our gentle sin

truth shall make you free

19.

LISA POV

Jennie and I had been seeing each other for three weeks now, and she had one more week until she was supposed to take her permanent vows. One more week to mull over her decision.

Although she had told me that she has chosen me, this choice wasn't set in stone unless she followed through with it. The next step would be for her to tell Mother Superior. She said she wasn't ready to do that. She thought she'd have enough courage to do it when she was faced with no other option. But for now, that meant a lot of time for her to overthink things and change her mind.

She didn't want to disappoint the woman who had taken her in and raised her when she had no one else. I could understand that. I believed in Jennie, and I trusted her. She was brave, for her to even endeavour in this relationship with me told me that much.

We didn't know what would happen after -- what we would do when Mother Superior found out the truth. Would Jennie be exiled from the convent? I'd like to think she wouldn't, that Mother Superior loved her unconditionally and would never do that, but I had to be realistic. That's why I was glad to have been saving so much money since I had met Jennie; stopping partying had been the best decision I had ever made.

If worst came to worst, I had enough to take care of Jennie and myself for some time. I had wondered how my dad would react, but even if he did accept Jennie and myself and offered to take us in, he would probably lose his own place in the Church, and I couldn't do that to him.

I was on my way to see my dad in the Church when I spotted a flurry of black and white attire heading into the Church hall. My eyes widened as I started searching for Jennie. I spotted her at the back of the group, besides Sister Rosie. Taking quick strides forward, I grabbed her hand and pulled her towards me, she squealed and Rosie turned around to see what was happening. She smiled when she saw me, then turned around and joined her Sisters in the Church Hall.

Pulling Jennie away from the main hall so I can talk with her, she follows along eagerly.

"Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

"It's not as if I could text you, Lisa," she reminds me of the fact that we're only able to communicate when we were together.

"Maybe I could sneak you a phone," I suggest.

"I'll get into trouble."

"We're already breaking the rules. Contraband is nothing in the face of this." Before she could stop me, I lean in and capture her lips. I don't even have the chance to deepen it before she pulls away, looking mortified.

"Are you crazy?" She pushes me off her gently. "Not here."

I do a quick glance around before making my point. "Why? No one's here." I kiss her again, she steps back and my feet follow her until she has her back against the wall, my lips still on hers.

"We're gonna burst into flames, Lisa," she mumbles against my lips. I just hum as I kiss her deeper.

After maybe a minute of kissing her against the wall, Jennie pushes me away.

"It's too risky," she says breathlessly. "There's no one in the convent," she suggests with a shy smile. I grin as I pull her away.

Hand in hand and through stifled giggles, we run out of the Church and to the convent. By the time we get to Jennie's room, we have to catch our breaths. Jennie sits timidly on her bed, and I take the space next to her, kicking our shoes off.

Moving over to her, I nudge her head down against the pillow as I lean over her body. I start the kiss off slowly as she follows my lead. Getting a little braver, she pulls my body on top of hers. I'm not sure whose heart I can feel thumping as we lay chest to chest.