Read Online Souls Apart (Book 1 in the Lost Souls Trilogy) by Anna Pescardot - Free Book Online Page B

sometimes saw her more than she did her
own mom.   Her mom was at home for once,
though. She came into the kitchen rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?” she
asked when she saw me; my face red with tears.
    “Charlie’s mom’s been murdered,” Amber said.   Hearing her say it in such a matter of fact
way started me off again. Her mom came over and started to cuddle me and for a
moment I imagined it was my mom. I let it all out.
    “I’m so sorry, baby,” Amber’s mom said. “Amber, put
the kettle on, this girl needs a coffee with plenty of whisky in it.”
    She led me into the living room and I rested my head
on her shoulder as she rubbed my hair. “You poor thing. You can move in with
us, honey. This is no time for you to be on your own.”
    “Thank you,” I said. “I can’t believe this has
happened. Who’d want to murder Mom? She was such a good person…”
    “I know, baby. They say Jesus takes the good ones
first and from what I remember of Simone, she sure was one of the good ones.”
She reached for a cigarette packet on the coffee table. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
she asked.
    “No, it’s fine,” I said. Usually I hated people
smoking but she was being so kind and I’d woken her from her sleep so it was
the least I could do. Amber came in with the drinks.
    “Charlie’s moving in with us, baby,” she said to
Amber.
    “Thanks, Mom,” Amber said passing me my drink.
    As I sipped it I thought about Eddie.   I was alone like he was now.   I was starting to understand why he didn’t
want me to leave. I couldn’t believe mom was really gone.   I’ll never forget looking at her on that
slab; stab wounds all over her petite body. Terror etched on her pretty face. I
started to cry again and Amber came to comfort me.
    “Everything’s going to be ok, Charls.   Tomorrow we’ll call the school and let them
know we’re going to spend the day moving you into this house.   I don’t suppose you’re up to going to school
anyway.”
    “Everyone’s going to be talking about it, aren’t they?
Everyone’s going to think Mom was a slut or something.”
    “No they’re not. Why are you saying things like that?”
    “Well, a young woman, out alone at that time of night.
They’ll say she was asking for it or something.”
    “Well who cares what they all think anyway. We know
the truth and that’s all that matters.”
    Amber’s mom stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray
and stood up. “I’ll go and make up the spare bed.   You need to try and get some sleep, baby.”
    I nodded. Amber was trying her best to stifle yawns
but I could see she was tired. “You go to bed too, Ambs.   I’ll be fine on my own, honest.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yeah.   I’ll go
up when your mom’s done my bed.”
    “Ok.”
    I walked into the hall and heard muffled voices. Amber
was speaking. “…he’s bad news. Don’t you think it’s strange how her mom gets
killed the same night she told him she was leaving?”
    “I’ve told you to stop obsessing about that boy.”
    “I just know he did it, Mom.”
    “Just go to sleep. I’m sure the police will get who
did it.   It’s not for us to speculate.”
    I went back into the living room and took some deep
breaths.   I hadn’t thought about
Eddie.   What if Eddie had murdered Mom?
It made me feel sick. I ran upstairs and threw up in Amber’s bathroom. Amber’s
mom came in. “Oh, baby, have you been sick?”
    I started to cry again. “I’m sorry.”
    She came over and gave me another tight squeeze and I
buried my head in her chest; wishing she was my mom. I wanted Mom so much and
even though I didn’t think Eddie was capable of doing something like that I
felt that it wouldn’t have happened if I’d never met him.

    -18-

    I’d spent the day moving my stuff into Amber’s spare
room.   I took Mom’s stuff too.   I didn’t know what I was going to do with it
but I couldn’t just leave it there.   It
was weird being in my house, all