Page 90 of Until We Weren't

Faith nodded and took Destiny’s other hand. “I’ve been hiding things all my life to try and keep from getting hurt. When I hid parts of myself from you I ended being hurt more than I could’ve ever imagined and I hurt you in the process. I showed you the Faith I was afraid you’d run from, but you didn’t. You ran to me.”

Destiny tilted her head. “I’m here now and here is where I’ll always be.”

“I don’t want to hide anything from you, Des,” Faith said. “You don’t have to be careful and try so hard with me anymore either. Like I said, I’m home and this is where I’m staying. With you.”

Destiny felt tears pool in her eyes. She pulled Faith into a tight hug. Standing at the foot of the bed, both naked, exposing their innermost selves: Destiny had never been happier and felt so loved.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Faith said.

“They’re happy tears,” Destiny said, looking into Faith’s eyes which were misty as well.

“You believe me? I promise you can trust me, baby.”

“I do,” Destiny said. “I always have.”

Faith let out a big breath and shook her head. “I don’t know why you do or how I got so lucky, but I’m holding on this time, for life.”

Destiny chuckled. “We’re holding on.”

Faith nodded and led them to the shower.

Destiny knew the hurt and the pain from the past couldn’t be washed away, but this new love was stronger, honest, and true.

28

“It’s been nice having you back on the team today,” Mark said.

Faith smoothed mulch around a plant in the flower bed they were finishing up. “It’s been nice playing in the dirt.” She chuckled. “That’s what Destiny’s mom says we do for a living.”

“That’s one way to look at it.” Mark laughed. “And how about Destiny happening by just in time for lunch? It reminded me of when we all worked together years ago.”

Faith looked up at Mark with a smirk. “You know she didn’t just happen by.”

Mark chuckled. “Does that mean we’ll be seeing a lot more of her around here? Are things changing, boss?”

“I’ve changed,” Faith said honestly, rocking back on her knees to sit on her heels. “I let things get in the way of having a happy life. Destiny and I are in this together from now on. I don’t know what that means for our companies, but we’re waiting to hear from the bid. If we win, we’ll all be working together. We’ll see how it goes from there.”

“That sounds like a solid plan,” Mark said. “Hey, I’m really happy for you both. You belong together.”

Faith grinned. “Yeah, we do.”

Her phone beeped with a message and Mark raised his brows. “Someone must already miss you,” he said.

“Ha ha.” Faith looked at the message and frowned. “Huh, it’s from David Orr.”

“The guy from urban planning?” Mark asked.

“Yeah,” Faith replied. Before she could say anything else her phone rang. She could see Destiny’s smiling face in the caller ID. “Hey, babe.”

“Hi,” Destiny said. “I just got the strangest text from David Orr.”

“I did, too,” Faith replied. “He asked if I could meet him at the site. He said it was about our presentation.”

“That’s what he messaged me,” Destiny said.

“Do you want me to come get you?” Faith asked. “I have my truck.”

“Yeah, I’m with Claire’s team. I’ll text you the address,” Destiny said.

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