By the Pale Moonlight (Book One of the Moonlight Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

pieces with some
medieval contraption. A bitter tang settled on the back of my
tongue. What in the world was he up to? Afraid of startling him, I
took a seat on a workbench to wait.
    At last, he shut off the machinery and slid
the helmet shield up so he could inspect his work. "I'm busy."
    I jumped. "How'd you know I was here?"
    "I heard you come in."
    "Jesus, did you develop dog ears since I saw
you last? How the heck did you hear me over all that racket you
were making?"
    He ignored my question and grabbed more metal
bits from the table. "What do you want, Mac?"
    "Have you forgotten it's Monday?"
    He didn't answer.
    "What the hell is wrong with you?" I stared
at his back, long and hard. He continued tinkering with his tools
as though I hadn't interrupted. "Does this have anything to do with
what happened on my porch?"
    Oh God. I didn't just say that.
    He wiped a sleeve across his sweaty brow and
stared at me for the longest time. "What do you mean?"
    How could he pretend it never happened?
    "Don't do this to me, Ty. We haven't spoken
since that night, so don't play stupid. Now your cuts...and
Kim...and the other night at school, I..." My voice faltered.
    His face remained blank and unmoved.
    "Please talk to me," I said.
    "I'm busy." With that, he lowered the shield
and grabbed a blowtorch of all crazy things. With a click of the
sparker, it lit with a soft whoosh. He adjusted the flame and bent
down to his work.
    Stunned, I simply sat there for a few
minutes, not knowing what to do. When it was clear he wasn't going
to stop—even for me—I stood.
    Before leaving, I turned and shouted at his
back. "Your mom sent me to get you! Dinner's ready!" Feeling I'd
done my duty even though he probably couldn't hear me, I backed
away.
    "One more thing," I whispered. "I miss
you."
     
    o0o
     
    When pressed by our mothers as to whether he
was coming, I shrugged. "I told him it was ready."
    Just as we sat down to eat, Ty slipped in
through the back door. He had changed into a clean T-shirt and no
one would've guessed what he'd been up to.
    "Sorry I'm late," he said, and took his usual
seat beside me.
    For the next hour Ty seemed to be back to his
old self. The switch was startling, to say the least. He spoke
easily throughout the meal, and by the time we finished, I thought
for sure we were on the road to solving whatever problems were
between us.
    My mom served an apple pie for dessert. So
caught up in having Ty back to normal, I had momentarily forgotten
about Kim. "Mom? Is it really true about Kim?"
    She paused, a piece of pie on the verge of
falling off her spatula. "This isn't the time, Makenna." Exchanging
a worried glance with my father, she continued serving up
slices.
    I paused with a bite half way to my mouth,
deciding I simply had to know. "Is it true what they're saying
about the way she died? Was she really ripped to shreds?"
    Ty choked on his pie and my father pounded
him on the back. With a stern warning on his features, he spoke
firmly. "Not now, Makenna."
    I glanced around the table. Everyone's face
had gone completely pale, Ty's included. "Sorry, Dad. I just...it's
a pretty scary thing, you know?"
    My mother laid a reassuring hand on my arm.
"We know, honey. But we don't know everything yet either."
    I nodded, pushing my dessert around on my
plate.
    After dinner, our parents adjourned to the
living room. I motioned for Ty to follow me up to my room. His
footsteps padded softly behind me. I closed my door behind us. He
took a seat in my papasan chair while I opted to sit on the
floor.
    "I'm glad you came to dinner," I began.
    "Me too." He leaned forward, elbows on his
knees, and stared at the ground. "Listen, Mac. I'm sorry I've been
such a jerk lately."
    It felt like a weight lifted off my
shoulders. "I'm just glad you're here. I have so much to talk to
you about." I hesitated, not knowing how to form my words. "I know
this is going to sound crazy, but I think whatever killed Kim tried
to attack me."
    He froze.