The Marradith Ryder Series: The Art of Shadows, Part 59
Harley Solano was only five feet tall, and barely ninety pounds.
Like most young girls, Harley reinvented herself every two years, and Marradith remembered each incarnation with rueful fondness.
In fourth grade, when the two girls met, Harley had waist long hair and glasses. She always wore capris and t-shirts, all of them with buttons, studs, or some kind of catchy saying. She didn’t seem to have a shirt that was without decoration.
In sixth grade, Harley wore all black. Long black dresses and boots. She had blue streaks put in her dark hair. At that time Marradith was still trying to find her niche at school, but she didn’t fit with Harley’s new friends. They drifted away from each other, even though they lived only a few doors down on the same street.
In ninth grade, she cut her hair off and stlyed it in a short, curly bob. She discovered colors again, and wore mascara to bring out her large, amber eyes. And about that time, boys started to discover her as well.
Marradith wondered what form her friend’s latest incarnation had taken.
***
Jake offered to pick Harley up from the airport, seeing as she was flying in by herself. Marradith had meant to go with him, but she overslept. Her Uncle texted her that morning, explaining that he was already on his way and not to worry.
Danny, as usual, managed to get out of the house. He’d left early too, going to visit their cousin, Sheriff Drake.
Which would have been fine, if it weren’t for the fact that this left Marradith alone with David.
He was awake and sitting at the kitchen table by the time she came down to get coffee. His eyes followed her as she walked to the refrigerator. It was a little past ten. She noticed the dark circles under his eyes.
“Good morning,”she said softly.
David said hello, and she noticed that his eyes slid back to his plate.
“That didn’t feel like just a dream, last night, not any that I have ever had. That was like another place.”
Marradith turned around slowly.
“It did.”
David stood. “If you don’t want to talk about it I understand. I know it’s uncomfortable for you.”
Marradith pulled a mug down from the shelf for her coffee. She filled it and took a long sip before answering. “Couldn’t be helped, right?”
She had never been able to control the trajectory of her dreams. There was a time when she picked up on Leighton’s remembrances of the past. But the real question about this latest dream was this; was it made within her own subconscious, David’s, or was it something else entirely?
Marradith didn’t trust things enough to ask David if he had any ideas about that. So she didn’t ask the question that was uppermost on her mind.
“Have you decided yet, what you’re going to tell Harley?” David asked.
“About what?”
“Well, about you. And me. You’re wearing your wedding ring. How are you going to explain me being here? Does she know you’re married?”
“I will tell her something. Don’t worry about it.”
“Alright,” he said. Marradith spoke sweetly enough, but there was a little edge to her smile. He noticed that she had raised her defenses. He could not read her mind so easilly now.
“I hope you’ll have a good time with her here. Has to be difficult.”
“What?”
“Being uprooted from everything you were used to. Leaving Texas.”
“I’m more used to it now than I was when I first left.”
David walked across the room and stood in front of her. Though they were alone, he lowered his voice.
“Look. I hope that I haven’t offended you, but this, whatever you want to call it between us, is a natural thing.”
There is no us, Marradith thought, but held back her words. Stating the obvious would only make her look defensive.
He stroked her neck with the tip of his finger. She was alarmed to feel the warmth of his energy flowing into her. It was powerful enough to cause her to stand still as her blood rushed.
“You might want to do something about that little mark.”
Marradith ran into the bathroom. Pulling her hair away from her neck, she saw it: a love bite along the left side of her neck, just where he’d kissed her the night before, in her dream.
He walked up behind her, and their eyes met in the mirror. He crossed his arms, leaning in the doorway.
She remembered that detail, even as other things were becoming fuzzy. “Nothing some makeup won’t cover,” she said coolly.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Sure.”
______________________________
©2011 Lori Titus
Hunting in Closed Spaces (Book One of The Marradith Ryder Series) will soon be available in novel form. Stay connected with the author on Twitter as Loribeth215 for updates, or go to her blog, http://loribeth215.wordpress.com
Tags: Lori Titus, The Art of Shadows, The Marradith Ryder Series
