Page 98 of Corrupt Obsession

“This cake is something else,” Violet said enthusiastically as she stepped up to Mom’s side.

“And it’s supposed to taste even better than it looks,” Mom said as she handed Jesse the first slice, which was a shocking bright blue.

“It’s blueberry?” Jesse asked, eyeing the cake warily.

Mom laughed. “No, that’s just dye. It’s chocolate.”

Everyone laughed at Jesse’s obvious relief. As Dad went to fetch ice cream, Violet arranged slices of cake on a tray and began to circulate through the crowd.

She was waylaid often. It had been a while since she’d seen her uncles—a mix of firefighters, paramedics, and police officers who had known her since she was born. They wanted to know if she was going to follow in Dad’s footsteps, as she’d said she would when she was five. They guffawed when she gave an adamant, “Nope!”

After a series of hugs, she moved on and found herself face to face with Pastor Sonny. “Hey!”

“Hey, yourself,” he said and eyed the last plate on her tray. “Is that spoken for?”

“No! It’s all yours.”

She handed it to him and prepared to run when he tapped her shoulder.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Violet.”

Her heart dropped to her toes as she turned back to him. “You have?”

She avoided him just as much as Jesse, if not more so. If anyone could discern what was happening, it would be Pastor Sonny. He was a kind man, but his gaze was piercing and stern, and she felt like he could see straight through people to their rotten core. She dreaded going to church. It seemed his sermons were tailor-made to rip her conscience to shreds every week.

“Yes. I was wondering if you were interested in becoming a mentor for the youth.”

“Mentor?” She cleared her throat. “That’s… wow.”

His eyes tracked over her face and fractionally narrowed. “You’re not interested.”

It wasn’t a question.

She tucked the empty tray under her arm and glanced around the room instead of meeting his eyes. “I’ve never considered being a mentor.”

“That’s why I think you should do it. I notice you prefer being in the background, assisting rather than taking a leadership role, but I think you have a lot to offer. I’ve known you since you were a little girl. You have wisdom to share with the young ones who need guidance for this next stage in life.”

As she struggled to think of something to say, he lightly touched her arm.

“Think about it and let me know.”

She watched him walk away before she gave herself a shake and hurried out to the backyard to do exactly what he said she liked to do—assist. Assisting meant she didn’t have to take the fall if something went awry. Assisting meant there was always work to be done. Keeping busy kept her from pondering too much. He thought she had wisdom to share? She was the last person anyone should come to for advice. She’d made a mess of her life.

When she tried to load her tray again, Mom gave her a little push.

“You’ve been on your feet all day. If people want cake, they’ll come looking. Enjoy the party. Go hang out with Jesse and your friends.”

Mom jerked her chin at the fire pit where most of the teenagers had congregated. She didn’t want to talk to anybody, but she could see Mom wasn’t going to let her continue to bustle around.

She accepted the cake slice Mom placed in her hands and wandered over to her peers. Allison hopped up from the lounge chair where she and her boyfriend, Jesse’s classmate, Blaine, were relaxing.

“This picture of you and Jesse is socute,” Allison exclaimed as she tapped her phone screen. “I already posted it and everyone is dying.”

Allison held up her phone, so Violet could see the photo of her and Jesse. She wasn’t expecting much, considering how far away Allison had been, but the edited results were devastating. She and Jesse beamed at the camera, faces pressed together, his arms wrapped around her. There was no trace of unease, anger, or bitterness on her face. She looked like she didn’t want to be anywhere else but in his arms. They looked happy. How the hell was that possible?

“Violet?” Allison lowered the phone and steadied her plate, which was shaking. “Are you okay?”

She pulled herself together. “Yes, of course.”

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