Escape from Eden by Elisa Nader

except for a phone with a lot of buttons and a manila envelope. Behind the desk, shelves lined the wall. On each shelf were skeletons. Animal skeletons. Cats, birds, what looked like a small monkey. Some I couldn’t identify at all.
    A door opened in the back of the cottage and Thaddeus walked in. He was tall and imposing in his monk-like intensity. His eyes never left Gabriel’s as he sat down behind the desk. He said nothing as he picked up the envelope and slipped on a pair of dark-framed glasses. On the front I could see my name typed on a label. What was it? My health records? Information about me? A list of everything I’d ever done wrong since I arrived in Edenton? I couldn’t see through the packet of papers he removed. Intentionally or not, he flipped through the papers without bending the sheets far enough for me to see what was written on them.
    “Grizz, you may leave,” Thaddeus said in his chestnut voice.
    “He says all they did was kiss.” Grizz gave Gabriel a hard look. “Let’s hope that’s all he did to her.”
    “Yes,” Thaddeus said. “Thank you. You may go.”
    Grizz seemed put off by Thaddeus’s dismissal, but tromped to the door mumbling under his breath. It shut behind him with a bang. That noise rang in my ears until the hum of the air conditioner took over.
    Thaddeus slid the papers back in the envelope and folded his hands neatly on the desk.
    Yesterday, before I’d attacked Bridgette, I’d wanted to face Thaddeus, ask him why Agatha chose me to bake those damn cookies, ask about Prayer Circle, and so much more. But the way his placid face betrayed none of his emotion, the solemn line of his mouth, set my nerves on edge. I could never confront Thaddeus, and was foolish to think so.
    “Gabriel,” he said quietly. “I cannot say I’m surprised to see you back here again.”
    “You’re a sparkling conversationalist,” Gabriel said, folding his arms over his chest. “I missed our discourse.”
    A muscle in Thaddeus’s jaw jumped. “Gabriel, you’ll see soon enough that God has given me the gift of endless patience.” He turned to me. “Mia, did this boy take advantage of you?”
    “Advantage?” I was sure my face lit bright red. “Um, no. No he didn’t.”
    “So you went with him willingly?”
    I glanced at Gabriel. He stared straight ahead with the side of his mouth kicked up in a smirk.
    “Yes. I went willingly,” I said.
    “Mia,” said Thaddeus slowly. “You know you are not supposed to …” he cleared his throat “… be with a boy until after you’ve attended your first Prayer Circle.”
    “Be with a boy?” Oh, God. He thought I had sex with Gabriel! “Oh, no. We didn’t …” I couldn’t bring myself to say it, especially after seeing Mama.
    Gabriel spoke up. “We only kissed. And it’s my fault. I asked her to come with me and I got a little carried away.”
    “A little carried away?” There was a hint of outrage in Thaddeus’s voice. “Are you saying if Grizz hadn’t found you—”
    “Hell, no!” Gabriel looked genuinely offended. “I don’t make a habit of taking advantage of young girls.”
    “Young?” I said. “I’m barely a year younger than you!”
    “Mia.”
    Thaddeus dropped my name like an anvil. I felt the force of it in the pit of my stomach. He picked up the phone and pressed a button. I heard a voice answer on the other end.
    “Gladstone,” Thaddeus said. “I need you to perform an examination immediately.” I heard mumbling. “It’s not an emergency.” He paused. “Yes, I realize it’s one in the morning, but this is important.” More mumbling on the other end, and by the pitch of Doc Gladstone’s voice, it sounded like a question. Thaddeus’s eyes locked on mine. “Pelvic.”
    At the edge of my sight, I saw Gabriel sink in his chair. I kept my gaze on Thaddeus, confused. Pelvic? Why would … ? A cold wave of disgust slithered down my spine. He wanted to know if I was still a virgin. I should have been