I knew she could handle herself, but hated leaving her there, hated that I wasn’t walking in that motherfucker with her. It bothered me to the fucking fullest. I pulled off but didn’t leave the area. Instead pulling into an alley across the street from the strip club with enough of a vantage to see her car, the entrance, and anybody leaving or coming.
I watched the door like a hawk, studying any and everybody who left the club. Several times my hand went to the door to get out, but I had to catch myself. I was looking for anything out of place, anything I deemed enough for me to get out of this car and storm the building.
When Liora finally came out,she put her gun in her back and got into the car. As fast as she went in was as fast as she pulled off. I pulled off right after, the sound of my phone ringing filling the car.
“Yeah.” I knew it was her.
“I told you I had it.”
I watched her zip through traffic with her adrenaline junkie ass. “I never said you didn’t.”
“You sure about that?”
“Positive. I didn’t come in there, did I?”
She giggled. “But you wanted to come in. Where are you?”
“Few cars behind you.” I glanced at the time on the dash, seeing it was well into the morning.
She laughed. “You tryna keep up with me, handsome?”
“Nope, you drive like you’re sponsored by NASCAR.”
“I should be.”
She and I talked for a while longer before agreeing to meet at my house a little later. She had to check in with her people and I was tired as hell seeing as I had been out of the house before five this morning.
I didn’t go home but ended up back at that church. I didn’t know why I came here or why I even felt compelled to, but here I was again. I parked the truck and pulled my hood over my head before getting out. Once I was out of the truck, I climbed the stairs two by two, hitting the lock button on my key fob before I reached the top.
Once there, I entered the awaiting doors, my eyes immediately landing on the stoned figure at the front then the priest standing a few feet away.
“I thought I’d see you again.” Familiarity brewed in his eyes.
“You did?”
He nodded, the bible in his hand as he approached me. “It didn’t dawn on me until after your departure.”
“What?”
“Your gripe.”
“My gripe?” I repeated, taken aback.
“You resent the Lord for saving you that night, as you deem death to have been more peaceful.”
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. My jaw tightened as I took him in. He was living the very righteousness I truly resented. Empowered by a figure who barely fucking showed up.
“That is why you’ve taken on this grim persona and began playing the very God you dislike.”
I laughed, looking around, my laughter easily carrying in the otherwise empty, peaceful building. The beginning of his statement may have been true, but the end was wrong. “No, I don’t take on some grim persona to play God at all. Everything I have done since I was kept here is on them, Shit, maybe Him.”
I looked up at the ceiling, then back at the priest.
“God is forgiving, even when you are not. Even when you move with vengeance in your heart and turn your back on Him.”
“Well thank Him for that.” I turned to leave, feeling like I had overstayed my welcome.
“Why do you keep coming back here?” he called after me.
