Faith had barely gotten past the final stop sign before the city began to look more familiar to her...and she heard the whoop-whoop of a police siren and blue lights flooded her car windows. Faith felt her breath leave her as invisible pins and needles began poking her all over her body. Had that cruiser been following her? And if so, for how long? She hadn't been speeding, and she generally drove like an old lady--Aaron and all of Rowan's friends used to tease her mercilessly for it. Was this indeed a sting operation? Was Aaron working for the government now? So that was it, then. Aaron had "reformed," and didn't actually exploit or possibly kill people down on their luck--just their reputations--and that's why Officer Keith was there, to oversee the whole thing. All she could think about was who would keep her boyfriend safe if they took her away... 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEfQDQdokWg
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Shaking, Faith placed the car in park and rolled down her window. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhmzNZf7Sv
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"How's it goin'?" asked a female voice with a thick southern accent as the officer approached the car, somewhat hastily. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ijXKz8mYx
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Faith wanted to answer--she really did--but was honestly afraid to try to talk. She probably looked guilty as sin, and she wasn't even completely sure what she was being pulled over for.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9Rwmb6jGP
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"You don't seem like you're from around the area you just came out of, are you?" the officer asked.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpQvkY9C5hJ
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By some miracle, Faith swallowed and found her voice. "No ma'am, not that area specifically. I just went by to visit a friend I haven't seen in a while. I--is there a problem?"513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRMFBcpywV
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"Well, stopping as long as you did at that stop sign a few blocks back could be, in the neighborhood you just left," answered the officer. "If you ever plan on going back there, I would just come to a rolling stop and then keep going if you can. Same goes for red lights. I followed you so I myself wouldn't have to stop you there. If you've seen the news lately, there's been all kinds of gang activity in those parts." 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlwToShVxWK
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Faith's face went pale. If she felt that she had a choice now, she wouldn't be going back. Apparently Sheena had neglected to mention just how dangerous the location of Happy Scoops really was. "Well thanks for the concern, in that case. I had no idea," Faith said, half truthfully. She knew it wasn't exactly prime real estate, but so dangerous you couldn't even make a full stop inside your car without possibly getting shot? 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpR85iBHiRg
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"Alright. Well, have a safe night."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVVK5s5uHD
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"You too."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIE7sEHDWy
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Well...at least Aaron isn't working for the government, I guess? Faith had no idea what she was going to do now for the following weeks. Her first thought was to blame Sheena for not telling her how bad this neighborhood was, but was that even fair? Sheena may not have even been that familiar with the location, and probably didn't feel in any danger if or when she'd been there with Aaron. Next time, I'm dragging her with me. If Tracy was the reason she didn't want to come before, they'll just have to get into a cat fight or something. Rowan is almost always home, and I'm not letting him and Aaron run into each other at our house. Even if he didn't think I was cheating with Aaron, Rowan might try to befriend that sociopath and get hurt again... Okay, just stop. It's fine. You're safe for tonight.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxs9NouDYE
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There was one other friend that Faith could think of, but...no, it just wouldn't be possible. Sherman (or most often just "Sherm") may have been her best friend ever since she was as young as seven years old and he was only five, but he also happened to be the town snitch, which would automatically make him someone else for her to have to protect there when she needed it to be the opposite, or at least a two-way concept. So, Sheena it was, if Faith could get her to go along; Sheena knew some things, but only what she was supposed to know.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡToIixC8Puu
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When she finally reached the warm lamplight coming from those familiar windows of her and Rowan's one-level house, she practically ran inside after parking, quickly locking the door behind her. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt9Nmrt1xtM
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"Faith? That's you, isn't it?" Rowan called from his room down the hall. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclrl8kvTMe
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"Yes, it's only me," Faith said shakily. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXHiC4s0P2D
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Rowan must have noticed that Faith's voice had a fearful edge to it, because she heard his familiar footsteps as she hastily closed the blinds of all the windows in their living room. He also seemed to notice almost right away that Faith was carrying only her purse once she got home. "Hey, where's that stuff you said you forgot...?"513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLmvNxhInUb
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Faith shook her head, walking over to him and gathering him up into her arms. "There's no stuff I forgot, Rowan. I lied. But you already knew that," she mumbled into his sweater as she ran her fingers through his red hair.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeybl0Hxa3w
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"Faith...what did you do?" Rowan sighed, pulling back to look her in the eyes.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAqxDLaFKH
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"I..." She paused. She couldn't tell him the truth, as much as she wanted to. His medication he'd started taking for certain delusions (believing he was a prince at one point, for one) had helped, but that didn't change the fact that he still seemed to see himself as much less vulnerable than he really was. If Rowan decided to swoop in and get involved, it was over. "I finally visited my family tonight. I was afraid you might be upset, but...I just wanted to see how they were doing. I should have just been honest with you, and I'm sorry." 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7ZPhTN0LH
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Rowan didn't appear to believe her. "I've seen your parents upset you before, but they never made you scared like this. I might have my share of issues, Faith, but I'm not a five-year-old. What were you doing all this time?"513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjLqYjVh0RO
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"Well...that's the thing. It wasn't my parents specifically that scared me. I got pulled over on my way back here, apparently for following a car too close in front of me. And with the whole...money situation, I was really scared of getting a ticket."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVT9cm21vGO
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A look of guilt briefly crossed Rowan's face at the words "money situation." Still not seeming to completely believe her, he asked, "Well, did you?"513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcRz1OVyuB
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"No. Fortunately I got off with a warning, and the whole thing shook me up more than it should have. You know how I get." Faith truly did feel bad for lying so much to someone she loved, but there were simply too many things that could go wrong otherwise. But how will I keep him from wanting to investigate and trying to follow me or something? He may not be able to drive, but he could still find a way if he wanted to.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFYUWiHL5u
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"But it's late at night, and you could have gotten hurt..."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWEAuqDlAX
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He certainly had a point about that. "Yeah...but that doesn't matter now. I'm home and I'm safe." Now you know what it's like to worry the way I worried about you that night you broke your arm, at least.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvahCcArT5
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"Okay..."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRcozV8x0bA
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The word he uttered didn't match his facial expression. It was an expression of doubt, like he wasn't satisfied with the answers she was giving him. It was dangerous, allowing his mind to go and stay in those dark places. She'd had plenty of practice with this--when she saw him this way, it was time for a subject change.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNApJZugHj4
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"Hey--did you wanna watch a movie with me?" she suddenly asked, purposely making it seem like a sudden thought. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSqb64D4aBk
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"Sure! What did you have in mind?" It seemed to work. Besides, a movie would be a nice distraction. Without one, she'd probably lie awake worrying the whole night away.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Wbl0vlpGQ
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"Well, I'll let you pick this time. Let me just go de-clutter my purse and I'll be right there." Faith usually leaned more toward the action genre, but tonight she sort of hoped Rowan would pick something more slow-paced--the movies she typically liked were beginning to feel too much like her reality lately. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtvRXUJkVqD
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Once inside her room, Faith shook her head as she stared down at her purse, the top contents when she unzipped it being that bundle of Benjamins and her loaded .38 special. This was who she'd become. Rowan already knew she carried a gun in her purse most of the time and that she felt practically naked without it, but he was selfless to a fault--if he knew Faith was practically risking her life to support him, he would do everything he could to stop her (and risk his own life in the process, and repeating the cycle of more medical bills). 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoARWn6SSb
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Faith was almost glad sometimes that she and Rowan had separate bedrooms--this way it would be easier to hide what she was doing. As Faith was placing the money under some clothes in one of her desk drawers, her phone suddenly vibrated, causing her to jump. When she picked it up, she saw a text from Sheena that read, "So, how'd it go? Good I hope?" Below it was a text from Sherm that she'd been leaving unanswered for days that read, "How've you and Rowan been? Haven't heard from you in a while."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk60gWZ6Akw
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After resolving to answer that text from Sherm before she went to bed tonight, Faith once again wondered how much Sheena really knew about Aaron and his occupation, figuring it would be best to wait and respond after her and Rowan's movie, once she wasn't so wired.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGLJwCgmul
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As it turned out, Rowan had picked out a sports movie--something that would bore her, which tonight she would definitely prefer over something that would get her heart pumping. However, it didn't put her to sleep either, so her sports movie-induced boredom finally led her to go ahead and respond to Sherm and Sheena's texts, starting with Sheena's. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdKBvwJoPwO
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"Went about as well as it could, considering how dangerous the neighborhood is. You wouldn't mind going with me there next Friday so I'm not by myself would you?" Faith responded.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhWogJfBRb
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Moving onto Sherm's text, she realized she hadn't really heard much from him either lately, ever since he got a girlfriend. She wondered if maybe he'd begun to get lonely ever since Violet had become so busy working on getting her PhD in psychology. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG2ne8XlDKN
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Before she could respond to him, Sheena had already texted her back: "OMG, I'm so sorry! I'm glad you're alright! Wow, I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep at all knowing I put you in danger like that... I meant to warn you about it, but just forgot. I've been under a lot of stress lately."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWrHin7mOl
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Sheena's naivete had been cute and humorous when they were teenagers, but times were different now, and Faith was beginning to wonder if something was seriously wrong with this girl. "Oh really? How so?"513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFuvWNfRAd8
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Forgetting about Sherm's text now, she couldn't help but be somewhat curious about what Sheena could mean by 'stress.' A part of her scoffed, wondering how anything Sheena could say could match up with constantly trying to keep herself and her boyfriend off the streets and out of jail, but the other side of her bore some concern. Sheena's next text didn't help much: "A lot of things. Stuff I'd rather tell you in person and not over text."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPzGINvdTp
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"You're missing the best part, Faith. Who do you keep texting?" Rowan now asked her. He smiled at her, though she could look into his eyes and tell he was genuinely curious. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaawZF7BSBf
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"Just Sheena." Faith held up the screen just long enough for him to read the name at the top but not the messages underneath. Sometimes Rowan seemed much smarter than he let on, and just glancing might have revealed to him what Faith had really been up to tonight. "Also, Sherm says he wants us all to hang out some time. We should, once things aren't so..." She let her words trail off.513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2VnYiYvcY
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Rowan nodded. "We really should. Anything besides what I've been doing, sitting around thinking about my broken arm, and you having to work so much and...everything." 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHuTOAwS2Fk
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"We will. We just need to set up a time, I guess." She didn't even really have the energy for friends, especially now, but she decided that a distraction might just be what she and Rowan needed, aside from just a movie. "Sorry for the late reply. Things have been hectic, but we're making it. It'd have to be here at the house, though. Rowan's arm is still healing and we don't have a lot of mad money right now."513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQUmBICG5l
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As Faith watched him out the corner of her eye, she wondered if maybe she liked it better this way, as much as she envied Sheena. Unlike Sheena, she had her boyfriend at home most of the time like this, instead of having to wonder about his wellbeing as he went off to work for eight hours a day or more. The outside world could be a scary place, after all--but here, Rowan had her now. He didn't need anyone, or anywhere, else. He was safe here. 513Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVfKiNo0qG
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Yes, Faith thought as she leaned over and used Rowan's shoulder as a pillow, which he tenderly reciprocated by wrapping his arm around hers. One day, all of my efforts will be worth it.
Penana
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