Page 87 of Violent Little Thing
Barely.
“Tell me what you heard,” I ordered.
“Not really anything big,” he said. “Just last night, I went in to pick up pizza for the kid, and found him crying to the checker that some big hotshot team owner had stolen his girl and she’d left him without a word.”
Incredulous, I turned to Beau. “Have you heard that?”
“Not really.”
“Not really doesn’t mean no.”
“Some of the teachers were talking.” He shrugged. “Went to the Thanksgiving Feast last night, they were talking about some local gossip.”
“Meaning…”
“That you were dating some man after only getting out of a relationship with Chris.”
“Who said this?” I asked.
“Patty. We graduated with her. I told her to get better sources, that you were never with him. But she wouldn’t hear of it. Chris has apparently been running his mouth everywhere. Including church.”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s fucking stupid,” I muttered quietly.
“I don’t think you’re allowed to curse in church.”
“We’re not in church,” I pointed out.
“We’re literally in a church, Charleigh.” He chuckled low. “They have church here every Sunday.”
“It’s not Sunday.”
“Just because it’s not Sunday, doesn’t mean that it’s not a church.” Lysander put in his two cents.
“He’s right, dear.” Olive snickered.
My parents, who’d apparently also been listening on Lysander’s other side, agreed.
“Sorry, baby girl. But I’m pretty sure it’s considered blasphemous to curse in church,” Dad pointed out. “Not to mention, there are no set days. It’s a church all days. Not just Sundays.”
“Whatever,” I grumbled.
The preacher finished whatever it was that he was talking about and asked, “Would anyone like to say a few words?”
I expected absolutely no one to offer.
But when Chris stood up, I nearly groaned.
“Jesus Christ,” Beau muttered.
“So I’m not allowed to say fuck, but you’re allowed to say ‘Jesus Christ?’”
“What are the odds that whatever he says isn’t about Seraphina at all?” Lysander whispered under his breath.
I was thinking the same thing.
I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
