bit the inside of her cheek to try to think about anything else.
Nico clearing his throat brought her crashing back to reality. His brow was arched as he held out a small glass of blood. "What were you just thinking about?"
"Nothing." She practically shouted at him.
"Alright." He laughed as she took the glass from his hand and started to sip. "Don't tell me, but it must have been nice.” When she cocked her head and peered at him over the rim of her glass he nervously averted his eyes. “Your eyes are glazed over like you’ve just had a really good thought or a really bad one.”
While she nursed the small amount of nourishment, he slid back down on the couch. Abby had to change the subject fast. The night was about to take a terrible turn if he figured out she’d been imagining them having knockdown drag-out sex on the living room floor. "Tell me about Meri and you. Did you two actually date? Like you were a couple?"
"If by a couple you mean a one-night roll in the hay, then yeah. A long time ago. But we never dated. Not really."
"Why didn't it work out?"
He laughed and raised an eyebrow. She couldn't figure out why. Was it such an odd question to ask? "We were just wrong together. We were meant to be friends, nothing more."
Friends. There was that word again. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of Nico and Meri being friends if it meant sleeping together. On the other hand, she almost hoped he might extend her the same benefit if the two of them ever truly called each other friends.
She must have had the far-off gaze in her eyes again because Nico nudged her foot. "What else do you want to know?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Anything you want to ask me?"
"Well, there are a dozen things I'd like to ask, but we both know you don't have any answers so it wouldn't do any good."
"Right." She sighed. She'd almost gone half an hour without thinking about what a freak she was. There had to be something else to talk about, something to keep her from thinking about him in all the wrong ways. "Well, then why did you become a priest?"
"I made a deal with God," He added, "It didn't really pan out for me."
Abby finished her meal and placed the glass on the table. "You can't just leave it at that. What deal did you make?"
"Alright, settle down." He stood up. "I need another beer for this shit." As he made his way to the kitchen, he started talking. "I was twelve when I made the decision to join the priesthood. My mother died, she was my world, and I thought if I joined the church God might hear my prayers and bring her back to me."
"You had to know he couldn't do that, though, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I knew it. Doesn't change the fact I wanted him to." Nico came back to the couch and sat down on his side. This time he no longer sat tucked into the corner like before. "I was a kid, I was hurt, and honestly I felt he owed it to me."
"So you joined the church when you were a child? Is that even possible?"
"No, in normal circumstances it takes eight years after high school, sometimes longer to complete the studies and requirements the church demands in order to become a priest, but my circumstances were different, I had a little inside help. I had to wait until I was eighteen before I could start my training, which was overseen by a man known as one of the Hands of God. If not for him, I would’ve had to wait, but he’d heard my prayers when I made my deal with God. I kinda got fast-tracked through seminary school and everything else. I was determined to make it work out and fulfill my vow to God."
Abby scooted a little closer to him on the couch. "Can I ask what happened to her?"
"My mom? She was murdered."
She hesitated, stunned by his matter-of-fact answer. "I’m sorry, Nico. Did they ever catch the person?"
He looked over at her and suddenly she didn't want to be on the couch anymore, or even in the same town as him. His expression sent a chill down her spine. She knew before he even spoke who or more
Nico clearing his throat brought her crashing back to reality. His brow was arched as he held out a small glass of blood. "What were you just thinking about?"
"Nothing." She practically shouted at him.
"Alright." He laughed as she took the glass from his hand and started to sip. "Don't tell me, but it must have been nice.” When she cocked her head and peered at him over the rim of her glass he nervously averted his eyes. “Your eyes are glazed over like you’ve just had a really good thought or a really bad one.”
While she nursed the small amount of nourishment, he slid back down on the couch. Abby had to change the subject fast. The night was about to take a terrible turn if he figured out she’d been imagining them having knockdown drag-out sex on the living room floor. "Tell me about Meri and you. Did you two actually date? Like you were a couple?"
"If by a couple you mean a one-night roll in the hay, then yeah. A long time ago. But we never dated. Not really."
"Why didn't it work out?"
He laughed and raised an eyebrow. She couldn't figure out why. Was it such an odd question to ask? "We were just wrong together. We were meant to be friends, nothing more."
Friends. There was that word again. For some reason, she didn't like the idea of Nico and Meri being friends if it meant sleeping together. On the other hand, she almost hoped he might extend her the same benefit if the two of them ever truly called each other friends.
She must have had the far-off gaze in her eyes again because Nico nudged her foot. "What else do you want to know?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Anything you want to ask me?"
"Well, there are a dozen things I'd like to ask, but we both know you don't have any answers so it wouldn't do any good."
"Right." She sighed. She'd almost gone half an hour without thinking about what a freak she was. There had to be something else to talk about, something to keep her from thinking about him in all the wrong ways. "Well, then why did you become a priest?"
"I made a deal with God," He added, "It didn't really pan out for me."
Abby finished her meal and placed the glass on the table. "You can't just leave it at that. What deal did you make?"
"Alright, settle down." He stood up. "I need another beer for this shit." As he made his way to the kitchen, he started talking. "I was twelve when I made the decision to join the priesthood. My mother died, she was my world, and I thought if I joined the church God might hear my prayers and bring her back to me."
"You had to know he couldn't do that, though, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I knew it. Doesn't change the fact I wanted him to." Nico came back to the couch and sat down on his side. This time he no longer sat tucked into the corner like before. "I was a kid, I was hurt, and honestly I felt he owed it to me."
"So you joined the church when you were a child? Is that even possible?"
"No, in normal circumstances it takes eight years after high school, sometimes longer to complete the studies and requirements the church demands in order to become a priest, but my circumstances were different, I had a little inside help. I had to wait until I was eighteen before I could start my training, which was overseen by a man known as one of the Hands of God. If not for him, I would’ve had to wait, but he’d heard my prayers when I made my deal with God. I kinda got fast-tracked through seminary school and everything else. I was determined to make it work out and fulfill my vow to God."
Abby scooted a little closer to him on the couch. "Can I ask what happened to her?"
"My mom? She was murdered."
She hesitated, stunned by his matter-of-fact answer. "I’m sorry, Nico. Did they ever catch the person?"
He looked over at her and suddenly she didn't want to be on the couch anymore, or even in the same town as him. His expression sent a chill down her spine. She knew before he even spoke who or more
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