Sinned: A Priest Romance

by Daye, Veronica

  He didn’t say anything else the rest of the ride home. When we entered the house, we each went our own way to our bedrooms. As I sat on my bed, I faced the wall we shared and wondered what he was doing. Could I have been wrong about him?

  Finally able to speak, I dialed Issy’s number. After quickly bringing her up to date, she let out a long sigh.

  “See,” she said. “I told you he’s a nice guy. He didn’t have to show up there, and he knows Dex better than anyone. He warned you not to go.”

  “I don’t know. I just...it’s so hard for me to believe it. In this one week that he’s been here, he’s been nothing like I remember.”

  “He was different then, that’s all. We were all different then. You gotta let it go and see him for who he is now.”

  “It just doesn’t make sense, Issy. All of tonight makes no sense at all.”

  “Then maybe you should talk to him,” she said. “I mean, on my end it sounds like he’s been flirting with you.”

  “No way, he’s just teasing me because of how I reacted that night.”

  “You even said you thought he was acting jealous.”

  “Yes, but…I don’t know. There’s no way.”

  “And what about what Dex said to him?”

  “No. I don’t know. Maybe I’m making it all up. Maybe I’m just hoping this hot guy who seems so great likes me.”

  “I still think you should talk to him.”

  “Yeah, I need to at least thank him. I’ll talk to him in the morning. Maybe I won’t feel so confused then.”

  ***

  I woke up the next morning thinking about Jagger and everything that had happened. Issy was right, I needed to talk to him. I looked at the clock on my nightstand and saw it was only eight o’clock. It couldn’t hurt to send him a text.

  Sierra: You up? I want to talk.

  I waited about half an hour before I decided to get out of bed. Guess he’s still asleep. I took a shower and got dressed, but when I left my room, instead of heading downstairs, I went to Jagger’s door.

  With my ear to the door, I held my breath as I listened. I couldn’t hear anything. I checked my phone and still didn’t see a reply. He should be up by now. I knocked on his door and waited. After a minute, I tried the knob and found it unlocked.

  If he can go into my room while I’m asleep, I can go into his, I thought.

  The room looked empty, like it did before he arrived. I checked his bathroom and all of his things were gone.

  Where could he be? Did he leave? Why?

  I rushed down the stairs and found my mother seated at the kitchen table.

  “Morning, Mom. Have you seen Jagger?”

  “Don’t you remember? We told you at dinner the other night after we got home. Phil and Jagger left this morning for Oahu. We’re still scheduled to leave later today. I know I’ve been married before and we both have kids, but I wanted a couple of days apart from Phil before the big day.” Mom shrugged as she smiled. “Just call me old-fashioned.”

  With everything we needed to do once we got to Oahu, I knew I’d never get to see Jagger until after the ceremony. I had no choice but to wait to talk to him, if I was going to talk to him. I still didn’t know. The only thing I was sure of was that every time I thought about the past week, the more confused about Jagger I became.

  Was it possible to hate someone you found physically attractive? I was beginning to think hate was too negative a word for how I felt about him. If I was honest with myself, I had to realize I might actually like him.

  ~ Seven ~

  Jagger

  It had been two days since I last saw Sierra. I’d never admit it to anyone, but I was ashamed by how much I thought about her.

  Seeing Dex flirt with her was enough to send me over the edge. I had no choice but to follow them and make sure she was all right. I didn’t know what Dex would do or that he would take things that far. Had I known, I would have made sure she stayed home. But what I would never tell her was that it wasn’t Dex that made me follow her, it was my own jealousy.

  Getting on the plane early the next day was a relief. I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to resist her. She was so sweet that I couldn’t help but corrupt her by sending her the videos and photos. Now every time her cheeks turned the slightest shade of red, I knew what she was thinking about—me. And I loved it.

  On the plane, Dad had told me how he and Rachel would be heading to another island after the wedding. I hoped that with Sierra and I alone together in a romantic tropical resort that maybe she would begin to let her guard down. When we checked into the hotel, I suggested adjoining rooms for Sierra and me and got my wish.

  Now that it was the day of the wedding, I knew she would have no choice but to spend some time with me. I just needed to keep proving to her that I wasn’t that meathead kid from years ago.

  Dad and I were in a room at the resort reserved especially for the groom. A small table was set up with some snacks and beside it was a stocked bar. Dad paced the room and looked out the long windows at the small crowd gathering outside for the ceremony.

  “Everything okay? You look nervous,” I said.

  “Nothing’s wrong. I’ve just been thinking about how strange life works,” he said. “For the longest time, I never imagined this day would come with someone other than your mother.” He sat down and pulled a chair out next to him. “Sit, let’s talk.”

  As I sat down, Dad poured Scotch into two nearby glasses. He slid one over to me.

  “Sip it. This Scotch is older than the two of us combined. Drink it with respect,” he said with a smile before taking a sip. “It means a lot to me that you’re here. I didn’t think I’d ever find someone to marry me after your mother turned me down so many times.” He laughed and took a sip.

  “Is that why you two never got married?”

  “I shouldn’t be surprised she never told you.”

  “I never asked, but she never talked about it. I mean I guess part of me knew it was her, because she’s always talking about how it’s just me and her and we don’t need anyone and we don’t need anything from you.” Dad nodded as if he had heard that before.

  “Well, what she always told me was that I was settling for her. She also said I was only asking to marry her because of you.”

  “Was she right?” I asked.

  He picked up his glass and took another sip as he leaned back in the chair. Tilting his head to the side, he raised his shoulders in the slightest shrug and gave me a half smile I knew I used all the time.

  “Probably. Your mother is usually right and as far as you’re concerned, she’s always right. Remember that.” He grinned and took another sip before setting his glass back down on the table. “I did love her, but when I first asked her to marry me, it was because I thought it was the right thing to do because she was pregnant. We were in college at the time and had been dating for most of the year. I was in my senior year and she was a freshman. I didn’t realize I skipped an intro class that was required for graduation. Your mom was in the class and after winning her over, we started dating.”

  “Hmm, I never knew how you met.”

  “She’d probably rather forget meeting me,” he said with a laugh. “After she got pregnant, I wanted to support her and take care of her, but she refused. She had to do everything on her own and her own way, so she quit college and that’s when she went to beauty school. I guess it was for the best, at least for me, because I was able to go to graduate school and make a name for myself, but I never thought it was fair to her.”

  “I know you tried helping us out. And I know you didn’t want us to move away, but it probably was better for Mom that we did. Mom didn’t have to work as much in Tucson as she did out here.”

  He nodded sadly. “I wish I could have done more. For a long time I thought maybe we’d end up together, but maybe that’s the real reason your mom moved away. She was always very perceptive. Even though your mom ended our relationship when she got pregnant,
I didn’t even think of dating until she said the two of you were leaving. I think that’s when it really hit home that the three of us would never be a family in the traditional sense.”

  “I hated having to move,” I said. “California will always be my home, but I did make some really great friends in Tucson. I changed a lot.”

  Dad took a sip of his Scotch and smiled. “You did, Jag, and I’m really proud of the man you’ve become. I only wish you were closer so we could have spent more time together.”

  “It’s okay. You came to visit a lot. Even Mom said sometimes it was like we never moved. Plus I saw how happy you were with Rachel. I was glad you found someone. I wish Mom would too.”

  “When Rachel and I started dating, I finally understood what falling in love was really like. She means the world to me, and I hope that one day your mother finds that happiness, too. When it comes to love, it pays to be patient.”

  “How do you know when you’re in love?”

  Dad shook his head. “You just know.”

  Music seeped in from outside. Dad got up and looked at the small band that had set up next to the wedding canopy.

  “It’s almost time,” he said. “Can you do me a favor before we go out there?”

  “Sure, Dad, what is it?”

  “Can you check on Rachel for me? You know it’s bad luck to see the bride, and I just want to make sure she doesn’t need anything.”

  “No problem,” I said as I stood.

  Dad walked over to me, hugged me, and then patted my back. I left the room and went down the hall to the bride’s room. Anxious voices came through the door before I knocked.

  A woman with blonde hair and a flower in her hair opened the door a crack.

  “You alone?” she asked as her eyes darted back and forth.

  I nodded, and she opened the door for me to enter. Rachel was pacing in a pale pink gown as she wrung her hands together. When she saw me, she rushed over.

  “You have to find Sierra,” she said. “She was here and said she forgot something in the room, but she hasn’t come back yet. It’s been half an hour already and the ceremony is supposed to start soon.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be right back with her.”

  I left and walked into the main building and towards our rooms. I didn’t know what would take Sierra so long, but if she went to her room, that’s where I would start.

  I knocked on her door and waited as I tried listening in to hear if she was in there. There was no response, but I heard something from inside her room.

  “Sierra? Are you in there?”

  “Go away!” she yelled.

  “Are you okay? Let me in. Your mom sent me to look for you.”

  “Oh no oh no oh no! Go away, Jagger. You’re the last person I need here. Please just leave me alone.”

  Her voice cracked as she spoke and I knew something had gone wrong. If she wasn’t going to let me in, I was going to figure out another way into her room.

  I entered my room, which was connected to hers, and opened the door between our rooms, revealing the door on her side. Checking the knob, I found it locked.

  “Sierra,” I said quietly. “Please let me in. We can figure out whatever’s wrong. Right now your mom is really worried about you.”

  “Go away.”

  “I’m coming in.”

  The door was much lighter than the one facing the hall. I jiggled the knob and saw how the door wobbled in the frame. I pulled back and then pushed my weight into the door. The door rattled.

  “What are you doing?!” she shrieked.

  I backed up, lining myself up to the door. I knew I could get through with enough force.

  “I told you,” I said. “I’m coming in.”

  “Okay, okay, I give up.”

  She unlocked the door and opened it. For a moment, she was just standing in the doorway. Her hair was loose and wild around her. She had on a simple dark purple dress with thin straps that hugged her in all the right places. I was frozen for that moment, unable to do anything but look at her, until she moved out of the doorway.

  Sierra stood near the window, looking down at the wedding area, with her arms crossed over her chest like I had seen her do a million times before.

  “Your mother sent me to find you.”

  “I can’t go down there. She’ll be so disappointed.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t tell you, you’ll think it’s stupid.”

  “The wedding is supposed to start soon. There’s no time for this, Sierra.”

  As she turned to face me, I could see her eyes were a little red from crying. She walked past me and grabbed a flower from the table.

  “This is the problem,” she said, holding up the flower. “My mom wanted me to wear a dahlia in my hair. She had a stylist here earlier who did my hair up with it, but I’m such a klutz that when I ran back here, I knocked it loose and couldn’t get it back in place. I ended up making my hair even more of a mess.”

  “That’s it?”

  “See, I told you you’d think it was stupid. Mom loves this ridiculous flower and if I came back with my hair down like this and without it, I know she’ll be really upset. It’s a bride thing.”

  I took the flower from her and flipped it over to look at the clasp.

  “And you said your hair was up?”

  “Yes, there’s about a million bobby pins in the bathroom. I tried to fix it, but everything I did just made it worse. I didn’t realize how long I’ve been gone.” She entered the bathroom and shook her head in the mirror. “I need to just get back to my mom.”

  Sierra’s eyes watered as she took the flower from me. I couldn’t bear to see her so upset.

  “I can help you.”

  “What?”

  “I can fix your hair.”

  “You’re crazy.”

  “No, really, I can,” I said as I gathered the bobby pins from the bathroom counter. “My mom is a stylist. You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve helped her through the years.”

  Sierra eyed me suspiciously. I took the flower, the bobby pins, and a bottle of styling product she had and set them on the desk and pulled out the desk chair.

  “You still don’t trust me, do you?”

  “Why should I?”

  “Because I’m not that stupid kid you knew years ago. I’m the guy who saved you from Dex the other day.”

  “I didn’t need saving.”

  “No? So you always scream no and fight? I’ll have to remember that.”

  “How do I know that wasn’t a set up? Maybe you two planned it all so you could get some this weekend.”

  “If I wanted to get some this weekend, I wouldn’t need my buddy to force himself on you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You think I don’t know? You think I don’t see how you look at me? You saved those pictures I texted you, didn’t you?”

  She blushed and quickly looked away, folding her arms over her chest again.

  “I can’t believe you! When did you see my phone?”

  “I didn’t. But I think you’re looking at me the same way I’ve been looking at you.” I waited to see if she would say anything, but she didn’t. “If you sent me any picture of you, dressed or undressed, I would save it and look at it whenever you weren’t around. Especially if you were naked in it.”

  I gave her my half smile as our eyes met and she laughed.

  “Really?” she asked, moving closer.

  “Yeah. Not only that, but they’d be looking for me today and not you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I’d be having too much fun by myself with your picture.”

  She laughed again and slapped my arm.

  “Pervert,” she said.

  “Now let me fix your hair. I promise you’ll look mahvelous, dahling,” I said, faking a European accent.

  I pulled her hair back into a loose up-do so that some of her curls would frame her face the way I liked i
t. When I thought it looked good, I added the flower on the side of her hair, but towards the back where her hair was gathered. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.

  “What do you think?” I asked as she looked at herself in the mirror.

  “Thank you so much, Jag. It looks even better than before.”

  She hugged me, then grabbed her clutch and slipped her shoes back on. As we walked to the bride’s room, I slid my hand against her hand. I waited for her to pull away, but when she didn’t, I threaded my fingers between hers and moved closer to her so our shoulders were touching.

  “Remember the day I left? What I said to you?”

  Her body stiffened. She tried to pull her hand away, but I held it tighter.

  “I was an idiot,” I said. “I let Dex coming over ruin what I thought was my last chance to tell you I thought you were pretty.”

  “I hated you,” she said quietly. “All you ever did was make me miserable.”

  Still holding her hand, I stopped walking and forced her to stop with me. I turned to face her as she looked at the ground, but I couldn’t get her to look at me. Gently, I touched her chin and lifted her face up.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how bad I was until that day. I thought you knew I was joking around. You had no reason to think you were ugly, you were always one of the prettiest girls in school.” Her eyes widened, and I thought what a shame it was if no one had ever told her that before. “You’re beautiful, Sierra. I put the flower towards the back because people should see how gorgeous you are, not some dumb flower.”

  I cupped her face with my hand and bent down until my lips touched hers. Her lips trembled then melted against mine. I wanted to pull her closer and to deepen the kiss, but it wasn’t the right time. Not when our parents were going to get married in a few minutes.

  Pulling away, I softly stroked her cheek before we started walking again. Neither of us said a word. She smiled at me before entering the bride’s room and I continued down the hall to my dad.

  ~ Eight ~

  Sierra