The Love I Need

Chapter 27

"Church? The place you wanted to bring me was church?!"

Cal reaches into the back seat of his car and picks up a thick book with a leather cover. "Did I not mention that?" he asks casually, without meeting my eyes, "My bad."

"What the fuck, Cal?"

"Yah, maybe don't say that while we go inside. People won't appreciate it." He opens the door of his car and steps out. "We're here just in time too, so walk quickly. It's always awkward walking in once it's already started."

"Wh-what?" I scramble out of the car and run a couple of strides to catch up to him. "Am I even allowed inside?"

Cal abruptly stops walking and turns to look at me. "Why wouldn't you be allowed inside?"

"I don't know. I don't think I'm holy enough or whatever."

He grins. "The place hasn't burned down yet, and I've been going almost every week for over a year now. I think it can handle you."

I glance toward the building nervously. "Fair enough..."

Cal rubs my shoulder. "You want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

"Church isn't for the holy. It's for the broken. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't get the very reason they're there." He smiles at me and offers me his elbow. "Shall we?"

"Can I just wait in the car?"

"No."

I slowly weave my arm through his and Cal smiles at me as we begin to walk again.

"You were talking about all of that Ben shit just to keep me from asking where we were going, weren't you?"

He shrugs. "Not exactly, but it worked out in my favour anyway. Now stop swearing. My family's in there. I don't need the place burning down."

I laugh loudly as he pulls open the door and releases my elbow to let me walk in ahead of him.

Bad move.

Multiple sets of eyes settle on me as Cal steps in behind me. Organ music from the large room straight ahead cascades into the foyer full of coat racks.

"Morning, morning," Cal greets everyone with a nod. His hand brushes against my back to urge me to walk forward, but when he comes into contact with the bare skin above the waistband of my jeans, he drops his hand again.

Holy shit. I'm wearing a crop top to church. I understand now why April offered me one of her homely dresses!

I balk before we step out of the foyer into a room filled with wooden pew benches, but Cal nudges me forward again, and I feel like I have no choice but to keep walking.

"The sooner you sit, the sooner you'll stop being the center of attention," he murmurs behind me, and I have to fight everything in me not to turn around and hit him for tricking me into coming here.

"Emilia! Emilia!" I hear my name being loudly whispered, and my eyes find Emily hanging into the aisle from the end of one of the church pews.

April is sitting next to her. She turns around to smile at Cal and I as we approach, but the expression quickly turns into surprise when she sees my agitated expression. She does her best to hide it, but even she must realize it's too late.

When we reach the bench, April and Emily shuffle down to give us some room.

I walk in first and quickly take a seat next to Emily, resisting the urge to duck down and hide from all the onlookers.

Cal walks in after me, but instead of sitting he just stands there, hovering.

"Just sit down, Cal," April whispers.