44. Celine
Celine
I’m afraid that if I get out of bed, I won’t be able to stand up, not after last night.
Alex kept true to his word and somehow had the energy to go all night. He also managed to use every inch of the room: my bed, the dresser, the floor, the walls, the window. Every single space was used more than once.
By the end of it, we sprawled out on my tiny bed, out of breath, dripping sweat, and exhausted. As much as I would have liked him to stay the night, we decided that it was probably not a good idea. After an hour of lying there intertwined with each other, he got up and went back to his room.
And even though I was spent, I forced myself out of bed to take a shower. I guess I was still on an adrenaline rush, since I managed to get through my entire shower routine. But when I got back into bed, I passed out immediately.
Now, I lie awake, staring at the way the curtain surrounding my bed ripples in the wind. While most people wouldn’t dare have their windows open when the air was this cool in the mornings, I needed the fresh air, and since Alex was able to get it fixed, I’m taking advantage of it.
The wind is minimal, blowing quietly into the room and making the curtain appear as if a ghost were the one moving it. As I continue to observe the cream fabric, my mind wanders to what day it is.
My birthday.
Growing up, I thought it was so cool that I was born on Halloween at home. Although we didn’t celebrate the scary holiday, as my parents called it, I learned a lot from the other kids at school.
They would tell me what they were going to dress up as, and then after trick-or-treating, they would talk with so much joy about all the candy they got.
There were a few kids in my class who would even go out of their way to bring me candy so I wouldn’t feel left out, especially since it was my birthday.
Never once did we celebrate Halloween. However, I guess I should be grateful that we celebrated my birthday. Even if it was at some fancy dinner my parents planned. I was just happy that they remembered it.
Now, I’m stuck celebrating my birthday in the convent.
I close my eyes and imagine myself getting ready for dinner and drinks with Amelia and Vince.
We’d probably be getting ready at my house, and Vince would have been the one to plan where we were going to get dinner.
Somehow, he always knew of the best spots.
I’m so deep in my daydream that when I finally do open my eyes, my lip curls in disgust that I’m still in this damn convent. The threats that Father Keaton made to both Alex and me run rapidly in my mind, and the fear that I might not be getting out of here settles deep in my body.
Even if Alex manages to get out of this place on his own, he might not be able to take me with him.
Not with how far gone Father Keaton is. Speaking of, anxiety stirs in my stomach at the thought of what he has planned for today; still uncertain of what he meant when he said it is going to be a birthday I’ll never forget.
Maybe if I hide out in my room, I can skip whatever it is.
Who am I kidding? Father Keaton would most likely drag me out of my room by my hair and bring me down to this event himself.
I don’t want to get out of bed, but I know I have to. It is just a matter of peeling myself from the uncomfortable mattress. A second later, someone’s knuckles hit the wooden door, and I take that as motivation to get out of bed finally.
Slowly, I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and stand on wobbly legs, stretching the muscles in my body with a groan. When I wrap my hand around the knob and open the door, I find Esther standing there with a muffin.
“Happy birthday!” she beams, her smile going from ear to ear.
At the same time, one hand holds the muffin, the other one dips into her dress, where she pulls out a lighter. Her thumb settles on the spark wheel, pressing it down and igniting the flame.
Her eyes meet mine, and she shrugs. “They didn’t have a birthday candle. Would you like me to sing to you?”
“No, that’s okay.” A giggle leaves me as I take a step forward to blow out the dancing flame. “Thank you for this.”
“I knew you were feeling a bit down about your birthday.” She extends her hand out, the muffin now in front of me. “And I won’t take offense if you don’t eat it. Sometimes they are so dry.”
“It’s the thought that counts.” Plucking the muffin from her hand, I spin on my heel to set it on the dresser. “Seriously, thank you.”
Esther’s hand waves through the air to dismiss my words. “Don’t get all sentimental on me.”
“I’m not,” I say as tears slowly form in my eyes over the fact that something as simple as a muffin and a lighter felt so special. “I usually do something every year for my birthday with Amelia and Vince, so I appreciate you making it special.”
Esther smiles and then points to the dresser. “Get dressed before you make me cry.”
“Think we can skip it?” I ask, opening the drawer that holds the cotton dresses.
“Probably not,” she says. “Oh, we have to wear the silk dresses. I guess because it’s a special event.”
With a grunt, I slam the drawer shut and open the other one to grab a silk dress. “You coming in while I dress, or are you staying out in the hall?”
“I’m coming in because I want to hear what happened with Father Keaton.” Esther steps into the room, shutting the door behind her.
She sits on my bed as I begin to tell her everything that happened while I get dressed.
I tell her about how he deleted everything, how he has backup copies, and how there are hidden cameras everywhere, which is how he discovered that Esther helped me.
I explain how he threatened Alex and me again.
The whole time I’m explaining all of this to Esther, her face flushes with anger.
“The cops didn’t do their job right,” she states. “They should have confiscated his computer. Had one of their tech guys look into it.”
“I agree.” I brush through my hair. “I have to be good and not snoop anymore or get on Father Keaton’s bad side if I want to get out of here.”
“Do you think even if you do those things, he will let you out?”
“I don’t know,” I say, sitting on the bed with her.
We are quiet for a moment before she asks, “Do you think he is going to question me?”
I let out a long sigh. “There is a good chance.”
“Fuck,” she mutters.
“I’ll go with you.” I grab her hand, squeezing it with reassurance.
“Thanks.” She squeezes back. “Too bad you can’t snoop anymore. Getting that footage of you and Alex would be great.” Her shoulder nudges mine. “Especially because of how sexy it was.”
“Oh my god, stop!” I nudge her back.
“What? It was like watching really hot porn!”
“You’re terrible.” A laugh escapes me.
A knock at the door catches our attention. Esther stands and answers the door to a confused Alex. I’m sure he wasn’t expecting to see her when the door opened.
His eyes find mine again, and they soften. “Happy Birthday, Celine.”
“Thank you,” I feel my cheeks blush.
“Are you guys ready?” he asks.
I stand from the bed, Alex taking in my dress, and a sly smirk tugs at his lips because of how my body still slightly trembles from last night.
“You’re escorting us?” I question.
“Sister Alice was rounding up the other girls, so I told her I’d get the two of you,” Alex says, stepping back to let us come out into the hall.
“Lucky us,” I grin.
We walk through the hall and down the stairs, heading towards the chapel, when Alex clears his throat. “We aren’t going to the chapel.”
I give Esther a confused look before glancing at Alex. “Then where are we going?”
“Another part of the convent,” he tells us, and leads the way.
Alex takes us through a set of doors neither of us has ever seen and to a hallway about half the length of the ones we use daily. At the end, there are double doors to the right that are open, and when we step into the doorway, my brows furrow as I take in the room filled with people.
“What is this place?”
“It’s where baptisms are performed,” Alex informs us, and only then do my eyes find the stage where there is a pool of water with a glass window in front of it so you can see everything. “They haven’t used it since I’ve been here.”
“So this was his big secret? Baptizing us?” I ask.
“I guess so,” Alex responds equally as confused.
“Who are all these men?” Esther asks from beside me.
My eyes roam the room, taking in the other priests standing along the walls, conversing with one another, as the women sit in the pews. But I notice that this isn’t all of the women in the convent—only ten women. Why such a small crowd?
“I have no idea,” Alex answers Esther. “I’ve never seen them before.”
Well, that doesn’t make me feel any better.
A motion catches my attention at the stage, and when I see Father Keaton step up to the podium, my stomach twists.
He isn’t wearing his usual attire; today, he has opted for a sleek, black robe.
It is long, with black buttons along its front.
I guess he decided to dress up for the occasion, too.
He places a bible on the top of the podium, and then leans down to set something else on the shelf of the wooden stand. He straightens, eyes finding mine, and his smile is dripping with malice.
“If everyone can find a seat, we will begin.”