Sweet Like Honey

chapter five

"FINALLY," Isaac sighed after grading the last of the history assignments. He leaned back in his office chair and took his glasses off, rubbing his eyes.

He glanced out the window to overlook the front driveway, where Amelia had just strolled Gavin down for an evening walk. He believed that Lainey had gone with them.

Several days of Lainey living in their house had passed. Isaac was still slightly uncomfortable by the situation, but Amelia insisted that the girl needed somewhere to stay. But Isaac didn't really feel that Lainey was a cause for worry anymore. She cleaned the house up, occupied Gavin, and even left Isaac alone to do his work.

Isaac stood up and collected his papers, shoving them into his bookbag before he heard the sound of paper ruffling.

He dropped his book bag on the ground and emerged from his small office, looking down the dim hallway.

"Amelia?" Isaac called out, continuing down the hallway until he reached his room.

The noise was growing louder, and it wasn't until he flipped his bedroom light on that he realized someone was going through his closet.

He rushed towards the doorway to find Lainey sitting on the ground, her back facing the door. She seemed to be sifting through papers, and Isaac immediately touched her shoulder, making Lainey's posture straighten.

She looked over her shoulder, her large eyes batting up at him.

"Oh, hi Mr. Walker," she said softly, her eyelashes fanning across her flushed cheeks.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you..." He realized that she was going through his old sketches, his artwork that he never told anybody about, not even Amelia.

He walked over and ripped the sketches off of Lainey's lap. She stood to her feet, her hands in the air as she stared at him with innocence glistening in her gaze.

"I... I was just-" she tried.

"How the fuck did you even find this stuff?" Isaac threw the sketches on his bed and shook his head. "Just when I was starting to think you were normal."

He tried to keep calm, inhaling deeply and exhaling the same as he watched Lainey fumble for an excuse.

"I am normal, Mr. Walker, I was just-" she started.

"No, Lainey, you can't just go through someone's stuff like that," Isaac groaned, shuffling his sketches together and getting ready to put them back in the briefcase they were originally in.

"I was cold, Amelia told me look for a jacket in your closet and... wow, Mr. Walker, I had no idea you were that talented," she said, staring down at the artwork that was in his hand.

There were sketches of women and scenery. He hadn't seen them in years - they were always just shoved into the closet.

"Mr. Walker," Lainey spoke, and he felt her fingers wrap around his wrist. She pushed him so he was sitting down on the edge of his bed, and he looked up to find her staring into his eyes. "You are really talented. Why didn't you tell me you were an artist?"

Isaac shook his head, clearing his throat. "I'm not. It's just something I used to do for fun."

"This one... this one is my favorite," Lainey said, taking the papers out of his grip and sifting until she found one of a naked woman. "It's just beautiful."

"Uh, thanks," Isaac lifted his glasses higher on his face, not knowing how to get out of the situation. "Weren't you supposed to go with-"

"But this one... this one speaks volumes," Lainey said, pointing at the one that Isaac never wanted anyone to see. The sketch of a car accident. "I mean... wow, it's just so dark and..."