Building Faith (Long Beach Series Book 2) by Dani Matthews Read Free Book Online Page B

carefully. This is not a woman I want to piss off. I usually could care less when I rile someone up. But Faith… I don’t want her pissed at me for any reason.
    Her lips tighten, eyes flashing as she meets my gaze. “I’m more offended when people tip-toe around me because of my past. Going by the way you’re filtering your language, you know what Justin did to me.” The second the words leave her lips, she visibly winces. “That was rude of me,” she says softly, her gaze lowering to the floor. “I’m sorry,” she mumbles before she abruptly turns her back on me, her hand reaching for the spoon in the frying pan.
    I find myself staring at her back, my jaw clenching as I try to figure out what to say next that won’t make things worse. I can see how torn she is. She’s trying hard to be her own person, but when she says something that might have gotten her in trouble with her ex, she second guesses herself and feels the need to apologize. “Faith?”
    “Yes?” she asks, still not turning around as she stirs the hamburger.
    “Look at me.”
    Her back tenses up even more, and she slowly turns around, her blue eyes wary.
    “If you’re going to apologize to me, it better be because you did something that warrants an apology. Don’t fucking apologize for speaking your mind,” I say bluntly.
    She stares long and hard at me, and I wonder what she’s thinking. Did I go too far? She eventually nods, smiling slightly. “I’m sorry. I’m just used—”
    “Stop.”
    Her voice halts as I cut her off.
    “Stop apologizing.”
    She draws in a deep breath and exhales slowly. Her expression shifts to determination, then inquisitiveness as her eyes flicker to my much shorter hair. “Why did you cut your hair?”
    I reach up and run a hand through it. It’s about as short as Caleb’s, and it’s taking some getting used to. “I’m in my third year and doing an off campus clinical. I figure I should start looking more professional. That, and I was in the mood for a change,” I say with a shrug.
    Her eyes roam over my face. “I like it,” she says sincerely with another one of those beautiful smiles that light up a room.
    “I’m glad someone does,” I say dryly.
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Z laughed her ass off when she saw me, and Jeremy’s been acting like a dick.” I decide right here and right now that I’m not going to hold back where Faith is concerned. She wants me to act normal around her, and that’s what I’m going to do.

Chapter Six
Faith
     
    I’m finding it difficult to keep my mind on my job. It keeps drifting to Ace and our conversation last night when he’d stayed for dinner. For someone so good-looking, he was surprisingly easy to open up to. Usually guys like him intimidate me or leave me tongue-tied. I don’t know what it is about Ace, but he makes me feel comfortable.
    As I wipe down a table near the windows, I fight back a smile. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good or content with life. I’m finding it easier to move on with life knowing Oliver is far, far away. As long as he doesn’t suddenly disappear off my family’s radar, I’m safe. It’s easy to put the fear behind me when I have nothing to fear here.
    The bell above the cafe’s door jingles, announcing another customer. I glance up, a ready smile on my face when I see it’s Zoey and Bev. I’d met Zoey's friend at the karaoke bar last week when I’d tagged along with Caleb and Zoey for an evening out.
    Zoey grins when she sees me. “I am in desperate need of sugar,” she announces as she walks over to the table I’d just cleaned and drops down into a chair. It's late afternoon, and I'm assuming they just left campus.
    Bev smiles as she pulls out the other chair. “Hey, Faith.”
    “Hi. What can I get you guys?” My mood brightens even more at the prospect of chatting with these two women. I’m pretty sure they’re here to see me rather than dropping in just for coffee and cookies. Zoey’s