42. Celine
Celine
Esther and I stare at each other with wide eyes after what we just witnessed. I thought Joanna was furious that day she slapped me, but the look on her face as she stormed through the hall was nothing like the anger I saw that day.
From our spot by the chapel, we heard some yelling but couldn’t make out the words or the voice of the person causing the uproar.
But after seeing Joanna’s face, it was clear that it was her.
Bekah’s face was red, not from anger, but from crying. Her eyes were puffy as tears fell freely as she hurried by us to her own room. Neither of their expressions gave away what happened, and I hated that Alex had shooed us away from where we could have witnessed everything.
We stand outside the chapel, almost too afraid to say anything to each other, when Alex rounds the corner and heads to us.
“Father Keaton wants to see you,” he announces with fear in his eyes.
“He wasn’t arrested?” Esther asks.
Alex shakes his head, eyes remaining on mine. “No.”
“No? What do you mean, no?” I question in disbelief. “The evidence was all there!”
“But it wasn’t,” he informs us, and then his voice fills with worry. “He knows, Celine, and he wants to see you.”
“I was the one who called.” Esther steps forward to sacrifice herself. “I’ll go talk to him.”
“He doesn’t suspect you at all,” Alex tells her.
“But—” she begins to say.
“Esther, I know you said you’d take the fall, but I’m not letting you.” I turn to her and take her hand in mine. “I appreciate what you did, but you aren’t going to be the one getting in trouble for this. Go hide out in your room. I’ll find you after.”
With a tight squeeze to my hand, she nods and then leaves us.
“How mad is he?” I ask Alex.
“I’ve never seen him like this,” he warns.
“Wonderful.” I sigh and roll my shoulders.
I follow Alex down the hall, neither of us speaking because we are both too afraid.
I don’t know what I’m walking into, but I try to prepare myself the best I can.
When we reach Father Keaton’s door, he is in his chair, fingers steepled in front of his mouth.
His eyes lift to mine, and when they do, my heart sinks to my ass.
Father Keaton isn’t mad.
He is furious.
“Sit down,” he demands harshly from behind his fingers. When I don’t do as I’m told, because I’m frozen in my spot with how scary he looks, his hands unclasp, and he brings one down to hit the table with a loud bang. “Now!”
My body jolts, the sudden movement making me stumble to one of the chairs. I sit with my back straight, afraid to show any weakness. Alex moves to sit in the chair next to me.
“You don’t need to be here,” Father Keaton informs Alex.
“If Celine is here, then so am I,” he responds with a bite to his tone.
Father Keaton’s eyes hold on him for a moment before his eyes slide back to me. “Care to tell me why the police were here?”
With a shrug, I say, “I have no idea.”
A hollow laugh leaves him. “Really? It just happens to be a coincidence that they showed up here with a warrant to look through my things, when we just recently discussed this issue?
“Seems like a crazy coincidence,” I deadpan.
He hums. “And the fact that they happen to know two names of the women who were involved?”
“Maybe it was fate that brought them here.” The fear slowly leaves my body, and anger begins to take over at the fact that he is sitting across from me and not in a jail cell.
“Or it could have been the anonymous phone call they received from a woman in our convent.” Father Keaton’s eyes narrow at me.
I narrow mine back. “Maybe Joanna finally broke through the fog of lies you were feeding her and realized what a piece of shit you truly are.”
“Celine,” Alex warns softly from beside me.
“You should really listen to Father Alexander and shut your mouth,” Father Keaton warns tightly.
“Unlike your unconventional ways with women, Alex doesn’t control me.”
Father Keaton looks between the two of us before glancing down at his computer. “The thing is, Celine, I know you, Alexander, and Esther were in my office.”
My body goes tight at the mention of her name. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He pulls his laptop toward him, opening it and clicking a few things. When he turns it around to show us the screen, I feel my body lights up with nerves. There we are, Esther and I, staring down at his laptop, the videos and images I’ve tried to wipe from my mind playing on the small screen.
And then Alex walks in, but I don’t watch the rest because I know what happens.
Instead, I bring my eyes to Father Keaton. “You have a hidden camera in your office?”
“I have them all over the place. I put them wherever I need to.” His lips turn up into a wicked grin. “The halls, the chapel…” He pauses just enough for my mind to replay the video of Alex and me on the altar in the chapel. Here I thought he was filming on his phone. “The confessional booth.”
I can feel Alex tense beside me when he says, “That’s an invasion of privacy.”
Father Keaton shrugs like it’s not a big deal.
I look at him, dumbfounded. “You listen to the women’s confessions?”
“Only when I feel it’s worthy of listening to.”
“You are a sick fuck,” I spit.
“At least I’m smart.” He leans forward in his seat, shutting the laptop. “I got everything deeply hidden and secure before the police showed up. I will admit, though, I was a little sloppy leaving those folders on my desktop. I wanted quick access to them.”
My stomach twists as the acid inside begins traveling to my throat. “And the videos and photos of Alex and me? You wanted quick access to them for what? To get yourself off?”
“Blackmail, if I ever needed it,” Father Keaton states blandly. “It is a shame that you deleted that file, Celine.”
“I don’t think it’s a shame at all,” I counter.
Father Keaton sighs dramatically. “I guess it’s a good thing I made copies.”
“What?” Alex scowls.
“You never know if a computer will crash.” A sly smile forms on Father Keaton’s face, and when he glances at mine, he can tell what I’m thinking. “Don’t bother trying to find the thumb drives. They are hidden well, and if you step foot in my office again to snoop, I’ll know.”
I grind my teeth together in irritation because if we don’t get those files, then he wins.
“If you keep getting yourself into trouble, Celine, I’ll have to tell your parents you aren’t ready to leave,” Father Keaton throws the threat in my face. “They were planning on talking with me next week, right?”
The realization of how he knows this clicks immediately. There is a camera in the office used for visitations.
“You son of a bitch,” I curse, trying to mentally talk myself out of jumping across his desk to strangle him.
“And Alex, since you accused me of threatening you behind your back, I’ll do it to your face,” Father Keaton murmurs.
“If you go looking for those files and try to get the police back here, I’ll make sure it’s you who ends up behind bars before you get a chance to leave the convent and have your freedom. ”
“Go to hell,” Alex spews.
“If I do, I’m sure I’ll see you there.” Father Keaton winks with a vile grin and then claps his hands together once.
“Now that we have discussed everything and we are all in agreement, you two are free to leave my office. I have to get prepared for tomorrow’s event.
” His eyes flick to mine. “It’s going to be a great birthday present for you, Celine. One you’ll never forget.”