Page 60 of For I Have Sinned

“What are you doing?” The question comes out harsher than I meant it to. She whips around, surprise etched on her face. Celine closes the flip phone and hides it behind her back. “I’m going to ask you again. What are you doing?”

Her shoulders lift. “Admiring the tree.”

“Admiring the tree?”

“Mhm.” A hand comes out from behind her back, and she pats the tree trunk. “This is a nice one. Very… girthy.”

“Girthy?” I mimic with an amused tone.

“Yup.” She looks away from it and past my shoulder, and points. “Would you look at that? I’ll be able to admire this tree from my room. I think I am going to do that. Get a different view of it, you know?”

She goes to step around me, but I stop her by placing a hand on her shoulder. “Give me the phone, Celine.”

“I can’t.” Her mouth twists. “It’s not mine.”

“Let me guess. Esther?”

“Please don’t take it. I promise I won’t use it again.”

“That doesn’t mean Esther won’t. There is a strict no phone policy.”

“I know, but I had to talk to my friends. I came to this convent abruptly and had to let them know that I was okay.” Her eyes shine with tears. Dammit. I don’t want to see her cry. “They are my life outside of this place. I couldn’t have them worrying about me.”

Here I am, about to break the rules for her. “Give it back to Esther.”

“Thank you,” she says with so much appreciation.

“But if I see either of you using it, I will take it away.”

“I won’t use it again, I promise.” I highly doubt she will keep her word. She is just going to make sure I’m not around when she does use it.

“Since I have you here,” I drop my hand from her shoulder and create distance between us. “Father Keaton wants to know if you are attending the movie night.”

“I thought it wasn’t mandatory,” she says, tucking the phone into the top of her dress and into her bra.

I watch as she hides it, making it invisible beneath the fabric, before I answer. “It’s not. He thinks it would be good for you.”

“I’ve already seen it,” she informs me, but I can’t tell if she is being honest. “My parents forced me to watch it when I was younger. Longest and most boring four hours of my life.”

“It is a long movie.”

“Are you going to be sitting through it?”

“It may not be mandatory for you, but it is for me.”

“That sucks.” She curls her lips in disgust. “Maybe you can sneak out. I’m sure no one would notice. Is Father Keaton going to be there?”

That’s a good question. He never told me if he was going to attend the movie. “I’m not sure what his plan is.”

“Maybe he is going to skip it and have alone time with you know who.” She wiggles her brows.

I scrunch my face up. “Don’t say it like that.”

“Would you rather me say it how I said it in the library?”

“No.”

“Okay then.” She smiles. “Now, if you don’t mind, I am going to my room. I could use a nap.”