Pray For Me, Then Kiss me

CHAPTER 3 The First Sin

The First Sin

6pm. The church was empty.

Father Elias was already in the booth. Light through the stained glass made him look like a painting.

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned," I said through the screen.

"It’s me," he said quietly. "Elias."

My heart did something stupid. "Ash."

Silence. Then: "What did you do?"

"I let you touch me."

Another silence. Longer.

"And did you like it?" His voice was barely a whisper.

I closed my eyes. "Yes."

The screen slid open. He was on the other side. No collar. Just him.

"This is wrong," he said. But he didn’t move away.

"Then stop me," I whispered.

He didn’t.

He reached through and touched my face. Cold hands. Hot prayer.

The moment he did, pain shot through me. Not mine. His.

He was taking my curse. That’s how the Halo Gift works in reverse.

"Stop," I choked. "You’re hurting yourself."

"Worth it," he breathed. "If it makes you feel human for 5 minutes."

That’s when I knew: I was supposed to destroy him.

But I think I was going to break first.

His fingers shook against my skin.

"You're hurting yourself," he said again. But his hand didn't leave my face.

"Then hurt me," I whispered back. "Because not touching you hurts more."

The stained glass above us threw colors across his jaw. Blue and red and gold. Like God was watching and couldn't decide if He was angry or sad.

Elias closed his eyes. A prayer or a curse. I couldn't tell.

"Ash," he said, and my name sounded like a sin on his tongue. "If I do this, there's no going back to Sunday service and pretending."

"I don't want to pretend anymore."

He leaned in. Just an inch. His breath hit my lips, warm and shaky.

The church was silent. Too silent.

And for the first time in my life, I wanted to be the reason a holy man fell.

---