CHAPTER 17

I blinked, shocked. "What?"

Just then, Pastor walked by, his gaze soft and kind as he looked our way. "Is everything alright over here?"

Alex's expression hardened, his voice a perfect mask of politeness as he nodded. "Yeah, everything's fine."

The pastor gave a small smile. "Good, good. Rest easy here, my children. You're safe."

Alex gave the slightest incline of his head, waiting for Pastor to leave before muttering under his breath, "Yeah, sure we are."

As the evening wore on, I noticed him growing tenser, his eyes fixed on the door, on every person who walked past us. I heaved a sigh, trying to ignore the uneasy feeling that had settled in the pit of my stomach.

But I couldn't.

"No," I said, hugging my knees closer to my chest. My voice was barely a whisper, but I made sure he heard it. "I'm not leaving."