Reining In (The Network) Read Online Free PDF

my “family” were very happy to see me, rushing over to talk to me the minute they saw an opportunity. Many I hadn’t seen in a long time. As a rule, I had tried to keep moving around, town to town, country to country, in order to keep from arousing suspicion over my eternal youth. Keeping up with my family was easy then.
    But as Raymond got on in years and his health began to fail, I moved around less, and eventually stayed here, keeping an ever watchful eye on him. My relationships suffered because of it. I suddenly felt bad. Most of them had walked away from their lives; giving up everything they knew to work for me. I relied on them for everything, but they also relied on me. They needed me as much as I needed them, and I owed it to them to at least pretend to be ok.
    I spent the rest of the evening trying my best to be cheerful, or as cheerful as one is expected to be at these sort of things. I caught up with people I hadn’t seen in years, making promises of visits long overdue. I was actually lost in conversation when Mack tapped me on the shoulder to ask if I was ready to leave.
    “How late is it?” I had asked, surprised at how quicly the time had passed.
    “It’s pretty late, Khallie. Don’t worry, many of them are staying for a few days. You’ll have time to catch up.”
    I said my goodbyes and waited at the door for him as he said his. I noticed when he hugged his secretary, Marlene, goodbye, he held her longer than he meant to. I had long suspected that there was more to their relationship than he let on. Her eyes caught mine as she let him go, and she quickly looked away, as if ashamed she had been caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to. I smiled. I knew why they kept it a secret. I would have to remember to talk to Mack about it later. He sacrificed too much for me already. That had to stop.
    I was glad to see that the rain had finally let up as he walked me to his car. Although my broken heart was far from healed, I no longer wished for the rain to last forever.
    “What are you thinking about?”
    “Mississippi,” I answered, without looking up.
    “Oh?” He drove in silence for a few minutes, then turned to me, looking at me as though he was trying to read my thoughts.
    “When are you leaving?” Strange how perceptive he was. It was as if he actually COULD read them.
    “I’m not sure,” I finally replied.
    “Do you think it’s a good idea?”
    “You don’t?” I asked, surprised. He pondered on this for a moment, trying to decide what he felt. He finally looked at me and then smiled. He looked back at the road, continuing to smile.
    “Well?”
    “I think it’s a great idea.”
    “He wasn’t there tonight?” It sounded like a question, but I already knew the answer. I had looked for him. He wasn’t there.
    “It’s not his fault, Khallie. It had nothing to do with you, or Raymond. He couldn’t be there.”
    “Yeah.” I wanted to believe him, but I wasn’t as confident as he was about how Jake would react.
    “He still loves you, you know.”
    “Yeah, I know.”
    “It’s the right thing. You can’t spend eternity hiding from what you feel. And you can’t just go around breaking hearts like you do!” He laughed at that last part. I couldn’t help but smile.
    “How about next week, after everyone has gone?”
    “Great! I’ll help you pack”
    "Geez Mack, you'd think you were trying to get rid of me?" Shaking his head, Mack smiled.
    “I think I can manage. I’m not a child, you know”
    “I know. I just don’t want you to change your mind.” He paused, then, “It’s all he wanted, you know, was to see the two of you together.”
    That much I knew. Raymond was nothing if not persistent. He tried to make me go countless times. I had always resisted. I wasn’t really even sure why I was going now, but somehow I knew that I needed to be there, in his arms. The question was, would he still have me?
    As we pulled into my drive, I remembered another