Ezra and Eve *Animals MC book 4*

Chapter Thirteen.

If the photo works, it's of the parole office Mr. Wilmington, who we will be seeing more of.

Ezra walked through the gate, his thoughts still with his parole officer and his warnings, the man was right all Ezra could offer Eve was disappointment and regret.

He was crossing the yard when Father David met him on the church steps.

"Ezra my boy, just the man I was looking for."

"What can I do for you father?"

"Well, Father Arnold is coming to do confession with the nuns, I always find they're more comfortable talking to a stranger than myself being that we know each other so well. A different priest comes once a month for their confession, but I'm afraid the door is broken on the confessional, I was wondering if you would mind seeing to it?"

"I'll get to it immediately, maybe I'll polish it real nice too?"

"That would be great son."

So, Ezra threw himself into cleaning every inch of the wooden, intricately carved confessional. He was sitting on the small bench finishing up with the door when he heard someone enter the opposite side. He was about to speak but their soft voice rang out first, he recognized the slight accent immediately.

"Forgive me father, for I....have sinned."

"Sister...."He had every intention of stopping her.

"I....I've betrayed my vows as a nun," She choked out.

She paused and he figured she was waiting on the priest to say something, for him to say something. A good man would stop her, tell her who he was but Ezra wasn't always such a good man.

"Go on," He said softly.

"I...I've been having thoughts....wicked thoughts about a man. I'm beginning to question my vows and my place in the church."

"I see."

"I...don't understand why this is happening to me, I love my place in the church. I've always felt that the good Lord brought me here but now....I don't feel I belong anymore. The only time I think I might be where I'm supposed to be is......when I'm with him."

He took a sharp breath and heard her shifting around in the small box beside him, he knew she was waiting for him to say something, waiting for the priest she thought he was to guide her. He swallowed passed the lump in his throat.

"I'm so conflicted, Father. I used to be so happy and satisfied with my calling and my place in life. Last month I was prepared to live and die here in these halls and I was okay with that now, I just....I want something more, I don't know what but something is missing."

What would a priest say to her? What could he tell her that would ease her struggle? He hated thinking that his being there a the Church was causing her grief or making her rethink her entire life. He'd spent the passed few days thinking of only himself and the changes in his world, he'd never stopped to consider what he was doing to hers.

"I think I'm going to go now Father, I don't think you can help me." She said softly.

He heard her shuffling as she rose to her feet and the wooden door opening, then he listened to her retreating footsteps. He sat in the confessional for a few minutes, letting his head rest against the back of the wood and trying to figure out when he began losing grip on his own life.

He waited until he thought she was gone and then slipped from the confessional, he was walking towards the door when he heard her call his name from behind him. He froze, his heart seemed to screech to a halt.

"Ezra?"

He turned and saw her stand from the place near the alter where she had been kneeling.

"Eve....."

"How....How long were you in there?" She asked.

"Long enough," He admitted.

"Why?....why would you do something like that?" She moved closer to him.

"It was an accident, I was repairing the door and...."

"You should have said something, but you....you let me go on, how could you?!" She cried.

"I didn't mean to Eve, It's okay...just calm down."

"That was a private conversation, it was none of your business, you had no right doing that."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry I didn't mean too."

"You should have said something, you should have told me it was you!"

"Eve...."

He reached for her, not entirely sure why but it didn't matter, she pulled away before his fingers could grip her small arm.

"Just....stay away from me."

"Eve..."

Before he could say anything else she pushed passed him and hurried from the church, choking back tears as she hurried out the front door. Ezra followed her, taking long strides but trying not to openly chase her, he reached the steps outside just as she ducked into the building she lived in.

"Eve!"

"Ezra?" He heard his name and turned to see his probation officer walking towards him.

"Mr. Wilmington."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah....yeah....just a misunderstanding."

His parole officer walked up the stairs obviously not believing him, he turned and motioned the other man inside. He watched Mr. Wilmington take in the church.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Ezra asked.

"No, I just wanted to stop by see if I could catch you working, get an idea of what you do."

He took a seat in one of the many, long, wooden benches and Ezra took a seat in front of him. They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute before Mr. Wilmington spoke.

"Ezra....what did I almost walk in on today?"

"I....uh....heard something I wasn't supposed to and..."

"Do you remember when I said that you needed to take a step back and give her space? That wasn't for your benefit, it was for her. You need to think about her, you're not a bad guy and I know that but if you don't let go and stay away from her you will hurt her."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see that." Ezra admitted.

"You only have a few more months."

"Right now you can have any girl you want, so find yourself a nice girl that available."

His parole officer stood, giving him a re-assuring pat on the shoulder and then walking down aisle back towards the door.

Ezra watched him go but didn't move, he could have any girl he wanted, nobody knew how untrue that statement really was.