“There’s no ‘right’ way to pray,” she said softly. “Just talk to Him—share your fears, your desires… your heart. He already knows your thoughts, but He loves to hear your voice.”
Beth motioned to the couch.
“Do I have to pray out loud?” Crystal asked, sinking into the couch as far away from Beth as she could.
“You don’t have to,” Beth said gently. “But if you want to, I won’t judge.”
Crystal closed her eyes. “God… I… I’m sorry, I can’t—” Her eyes popped back open, wide with trepidation. “I don’t know how to do this. What if I do it wrong?” Her head dropped as shame crashed over her like a wave.
Beth reached out, laying her steady hand over Crystal’s trembling one. Her words were just above a whisper.
“Oh hon, you can’t do it wrong. The Bible says God will not despise a broken and contrite spirit… and darlin’, that’s you.”
Crystal didn’t try to pray out loud again. Instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and allowed the tears—and the words—tumbled out of her like a flood.
If You really know everything about me, then You know how awful I am. The things I’ve done. I hated how my mother treated us—using us, gaslighting us, only caring about getting what she wanted… I’ve become the person I hated, and I hate myself now. I don’t know how You can forgive me when I don’t even know how to forgive myself.
But if Beth can be this kind to me after everything I’ve done—after what I tried to do today—and she says it’s because of You? Then that’s what I want. I want You.
I want that void she talked about filled. I’ve listened to her for years talk about You and Your Bible, and the small part of me that wished You were real… started to believe.
I don’t want to be this person anymore. If You’re really real—like I think You are—please help me. Please forgive me. I want to belong to You.
Tears streamed down her face as she slowly turned to look at Beth. Her eyes were different now clearer than before, as if
years of pain and anger had slipped out with her tears.
“Is this… for real?”
Beth’s smile was soft. “Oh, it’s real, alright. How do you feel?”
Crystal blinked. “Different. I don’t know… lighter?”
“Peace,” Beth whispered. “That’s what I feel too.”
Crystal gave a small chuckle as she swiped at her cheeks. “Whoa. I’ve never felt this way.”
Beth caught her breath. The smile Crystal gave her—it wasn’t her usual show-stopping grin. This one wasn’t for attention. She was still stunning, obviously, but now that beauty felt… softer. Realer. Like it finally matched something good on the inside.
“So what do I do now?” Crystal asked, hands fluttering around her like she was trying to catch the feeling. “Like… do I need to do something else to hold on to this? This peace? ‘Cause man, I like it.”
“Take it one day at a time,” Beth said, her voice warm with both tenderness and experience. “There’ll be hard days—days when you struggle to find that peace again…”
Her voice trailed off as her own memories surfaced—those lonely weeks of spiritual fog, when even God’s nearness felt far away.
“…But you’re not alone anymore,” she continued softly. “God never promised us a life without pain—but He did promise to walk through it with us.”
A fresh wave of emotion washed over Crystal. Herbeautiful brown eyes shimmered—not with pride or seduction, but with something Beth had never seen in her before.
Genuine remorse.
“Beth, I’m… I’m so sorry. Can you ever forgive me? I came here to seduce your husband. To hurt you—and you… you could have ruined me. But instead, you gave me a gift I can never repay.”
Beth’s eyes stung with tears. “I didn’t give it to you. Jesus did. I just pointed you to Him.” She paused, then added with a gentle smile and a small shrug, “But yes—I forgive you.” She tilted her head slightly. “Trust?” Her smile faltered just a little, honest and real. “That’ll take time. But forgiveness? That’s already done.”
She reached for the Bible Bryce now kept on the coffee table and flipped through it, tucking a small slip of paper inside to mark a page.
“Take this.” She held it out to Crystal, who hesitated—almost like she wasn’t sure if she had the right to touch it.
