I laugh, and Roland joins in. “I hate everyone,” I admit. “All the time.”
“Oh, come on.” Roland rests his forearms on the island, a smile still overtaking his mission trip-tanned skin.
I sigh and point to the sandwich I want on the menu. Roland calls in the order—we both order roast beef on white bread with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. American cheese. The white kind.
“You didn’t have to do that…order the same thing as me,” I remark when he ends the call.
“I order that every Sunday, Kennedy.”
“Oh,” is the only thing I can say.
“Are you still against people knowing how we’re related?” Roland asks, looking down at his interlaced fingers.
“You were against telling me you were preaching today,” I say passively.
His head tilts to the side. “It was confidential.”
I mimic his head tilt. “You and I don’t really play by the same rules, though, do we?”
The temperature and pressure in the room changes in an instant. I’m filled with fear, anger, and uncertainty.
I lean back in the chair and cross my arms. “Anyway, why do you want people to know? So they don’t think you’ve been bullshitting them about your sinful past all these years?”
Roland looks to the ceiling for a minute before searching for my eyes. I look to his coffee maker and its blinking clock.
11:58…11:58…11:58
“Kennedy, we’ve talked about this. A lot. You know that when I discuss the sin of my past, that I’m not talking about you.”
I switch my gaze to him in an instant. “Aren’t you?”
One long blink later, Roland answers, “You’re the only good from back then, Kennedy.”
“Don’t,” I snap, sliding off the stool onto my feet. “Don’t talk to me about the goodness. You’ve never told your viewing audience that. You’ve talked about being an alcoholic and having sex before marriage. You’ve droned on and on about the regret of impregnating your college girlfriend and signing away your parental rights. But you’ve never once talked about the goodness.”
Roland rises slowly and takes two steps toward me. “Haven’t you listened at all? You were the goodness. The goodness and joy that my sin took me away from.”
My eyes fill with tears, blurring his concerned gaze. “Your sin caused me.”
Roland shakes his head and places his hands on my shoulders. “God made you, Kennedy. My sin clouded my judgment and didn’t allow me to follow through with you like I should have.”
“Stop!” I scream, stepping back. “I can’t hear about sin anymore. I’ve heard the word about nine thousand times since I set foot on campus, and I can’t hear it again.”
I make my way for the front door and Roland follows. “Where are you going? We’ve ordered lunch.”
Stopping with my hand on the doorknob, I turn to Roland. “I’ve lost my appetite. You preached for an hour about sin and regret. You gave the freshman class one hell of a cautionary tale, Roland. Pardon me if I don’t want to be the dog in your dog and pony show designed to keep everyone pure. No one knows we’re related, and no one will. Got it? I’m having a hard enough time fitting in without throwing you into the mix.”
Roland steps forward, his mouth opening as if he’s going to say something. I put my hand up.
“I didn’t get a say in whether or not you were there for me when I was a kid.” I sniff. “But I get a say now. And I say no.”
I flee into the fresh air and slam the door behind me, my eyes instantly flickering around to see if anyone saw. God forbid an angry, tearful student leaves the local church pastor’s house in a fit of fury.
Once I’m certain I’m alone, I walk quickly toward campus. It was a two-minute drive to Roland’s house, meaning I won’t have much of a walk to the dining hall. I wonder if my friends are still there. As the dining hall comes into view, my phone rings. Mom.
I clear my throat. “Hello?”
“You said you’d call me after the church service,” she says in a mock-accusing voice.
“Sorry. It’s been a bizarre couple of days.” I slow my pace to catch my breath.
“What’s wrong?”
I stop. “What do you mean?”
“Are they treating you okay?” she asks.
“Who’s they? Mom, I’m not in prison…”
She snorts and I lose my patience.
“Look,” I start, “I’m really going to need your support here, okay? I put up with your comments about this place all summer and now I’m here, and it’s hard, and I need your support. Got it?” I start to cry.
Mom’s voice turns panicky. “You’re crying.”
“I had lunch with Roland. Well…almost had lunch.”
“Shit,” she hisses. “Are you okay?”
“No!” I screech through my wail. “Why? Just…why, Mom? Why all of this?” I’m making no sense, I realize, but I know she’ll understand.
She takes a deep, loud breath. “I don’t have all the answers for you, honey.”
“Yeah? Well who does? Roland sure doesn’t. He’s wandering around all lonely-like in this gigantic church house, ordering roast beef sandwiches and pretending like everything is kosher. Huh? Who has the d—darn answers?”
“God?” My mom says in a questioning tone.
Jesus Freaks: Sins of the Father
Andrea Randall's books
- Sacred Sins
- Sins and Scarlet Lace
- Sins of a Ruthless Rogue
- Bed of Roses
- Son Of The Morning
- Cover Of Night
- Affairs of State
- A Profiler's Case for Seduction
- Because of Rebecca
- Conflict of Interest
- Eclipse of the Heart
- Flames of Attraction
- Illusions of Love
- Keeper of the Moon
- Keeper of the Shadows
- Legacy of Love
- Love Proof (Laws of Attraction)
- Miles of Pleasure
- Of One Heart
- Off Limits
- Off Sides
- Out of the Dark (The Brethren Series)
- Out of the Depths
- Pool of Crimson
- Prince of Wolves
- Rules of Entanglement
- Shadow of My Heart
- Something of a Kind
- Son of a Preacher Man
- Taste of Desire
- Taste of Love
- Translation of Love
- Web of Deception
- Words of Love
- The Lady of Bolton Hill
- The Scars of Us(Scars Series)
- Dreams of Lilacs
- House of Ivy & Sorrow
- A Question of Honor
- The Owner of His Heart
- The Heir of the Castle
- Tower of Glass
- The Last Prince of Dahaar
- Terms of Engagement
- Secrets of a Bollywood Marriage
- David Lord of Honor
- Return of the Prodigal Gilvry
- Killing Me Softly(A Broken Souls Series)
- Starting Over(Hart of Seattle)
- The Resurrection of Aubrey Mill
- OFF SIDES
- Confessions of a Royal Bridegroom
- Stolen: Warriors of Hir, Book 3
- The CEO Buys in (Wager of Hearts #1)
- The Law of Moses
- A Pound of Flesh (A Pound of Flesh #1)
- Arouse: A Spiral of Bliss Novel (Book One)
- Awaken: A Spiral of Bliss Novel (Book Three)
- The Art of French Kissing
- Leo (A Sign of Love Novel)
- Echoes of Scotland Street
- Stinger (A Sign of Love Novel)
- Ten Days of Perfect (November Blue #1)
- The Song of David
- The House of the Stone
- Ashes of Honor: An October Daye Novel
- The Weight of Feathers
- Blood Brothers
- Face the Fire
- Holding the Dream
- The Hollow
- The way Home
- A Father's Name
- All the Right Moves
- After the Fall
- And Then She Fell
- A Mother's Homecoming
- All They Need
- Behind the Courtesan
- Breathe for Me
- Breaking the Rules
- Bluffing the Devil
- Chasing the Sunset
- Feel the Heat (Hot In the Kitchen)
- For the Girls' Sake
- Guarding the Princess
- Happy Mother's Day!
- Meant-To-Be Mother
- In the Market for Love
- In the Rancher's Arms
- Leather and Lace
- Northern Rebel Daring in the Dark
- Seduced The Unexpected Virgin
- Southern Beauty
- St Matthew's Passion
- Straddling the Line
- Taming the Lone Wolff
- Taming the Tycoon
- Tempting the Best Man