Splinters of Light Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Rachael Herron
but she filled it with her library books yesterday before she left and made sure she went to ask him a question first. Then she actually took it with her to the library, if you can believe it.”
Mariana could. Ellie had always been good at taking care of other people’s feelings. She looked over her shoulder at the front door. “So come on. Is he really not coming over?”
“He said he might but not to look for him. He might fall asleep early.”
“When are you two going to fuck and get it over with?”
“Mariana!” One of Nora’s legs shot out and kicked the coffee table.
With some difficulty, Mariana stopped herself from laughing. “You always say you don’t think of him like that, but—”
“Stop.”
It was the way Nora said it. Her voice was thready. Thin.Usually Nora’s next-door neighbor was a topic ripe for teasing. They laughed about him when he wasn’t there, and Mariana was comfortable enough with him to tease him to his face. She liked the man, genuinely enjoyed his company, and she’d suspected for years that if Harrison weren’t so into dating women with half his IQ, he and her sister would have had a fling a long time ago, getting it out of their systems.
The strange look that crossed her sister’s face did more to unnerve Mariana than anything else had.
“Oh, my god. Nora. You slept with him.”
“No,” Nora started, but her word was cut off by something that sounded like a cough even though she maintained the same facial expression.
Mariana flipped her legs off the arm of the chair and slid into a seated position on the floor next to Nora’s knees. “You did.”
“I didn’t
mean
to.”
Mariana’s spine loosened with relief. Just a man. Just a boy problem. Easiest thing in the world. Luke’s hurt face flashed into her mind.
“Tell me everything.” She rested her head against the couch’s seat cushion. “If you leave one single word out, I will know, and I will bite you in the kneecap, I swear to god.”
Chapter Five
N ora didn’t know where to start. She couldn’t believe she’d kept it a secret from Mariana for so many weeks.
In front of her, Mariana leaned forward and bared her teeth, aiming for her knee. “I’ll do it,” she growled. “I’ll bite you so hard . . .
Tell
me.”
“It was just once.”
Mariana narrowed her eyes. “Are you lying to me?”
“No.”
“Soooo hot,” her sister drawled. “A one-night stand with your best friend.”
“
You’re
my best friend. Duh.” Nora hated it when Mariana called Harrison that. It wasn’t like you got a choice when you were a twin. Nora’s best friend had been chosen in utero forty-four years prior. If Mariana had ended up being a psychopathic serial killer, it would have just meant that Nora’s best friend was on death row.
She took a deep breath and placed a hand over her bellybutton.
Mariana clapped twice. “Your best male friend. Whatever. Tell me.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
“You’re
killing
me. So. When?”
Nora felt her face color.
“Oh, Nora. How long ago? You didn’t tell me?” Mariana’s voice was hurt.
They talked to each other. Every day. They always had, about everything. And yet, even yet, sometimes nothing was said.
“Eight weeks. Maybe nine.”
Mariana swallowed. Her neck was an inch longer than Nora’s—they’d measured once, when Nora had realized she wasn’t the same swan her sister was. “Wow.”
“I’m so sorry—” Eight weeks was an eternity not to tell her sister something this big. She told Mariana when Whole Foods ran out of the local Zocalo dark roast she loved best. She told her about her bad dreams. But she hadn’t told her about Harrison. Why?
Mariana waved her hand. “No, stop.”
“But—”
“Really, you’ll just end up making it worse.”
The words made Nora want to take back the apology, as sincere as it had been. There was no
rule
she had to tell Mariana anything at all. She hadn’t broken any laws. “It’s
Mariana could. Ellie had always been good at taking care of other people’s feelings. She looked over her shoulder at the front door. “So come on. Is he really not coming over?”
“He said he might but not to look for him. He might fall asleep early.”
“When are you two going to fuck and get it over with?”
“Mariana!” One of Nora’s legs shot out and kicked the coffee table.
With some difficulty, Mariana stopped herself from laughing. “You always say you don’t think of him like that, but—”
“Stop.”
It was the way Nora said it. Her voice was thready. Thin.Usually Nora’s next-door neighbor was a topic ripe for teasing. They laughed about him when he wasn’t there, and Mariana was comfortable enough with him to tease him to his face. She liked the man, genuinely enjoyed his company, and she’d suspected for years that if Harrison weren’t so into dating women with half his IQ, he and her sister would have had a fling a long time ago, getting it out of their systems.
The strange look that crossed her sister’s face did more to unnerve Mariana than anything else had.
“Oh, my god. Nora. You slept with him.”
“No,” Nora started, but her word was cut off by something that sounded like a cough even though she maintained the same facial expression.
Mariana flipped her legs off the arm of the chair and slid into a seated position on the floor next to Nora’s knees. “You did.”
“I didn’t
mean
to.”
Mariana’s spine loosened with relief. Just a man. Just a boy problem. Easiest thing in the world. Luke’s hurt face flashed into her mind.
“Tell me everything.” She rested her head against the couch’s seat cushion. “If you leave one single word out, I will know, and I will bite you in the kneecap, I swear to god.”
Chapter Five
N ora didn’t know where to start. She couldn’t believe she’d kept it a secret from Mariana for so many weeks.
In front of her, Mariana leaned forward and bared her teeth, aiming for her knee. “I’ll do it,” she growled. “I’ll bite you so hard . . .
Tell
me.”
“It was just once.”
Mariana narrowed her eyes. “Are you lying to me?”
“No.”
“Soooo hot,” her sister drawled. “A one-night stand with your best friend.”
“
You’re
my best friend. Duh.” Nora hated it when Mariana called Harrison that. It wasn’t like you got a choice when you were a twin. Nora’s best friend had been chosen in utero forty-four years prior. If Mariana had ended up being a psychopathic serial killer, it would have just meant that Nora’s best friend was on death row.
She took a deep breath and placed a hand over her bellybutton.
Mariana clapped twice. “Your best male friend. Whatever. Tell me.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
“You’re
killing
me. So. When?”
Nora felt her face color.
“Oh, Nora. How long ago? You didn’t tell me?” Mariana’s voice was hurt.
They talked to each other. Every day. They always had, about everything. And yet, even yet, sometimes nothing was said.
“Eight weeks. Maybe nine.”
Mariana swallowed. Her neck was an inch longer than Nora’s—they’d measured once, when Nora had realized she wasn’t the same swan her sister was. “Wow.”
“I’m so sorry—” Eight weeks was an eternity not to tell her sister something this big. She told Mariana when Whole Foods ran out of the local Zocalo dark roast she loved best. She told her about her bad dreams. But she hadn’t told her about Harrison. Why?
Mariana waved her hand. “No, stop.”
“But—”
“Really, you’ll just end up making it worse.”
The words made Nora want to take back the apology, as sincere as it had been. There was no
rule
she had to tell Mariana anything at all. She hadn’t broken any laws. “It’s