Lovely Shadows (4 page)

“It's three in the afternoon. Are you going to check on your parents?”

“I don't think I am ready for that yet.”

“Let me know what you find,” I said as I dialed Levi's number. He was still in the field when I called. He immediately invited me over to watch movies later that night.

“Don't think I am going to get naked every time we're together,” I warned.

“Darn! Well, I guess we should break up then.”

“Suit yourself...”

“You know I'm kidding. We'll watch movies. Hell, we can watch birds for all I care. I just want to see you.”

“I'll be there around seven.”

“What will you tell your grandfather?”

“It's Saturday. He'll be so obsessed with tomorrow's message he won't even know I'm gone.”

“Then I guess it's a date.”

I hung up then went downstairs to the computer. Grandpa didn't allow us to have computers in our rooms, I think more because of Luke than anything else. Grandpa was afraid Luke would start surfing porn or something. The funny thing was Luke really wasn't interested in girls. Correction: he wasn't interested in any girl except Billie. Luke was only seventeen months younger than me, ten months younger than Billie. I didn't think she realized he had a crush on her. I certainly wasn't telling her. I've told him dozens of times to ask her out. The idea of my best friend and my brother dating didn't creep me out. I had a ghost following me; nothing creeped me out.

After the computer wheezed to life, I searched the archives once more. Unfortunately, I still couldn't find anything new related to the crash. The investigation closed two weeks after Aidan died. With no witnesses, how were they going to prove otherwise? Somehow, I'd have to convince the police that something suspicious occurred, and I couldn't do that without evidence. So, really, Aidan was no better than when he first started. Hopefully, he'd find something at the crime scene.

I washed several loads of laundry, cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floors, and made dinner. Like he always is on Saturday nights, Grandpa was distracted. Luke and I play this game where we try to say something outrageous while being as subtle as possible, just to see if we can get a rise out of Grandpa. So far, neither of us have won. Tonight, Luke was determined to get Grandpa's attention. He held up a steamed baby carrot speared on the end of this fork.

“Look familiar?” he asked me, wiggling his eyebrows.

I shook my head. “It should to you, though.”

“Is Levi's bigger?”

So Luke wanted to play hardball. “I wouldn't know. You're in the locker room with him.”

Grandpa's head snapped up. “What about the locker room? Lucas David, are you spreading rumors at school?”

“No, sir.” Luke dropped his head guiltily.

“Then what is this locker room talk?”

“Nothing sir. I asked Jessa about Aaron's new tattoo. She hasn't seen it, but I have because I'm in the locker room with him.”

I had to give the boy credit—he could lie like the devil.

Grandpa nodded. “I see. Are tattoos something you're considering?”

“No sir.”

“Good.” Grandpa cracked open his Bible.

I hid a smile behind a piece of chicken, praying the entire time that I wouldn't die laughing. Luke won; he'd managed to get Grandpa's attention. Now I owed the little punk ten bucks.

We cleared the table, boxed up the leftovers for the homeless shelter, and did the dishes. I dropped Luke off at Dairy World where he'd planned to meet some friends.

“Hey sis?” he said before getting out.

“Yeah?”

“I'm sorry if I pushed it too far at dinner.”

“No troubles, kid,” I said with a smile. “I knew you were just teasing.”

“So what is the story with you and Levi?”

“We love each other. However I think we plan on keeping things quiet for a while, okay?”

“Got it. Love ya.”

“Love ya back.”

I watched as he chest bumped his friends. A couple of cute girls from our school walked by. His friends whistled at them, but Luke just nodded. If he didn't do something about Billie soon, I would intervene. The happiness of the two people I loved most mattered to me.

However, I was completely content with the person I loved more than anything or anyone in the universe. Wrapped around each other, with some movie flashing in the background, Levi and I spent much of the time making out. He was so good at it I was often breathless.

It kind of sucked knowing that I waited so long to discover just how good this could be. Then again, I was glad I waited until I truly loved somebody—even better that someone was Levi. Because we'd known each other all our lives, we could cut through the early relationship drama. The trust and respect was already there; now we could explore other areas of our relationship. I liked where this was going.

He nestled his head into the crook of my neck and sighed.

“Never in my imagination was it ever this good,” he said.

“Spent a lot of time thinking about me, huh?”

“More than I thought about anything else.”

I quietly ran my fingers through his short hair. Contentment radiated from every part of him. Levi was always a happy person, a perpetual sun no matter what the emotional weather. What made him even more of a marvel was that he'd chosen me. I was his for life.

Smiling, I brought his face back to mine.

“Kiss me again,” I demanded.

He didn't argue but granted my request.

I left as late as possible, pushing my luck to the limit. I set foot inside my front door at exactly midnight. No one was waiting up for me. Luke was staying with friends, and Grandpa had retired for the night. Exhausted, I hurried up the stairs to my room. Laying across my bed humming to himself, Aidan's shape looked more defined. Either he was projecting or I was more attuned with him.

“How was your night?” he asked.

“Fine. Yours?”

“Fine. Spend it with Loverboy?”

“Are you jealous?” I tossed my shoes into the closet then pulled my sleeping shorts up under my dress.

“Yes actually. You know, you can change in front of me. I have seen you naked before.”

“When?” I exclaimed.

“Um, your little skinny-dipping excursion had a spectator.”

“You saw me?”

“Yep.”

“Oh.” I paused. “What did you think?”

“Gorgeous.”

I blushed. He made room for me so I flopped down next to him. I had to be up in eight hours for church. All I wanted was to close my eyes but I didn't want to be rude. Aidan's mission was more important than my beauty sleep.

“Did I embarrass you?” I felt the lightest flutter against my bare arm.

“A little,” I admitted grudgingly. “And that is saying something.”

“Sorry. I know you are still getting used to me, but I've been around you for a while. I'm comfortable with you.”

“Thanks.” Nothing like having a guardian angel. “Did you see your family?”

“No. I got about halfway out of town before turning around. I'm not ready to face them yet. I can barely stomach the idea of going back to the crash site.”

“I don't envy you,” I sighed.

He was quiet for a while. I was almost asleep when he spoke again.

“Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would do without you.”

Then he was gone.

Grandpa was in fine form Sunday morning. He stomped around the stage, pounded the pulpit with his fist, his voice rang loud and clear through the microphone. Luke and I sat in the front pew reserved for the Reverend's family. I wore my yellow sundress with white-striped wedge sandals. Luke looked handsome in his usual khaki pants and button-down dress shirt. We played our part well. Our Bibles were tucked under our folded hands. We had a notebook opened between us. People probably assumed we were diligently taking notes. In reality, we played the box game. You draw rows of dots then try to make as many boxes as you can. Sometimes I win, sometimes Luke wins. Either way, it passes the time. Luckily, Grandpa was preaching an old message so we'd be out of church before noon. Billie, who sat four rows back, and I planned to hang out afterward. Grandpa had not accepted any dinner invitations. Luke and I were always expected to attend.

The dinners were typically dull. I hated schmoozing the old ladies. Grandpa was still kind of young, only in his early sixties. The spinsters in the church were forever chasing him; the older ladies with unattached daughters were constantly trying to hook him up. Grandpa politely declined every offer, yet they still came. Luke once asked Grandpa why he didn't pursue a new relationship. He explained he promised to love Grandma even in death. Both Luke and I thought it was crazy.

The message was about Jesus and the Samaritan harlot at the well. I knew the story like the back of my hand. Of all the messages he could have reused, I couldn't believe he choose this one. It was like some sort of joke straight from God himself. How ironic on the same weekend I start thinking about losing my virginity Grandpa preaches a message on the dangers of sleeping around. Instead of feeling some shame for my thoughts or actions, all I could think about was seeing Levi again. His family went to the Lutheran church on the other side of town. They were always done by eleven. Looking at my watch, I estimated we'd still be here for at least another forty-five minutes.

“Your turn,” Luke hissed at me.

I glanced down at the sheet, calculated my next move, then drew my line.

“One more for me.”

Grandpa was still pontificating. The temperature in the church rose, even with the air-conditioner on full-blast. Several women used the bulletins to fan themselves. The hours I spent folding those stupid sheets, wasted.

Thankfully, the sermon wrapped up much sooner than I expected. Luke and I stood next to the Reverend and shook hands with the congregation as they filed out the door. We were petted and patted, hugged and kissed. Luke and I were like celebrities. As the last of the members pulled out of the lot, we helped the elders check all the doors and rooms to make sure everything was locked and empty. Grandpa clicked the deadbolt then got into the Lincoln.

“Will I see you at home?” he asked. Sunday's curfew was six. Grandpa reasoned no one needed to be out late on God's holiest day.

“We're meeting friends, but we'll be home for dinner.”

He nodded. “May the Lord guide your every step.”

We watched him pull out then we went in the opposite direction.

“Man that was brutal,” Luke complained, unbuttoning the top of his shirt.

“We've sat through worse. Look, it's only twelve-thirty.”

“So what's the plan?”

“Want to hang at Billie's?”

He looked out the window so I couldn't read his expression. “Whatever.”

I didn't comment. I'd lost that argument too many times.

“Please tell me your mom broke down and turned on the air,” I begged Billie when we arrived. Sweat poured down my back.

“Not a chance. Hey Luke.” She smiled widely at him.

“Hey,” he mumbled, not looking at her.

I rolled my eyes. “Can we hang in your room?”

“Sure. I'll grab some ice cream sandwiches and we can watch a movie.”

I tried, I really did, to get Luke to open up to Billie. I even went the obvious route and mentioned they should do something together. They both liked riding dirt bikes—why not do it together?

Billie seemed surprised at the suggestion, but thought it was cool. Luke stumbled his way around asking her on a date. Somehow, she managed to decipher what he was trying to get at.

“Tuesday?” I pressed. I knew neither of them had anything going on, and if they waited Luke would lose his nerve.

“Sounds good to me,” she said, looking to Luke for confirmation.

“Yeah, good” was all he said. I wanted to smack him.

As promised, we were home by dinner. When the dishes were done, I begged off playing board games in favor of reading a book I had just started. The truth was I wanted to talk to Aidan. Something he'd said made me think I might know who wanted him dead. However, he wasn't in my room so I picked up my book and read until darkness fell.

“Aidan?” I whispered, feeling crazy for seeking out a ghost.

“Yeah?” the voice came from my closet.

“What are you doing in there?”

“I like the way your clothes smell. Mom uses the same fabric softener.”

“Oh.” Strange but whatever works for him. “I've been waiting for you.”

“You have?” His voice rose an octave.

“Yeah. I have a theory on who killed you.”

“Really?” He sank down next to the bed. “Do tell.”

“The guy your ex-girlfriend cheated on you with.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Yeah, I don't think so. I never found out who he was.”

“That doesn't mean he didn't know you.”

“Right, but why kill me? He already had her, and I certainly didn't want her back. Thanks for trying though.”