Page 46 of Holly Jolly Heresy
Jo grabbed the remote and paused the movie. “Screw the movie. Spoiler alert: Bill Pullman is charming and gets the girl because Bill Pullman isalwayscharming and gets the girl. What happened in that cabin, Mol? I need to know if I should suit up and kick some hot priest ass or what.”
“Don’t kick anyone’s ass.” Molly took a large bite of ice cream as she mulled over what to say, her tongue stinging from the cold. “Jo, I…”
“I knew it!” Jo screeched, jumping up so she was kneeling on the couch. She lunged at Molly, wrapping her arms around her in the biggest hug. “I knew you two were supposed to be together! Tell me everything. Was the sex amazing? I bet the sex was amazing. Dirty, forbidden sex always is.”
“I can’t breathe,” Molly laughed, shoving her friend back to her own side of the couch.
“Holy shit, Mol, you banged the hot priest.”
Molly nodded, tears suddenly springing to her eyes again.
“Hey, what’s going on? Why are you crying? I swear to God, if he hurt you—”
“He didn’t do anything. He’s… It’s me, Jo. I’m—I’m a mess. What am I even doing? I’m in love with apriest?And now he wants to leave the Church and it’s all my fault and—”
“Woah, slow down. You’re in love with him?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that what we’re talking about?” Molly dashed away a tear and poked at her ice cream, but even Chubby Hubby couldn’t make her feel better this time. She set the bowl down on the coffee table.
“I thought you two were fucking. I didn’t know you were in love.” Molly shot her an exasperated look, but Jo pushed ahead. “Wait, he wants to leave the priesthood for you? Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It’s only been two days. He can’t change everything about his life because of two days. That’s insane. He’s going to regret it, and then he’ll blame me.”
“What would be insane is to pretend like you two haven’t been all about each other for over a year now.” It was so much like what Caleb had said it knocked the air from Molly’s lungs. “He’s not your ex, Molly. Caleb is a grown man who clearly isn’t afraid to commit, so what I can’t figure out is why you’re here eating Ben and Jerry’s with me instead of off somewhere being in love with Caleb.”
“What about my job offer in Boston?”
Jo scoffed. “Please, as if you were ever really going to leave me, the most perfect roommate ever, and move to Boston.”
Molly shook her head, her own argument beginning to crack under her friend’s analysis. “It’s too fast.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know! This is important, Jo. I… If you love someone, set them free.”
“Bullshit. If you love someone, fight like hell for them.”
Maybe Jo was right. Maybe they didn’t need space—maybe they needed to hold hands and jump into the abyss.
“I told him we needed to give each other some space, so he could be sure of what he wants.”
“It sounds like heissure. Are you?”
“I love him,” she sobbed.
Jo pulled her into a hug, her hold surprisingly tight for such a petite woman. “Oh, babe, then why are you crying?”
“I messed it up. I got scared and I pushed him away and—”
“Then tell him that. Spoiler alert, he’s pretty good at forgiving people—it was kind of his whole job. Molly, that man wants to flip his world upside down because he loves you. He gets to make that choice. You just have to let him.”
By the time her tears finally stopped coming and their ice cream was fully melted, Molly got an idea. It might be a little crazy, but this whole thing was crazy, wasn’t it? She was in love with a priest! But the more she let the idea unfurl in her mind, the more perfect it seemed.
She turned to Jo, who was preoccupied fishing chocolate covered pretzels out of her ice cream soup. “I need your help with something—something to show Caleb I’m willing to fight for him. For us.”
A smile spread across Jo’s lips. “Hell yeah. Let’s grand gesture the shit out of that man.”
Chapter eighteen
