Page 20 of For I Have Sinned

I offer another thank you before he returns to his conversation with Sister Alice. When I look across the aisle to the other table, Celine no longer has her eyes on me, so I continue to eat my food as Father Keaton’s words swirl in my mind—a great asset.

I’ve been a priest for four years, and have only been at this convent for one of those years, while he has been a priest for much longer. I’m not sure how valuable I will be, as I’m still learning how things work around here.

After every terrible thing that happened in my past, being a part of the church has kept me out of trouble. But trouble has a way of wreaking havoc on people who are old friends with it, and I feel it deep in my soul that I’m going to be reunited with my old friend soon.

Slightly lifting my eyes, I find Celine has finished the food on her plate and is dismissing herself from the table. She walks to the trash can, sets the empty plate on the small table next to it, and leaves the room while everyone else keeps eating.

The clearing of a throat catches my attention, and when I turn to look at Father Keaton, he gestures with his head for me to follow her.

Standing from the table, I go after her. When I enter the hall, I look left and right to see which way she went, catching a glimpse of her to the right before she turns a corner. It seems she is heading toward the chapel. Near the lobby.

With quick steps, I rush to her. My heart races because if she leaves, the trouble I’m trying to steer clear of will find me with Father Keaton. As I round another corner, I see Celine entering the courtyard.

A sigh of relief leaves me, knowing that she isn’t trying to run, and I slow my steps. When I set foot in the courtyard, she is hovering her hand over the tops of some pink flowers, the petals barely touching her skin.

“Are you stalking me?” she asks without sparing me a glance.

“Just keeping an eye on you,” I respond, taking a step forward to get closer to her.

Her hand stops above one of the flowers, where she extends a finger to run it gently along the petal. “Afraid I’m going to run?”

“No,” I lie as I watch how carefully her finger grazes over the delicate plant.

Celine turns toward me, narrowing her bright eyes. “You’re being dishonest, Father Alexander.”

The way she says my name causes a chill to roll down my spine. “I’m not afraid you will run, but⁠—”

“Father Keaton is.” It isn’t a question, but I nod, and she returns her attention to the flowers, sighing with annoyance. “I’m not going to run.”

“That’s good to hear,” I say. She hums in response, moving toward another set of flowers, these ones purple, and I lightly run my hand along the petals she had just touched. “I think you will like it here.”

“Do you like it here?” she quips.

“I haven’t been here for too long, but so far, I do.”

“Where were you before?” she asks, facing me with her hands behind her back.

Being this close to her, I see her eyes aren’t as green as I thought. There is a hue to them that makes them appear almost gray. Maybe it’s just the lighting, but they are mesmerizing.

I catch myself lingering on her eyes and say, “My local church.”

“This isn’t your local church?”

“No,” I shake my head. “I’m from New York.”

Her brows lift, and she brings her arms out from behind her back and crosses them over her chest.

“You’re a long way from home, then. What made you want to come to California?”

When I started working here, I was told not to share too many details about my life with the women who attend the convent. That I wasn’t supposed to have that sort of relationship with them. I’m here to sometimes preach and to listen to confessions. That’s it, which is why I keep my answer simple.

“The opportunity to work at Grace Community.” I give her the half-truth.

She quirks an eyebrow. “Is this church really that amazing that you moved across the country for it?”

I take a moment to think of my answer. The fact that I heard about this church while living across the country means it is well-known, and they must have been doing something right if other churches are praising them.

I decide to go with the full truth this time. “All of the things I’ve heard about it seemed to make it sound amazing.”