Shadowed (The Shadow and Moon Series)

by Michelle Areaux

  His words were heart-felt and full of honest and raw emotion.

  I knew I should have said no. Left it all alone and gone back to my life before Cohen and his family arrived. His words were elusive and full of mystery-- too much left unknown. But, I wanted to know him. There was something deep down inside of my soul that pulled me toward him.

  “I would like that,” I said.

  We sat there together, the moon providing us the only light to see. It was dark and beautiful.

  Chapter 9

  Amy arrived at my house around noon on Saturday afternoon. I had worked a morning shift at the Tweets Cafe and was beyond frustrated by the amount of gossip that was still circulating about Cohen and his family. Everyone had their own theories, but none had actually taken the time to get to know them. It was whispers of a family running from the mob, being in the Witness Protection Program, and a strange cult. I knew first-hand none of that could possibly be true. I had smiled and served them coffee and pastries and all the while, wanting to strangle them.

  I kept my mind focused on the afternoon and that somehow got me through my day.

  After my night with Cohen, I was feeling anxious and nervous about telling Amy about it. I still felt like I was in a frenzy thinking about Cohen. I felt something for Cohen, a strong pull to him that made absolutely no sense to me. But still, it was there.

  I busied myself with cleaning my room and picking up around the house. When Amy pulled up in my driveway, I watched her check out Cohen’s house as she walked up the brick pathway to my house.

  I shook my head and laughed to myself watching her. She wasn’t even shy about her checking it out. I knew she was searching for a glimpse of the older brother, possibly the unique looking sister, or the elusive parents. To be honest, I had only seen the others in passing and I was getting antsy about trying to see them too.

  Amy let herself inside and I met her in the foyer.

  “Hey, any sightings of the family from Mars?” she joked, pointing behind her toward Cohen’s house.

  “Not really. Cohen said they like their privacy,” I said, my tone a little too defensive than I had planned.

  Amy’s eyes widened in surprise and her mouth fell open. “Oh really, when did Cohen say this? At school?” she asked.

  Sighing, I turned and made my way into the living room. I flopped down on the large, brown leather sofa that was worn from years of our family sitting on it. Amy followed on my heels and sat down next to me.

  “You already told me you two hung out the other day. Sounds like you all are getting a little cozy,” she added, wagging her finger at me.

  “Well, we did hang out last night,” I said, trying to be sly.

  “I need details,” Amy shrieked, clapping her hands wildly.

  I crisscrossed my legs as I sat facing her. “He drives me completely crazy. One minute he is so awkward and then the next he talks and I feel my heart is dancing inside my chest,” I admitted.

  I almost felt ashamed to say the words aloud, but they were true and, if I were going to be honest with anyone, it would be Amy.

  “You know it is ok to admit that you like him,” Amy said. She gently reached over and took my hands in hers. “Henley, I know that you don’t think you are beautiful, but you are. Everyone sees it except for you. I agree that Cohen is a little-- odd, but maybe you need to give him a chance and see where it goes,” Amy stated.

  I wanted to believe that what Amy was saying was true, but it was difficult to see myself the way she was describing.

  “I don’t know. I think Cohen just wants to be friends,” I sighed.

  Shaking her head, no, Amy squeezed my hands tighter. “Henley, guys in high school don’t want to hang out with a beautiful girl unless they are into her,” Amy argued.

  “Maybe,” I said, biting my lip as I thought about everything. It was a nervous habit I had developed as a kid and had never outgrown.

  “When do you think you will see him again?” Amy asked.

  “I have no idea. He said his family needs privacy. He was homeschooled until this year. I guess he and I do have a little bit in common. I mean, we both were sort of social outcasts. Him by choice more than mine,” I chuckled.

  Amy let go of my hands and play hit my leg. “Hey, you aren’t a social outcast. You just have really great taste and I just happen to be the best thing around here,” she giggled.

  I couldn’t agree with her more. “I think you are right.”

  Amy’s laughter subsided and her face grew serious. “Why do you think they want so much privacy? I mean, I get not wanting everyone in your business, but why also homeschool? My mom was talking to our neighbor yesterday, and she said Cohen’s mom has only been seen once leaving the grocery store at night. Their dad owns some internet company and stays pretty private. I wonder what they have to hide?”

  Shrugging my shoulders, I glanced out the window to Cohen’s house. There was no way I was going to ask him any more questions about his privacy. The way he sounded so sad when he spoke about it, broke my heart a little. I just had to hope that in time, he would open up to me.

  ****

  Later that afternoon, Amy and I ordered a pizza and sat around watching Netflix. We were growing bored and decided to take a walk. It was an unusually warm afternoon for this time of the year, but the leaves showed the true season with their vibrant reds and oranges.

  We walked in silence as we made our way down the hill where our neighborhood is nestled. With only one main drag in our small town, it didn’t take long to take in the sights and sounds of Edison, Washington. With roughly around 130 residents, it wasn’t hard to know everyone around. We walked past Breadfarm, one of the two bakeries in Edison. The sweet scent of sugar-filled the air and I felt my mouth water. We continued walking past the Tweets Cafe, where I occasionally worked on the weekends and after school. It was a cool place and one of the only spots for teens in town to hang out. Cars zipped past us as they raced to their destinations, ignoring us completely.

  I was watching two young kids skip and laugh as they came out of the bakery, when Amy grabbed my arm and stopped me-- almost causing me to fall.

  “Hey,” I snapped, reaching for her as I righted myself.

  “Look,” she whispered, as she pointed across the street.

  Cohen’s brother and sister were walking on the opposite side of the road from us and seemed to be making their way back toward our houses. The guy I had seen Cohen talking to the other day, stood behind him. His eyes were set on them as they walked away. He looked agitated and kept his hands tucked deep into his front pockets. I wondered what that was about, but knew better than to bring it up.

  We watched them like they were elusive wild animals that you rarely catch on camera. We stood, fixed in place, staring like two fools at the teenagers. The girl was wearing a black pencil skirt and a white, button-down shirt. She looked more like a librarian than a high school teenager. The brother wore khakis and a navy-blue polo shirt. His collar was stiff, obviously pressed and ironed. He looked like he had walked right out of a prep-school magazine shoot.

  Suddenly, Cohen’s sister spotted us and her mouth formed a slight smile. The look seemed difficult for her. She said something to her brother and he looked our way.

  “Amy, you are such a nerd,” I seethed next to her. “You totally gave us away.”

  “Whatever. They are new here. They need to get used to people staring at them,” she hissed back at me.

  I rolled my eyes and tried not to hit my best friend. What she was saying was true, but that didn’t make it right.

  “What are they doing?” I asked, watching as they hesitantly made their way across the street and toward us.

  “Ummm,” Amy looked startled, as she gazed in the same direction as I was.

  We were trapped now. If we walked away, then we looked like rude people. If we stayed, we ran the risk of them questioning us on why we were watching them like visitors at a
zoo. My stomach dropped with each step they took our way.

  When they finally reached us, I gulped and forced a smile on my face. “Hi,” I said, a little too enthusiastically.

  Amy gave me an odd glance as she heard the perky tone spewed from my mouth.

  “Hello,” the girl said.

  “Hi,” Amy said, waving a little.

  We looked so awkward that I wanted to just crawl under a rock and hide forever.

  “We are your new neighbors. I understand you met our brother, Cohen,” she said. Her voice sounded like a monotone and her posture was stiff. I wondered if she had ever let loose before and just smiled and had fun.

  I nodded. I was trying to play it cool, but I was sure I was coming off as just plain strange.

  “Yes, I met Cohen. He is nice,” I said. I could feel my cheeks growing red at just the thought of Cohen. This was strange for me and I cringed thinking how silly I must look. “Is anyone else with you?” I asked. I wasn’t about to just come right out and ask about the mystery guy, but a girl couldn’t help hinting a little.

  “No, we are alone!” she said quickly, her eyes glancing at her brothers, before roaming back to me.

  “Ok,” I said, holding up my hands in defense. I hadn’t meant to upset her.

  “I must apologize for our behavior. I am aware Cohen explained to you that our family is very private. We are still adjusting to being in school and in your world,” she explained.

  The brother gave her a strange look before he took over the conversation. “Sorry, my sister here is not the social type,” he chuckled lightly. “My name is Collin and my sister is Callie. Our parents, Lawrence and Sylvia, have been busy moving us into our new home and getting acquainted with their new jobs. We find this small town very enjoyable and hope that we can all get along just fine,” he said, his pearly white smile glowing.

  They both spoke like they were rehearsing for some bad after school sitcom. It was painfully clear that they had been hidden away from most teens their age. They seemed uncomfortable talking to us-- like they weren’t sure what to say.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you, Collin and Callie,” I said.

  “Where is your brother?” Amy asked.

  I shot her a death glare and nudged her side. Amy just smiled back at me.

  Traitor.

  “Oh, Cohen is down by the waterfront. He seems to enjoy going there now,” Callie said.

  As she spoke, Amy and I both turned to look down to the water, and my heart did a backflip as I spotted Cohen standing on the rocks. The very same rocks I had shown him the day before.

  “Wait, what do you mean, he seems to enjoy going there? I thought he just saw it yesterday?” I asked, confused.

  “No, he’s been going there since…” Collin was almost finished talking, but Callie stopped him before he could finish.

  “Maybe we are mistaken. But, he said he enjoys that spot,” Callie finished.

  “Oh, ok,” Amy said. “Well, it was nice meeting you all. I hope to see you around school,” Amy finished.

  Callie and Cohen continued walking home, but I was mesmerized by the sight of Cohen down by the water.

  Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Amy turn and begin to follow Callie and Cohen up the hill.

  “Wait, what are you doing?” I asked, confused by her departure.

  “I’m going to head back to your house. Go down there and talk to Cohen. I think he is waiting for you,” she said, winking and then continuing to walk away.

  I sighed and turned back to Cohen, who was now watching me with a smile.

  Chapter 10

  I made my way toward Cohen and my stomach seemed to dip further into oblivion with each step I took.

  I wasn’t sure why I was going to him.

  I wasn’t sure what I would say.

  But, something was magnetically calling me to him, and I couldn’t resist the urge any longer.

  “Hey,” Cohen spoke, but he was still facing the water. His back to me.

  “Hi,” I said, walking up and standing next to him.

  We stood there side-by-side without speaking. Small waves crashed against the shoreline, and a light mist floated in the air, landing softly on my cheek like a kiss. Gray fog rolled in as the evening sky began to settle above.

  I wondered why Cohen wasn’t startled by my walking up on him. He seemed lost in thought and ignorant to the world around him, but at the same time, he seemed to sense me being near.

  The wind kicked up and my hair danced around my shoulders. I shuddered at the coldness in the air.

  “Are you cold?” he asked, in his monotone voice.

  “A little,” I stated, holding my arms across myself. “You aren’t going to try and throw me in the water again, are you?” I asked, nudging his side as I smiled.

  Throwing his head back, Cohen let out a loud laugh. “No, not today.”

  I stood next to him and enjoyed the scenery and the peace that comes with being near the water.

  “I like it here, even when it gets chilly,” Cohen noted.

  I nodded and smiled at him. It was the same way I felt about this place.

  “I met your siblings just a few moments ago. Amy and I were taking a walk and we saw them,” I said, trying to break the silence again.

  “Where were you going?” Cohen asked, completely ignoring that I told him I met his siblings.

  “Nowhere, really,” I shrugged. “Remember, my parents went to Seattle, for the weekend so I invited Amy to come hang out with me,” I said.

  I wasn’t sure why I had disclosed that information again, but it just sort of came pouring out of me.

  Cohen nodded. “I guess I misunderstood. So, you have no protection?” he asked, jerking his head in my direction.

  I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. Was he serious?

  “What is funny?” Cohen asked, his eyes growing wide with confusion.

  Still laughing, I turned so that my entire body was facing him. “I am sixteen-years-old. I don’t need protection. Besides, this town is safe and nothing ever happens here. I will be fine,” I laughed.

  Cohen seemed to grow angry as his cheeks flamed red and his eyes burned a golden orange color. I almost jumped back at the sudden change in his appearance.

  “Every place can be faced with danger. Even this town.”

  His words sent an eerie feeling through me. All my life I had never felt scared living in Edison. I walked these streets alone and ran at night-- never once feeling insecure or in danger.

  “Maybe,” I stated, shrugging.

  “It is getting dark, let’s head back to our houses,” Cohen said.

  We both turned as the sun finally settled over the horizon. Cohen’s words rang through my mind and for the first time in my entire life, I caught myself glancing around as we walked. Once we were off the main roads, I suddenly noticed how dark the streets were. Large Evergreen trees shadowed the streets as they stretched their thick branches out and over the road and sidewalks. A heavy fog was settling in and was shadowed by the moon, causing foreboding figures to dance along the now damp street. A light mist began to fall, only adding to the dark and dangerous feeling Cohen had caused in my mind.

  A car passed us and then did a U-turn at the bottom of the street. At first, I didn’t think anything about it. It was dark out now and I couldn’t make out what kind of car it was. But when the car idled behind us, I felt Cohen tense beside me. Reaching down, he grabbed my hand and squeezed.

  It wasn’t an intimate hold; it was one filled with danger and concern.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, trying to keep my voice calm.

  “That car is following us,” Cohen stated, rather than asked.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “I just do,” Cohen said, and didn’t offer any more room for questions. Because, before I could open my mouth to ask anything else, he moved closer to me and said, “Run!”

 
; Without warning, my legs began to move and before I knew it, I was sprinting down the street with Cohen holding tightly onto my hand.

  Adrenaline coursed through my body and my heart was pounding so fast, I swear I thought it was going to jump right out of my chest.

  As we turned the corner to our street, I could barely catch my breath. Cohen and I didn’t stop running until we reached my front porch. We raced through my front yard and I nearly slipped on the damp grass. I burst through the front door and a startled Amy jumped off the couch. Cohen rushed in behind me and slammed the door closed. He quickly engaged the locks and then began peering through the peephole.

  “What is going on?” Amy asked, clearly confused by our behavior.

  “I honestly don't know,” I said. I hunched over and placed my hands on my knees as I tried to regain normal breathing.

  “We were being followed,” Cohen said, his voice normal, not at all like someone who had just been running at frantic speeds.

  This caused me to look up and really take Cohen in. He didn’t seem exhausted or out of breath at all. Why wasn’t he?

  “Who was following you?” Amy asked.

  “Why aren’t you out of breath?” I asked, turning my attention to Cohen.

  I saw his body tense as his back was still to me. He slowly turned and as he faced us, I could see the look of shock cross his beautiful features.

  Amy looked at him too and noticed the same thing I did. “Yeah, Henley looks like she is about to pass out, and you look like you just calmly walked in here,” she said, eyeing him carefully.

  “I guess I am just in really good shape,” Cohen laughed, but it was a forced laugh.

  “That is not it,” I said, placing my hands on my hips and glaring at him. “I run every day and am in perfect shape.”