Faith (The Fast Love Collection Book 1) (8 page)

Chapter
Fourteen

Friday night. I'd hoped that if I stayed away from the kitchen window, Eddie would forget about the routine that had been our life for several years now. I could hope that with James in his life, he wouldn't want to let Pixie out. I was wrong.

“We're on for tonight, right Faith?”

I shrugged and looked across the road to the little wooden house that was the bane of my existence. Elise and Ken were pulling out of the driveway, on their way to work. They'd not said a word to me since that night, I wondered how much they had heard given the fact that Archer and I were rather loud.

“Not feeling too good at the moment. Might give it a miss.”

Eddie gasped, completely horrified.

“You always go, you can't not go tonight. Bring Archie with us, it's cool.”

“Uh no, it's okay.”

He looked at me as he sipped his coffee, his eyes narrowing to long thin slits. The man knew me all too well, he knew my moods and my current one had him mystified.

“Alright bi-atch, tell me what's going on? Did you break up with him?”

“No, we're still in the same weird place. In a relationship, barely know anything about each other.”

No longer having sex because I threatened to cut it off. To be fair, it had only been a couple of days and we were having that dialing it down phase while we waited for the days to tick by. I also had my own life to get on with. The meeting with Alexis was a blur, she talked about the marketing for the book that was about to be released, discussed something about a few in store promotions around the country and asked if I'd had any success with starting the new book.

I'd answered her in basic, monotone answers. She suspected something, I was sure of it but she probably put it down to issues with Archer. Well, it was issues with Archer but not like she would expect.

Archer. What could I say? He'd come over, talk about the what if's and the maybe's and how we'd be okay. He had money, he'd support me and the child. I wouldn't go without and no matter what, he'd be there for me. Which was great except I didn't need his money because I had plenty of my own. It resulted in a catastrophic fight that had him walking out in a fit of anger and me sliding down the wall in a sea of tears. When he cooled down he came back, sitting on the floor beside me.

What I realized that day was that I didn't want a part time father for my child. I'd always envisaged the fairy tale romance, the perfect wedding, paving the way for a life time love. Marriage
then
children. So I told Archer, he said it sounded like my books and life didn't always work out as we planned it. If that was the case, his dead loved ones would still be alive.

Fairy tale romances did happen but sometimes, they weren't straight down the line. Sometimes they were a little askew because this little thing called life happened to coincide with them. Life throws curve balls at us, making us a little crazy at times. And life had thrown a mighty curve ball at me. Possibly knocked up to an ex but not really ex-biker boyfriend, who I knew very little about. We were getting there, slowly. Dinner was discussion, we laid it all out because I said that I had to know about the good and the bad if I was having his kid. Archer's reluctance was obvious but he relented.

I looked over at his house, wondering what he was doing.

“Okay.” Eddie sighed, his mug hitting the table.

Turning back to him I was a little shocked at his outburst, it was unlike Eddie to get angry.

“Am I your friend or not Faith?”

“Of course you are!” I said indignantly.

“Then why are you hiding something from me?”

Oh. Was I really that obvious? I looked at the glower that Eddie was giving me. It was kind of cute and I resisted a laugh, he wouldn't be impressed.

“Okay.” I said softly. “You have got to keep it quiet.”

With a smile he offered his pinkie finger, his physical promise that neither he or Pixie would tell. I wrapped my pinkie around his and hesitantly smiled, letting my finger fall away.

“He didn't wear a condom.”

Eddie's smile dropped and his face turned to shock.

“Not on any contraception. Just riding out the days now.”

“Oh Faith honey.”

He wrapped his arms around me and hugged me, rather awkwardly as we were sitting on deck chairs.

“It's going to be okay, you know you've got a great support network.”

I nodded a little morosely.

“If you have a girl I expect you to name her Pixie.”

“Not on your life.” I returned with a chuckle.

Eddie smiled warmly at me, tilting his head with affectionate eyes.

“You know, I think you'd make a great mother.”

“Thanks. You know it means no more Honey's, right?”

He shrugged and sipped his coffee. “I'm okay with that, I'd only be going there to see James anyway.”

I couldn't believe it but it was true, Eddie was settling down, happy with monogamy with James. And James? Well he was never far away, spending more time at Eddie's place than his own. It was only a matter of time before he moved in, which I was looking forward to. The man was good for Eddie.

The front door of Archer's house opened as a sleek car pulled into his driveway. My heart went thud as I watched two very pretty ladies get out of the car and walk into the house. I ducked down, dragging Eddie with me as Archer looked this way. Hiding behind the potted plant, Eddie looked at me with a frown. Through the decorative cut outs of the balustrade, we watched the curious scene.

They were gorgeous, bodies that were thin with breasts that were huge. Like they were on their way to some fancy party, they were done up with lots of make-up and picture perfect hair styles. Me and my laundry day clothes and rats nest hair were jealous.

The door was shut again and Eddie was on his feet, pulling me up.

“Shoes on bi-atch, that road is hot already.”

I grabbed my shoes and pulled them on, hopping through my apartment as Eddie waited at the door. Grabbing my keys I stuffed them into my pocket and slammed the door shut, following Eddie down the stairs.

“What do you think is going on?”

“Cheating.” I spat out angrily.

“Maybe not, you know. Maybe they're interior decorators.”

I looked at Eddie with a raised eyebrow, he sighed and nodded.

“Yeah, I've never seen an interior decorator wear knee high fuck me boots either.”

Or low cut, tight dresses that looked like the person wearing it would need to wax for.

We scampered across the road and down the driveway that ran the length of his yard, trying to find a window to peer into. When we reached the back yard we found a rather curious scene. Archer was in the shed, working on his car.

Eddie and I looked at each other with rather large frowns.

“Roxy.” Archer said rather shocked. “Hey Eddie.”

“Hey Archie, we came over for morning coffee, hurry up.”

Then the man promptly walked to the back door. Archer frowned and rushed over.

“We can go out for takeaways, my shout.”

“Nonsense.” Eddie called out at the door as he opened it. “I saw that awesome coffee machine that you've got, don't stress, I'll make the drinks. Come on Faith.”

I turned to the house, Archer pulled my arm back.

“Don't you think you should lay off the coffee?”

“I'll have water.” I said as I pulled my arm free.

“Roxy.” Archer called out as he followed me. “Can we... stop for a second.”

I waved him off as I opened the door. “Too hot outside.”

When my eyes adjusted to the darkness of his house, I searched for Eddie who was not in the kitchen. It wasn't hard to find him, he was standing at the next door along in the hallway, looking rather gobsmacked.

Like our lives were in slow motion, he turned and looked at me with a horrified grin, one that had me completely confused.

“Roxy, please.” Archer whispered.

“You smut king.” Eddie crooned. “How long have you been making porn in this house?”

“What?” I hissed and stalked to the door.

There I found the two women who were rather naked, looking up at us in confusion. Also in the room was a guy, one that I did not recognize. In his hands was a hand held video recorder, there was several more on tripods, dotted around the medium sized room.

“I'm not making it.” Archer grumbled. “I just rent the room. They like to have variety in their places.”

“I have to go.” I said softly, wrapping my arms around my body.

Archer chased after me as I walked out the back door and through the yard.

“I never participated Rox.”

I stopped when he pulled on my arm, looking up at him as he wiped the tears.

“I don't even stay to watch.”

“Yeah but you kept a secret.”

Pulling away from him I walked up the driveway and crossed the road. The entire way back to my apartment I wondered if I would ever know the true Archer. Would he always keep secrets from me? Would he leave things until I discovered them for myself and then have it become some epic battle? I hoped not yet I could not see a time when it would be any different.

As I laid on the lounge I stared across my lounge room to the television that wasn't going. It seemed like a better thing to do than to actually have to deal with my life.

My ex but not really ex-biker boyfriend rented a room out in his house so that other people can make porn but it's okay, right? He doesn't watch it or participate, so it's totally cool. Or not. Secrets. So many secrets.

Sitting up when I heard a key slide into the lock, I feared for what might happen. Eddie had a spare key, would he give it to Archer? The door opened and Eddie slid in, his head still turned out the door.

“Stay.” He ordered.

Then he shut the door, turning to me with a cheesy smile. Quietly he turned one lock and then padded his way over to me. Taking my hands as he sat on the lounge, he waited. Waited until the dam burst and burst it did. With a hug and a soothing rub of my back, Eddie held me tight until I was alright again.

I wiped the tears and sat upright, muttering my sorry as he shrugged.

“Best friend, bi-atch.”

His stupid grin made me giggle as I choked back another sob.

“I just want everything to be out there, you know? No secrets.”

He nodded in agreement, pressing his lips thin as his grin died.

“I know but I don't think it's as bad as what we think. The porn part, not the secrets. He doesn't strike me as a liar, just a guy that doesn't always think ahead, you know?”

“Yeah.” I offered as I sighed.

“Maybe he thought you wouldn't care, maybe he didn't think of it as a secret, maybe he's just a little stupid.”

“I heard that.” Archer grumbled from the other side of the door.

Eddie rolled his eyes and turned his head to the door. “Do you want my help or not? Shut up if you do.”

Silence, meaning he did want Eddie's help. The man was smug in his attitude, happy that he was now the relationship fixer, the problem solver.

“I'm going back to make sure they don't steal anything from his house while you two sort out this little mess.”

With another hug he stood from the lounge and walked to the door. A few soft but heated words were exchanged as they passed each other, Eddie closed the door with Archer on the inside.

At first he seemed a little wary of me, walking over with a lot of caution.

“Didn't participate.”

“You've said that already. I told you what my issue was.”

“Yeah, just making sure you know.”

“Any other secrets that you're keeping from me?”

He shrugged as he sat on the lounge, leaning side on against the back of it. His arm propped his head as the other took my hand, lacing our fingers together.

“Probably lots Rox, I've lead an interesting life so far. So that kind of thing, I've been renting rooms for about six months now. It's pretty lucrative and they don't like it when they're watched. They don't care if you're in the house, they just don't want people in the room. I think it freaks them out when the house owners sitting there, jerking one out. Then all the groans and noises.”

I chuckled, shaking my head.

“I've been trying to separate myself from the club Rox, finding work when you've got a record isn't easy.”

Whoa, what?

“What did you do?”

“The stuff they know about or the other stuff?”

Do I really want to know? Part of me was screaming no rather loudly, the other part was saying yes, it was wise to know what I'd laid down with. Archer sighed.

“We'll stick with what they know for now, okay?”

I nodded warily.

“Armed robbery, got five years.”

God, he's been in jail.

“Bits of things associated with rivals, aggravated assault, unlicensed firearms, illegal weapons, selling drugs which wasn't me but I couldn't get out of it.”