Free The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice Page A

here.”
    “Will you show me the house you grew up in?” she'd asked.
    “I'll show you everything,” he'd said. He'd looked into her eyes as if he couldn't believe she'd appeared in his life, as if he was afraid this wouldn't last. His arm felt tight and strong, and she'd leaned into him, fascinated and swept away by a man she barely knew. Thinking of that now, she pushed the memory down and concentrated on her children.
    But once he'd entered her mind, it wasn't easy. Being back in Newport brought so much flooding in, images and feelings she'd spent her life since then trying to escape. Driving along, she scanned every face. It was her habit, watching for Carrie. But here she was looking for J.D. too.
    Maura knew the kids were getting hungry. When they got close to Brick Market, she found a parking spot. They walked along the street, stopping to look at menus posted in restaurant entrances. Maura and Travis let Beck choose—the Black Duck, a sandwich and burger place.
    Entering the restaurant, Beck seemed calmer, at ease. Travis liked the ship's lanterns and big leather menus. Maura smiled, told them they could order whatever they wanted, listened while Travis read the legend of the
Black Duck
, a rumrunner's boat that used to sneak into hidden coves.
    But part of Maura had stayed behind on that seawall, where she'd been young and so had J.D., gazing at the bridge and knowing she wanted him to show her everything, everything.

5 ME AGAIN—BECK HERE.
You're wondering why I haven't gone home to Ohio yet. Well, so am I. My mother's trying hard. I don't want her to fall apart, and that's what might happen if I left. We don't have much money, but she took me and Travis out to dinner last night. He was missing Ally, and I … well, I'm back doing what I shouldn't. Fun fact: I'm a thief.
    I tell myself to keep walking, stick my hands in my pockets, and it's as if they have minds of their own. They reach, grab, hide. Things disappear in this life, you know? Try not to let it happen to you, try really hard.
    This school is a nightmare. Not only is it surrounded by the ocean, the main building has a pool on the fourth floor. That's what all the kids say, although no one is allowed to swim in it. From the girls' wing, you can smell faint chlorine. They're all whispering about it—it's just been filled again this year, after being empty forever. Some kids swear they've seen a man going up to swim—the joke is that it's the ghost of James Desmond Blackstone. And the truth is, I saw him too—but he's no ghost. I'll tell you in a minute.
    Lucy and I were studying in her dorm room two nights ago; we both like math—and working together. Surprise, surprise. Lucy wanted the window open, even though the evening had turned chilly, and I could hear waves rolling in and smashing the rocks on the shore. It started me hyperventilating. Lucy thought I was shiveringbecause I was cold, so we went next door to Pell's room—she has a fireplace—and Pell had the dorm mother light the fire.
    But that just made things worse, because I could hear water moving, the sound of someone swimming—upstairs, overhead. Can you imagine sleeping under a pool? All that water sloshing? What if the pipes burst, or the tiles cracked, and the ceiling caved in? You'd drown.
    I kept looking up. Pell asked why. I said I didn't like the sound. Pell said she let the watery music lull her to sleep, thinking of the two sisters long ago who loved each other: Mary Langley and her sister, Beatrice, who came here to visit after Mary died.
    That was a dagger in my heart, I won't lie to you. I pretended to be tired, and said good night in a friendly way. Inside, I was on fire. My father is dead, and Carrie, my Carrie. Lucy has Pell, this Mary apparently has Beatrice, but where is my sister?
    I went downstairs. On the way out I headed for the security desk to ask Angus how dangerous it was. What if the weight of water really
did
crash through the ceiling? I wanted to know