Sunkissed Serendipity

Chapter 19

Julian

Once we get in my car, I wait for Isla to buckle her seat belt in and then look over at my house one more time. I knew that the incident inside was a reaction to my dad seeing someone he didn't know for the first time. Because of that, I knew that he wasn't going to be having a hard time at home and that my mom and brother were going to be okay. But it is still tough as the oldest son to not be home, but I made plans to see my friends for the first time after the trip, so I couldn't cancel.

As I back out of the driveway, an arm over Isla's seat and my eyes making sure there aren't any neighborhood kids in the way, I say, "Have you eaten today?"

"Hm?" I hear her say, slowing down the car. I glance at her and say, "Did you get a chance to sit down and have a meal while you were watching over Jack?"

"Oh," she says, tucking a very curly piece of hair behind her ear and quieting down to probably think about it. Then she says, "I've had a lot of snacks to hold me over, but no, no meal."

"When you fed Jack, you didn't eat as well?" I ask, slowly making a turn and getting back on the road. She gives a shake of her head and says, "No. I—I don't know."

"What do you mean?" I ask as I sit back in my seat and focus on the road, still interested in this conversation.

She lets out a nervous chuckle when she says, "Um, I don't know if I'm supposed to—or rather, how I'm supposed to eat with your brother, you know?" Her voice is soft when she says, "It's awkward."

"Eating with my brother or..."

"Just eating the food at your house," she supplies at last, and I glance at her to find that she genuinely seemed shy talking about this. I give her an incredible look as I say, "Why? My mom has you babysitting for hours at a time; she doesn't mind you eating her food."

"I don't—" she stops, draws her bottom lip into her teeth, and then shrugs. Then she says, "I feel weird doing that."

I hum seeing her argument but then say, "You should eat though. It's not good to go a long time without eating a proper meal."

"It was only like," she trails off, counting down the hours on her finger and then looking up at me. I give her a small nod, already knowing how high the count was as opposed to the point she was trying to make. "Six hours."

"Hm," I say to her, trying not to laugh, but a smile breaks through on my face.

Isla shrieks in embarrassment, her face turning red instantly, and she retaliates by throwing her hand on my arm. "Hey!" I shout, playful as I tighten my hold on the steering wheel and steal a look at her. Her eyes catch mine when I say, "No hitting the driver when they are driving!"

She grumbles, not much caring for my exaggerated point, and then turns to the window. Something must finally make it to her that her head is back to me. "You've been to my house only once—never with a car. I don't imagine you know how to get to my house."

"No," I answer.

She sits up in her spot, her eyes wandering from me to the windows. She uses a finger to curl a piece of her hair and then slowly turns to me. Her eyes hold questions (and a little bit of suspicion) as she asks, "Then, Julian, where are you taking me?"

"Jeez, you actually sound like you're taking me for a creep," I say to her, not being able to help the laugh that erupts from my mouth. I let my laughter die down and then turned to her at a red light. She only gives me a sheepish look, and I say, "I'm taking you to get something to eat."

"Oh," she says, the answer being one that she could handle. I wondered if she was genuinely worried that I would take her to a random spot and then... I actually didn't know what she would have thought. Then her face clouds into the same confusion as before as she asks, "Wait, but why?"