Eliza's Shadow Read Online Free PDF

their conversation,
I knew it wasn’t the first time they’d spoken. Then she handed the receiver to
me.
    Jane’s voice was light and soothing. And after her
coaxing, I agreed to go to her. The next day, I climbed on a plane, flew out of
Moco and into a new life.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    4
     
     
    The sound of a key in the
door startled me. It had grown dark outside and I hadn’t turned on any lights
yet. I shook my head struggling to return to the present. Jane burst in and
jumped when she saw me sitting on the couch in the dark.
    "Oh Eliza, I'm sorry, were you asleep there?
You surprised me!" She said with nervous curiosity.
    I recognized Adam's dark profile behind her in the
hall. "Hey, Eliza." He said cheerfully.
    Adam was soft-spoken, gentle, and incredibly
loyal. I knew that he didn’t hold me responsible for the limits Jane imposed on
their relationship. I hadn’t seen him since their last tiff and it was nice to
hear his voice.
    "Hey, Adam. Yeah, I got sick at school and
came home early. Guess I fell asleep out here." I mumbled haltingly.
    Oh, where to start?
    Jane flipped on the lights that lined the bare
industrial ceiling and analyzed my face suspiciously.
    "Oh, hon, you don't look good. Have you been
crying?" She asked as she rushed toward me.
    Adam lingered in the doorway, assessing the scene.
"Jane, I'm gonna get going. Eliza, it's good to see you kid. I hope you
feel better."
    Concern flickered across his face as he backed out
the door. "Call you later, Janie."
    Jane glanced back at Adam, giving him a
thank-you-for-understanding look.
    “Thanks, Adam. Love you." She called after
him.
    Adam's face lit up around a sheepish smile.
"Love you too, Janie." He said before he slipped out, quietly closing
the door behind him.
    Jane's forehead crinkled as she studied my face.
    "What happened? Why are you so upset,
babe?" She asked.
    So much for hoping I just looked sick. An
involuntary reaction, I reached out and buried my face in her shoulder. Her
sweater smelled like the sea. The sea, musky perfume and just Jane comforted
me.
    When I didn't let go after a few minutes, she
asked lightly, "What if we talk about it over hot chocolate?"
    I nodded with my face still buried against her.
Reluctantly, I released her and we both headed for the kitchen. I climbed onto
a barstool as Jane pulled ingredients from a cabinet…cacao, sugar, salt, and
cinnamon.
    "I want to talk about my mother." I said
shakily.
    I’d come to Port Rune with the understanding that
I was only staying with Jane temporarily, until my mother was back. Cora had
sent me away with the assurance that if my mother could be helped, she’d
provide it, but my place was with Jane, far away from the troubles of Moco. At
first, the sheriff called regularly to report on the case, though nothing was
ever found. As the weeks, then months passed by the situation grew hopeless. It
was when a year had passed that Jane decided to renovate her loft to make a
permanent bedroom for me. By then, I’d lost hope in Cora’s ability to bring my
mother back and eventually the sheriff informed us that there wasn’t much else
he could do. Jane and I had grown close and I was happy living with her. We
talked about my mother less often and eventually, we stopped talking about her
altogether. And though she was never far from my mind, the pain of missing her
had quieted like a hibernating beast.
    But now, with Ren’s arrival, that pain had woken
it up.
    Jane paused before hesitantly glancing my way. Her
reaction confirmed that the topic of my past was as uncomfortable for her as it
was for me.
    "Mmm, what do you want to know?" She
asked cautiously.
    "I want to know what you thought of me, what
you know about what happened in Moco. I want to know everything." If I was
going to face my past, I needed to gather all the information possible to move
forward.
    Jane stared thoughtfully into the pot of hot chocolate
she stirred on the stove before speaking.
    "Ok.” She said