The Heart-Shaped Emblor (The Ewlishash Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

do?”
    “Well…” She hesitated, face flushed, as if embarrassed to have my focus on her. “Maybe you could come over. I told my mom I’d watch my little sister for a bit. She has some stuff that she really needs to take care of.”
    “No problem.” I spoke gently, trying to make her feel more at ease. She seemed much more apprehensive than she did at Jaden’s party.
    “After my mom and aunt get home, we’re free to do what we want.”
    “Sounds good. I’ll follow you. That way, you won’t have to drive me home later.” I leaned in close, lowering my voice. “Thank you.”
    Hope looked at me with furrowed eyebrows. “For what?”
    “For going last Friday,” I responded with appreciation. “And, thanks for asking me to hang with you today. I have a lot on my mind and being at home with no one else there…” My shoulders quivered. “It makes me uneasy.”
    The way Hope stared in response made me feel that she knew exactly what I meant. Maybe she saw things too. Or perhaps I was only imagining things. For now, my mouth would stay shut.
    “Follow me, then.” Hope walked with a bounce as she headed toward her car.
    I followed her for fifteen minutes before she pulled onto a narrow dirt driveway with a small gnome figurine standing at the entrance. Trees and brush crowded the cramped space, and the road appeared riddled with potholes. I had to drive about two miles per hour to keep from rattling my car apart.
    Her house looked like an old cottage. Moss grew thick on the roof, and ivy dangled from every ledge. Yet, even with the peeling white paint and the deck that desperately needed new wood, the house made me feel comfortable.
    I walked up the stairs to the creaking deck carefully, not sure if any of the saggy boards would pop out of place and cause me to fall. Hope waited by the front door.
    “Don’t worry.” She laughed. “They won’t break.”
    I chuckled nervously. A small girl about the age of five approached us when we entered the house. Her hair was wild, the color of flame. She glowed with a soft yellow haze, and I wondered if that was what people meant when they talked about auras. She looked young, yet I felt like I was in the presence of a very old soul.
    “Aislinn, this is my sister Kiera.” Hope motioned to the youngster.
    “Hi, Kiera. It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
    “Likewise,” she replied, then turned and walked elegantly upstairs.
    “Dang, how old is she?” I asked Hope.
    “She’s five.” Hope giggled. “She seems a lot older, doesn’t she?”
    “You could say that. Where are your mom and aunt?”
    “I called them on the way to let them know we were close.” Hope spoke nonchalantly. “They left a couple of minutes ago. We passed them on the way here.”
    “Oh.” Why would they leave a five-year-old home alone for even a few minutes? I tried to shake off my concern. “So, where are we headed?”
    “To my room.” Hope led me upstairs to the first door on the right.
    Hope’s room seemed small compared to the rest of the house, but extremely cozy. Her wrought-iron bed looked centuries old, like something I’d seen in an old black-and-white movie, complete with wear marks and scuffs.
    From the way she dressed, I had expected her room to be wild and colorful, not pastels. Her walls were soft yellow, and a handmade quilt covered the bed. Under the lacy drapes stood a small cream-colored desk with a few papers and a radio. Other than that, her room was empty.
    Hope hopped onto her bed. “So what do you want to do?”
    “I don’t know. What did you have in mind?”
    “We can just hang or watch some movies. When my mom and aunt get back, we can take off for a while, if you want to.”
    “Where did they go?”
    “They… uh, well… went to a meeting.” Hope sounded vague.
    “For work?”
    “No, not really.” Hope looked away, playing with her hands. “I don’t normally tell people this, promise you won’t freak out?”
    “Uh… I guess so.”
    “My