Shadow of Love Read Free

never be in the same league, but maybe something would rub off just a bit, enough to make her feel better about herself. Sophie seemed to think that she had potential. She had said it herself, her perfect little nose cringed in a cute grimace as she surveyed the younger girl. Her assessment had been harsh but honest, confirming what Emily had been thinking all along: she was too short and too skinny, and her short, blunt nails and scuffed knees definitely had to go.
    Sophie had patiently explained that half of her success lay in preparation, showing Emily her vast array of cosmetics. Emily had stared at the tubes and little jars, embarrassed to admit that she had no idea what most of them were. Sophie was three years older and had already started high school, but Emily had a nagging suspicion that the argument of being younger, and therefore inexperienced, would not help. Sophie Marrows had most certainly known all those things at the tender age of twelve.
    ‘ Em, wake up, for God’s sake!’ The impatient voice of her sister jarred Emily from her memories. Her eyes traveled to Sophie, who was obviously in a hurry to leave the restaurant. ‘There is nothing left to do, is there? I need to get ready for my date, don’t you remember?’
    ‘ Sure thing.’ She nodded automatically, biting her lips to keep from asking the obvious question that she knew would remain unanswered: What about Peter ?
    Sophie had been dating Peter for the past three months, claiming that their romance was something akin to a coup de foudre . Unstoppable and burning high, they had been in love with a passion that swept away all reason and decency. The fact that he was initially dating Emily, and that she had introduced him to her stepsister, had been lost in the weeks that followed the explosion of their love affair.
    Emily had watched them with initial anger and hurt that soon transformed into resigned acceptance, the scenario playing out in front of her not the first part of the movie that was her life, but merely a sequel. She wasn’t deeply in love with him, which had helped immensely. They were on the verge of becoming involved, their mutual attraction the beginning of what might have been. As things happened, however, one look from Sophie’s large blue eyes had been enough to distract him from the girl he had been seeing for two months.
    Wasn’t that exactly why she had waited so long before bringing him to meet her stepsister, hoping against all hope that their already somewhat established relationship would prevent him from falling under the spell of Sophie’s blond, blue-eyed charm? Yet it had been enough for Peter and Sophie to spend one evening together at the function to which Emily had invited him to realize that they were made for each other.
    Confronted, Sophie had shrugged and explained that their love was inevitable and that she hoped Emily would understand. Peter was more self-conscious, his awkward explanations making her cringe in embarrassment and causing her to hurriedly stop the painful confrontation. Once again, Sophie had taken what she wanted, and Emily could do nothing about it as she became a witness to their romance.
    Disappearing wasn’t an option. The successful business she and Sophie ran together bound them for better and for worse, emotional drama included. Still, Emily couldn’t help but ask herself what it would be like if she really had cared for Peter the way he did for Sophie. Would it make any difference to her sister that she was breaking Emily’s heart? She wanted desperately to believe that, somehow or other, Sophie knew Emily didn’t have deep feelings for Peter, and that was the reason for her selfish act. That if Emily were deeply in love, her sister would understand and keep her distance, however implausible that sounded.
    Emily pushed aside the ugly memories that threatened to shake her hard-earned peace of mind, once again closing the door to the darkest secrets of her and her sister’s