the door shut. “He’s not innocent.”
“That doesn’t matter though, does it?”
“There has to be justice.”
“You should have thought about that before you took the law into your own hands,” I scoff and push against the door. “You are not a vigilante.” Once more, I push against the door, but my strength is no match for Noah’s, however. “Let me in the damn door.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to stick to the damn plan and you need to fall in line.”
----
20 MINUTES AGO
“That depends.” I bite my lip and flashback to yesterday morning when I had interrupted Noah’s sermon. “How are you with forgiveness?”
“For people like him?” Noah points to the back room. “It’s not one of my strong suits and don’t feed me any bullshit, because I know you better than that”
“This is about taking something terrible and finding the good—no matter how small it may be—in it.”
“Enlighten me.” He gestures with one hand. “What’s your brilliant plan?”
“Get him to confess. No cameras. Just you, him, and me. If, and only if, he’s truly sorry, we can close this chapter of our lives.”
“You want to let him go?” He stands up and crosses his arms. “That’s too easy.”
“What would Jesus do?”
“Don’t.” He shakes his head. “Don’t even go there.”
“I don’t care what you say, Noah. I know it’s in there somewhere, no matter how buried in pain and sorrow. Find your strength. Find your faith and forgive him.”
“How can you ask me to do that?”
“Because I’m terrified I’m going to lose you.”
----
PRESENT
Noah leans against the doorframe watching intently as I approach Ben, who sits against the wall cowering. “You’re free to go.”
He shifts in place, slowly raising his head to look at me. “What?”
“You’re free to go, but there’s an expiration date on that offer.”
He clings to the wall as he stands up, his hands shaking nervously. “Is this a trick?”
I throw my hands in the air. “No tricks. No jokes. Just absolution.”
“W—why are you letting me go?”
“The cycle has to end.”
He nods gently then hurries past me, sticking close to the walls as he approaches Noah.
I spin on my foot to face him one last time. A mental picture is taken and I’m forced to re-evaluate this plan. How can I let this man go, knowing what he’s taken from me. “I don’t forgive you, Ben.”
He passes Noah and exits the door before turning to me. “I’m sorry,” he says softly with an inherent tone of honesty.
“I believe you, but I’m also warning you.” I lock eyes with him to let him know that I’m not lying. “If you ever come near me or Noah again. If I so much as see you passing me on the street, I’ll kill you.”
“You won’t see me again.” He stares me down for a second more before fleeing the scene.
----
T here’s nothing left sacred . Everything in this world has become tainted. The oversized cross that watches over the church no exception. There’s a darkness circling us, and I’m out of faith that it will ever go away. I lean against Noah, my head resting on his shoulder.
“How do we come back from this?” he asks and plants a soft kiss against my head.
“I’m not sure we can,” I reply under my breath. “How are you feeling?”
“I don’t feel anything,” he says gravely. “Everything inside of me is empty.”
11
I ’d cry if I could.
I know Noah wanted to kill Ben and I can’t bring myself to blame him for that. But I wasn’t willing to risk Noah’s soul, so I had to come up with a plan—a plan with unforeseen consequences that are already emerging.
I’m hollow—unable to feel anything anymore, but maybe that feeling will go away after a good night’s sleep. Maybe it won’t. Maybe it’s become a part of me and I’ll be forced to live with it—just as so many other things in my past.
Noah’s been quiet since we left the church. The last thing that
“That doesn’t matter though, does it?”
“There has to be justice.”
“You should have thought about that before you took the law into your own hands,” I scoff and push against the door. “You are not a vigilante.” Once more, I push against the door, but my strength is no match for Noah’s, however. “Let me in the damn door.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to stick to the damn plan and you need to fall in line.”
----
20 MINUTES AGO
“That depends.” I bite my lip and flashback to yesterday morning when I had interrupted Noah’s sermon. “How are you with forgiveness?”
“For people like him?” Noah points to the back room. “It’s not one of my strong suits and don’t feed me any bullshit, because I know you better than that”
“This is about taking something terrible and finding the good—no matter how small it may be—in it.”
“Enlighten me.” He gestures with one hand. “What’s your brilliant plan?”
“Get him to confess. No cameras. Just you, him, and me. If, and only if, he’s truly sorry, we can close this chapter of our lives.”
“You want to let him go?” He stands up and crosses his arms. “That’s too easy.”
“What would Jesus do?”
“Don’t.” He shakes his head. “Don’t even go there.”
“I don’t care what you say, Noah. I know it’s in there somewhere, no matter how buried in pain and sorrow. Find your strength. Find your faith and forgive him.”
“How can you ask me to do that?”
“Because I’m terrified I’m going to lose you.”
----
PRESENT
Noah leans against the doorframe watching intently as I approach Ben, who sits against the wall cowering. “You’re free to go.”
He shifts in place, slowly raising his head to look at me. “What?”
“You’re free to go, but there’s an expiration date on that offer.”
He clings to the wall as he stands up, his hands shaking nervously. “Is this a trick?”
I throw my hands in the air. “No tricks. No jokes. Just absolution.”
“W—why are you letting me go?”
“The cycle has to end.”
He nods gently then hurries past me, sticking close to the walls as he approaches Noah.
I spin on my foot to face him one last time. A mental picture is taken and I’m forced to re-evaluate this plan. How can I let this man go, knowing what he’s taken from me. “I don’t forgive you, Ben.”
He passes Noah and exits the door before turning to me. “I’m sorry,” he says softly with an inherent tone of honesty.
“I believe you, but I’m also warning you.” I lock eyes with him to let him know that I’m not lying. “If you ever come near me or Noah again. If I so much as see you passing me on the street, I’ll kill you.”
“You won’t see me again.” He stares me down for a second more before fleeing the scene.
----
T here’s nothing left sacred . Everything in this world has become tainted. The oversized cross that watches over the church no exception. There’s a darkness circling us, and I’m out of faith that it will ever go away. I lean against Noah, my head resting on his shoulder.
“How do we come back from this?” he asks and plants a soft kiss against my head.
“I’m not sure we can,” I reply under my breath. “How are you feeling?”
“I don’t feel anything,” he says gravely. “Everything inside of me is empty.”
11
I ’d cry if I could.
I know Noah wanted to kill Ben and I can’t bring myself to blame him for that. But I wasn’t willing to risk Noah’s soul, so I had to come up with a plan—a plan with unforeseen consequences that are already emerging.
I’m hollow—unable to feel anything anymore, but maybe that feeling will go away after a good night’s sleep. Maybe it won’t. Maybe it’s become a part of me and I’ll be forced to live with it—just as so many other things in my past.
Noah’s been quiet since we left the church. The last thing that
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