I ride my old truck down the highway, hoping to reach Charming within the hour. My long dark hair is up in a messy bun, my curls falling from the bottom of my bun. My curtain fringe falls in front of my face, splitting down the middle and giving some more shape to my face. The wind blows in my hair and I take a deep breath, enjoying the change of scenery from Las Vegas from where my flight landed. My sunglasses sit on the end of my freckled nose, keeping the sun from burning my eyes.
As the music plays loudly and my bags sit in the backseat of my truck, time flies by and before I know it, I'm pulling into Charming. I smile at the sign, chuckling at the corny slogan plastered underneath the cursive letters. I drive through town, making a mental note to come back to the strip and get a coffee before going off to my dad's place.
I pull into the lot and park my truck, walking over to the office and knocking on the door. It creaks open and I see Gemma sitting in her seat at the desk, her glasses on the edge of her nose. She looks up and her eyes widen as she immediately stands up and pulls me into a tight hug. "Well god damn, Faith Ray!"
I hug her back and give her a small grin, "How's it going, Gem?" She pulls back and gives me a surprised smile.
"I wish I was seeing you on better terms." She lets out a sigh and then gives me a slanted grin, "How's your dad?" She asks, pulling out a cigarette and immediately lighting it.
I clear my throat, thinking of my dad and sighing. "Dad's having a tough time right now." I admit, looking down at my tangled hands. "Mom's passing was really sudden. We have the funeral to plan and everything. He's been drunk for the last couple of days, so I decided to get here as soon as I can."
Gemma frowns, "I'm so sorry for your loss, baby." She says, kissing my cheek and giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You know, we're here for you and your dad. Always."
I nod, appreciating her support. "Thanks, Gemma." I look back out to my truck and give a sad smile, "I'm due for an inspection." I admit, "Do the guys have time?"
She tosses the butt of her cigarette in a large coffee can that's a make shift ashtray. "Absolutely. Let's go over and see what they're up to." She suggests. I take a deep breath and nod, agreeing with her.
My red and white t-shirt dress falls just above my knees, revealing my tattooed legs. I follow Gemma out of the office, scuffing my white converse on the pavement. I feel the butterflies fuss in my stomach and I feel somewhat nauseous. I follow Gemma and I hear her call out to the club.
-----
I sit at the bar beside Chibs, taking a sip of my beer and sighing, not feeling like myself ever since Lyla and I split. Who am I kidding? I haven't felt the same since Donna was murdered at the hands of a brother. I set the beer bottle back on the counter and rub my tired eyes, running my hands through my long hair and letting out a slight groan. I hear Gemma yelling outside and Chibs lets out a chuckle beside me. "The devil calls." He teases, standing up and walking to the door. I get up and follow him to see what Gemma wants.
Chibs opens the heavy door and I trail behind him. My eyes focus on the concrete and I hear Gemma clear her throat. I move my eyes over to her and they go wide, noticing the hour-glass shaped woman standing beside her in a red and white dress. "F-Faith?" I stutter like a moron.
Faith looks up and I watch as she gulps, visibly nervous. "Hey, Ope." She says quietly.
"Due for inspection. Can ya' help her out? It's on the house." Gemma asks us and Chibs nods.
"Of course, we can. We would love to." I ignore his conversation with Gemma and walk over to Faith, keeping my gaze on her. She goes to say something, but I immediately pull her into a hug, holding her tightly.
