"Are you coming over?" Brian was talking to Kevin on the phone." "Ya, did AJ and Jane get there okay?" "Kev, they've been here for an hour. Why didn't you come with them?" "I had to go shopping." "What?" "Shopping." "On Christmas?" "Yes." "Where there any stories open?" "Wal-Mart and K-Mart." "Why the heck did you go to Wal-Mart?" "I just did." "Whatever." "Ya." "So, are you bringing anybody? I asked AJ but he wouldn't say anything." "I'm bringing two people." "Two?" "Yes, don't worry, they don't eat much." "She's or he's?" "She's" "Who?" "You'll see when We get there." "When will you be here?" "In like, a half an hour." "Okay." "bye." "Bye." Kevin sat down the phone. Tarah was playing with one of he dolls she got for Christmas. She was wearing a pink dress and white shoes. She ran up to Kevin and jumped in his lap. "Kev-Kev?" "Yes?" "Quesfun." "Yes." "You like Fay?" "Yes I do." "You love Fay?" "I'm not sure." "Oh." "Does she like me?" "Yes." "Does she love me?" "She don'f know." "Oh." "Fay says you nice." "Why do you call your mom Fay?" "Secref." Tarah looked down at her hands. "Big secret?" "Very... very big." "Oh, okay." "You mad?" "No, everyone had secrets." "Oh, you have secrefs?" "Um, yes I do." "Whaf are fhey?" "If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets." "Oh." "Okay, I'm ready, let's go." Kevin looked up and say Faith come in the room. His jaw dropped. She was wearing black, tight pants and a blue halter top. She had a white shirt pulled over the halter top. It was buttoned once. "Um, ya, let's go." Kevin, Faith and Tarah drove to Brian's house. Kevin waited for Brian to answer the door. When it opened, he couldn't imagine what they looked like. Kevin had Tarah's hand in his. AJ and Tarah had become friends. Tarah saw him and went running to him. "J!" She found it easier to say J, then AJ. "Hey Tay!" He picked her up and kissed her cheek. All the guys looked from AJ and Tarah to Kevin and Faith. "Um, this is Faith, Faith, this is my cuz. Brian, his girlfriend, Beth, and Howie and Nick." "Hi." Brian shook Faith's hand. "I talked to you on the phone." "Ya. Hi." She finished shaking the other guys hands and smiled at them shyly.
"So, Kev, she seems... shy?" Brian looked up at his cousin. "She's not, once you get to know her. She just has problems with getting to know guys." "And she knows you?" "Ya." "Are you fuckin' her?" "Bri! I'm not that way!" "Ya, but you haven't had any in awhile." "How do you know?" "Um... you broke up with Chrissy 3 months ago..." "Don't say that name!" "Sorry!" Brian wanted to talk more on the subject but Faith came up and he decided better of it. "So, Brian, this is a really nice house." "Thanks." "Wanna go talk to AJ?" Kevin looked at Faith. "sure, I have to get Tarah away from him." "Oh, I don't think that will happen." "I know, their like best friends." Kevin and Faith went to find AJ. Nick approached Brian. "Does he like her?" "I think so." "I thought he said he wasn't gonna go with another girl for a long time." "It's been 3 months." "Do you like her?" "She's quite." "She's hott." "Well, ya, Kevin always had a nice taste in ladies." "Ya." Faith and Kevin found AJ and Tarah talking to Howie and Jane. Tarah was asleep in AJ's arms. "Oh AJ, you don’t have to hold her, I can." "No, I want to she's so cute. I think I'm in love." He kissed her forehead. "Hey!" AJ looked at Jane. "Oh, baby, you know I will always love you!" He kissed her. "This is all very sweet, but I don't want to lose my appetite." Howie walked away. "Okay guys, dinners ready." Faith took Tarah from AJ's arms as they went into the dinning room. "I can hold her!" AJ took her back from Faith. "No, it's okay." "I wanna sit by her!" "J?" Tarah woke up and looked at AJ. "Uh?" "I hungry." "You are?" "We eaf?" "Yes, come on." "I sef wiff you?" "Ya." AJ looked up at Faith. "I told you that she wanted to sit by me!" "Fine, go ahead." Faith waved her hand as AJ and Jane went and sat at the table. Kevin grabbed Faith's arm before she went to sit. He pulled her closer. "Faith, if they ask you any questions that you don't want to answer, just say you don't." "Okay." Faith sat by Tarah, who was sitting by AJ. Kevin went to sit next to Faith but Nick stole his seat. So, he sat on the other side of the table. a few chairs over. "So, Faith, we're you from?" "California, you?" "Florida." Kevin looked at Nick and Faith. They were talking. Kevin couldn't help but get jealous. "Are you jealous Kev?" Brian sat by Kevin. "No, why would I be? It's not like we're going out or anything. Besides, their just talking that's all." "Look again." Brian pointed to Nick and Faith. Kevin turned to them just in time to see Nick tuck a lose strain of hair behind Faith's ear. "And Nick goes in for the shot, he shoots and he scores! The crowd goes wild! Woh!! Ya, all right!" Brian covered his mouth and acted like he was cheering. "I'm, not jealous." "You seem to be reassuring your self." Brian cleared his throat and everyone grew quite. "Okay guys, let's pray and them eat." Brian said a quick pray and then began to eat.
"So, do you like Kevin?" Nick looked over at Faith. "He's really nice." "Ya, but do you like him?" "Yes, I like him." "Do you love him?" Faith looked over at Nick and laughed. "You remind me Tay." "I do?" "Yes, she asked me the same question." "And what did you tell her?" "That I didn't know." "Oh. Is it still the same answer?" "Yup." Faith caught Kevin's eye and smiled at him. 'God, she has the prettiest smile. Her eyes are like heaven, and I wanna be in that heaven.' Kevin smiled back at her. "So, Faith, we're you from?" Brian talk to Faith across the table. Everyone grew quit and listened to the answer. "California." "Is it nice there?" "Ya, really warm." "Do you still live there?" "No, I live in... well, I don't really have a home." "We travel lofs." Tarah watched everyone's face light up as she spoke. "Whaf?" "How old are you Tarah?" "I'm 3, my birfday is on January 28fh." Tarah smiled proudly. "Really? That's my birthday." Nick looked over at Tarah. "Really? I never mef someone wiff my birfday." "Wow Nick, you have a lot in common with a 3 year old." "Shut up Bri." "Ya, Ya." "You like Baribe Nicky?" Tarak looked at Nick. Everyone at the table burst out laughing as Tarah tried to figure out was funny. "You're sweet Tarah." "You can call me Tay, Fay calls me Tay." "How come you call your mom Fay?" Faith and Tarah grew silent. They looked at each other. Faith looked back at Nick. "Um, I just like her to call me Fay, I don't like mom." "Fafs cause.." Faith stuck her hand over Tarah's mouth. "Shhhhh! Tarah are done?" "Yes." "Go play with your dolls." Tarah slid off her chair and ran to the living room were her bag was. Faith turned back to everyone. They were starring at her strangely. "What was that about?" "Um... there are certain things I don't want anybody to know..." Faith looked pleadingly at Kevin to change the topic. "So Nick, when are you heading home?" "Um... probably tomorrow. I gotta see my family before we go back on tour." "When are you going on tour again?" Nick turned to Faith. "8 days." "Oh, when's the tour over?" "3 weeks." "Oh." "So, How, when are you leavin'?" "Tomorrow. I already have a plan ticket ready. AJ and Jane are flying with me." "Do you think there anymore tickets for that flight?" "Maybe, you'll have to call." The conversation carried on. Faith looked at Kevin. He got up and came and sat where Tarah was sitting. "Thanks for changing the topic." "No problem. That was getting weird." "I know." "Do you wanna go?" "We better, Tarah needs her sleep." "Okay." Kevin and Faith stood up. "It was really nice meeting you all.""You leavin' all ready?" "Ya, it's past Tarah's bed time." "Okay." Faith said goodbye to Nick, Howie, Brian and Beth. She told AJ and Jane she'd see them at Kevin's house. When Kevin went to get Tarah, she was fast asleep. "She's so cute." Kevin laid Tarah on the bed in a guest room. "Ya, she really is." "She doesn't look a lot like you." "Are you saying that I'm not cute?" Faith shut the door to the guest room and leaned against it. Kevin put his hands on either side of her head. "No, you're gorgeous." He bent in to kiss her but she turned so he kissed her cheek. "Faith?" "Kevin, I really like you..." "But?" "But, I'm not ready for a relationship right now." "Why?" Faith slipped away from Kevin. "I have too many..." She trailed off. "Too many?" "Kevin, I'm tired." "Okay." "Where's my room?" "Um... here." Kevin opened the door to the room across the hall. "Okay, goodnight." "Good night." Kevin walked into his room. He wasn't expecting to go full out with Faith, but he at least wanted to kiss her. He wanted to feel her lips on his. The soft velvety touch. He wanted her.
