Say Nothing... (The Speak Series Book 2)
Say Nothing
Copyright © 2015 by T.A. Roth
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher T.A. Roth
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover design by:
Hang Le at By Hang Le
Editing by:
Jenny Sims at Editing4Indies
Interior design and formatting by:
Christine Borgford at Perfectly Publishable
15 years ago . . .
I PARK IN FRONT OF
the yellow duplex and double check the address. 336 Reynard St.
Looks like the place.
I step out of my beat-up Honda and smooth my hands down the front of my jeans. I'm nervous.
I've struggled for months to find a part-time job that would allow me the freedom to pursue my music. When Rosemarie suggested I teach piano, I took her idea and ran with it. She put an ad in the church bulletin, and I spent weeks studying ways to teach others.
I currently have three adult clients. They are older members of the church who have always wanted to learn. Today, I'll be teaching my first child.
I grab my satchel from my backseat and make my way up the walk. My bag is filled with stickers and a few different workbooks for me to use, depending on how quickly she learns.
The woman on the phone mentioned the lessons were for her seven-year-old daughter.
I knock once and nervously push my shaggy hair out of my face.
"Coming,” says a lady’s voice from behind the door. A few seconds later, a woman in her late twenties opens the door. She smiles as a toddler perches on her hip and another one peeks out from between her legs.
"Amos?" she asks.
"Yes, that would be me," I say smiling.
"Come in,” she says opening the screen door.
"Excuse the mess. These girls decided to pull out every Barbie they owned today."
I step over the pile of dolls and walk over toward the antique looking piano. It's a Baldwin.
"We had it tuned. It belonged to my grandmother. Rely is obsessed with it. Let me get her." She leaves the room with the two little ones as I pull out the piano bench and take a seat. A noise from behind the couch pulls my attention. A pair of sparkling hazel eyes meets mine as they peek out from behind the armrest.
"Hello?" I say waving my hand.
She moves out of sight, and I smile.
"I'm your new piano teacher. Will you come out so we can meet?" I ask.
Her mother enters the room exasperated. "I don't know where she's hiding. I swear this girl is a pro at hide and seek."
I chuckle and point behind the couch.
"Rely, come out and meet your new teacher." Her mother seems to be pulling her from behind the couch. She reluctantly comes out, and as her sisters did earlier, she hides behind her mother’s legs.
"Rely, that's a very pretty name. Your mom tells me you want to learn to play the piano. I'd love to teach you. Will you let me?" We wait a bit, and she doesn't budge, so I try something else.
I face the piano and begin to play “Old McDonald.” I look over my shoulder, and she hasn't moved. “Itsy Bitsy Spider” is next and still nothing. In a last ditch effort, I try “Jingle Bells.” What kid doesn't love Christmas songs?
Suddenly, she's on the bench beside me, and we stare at each other a moment. She has a mass of chestnut hair, and her tiny red lips purse as she watches my fingers float across the keys.
"Can you teach me to play that?" she asks.
Little did I know how much more I'd be willing to do for her . . .
“ARI . . . ARI . . . BABY.” HER FACE
had turned as white as a sheet. Then she was crumpling to the ground. I lurch forward in time to catch her.
That familiar look passed over her beautiful eyes then it was gone. I'm on the ground cradling her neck. "
Mija
. . .
mija
. . . wake up. Oh, my God, what happened?
"
her mother asks, crouching beside me.
Ari's eyes flutter open at that moment, and she trades glances back and forth between her mother and me. "What happened?" she asks looking dazed.
"I'm not sure. I was introducing you to my uncle." Her body immediately stiffens, and she scrambles to get back to her feet. "Wait . . .” I say, reaching my hand out to help her.
"I'm fine," she says, nervously raking her fingers through her hair. The plate of food she was holding has been tossed to the ground. Small bits of grass are tangled in her soft waves. "Really, you guys stop staring at me like that." Her family, Eli, and Vonne are crowded around us. "It's been a long day, and I was feeling off. I didn't really get to eat and started feeling lightheaded. I don't . . .” she rambles.
"Shh . . .” I whisper cradling her cheek. My thumb makes slow circles across it in an attempt to calm her. She averts her gaze, releases a breath, and tries to get up. I hold her elbow, helping her to her feet.
"
Mija
, are you sure you're okay?" her mom asks again. "You've never fainted before."
"I'm fine, Mom, really," Ari answers, smoothing her hands down the front of her dress.
"I'll be right back." She walks away toward the house, and I follow. "I'll come with you." She
turns around, taking a few steps toward me.
"I'm fine, really. I just got a little lightheaded. I'm going to go to the bathroom, splash some water on my face, and I’ll be right back. Please stop making a big deal."
She leans in to give me a sweet kiss and heads back to the house.
"She hates when we fuss over her. We should just give her a few minutes. If she says she's fine, we'll just let her be. You know how stubborn she is." Her mother pats my shoulder and walks back to the party.