Chapter 148

Faith and Jess sat at the dining table, eating breakfast in complete silence, neither addressing the other. Seeing Jess sulk, Faith's heart softened, and she broke the silence first. "Jess, how do you plan to celebrate your birthday? If you need help, just let me know." "What's there to celebrate? Isn't a birthday just an excuse to go out and have fun?" Jess replied nonchalantly. "Just pick a place, invite a few people, and maybe you can invite Kyle too?" Faith was puzzled. "Don't you dislike Kyle?" Jess shrugged. "What can I do? You won't listen to my advice. I'm sure you won't come if I don't invite him. I guess I'll just have to swallow my pride and see if I can change my view of him. But I'll make it clear right now—if he still insists on provoking me, I won't hold back." Faith was happy with this concession. If there were any conflicts between Jess and Kyle, it would be awkward for Faith to intervene. If Jess could resolve her misunderstanding of him, that would be a huge re