The Black Rose Society

Chapter 6: Truth Is Hiding In Your Eyes

Copyright © 2013 Bree Eischen

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o6. Truth Is Hiding In Your Eyes

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The brilliant light from the full moon positioned high in the black sky shined down on the up-beat town comfortingly. The grueling heat of summer calmed down some at nighttime, so it felt perfect as Jake and I took a stroll down the main street of Naperville’s downtown area. We just finished dinner and decided to take a little walk since Jake insisted on showing me around town.

The river walk was a unique asset to the community, and it was very serene and beautiful. Jake helped me down the stone steps to the high brick edge of the river. I stared into the dark waters curiously. I’m sure it would have appeared even more magnificent during the daytime when the sun could shine down on the water, making it glisten beautifully.

A few couples here and there passed alongside us, talking and laughing just as Jake and I were doing at that very moment. It was nice that we still had stuff to talk about despite having intense conversations about many topics during dinner.

As we passed under a small wooden bridge, Jake picked something to ask about that I was both wishing for him to bring up but at the same time hoping he would leave alone.

“So, you must have had a specific reason for calling me up and wanting to spend time with me. Care to explain?” He then smiled, obviously amused.

What was I supposed to say to him? I guess I wanted to talk to him about what he intended for us to talk about if I had decided to call him—my issues about moving here or even my mom—but did I really want to divulge all of my problems to him? Sure I felt like I had gotten to know Jake pretty well within those last few hours, but I felt like it would just scare him away or even bore him. Plus, I felt as though it was a bit weird to just spill all of my innermost thoughts to someone that I had just met and began talking to in the last week.

I gazed up at him just as he looked down at me. The moonlight defined the gorgeous icy hue of his eyes. Why did I just feel at that precise moment in time that I could tell him anything, that I could trust him fully?

“Okay, well…I suppose I can start talking about what was bothering me yesterday. I mean, that’s what you originally wanted me to call you about, right?” He nodded and then I went on. “But I don’t want to bore you with my problems. You barely know me that well anyway.”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t be bored at all, Lily. Trust me…And I feel like I’ve gotten to know you well enough through our conversation at dinner. That’s a start, isn’t it?”

I agreed with him and proceeded to breathe in and out. I explained everything about moving and how that triggered emotions about leaving the town I knew and loved which was also the place where my mother was buried. I got so into talking about it that I started explaining more about my mother and what I learned about her from my dad and Cody and also how hard her death was on my entire family. I also described how it was living without a mother, and even the time when my dad met Simone, ultimately deciding to marry her and providing me with a motherly figure in my life again.

After I had finished, I could tell Jake didn’t know what to say exactly. It must have been a whole lot of information that he wasn’t expecting. It was nice that he listened to me though, and that was truly what I needed from someone.

“What was your mother’s name, if I may ask?”

It was a weird question for him to wonder, but I tried not to look taken aback by it and replied, “Her name was Elizabeth.”