I was afraid to share some things with you because I’ve always felt damaged in a way,” Faith said. “I had a counselor in college who helped me with that, but I sometimes still feel that way. I wonder why you feel like you let me down?”

Destiny raised her eyebrows. “Okay, we’re going from birthdays to…”

“Things we have to work through,” Faith explained. “I have to share things that are scary. It’s things that I was afraid would make you leave. In my eyes, you could never let me down, Des.”

Destiny looked at Faith and took a drink of her beer. Faith could practically see the thoughts running through Destiny’s mind.

“In my eyes,” Destiny said, sitting her beer back down, “there’s nothing you could’ve said that would’ve made me leave.”

Faith smiled and nodded. “See there. We have to be brave and share more. How often do the things we’re afraid of never happen? We’ve wasted a chance to know one another better on a deeper level.”

Destiny nodded. “I let you down because you didn’t feel like you could come to me with the video. It makes me wonder what other things you couldn’t share with me. What other things bothered you, scared you? I was the woman you loved?—”

“Love,” Faith corrected her.

Destiny smiled. “I was the woman you love. I’m supposed to be your safe space. I let you down because I thought I was that person, but I didn’t make sure you felt that way.”

“I was afraid that you would think I was too much work,” Faith said.

“What! Too much work?”

“Yeah,” Faith said. “I’m so fucked up with my thinking that we can’t have a normal relationship. You always have to be thinking about Faith’s messed up background that makes her think fucked up thoughts.”

Destiny’s face fell. “I have never thought of you that way, Faith.” She sat back in her chair. “I thought you were the most interesting, beautiful woman I’d ever known. All I wanted was to know you better, so that way, I could love you more.”

Faith smiled and shook her head. “Wow! Listen to us. You’re turning my mistake into yours, which is crazy. And the things I hid from you are what you wanted most.”

Destiny chuckled. “What is a normal relationship? I’m not sure they exist.”

Faith scoffed. “Certainly not my parents, but what about yours? Gretchen and Mike are definitely relationship goals.”

Destiny shrugged. “They’ve had their issues. Everyone does. We aren’t special.”

“Yes we are,” Faith said. “I don’t care what you say, we are special.”

Destiny laughed.

Faith joined her laughter and held up her glass. “Here’s to being brave. You didn’t let me down.”

Destiny held her glass to Faith’s. “You’re not too much work.”

They both took a big drink and Faith narrowed her gaze at Destiny. “You wouldn’t have left me. I think I knew that deep down and that’s why?—”

“You ran,” Destiny said.

Faith nodded. “I’m right here now. As the song says, where I belong.”

Destiny took another drink of her beer.

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