Page 6 of Forgive Me Father

Chapter 2

Roman

Imake my way into the vestibule. The women of the church linger, taking extra time to prod me on my life story, lust and hunger dripping from every word they say to me. Watching several husbands congregate toward the back of the gathering space, I see many eye me with disgust, too insecure with their fragile masculine egos to address how livid they are to see their wives are capable of whoring themselves out for someone.

Forcing on an appreciative smile, I glance around the gathering space, wondering at what point I'll stop trying to pinpoint her brown locks and underdressed figure in the wave of overly tight dresses and ironed dress shirts. Father Kevin looks peaceful, leaning into fond farewells and kind words from his loyal followers. I catch him glancing at me every time someone mentions how dearly he will be missed.

"I hate to see you go," One of the women in the choir bellows, her arms wrapping around the old man, while eying me down in the corner of her vision.

Patting her a few times, the old man excuses her and leans into me to shield his words.

"You'd think they could at least be truthful in two priests' presence," He jokes, raising a brow.

"She seemed genuine," I tease, smiling a little deeper once the man rolls his eyes.

"I don't think I even knew this many women were in the congregation prior to today," He smiles, doing his best to avoid the disciples using him as a way to get a closer look at me. "I may have devoted my life to God, as have you, but holy hell, a confidence boost like this would have been nice once or twice."

Patting him on the back, I try to ease his discomfort.

"I hope you’re not worried. I've never had an issue with temptation," I say with full honesty, kicking myself for the lack of control I had earlier with Eden. Her defiant attitude had done something to me that I wasn’t willing to explore yet.

Most of the time, looking past women has been simple, my mind always reverting back to my promise to God, my sinful and depraved thoughts locked away in the depths of my mind.

So why the hell can’t I shake how much her recalcitrant behavior rattles something loose inside of me?

Waving a large white paper in the air, one of the younger altar servers, Nathan, waltzes over with a smug look on his face.

"Is that the list?" Father Kevin asks, the boy's response merely a slight nod.

"You won't believe who signed up to serve this fall," The boy scoffs, looking me up and down.

Taking a deep breath, I catch the lingering scent of pot and let a smirk play across my lips.

"Big fan of medicinals?" I question, his smug look quickly fading.

"Eden Faulkner?" Father Kevin sounds surprised, but her name immediately sparks my interest quicker than any interaction I've had since ending Mass.

Still feeling the ghost of her lips wrapped around my thumb, I shift uncomfortably in place, clenching my jaw as I sense the increased blood flow making its way between my legs.

Shit. Maybe it’s time for a divine reset. Images of deep-rooted, evil sins make their way to the forefront of my mind, reminding me of the parts of myself I left behind after I was ordained.

I devoted my life to God to scathe my demons, not waltz right into their grasp.

Trying to figure out why she has been on my mind since our interaction in the confession room is better left unsolved.

Or maybe it's the fact that I know exactly why she is on my mind that's eating me alive.

"She willingly signed up?" Father Kevin questions, his feelings toward Eden something he didn’t hold back sharing with me.

Having been large contributors to the church's remodel, the Faulkners are well-known in this town. Her father, David, and mother, Morgan, are both some of the most devoted Catholics to the church. Their son, Aiden, is an engaged and effective youth coordinator and is one of the favorites here. Eden, however, is "Satan's greatest creation," according to Kevin.

"Not exactly-"

"I signed her up," A middle-aged man chimes. Both he and Kevin smile at each other, a woman similar in looks to Eden trails behind the man. The two men are clearly familiar, and mypresence seems to be no consequence to whatever relationship these two have with each other.

"Your last attempt to help her find redemption?" Father Kevin jokes, my mouth opening before I've had the time to process my words.

"Is your grip on your daughter so weak that you had to enlist a priest to teach her some moral guidance?" I ask, watching as the man's eyes widen in surprise.