Page 11 of His to Keep
The back of my throat aches and more tears threaten to spill. Slumping against the wall, I give up. Maybe he’s right.Nothing he tells me will give me any hope. I know it, and so does he.
Chapter Six
I’m wrenched awake when rough hands shake me from my sleep. When my eyes fly open, I’m horrified to see Father Aaron crouched in front of me, anger mottling his expression. Fear that stupidly drifted away in my sleep comes back worse. All hope this was a nightmare disappears in an instant.There’s no time to prepare as he drags me off the floor by my arm, hurting me as I catch my footing. Callum’s awake too, emotionless mask in place as he stands.
“Why were you sleeping on the floor?” Father Aaron’s tone is brittle as he addresses me, and I recall his rule about me sleeping in the bed and Callum on the floor—which neither of us did. Dread seeps through my body, not remembering falling asleep last night, only that it was sometime in the early hours of the morning. Father Aaron doesn’t give me a chance to answer. Pushing me away, he turns to Callum. “Was I not clear on my instructions? Did I not say Ava was to sleep on the bed andyouon the floor?” When Callum doesn’t reply, Father Aaron growls and storms across the room. Catching a mound of his hair, he forces his head back, like how he did to Penny last night. “Answer me!”
“She—” Father Aaron drives his fistinto Callum’s stomach before he has a chance to finish. His breath whooshes from his lungs, and I back away until my spine touches the wall. Lifting my hands, I cover my mouth as Callum bows forward and wheezes for air. A sneer slithers across Father Aaron’s lips. He looks disturbingly evil, especially wearing his black uniform and white collar. Skimming a hand over his hair, he smooths down any strand that may have escaped.
“I want you to wash away your sins, both of you, and as a reward, you will eat and be clothed. I shall return in one hour.”
Without another word he leaves the room. This time when the door closes there’s a jingle of keys and a lock clicking into place. Falling back against the wall, my heart thumps so hard I feel sick. Callum clutches his stomach, but when he sees me looking, his hand drops, almost like he’s embarrassed to show pain around me.
“Are you okay?” I risk asking, not able to imagine how much it hurt him. It was my fault. I broke the rules and slept on the floor. Clinging to his silence, he doesn’t speak a word. Instead, he nods to the bathroom.Go.
He wants me to wash first. Clean my body of sins, even though I have none. “But I don’t have clothes—”
“He will bring you new ones if you do as he asks,” he says, voice hoarse. My forehead creases. What am I supposed to do until then? I’ll be naked. Seeing my reluctance, he adds, “You can use the towel to cover yourself. I won’t look.”
My head shakes. No, this isn’t happening. This is wrong—sick.But it is happening, and I don’t know how to stop it. With little choice, I lean off the wall and step into the bathroom. Callum’s close behind, moving past me to turn on the shower. My teeth chatter as he goes over to a cupboard beneath the sink and takes out a towel.
“Don’t be long.” I snatch the towel from him in frustration. Ignoring me, he leaves, and that’s when a sob I’d been holding shatters my throat. Tears scorch my cheeks, and I wipe them away, not wanting to do this but knowing I must.Don’t be long.He’s heartless. He couldn’t care less about this being difficult for me.
Reaching around my back, I untie the ribbon around my waist. After undoing the buttons, I pull off the dress, hating being so exposed in this cold, dreary bathroom. When I go to my bra strap, I stop. I don’t want to take it off. Not my panties either. Those parts of my body are private, covered with a towel or not. Leaving them on, I step into the shower. The water spray is hot and burns my skin, but I welcome the heat after a while, not knowing how cold I was before.
Closing my eyes, the sound of water trickling drowns out the painful thoughts for a while. Home, Gran, and why nobody has come for me yet. After scrubbing myself with a bar of soap I find on the shower ledge, I get out and reach for the towel. Starchy fabric scrapes against my skin as I dry myself. Wrapping it around me, my heart sinks when it’s not long enough. Did Callum give me one this short on purpose? With a heavy sigh, I return to the bedroom.
Callum’s a blur as he passes me, shutting the door behind him. Seconds later, the shower comes on again. Tightening my grip on the only thing protecting my body, I sit on the bed and stare ahead. Barely five minutes pass before Callum returns. As he walks out, my eyes widen at his bare upper body. Droplets of water drip down a surprisingly sculpted torso with a smattering of hair across his chest.
Oh.My.
The back of my throat goes dry, and I’m embarrassed that I can’t look away. Ishouldlook away. Right now. His skin, almost alabaster in the early morning dew, is toned and scarred. Whip marks slash diagonally across his chest and stomach. As he turns to put yesterday’s clothes in the laundry basket, they’re on his back too. Enough to make multiple shivers roll through me. My lungs unbearably expand, knowing what it’s like to be marked. My own body has them in places. Not as many as him, which I know means he must’ve suffered longer. Was it Father Aaron’s doing? Something tells me it was, and the longer I stay here, the more chance I’ll have of finding out—and I don’t want to. Not at all.
Speaking of the Devil himself, five minutes earlier than he said he would, Father Aaron returns, eager to see if we’ve done as he asked. His face falls, clearly disappointed that we have.
Before he can order us to do anything else, I bravely stand. “Father Aaron?”
“Yes?” He cocks an eyebrow, maybe because I’ve addressed him boldly. I don’t feel bold or brave. Not allowing it to deter me, I push myself to go on.
“I understand why you’re doing this.” I don’t. “You believe I’ve lied and have to be punished.” From the corner of my eye, Callum watches me. “I’ve learned my lesson and think I should go home now. You know Gran will be worried about me. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
Regarding me for a moment, Father Aaron eventually steps closer and rests his hands on my shoulders. While I flinch from his touch, for one tiny second, I believe he’s about to tell me he has every intention of taking me home. Until his lips lift into a wicked smile, and I know how incredibly wrong I am.
“Oh, Ava.” He chuckles, and saliva dries on my tongue. My speech only amused him. “How innocent you are. It’s what I admire most about you.” He purposefully sighs long and hard. “You’re here because Godwilledit. He wanted me to save you, and anything I do is only to teach you the way.”
My throat is too dry to swallow, and I don’t know what to say. Father Aaron is either playing games with me, or he genuinely believes he’s not doing anything wrong. Gritting my teeth, my fists clench and all my fear morphs into anger. Even Callum moves to grab me, but it’s too late. Slapping Father Aaron’s hands off me, I furiously yell, “No! This is wrong. Let me out!”
Without warning, Father Aaron’s hand goes around my neck. Screaming, I let go of the towel to stop him from choking me. It drops to the ground, and he glances down, lips curling with fury that I’m still wearing my underwear. “Disobedient littlebitch. Perhaps Iamtoo lenient, and you do need to be taught a lesson.”
Keeping hold of my neck, he pulls me out into the hallway as the edges of my vision blur with tears. I no longer have a voice, prisoner to the paralyzing fear pumping through my body. Going downstairs and down the same narrow hallway as yesterday, we go inside the dining room. This time the candles aren’t lit, and it makes the space even more terrifying. Turning me, Father Aaron presses his front against my back, fingers still closed around my throat. The door he went into yesterday now faces us. He’s going to bring me in there.
“Let me show you what happens to those Idopunish.” My stomach churns from his closeness. “And…” Grabbing my bra clasp, he pulls on it. My eyes widen, and I try to move away, but he doesn’t let go.
No!I try to yell but can’t with his hand tightening around my throat.
“When I tell you to undress, you fuckingundress.”
My heart stops when it snaps, and the cups loosen around my breasts. Ripping it down my arms, he’s exposed me, and as I try to cover myself, Father Aaron pushes me closer to the door. His fingers go to my panties next, and he pulls them down my legs before I can grab them. “Stop! Please!”