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Perhaps this is God's final test to see whether I am truly ready.
"Is there something I can do for you?" I ask him, my tone somewhat curt.
He lifts his arm up and scratches the back of his neck. He's wearing a black t-shirt that hugs his frame a little too tight. It lets me see how his muscles flex in the low glow of the morning light.
I remember the feeling of those muscles flexing against me as he carried me down that hill, as he held me in that bed...
My mouth goes dry as I once again try to remind myself that Teddy is temptation.
A temptation I am clearly having trouble resisting.
"There's going to be a ceremony tonight," Teddy says to me.
"A ceremony?" I ask, clearing my throat. "And what, exactly, will be expected of me?"
Teddy holds up his hands. "No, nothing that would be expected of you," he says to me. "You simply need to be there. It's actually something I'm doing."
"Oh," I say. "Well, I don't feel as if I have much choice in anything right now."
Teddy twists his lips. He's obviously uncomfortable with what I've just said.
"I don't want you to feel like a prisoner," he says to me.
"Is that not what I am?"
"Of course not!" he replies, before looking a tad bit crestfallen. "I mean, you can't leave, but it's only for your own safety."
"Is that so true?" I ask. "Or, is it because I've seen something I'm not supposed to see? So, it's actually foryoursafety."
"Raven," he says.
"Neriah," I correct.
He clears his throat, but doesn't say the name.
"Someone will come to fetch you at nine o'clock."
I give him a hard stare back. "I'll be here, then. Waiting to be fetched."
He stands there looking at me. Looking sad. Looking hurt. Looking like the Teddy that I regretted leaving for so many years.
But the snake tricked Eve into biting the apple.
And Teddy tricked me into doing the same.
I stand firm and resist the urge to apologize to him or to run to him or to do any of the things Idesperately wantto do with him.
He is temptation.
He turns and leaves.
"Resist the Devil and he will flee from you," I say to myself.
* * *
There's a knock on my door at nine on the dot.
"Come in," I say. There's no use in trying to be difficult in this situation. While it doesn't seem like my life is in danger, I know that can change in an instant. I also don't know how far Teddy's reach actually extends these days. It's quite possible that he cannot protect me if someone higher up decides I need to be silenced.
