by Lila Rose
He stood behind me quietly until the commercials came on.
“Isaac, what are you doing?” I asked without looking at him.
“I-I think I may be a little wet to sit on the couch, and I didn’t want to interrupt your show. You seem scary when it comes to it.”
A laugh escaped me as I jumped up from the couch and looked at him with wide eyes. He was still soaking. I averted my gaze to over his shoulder and cussed at myself for not being considerate enough to notice.
“True about the show, but still, you should have said something earlier. Hang on, I’ll go grab a towel, and I’m sure I have something for you to wear that will fit. Wait one sec.” I rushed off to the linen closet, grabbed a towel then dashed to my bedroom. I searched through my clothes for a hooded jumper and found some old tracksuit pants of my dad’s. I ran back to the lounge, threw the towel at him and placed the clothes on the edge of the couch before sitting back down in time for Glee to start again.
Isaac cleared his throat behind me.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“A room to change in? Unless you would prefer me to undress here?” Humour laced his voice.
I pretended to think about it for a minute, tapping my chin with one finger. “Go down the hall to the end room. You can change in there.”
It wasn’t until the next commercials came on did I realise Isaac hadn’t returned. Worried with what he was getting up to in my room, I went after him. The door was closed. I knocked before entering, in case he was that slow at getting dressed—or I hoped he was. I opened the door without a reply and found him over by my window, looking at the pictures that hung on the wall beside it.
Dear God, he’s not wearing a shirt.
Thank you, Lord.
In my dazed state, I froze and took in the glorious view before me. He was beautiful. He hadn’t turned around, so all I could see was his back; still, his back was something to write home about. In fact, I could recite a sonnet about how his tanned skin shone from the wet rain. How his shoulders cried out to me and made me want to sprint over, just so I could run my hands all over them.
He turned around, and I found the front view was just as good as the back. Nice strong arms and a six-pack that yelled, Hello, take notice of me. And good God, I was. That was until he placed my hoodie on.
I let out an annoyed breath at him for interrupting my ogling. A blush rose to my cheeks and I looked away, but not before I saw the smile on his face. He knew I was perving, and he enjoyed every minute of it.
Oh, hell, what did I get myself into?
“I wanted to see what was taking you so long,” I said after clearing my throat a few times.
“I hope you don’t mind my looking around. But I thought if we’re to be friends, it would be best to see how my friend lives.” He grinned. Smiling suited him. I didn’t understand why he didn’t do it more often, even at school.
“You can just ask me questions instead of snooping,” I lightly suggested. It wasn’t like I had anything to hide. Well, not there in the house anyway.
“True.” He nodded. “Do you mind if I ask one now?”
Shaking my head, I leaned against the door frame and teased, “You don’t have to ask to ask me a question, Isaac. You just do it.”
He let out a deep, carefree laugh. It was beautiful and caused goose bumps to appear on my arms.
“All right then.” He studied me for a moment. “Why is your eye black?”
Biting my bottom lip, I moved my gaze to the floor and then back up. I knew it wouldn’t take him long, like all curious people. “I don’t know.” For the first time, the lie felt bitter. “I was born this way. Believe me when I say I’ve had test after test and no one has any answers.”
“Does it bother you?”
Another sigh escaped me. I met his gaze for a second, then it met the floor again. “At the start, yes, of course it did. Especially when so many people question it and they make their own assumptions from it, saying I’m a witch, or a demon child, or the one that never goes away: freak. But you soon learn to ignore all of it and continue on with your life… As good as you can anyway. So, no. It doesn’t bother me now.”
“You must get lonely.” It was a statement, but I chose to answer it anyway.
“Look, I can understand that you feel sorry for the freak, but seriously, if that’s all this is then get lost.” I straightened and looked to him with a glare. He quickly moved his gaze from my belongings and focused back on me with his own glare.
“Leila,”—Damn him and his sexy voice saying my name—“I don’t feel sorry for you. I only wanted to say that I know what being lonely can feel like. I haven’t allowed myself a friend in such a long time. To a point, I can no longer handle being without companionship.”
“I don’t get it, Isaac.” I shook my head. “You say you haven’t allowed yourself a friend, but all you have to do is speak up and you’d have dozens of willing people. I mean, sure the majority would be girls who only want you for your body. And you’d have a few guys who would only want you for your mad ball skills… Still, they’d be your friends.”
He groaned and ran a hand through his inky hair. “It’s not the same. I am… different. I think you are as well. And I found that since you had no one else around you that it would be easier to get to know you.”
“So I’m the easy target friend,” I joked. I didn’t care that he wanted to be friends with me because he saw that I didn’t have anyone else to hang with. While I knew it wasn’t because he felt sorry for the lonely freak, it was because he didn’t care for crowds. He was a person who liked solitude, but when that got to be too much, it was always good to have just one other person to go to. My belly warmed at the possibility. He’d chosen me to be that person.
“Are you always going to take offense to everything I say?” he growled.
“Okay, buddy. If we’re friends, you have to learn to know when I am joking. Dammit, Isaac, you’re making me miss Glee.” I bolted back to the living room.
Isaac eventually came out and sat next to me quietly. He was smart enough to leave me in peace while my show finished.
The whole time I watched the cast of Glee break out into song, I wanted to punch myself. For some reason, I couldn’t seem to wipe the silly, happy smile from my face. Though, my guess was because of who was sitting beside me.
Chapter Three
“That was the most—” Isaac began.
I quickly placed my hand over his mouth. “No, you don’t. You do not say one bad word about Glee,” I said, meeting his eyes that held humour, with a scowl.
He gently pulled my hand away, only he didn’t let go. Instead, I watched wide-eyed as he placed it with his own on his thigh. I moved my stare away, knowing I was blushing. My heart beat hard in my chest, and suddenly, vultures pecked away in my stomach. It wasn’t the sweet butterflies fluttering around. No, my nerves had me so tied in a knot I felt like I was going to throw up.
No guy had held my hand.
Well, besides my dad, but he didn’t count.
“Why do you always look away? I’ve noticed you hardly ever meet someone’s gaze.”
“Pff.” I pulled my hand free and made it look like I needed to tuck my hair behind my ears.
Even though nausea was heavy in my stomach, I liked the way my hand felt in his; the warmth and tenderness gave me… emotions I wasn’t used to feeling.
Emotions that scared me.
Just friends, just friends.
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable,” he uttered. “It’s only that I wish you wouldn’t look away. I like your eyes, Leila. My father once told me that if you refused to meet someone’s gaze, they would think they’re superior to you, they would see you fear them. I don’t believe that with you.”
“Look. It’s nothing.” I clenched my hands into fists.
All of it was alien to me. I didn’t know how to act or what to say. God, even how to look. I was used to averting my unwanted gaze because of the way it made people f
eel. And now… now I had someone telling me it was a sign of weakness.
I couldn’t let it continue.
It wasn’t in my nature.
After a deep breath, I looked up to meet Isaac’s gaze.
His smile and the look of pride in his eyes gave me more confidence. And sent my heart into hyper-drive.
Stupid hormones.
He reached out and ran the back of his hand slowly down my cheek. “Perfect.”
Biting my bottom lip to stop the moan wanting to escape from his touch, I shrugged, as if his compliment was something I heard every day. Acting like it was nothing, when it was the total opposite. His comment… I wished I could bottle it and take it with me everywhere I went just so I could listen to it over and over.
Oh, hell. I wanted to look away. I had to fight with myself to keep my eyes on his. To me, it was natural to avert my unwanted gaze.
A pain in my chest started.
Was I about to have a panic attack?
“Would you mind if I used your telephone to call my father to collect me?” Isaac asked, as if he had sensed my inner turmoil. I sent him a small smile of appreciation, a change of subject was just what I needed.
“Do you always talk so proper?” I teased.
“Do you not like it?” he said, laying it on thicker.
I rolled my eyes. “It doesn’t matter whether I like it or not. Friends don’t judge each other.”
“Too right, or else I would have said something a long time ago about your slang.”
Gently, I punched him in the arm.
Or did that class as flirting? I didn’t want to flirt with my only friend and stuff things up. It could chase him away and I’d never… Bugger it all, I knew nothing about flirting, so I would act how I’d usually act and be myself. Isaac could either take it or leave it.
Therefore, I sat up straight with my hands folded in my lap, and in my best posh voice, I said, “Please, feel free to use the telephone, Isaac Grey.” I smiled and asked, “Is that better?”
He raised his eyebrows. “No.” He smiled and shook his head. “It’s not you.”
“I know, right?” I nodded.
“Pardon?” he smirked.
With a roll of my eyes, I ordered, “Just go and call your dad, wise guy.”
He went to the kitchen and used the phone near the living room. It was times like these I was glad I was different.
Glad I had great hearing.
“Father.”
“Isaac, where have you been, son?”
“At a friend’s house. Would you be able to come and get me?”
“I’ll have your brother do it. Sorry, my boy, but I’m a little busy at the moment.”
Isaac has a brother? I never knew. He passed my address on and said goodbye. Before he could come and sit back down, I stood and walked into the kitchen.
“I should’ve asked if you wanted something to eat. I’m starved. I didn’t realise it was so late. What can I get you? Do you have time for something? How far away do you live?”
Pausing my search in the freezer and fridge, I glanced over my shoulder at his amused expression.
It was strange how easily I was finding it to meet his gaze. I was in awe of Isaac because he made me feel so comfortable, I could be myself around him.
“It’s fine. I’m not hungry, and we live on the other side of town. On a property like this actually, and feel free to eat something yourself. Shouldn’t your parents be home soon?”
“Worried you might run into them?” I asked while getting out my usual dinner, a microwave meal. Tonight, chicken stir-fry. Yum. Not.
“Actually, yes.”
“I never picked you to be one who was scared of parents.” I laughed. “But you don’t have to worry, they won’t be home tonight.”
“Oh, are they out of town?”
“No,” I said flatly. Why was he so interested in where they were? “Anyway, enough questions about me. Tell me something about yourself.”
He looked as though I’d asked him to kill someone for me. His nose screwed up, a dark look passed in his eyes and his whole body tensed.
“Come on, Isaac, it isn’t that hard. Let’s start with how many family members you have.”
He stared down at the kitchen bench he’d sat at. “There are four in my family. My father, my brother, my sister and then myself.”
“Yes, and?”
“And what?” He looked over my shoulder, out the kitchen window.
“Isaac, why are you being so difficult? Sorry, unless you don’t want to tell me. I was being rude, wasn’t I?”
I could have kicked myself. It was a perfect example of how all of it was alien to me. I wouldn’t answer any question on where my parents were, and there I was, pushing for more information out of him.
He rolled his eyes. “It’s fine. All right, my brother, Jeremiah, who you will meet in a moment, because I am sure he will not leave until he is introduced to the person who… until he meets you. He is, ah… nineteen, a year older than myself. My sister, Jezanna, she’s sixteen. Our mother passed away a year before we moved here. My father is still pained by it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
Crap, I didn’t want him to leave feeling low, especially when I was the one who annoyed him into talking. So I asked a few light questions, like about music. I told him my favourite was the Black Eyed Peas.
He pulled a disgusted face. “I listen to The Smashing Pumpkins.”
“Who?” I asked.
He smiled. “I see that I am going to have to enlighten you with some taste.”
We moved onto everything else we could think of while I ate my dinner until a bang on the front door made me jump. Usually, I would’ve heard a car pull into my drive, but I must have been too engrossed in our conversation to notice.
Which was not good enough. My uncle had always taught me to be cautious.
“I’ll answer it, since it will be Jeremiah. Leila, I must apologize in advance for my brother. He is, uh… well, I’m sure you will soon find out.”
Okay, that did not sound good. I admitted to myself he had me worried. I waited anxiously in the kitchen while Isaac left to answer the door.
“Brother,” a deep voice barked.
“Jeremiah, please come in.”
I listened to their footsteps approach. Isaac’s quiet footfalls and Jeremiah’s loud heavy ones. Isaac walked in first, followed by Jeremiah, and when he spotted me for the first time, he stopped abruptly. His eyes grew wide and he sucked in a breath.
It was the usual reaction upon seeing my eyes for the first time.
I was impressed with myself though. I didn’t look away.
Isaac shook his head as he sat back on the bench. I glanced from one to the other. You could see the resemblance. Both had charcoal hair and deep green eyes. Only Isaac’s were more alluring than his brother’s. Really, the only difference between them was that Jeremiah had a soldier’s build. He was taller, his hair shorter, except at the front where his fringe hung over his eyes.
Jeremiah had an ample amount of time to say something. To get over his shock and quit bloody staring, but he hadn’t.
“Hi there.” I waved. “I’m Leila Morgin. I’m sure you can see by now that I have one black eye. No, I don’t know why that is. This is how I was born. Now can you quit staring?”
If they could have, I was sure his eyes would have grown wider. I glanced at Isaac, who was trying to repress his laughter.
I glanced back to Jeremiah to see if he’d made any progress, and thankfully, he had. He was now glaring at me.
Yay.
“I’m sorry, Leila. You took me by surprise. Still, it was very rude of me, so I will apologize again.”
“Don’t sweat it. Most people scream and run when they first meet me.” I nodded.
For a second there, it seemed like he was going to laugh. Instead, he asked, “You have a nice home. Are you parents in?”
Groaning, I snap
ped, “No, not right now. Why?” Seriously, what was with asking about my parents?
“They’re not, but I am,” a gravelled voice answered behind Jeremiah. Jeremiah spun around quickly, while Isaac stood, a noise falling from their lips.
“Way to go, Jack.” I glared at my uncle.
Admittedly, every time he returned, a little tension would leave me and I’d sigh with relief. Once more, I had no idea where he’d been. At least he’d come home. Sometimes he looked a little more worn than usual, as he did now.
Rolling my eyes, I controlled my laugh as I watched him take on a pose of a tough man in front of the boys. His feet were spread apart in his tattered blue jeans and cowboy boots. His arms crossed over his large chest, which caused his flannel shirt to look too small for him. He held his short brown-haired head high and glared at the strangers with his piercing blue eyes.
Shaking my head, I said to Isaac and his brother, “Ignore him. He’s just the hired help.”
Uncle Jack snorted. He carefully walked around Jeremiah and Isaac without taking his eyes off them, and stopped at my side, only to ruffle my hair, which I hated and had told him over and over.
“What’s up, kiddo? And who do we have here? If I had known we were having guests, I would have been home earlier.”
“Whatever. Where did you go this time?”
“Hunting.”
A low noise, one that sounded like a growl, came from Jeremiah and Isaac’s direction. I looked at them, screwed my nose up and raised a brow in question. They said nothing.
“However, it doesn’t matter about me right now, kid. You’re bein’ rude. I think introductions are called for.”
“Isaac, Jeremiah. This is my annoying, pain-in-the-butt Uncle Jack. Doofus, Isaac and I go to college together and Jeremiah is Isaac’s brother, here to pick him up after we had wild monkey sex.” All three of them nearly choked on their own saliva. They ended up spluttering and coughing to regain some oxygen back in their systems.
“Seriously, kid. You’re gonna kill me one day.”
Smiling, I nudged his ribs and offered, “I shall try my best.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jack.” Jeremiah glared. “Isaac, are you ready to leave?”
