Aira put her hand down and took a small breath.
“Maybe he’ll change his mind,” she spoke up nervously playing with her hair.
“I doubt it,” Joshua laughed.
Joshua’s phone started to ring and he asked Avery to answer it.
“Hello? Well, hello there, Israel,” Avery said, looking back at Aira, “We’re almost there, two minutes. Okay, see you then.” Avery hung up the phone. She smiled like a giddy little girl and let out a small shriek of happiness and excitement.
Aira smiled at her. “You’re such a brat.”
They finally drove into town and pulled up to the park. Israel was sitting on the bench across from his work. They pulled into a parking spot in front of The Moose.
Israel calmly stood up as they got out of the car. Joshua and Avery waited for Aira to go a bit ahead of them.
Israel’s presence was warm, full. He felt safe. Somehow he had become something that she couldn’t really imagine life without. To her that was terrifying.
Israel smiled, and rubbed his stomach with both of his hands. He was definitely nervous.
Aira looked back. Avery and Joshua had walked back to his car. Joshua got in and Avery blew her a kiss.
Aira was shocked. What the hell were they doing? She didn’t know what to do. Should she go back to the car or continue walking over to him? She had to make up her mind soon as she was standing in the middle of the road. Avery got into the car and shut the door. “Now she hates us.” She laughed as Joshua pulled out, and they waved goodbye like a couple of trouble makers.
Aira took a breath. She could barely breathe. She turned around and walked towards Israel.
“Hello,” he smiled.
“Hey… are they coming back?” She spoke pointing back to where the car used to be. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, she felt so awkward.
“I don’t think so,” he laughed lightly, “but I don’t bite.” The expression on his face made Aira smile.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“Ya… I think so.” She shook her head a bit, feeling stupid. He found her nervousness very sweet, but to her it was painful.
Israel walked up to her and grabbed onto her hand and an energy rushed through her. With his fingers between hers, he walked her to his car which was parked in front of his work.
He opened the car door for her, and his boss came out with two large paper bags.
Israel reached for them with one hand while trying to pull out his wallet out of his back pocket.
“It’s on me.” His boss gave him a nod and half a smile, waved at Aira, and walked back inside.
Israel looked down and smiled a bit. Even though everyone thought Mr. Lee was an impossible person to be around, Israel really liked him.
He walked to his side of the car, put the food in the back seat, got in and put on his seat belt.
Aira wasn’t sure what to do or say, and she started to fidget with the sleeve of her sweater.
“I’d like to take you somewhere,” he spoke contently.
“Okay,” she answered, still having a hard time looking at him.
He smiled, turned on his car, and drove up towards Lake of the Woods. He drove past the lake for maybe another ten minutes, passing Emory Creek, and eventually pulled into a long driveway surrounded by massive, beautiful trees. Aira was amazed. Even though she had lived here her whole life, it seemed even greener, breezier, and really, really welcoming.
“Is this where you live?” she asked as he pulled up to a handsome, large, one level house hidden away from the road. The house was made of beautiful, dark, red wood, and steps led up to a large front porch. The porch had no railing.
“Yes, this is where I reside,” he grinned.
Israel parked the car, grabbed the food out of the back seat, and they both got out.
“Come with me,” he said.
He took her hand, and led her around to the back of the house and down to a secluded place just before a huge forest that made up the rest of their property.
Aira looked around. There were books, scattered drawings, papers, melted candles, a fire pit with a kettle hanging over top, a hammock, a single chair that he had handmade, some nick-knacks, chopped wood, and an axe driven into a stump.
“This is amazing,” she spoke, looking around at everything. She started to look at the drawings.
“I spend most of my time here… it calms me.” He stood trying to decide what she must have been thinking.
“These are really beautiful. Did you draw these?” The drawings were of the mountains, the rivers, paths inside different forests and wild life. They looked so real.
“Ya... it’s something I do to pass time.”
As Aira went through them she came to a drawing that made her look closer.
It was a picture of a girl that looked just like her standing in a forest looking up through the trees to the moon. It was stunning.
She kept looking at it, then looked back at him. “I had a dream like this... I mean a lot like this actually.” Saying it sounded weird to her, but it was the truth.
“Maybe that’s where I drew it.” He smirked slightly, making it seem coincidental.
She quickly looked up at him, wanting to say something about what he had just said, but his eyes were so calming, unworldly. She couldn’t think when she looked at him, she could only see him. Aira looked back down at the picture studying it very carefully. “You can have it if you’d like,” he offered, then quickly changed the subject. He started opening one of the paper bags of food he got from his boss. “I hope you like lasagna. I also got Greek salad and there’s garlic bread.”
“It’s actually my favorite.” She looked at him and held onto the one picture putting the rest back. She loved it, more because it was something he had done. She laid the picture down over her purse.
“My boss didn’t steer me wrong then,” he laughed, pulling the food out of the bags.
“Mr. Lee.” Aira smiled.
“He told me it’s been the only thing you’ve ordered since you were little.”
“You’re really thoughtful.” She honestly couldn’t absorb that she was there with him. He handed her a fork and her food. “Thanks.” She grinned subtly.
Aira walked over to the hammock and sat down. He sat by the fire pit on the chair he had made.
She opened the salad and started moving it around with her fork, then looked over at him. It was weird, he was right there, yet he still felt really far away.
“Um...You never really said where you moved from.”
Israel looked up at her while trying to open the lasagna.
“Ah… before here we were in Bergen, but we were only there for a few weeks.”
“Norway, that’s pretty far... what made you want to move here?”
“We actually used to live here when I was really young… I remember.” He paused for a moment, looking at her in such a way that it felt like he spoke right into her. The moment he knew she felt that, he continued. “I wanted to come back the same day we moved. It was an overnight decision to leave. My Mom wasn’t happy about moving either, she’s always loved it here. I was pretty excited when they made the decision to come back.” He gave her a quick smile then took a bite of his food.
“Why did you move? I mean… if you loved it.”
Israel’s energy seemed a little tenser and the lasagna burnt his mouth. He started to rub his neck.
“Um… some complications came up, personal matters I think, I’m not really sure.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… did they buy this property? It’s really beautiful here.” Aira wanted to change the subject. It seemed like a touchy subject.
“Yes. My grandfather actually helped my father build this house before I was born.”
“Really?”
“Ya, my
mom didn’t want to buy a house, she wanted her dream house. She won,” he chuckled.
Aira smiled. “Do you think you’ll stay longer this time?” When she asked, he could sense she was a little worried.
“I’m not sure I could leave, even if they wanted to,” he answered with a seriousness.
Aira smiled, looking away for a second.
While they ate they took turns asking questions about each other. When she laughed, he started laughing. Her laugh delighted him, and the way he stopped and just looked at her, was like nothing else mattered to him.
As time went by, Israel moved around to different spots, slowly making his way closer to her. He even sat on his knees on the ground in front of her, like they were two magnets slowly being pulled together. Eventually he pulled himself onto the hammock.
The sun had gone away. For those few hours, nothing else seemed to exist. They were now laying together in the hammock talking and he was playing with her hand. She noticed that he smelled the same way as he had in her dream.
Aira turned and looked into his eyes. She stared intensely into them. They seemed to sparkle more in the night.
“Your eyes are really beautiful, I’ve never seen anything like them.”
“I don’t really look at my eyes,” he laughed lightly.
“You should. Right now they look exactly like that.” She pointed up to the stars in the sky.
Israel looked up, then he sat up and turned to his side a bit and looked at her.
“Let’s see your eyes.” Looking curiously into her eyes, his mouth half open, he smiled.
Israel’s back deck light went on and he looked up towards his house.
“My parents are home,” he said, looking back down at her.
Aira came back to reality.
“Oh crap, my parents.” She quickly tried to get up, the hammock flipped, and they both fell onto the ground. Israel was on top of her.
“Are you okay?” he asked overly worried, moving her hair out of her face. He thought he crushed her.
She laughed out loud and he sighed with relief.
“I’m okay… I should get back though. My mom likes to worry.”
“Okay...” He slowly pulled himself backwards off of her and sat on his knees. “Actually, I have something for you.”
Aira sat up and watched as he reached into his pocket. He felt around nervously, and then pulled his hand out, making a fist.
“I fell in love with it the first time I saw it.”
He opened his hand and dangling on his finger was the most delicate white gold necklace with a very tiny white dove pendant. The necklace was very thin.
“Israel...” she spoke almost breathlessly.
He opened the clasp and reached over her. She closed her eyes as he put it around her neck, and goose bumps ran all down her.
She placed her hand over it to feel it and just looked at him.
“What are you thinking?” His eyes seemed slightly worried.
She was nervous to say what she was thinking, but she did anyways,
“I love being with you.” She spoke very simply, but all the emotion she felt came through her voice and through her eyes.
He sat there on his knees looking at her for a moment, and in an instant he rushed forward and kissed her. His lips were so cool.
When he pulled away, it felt like slow motion to her. Looking into his eyes, she then looked up and the Big Dipper was right above them. It was almost like they were sitting right inside the cup of it. She looked back at him and touched her mouth.
“Ah...” he said, scratching his head and smiling.
“What?” she asked, nervously hiding her smile with her fingers.
“Your eyes sparkle too,” he smirked.
Aira let out a giigle and shook her head.
Israel stood up and held out his hand to help her up. They held hands as they walked back to his car, and he drove her home. The drive for Aira was like a long, drawn out goodbye she didn’t want to have to say.
He pulled up to the side of her driveway and put his car in park.
“Your truck is still at school. If you’d like I could pick you up in the morning.”
“Okay.” She smiled. Even though he was right there, she couldn’t wait to see him tomorrow.
“Hopefully you’re not in trouble.”
Aira looked at the time on his car radio, it was 8:59pm.
“My curfew is actually at nine.”
“Well that’s good, I wouldn’t want to leave a bad first impression.”
Aira smiled and bit her lip. Looking at her front door and thinking for a second, she looked back at him and decided to just kiss him. She then pulled away and he smiled. She smiled feeling painfully shy because it was so unlike her to be brave in that way. She got out of the car, closed the door and walked up to the porch. She watched him drive away, then turned around and went inside.
“You’re home late,” Maddy spoke, walking out of the kitchen towards her daughter, “you must have had fun.” She smiled. “Aira, where did you get that? It’s beautiful.” Maddy said looking at the necklace around Aira’s neck.
Aira put her hand over it, knowing no matter what she said it was going to snowball.
“Um...” she shook her head nervously smiling, “just a friend.”
“Does your friend have a name?” Barry spoke up, sitting in his chair by the living room window watching T.V. Maddy smiled.
Aira’s face was blushed and uncomfortable.
“Israel… his name is Israel.” She walked and then ran up the stairs.
Barry smiled at Maddy who shook her head and walked back into the kitchen.
Israel drove home happy and content. He finally pulled into his driveway, then got out and walked into his house.
His mother, father, and his two sisters were all sitting in the living room.
Though his father had lighter skin like Israel, his mother was dark skinned. She was breathtaking. She had very short, dark hair and beautiful deep brown eyes. She was motherly but very vibrant.
His oldest sister Naomi was thirty-one. She had beautiful black hair and blue eyes, darker skin like her mother. She was composed most of the time, like her father.
Olivia, his second oldest sister was twenty-one. She had shorter dark hair and brown eyes and darker skin like her mother.
“Where did you go?” his father asked.
“For a drive,” Israel replied looking at all of them staring at him.
His father looked at him as if he was studying him.
“Israel, what are you doing?” he asked straight forward, serious.
“Nothing… it’s fine.”
“You know we can’t stay.”
“I just need more time.” Israel looked at his father, knowing that what he was saying was true, but there was also a quiet look of defeat in his eyes. He turned his head away and walked left down the hall to his room and closed the door.
“This isn’t easy for him,” Israel’s mother spoke up, looking at her husband.
“Abby, we came back to make sure she was okay… Then we were supposed to leave. He was supposed to keep his distance.”
“I know… but destiny can’t.” She gave her husband a knowing look.
Olivia smiled, but Naomi stayed as serious as her father.
“Barbecue?” Israel’s mother excitedly suggested to break the tension. She gave her husband a quick smile then walked into the kitchen.
Israel laid on his bed staring up at the ceiling. He placed his hand onto his stomach, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.
Aira laid on her bed staring at the drawing Israel had given her. She had taped it to her wall. She was deep in thought. Part of her wanted to figure things out, but then being with him, and the way his presence lingered even after he was
gone, steered her. It felt more important to savor him. She closed her eyes and very easily fell asleep.
The morning sun was rising. Israel opened his eyes. He listened to the sound of the birds outside his window and he smiled.
“It’s a beautiful morning.” His father spoke as he stood in Israel’s doorway. Israel looked over to his father who gave a light nod and walked away.
Israel slowly got out of bed and walked out of his room and into the kitchen.
There was food everywhere. His mother looked happy as she was cooking, and his sister Olivia was picking at a bowl of fruit that was on the kitchen table and reading. There was fresh fruit, pancakes, waffles, eggs and bacon, and he could smell homemade bread. Israel looked sort of stunned. He knew that his mother only did this sort of thing when she was up to something.
“Is she okay?” Israel looked at Olivia who shrugged her shoulders.
“Don’t be silly, I’m fine. Are you hungry?” His mother smiled as she started to make him up a plate of food.
“Sure?” Israel answered, waiting to see what his mother was up to.
“Israel, I been thinking... since this nice weather we’ve been having isn’t going to last for much longer, I wanted to have a barbecue. You know, me, you, your sisters, your father, and you could maybe invite your new friend if you’d like.”
Israel looked at his mother and she grinned at him.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Olivia spoke up. She had a look on her face that made Israel smile as he shook his head.
Nehemiah walked in and stood over by the counter. His expression hadn’t changed.
“Okay… I will ask her if it gets you guys to stop this.” Israel rubbed the back of his neck, a little tense because his father was staring.
“Great!” his mother said with enthusiasm.
Israel grabbed an apple, his keys and walked out the door.
“Well, that was easy,” Abby spoke, looking around at all the food she had made.
Olivia laughed, continued to pick at the fruit and returned to her reading.
“What does he mean by I will ask her?” Nehemiah asked, but already knowing the answer.
Abby held back a nervous smile and just looked at him.
Forbidden: Book One of Wild Sky Saga Page 6
