Page 97 of For I Have Sinned

“Figured,” I say, finally looking at him.

“What makes you say that?”

I point to the shelf. “You have no personal photos. No family. No pets.” I look at his left hand, “No ring.”

“I became a priest young, around Father Alexander’s age, and I never married. I devoted my life to God, and that was enough for me.”

Finally, I remove my eyes from his ring finger to look at him. Was that really enough for him? Apparently not, seeing how he is sleeping with Joanna.

“Isn’t that lonely?” I ask him.

“I’m not lonely, Celine. I have the people in this convent,” he informs me. “And I have God.”

I roll my eyes at how pathetic he sounds and then change the subject to the matter of why he brought me here. “You wanted to talk?”

“Yes.” He leans forward, his arms resting on the desk. “I wanted to talk about the day Joanna slapped you.”

My jaw tightens, an unconvincing smile lifting my lips. “She apologized. All is good.”

“Good, I’m glad she did. Her behavior was out of line.” His words sound remarkably similar to what Joanna told me in her apology. “I have dealt with her, and she will be serving her punishment and praying to God for forgiveness. Now that you have forgiven her, it is God’s turn.”

A forced laugh leaves me. “What if I didn’t forgive her?”

“But you did,” Father Keaton says hesitantly.

“I may have told her that I did, but she slapped me, Father Keaton. She threatened to hurt me.”

“You lied to her?” Of course, he only cares about the fact that I lied. Not that the crazy bitch threatened me.

“I told her what she wanted to hear.”

“Lying is a sin, Celine.” Seems to be the motto of this place.

I shake my head in disbelief and glance at the wall to my right, muttering under my breath, “You’re one to talk.”

“Excuse me?” His voice has dropped, a deeper tone that makes my heart beat faster with alarm.

I should tell him it’s nothing. That I said nothing, but I don’t feel like holding anything back anymore. Because you can’t hold things in; otherwise, you are going to explode.

And I have been holding this anger in for a while, so I guess this is me exploding.

“I said you’re one to talk. Lying is a sin, Celine.” I mock him. “You are lying and committing fornication. And let’s not forget all the bullshit you are spewing to make Joanna believe that what the two of you are doing is right.”

His jaw ticks, and he rests back into his seat. “My business is precisely that—my business. You shouldn’t worry yourself with what I’m doing.”

“It became my business when Joanna slapped me!” I push myself from the chair, flattening my hands on his desk. Narrowing my eyes at him, I say, “You’re a piece of shit, I hope you know that. Sleeping with a woman in the convent and taking advantage of her like that? If Hell exists, you’ll be burning in it.”

I twist away from his desk, being satisfied with my hate-filled words and wanting to get out of here, when a dark chuckle leaves him. The haunting sound stops me in my tracks, but I’m too afraid to look back at him.

The air in the room becomes even heavier than before. The chair he sits in drags across the carpet, and I hear him slowly rise. I’m frozen in my spot, air fighting to get to my lungs but failing. Father Keaton steps around where I’m at to stand before me. This is why I didn’t want to turn around. His eyes are almost black as he stares down at me.

I swear, he could be the Devil reincarnated.

“Now who’s the one to talk?” he snorts. I glare at him, unable to find words, so when I don’t answer, he continues. “Reprimanding me for sleeping with Joanna when you are no better.”

I swallow hard, holding my eyes to his. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

He takes a step closer. “Don’t play dumb, Celine.”