Page 77 of The Last Session

“An authority figure?”

“Do you mean Pastor John?”

“Yes.” She nodded.

The answer focused into clarity: she’d seen my diary. This was how she knew. Instead of anger, I felt sudden calm. Moon would draw it out of me, slowly but surely. All I had to do was follow her lead.

“What happened with him?” she asked.

Now she was playing dumb. “Well… I don’t know if he was ever planning on trying anything physical with me. But it felt like an emotional affair. Totally inappropriate on his end. Abusive, really.” I shook my head. “I wish I could’ve realized that back then.”

“He knew how to draw you in,” Moon said. “By seeing you, paying attention to you.”

“Exactly. We’d have these long conversations in his office and… yeah. No one had ever listened to me like that before. It felt… intimate? And then he started telling me things about his life too. Including, at some point, issues he was having with his wife.”

Moon snapped her fingers at Sol. “Where would you like John to stand?”

I felt startled. How had Moon known to ask Sol? After all, I could’ve named Jonah or Ramit or even one of the women. But somehow she knew Sol was the right one.

“Thea?” Moon sounded impatient, as if we were on a deadline.

“Um, right there is fine.” I pointed to the other side of the impromptu stage.

“Good. And where wouldyoulike to stand?”

“We can stay here, I guess.”

Moon broke away from me and went to stand behind Grace, touching the two orange braids overlapping on her crown. “Who is she?”

“What do you mean?” Now I felt thrown off.

Ignoring my question, Moon asked: “Gracie, where would you like to stand?”

“By him?” Grace indicated Sol. A flicker of excitement shone in her eyes as she joined him.

Moon turned back to me, hands on hips. “Who is she?” she repeated.

“Jamie.” As soon as I said her name, a heavy feeling settled in my gut. “Pastor John’s wife.”

“Good.” Moon went to stand behind Jonah. “And he’s the bully, yes?”

A shudder went through my body. Just a second ago I’d been in control. But now, I’d stepped into an empty elevator shaft and was in free fall.

Because Jonah looked like Adam. Somehow, I hadn’t noticed it before. The same glossy, curly hair, the same dark, watchful eyes. The same cruel curve of his lips.

Grace didn’t look like Jamie, who’d been—and still was—blond and voluptuous. Grace, with her candy-corn hair and guileless eyes, would be my anchor to reality.

“Who is he?” Moon insisted.

“Adam,” I said faintly.

“Adam.” Moon turned to Jonah. “Where should you go?”

“Maybe here?” Jonah took a step towards me.

“No!” I cried involuntarily. “Don’t come near me.” My chest squeezed with fear, like it reallywasAdam.

“Good.” Moon touched my arm. “Where would you like him to go?”