MARIEL

32~ The Angel Told Me ~

The pregnancy kits seemed to mock her as she stood in the aisle, her eyes still red and swollen from the amount of crying she had done. Minutes passed, and Esther finally took one from the shelf with a shaking hand. The package blurred in her hand as tears formed again, and her lips quivered as she stared down at the intimidating box.

Within two weeks, her life had gone to shit... after one poor life decision. Honestly, she had not expected to be standing in the Marty's pharmacy aisle with a pregnancy test kit in her hand, especially after being humiliated and rejected by the person she had considered her closest friend... the man she had been in love with for years. While part of her still felt that Mariel was hiding something, Esther realized that she had considered it too good to be true when he had stepped inside the store the night after Hawk's -

- healing -

- recovery and had told her that he had feelings for her. Despite the confusion and fear of the events regarding her brother, she had felt excitement and pure happiness. He had seemed so genuine. And today? The way he had been looking at her when she turned from the bookshelf still sent chills through her body. In his eyes, it had not been a look of curiosity, or pure lust... but a look of someone who yearned to have something he had loved for endless time. It was in that moment when she realized just how deep she had fallen for him, and that it would take something utterly unforgivable to unravel her feelings for Mariel Nadier. As much as she wanted it to be, this instance would not, and could not, be that unforgivable sin. Her chest physically hurt, and the memory of the smug look on his face when he told her that she was not his preference made her want to vomit.

Esther crunched the box in her hand. Her thoughts were a reel of images of the day. She still felt Mariel's hands on her, still heard those innocent, surprised moans that had escaped his throat, still remembered that moment of prideful satisfaction and pleasure when she realized how much she had turned him on. Even now, in her depression and humiliation, Esther still felt aroused from their heated moments together, which only made the rejection she felt worse.

"You deserve this," she whispered to herself, still staring at the package. Truly, she believed she did. For a fleeting thought, she also believed that perhaps Gabe had told Mariel what had happened between them, and that Mariel had only been playing with her as well. But again, it was hard to envision Fr. Jerome's quiet, respectful son doing such a thing.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she ignored it. It was probably her father again, telling her to come home and face her punishment. Todd had been unbelievably nurturing to her after Mariel had left the store, but as soon as her tears had become less frequent, he had demanded to know the details.

'I need to know if you have been sexually active with Mariel? Or anyone?' Todd had asked, his face steady but his eyes averted from hers as if reading her face would tell him the truth.

'No,' she had said. 'I don't know why Mariel said that.' Her pulse had been racing, her head had pounded, and she had found herself silently begging God to save her from this interrogation.

'Did you kiss him, Esther?'

Feeling the tears rise again, this time from anger as well, she had flung herself away from him. 'Why does it fucking matter, Dad? I know you don't like him, and you haven't since that suicide stunt, but I have been in love with him for years! You can't hold this against me!'

Calmly, Todd had stared at her. 'I'm your dad, Esther. I only want what's best for you. I asked you to have minimal contact with Mariel because of this reason, because the kid is fucking nuts, honey. Now look. You're crying, and your heart is broken.'

She had been crying again, unable to control the endless tears.

'You can't go against our wishes, Esther. I know you think you're grown, and you know what you're doing. But you don't. You're only nineteen.'