Adam was glad to have the towel in place, even though the beginnings of his erection were a distant memory. His gaze went from Emil’s tensing shoulders to the teen’s obscenely expensive bag. “Money means nothing to our Lord. Didn’t Jesus say it would be difficult for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God?”
That would show her. Not.
Jessika unfolded her large beach towel in the grass close to the shore. “Jesus also said one shouldn’t bathe naked with another man.”
Emil frowned. “Jesus literally went bathing with John the Baptist.”
Adam ran his hand down his face. “It was a baptism, not bathing,” he mumbled.
Jessika’s friend settled down and started applying sunscreen, but young Miss Golonko was as unpleasant as her mother and wouldn’t shut up. “Either way, I don’t think the lord would have liked you to bathe naked with the devil’s favorite, Father.”
“A what?” Adam asked, shocked by her rudeness.
Jessika shrugged and pulled a large bottle of Diet Coke out of her bag. “I’m sure Emil knows what people say about his legendary bad luck. He can never leave, because who else would suffer so Dybukowo’s fortunate can thrive?” she asked with a small smile.
Jessika’s friend blinked, in full make up—false eyelashes and all—even though she was to spend the day at the lake. “I remember. Your mom said that!”
Unbelievable.
Adam’s pulse thudded until his throat felt as if there was a hand squeezing it. Two brats who had never experienced a fraction of the hardships Emil had to deal with every day, and they both thought they were better than him just because of their parents’ wealth. “You shouldn’t be saying such things. It’s unkind.”
Jessika rolled her eyes. “Well, then explain to me Father how is it that Mrs. Janina won the lottery on the very same day Emil was robbed?”
Emil picked up the rest of their stuff. “Get a life, Jess.”
“Maybe you should get one? There’s no way I’ll be stuck in this dump at thirty. I’m barely even here during the school year. Cracow’s pretty amazing, even when you have to board at school.”
“Maybe you should get a job?” Jessika’s friend suggested, and Emil seemed to have had enough, as he stormed off without a word.
Adam dragged behind him with a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.
It was only once they reached the path, which would lead them to the parsonage that Adam managed to push words out of his mouth.
“Mrs. Janina won in the lottery? What? A hundred zloty or more? Just two days ago, Mr. Pasik came over, desperate to borrow some money until the end of the month, because he needed to have a pipe replaced, and she basically told him she barely covered her own expenses.” Which reminded Adam of her sending five grand to her grandson in the USA.
Emil shook his wet head. “No, she won a lot. Like, a lot. She’s just a greedy bitch who’d rather die on top of her pile of gold than share it.”
Adam watched his back, walking in silence while Emil stormed ahead like a battering ram. His silence struck needles into Adam’s flesh, and each carried more poison. He watched the tense set of Emil’s broad shoulders and hated the little voice inside of him which asked all the ‘what-ifs’.
What if Emil was playing some kind of double game with him and secretly dabbled in the occult? Technically, the church considered palm-reading sorcery and saw it as yet another gateway for demons to enter the world. What if there was a connection they both didn’t understand? What if Emil had been targeted by the devil and somehow passed that influence onto Adam? It couldn’t be a coincidence that the most horrifying experiences in Adam’s life coincided with his arrival in Dybukowo. With their meeting.
“Have you always had bad luck?” Adam asked, catching up with Emil even though he knew that sooner or later, they’d need to stop by a bush and put on pants.
“Huh? Yes, Adam. I’ve broken many bones, hurt people by accident, and set my parents on fucking fire! Can you drop it?”
Adam swallowed, taken aback by the ferocity of Emil’s anger. “I’m sorry.”
The silence continued after they stopped, and Adam struggled to think of a way to help Emil. He sensed Emil’s gaze lingering on his body as they changed, and it felt like hungry licks. This needed to end, because next time, somebody might get ideas about the nature of their relationship.
“Look, maybe people would treat you differently if you didn’t stand out so much,” he tried.
Emil frowned. “Can you stop complaining? Nothing bad happened.”
“I’m complaining? I’m just trying to think what to do so you don’t have to deal with shit like that. And the fact that people noticed we’re spending so much time together isn’t gonna help,” Adam whispered, aware of every little sound around them, because what if they were accidentally overheard by a villager taking a nap in the grass? He couldn’t put his clothes on fast enough.