Chapter 237 Pxl 6

• Mara.
• I wish I could say I planned tonight. I wish I could say I walked into the church with a strategy, a speech, something smooth and foolproof tucked under my tongue. But the truth is, I’m running on adrenaline and sleeplessness, and the ache between my legs that no amount of midnight touching seems to satisfy. The ache, it turns out, is Gabriel-shaped.
• Evening prayers end quietly. The church is almost empty, golden light lingering in the corners as the sun finally gives up and slips behind the city. I wait by the side aisle, hidden by a pillar, listening to the echo of footsteps as the last of the parishioners shuffle out into the night. The hush after they go is a living thing, prickling along my skin. I’m not nervous. I’m something else. Hungry, maybe. Tired of waiting.