He didn’t answer, not that I expected him to. I glanced at my watch. I had twelve minutes now. Twelve minutes to uncover something that was probably buried under layers and layers of memories in Roy’s subconscious.

“He’s a priest,” Roy said finally. “Father Jim is a priest.”

I wasn’t Catholic, but I knew well the stories of priests who had behaved very badly. The thought of—

“He didn’t do anything to me. To any of us.”

“Not to you. Not to the Wolfes. That’s what you’re saying.”

He nodded. “Not to kids.”

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Thank God.”

“But he…” Roy closed his eyes. “The elevator.”

“Were you in an elevator with Father Jim?”

“No. I was eighteen, I think. Nineteen maybe. The summer before college.”

“And he…?” I swallowed. Please don’t let this go there. Not Roy. Not my Roy.

“He was in the building. With my father. The Wolfe building.”

“Where I work?”

He cleared his throat. “Yeah. Only I wasn’t supposed to see…”

“See what, Roy? What weren’t you supposed to see?”

He closed his eyes. “Don’t. Don’t make me do this.” His body trembled.

I touched his face again. It was icy beneath my fingertips.

“Hey,” I said, my heart racing. “Easy. Open your eyes. Look at me.”

He obeyed, his dark eyes searing into my own.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to do this. Not right now.”

“I can’t,” he said.

“I know. I understand.”

“No, you don’t understand.” He sighed. “I can’t do it right now. I can’t do it…ever.”

My sweet, sweet Roy. His eyes were more troubled than I’d ever seen them.

“Just tell me for sure that nothing happened to you. Please. I have to know you’re okay.”

“Nothing happened to me, silver,” he said. “But I’m far from okay.”

Five minutes. Stupid fucking watch! I had five minutes before I had to leave to get to work on time. How could I leave him? How could I leave this man I loved when he was so distraught?

“Go,” he said. “Get to work. I know it’s important to you.”

“You’re important to me too.”

“I’ve lived this long without the key. I can live another hundred years if I have to. Go. Please.”

I scraped my fingers over his dark stubble. “Roy…”

“Do I have to force you to leave?”

I stood. I had to. The job. Lacey. The commitment. Everything.

Roy.

Everything.

Roy was a part of everything.

“I’ll go,” I said, “but this isn’t over. I’m coming straight over here after work tonight, and we’re going to finish this conversation.”

Roy said nothing. Just sat, as if numb, while I let myself out.