Let Me In (book 2 - follow on from Abandoned)

32

Maura's PoV

Nursing another cup of tea supervising Steven doing his essay and watching that Sam doesn't distract him, I listen to Jane playing, viewing Steven it seems he focuses and works faster when listening to her playing too.

It's uncanny how alike the two of them are, don't get me wrong Jane is extremely clever but when she needs to focus she always works better when there is music in the background.

I always feel proud listening to her play and sing, but I must admit when she plays the piano I can find myself being transported out of the room, but when she sings... when she sings when she plays, to me it's as if Jane is letting me into a secret, and that is what is really going on with her, exactly how she's feeling, especially when she slips to subconsciously playing, instantly she pulls me into her world, her secret place wether it be happy or dark she allows me in, because she's allowed me to understand her in that way, something in which even Sam doesn't fully comprehend.

Like right now she has just finished singing tainted love in such a slow and haunting way, I know she is expressing her dreams, the flashbacks and how she feels, I know that she isn't saying that our love is tainted, it's the pain that we have both been put through since being together.

However when she starts to sing crawling in the same slow and haunting manor,

"Erm Maura, we're going to head off I'll text you later" Sam draws me out of my thoughts and it's only when I focus on the room around me do I realise that Steven has left and taken all his work with him, bar the essay he was working on.

"Oh?"

"Doll something is seriously going on with her, I mean this song.. somethings not right wether she realises it or not, and well I mean we would be leaving in an hour anyway Ste finished the essay and I really think you two need some space, she might open up to you more if we aren't around, so we're going to stay out tonight, I've booked us a place in Braintree, so you guys have the place to yourself.. anyway I'll text you later, to let you know we got there safe." he explains, kisses my cheek and leaves.

She falls into playing another song one I haven't heard before, and it's dark, she doesn't sing she just plays.

Reaching the music room door, quietly letting myself in, she's drawn the curtains and has no form of light on. Leaving the door open slightly just to allow a small amount of light, sitting in the chair I study her as the light casts shadows over her face, trying to figure everything out without having to interrupt her playing. From how she came back and put extremely oversized clothing on, the way she withdrew her hand when I went to hold it, where as normally it would just be shorts and a top.

Jane's uncomfortable with herself and I have no idea as to why, I find myself watching her hands, and they seem stiff more than how she said earlier, they are unlike her normal free flowing graceful self when her scars are tight, there's a wince that crosses her face when she tries to flex her left hand to comfortably run through the chords.

"Janie..."

"Mmm" she hums in reply trying to keep her face straight

"Honey stop"

"Stop what?"

"Stop playing, let me massage them for you." I offer, as she stops playing

"They're ok.." Jane whispers staring down at the keys on her piano as her hands go protectively into the pouch on the front pocket of her hoody.