ready to come home and go back to work," he coaxed.
Naomi stood and looked out the window. She could see that Eric had given up. He was walking back towards the church, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Maybe," she said. "As long as you agree to my conditions, Jasper. It's just temporary."
"Oh, of course," he said, and the amusement in his voice made her want to reach through the phone and slap the smugness off his face.
"Don't act like you're humoring me or I won't do it," she said. "I'm serious."
"OK, angel." He sounded more serious. Or at least was pretending to.
"I'll, um....I'll need fare back."
"No problem. Just give me the number of the nearest Western Union and I'll wire you some spending money and buy you a bus ticket online."
She hesitated, closing her eyes against the tears threatening to fall anew. Her heart thudded in her chest.
"Alright," she said.
"I'll text you with the bus information."
"Thanks."
"No," he said. "Thank you. Do you have any idea how many men ask about you at the club? At least a dozen every day. They haven't forgotten their angel. They can't wait to welcome you back."
She laughed at the irony. A genuine welcome. Fancy that.
"I'll look for the text," she said.
"You do that." He clicked off and she sat there in silence. Naomi put the phone down on the table. When she did her hand came in contact with the Bible her mother had placed on the bedside table. Picking it up she flung it across the room and then lay on the bed to allow herself one good, last cry before leaving home for good.
Chapter Eight
Naomi didn't let on that she was leaving. She knew if she did Eric would try to stop her. Her parents she wasn't so sure about. There was a luncheon after the church service, but neither her mother nor father came to the house to check on her or ask her to attend. Eric did, letting himself in the through the kitchen and then coming down the hall to knock on her bedroom door.
"Naomi, please."
She'd heard him through the Walkman blasting strains of Slayer through the earphones. Pulling them off she considered opening the door, inviting Eric in, hearing him out. But she didn't. She'd been ridiculous all along to think they could work. This was the best for everyone.
"I..I need time to think, OK?" she said. "Could you just give me that?"
"Naomi, I love you."
She closed her eyes, feeling her heart twist. The pain was palpable. She felt a lump form in her throat and swallowed it. He didn't. He didn't love her. If he loved her he would haven't been so afraid to show it.
But she wasn't going to argue that point anymore. And she wasn't going to let on that she was planning to leave.
"If you love me you'll give me my space," she said. "I need time, Eric. We'll talk tomorrow, OK?"
"Promise?"
She closed her eyes. By tomorrow she'd be gone, but what was one more lie from someone as sinful as she.
"Promise."
"I'll hold you to it, Naomi."
"Yeah, you do that."
She waited. She could sense him still standing outside her room. Finally she saw the shadow outside her door move away. A moment door the kitchen door shut. She turned her headphones back on.
The ghosts of sin
Torment the priests
Their altar will soon be destroyed
Heave's palace
Turning black
The church now belongs to the dead
Blackened magic
Lucifer rules supreme
The crystal ball shows unknown fate
The last thing that's heard is screams
Naomi had started listening to Slayer when she'd first left home. The lyrics were too angry. But she listened because she saw it as another expression of her rebellion against the church and family she felt was trying to stifle her. It had motivated her, reminded her that she wasn't the only one who felt betrayed by religion. Mood music.
The cell phone sitting on her stomach vibrated. She picked it up and looked at it. The text message from Jasper had arrived. Her bus left at 11 p.m. from the Greyhound station. He'd prepaid her ticket. One way to
Naomi stood and looked out the window. She could see that Eric had given up. He was walking back towards the church, his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
"Maybe," she said. "As long as you agree to my conditions, Jasper. It's just temporary."
"Oh, of course," he said, and the amusement in his voice made her want to reach through the phone and slap the smugness off his face.
"Don't act like you're humoring me or I won't do it," she said. "I'm serious."
"OK, angel." He sounded more serious. Or at least was pretending to.
"I'll, um....I'll need fare back."
"No problem. Just give me the number of the nearest Western Union and I'll wire you some spending money and buy you a bus ticket online."
She hesitated, closing her eyes against the tears threatening to fall anew. Her heart thudded in her chest.
"Alright," she said.
"I'll text you with the bus information."
"Thanks."
"No," he said. "Thank you. Do you have any idea how many men ask about you at the club? At least a dozen every day. They haven't forgotten their angel. They can't wait to welcome you back."
She laughed at the irony. A genuine welcome. Fancy that.
"I'll look for the text," she said.
"You do that." He clicked off and she sat there in silence. Naomi put the phone down on the table. When she did her hand came in contact with the Bible her mother had placed on the bedside table. Picking it up she flung it across the room and then lay on the bed to allow herself one good, last cry before leaving home for good.
Chapter Eight
Naomi didn't let on that she was leaving. She knew if she did Eric would try to stop her. Her parents she wasn't so sure about. There was a luncheon after the church service, but neither her mother nor father came to the house to check on her or ask her to attend. Eric did, letting himself in the through the kitchen and then coming down the hall to knock on her bedroom door.
"Naomi, please."
She'd heard him through the Walkman blasting strains of Slayer through the earphones. Pulling them off she considered opening the door, inviting Eric in, hearing him out. But she didn't. She'd been ridiculous all along to think they could work. This was the best for everyone.
"I..I need time to think, OK?" she said. "Could you just give me that?"
"Naomi, I love you."
She closed her eyes, feeling her heart twist. The pain was palpable. She felt a lump form in her throat and swallowed it. He didn't. He didn't love her. If he loved her he would haven't been so afraid to show it.
But she wasn't going to argue that point anymore. And she wasn't going to let on that she was planning to leave.
"If you love me you'll give me my space," she said. "I need time, Eric. We'll talk tomorrow, OK?"
"Promise?"
She closed her eyes. By tomorrow she'd be gone, but what was one more lie from someone as sinful as she.
"Promise."
"I'll hold you to it, Naomi."
"Yeah, you do that."
She waited. She could sense him still standing outside her room. Finally she saw the shadow outside her door move away. A moment door the kitchen door shut. She turned her headphones back on.
The ghosts of sin
Torment the priests
Their altar will soon be destroyed
Heave's palace
Turning black
The church now belongs to the dead
Blackened magic
Lucifer rules supreme
The crystal ball shows unknown fate
The last thing that's heard is screams
Naomi had started listening to Slayer when she'd first left home. The lyrics were too angry. But she listened because she saw it as another expression of her rebellion against the church and family she felt was trying to stifle her. It had motivated her, reminded her that she wasn't the only one who felt betrayed by religion. Mood music.
The cell phone sitting on her stomach vibrated. She picked it up and looked at it. The text message from Jasper had arrived. Her bus left at 11 p.m. from the Greyhound station. He'd prepaid her ticket. One way to
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