Mercy [Completed]

Chapter 18: Regression

"So you do this twice a week?" asked Gregory, tossing a peeled potato into a bucket of water.

"Mhm," replied Brooklyn absentmindedly.

"And it's because the priest told you to."

Brooklyn nodded. "Volunteering keeps me busy and away from Page and the bad habits I had picked up from her."

He sighed and shook his head. "I still can't believe you didn't end things with him. What are you thinking Brook?"

Brooklyn shrugged. "I told you..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, rolling his eyes, "he saved you. But still."

There was no way Brooklyn could tell him just what exactly had her hopelessly drawn to Father Mathias. She pretended to stretch, her arms out front, so that she could feel the tenderness in her breasts from the previous night. A blush stained her cheeks.

"Jesus Christ aren't you smitten," commented Gregory. "Oh sorry, am I allowed to say that in front of a priest's girlfriend?"

"Shhh!" Brooklyn giggled.

"Oh, my, fucking, god," he gasped. "This soup kitchen is run by St. Anthony's Catholic Church. Is that the church your priest is at?"

The blood drained from Brooklyn's face. "Gregory, please be quiet." She looked around to see if anyone heard.

"Sorry, sorry. Jeez, Brook, that makes it so much more real."

Brooklyn looked down at the half peeled potato in her hands.

"Have you heard from Stephen?" he asked, trying to change the subject, not that it was a much better one.

"No." Brooklyn bit her lip. She missed him more than she had expected. Stephen had added something to her life that the priest couldn't. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, she just knew that it was there when he was, and gone when he wasn't.

"You should message him."

"I can't. Not till I figure things out."

"He won't wait forever."

Brooklyn could feel Gregory's empathetic, searching gaze but she couldn't meet it. "I know," she finally said. "I feel so dumb. I know it's obvious. Things would be so much simpler with Stephen and he's more than I ever hoped for. But..."

Gregory reached out and put a hand over Brooklyn's. "Hey, I get it. I just hope you're prepared for when it all comes crashing down. In this kind of situation, it's unavoidable. But I can tell you, that when it does, I'll be here."

Brooklyn's bottom lip quivered. "I'm afraid it already might be starting." She put the potato and peeler down to lean on the table and took a deep, trembling breath. "People at church are suspicious. Some guy was at the church the other day trying to convince Father Mathias to leave before there was proof of our relationship."

"Holy fuck, that's insane. And what did the priest say?"

"Mathias."

Gregory gave her a questioning look.

"That's his name; Father Mathias."

"Oh. Well, what did he say?"

"Nothing really. Just that he would do whatever he could to make it work. Whatever that means." Brooklyn finished peeling the abandoned potato and plunked it in the bucket. She wiped her hands on a rag.

Gregory looked around them. "Are we done? Oh thank god, I don't think I could look at another potato again."

Shaking her head, Brooklyn pushed him. "You're such a baby."