Page 38 of Crossed

“Only in passing.”

She nods slowly, her lips thinning as she stares at me. “May I offer a word of advice, Father?” I incline my head.

“I’d keep away from her.”

I frown. “You know, everyone continues to say that, yet no one ever gives me an actual reason why.”

She shrugs. “She’s a bad influence. Everyone in Festivalé knows it.”

A smirk tips the corner of my mouth. “And you think I can beinfluenced, Principal Lee?”

I say it in a mocking tone, but the truth is that my insides are uneasy from the conversation. Iaminfluenced by Amaya, more than I ever have been by anyone else, God included. Both the monsterandthe man.

My stomach twists up in anxiety the second I think of it, so I swallow around the panic and push it back down.

Principal Lee leans forward, her brows furrowing. “This town is steeped in superstition, Father. We’ve learned long ago not to question when something stinks of evil. We’d rather rip it out at the root. I’d hate to think that our very own priest doesn’t support the culture of Festivalé, one that’s been passed down through generations.”

“Hmm,” I hum. This is the first someone has said it so plainly. About Festivalé and the eerie feeling that blankets the air. But I believe what she says, as surely as I believe in Him. “And what part will Quinten be playing in the production?” I pivot the conversation.

Principal Lee laughs, like I’ve made a joke.

“Oh no. Quinten wouldn’t know how to do that.”

“Presumption is a sin against hope, Principal Lee.” It’s more than obvious she doesn’t care about the boy’s well- being. “Have you ever given him the chance?”

“Well, I—” she sputters.

“Is he not still made in God’s image?” I cut her off.

“No, of course he is. I just— ”

“Great. It’s settled then. Quinten will take part in the production.”

Her brows draw down and she shakes her head. “Now, wait a minute, Father. I can’t justguaranteehim a part.”

“If you want the support of the church, you will.” I stand up, heading toward her door. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and I expect to hear good news.”

Chapter14

Amaya

THERE’S A SMALL STUDIO CLOSE TO THE CHAPEL that my boss owns. He lets any of the dancers use it as long as there aren’t any classes, and Wednesdays are usually pretty sparse, so I always head over while Quinten’s in school to make use of the space.

It’s nothing fancy, just plain wooden floors with smudged- up mirrors along the back wall and a pole installed right in front of them. I’ve got my phone blaring music through the Bluetooth speaker that Dalia lets me borrow, and my muscles ache from having been here for the past few hours. It’s a feeling I’ve come to love, and I wonder how I got through so many years without knowing that pole was where my soul feels most at home.

By the time I stop, my body is drenched in a thin layer of sweat, and my mind is calm for the first time since I met Father Cade in the grocery store and he threw my world off its axis.

Seeing him in Parker’s office was unexpected, and it sent my stomach flying into my throat, my heart dancing around like a schoolgirl with a crush.

A crush on a fucking priest.Leave it to me to finally have sexual attraction to a man who’s so off-limits, he’s a one- way ticket to hell.

I roll my eyes and groan as I make my way over to the stool and pick up my phone, glancing down at the screen. I rotate my neck, stretching the tight muscles, a satisfying pop rippling through me as I pull up my missed calls.

Louis Elementary.

Great.

Dread plops in my middle as I press play on the voicemail, Principal Lee’s voice coming over the line. It’s never a good thing when the school is calling me.