Fade Into You

Chapter 7

Faye's POV

"Which one do you think looks better? The blue or the red?"

Mom held up two sleek jumpsuits while I sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor of her walk-in closet, distractedly texting Jonathan. She had a board meeting in Paris in a few hours and had roped me into helping her pack.

I honestly hadn't heard a word she said until she snapped her fingers right in front of my face, snapping me out of my texting trance.

"Hello? Earth to Faye! Are you even going to help me?"

I looked up quickly, blinking. 

"Of course I'm helping, Mom."

She narrowed her eyes. 

"Right. Because staring at your phone for ten minutes straight is totally helping. I have a flight in a few hours, and I still have no idea what to wear."

I finally glanced at the jumpsuits and pointed to the baby blue one. 

"That one. The blue. It suits your skin tone better."

She studied it for a moment, then gave me a nod of approval. 

"Now you're being useful. That's exactly why I asked for your help—because you have a better eye for this color stuff than I do. Though honestly, they all look the same to me."

I chuckled as we left the closet and stepped back into her and Dad's room. She gently laid the blue jumpsuit beside her half-filled suitcase, which was overflowing with perfectly folded designer outfits. I dropped onto the bed, bouncing lightly on the plush mattress.

"How long are you going to be gone again?"

"Two weeks. Your father's already in England. He'll meet me in Paris once he wraps up, and then we'll fly back together."

I sighed and looked at her. 

"Hey Mom... when are you going to let me go on a mission? Like actually be involved in the Mafia business?"

She paused mid-fold and looked at me thoughtfully, silent for a whole minute.

"As soon as you want to."

I blinked. 

"Wait, seriously? Like, I can decide when? Even now?"

She shook her head with a small smile. 

"Not right now. But when something comes up that suits your level, we'll call on you. Just remember, Faye—we're trusting you. We expect you to handle things carefully. And we don't want you getting hurt. Got it?"

I grinned. 

"Mom, you've been telling me that since I was five. I could quote you in my sleep. You know I can handle myself, right?"

She walked over, brushing her fingers along my hair before kissing my forehead. 

"Of course I know that. But you're still our baby girl. We don't want anything happening to our princess."

As she pulled away, my phone lit up with a message. She glanced at it and raised a brow.

"Who's been texting you nonstop?"

I chuckled. 

"Kaycee. Obviously." I lied smoothly.

"And what's so important that you two need to message each other every five minutes?"

I glanced at the screen—Jonathan was asking if I could meet him at The Box. I quickly texted back that I was on my way.

"Alright Mom, I'm heading out to meet Kaycee at The Box. Have a safe trip to Paris. I'll see you in two weeks."

Before she could say a word, I kissed her cheek and darted out of the room.

OoO

I pulled into the café parking lot and climbed out of my car, scanning the area for any sign of Jonathan. He might've already gone inside, but then I spotted him leaning against his car with his arms crossed.

He wasn't alone—TJ and Luke were with him.

I didn't know them that well, which made me feel a little nervous. I hadn't had a proper conversation with either of them yet, and now that I was dating Jonathan, I couldn't help but wonder what they thought of me.

I slipped my hand into the back pocket of my denim jeans and walked over. Luke noticed me first and nudged TJ, making all three of them turn in my direction.

Jonathan's face lit up when he saw me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders as I stepped beside him.

"Hey."

"Hey, you. Glad you made it—we were just talking about you."

"You were?" I asked, glancing at the other two. 

They suddenly found the parking lot very interesting.

"Hey Faye," TJ greeted with a grin.

"Sup, TJ?"

Then Luke chimed in unexpectedly. 

"Hey Faye... is Kaycee single?"

That caught me off guard.

Sure, my cousin's gorgeous, but no one had ever straight-up asked me about her like that before—especially not one of Jonathan's friends.

"Yeah, she is. Why?"

He shrugged casually. 

"Just wondering. You think I'd have a shot?"

Before I could say anything, Jonathan jumped in. 

"Dude, if you like her, just ask her out. What's the big deal?"

Luke smirked. 

"I just wanted to know if she's available first."

"I just told you she is, didn't I?" I snapped—playfully, but a little too sharp.

It was a bad habit of mine. I sometimes snapped without realizing it. Which is why I always made sure to uphold that 'good girl' image—it kept people from misjudging me based on moments like that.

I noticed Luke and TJ exchanging confused glances, their expressions caught somewhere between surprised and awkward.

Jonathan leaned down and whispered in my ear. 

"What was that about?"

I quickly pulled myself together and laughed lightly. 

"Relax, guys. I was just messing around. Look, if you're really serious about Kaycee, I can give you her number."

Luke chuckled and waved it off. 

"Nah, no pressure."

Jonathan changed the subject. 

"The Summer Fair's in town. Want to check it out tomorrow night?"

I nodded. "Sure. Should we all go?"

"I'm in!" TJ chimed in.

Jonathan rolled his eyes playfully at him. 

"Okay then. Since it's the weekend, might as well make the most of it. I'll pick you up at seven. Sound good?"

"Perfect."

"And wear something warm. It gets chilly at night."

I smiled. That small gesture—caring about me dressing warm—made my heart flutter.

"Aww, look at you two," TJ teased with mock sadness. "Planning cute little dates while I die of loneliness over here."

"Then get yourself a girlfriend, dumbass," Jonathan shot back, making all of us laugh.

TJ just flipped him off as we walked into the café together, the chill outside quickly replaced by the comforting warmth of fresh coffee and good company.