Chapter 13 The Mask Slips
Innocent Joshua, the nerd.
He stood frozen at the corner, eyes wide with shock and something deeper — hurt.
His eyes darted between me and Eli, taking in my messy hair, my flushed face, Eli’s slightly untucked shirt, and the way we were standing far too close in the dark behind the old chapel. The silence stretched painfully long.
“Abby?” His voice cracked. “What are you two doing back here… alone… again?”
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My mind went completely blank.
The silence that followed was suffocating. My heart hammered so hard I was sure they could both hear it. Eli’s hand was still lightly resting on my lower back, hidden from Josh’s view, a silent claim that made my skin burn.
Eli didn’t pull away immediately. Instead, he turned toward Josh with a slow, easy smile — the same warm, trustworthy smile he gave the congregation every Sunday. The perfect pastor's son. But there was something darker underneath it tonight. Something that made my stomach twist.
“Josh,” Eli said calmly, his voice smooth and friendly. “Good to see you. We were just having a quick conversation about the Purity Ball program. Abby had some questions about the order of events. Nothing much.”
Josh’s eyes flicked to me, searching my face. He looked lost, like he wanted to believe Eli but couldn’t quite make the pieces fit.
“Abby?” he said again, softer this time, like he was begging me to tell him it wasn’t what it looked like.
I swallowed hard. My throat felt tight. Josh had been kind to me since we were little — always saving me seats, bringing me extra cookies during fellowship, telling anyone who would listen that he hoped we’d be paired together at the Purity Ball. Josh had been in love with me since kindergarten. Everyone knew it. And here I was, lying to his face while Eli’s cum was still inside me.
I forced a smile that felt like broken glass on my face. “Yeah,” I whispered, forcing the words out. “It’s true. We were just talking.”
“But… you were standing really close,” Josh said, his voice uncertain, finally turning to Eli. “And her dress… it looks a bit… wrinkled. And your shirt…”
Damn it!
Eli’s jaw tightened beside me. I felt the shift in his energy. He chuckled softly, the sound low and almost affectionate, like he was dealing with a confused child. He tilted his head, still smiling that gentle, disarming smile.
“Josh, my friend,” he said, stepping forward slightly, his tone warm but laced with something sharper. “You’ve always had a good heart. That’s why everyone likes you. But sometimes that good heart makes you see things that aren’t there. We’re all under a lot of pressure with the ball coming up. Abby’s nervous about being paired with the right person. I was just reassuring her as her spiritual leader. That’s all.”
Josh blinked, confusion deepening. “But… I thought I saw—”
“Saw what?” Eli interrupted gently, still smiling. “Two people talking privately? In a church? Where else would we talk about spiritual matters?” He placed a friendly hand on Josh’s shoulder. “You’ve had feelings for Abby for a long time. I understand. It must be hard seeing her talk to someone else. But don’t let jealousy cloud your judgment. We’re all brothers and sisters in Christ here.”
The words were kind. The smile was kind. But the way Eli delivered them felt like a knife wrapped in velvet. Josh’s face flushed red. He looked hurt, embarrassed, and suddenly unsure of what he had actually seen.
“I… I didn’t mean it like that,” Josh mumbled, looking at the ground. “I just… I care about Abby. A lot.”
“I know you do,” Eli said softly, squeezing Josh’s shoulder. “And that’s admirable. But Abby needs space to seek God’s will for her life. Don’t pressure her. Let the Lord guide her heart.”
Josh nodded slowly, looking defeated. “Yeah… you’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”
He gave me one last sad look, then turned and walked away, shoulders slumped.
The moment Josh disappeared around the corner, the warm smile on Eli’s face vanished. He turned to me, eyes dark and intense.
I stepped back, suddenly frightened.
“What was that?” I whispered. “You… you made him doubt himself. You smiled the whole time like it was nothing.”
Eli’s expression softened slightly as he reached for me. “I protected us, Abby. That’s all.”
“But the way you talked to him…” My voice shook. “It was like you were twisting his mind. I’ve never seen you like that.”
He pulled me into his arms, holding me tight. “The world isn’t as kind as Josh thinks it is. Sometimes you have to be firm to protect what matters.”
I wanted to argue, but his lips found mine again, and for a moment I let myself drown in him. His kiss was possessive this time, almost angry. I kissed him back just as desperately, torn between guilt over Josh and the overwhelming pull I felt toward Eli, until the sound of distant voices forced us apart.
“I should go,” I whispered, fixing my dress with trembling fingers. “This can’t happen again, Eli. It’s too dangerous. Josh almost caught us. Chloe and Leah are watching. My mom…”
Eli caught my wrist gently but firmly. “That’s not happening,” he said, voice low. “Tell me you don’t want this again. Look me in the eyes and say it like you mean it.”
I opened my mouth… but the words wouldn’t come. Tears burned down my cheeks instead.
“I… I can’t,” I admitted, voice breaking. “I should want to stop. But I don’t.”
Eli wiped my tears with his thumb, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Then don’t fight it. We’ll be careful.”
I nodded weakly and slipped away, heart heavy with guilt and longing.
I was almost back to the main building when Sister Miriam and Elder Ezekiel stepped out from a side path, blocking my way.
Sister Miriam’s eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. “Abigail Thompson,” she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “You look rather… disheveled for someone who was supposed to be helping with cleanup. Your hair is a mess. Your dress is wrinkled. And you smell… strange. Like sin.”
Elder Ezekiel’s sharp gaze bored into me. “Is there something you’d like to confess, child?”