The Boy Who Lurks in Shadows (The Bone Whisperer Chronicles Book 2) by Rachel Rener

Author:Rachel Rener [Rener, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lightning Conjurer Books, LLC
Published: 2023-10-16T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Young Love

Weeks passed, and the new year came and went.

Elliot found a way to see June every day, whether walking her home from school, helping her with her homework on the park bench, or coming inside for pepperoni pizza and a movie when her mother was out. Sometimes they’d listen to records for hours on end, with June cheerfully singing along to Michael Jackson’s newest album. Elliot had never felt so happy, or as safe, as June made him feel. And while he never forgot the pinky promise he’d made to his adoptive mother long ago, he felt compelled to share every part of himself with June that he could, spurred by her kindness, her compassion, and her unwavering empathy. She didn’t just listen to Elliot, she heard him, understanding him in a way no one else ever had.

And he understood her.

Unlike the boys at June’s school, Elliot would listen to her for hours at a time, asking questions and offering comfort whenever and however he could. When June’s mother left her alone for the evening, a once-rare event that was occurring with increasing frequency, Elliot would come over and keep June company. They would cook together, play games until late in the evening, and then whisper a hushed goodbye when the garage door alerted them of her mother’s return.

Elliot didn’t know exactly where he and June stood as far as their relationship was concerned – after all, he’d never so much as kissed her on the cheek, out of fear his growing feelings for her were unreciprocated. But there were times, especially when Elliot had to leave at the end of the evening, that June would look up at him, biting her lip as though she were hoping he might… Well, Elliot wasn’t sure, exactly. But with more than three years separating them in age – not to mention a total lack of romantic experience that might have otherwise helped him gauge the situation – he wasn’t going to risk scaring her off. If all she ever wanted was friendship, then Elliot would be the greatest, most loyal friend June would ever have. Period.

Their friendship continued in this way for several months, until late one February night.

After a particularly explosive fight with her mother, June called Elliot in tears, asking him if he could meet her. After running the entire distance from his house to hers, he found her waiting for him at their bench beside the lake, her vibrant auburn hair set aglow by the light of the streetlamp. When she looked up at him, her green eyes shining with emotion, something stirred deep in Elliot’s chest, stronger than it ever had before – something all at once wondrous and terrifying.

“Are you okay?” he asked, approaching the bench.

Without saying a word, June stood and flung her arms around him in a tight embrace. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered against his chest.

He pressed his cheek to the top of her head, breathing in her sweet fragrance. “I’ll always come when you call me… Always.

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