Noah gulped and nodded. Father Garrett dismissed him after that. I started laughing after the door closed behind him.
“Wow, you’re sneaky, Father,” I grinned.
He smiled and shook his head.
“I’m serious, Zoe. I’ve dealt with his type before. I’m hesitant to accept his transfer after watching him hang all over you for the past three days.”
My brow furrowed at that point. Noah was annoying and clingy, but I didn’t think he was deviant. Father Garrett made him sound like a complete scoundrel.
“Father Garrett, would you… be this angry if it were Trinity dealing with Noah instead of me?”
“Of course. Why did you ask that?”
“No reason,” I shrugged and looked out the window.
I knew he was staring at me. It caused a blush to flare up in my cheeks.
“How’s your back?” he asked, interrupting the awkward silence.
“Um, sore, to be honest.”
I sat up and twisted a little. My skin was burning under my bra strap.
“Not surprising. It sounded painful from up here. I’m telling you, Zoe. Noah isn’t trustworthy. A normal person would not have done that in a college class.”
“I see your point,” I mumbled as I tugged at my bra.
It was hurting enough to make me want to remove it.
“Want some ice?”
“No, I’ll take it off in a minute. I can wear my jacket for the rest of the day to hide the evidence.”
“Oh… sure,” he nodded and looked at the floor with his brow furrowed.
I suddenly realized my comment was inappropriate in front of a male teacher, not to mention a priest.
“Yikes, sorry. I shouldn’t have told you that. I need to get to class,” I mumbled and stood to leave.
“Wait. I need a few more minutes of your time. I have a big confession to make.”
I stared at Father Garrett as he stepped closer to me. His big blue eyes looked stricken. He took a deep breath as he gently touched my arms. The action was simple and intimate, and it made my heart crash into my ribs.
“Zoe, I lied to you. Twice. I’m sorry,” he whispered as he searched my eyes.
My heart was running a marathon as I gazed back. His soft touch and proximity excited my body in ways I didn’t understand. I had longed for that kind of attention from him. There was nothing scandalous about it. It just felt extremely intimate. I loved it.
“About what?” I whispered.
My throat was so dry I barely got the words out.
“I lied when you asked me if I had a crush on you. Then I lied again when you asked me why I grade papers here instead of in my office. You’re not in my office on Wednesday mornings.”
My eyes widened as the weight of his words hit me right in the chest. Then I couldn’t formulate a response. I was too shocked to react. He frowned at my lack of reaction and stepped away from me. I almost swayed when I lost his touch. I sat down again just in case I did. Father Garrett turned his back to me and rubbed his face. He instantly regretted everything he said.
“Thank you,” I blurted. “Thank you for being honest with me. I needed to hear that,” I smiled.
He looked at me with uncertainty in his eyes.
“This doesn’t change our relationship. I just wanted to be open about it. We’re only friends. Understand?”
My brow furrowed at that point.
“Why? Father Garrett, you are so much more than a friend to me. I can’t even imagine…”
“Zoe, stop. I don’t want to hear it. I know you like me more than you should.”
He sighed as he paced away from me, and my heart broke a little. He wanted to be open, but he didn’t want to hear my side of the story. He was ashamed of his feelings for me. It was painfully obvious at that point.
“I knew it. You lied to me three times. You… you are ashamed of me,” I stammered.
My throat was suddenly tight as tears threatened to drip from my eyes. I wished he hadn’t confessed his admiration if his plans were to shun me anyway. Father Garrett stopped pacing and looked at me with anguished eyes again.
“Zoe, please don’t say that. I am not ashamed of you. You did nothing wrong. I’m ashamed of myself if anything.”
“Exactly. You’re ashamed of yourself for liking me. That’s even worse. I need to go. I’m late for class,” I grumbled.
“Zoe, wait. It’s not like that.”
“I don’t care. I’m sick of all the men in my life right now. Leave me alone!”
I grabbed my bag and rushed from the room as tears spilled from my eyes. Father Garrett ran to the door, but he didn’t pursue me down the hall. There were too many witnesses. I ducked into the restroom to collect my nerves and fix my makeup. The simple act of washing my face and applying fresh lipstick soothed the trembling in my limbs, but it didn’t heal the dull ache in my chest. I truly didn’t understand Father Garrett, and I was beginning to think he didn’t understand me. I leaned on the sink and took a deep breath. I needed to get to class and pretend everything was fine. That was my goal. Then, on Thursday, I could vent to my Women’s Group about how awful men are. They would be expecting a rant after what happened with Noah.
Chapter 7: Similar Hearts
Noah had a martyred look on his face when I passed him in the hall Thursday morning. I sighed and stepped over to him, giving him a chance to apologize. I was relieved that he did.
“Zoe, I am so sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m a complete idiot. I do dumb shit when I’m excited, and these past few days with you have been so much fun. Then I turn around and ruin it.”
“Thank you for apologizing, Noah. I’m willing to give you a second chance at friendship if you can act like a gentleman. Keep your hands to yourself and treat me like a friend, not a bro on your rowing team or a pretty girl to be worshiped. Treat me like a human and be courteous. It’s not hard.”
“Right. I can do that. Thank you. Shall we head to class?”
“Sure,” I nodded and led the way.
Father Garrett had put the fear of God into Noah. It made me wonder what he said to him in the hall yesterday. Noah was a different person. He treated me like a friend and kept an acceptable distance. He didn’t go out of his way to open doors or insist on carrying my books. It was a relief. He continued his good behavior Friday. I even accepted his request to have a study session with him in the courtyard after lunch. We sat on a bench under an ancient oak tree and reviewed our notes from Father Garrett’s class. The day was warm with a cool breeze from the west.
“Zoe, how long have you been friends with Father Garrett?” Noah asked out of the blue.
“All semester. He’s a great guy,” I smiled, even though my heart still hurt after my last conversation with the father.
“Oh, um… I see. I hate to be rude, but he seems… possessive of you.”
I looked at Noah with my brow furrowed.
“What on earth makes you say that?”
“Well, he was livid after I hurt you. I was afraid he would punch me. I’ve been in plenty of fights. I know jealous rage when I see it. That’s what it felt like. I was thinking about it last night, and it makes perfect sense. If someone besides me had hurt you like I did, I would have punched me. I’m glad Father Garrett had better sense than me, and I don’t blame him for liking you. You’re really easy to like, Zoe.”
“Thanks… I appreciate that.”