Bethy's Heart's Hideout (Amish Circle Series Book 4) Read Free

definite wet blanket on what should have been their friend’s big day. She waited for Hannah to say something at first. If Hannah didn’t care that Elizabeth was being a downer, it wasn’t her place to say anything about it either. However, as time went on, she became more and more upset about the self-centered and negative way that Elizabeth was acting. Finally, she couldn’t hold back any more and turned to face Elizabeth.
    “Elizabeth! What in Gott ’s name is wrong with you? Your friend is here, trying to tell you important news and you are sitting there like you just ate a sour apple! I know that you’re happy for Hannah, but you sure can’t tell by the way that you are behaving. What’s got you acting like you have a burr in your britches?” The other girls stopped talking immediately and looked back and forth between the two young women. They were shocked that Jane would speak to her friend in such a direct and unkind way. They were even more shocked when Elizabeth burst out crying.
    “I’m just so sick and tired of not having anyone! Hannah has Luke, Grace has my bruder , Jane has Tanner! And I’m so happy for all of you, I truly, truly am. But you’re all either engaged or courting seriously and who do I have? Nobody, that’s who. There’s nobody in this entire community who wants silly Elizabeth Springer. I’m tired of waiting for someone to move into the area and I’m tired of just sitting around watching my life slip through my hands. I’m tired of it and I’m not going to wait around any longer.”
    Elizabeth was pacing around the kitchen, looking down at the floor. The last thing she wanted to do was look at her friends and see the sad expressions on their faces. She didn’t need them and she didn’t need their pity. She took a deep breath and exhaled. She might as well tell them everything that was going on with her and get it all over with at the same time. She stopped pacing, looked up and burst out with the rest of her news.
    “I’m leaving. I’m leaving and going to Ohio. Maemm and Daedd are letting me stay with some of my relatives. I’ve already made up my mind and I’m not planning on staying around much longer. I don’t know when I will be back. I might never come back. It depends on how things go in Ohio.”
    The girls all looked shocked. They had all fallen silent at the same time and suddenly they all began trying to speak at the same time. They begged with Elizabeth not to go. Grace told her how much she would miss seeing her at the store and Jane told her how much she would miss the time they spent together after their jobs were over for the evening and they were walking home together.
    Hannah looked the most upset. She begged Elizabeth not to leave or, if she felt she had to, to at least wait until after the wedding. She told her friend she couldn’t imagine not having her friend there on one of the most important days of her life. Elizabeth looked more and more upset the longer her friends begged and pleaded with her. Suddenly, she threw off the arms that her friends had tried to wrap around her and took a couple of steps towards the door.
    “This is what I want and I’m not changing my mind. If you were my friends, you’d support me and not try to make me feel bad about leaving! I’m sorry to miss so many of your big life events but I need my own life! I have to go!” With that, Elizabeth grabbed her cloak and her bonnet and ran out of the haus , tears streaming from her eyes.

Chapter 4
    Mark closed his eyes so that he could concentrate on the music better. He loved the way he could hear the bass line and the drums against his skin, like it was soaking into him. He normally only listened to his music that loudly when he had his earphones on or his parents were away but tonight, he didn’t care. Today was his last chance to enjoy his music, his electric lights, heck, anything the least bit modern. He didn’t know exactly when his familye was moving but he knew