Hiding Places by Skye Warren

Author:Skye Warren [Warren, Skye]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Book Beautiful
Published: 2022-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Jane Mendoza

Our houses share the cliffside, as well as the single road that winds down. At the bottom of our mountain there are two mailboxes. A traditional ornate mailbox belongs to the Coach House. And the more modern mailbox with a metal frame and a herringbone door is ours.

I always dreamed of having my own house. Someday.

But I never anticipated the satisfaction I’d get from seeing mail arrive. Not a small metal box in an apartment complex. Not to someone else’s house where I’m the nanny.

Mail coming to my house.

I walk down the steep road in my flip-flops. Maine weather is strange. I’ve grown so accustomed to the cold, rainy days. Summer heats the cliffside to temperatures that rival Houston.

Sweat coats my arms and upper lip by the time I reach the bottom. There’s a black SUV waiting in case I need to go anywhere. And a guard standing duty.

He gives me a professional nod. Brian. That’s his name. “Ma’am.”

“Good morning,” I say with a small wave.

Secretly I find it amusing that the security guards all call me ma’am when they’re twice my age. I never really understood why some women dislike being called that. Because it makes them feel old? I’ve wanted to be old for years. Old means having power over your own life. Old means not living in foster homes, at the mercy of abusive men. It’s a relief to be old enough to be called ma’am.

I will just ignore the fact that he also calls Paige ma’am.

Technically I could have called and had him bring the mail. It’s part of their protection services. They’ll even pick up groceries and things from the drugstore. Keeping me indoors is part of the safety plan. Unfortunately it’s also stifling. So I take my daily walk to breathe fresh air.

And as a bonus, I get to check for mail from colleges.

I’ve heard back from half the schools so far. Mostly acceptances. A few rejections.

No word from Mainland College.

And that’s where I want to go, I’ve already decided.

The admissions advisor Mary Monroe had acted like I was a shoo-in, but I know better. My grades were decent, but I didn’t have a fancy SAT prep class. Or the money to do extracurriculars.

My application isn’t as strong as other students’.

The fact that Kevin already has his acceptance makes me nervous. Though he’s in a completely different department than me. I pull the black metal handle, revealing a neat stack of mail. Because the house is new, and the address is new, we don’t get a lot of junk.

There are a couple letters for Beau.

A promotional postcard inviting me to a campus tour in upstate New York.

And a letter from Mainland College. The logo of an abstract mountain range looks unassuming. Ordinary. I imagine some clerk stuffing envelopes and stamping them, her mind on other things. Music playing on her phone. Calm and relaxed, nothing like the panic I feel now.

Should I wait until Beau gets back? He’s out with Mateo.

No, I definitely can’t wait that long.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.