Free Mine to Steal (Mine to Love) by T.K. Rapp Page A

something about getting ready for a date. What’s up?”
    “Will you cut it out?”
    “What? She’s not here!”
    “How’d everything go today?”
    “According to my babysitter, I did a great job. I didn’t spill my drink, and I even went to the bathroom on the big boy potty all by myself.”
    “Good for you. I was worried about that, don’t want Hattie to clean up any more messes than she already does,” I deadpan.
    “Who’s this guy she’s dating anyway?”
    “Some football player. Evan something. Listen, I’m calling for a reason -”
    “I know. Everything’s fine. The Riayln people called today, and I spoke with the CEO. They’re coming by tomorrow to sign the contracts.”
    “That’s great,” I answer, genuinely pleased. “Did you and Hattie make sure all the numbers are correct and set up any initial meetings with them?”
    “Yeah, we got it all taken care of. By noon tomorrow, we should have everything put together. I’ll let you know as soon as it’s done.”
    There’s an awkward pause, so I decide to ask the question I called for. “Doubt.”
    “Thanks, Bro,” he responds tersely.
    “No. Who is Doubt?”
    “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
    “I met a girl tonight, well, technically last night. She was at Wired Spirits and…” I trail, not wanting to give him any details. “Forget it. I saw her out here tonight, and she looked familiar. When I told her my name, she said ‘Doubt’ and to ask you. Any idea what it means?”
    “Doubt?” He tries the word out, repeating it as if it’s foreign to him. “Doubt. Doubt. Doubt! Oh shit! Doubt. I remember her. We went to school together.”
    “Yeah, that’s what she told me, but I know it’s not her name,” I argue. Who on earth would name their kid ‘Doubt?’
    “Nah, h er name is Faith. Get it. Faith – doubt,” he jokes, and it’s obvious he’s impressed with his creation. But I’m not impressed. As soon as he says it, things make a little more sense.
    Faith. I recall hearing that last night before she came home with me, but I wasn’t concerned enough to ask. Had I known it was her name, I might have.
    “You nicknamed her Doubt?” His laughter answers for me , and I roll my eyes. “Why?”
    “I dunno, why do birds fly?”
    I rub my hand over my jaw in irritation. “What in the hell does that mean?” I groan. He’s beginning to irritate me, but I’m still curious why she gave me the cold shoulder tonight. I don’t know her, hell, clearly she doesn’t remember me from last night. Or maybe she does?
    “ She was this scrawny girl with glasses and braces. We were like ten or something - it wasn’t a big deal. She lived a couple of streets over.”
    “I didn’t know her, but s he looked famili- wait, Faith. Faith Young? She had a brother who was older than me, right? Lennox?”
    “Yeah.”
    “I remember him. He died in a car accident his junior year, I think.” I’m silent for a moment as I let the memories come back to me. “I don’t recall seeing his parents much after that. I forgot he had a sister.”
    “They moved a bout three months after he died,” he adds.
    “It wasn’t long after the accident, Mom sent me to come find you, and I saw this girl jogging down the sidewalk crying. I guess she didn’t see me because she ran right into me. I tried to calm her down to make sure she was okay, but she looked at me like I was going to break her.”
    That’s the look I saw as she debated walking away.
    “Probably because she had a crush on you.”
    “What? I barely remember her as a kid and aside from that one time, we never talked. Why would she have been into me?”
    “I told you, didn’t I? Everyone knew and teased her about it.”
    “No wonder she didn’t speak too highly of you. You really are a shit, aren’t you?”
    “Dude, I was a kid and as if you were any better. Pretend all you want, but you were no saint.”
    I huff an annoyed breath, partly because he’s right , and