Sweet Like Honey

chapter seven

THE middle of summer was nearing. The breeze was growing heavier, the air nipped a bit more towards night, and the sky dimmed earlier and earlier with each day that passed. As the days changed, so did Isaac. He found himself growing more distant from Amelia, as work seemed to consume her schedule more than it did the summer before. They had been together for years, but this year seemed different.

Isaac stood at the counter in his dark kitchen, staring at the granite markings on the table top. Amelia came downstairs in a rush, wearing her powder blue scrubs as she collected her keys and paperwork from beside the stove.

"I know you hate when I do the night shift," Amelia said quietly, before looking up to meet Isaac's gaze. Her eyes instantly hardened, and Isaac saw tears forming in them. "But that's no reason to act this way towards me."

"What are you talking about, Amelia?" Isaac asked, confused.

Amelia threw her papers down on the table and looked at him with glittering eyes. "Don't act stupid, Isaac. You haven't touched me in a week," she said, her teeth gritted together.

"Amelia," Isaac tried, stepping towards her.

"I don't want to say it's..." Amelia glanced at the staircase, and around the rest of the area, to ensure that no one was around. "I don't want to say it's Lainey's fault. Because that girl really is helpful and such a sweetheart. But she's so young, and she's pretty, and-"

"Stop it, Amelia," Isaac said, wrapping his arms around her. "Nobody is as beautiful as you."

"I think maybe... maybe we should tell her that it's time to leave," Amelia said, looking up at Isaac for approval.

"I... ah, but what about her family situation? She wasn't allowed home, she said," Isaac said, clearing his throat.

"Sure, but we can't keep her forever," Amelia said with an uncomfortable chuckle.

"Right, right," Isaac said awkwardly. His heart dropped. It was almost like he didn't want Lainey to go.

"Oh my God," Amelia said, staring at him. She backed away from him. "You don't want her to go."

"What?" Isaac said, holding his arms out. "No, I- I don't care about her-"

"Isaac, are you serious? Are you seriously lying to me?" Amelia said, watching him carefully. "When we took her in, you wanted nothing to do with her. Now, look at you," she said, gesturing towards his flustered expression.

"Amelia, I just don't want to throw my student out in the street," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "That makes me a bad guy?"

"Not when you were begging to get rid of her a month ago! Something changed, Isaac. What is it? What have you two done?" Amelia said, tears now rushing down her cheeks.

"Oh, Amelia, God, nothing! We haven't done anything," he informed her, and it was the truth. Besides the incident when he was drawing her several days before, they hadn't done anything besides talk. They were home alone together all day with Gavin, what else could they do?

"Why don't you want her to go then?" Amelia asked. "We've had her here for weeks now, Isaac. Over a month. She needs to find somewhere to go."

"I will talk to her about leaving," Isaac said, but he knew he wouldn't. He didn't know what he was feeling, but it was confusing him just as much as it was confusing Amelia.

Amelia wouldn't look away from him. "You're lying. I'm not an idiot, Isaac. I will take Gavin, and we will leave you all alone. Do you want that?"

Isaac's stomach fell. His heart raced and his face heated - he had never heard Amelia say such a thing before. "N-no! Amelia, no, of course not! Why would you say that?"