The next day, Faith woke up with a start to loud clattering, and she immediately grabbed her gun from the drawer next to her. They're here. They've come to take Rowan away. She quickly checked to see how many bullets were in the gun to see that it was fully loaded, as it had stayed for a long time up to now, then proceeded to rush to the kitchen where the noise seemed to come from. "Show yourself!" Faith yelled, trying to sound as ominous as possible all while wanting to cry. Why couldn't they all just leave her and Rowan alone and let them be happy?533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjreHcEt06B
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"Faith?!" Rowan jumped up from where he'd apparently been rummaging through one of the lower cabinets where they kept their cookware, but then a wave of sadness came over his face. "Faith...it's okay. I was just trying to make us some breakfast and some of the pots and pans fell out of the cabinet. No one is here except me." 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy4REYXJtF
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"Oh..." Allowing herself to breathe again, she mumbled, "I guess I'll put this thing away, then."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqYnaQlIGQ
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Feeling extremely embarrassed, she was almost reluctant to return to the front of the house once she turned the safety back on and put her gun back in the drawer. As awkward and uncomfortable as this was going to be, she knew she needed to eat something, so she re-joined him in the kitchen and let him scramble them both some eggs. 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡboeHhdLKHV
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"Faith...who did you think got in?" Rowan asked as he stirred the eggs in the frying pan, doing surprisingly well with just one arm. However, he'd healed enough to use the injured arm a little bit when necessary. 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17TUiL9kPz
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"Never mind, I'm just a paranoid idiot as usual," Faith sighed. "Please, don't worry about it."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamj2FjktAA
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"You're not an idiot!" Rowan yelled all of a sudden, smacking the counter in frustration and making Faith jump. "Just tell me, Faith. Did you...think it was my grandfather?" 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtg0BD5xnz
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"Uh...yeah. Either that, or I'd thought he'd sent some people from his company to come take you away."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CCi0ZNR1u
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"Oh." After that, there was a long silence. 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxhkdTLWeQ1
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Faith eventually attempted to break it after a few minutes by commenting, "You made it smell really good in here. You always get those eggs just right somehow--I just burn them."533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HGXBv0J3F
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Rowan shrugged, and she was fortunately able to get a small smile out of him when he turned to face her and set their plates down. Only after she saw that smile on his face was she able to eat anything. 533Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN2VYqTEv7d
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Faith did feel stupid, though. I'm supposed to be protecting him, not making him feel more scared. The rest of the morning, Faith simply made small talk and tried her best to forget the whole incident. She would need to, because after breakfast, it was back to her room to start work for the day.
That evening, Faith couldn't help but notice how quiet things had been for the bigger part of the day. Not that she wasn't glad for it, but...it just felt too quiet, and she still hadn't totally gotten over her episode from earlier that day. No TV being turned on in the living room and, for many hours, no Rowan shuffling around his room or down the hall. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen or heard him when she left her room to stretch her legs during her break that afternoon, either.
That does it, Faith thought, I need to find him and check on him.
She started with his room where his phone was missing along with him, then gradually made her way to the other rooms in the house--all empty. So were the front and back yards, as well as the front yards of the neighboring houses. Okay, calm down. Maybe he just went for a walk. He may not always act like it, but he's still an adult like me. He's okay. You're okay. Everything's fine.
Even if he had just gone for a walk, it was probably a really long one by this point. Faith spent a couple of minutes in front of the TV attempting to reassure herself to little avail, eventually getting up to grab her phone and call Rowan's number. After five attempts in a row, no answer. Sherm would be her next best bet, she figured. Maybe Rowan had caught the bus and gone to see him on his own. It was a stretch, but still possible.
Please, please pick up... Finally, she heard the ringing sound abruptly stop, followed by that almost hyperactive voice. "Long time no talk, Faith! What's up?" It felt relieving, getting to hear her old friend's voice again after all of this time, but that relief didn't last for long.
"Uh, hey Sherm...good to talk to you again. Listen, I was wondering if you've seen Rowan, or if he's at your place?"
"Nope, just me. Any time I've seen him he was always with you. Nothing happened, did it?"
"Not that I know of... I hope not, anyway." Faith was becoming too worried to even think about keeping up the 'everything is fine' act.
"You hope not?" Sherm pressed. "When did you last see him?"
"Before I went to my room today to do my work... I didn't see him during my break either, and I didn't think to look for him until I was done for the day, and I can't find him anywhere in the house or outside. He's not answering his phone, either." Before she knew it, her chest was beginning to tighten and she was finding it hard to speak. "If anything happens to him, I just... I'm not sure..."
"Faith? Faith, stay with me here."
"S--sorry."
"Just calm down, alright? It's gonna be okay. If I need to come over there, I will. Just say it."
Faith hesitated, her first instinct telling her to say no and that she'd handle it, but she honestly missed him, and having someone to help her would be nice for a change--as long as he didn't ask too many questions. "...Yes, I'd like that. Thanks. Are you sure Violet wouldn't mind, though?"
"I'm pretty sure she wouldn't, but I'll let her know where I'll be. She knows you and I have been friends for a long time."
"Okay. See you then."
About 20 minutes later, Faith heard the sound of a car pulling up and Sherm's signature rhythmic knock on the front door. She rushed to answer it (but not before giving the door's peephole a quick check) and gave him a hug, which he warmly returned.
"Still not back yet, huh?" Sherm asked, seeing the anxiety in Faith's eyes.
"No. I know I shouldn't be beside myself like this, and maybe he can't help it, but...it's like he's got this strange case of bad luck, every time I leave him alone for too long."
"Let's go back outside, then. We can start by just walking up and down the neighborhood to see if we can spot him."
"Okay. I just need to get my keys...and a few other things."
"What all do you need just to go outside?"
"Sorry. I'll be right there."
Sherman rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
Once Faith had locked the door behind her and they were both outside, Sherman continued, "It's probably not bad luck--just him getting mixed up with the wrong crowd. Those were some rough-looking people he'd hang out with back in the day. His brother, too."
"Yeah. The sad part is, Rowan seemed to genuinely think they were his friends. While Chance is a horrible brother for abandoning him, a part of me can't blame him for wanting to eventually distance himself from those types of people and his background in general."
"Psh. How did your folks not ever suspect anything?"
"Oh, they did. My dad would confront me about it endlessly. And not knowing any better, I told him and Mom the same lie that Rowan told me, which I believed at the time--that he was this innocent kid who was popular because he was a survivor from a traumatic family background, and that was the only reason why the tough ones respected him and were willing to help him out."
"Wait, so he lied to you?" Sherm asked, even more concerned now.
"Well...just that once. But he really is getting better now. We have little disagreements from time to time, but then again, what couple doesn't, I guess?" After walking a couple of houses down, Faith added, lowering her voice, "Please don't ever tell Rowan I said this, but...be glad that your partner is normal. Better than normal, even. And she doesn't have this secret company constantly stalking and threatening her."
Sherm looked sympathetic but also confused, and made a face as if he wanted to ask her something but wasn't exactly sure how. "Normal's a myth, Faith," he said instead as they decided to turn back around in the other direction. "As much as my girlfriend amazes me with everything she knows, everybody has something at the end of the day. Now I won't lie, I don't envy things like being stalked or threatened, but...I mean, you and Rowan haven't even gotten any messages or threats from his granddad or his...people lately, right? Not ever since you and your parents changed addresses or since you and Rowan got your own place."
"I don't think so... But still, that doesn't mean we shouldn't stop being careful."
"Yeah, true. But Faith, I'm pretty sure he's fine." In an attempt to lighten the mood, he added, "Don't tell Violet I said this, but I've actually seen her shed a few tears before just because she got a grade below a B on an assignment."
"Yikes," Faith snorted.
They were just beginning to approach the house again when they saw Rowan, casually sitting on the front porch. "'Sup." He gave a small wave to Sherm, and didn't even show a trace of guilt or nervousness.
"Hey," Sherm waved back.
Despite her rush of relief, she was obviously angry too. "Well. What a relief. I'm glad I didn't end up having to get a search party together."
"Oh, please. I needed some air. I didn't think I needed to make out a will before doing that." Either Rowan wasn't acting himself lately, or he had just been experiencing a bad case of cabin fever and this was the result.
"You've been gone for at least half the day. I tried to call you five times, with no answer. That must have been some walk around the neighborhood with some grand air quality if you couldn't even answer your phone."
"Look, I forgot to take my phone off of silent mode from when I was asleep this morning, okay? Sorry."
Sherm finally cut in with an awkward laugh. "Alright, heh! Well, we're both glad you're okay, either way. Uh, anyone up for some Uno then? And maybe a pizza? My treat."
"Oh, you don't need to do that," Faith said right as her stomach began to growl, making Rowan laugh. Sherm and likely Rowan didn't know that she'd been skipping lunch, and that it was starting to catch up with her.
"It's fine. Even if I didn't come over, I would've ordered some for me tonight. I've just been craving it all day."
"When are you not craving it?" Rowan teased.
At first, Faith had promised herself that she would give Rowan a good chewing-out when Sherman left later, but between beating them more than once at Uno and being reminded of how good pizza tasted...she wouldn't. Not tonight. Things felt too fun right now, and she just wasn't in the mood to ruin it. A little social interaction was likely all he needed. Both of them, for that matter.
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