Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

"Well, we

'd best go to sleep. Contrary to what I had hoped, it looks like we'll be needing all our strength for the days to come." she said. "Good night."

"Good night and I'm really sorry this

happened."

She lifted her hand but continued on. I watched her walk out of the living room. She climbed the stairs as if she was climbing Mount Everest, Without even knowing her that well, I hated Rhona more than I had ever hated anyone for what she had done. but I hated myself even more tonight for giving her the opportunity to add to Mrs. Westington's grief and worry.

I barely slept, anticipating the coming of morning and whatever else Rhona and Skeeter would do. My conscience was like a hammer pounding at me, pointing out that after all Mrs. Westington had done and wanted to do for me. I had only made her lift and Echo's life more difficult. A number of times during the night. I actually thought to get up, get dressed, take my things, and sneak off before morning came. I truly felt like I didn't belong anywhere. Finally, maybe only an hour or so before the sunlight washed way the darkness. I fell into an exhaustion and slept.

Echo shook me awake to tell me her mother had come home. She had peaked through the slightly open bedroom door and seen her in bed.

"And the dream catcher worked!" she declared with excitement in her face as she signed, "I didn't have any nightmares."

I should have bought one for myself, too, I thought, but said nothing. I told her how happy I was for her. Full of new energy and hope, she urged me to hurry along while she went on to help her

grandmother with breakfast. I moved like a zombie, but got washed and dressed and went downstairs. Mrs. Westington still looked troubled and tired to me, but neither of us said anything more about the events from the night before. What should have been a wondrous, memorable experience for me had become

troublesome and embarrassing. Would I ever have a satisfying romantic experience?

After breakfast I waited outside to greet Tyler before he entered the house so I could warn him about what had happened. With all her work to be done spread out on the desk. Echo was in the office eagerly waiting for him. Trevor had gone to buy some supplies he needed at the lumber company. and Rhona and Skeeter were sleeping late as usual. The moment I saw Tyler's sports car turn into the driveway, I hurried to meet him.

"What?" he said, seeing the look on my face. I told him what Rhona had done and how Mrs. Westington was disappointed in our sneaking around the property.

"I'm sure she made me look disgusting to Mrs. Westington," he said, as if he were the only one in the motor home. "I was afraid that would happen," he added, walking toward the house. "I almost didn't come back to tutor,"

"Didn't come back to tutor? Why not? Echo has nothing to do with what you and I did last night and what happened because of it."

He paused at the steps and turned to me. "Let's pretend it didn't happen." he said.

"What?"

"It's better if we do that." He continued up the steps to the front door. "Better if we put it out of mind."

"But... you said we'd never forget,"

He turned. "We won't, but we don't have to acknowledge it in front of anyone else. This way it's just our word against Rhona's."

"But I already told Mrs. Westington the truth."

"All of it?" he asked, his face twisting with shock.

"Not in detail. but I didn't say it wasn't true that you and I met at the motor home. How could I do that?"

He thought for a moment. "Just don't talk about it," he said. "No matter what."

"Don't talk about it? You mean with you as well?"

"Right. Just the way you wouldn't talk about anything else that never happened."

He entered the house and left me standing in my own cold numbness. Just the way you wouldn't talk about anything else that never happened? What did that mean, that whatever had been between us was over already? Was he ashamed of it? What about all that stuff he told me about thinking about me all day and how he couldn't get me out of his mind? He said he was so looking forward to being with me. All that had made me feel so good. How could I pretend it never happened? How could he? When we looked at each other now, would we look at each other the way we did before last night? Had nothing changed between us even after the most intimate act?

I hurried in after him. I knew Mrs. Westington wouldn't bring up anything about it with him. She was far too much of a lady. She greeted him the same way she did every time he had arrived and he acted the same. too. He went right to the office to begin his work with Echo. Mrs. Westington exchanged a quick look with me that more or less said. "Let sleeping dogs lie." and then returned to the kitchen to prepare a salad for lunch. She was roasting a chicken.

However, the peace we hoped to keep in the house was broken almost the moment after Rhona and Skeeter came down. I heard Rhona cry. "Where are the lovers this morning?" She followed it with a laugh. "Still in the motor home? It was rocking so hard. Skeeter and I thought it was an earthquake. Right, Skeeter?"

"I immediately hugged a tree.- he said, and they both laughed hard and loudly.