"No. No itâs not," he mumbles. His eyes cast downward and I laugh. He canât even look at me.
Title: Absolution
Author: Missy Johnson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 28, 2017
Blurb
Declan James was the perfect guy.
He was sweet. Charming. Caring. Until he wasnât.
Fourteen years ago, his actions tore apart my family. He ruined my sisterâs life and nothing was ever the same again. But now, a decade later, heâs back.
When he walks into my office, asking for my help, Iâm shocked, but nothing prepares me for what Iâm about to learn. I see how far heâs gone to redeem himself and I know that heâs changed. I also know that, as a priest, heâs more off limits than ever.
If I help him, my family will never forgive me.
If I fall in love with him, I will never forgive myself.
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Excerpt
âYouâre not the first person to be shocked by my choice of calling.â
âYour family?â I guess. He nods. âIâm assuming they probably had bigger and better things in mind for you, but itâs a step up from rapist right?â His eyes widen and I cringe. Shit, I canât believe I just said that.
âI can see why you might think that, but my father is very anti-religion, so Iâm not sure he would agree,â he smirks and rubs his chiselled jawline, giving me a pointed look. âAre you done now?â
âIâm sorry that was way out of line," I mumble, admitting I went too far. "Sometimes I say things without thinking.â
âItâs okay,â He shrugs. His dark eyes penetrate mine. I'm shaking, but I hold his gaze, refusing to look away. âYou get a free pass today to say whatever you like to me and then tomorrow you need to start giving me a chance. Is that fair?â
Iâm not loving the part where I give him a chance, but I have so many questions burning inside of me that Iâm dying to ask that I sit forward, and place my hands under my thighs.
âOkay Iâll play,â I say, staring at him. I question everything he says because it hurts too much to believe him. Why should he get to move on? âWhy this?â
âBecause it was the only way I could see getting my life back on track. I was at the point where I had nothing to live for, and God changed that for me. He gave me hope. I had something that was mine. I was making a difference.â
âHow long have you been a Priest for?â I say the word like itâs dirty but only because heâs makes it that way. Itâs like heâs taken one of the purest professions in the world and tainted it.
âFive years. After I got out of prison, I was in a bad place. Everything that happened with Cecily really messed me up and then hearing that sheâ¦. His voice trails off like he canât complete his train of thought, so I make him, because he doesnât get to do this. He doesnât get to make this about him.
âYou mean how she killed herself?â I say. I stare at him, my anger fuelling the strength Iâm somehow finding within myself to confront him. This is what Iâve wanted for so long, to be able to face him and show him how much he hurt me. âHow she ended her life after what you did to her and the way your family dragged her through the mud. Is that what you mean? You canât even say it, Declan. Imagine how hard it was for me to live it.â
âI never wanted that all I wanted to do was plead guilty and move onââ
âMove on?â I whisper, tears spilling down my cheeks. âLike my sister got to move on? Like my dad moved on by ramming his car into a tree? You ruined our lives. Why should you get to move on?â
âIâm sorry about your father,â he says softly.
âYouâre sorry?â I laugh. I throw my hands up in the air. âWell, so long as youâre sorry.â
âYou have every right to be angry at me Hannah, but Iâm just trying to explain it from my point of view. You asked me why I became a priest. This is why. Everything that happened is why.â
âBut you donât get to explain,â I whisper. âBecause itâs not fair. All you get to do is sit there and take whatever I decide I need to say to you in order for me to get through this. Thatâs the only thing you need to do here. You donât get to justify what you did, or tell me how much youâve changed, because I donât care. All I care about is being able to be in the same room as you without feeling like Iâm going to be sick. Is that too much to ask?â
"No. No itâs not," he mumbles. His eyes cast downward and I laugh. He canât even look at me.
Author Bio
Missy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture).
When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.
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