Out of the Shadow Read Online Free PDF

over her racing heart, as if the pressure would quiet its wild rhythm, and cautiously made her way back toward the bedroom.
    The overwhelming scent of perfume assaulted her senses before she spotted the broken bottle on the bedroom floor. She must have created the disaster herself when she moved bottles aside to place her pants on the dresser top. She bent over to pick up a large remnant with a label that read Raffinée .
    Her disappointment at demolishing her favorite fragrance did little to diminish her relief the noise was nothing more than a broken bottle. She tossed the glass shards in the trash, swept up any remains, and soaked up the perfume with a towel.
    Afterwards, she put the rest of her clothes away and reclaimed her seat in the living room. She tried to concentrate on a Glamour magazine she’d brought along, primarily for the purpose of distracting herself, but discovered she couldn’t. Still jittery, she had to escape the oppressive apartment. Breathe some fresh air.
    Becca made a bee-line for the front door, stopping only long enough to shrug her way into a black fiber-filled jacket. Outside, she took a seat on the front steps. A glance at her watch told her the time, 5:30 p.m. Only two hours had passed since her dad had dropped her off, and already she was a nervous wreck.  How could she possibly stay the night by herself?
    She lowered her chin into her hands, staring down at the cement pavement, when a pair of white Nike running shoes came into view. She raised her eyes past long legs in denims, a beige vest over a navy-blue wool shirt, and into the deep chocolate-brown eyes of her next door neighbor. His chestnut-colored hair had been combed away from his face, which was creased with a warm and sincere smile.
    "Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you," he said. "I’m so sorry about what happened."
    "Thanks for your concern."
    He pointed to the step. "Mind if I sit?"
    "Of course not." She moved over to make room for him.
    "What are you doing out here all by yourself? It’s awfully cold this evening."
    Right . She had been so preoccupied she had hardly noticed the plummeting temperature until now. She wrapped her arms around herself. "I moved back in today, but I’m having trouble being in my apartment alone."
    "Oh, I see." His knowing look put her at ease. "Too many ghosts?"
    She nodded.
    "I understand."
    "I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I don’t know your name."
    "Evan," he said, holding out a hand to shake. "Frankin. And yours is Rebecca Rosen, am I right?"
    Surprised, she studied him. His slightly receding hairline informed her he was probably in his mid-thirties, but he had the physique of a younger man. Then she remembered his passing the window on one of his morning jogs. She had made small talk with him on a handful of occasions when their mailbox schedules coincided, and she had always thought of him as kind and courteous, and attractive in a way; but her marital status prevented her from ever considering him more than just a friendly neighbor. Even though she wouldn't have thought of him as handsome in the traditional sense, there was something especially appealing about him. "How do you know—"
    "Besides seeing it in all the papers, I had a visit from the police a couple days after the tragedy. They wanted to know what my relationship was with you and your husband. You know, the usual questions."
    "Yeah, they’ve asked me one or two as well."
    "I bet they have, Rebecca."
    "Please call me Becca. Everyone else does. So what do you do with your time, Evan Frankin? I see you leave every morning and come back in the evening. You must be up to something in between."
    He chuckled. "I guess you could say that. I’m a student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine."
    “What's the difference between Osteopathic Medicine and Allopathic Medicine?” she asked.
    “Osteopathic Medicine focuses on the whole person, not just body parts and symptoms.”
    "Interesting,” she