When They Fade by Jeyn Roberts

Author:Jeyn Roberts
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2016-09-13T04:00:00+00:00

TATUM

She can barely control her excitement as she steps up to the front porch. Molly is here. In the proverbial flesh. And Tatum is about to sneak her into her house so they can have a talk. As she pushes against the door, she hesitates, hoping that her texts to Mom were enough to send her parents to bed without worry. She sent one off just after she left the coffee shop.

I’ll be right home. Sorry, got really caught up in my homework.

Half an hour. I promise.

Mom replied, telling her she’d better be home as soon as possible or there would be hell to pay. But Tatum knows that once Mom gets an arrival time, she’s less likely to worry. She’s probably upstairs, tucked in with Dad (who is most definitely snoring), reading a book until she hears the key in the lock. And if Tatum goes straight to her room, there isn’t going to be a confrontation.

“Okay,” Tatum whispers. “Follow me. We have to be quiet.”

Molly nods. She steps across the entrance with that guy trailing behind her. Tatum’s a bit more worried about him. She can easily explain a girl in her bedroom. All she has to say is that Molly is from school and Tatum is giving her a book for class. But a boy? That’s the number one house rule being broken. Let’s also not forget that it’s after eleven on a school night. Tatum could get grounded until graduation if she gets caught. She thinks about asking Parker to wait outside, but doesn’t. He’s got a very guarded look on his face. The way he’s monitoring Molly’s every move suggests he’s not going to let her out of his sight.

Thankfully, Tatum’s bedroom is on the other side of the house. If they keep their voices down, there’s no reason why her mom or dad should hear them. Tatum will turn on some music.

They climb the stairs quietly. When they reach the top, Tatum sees that the light is on beneath her parents’ door.

“Tatum?”

She freezes. Points to Molly and Parker.

“Down to the end,” she whispers. “On the left.”

Molly nods and they move along. Once they’re out of range, Tatum pushes open her parents’ bedroom door. Sure enough, just as she guessed, Mom’s got a book in her hands and Dad is snoring away.

“You’re late.”

“Sorry,” Tatum says.

“Is everything all right? Nothing happened?”

No, everything is wrong. Don’t pretend to care.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay. Have a good sleep.”

Mom places her book on the nightstand and turns out the light. Just like that. Nothing else. She’s not even going to scold Tatum for being an hour past curfew. Like everyone else, even Tatum’s parents don’t care anymore. They’ll be relieved when school ends and she leaves town. Their embarrassing daughter. Can’t wait to get rid of her.

She’s on her own.

Tatum closes the door quietly, ignoring the desire to slam it several times. When she reaches her room, she finds Molly sitting on her mattress while Parker browses the books on her shelf. The bedside reading lamp is turned on, leaving most of the walls covered in dark shadows.

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