Chapter 35

Far away, the phone began to ring, and he sat down on the bed,

praying for someone to answer. “Come on,” he begged softly. “Please

just—” The phone clicked in his ear. “Hello? Nate?”

“Alex?” Father Nate asked. The warm voice hardened.

“You’re not telling him over the phone. I won’t let

you.”

“I already told him,” Alex whispered, “but I was wrong.

You’re right, he needs someone to love him, and I need to talk to

him again, I need to tell him I’m sorry…God, I know I was wrong.

Not about the program but about him.” Taking a deep breath to

steady himself, he asked, “Can I just talk to him for a minute?

Tell him I’m sorry?”

“Are you coming back?” the priest wanted to know. “Because

I’m not going to let you play him like this. He needs someone who

will be there for him, Alex. He needs—”

“He needs me.” Now the words were out in the open,

they were real, and it felt so good to admit them. “And I

need him. So let me just talk to him. Please.”