72. Theo Fairview
Alexa Play: Do Your Worst by Harves
Iknew I was playing with fire by offering to wear Cassandra’s heels so she could go to the bathroom, but, surprisingly, I seemed to be doing okay.
Her shoes were uncomfortable as fuck, and I still didn’t understand why feminine people liked to squeeze their feet into these modern-day torture devices, but that’s all it was. Physical discomfort.
Pain I could handle.
As long as Samwell’s phantom didn’t pop up and try to drag me back into that horrible office, I would be fine.
And so far, he seemed to be leaving me alone.
There was no trace of him, and I felt safe standing in the brightly lit, busy lobby of The Antoinette.
Maybe it was the consent of it all.
I’d offered to wear the shoes. It had been my decision to put them on, and the look of relief on Cassandra’s face when she’d slipped into my loafers had made the risk of provoking a flashback so worth it.
I smiled to myself as I flipped open the Uber app to call us a car.
Five minutes away.
Nice.
It would be here just in time for when Cass got back from the–
“Theodora.”
I froze.
Ice filled my veins, and my mind short-circuited as the deep, familiar voice rolled over me, triggering every instinct I had that told me to run.
Oh fuck.
Oh fuck… No. No, no, no…
Slowly, I turned toward the offending voice to find the phantom from my nightmares standing before me in full fucking technicolor.
It was him.
Holy fucking shit, this was real. This wasn’t a flashback. He was literally standing there… staring at me!
And it was true.
This wasn’t the Father Samwell from my memories.
This man was older and dressed in a much more expensive suit than the one he’d worn to school.
He had a young woman on his arm, and she was staring at the ground with a dead look in her eyes that felt all too familiar.
Fear and anger warred in my chest as his steely grey eyes slid down my body before resting on my feet.
I watched in slow motion as the corners of his eyes crinkled.
A dangerous, sickening smile spread across his thin lips as he stared at the shoes I’d voluntarily slipped into just moments before.
Then, those horrible eyes that had haunted my nightmares for the last twenty years of my life flicked up to meet mine, and my mind went blank with terror.
“It’s good to see I made an impact. Though you would look prettier in a skirt,” he drawled.
I couldn’t speak. My pupils felt like they were vibrating, and I couldn’t tell if I was actually breathing or not.
His amused expression vanished, and suddenly, his gaze hardened.
I flinched away from his rage as he took a measured step toward me, leaving the girl on his arm to sway like a hollowed-out wraith behind him.
“I was hoping I would find you here. Naughty, naughty girl.”
A strange sound escaped my throat as he came closer, but I couldn’t move.
My body was betraying me, and all I could do was stand there, teetering in Cassandra’s heels as my rapist reached out with steady fingers to pinch my chin.
“I knew the woman my attorney married looked familiar. My, my, how you’ve grown. It seems our lessons weren’t enough to help you find your way back to God’s grace.”
Shame and hatred ripped through me at my inability to pull away from this evil man. Tiny pinpricks of pain exploded over my skin as all the hairs on my arms and neck stood on end.
Samwell smiled.
“Did you tell her, Theodora? Did you tell her about our lessons? Is that why I was arrested on my way to my evening mass last week? Are you the new evidence that has come to light?”
“I–I–n-no…” I stammered, both hating myself for being so pathetic and feeling proud that I’d been able to form any words at all.
“Mmmm. I don’t believe you… Do you remember what I said I would do to your father if you betrayed me, Theodora?” he hummed, leaning in close enough that I was suddenly drowning in his sickening cologne.
The heady scent of cloves slammed into me, and suddenly, I could feel him again.
Those phantom touches seeped through my clothing, and my vision faded in and out as I was hit with a full-blown tactile hallucination.
“Well, if you thought I was going to destroy your father, you have no idea what I’m going to do to your brother now that you’ve provoked me… Not to mention that pretty, pretty wife of yours.”
Fear like I’d never known before exploded through me, and I shook my head helplessly as hot tears spilled down my cheeks.
I didn’t even know when I’d started crying, but I was, and I was too wrecked to try to stop.
“No…” I rasped, shaking with panic and desperation. “No, please. Don’t hurt them. Leave them alone. I didn’t tell anyone, I swear!”
Samwell just chuckled softly, finally releasing my chin and taking a step back.
He looked pleased, and the smug expression on his face was so horrifyingly familiar that I nearly gagged.
He was pleased he’d managed to scare me.
Like some sort of emotional vampire that fed off fear, he was gorging himself on my terror, and there was nothing I could do to stop him.
“I have very powerful friends now, Theodora, and you’ve made me very angry. Do you think that was smart? Hmm?”
“Please, Father, they’re innocent. They–”
“What’s going on here?”
I jumped as a new voice interrupted us, and both Samwell and I turned to find Nolan approaching.
He glanced at me, then at Father Samwell, and it took me a moment to process that he looked just as pissed as Samwell did.
“Theo? You alright? Where’s Cass?” he asked, frowning as he searched my face. Abruptly, I realized my cheeks were still wet with tears, and I hastily wiped them away with the sleeve of my suit jacket.
“Uh, yeah. Yeah. I’m all good. Cass is in the bathroom. Uber’s here. I’ve gotta go let them know she’s gonna be out shortly.”
Nolan’s frown deepened, and he turned to Samwell.
“Reverend Sterling. Can I ask what you’re doing here? This event is invite-only, and if the letter of dismissal preceding your arrest didn’t make it clear, you are not a welcome guest.”
I didn’t stick around to hear Samwell’s answer.
The second his attention was off of me, I made my escape.
To my relief, the Uber was arriving just as I slipped through the glass revolving doors of the hotel.
Cassandra’s heels clicked violently on the sidewalk as I rushed to the car. Slipping into the back seat, I slammed the door shut behind me with trembling hands.
The second I was in the dark, quiet car, my body began to shake, and I curled my fingers into my hair in an attempt to keep my shit together long enough to get somewhere safe so I could fall apart.
“Theodora Fairview?” the driver asked, confirming I was the right passenger.
I nodded, swallowing thickly.
“Yeah. Listen, there’s been a change of plans. I need to update the drop-off location.”