Ten.

I was currently helping the sanitary unit of the church clean up after the long service that I had spent wondering and thinking about what Keith had said.

I was ashamed that I hadn't been able to concentrate on my prayer, and even more ashamed that it remained that way throughout the service.

I adjusted the last chair in the row to match the others, and that's when I smelt him. I didn't have to see him, didn't need to hear his voice, because his scent was more than enough for me to recognize him.

"Hey", he greeted as he approached me.

My heart was beating loudly again.

He had rearranged his hair sometime in the service, I knew because all my senses were focused on him instead of the church and God.

I looked away from his beautiful face.

"Hi", I whispered, sounding as cool as I possibly could before walking to the next row of seats. He followed me, but didn't say anything. Just kept his eyes on me as I arranged the seat.

I didn't speak to him either, and we stayed silent till I reached the last seat.

"You're upset", he pointed out.

I kept on adjusting the seat. "There is no reason for me to be upset".

"I'm sorry about all the shit I said earlier", he told me.

I was at the last seat now, and I really didn't want to have this conversation with him.

"It's okay", I said.

"You sure ?".

"Yes I am", I replied.

" You sureee ?", He asked, wiggling his dark brows.

"Yes I am ! Now stop with the you sure question I need to arrange these seats", I snapped jokingly.

He chuckled.

Luckily his phone rang, and he shot me one finger mouthing one minute, before answering the call with a harsh ' Didn't I fucking tell you to never to call me again ?' and walked off.

I stared at his broad shoulders, lean hips, and long legs as his strides created more distance between us.

"Girl pick your jaw from the floor. I didn't sign up to clean drool too", a feminine voice that sounded very familiar cut through my unconscious staring.

I turned my face, and saw the female usher from earlier -- the one that had asked Keith not to take the seat beside me -- standing in front of me. She had a look of disapproval, and was that disappointment ?

I cleared my throat, "What ?".

She arched a brow, and waved her hand at the ground. I looked down at the ground, my brows bunching in confusion.

"I'm sorry I don't ...".

"Listen to me Eva, I believe that's your name ?", she cut in.

I nodded, very confused.

Her deep brown eyes peered so deep into mine.

" You're the type of girl he likes. The type that claims to not be attracted to him, the holy I can do no evil and will not sin type. That's the type he goes for. It's a challenge for him, a thrill, his high. So do yourself a fucking favor, pick your damn jaw, stop drooling over Keith Johnson, do the work of God, and go home", she ended on a harsh note.

I was quick to defend myself. " Look, I don't know what you're talking about ...".

" I was in your very position last year. I tried to tell myself he didn't have any effect on me, but I was just fooling myself. No female with hormones is immune to Keith Johnson. And before I knew it, we fucked".

I cringed.

" Multiple times", she continued, "And one day, he realized that I had fallen for him, and he dumped me and moved on to the next person, and the next, and the next, and now he's interested in you. Be careful, that's all I'm saying".

I stared in silence at her, and with a scoff she walked off, a light 'Or did I warn you too late' whispering in the air as she went off.

***

After my encounter with the usher I didn't know the name of, that had warned me to stay away from my neighbor I couldn't possibly stay away from, I dashed out of the church to avoid him, and to clear my head.

I breathed in the cold night air, welcomed it into my lungs. This was not something to be taken lightly.

She was the second person that was telling me to stay away from Keith Johnson.

A shiver slithered through me as I recalled her words. They had been intimate together several times, and when she fell for him, he dumped her, and moved to other people.

Henry had said he messes with the heads of the girls in church.

Was sleeping with the girls in church some type of retaliation ?

Anger towards God ?

He had said the words I will serve God till my last breath which I had uttered during service were once his. Which meant he was once a believer.

What made him stop believing ?

How was I supposed to stay away from the person God had instructed me to help see the light ?

I wasn't a fool who couldn't admit when something had an effect on them. When someone had an effect on them.

Anytime I was around Keith, I felt weird. My cheeks heated, my heart raced, and I was nervous for some reason. He had an effect on me which I was yet to stamp a name on, and the fact that he was a beautiful piece of creation wasn't helping.

And his voice, the way he says my name. His complicated eyes that showed walls he had no intention of breaking down. And his ... Eva what's wrong with you ?

I blew my cheeks out.

Attraction, that was it. Simple attraction. I was attracted to Keith. Who wouldn't be ?

It was nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

But could it become something if I ignored the warnings of two people that knew him, and went ahead to do the work of God ?

"Eva ".

I leaped, startled and turned around to see who had said my name.

The guy that had said my name shot me an apologetic smile, as he walked over to me.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you", he apologized.

I couldn't even muster the tiniest of smiles.

"It's okay, is there something I can help you with ?".

He shot a thumb behind him.

" Your mom's been looking for you. I'm Tom by the way, head of the teen ushering unit", he stated, and stretched a hand towards me.

I took it, after taking two seconds to admire the black and silver nail art adorning his long slim fingers. "Nice to meet you, I guess the entire church already knows my name".

He chuckled. "Yeah, new resident pastor's only child. You're a big deal, literally the princess of the church".

I swiped my tongue across my lips, and looked down at my grey flats.

" I guess I am", I mumbled.

"You don't like that do you ?".

My gaze switched back to him. His eyes were grey not the type of grey that was visible under certain lighting. Just plain normal grey.

I shook my head, confused as to why I had just compared his eyes to Keith's.

"Where ... Where is my mom ?".

"She said she was going to check for you in your dad's office".

I nodded. " Okay, uhmm ... Thanks Tom", I said and glided past him.

" Hey Eva", he called.

I turned around.

" If you ever need someone to talk to, just know I attend every service", he offered, his curly dyed blonde and green highlighted hair looking like it belonged to one of the characters I had drawn when I was little.

I shot him a genuine smile, "Thanks", and walked away.