Shadows Among Us by Ellery Kane

Author:Ellery Kane [Kane, Ellery]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Thriller, Fiction
ISBN: 9781733670142
Publisher: Ellery Kane Publishing
Published: 2019-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter

Sixteen

(Sunday, July 24, 2016)

Dakota leaned her head against the Jeep’s warm window and closed her eyes as her mother piloted the streets of downtown Napa. Every few seconds, Gus popped up from the backseat and stuck his snout between them, wet against Dakota’s arm. Her mom had insisted on driving her to the library—it’s too hot to ride your bike, she’d said—which Dakota concluded meant one of three things in a twisted multiple-choice test. Either her mother didn’t trust her, or she wanted to talk. Or worse, all of the above.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to the dog park? Gus and I would love to have you. Wouldn’t you, boy?”

At the mention of his name, Gus pranced forward and zeroed in on her mom’s face, his long tongue like a heat-seeking missile. Dakota grabbed him by the collar and tugged him off.

“I already told you.” Her voice sounded hard as nails, so she started again. “It’s just that I want to get a head start on my summer reading list. I heard Mr. Ryan’s no joke.” That part was true, at least. Mr. Ryan, sophomore AP English, had the reputation of being a GPA crusher.

“Well, it’s good to hear you’re still a smarty pants.”

“Mom, I dyed my hair. I didn’t get a lobotomy.”

Unexpected as a summer rainstorm, her mom’s laughter surprised her, and Dakota found herself laughing too. It had been too long since they’d had fun together. “It’s really not that bad, I guess,” her mom said, tugging at a strand of Dakota’s hair.

“Gee, thanks.”

“You know what I mean.”

The giggling between them slowly died, leaving a strange void. A dreary silence, the exact opposite of laughter. Even Gus slumped to the seat, laying his chin to his paws.

“Are you and Dad getting a divorce?”

Her mom pulled alongside the library’s entrance and sighed deeply. Which didn’t mean no. And probably meant yes. At best, a maybe. Another multiple choice for which she had no answer.

“Why would you ask that? Is this about Tyler? Are you still upset?” She fired off the questions so fast, Dakota hardly had a chance to be properly outraged. “You’re better off without that boy. He was too old for you anyway.”

“No. It’s not about Tyler. It’s about you and Dad. The two of you are always fighting. And you seem sad all the time.”

Dakota felt her own eyes well with tears, and she looked away, down the sidewalk where a little girl skipped with a book in one arm and her mother beside her. Dakota wanted to feel that buoyant. To feel so happy that skipping seemed like a reasonable thing to do.

“Honey, you know Dad’s been working hard lately. Doctor Samuels retires next year, and your father thinks he’s got a shot at being the next chief oncologist. It’s really important to him.”

“More important than you and me?”

“Of course not. Relationships are complicated. They ebb and flow. But no matter what happens between your father and me, we both love you very much.

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