Page 75 of Vespertine

Strolling in with a box of Irena’s cherry tarts to be sharedaround, he was told by Mrs. Wells that Jasper was on the phone and that Lizziewas waiting for him. “She didn’t know if you were coming or not since you didn’tshow up for yoga.” She sounded as scolding as ever.

“Sorry. I had to deal with some important things first.” Likemorning wood, and fantasies of Jasper coming to him on bended knee, naked andbegging. And once that was settled, he’d been very busy rolling around in hisfresh, clean sheets watching the trees outside his window cast shadows on thefloor. He loved that the shadows moved like music.

“Anyway, I’m here now.” He handed her the box of tarts. “Theseare for you and anyone else who wants one.”

She smiled at him after opening the box. “Well, Nicholas,that was very kind of you. Father will be pleased. He loves Irena’s pastries.”

Nicky didn’t stick around once Mrs. Wells bit into a tartwith a moan of nearly obscene pleasure. He waved and then hustled up to thedorm room on the second floor, the one he knew was Lizzie’s.

“Hey girl, did you miss me?”

Lizzie was curled up with a book in her twin bed. She lookedup over the spine and shrugged. “I guess.”

Nicky frowned. Usually Lizzie was enthusiastic even if hewas a few minutes late. “What’s the matter? Are you mad I didn’t come to yoga?”

“No.” She sat up and put her book on the nightstand besideher bed. “I’m just upset today.”

“Why?” Nicky sat gingerly on the end of her bed, not wantingto get too close in case Mrs. Wells came up and thought he was beinginappropriate. “Did something happen?”

“A little. I don’t know. Jason said something.”

“About?”

“Nothing.”

“Oh, if it’s nothing, the best thing to do is to tellsomeone else about it.”

“It’s just…what if Jason’s right?”

Nicky scratched at his eyebrow with his thumb, nervesburning in his gut. Was he up to this? He probably wasn’t qualified. “Should Iget Father Hendricks for you? He’d be able to help.”

“No!” Lizzie’s eyes went round.

“Oh. I see.” He tilted his head. “Is this about FatherHendricks?”

She shrugged shyly. “Yeah. It’s dumb.”

Nicky waited, but she didn’t volunteer anything more. Henarrowed his eyes. “Is it that he’s handsome and you have a crush on him?”

Nicky couldn’t understand why more of the kids weren’ttrying to tempt Jazz into some compromising position, actually. He was a reallysexy man with a nice body. When Nicky was the age of theBOteenagers, he’d have gone to church every Sunday with the Hendrickses if thepriest looked like Jazz.

“Uh, no.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “He’s old.”

“He’s the same age as me!”

“You’re old. Besides, I thinkyouhave a crush on him.”

Nicky cleared his throat nervously. “I’m allowed to look.But this is about you, Liz. What are you upset about?”

She studied her fingernails a few long moments like theanswer to whether or not he could be trusted was written on them in tinyletters. “I don’t know if I believe in God,” Lizzie finally whispered. “And I’mafraid to tell Father Hendricks.”

“You don’t have to be afraid. He knows I don’t believe inGod.” Nicky watched her eyes widen. “And we’re still friends.”

She sat up straight. “You don’t think he’ll make me leavehere if he can’t convince me to believe?”

“Hell, no. He’d never kick you out for that, Liz. Did Jasonsay he would?”

“Maybe.”