The Sinners of Saint Amos - Logan Fox Page 0,139

“Let’s talk inside, child.”

I scrape up every spare bit of courage I still have left after his miraculous appearance. “No.”

He frowns. “I’m not going to talk to you out in the hall,” he says, his eyebrows drawing together. “This is a personal—”

“You’re right, you’re not going to talk to me.” I push back my shoulders and hold up my chin. He’s so much taller than me, but somehow it helps. “Honestly, I think you’ve said enough.”

He tilts his head a little, eyes flinching as if I caused him actual pain. My chest tightens at that, but fuck it. I’m not the one in the wrong here. Not even a little.

“I came because you’re the Provost, and I’d probably get detention or something if I didn’t. But I’m not here to talk, and I won’t listen to anything you have to say.”

Thump, thump, thump goes my heart in the sudden silence following my statement.

For a moment, I think he’s going to ignore everything I said and just drag me inside anyway. But then his eyes drop, and he lets go of the door handle.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” His eyes fix on me again, studying me for a second as if wondering how far he can push my moratorium. “But I didn’t mean to hurt you, Trinity.”

I lift my chin a little higher. “By sleeping with him, or telling me about it?”

“I know what I did was wrong. I should have stopped it. No—I should never have let it happen in the first place.” Again, his gaze drops. “But your father is a very persuasive man.”

I go from an imperious glare to a confused frown. “What do you mean—?”

“I—” Gabriel’s mouth tightens, and then he steps back. “Please. At least just let me close the door.”

I shouldn’t show him any quarter, but for some reason I do. For some fucked up reason, I step forward and let him close the door behind me. We stand in the small antechamber, both stiff and uncomfortable and looking away from each other.

“I should have stopped the affair before it began, but I was…weak. And every time I broke it off, all it would take was one email from Keith, and I’d be back.”

I squeeze my eyes shut as my cheeks start heating. “Please stop. I don’t want to know.”

But he doesn’t. He just keeps telling me things I don’t want to hear.

“I told your mother we had to tell you, but she said it wasn’t any of your business. And that hurt me, Trinity, because I believe you had every right to know.”

My eyes flicker up to him, my mouth going dry. “Mom…knew?”

He nods. “Yes. It was…she…” Gabriel clears his throat. “Are you sure you won’t—?” He twists to grab the handle of the door leading into his room.

“No. You said one minute.” I hug my chest and try to will myself to leave. I guess it’s morbid fascination keeping me here.

“It was her suggestion,” he says.

An incredulous laugh tears through me. “Oh my God, do you honestly expect me to believe—”

“In an effort to keep their marriage intact, she suggested we—”

“No!” I yell out, lifting both hands to ward him off. “Fuck no. You are not trying to convince me that my mom has anything to do with this!” There’s laughter in my voice, but it’s far from pleasant. I take a step closer, stabbing a finger toward him. “And because they’re both dead, I’ll never be able to confirm or deny any fucking thing you tell me, anyway. So why not blame everything on her, right? Make it out as if my dad was the one who—”

I cut off with a disgusted sound.

“You’re not fooling anyone,” I whisper as my eyes start filling with tears. I step back, fumbling behind me for the handle without taking my eyes off Gabriel. I grab it, wrench it open, back up.

“Especially not me.” I swipe at my wet cheeks, shaking my head as I scowl over at him.

He hasn’t moved, hasn’t tried to get another word in. And thank the Lord for that, because I might have physically attacked him if he’d tried.

I point at him again. “They were right all along.” The world blurs, but I blink hard to jar those hot tears from my eyes.

“Who?” Gabriel demands evenly as he steps forward. His expression is neutral, but there’s anger in those brown eyes.

I step into the hall, my lips twisting so hard I almost can’t get the words out. But when I