Page 32 of Judas

“Not that big of a deal? It’s Ella Fitzgerald!” she exclaimed, jaw dropped wide.

“Eliza, understand, it’s not been a thousand years of notables and parties. I left my home and wandered for years trying to make sense of everything that happened. I staged my own death for the sake of keeping those I loved safe. I’ve watched the rise and fall of entire empires. I’ve fought in wars that were never meant for me. I joined the Crusades just to see my homeland one more time…I fought in France, twice. I’ve seen more death than Samael, but,” his finger traced the outline of her face. “I’ve also been witness to the most beautiful sunrises over vast oceans and felt hope in the darkest of places and love where I didn’t think it existed.”

The idea was too much to process and Eliza had so many more questions now. Before she could stop herself, she whispered, “What was he like? Yesh?”

Judas’ eyes fell at the mention of his name, “He was brilliant. Loving. A visionary that only wanted the best for all of humanity. He opened our eyes to everything there is and will ever be.Unfortunately, his message has been garbled and bastardized to fit so many hateful and evil agendas… it's never ending. He wouldn’t want anything of this vitriol…so few of the churches built in his name get his message right…that is the saddest realization so far.”

Eliza mused over his words and had to agree with him. Even with her background as a child raised in the evangelical space, she knew the message didn’t make sense. How do you both love and hate someone at the same time? How could you pull messages of damnation from a man’s words that only spoke of acceptance? But, where she grew up, it happened every Sunday.

They stared into each other’s eyes for what seemed like an eternity. "So…do you get sick? Like… have you ever had the flu?" she propped her chin on his chest, staring adoringly at him.

Judas howled with laughter, "I confess to you that I can never die…that I’ve lived countless lifetimes and you ask if I get the sniffles?"

"Well," Eliza choked a giggle, "yeah. I mean… it's a valid question."

He tightened his hold, "You're right. It's valid. Yes, I've had the flu… measles, chicken pox, smallpox, bubonic plague, scarlet fever, and strep throat. But, none of them last long. I guess one of the few upsides of everlasting life."

"Wow. Okay…some of those are painful. Can you feel pain?" she asked, curiosity sparkling in her sapphire eyes.

"Yes! Of course. I felt every inch of my little display over the kitchen sink earlier. I'm certainly not immune to pain," he chortled.

She had more questions but they were flying so fast in her mind it was difficult to grab one to ask. A sly grin pulled at the corner of her mouth, “Why would you chooseChristianas your surname? Kind of on the nose a bit, right?”

Judas smirked. It was an expression that she found both satisfying and sexy at the same time.

“I’ve had lots of names.”

“Okay, but why that one?” she narrowed her eyes on him.

“Well, I can’t very well use my real name, can I?” he mused.

Eliza, the former prosecutor, pressed him, “But, why Christian?”

“You aren’t going to let this go are you?” Judas’ chest tightened in laughter.

“Uh huh,” she shook her head, laughing, "we will definitely be circling back to that one until I get a real answer."

The tip of her chin still buried in the cup of her fist on his chest, she was quiet for a long moment watching him watch her. She felt a sense of safety in his gaze. It was as if a forcefield surrounded her and if the world crumbled beneath her feet, it would prevent her from disappearing in the ashes.

"That word you use…ahavah?" she tried to imitate the inflection of his tone when he spoke. "What does that mean?"

An enormous smile spread over Judas' face and she heard his heart beat faster. He was nervous or excited; maybe both, she thought.

"It means," he swallowed hard. "My love."

Chapter nineteen

The mid-morning sun pulsed in rays as the pair held each other on the sofa. They could have forgotten about responsibility and the world outside for an eternity but the high-pitched ring of a cell phone forced them back into reality. Eliza jolted out of Judas' arms, clamoring toward her blazer, still draped over the leather side chair.

Scrambling to pull it out of the pocket, her face visibly fell when she saw her father's name on the screen.

"Shit," she muttered before answering with a flat, "Hi Dad."

Judas could hear Paul's muffled voice from the edge of the couch. Rising, he met Eliza as she paced a small path between the bar and living room before kissing her on the top of her head. "Tell your dad I said 'hi'," he whispered with a breathy voice in her ear and winked.

The comment elicited a stifled giggle and a wide-eyed look of fake admonishment. She was glad he couldn't read her mind because she might be embarrassed to admit to him that the tenor of his voice also brought a delightful shiver down herspine that made her damp moisture bloom between her thighs. Eliza forced herself to refocus her attention on what her dad was saying.

"Betsy. Are you listening to me? Where are you and what time will you be in the office? We need to talk about last night."

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