Page 60 of Semblance

“Don’t you trust me to keep your secrets?”

“The secrets I have aren’t trivial, like housewives gossiping about who’s sleeping with the pool boy. The secrets I have will get a person killed.”

“Try me. I need some excitement in my life anyway.”

Shadow reached for his glass of wine, took a big gulp, and set it down again. He licked his full lips and gave me an apprehensive look.

For a moment, I thought he was going to give in and tell me what I wanted to know.

“I can’t,” he finally said.

“Didn’t your mom know your father’s business with the Midnight Society?” I asked.

“They also slept in the same bed together,” Shadow pointed out.

Then sleep in the same bed with me,I wanted to blurt aloud, but I decided to keep that to myself.

“Anyways, what I do isn’t interesting. All I do all day is spin webs of lies. This is the core of the Midnight Society.”

“You hate them, don’t you?” I asked, “The Midnight Society.”

Shadow thought about the question for a moment. “I like certain people inside the Society,” he replied.

“That’s not what I asked,” I said.

“Where do you want to be in five years?” Shadow asked, suddenly changing the topic. He was good at that.

“It’s a secret,” I said, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

“No it’s not. I already know what your goals are.”

“If you already know, then why ask the question?”

Shadow grinned. “You have this smile on your face when you talk about your dreams. It’s just the prettiest thing to look at. I wanted to see it again.”

Damn it. He was sweet talking me again, and succeeding at it.

“How about I make you a deal,” I said. “I’ll tell you all the things I hope to achieve in the next five years, and then you do the exact same, truthfully.”

Shadow thought about it for a moment before replying, “Okay, deal.”

I extended my pinky finger towards him. “Swear it.”

“Done,” he said as he hooked his pinky around mine and tugged lightly.

I leaned back in my chair, grabbed a glass of wine off the table and took a healthy gulp and looked at him thoughtfully.

“You already know that I dream of being a world famous pianist,” I said. “It’s a dream that my dad and I both shared.”

“Your father wanted to become a pianist as well?”

I nodded. “It’s a dream he couldn’t fulfill because of me,” I sighed. “My mom died of cancer when I was just a baby so all his time was invested into taking care of me.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your mom,” Shadow said.

“I’ve seen pictures of her, but I wish I could have heard her voice. She’ll always be the woman in the photos that I spent hours staring at; a beautiful smiling woman who succumbed to that fucking disease, robbing her of her life with me way too early.”

Shadow was focused on every word I said. I had his undivided attention. It was a welcome change from the other ex-boyfriends I had.

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