Habitude, p.1
Habitude, page 1
Habitude
J.S. Wik
JK Publishing
This book is a work of fiction, all characters names, places, and events are used fictitiously. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2023 by J.S. Wik
As an independent author piracy can be extremely detrimental to my career. Please respect my copyright by not sharing, copying, or in any way using this file in a manner not intended.
Cover design by Sarah Kil Creative Studio www.sarahkilcreativestudio.com
Contents
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Dedication
1. Turpitude
2. Mansuetude
3. Promptitude
4. Plenitude
5. Gratitude
6. Vicissitude
7. Solicitude
8. Certitude
9. Vastitude
10. Crassitude
11. Lassitude
12. Beatitude
13. Fortitude
14. Rectitude
15. Plentitude
16. Magnitude
17. Plenitude
18. Finitude
19. Similitude
20. Amplitude
21. Habitude
22. Multitude
23. Verisimilitude
24. Attitude
25. Servitude
26. Consuetude
27. Inexactitude
28. Beatitude
29. Quietude
30. Infinitude
31. Correctitude
32. Desuetude
33. Definitude
34. Longitude
35. Latitude
36. Fortitude
37. Altitude
38. Lentitude
39. Amplitude
40. Inquietude
Bonus Content
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Also By J.S. Wik
About the Author
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This book is a symbol of perseverance for me, so I am dedicating it to anyone who has chosen perseverance, in any form, over giving up. I am so proud of you! Keep reaching for your dreams and don't let anyone convince you they're not worth striving for!! (Even if that person is yourself.)
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Chapter 1
Turpitude
Noun; depravity, wickedness
Present Day
Faith is struggling with her love for him, or at least the idea of it now. Sure, she is mad, upset, and hurt when she first found out what he’d done, but somehow it isn’t enough to make her feelings just vanish. She expected her love to diminish. She expected the decision to stop loving him to be simple, easy even. As if making a decision about how you feel for someone was ever cut and dry.
She isn’t sure how anyone could honestly love a monster like him. How could she love him even more now, knowing what he’s done? Somewhere in the back of her mind, there is almost a feeling of sympathy pushing her on to love him still, to fight for him. Could there be a possibility he’s innocent?
When she met Jonathan Hall nine years ago, there certainly hadn’t been a large display of red flags following him around, like a parade, guiding her to the conclusion that he was capable of something so heinous. In the time they’ve been together, the most violent she had ever seen him was when he was swatting at a bug.
“Can I go to the bathroom, Mrs. Hall?”
Faith raises her eyes to see her student, Brady, looking back at her, slight desperation in his eyes as he does a barely noticeable potty dance.
Snapping out of her thoughts and glancing at the clock, she replies in a hushed voice, “Yes, but hurry. Reading time will be done in five minutes, and then we’ll move on to centers!”
“Those are my favorite!” He says in an excited whisper.
“I know, so be quick!”
“OK!” Brady turns and half runs with his little legs across the hall to the bathroom.
Faith sees the rest of her first grade class sitting quietly with their various easy reader books they’d selected from her classroom library. She glances out the window at the dreary April day; cold and rainy which seems quite fitting for her current state of mind.
She exhales deeply, knowing how lucky she is to be here. With it being such a small town, there were a few concerned parents that came forward once the news came out. They asked for her to be put on probation until the case goes to court. All people see now when they look at her is someone tainted by evil. The fact that she shared a bed, and a life with such an insidious, evil man makes her sick to her stomach. It is a nearly constant nausea that nothing has been able to alleviate.
Just earlier this week, she sat in front of the principle of Hilltop Elementary, the Superintendent, which also happens to be her best friend Jackie, and the entire school board with tears streaming down her face. Her shoulders slumped over as she desperately tried to hang on to any dignity she may have left in the eyes of the people she wholeheartedly respects. A feeling of helplessness hung in the room and the reality of the fact that her life as she knew it was completely falling apart hit her like a ton of bricks. It seemed even more pronounced in that moment than when she had first been faced with the reality of Jonathan’s arrest.
Every single aspect of her life now was not as it had been just a few days ago. Faith and Jonathan didn’t have the perfect life, but it was certainly very close.
The decision had to be unanimous. If one of her colleagues had any doubt or the slightest reservations about her innocence in all of this, she would be placed on probation until after Jonathan was sentenced. There would be no chance of her collecting her things from her classroom and absolutely no possibility of her saying goodbye to her students, who she’d grown to care very much for over the course of the school year.
Luckily, the vote was in fact unanimous, and Faith was able to return to her classroom. However, there still is no guarantee that Faith will be able to keep her position at Hilltop Elementary, and she knows it. The news of what Jonathan did in Caulfield has rocked their little town of Luna Shores. Its residents’ sense of security is gone. All it would take for her to lose her beloved job is one parent to insist and threaten to pull their child out of school. All she can do is hope that the parents trust the school board’s decision.
Even through the shock of it all, she thinks she is handling it remarkably well. Her parents, Frank and Diane, are being very supportive and trying to help in any way they can. Surely, they have their own feelings on the situation. They love Jonathan as well and this has been just as much of a shock to them.
Faith’s younger sister, Hope, has stopped by a few times in an attempt to keep her company. A big empty house can become too much for someone struggling to keep their emotions in check. Hope tries to play it off as if she just wants to watch a movie or is just bringing dinner by, but Faith knows she’s really trying to help keep her mind off Jonathan.
Reality always sets in after the busyness of the day is done, while Faith is lying in bed alone. The darkness of the room starts settling in around her, enveloping her thoughts. The smell of him still lingering on the pillow beside her. She thinks back to what first drew her to Jonathan and all the signs that may have told her something wasn’t quite right. Some form of light sleep usually comes after hours of tossing and turning.
Chapter 2
Mansuetude
Noun; the quality or state of being gentle, meekness, tameness
Nine Years Ago
“I can’t let you pay for those.” Jonathan says, gesturing towards the drinks the bartender just placed in front of Faith.
“And why not?” Faith asks.
“Sorry, I forgot my manners. I’m Jonathan Hall.” He outstretches his hand. “It’s great to meet you.” She shakes it, still confused. He goes on, “And I can’t let you because you’re too beautiful. Plus, it’s Jackie’s birthday.”
Feeling a little embarrassed at the compliment she says, “Thank you. How do you know Jackie?” Trying to get a better look at him, she wonders how she’s never seen this man before. She would definitely have remembered meeting him. He’s tall and fit, with sandy colored hair that Faith can imagine running her fingers through.
“I’m a friend of Tom’s. We work together.”
“OK. That makes sense.”
Jonathan leans in to her ear to make sure she can hear him. “I noticed you out on the dance floor before.”
Faith feels her cheeks getting warm and is thankful Lee’s pub is dimly lit. “I’m just having a good time celebrating with my friend.”
“It’s a wonderful sight to see.” He looks at her as if she’s the only woman in the room with his caramel colored eyes and a smile on his handsome face.
She tucks her long dark hair behind her ear. “Thank you.”
“I know we just met, but I’d really like to take you out sometime. Feel free to get my references from Tom and Jackie.” He smiles at her as he slides the cash towards the bartender and walks over to the table that Tom and Jackie are sitting at.
Faith stands there slightly stunned then reluctantly follows him, giving Jackie a questioning look when they make eye contact. Its Jackie’s twenty-third birthday.
Jackie looked at Faith across the table. “Bathroom?”
“OK.”
They both get up from their seats and walk to the bathroom.
“You have to tell me what that was all about!”
“He just approached me at the bar when I went to grab us drinks. I had no idea who he was. How come you never mentioned him before?”
“Well, I’ve only met him a handful of times at Kansen Corp gatherings. Plus, he’s a bit older than us.”
“How much older?” He doesn’t seem that much older to Faith.
“He’s twenty-seven.” Jackie said as she walked into the first stall. Faith walks into the one next to her, locking the door behind her.
“You made it seem like he was forty or something. I’m not worried about a few years difference. Hell, I’d prefer it. Men our age are pretty immature and typically only after one thing.”
“So true. Tom isn’t, though.”
“Jonathan said he and Tom work together?”
“Yeah. They both work for Kansen Corp. Jonathan has been there longer, and Tom seems to really like him. He’s taken Tom under his wing, I guess.”
“That’s nice of him.” Faith opens the stall door. She walks over to the large sink and washes her hands.
“It is. He seems like a nice enough guy. Definitely better than Brock.” Jackie walks out of the stall and washes her hands in the sink next to Faith, making eye contact in the mirror.
“There were no warning signs to tell me how big of a douche he was. How was I supposed to know?”
“I smelled ‘cheater’ on him from the moment I met him.” Jackie says in a know-it-all tone. Then adds, “There are always signs.” They both dry their hands.
Faith rolls her eyes. “You’ll have to teach me your super powers.”
“If only it were that easy.” Jackie holds the door open as Faith passes through.
As they approach the table Faith notices Jonathan watching her attentively. She sits down beside him, and he slips his arm around her in an easy motion as if he’d been doing it for years.
“Did you ladies have a nice chat?” He asks.
“We sure did. Were your ears ringing?” Jackie replies.
“Incessantly.”
“That sounds horrible.”
“Tell me about it.” He lifts his beer to his lips and takes a drink.
Faith smiles at him and lets out a quiet giggle. Jackie takes a sip of her drink and then grabs Faith by the hand and pulls her back out onto the dancefloor.
Jonathan looks at Tom. “Why didn’t you ever mention that your girlfriend has such a hot best friend?”
Shrugging his shoulders Tom says, “I honestly didn’t know you were looking.”
Jonathan turns his attention back to Faith on the dance floor, watching her move to the rhythm of the music being played by the DJ. This isn’t Jonathan’s typical scene. He’d prefer something a bit quieter and more intimate, but he’s still happy he came.
Without taking his eyes off her, he tells Tom confidently, “That woman is going to be my wife someday.”
“OK. Sure man.” Tom rolls his eyes.
“I’m serious.” Jonathan looks at Tom making sure he understands that was not a joke. “How long have they been friends?”
“I think they’ve known each other since like kindergarten. I’ve only known the two of them for a couple of years, but they have a ton of stories.”
Jackie glances over to the table to see Jonathan and Tom looking their way. She motions with her finger for them to come out to the dancefloor, but both men wave her off. Jonathan’s eyes dart to Faith and his mind wanders to where he’d like to take her on their first date.
As the song finishes. Faith and Jackie head back to the table once more. Faith sits by Jonathan again, and he places his arm back around her. She takes a long pull on her straw, savoring the cold drink going down her throat, thankful for its refreshment.
“Do you want to step outside and get some air?” Jonathan suggests.
“That’s a wonderful idea!”
Jonathan and Faith leave Jackie and Tom at the table. Jonathan opens the door for her and they head out into the cool, salty night air. It feels so refreshing on Faith’s glistening skin. They walk over to the deck facing the bay that is off the back of the building. The muffled sound of the music getting louder each time the door opens as if it’s in competition with the crickets.
“Are you free tomorrow night?”
“I am. Why do you ask?” Faith feigns naivety while looking up at the sky.
“I would like to take you out. Would you like to accompany me to Tollero’s for dinner?”
“I’d love to.” She smiles at him feeling a slight buzz from the drinks she’s been consuming.
“Great! I’ll pick you up around six?”
“That works perfectly.”
“I’ve really enjoyed meeting you tonight, Faith. I’m sure we’ll have an amazing time tomorrow as well.”
“I’ve enjoyed meeting you too, Jonathan. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
They exchanged phone numbers and enjoyed the rest of their evening with Tom and Jackie.
Chapter 3
Promptitude
Noun; the quality or habit of being prompt
Jonathan arrived to Faith’s house at six o’clock exactly with a fresh cut long stem rose bouquet in hand. His nerves had been present all day. He wasn’t sure what kind of flowers she liked, or if the flowers would be over the top. He debated whether or not he should open the doors for her, since not all women like that kind of thing anymore, but she seemed alright with it last night. He had a hard time figuring out what to wear as well, but finally settled on jeans and a short sleeve button up shirt.
Faith, on the other hand, was not worried at all. The only thing that gave her some trouble was what she should wear. She wanted to look sexy, but not overtly so. Tollero’s isn’t a fancy restaurant either, so a dress, unless extremely casual was out of the question.
She ended up deciding on her favorite pair of jeans and a blue patterned top. She did her long dark brown hair in its usual style by loosely curling it to add some body and movement. Her makeup was relatively natural with a bold lip color.
Walking up to her door, Jonathan makes observation of her house. A small single story that looked to have been built around the turn of the century. It was probably one of the original homes in Luna Shores. He could see flower beds flank the sides of the porch with budding plants.
Reaching up to knock on the door he realizes the palms of his hands are a little sweaty. He shakes his head, scolding himself for how silly he is being. They already hit it off last night which means there isn’t anything to worry about.
When Faith opened the door she took his breath away. “You look beautiful.” He practically blurted it out with very little thought. The jeans she was wearing fit every curve on her body perfectly, and even though the top was a little less form fitting, it still showed off her figure.
After taking in the sight of her, he regained composure and handed her the flowers.
“Oh my! Thank you Jonathan. They’re absolutely beautiful!” She beams at him, then asks, “Would you like to come in so I can get them into a vase?”
“That sounds like a splendid idea.” His nerves are beginning to settle a bit.
She welcomes him in, leading him through the living room and directly into the eat-in kitchen. She grabs a vase from one of the cupboards that seem to be original to the home, fills it with water, then puts the roses inside it, setting it in the center of the table.
“Would you like a quick tour? The place is quite small, it will only take a second.”
“I’d like that, yeah.”
Faith takes him through the rest of the two bedroom home. It’s small, but more than she needs since it’s only her. She has the spare room set up as her office and craft room. Jonathan appreciates the small glimpse into her personality that someone can only get from seeing another person’s every day surroundings. The house is on the older side, but it is still in good repair with minor updates having been done throughout the years.
