Page 39 of Of Vows and Betrayal

“Yes, yes, she is.” We approach the stall in silence. Ophelia looks up and smiles, a small, bright spot in the mess of my emotions.

“Derek,” Tiago greets, stepping closer. “Didn’t peg you for a Spiderman at heart.”

Derek snorts, gesturing to a skinny boy peeking shyly from the tent. “Our little guy here wasn’t convinced it was cool. Just proving him wrong.”

“Supercool,” Ophelia confirms, winking at Derek. Once again, I feel my jaw tighten.

“Yes, that’s precious,” I say a little harsher than I intend to, and I can feel Tiago’s eyes on me as Derek sends me a look that seems to say, “Fuck you.”

“Javier, do you have a minute?” Tiago asks, his tone not leaving any room for discussion. That must be a priest thinghe learned during seminary. “I just need help with some extra chairs.”

“You go; I’m not going anywhere,” Ophelia replies, leaning a little too close to Derek’s face to draw some black lines.

“I don’t think you need to lean that close to his face, Ophelia. This is for children.”

She frowns, and Derek smirks. That fucking asshole.

“Just go. I’ll keep her safe.”

Am I the only one to hear the double entendre? Tiago nudges me, and I follow him a couple of steps behind, like a petulant child.

“What is Derek doing here? It’s not his scene.”

“Why do you say that? I’ll have you know he comes to help at every charity event the church is involved in. You’d know that if you bothered showing up every once in a while.” I look heavenward, searching for some bogus divine force.

“I send you big fat checks for every single one of them.” I defend myself.

“Yes, so you can write them off on your taxes. Your presence would be appreciated every once in a while.”

“Very well, Father Hernandez. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He throws me a look full of exasperation before shaking his head.

“You know, Javier, it’s not just about the money. It’s about showing up, being part of the community. Ophelia understands that. Maybe you should try to learn from her.”

I grit my teeth, biting back a retort. I know he’s right, but admitting that is a bitter pill to swallow. Instead, Ifollow him to the stack of chairs and start hauling them back to the tent. As we work, my mind keeps drifting back to Ophelia and Derek, wondering what they’re talking about and what’s making them laugh.

Once we’re done with the chairs, I wipe my hands together and get ready to leave the tent.

“What’s really happening here, Javier?”

“I’m helping you move chairs like you asked.”

He gives me a knowing look. “What’s happening withher?”

My heart skips a beat. I swallow hard.

“I may be a priest, but I’m not blind. You look at her like?—”

I cut him off, not wanting to hear the rest. “It’s in your head, Tiago. She’s barely more than a kid. There’s nothing there. We just share a common interest, nothing more. I’d never cross that line. Look at her!”

“I have, and she’s pretty, clever, and unbelievably generous.”

“Are you the one who needs the talk?”

He shakes his head. “Deflection won’t work. You can’t go down this path, Javier. It’s wrong on so many levels. Under different circumstances, I’d be thrilled to see you like this, but knowing what I know, I can’t condone it.”

His words sting. “Since when do you get a say in my love life? How many times did you tell me to move on? Was that all a lie?”

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