Chapter Four
Priest didn’t know why he’d been cursed, but he had, clearly. Rather than listen to his request, Cleo wouldn’t be quiet.
“What’s your favorite color?” she asked.
This wasn’t the first time she had asked.
“You know I’m going to keep asking. I do think mine is purple. I don’t know why I like that color. I think I’m drawn to it, but then I love the color green. Not light either, it has to be dark, not a lime green, but the darker kind.” She talked for the sake of talking.
“You said you were tired.”
“I am.”
“Then go to sleep.”
Silence.
He wasn’t fooled.
She was waiting.
“I’m too nervous to go to sleep.”
There.
“Close your eyes and count sheep.”
“You do know that doesn’t work. I’ve been told to do that my whole life, and guess what? It doesn’t work.” She let out a huff. “Don’t you think it’s too dark?”
If he didn’t get any sleep, he was going to be even crankier than normal.
“What will make you sleep?” he asked, knowing deep down he was doomed from the start. Talking to her, even giving in a little, was asking for disaster.
“Tell me your favorite color,” she said.
“Black.” It was a lie. To have a favorite color meant he had time to care, and that wasn’t the case. He wasn’t a little boy anymore with the whole world ahead of him.
Gone was the innocence of life, and what remained was the cold dead soul he was now.
“You’re lying. No one loves black. Unless you’re goth, I guess. Oh, is that why you were a priest? You were into goth and stuff like that?”
“No.”
“Do you have a favorite song?” she asked.
“I don’t listen to music.”
“Please, everyone does. But, then again, I don’t have a favorite either. I like some songs but not a whole lot.”
He could imagine her wrinkling her nose. This was getting them nowhere.
“Would it help if I threatened to chain you up with the dogs?” he asked.
“You have dogs?”
Now he heard the excitement in her voice, and he’d had enough. There was no point in trying to fight this woman.
Throwing off the covers, he turned on the light and padded toward her. As he grabbed her arm, she let out a yelp, but he ignored it and dragged her to his kitchen. He dumped her ass in the chair and sat opposite her. At first, she looked behind her, then at him, and then back again.