Having Faith

[LauraPhilly!!]

Oh my God, I feel so bad for not having updated sooner, seeing as I have this news....

This is the last chapter of Having Faith, I'm afraid.

However, the chapter is split into two so it's not quite finished yet!

Thank you all so much for your kind support!

Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 48: Part 1

Jumping off Gypsy quickly, Faith slipped in through her bedroom window, threw herself onto her bed, grabbed and book and pretended reading just as she heard the front door open.

"Those O' Grady's, I swear to God!" Faith could heard her mother saying.

Then her door opened and her parents walked into the room, looking relieved and angry.

"Do you mind telling me where you've been missy?" said Belle, frowning furiously.

"I went for a walk," said Faith, innocently. "Just to clear my head you know."

"So you didn't attempt to see Conor then?" asked Aden.

"No of course not," said Faith, acting surprised. "I would never do that!"

Aden and Belle exchanged a look.

"Ok well, tell us when you're going out next time sweety," said Belle, softly, but still a note a anger sterness in her voice. "Your father and I were really worried!"

"I will, I promise," said Faith, as Belle kissed her forehead.

"What book are you reading?" asked Aden, winking at her.

"Um.....Breaking Dawn!" said Faith, embarassedly.

Her parents rolled her eyes.

"What!" exclaimed Faith.

"How many times have you read that book?" asked Belle.

"Maybe once or twice," said Faith.

"Or a hundred times!" said Aden, laughing. "The spine will be ruined!"

"Oh ha-ha!" she said to her parents, and then left the room laughing.

Having made sure they were gone, Faith pulled her phone out of pocket and began texting quickly.

I got back fine. My parents didn't suspect a thing! xx

She waited patiently for a reply.

She didn't have to wait long though. It appeared Conor was as eager to talk to her as she was to him.

That's good! I didn't want you to get in trouble. I still can't believe you want to....to do this. After everything I did to you!

Faith suddered, as the memory came to the front of her mind before she could stop it.

It's ok. I love you too much to stay angry at you. You've no idea how hard it was not seeing you everyday. I've missed you so much! xx

Missed you too babe! It was pretty hard for me too! But I thought I'd deserved it after what I did. I still haven't forgiven myself, although you may have! xx

Let's not think of it anymore! Please! We're back together now and that's the most important thing. xx

Yeah ok! You're the most amazing person I've ever known Faith! I don't know how I ever got so lucky! I love you so much!

Faith smiled as she read the text.

I love you too....so much! xxxx

Forever and always xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everlasting! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Faith jumped as she heard her mother calling her downstairs. "Faith, dinner's ready!"

"Coming!" called back Faith, as she texted Conor goodbye.

I have to go! My dinner's ready!

Ok, when can we next meet up? xx

How about at the Great Oak tree at midnight?

Sounds great! Can't wait! xxx

Me too! I really have to go now! xxxxxxxxxxx

Ok love you! xxxxxxxxxxxx

Love you too!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Faith shut down her phone, jumped off her bed, and ran down the hall.

*

That night passed slowly for Faith. She couldn't sleep, she couldn't read.

She just kept staring at the clock, waiting for it to reach midnight.

At 11.45, she got out of bed, slipped on a pair of pants and a hoody, and climbed out the window.

Creeping around to the stables, she tacked up Gypsy, mounted her and quickly trotted up towards the fields, finally galloping as Gypsy's hooves hit the soft grass.

Faith arrived promptly at 12 o' clock and was glad to see Conor sit against the tree as she approached.

When he saw her, a big grin lit up his face. A grin like Faith hadn't seen in months. The grin that made her heart bubble and melt.

Dismounting Gypsy, she ran up to Conor and jumped into his arms.

They hugged each other tightly; Conor buried his face in Faith's soft blond hair while she lay her head against his muscular chest.

"I've missed you so much," whispered Conor in her ear.

Faith pulled back and smiled at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Me too!" she said, pulling him close and kissing him.

And so they began again, falling into a heap on the grass in each other's arms, it was like they had never been separated. Each loved the other the same and with the same lust and passion.

They fit together like magnets or pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

Nature had intended them to be together. It was their destiny. It was their fate.

*

Belle yawned and rolled over in her bed as she woke up the next morning.

Beside her, Aden was still asleep, his sweet boy-like face was so peaceful, Belle couldn't bear to disturb him.

Instead she slipped out of the bed and tiptoed down the stairs to get a glass of orange juice.

On her way up again, she decided to check on Faith.

Opening the door, Belle gasped and nearly dropped the glass.

Aden was beside her in a second.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his hands on her shoulders. Then he saw Faith's empty bed. He groaned.

"She didn't, did she?"

"I don't know," said Belle, walking into their room and grabbing her dressing gown. "But we're going to find out!"

*

Mr and Mrs O' Grady were quietly having breakfast in their kitchen, scrambled eggs on toast.

The radio was on in the background and the birds could be heard singing through the open window.

"Where's Conor?" asked Mr O' Grady.

"It's only 11.30! Conor's not due to get up for at least another hour!" said Tabitha, chuckling lightly.

Then they heard a loud knock on the door.

"Who on earth could that be?" asked Mr O' Grady as they both walked down the hall.

"I think I know!" said Tabitha, as she opened the front door.

Belle and Aden were standing there looking anxious.

"It appears I was right," said Tabitha with a fake smile. "I thought I told you two not to come back here again...?"

"We know," said Aden, his hands on Belle's shaking shoulder's. "We have a bit of a problem however. Faith's missing again!"

"Then it's your own fault if you can't look after your own kid!" grunted Mr O' Grady.

"Why do you always presume she is here?" asked Tabitha patiently.

"Because when I was Faith's age, I did the exact same thing," said Belle, finally speaking up. "Please, just check if Conor's in his room! That's all we're asking!"

Sighing, Taibtha walked down the hallway and knocked on Conor's bedroom door.

"Conor dear," she said, opening.

However, she found an empty bed.

She hurried back to the front door.

"Conor's gone!" she said anxiously.

Aden nodded. "We are agreed then that he and Faith are most likely together?"

Tabitha nodded.

"Is there anywhere you know of where Faith and Conor would go just to be on their own?" asked Belle. "Somewhere they felt was their own?"

The O' Grady's looked at each other.

"I think I know," said Mr O' Grady, looking at Aden and Belle.

*

They lay together on the now flattened grass, a blanket curled around them.

A few steps away were they horses, contently eating the grass.

Up in the high branches, a red robin breast was feeding her young who was chirping wildly.

The bright afternoon sun shone brightly in the sky.

Faith opened her eyes a crack, blinded by the sun.

While how she was lying was not in a rather comfortable position, she couldn't be happier anywhere else.

Conor's arms were wrapped around her as he slept and she had her head against his chest.

Looking up at his sleeping face, Faith smiled and kissed his lips softly.

He opened his eyes slowly.

"Hello!" she said, smiling at him.

"Hello indeed," said Conor, looking down to see they were both only wrapped in the blanket. "I'm guessing we....."

"Yes we did it, Conor," said Faith, grinning and laughing. "We most certainly did it! And may I say, we were fantastic!"

"Oh really!" said Conor, pulling himself and Faith, up against the tree trunk, carefully to not reveal any private parts.

"Yes really!" said Faith, grinning and kissing him again.

"You're going to have to remind me of what your talking about!" said Conor, leaning in to kiss her.

"Oh no, you won't Faith!" said a loud voice.

Faith screamed and hitched up the blanket as four people walked around the tree.

"Mum! Dad!" cried Faith.

"Grandma, Grandpa," said Conor, regretably.

Belle and Aden were frowning at them furiously, as were the O' Grady's.

"Would you mind explaining what you we're doing?" said Belle sternly.

Conor and Faith looked at each other and blushed.

"Well we were doing - "

"Not that, Faith," said Aden furiously. "You know what your mother meant!"

"Yeah, we do guys," said Conor. "But d'you think we could get dresses first. Then we could all talk properly and it would be as awkward.

They all sighed and turned their backs as Conor and Faith quickly threw on their clothes.

When they were dressed, they all turned around again.

"Now, explain," said Aden, sternly.

"Well," began Faith. "Yesterday, when Mum and Dad thought I was at the farm with Conor, you were actually right," she said to her parents. "I was hiding in the stables but when I heard you coming, I slipped out the window!"

Aden and Belle looked horrified.

"I rode home fast enough to get home before you guys did," said Faith guiltily. "I'm so sorry!"

Belle was speechless, however Aden managed to talk.

"So you lied to us," he said, slowly, disbelieving.

Faith swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yes! But I'm so sorry Dad!"

"Why?"

Faith took Conor's hand and squeezed it confidently.

"I love him. I just do. I can't help it! We are meant to be together! That's how we feel!"

Mr and Mrs O' Grady turned to Conor.

"Is this true?" asked Tabitha.

Conor nodded. "I'm sorry for lying to you guys too! You've done so much for me over the past few years. But there seemed no other way for us to be together. We had to! If you know how we felt, you'd have done the same."

Mrs and Mr O' Grady exchanged an uncertain look.

Faith meanwhile was looking anxiously at her Mother, for Belle had still said nothing.

"Mum please talk to me!" she begged. "Tell me you understand!"

"I'm trying to," croaked Belle. "It's hard."

"Are you too serious about this?" asked Aden.

Faith and Conor both nodded. "We're in this for life!" said Conor.

All the adults exchanged anxious and uncertain looks.

"Can you guys live with that?" asked Faith, quietly. "Can you be happy for us?"

They said nothing, all thinking and wondering if this would lead to more pain, grief and tears, or was all that behind them.

Let me know what you think!

x x x x x x