Isa & Nate

A Suspect- Chapter 15

Isa nipped the tip of the honeysuckle and pulled the end of the delicate pistil until a drop of nectar bubbled out. She put it to her mouth and let the sweetness drop on her tongue. Delicious.

Bees were so lucky. Isa's backyard fence was covered in the vine. She had her very own honeysuckle paradise.

"Isabelle, the queen bee." Nate laughed and walked toward her.

Isa pulled off another flower. "Honeysuckles are the best." She nipped off the tip and pulled the pistil until the drop of nectar appeared. "Here. Open up."

Nate opened his mouth and Isa placed the drop on his tongue. "Good, right?"

"Only you, Isabelle."

"Isabelle, huh? I prefer Isa." Brice's voice caused both Isa and Nate to turn. Brice opened the wooden gate and walked toward them. "You ready to practice?"

Was it already 2 o'clock? Shoot. "Sorry, Nate. I guess we better practice."

Nate looked from Isa to Brice. "I can stick around. Pretend I'm the audience."

"Okay. Great." Why were things awkward all of a sudden?

Brice handed a copy of the play to Nate. "Great. You can help us when we get stuck, uh—"

"Nate." His voice seemed lower than usual.

After forty-five minutes of practicing Isa was ready for a break. She went inside to get a pitcher of lemonade and glanced out the front window. Was that Jake, the meanest guy this side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, climbing her tree? What was the butterfly torturer doing in her front yard climbing a tree of all things?

She set the pitcher of lemonade on the kitchen table and stepped out on the front porch. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she called out to Jake. "What do you think you're doing?"

Jake jumped off the branch and landed with a thud on her front lawn. "None of your business."

Brice and Nate walked around the side of the house. "Everything okay?" Nate eyed Jake.

"Relax. I'm not bothering your precious girlfriend." Jake swiped at his shorts and started up the sidewalk.

"That's right you're leaving," Isa called after him.

Nate came up beside Isa. "What was he doing here?"

"I have no idea." Did he just call me Nate's girlfriend?

Brice joined them. "You two are dating?"

Nate took a step closer to Isa.

Isa thought Nate was going to set Brice straight, but he said nothing. She guessed it was up to her.

"Nate and I are just friends."

Brice grinned. "Oh, that's good." He cleared his throat. "I mean that's good for Jim and Carrie."

Nate stared at Brice for an agonizingly long few seconds. "I wouldn't think it would matter either way. You two are just acting."

And Isa thought it was awkward before. It was ten times worse now. Time to change the subject.

"Maybe Jake was just bored. He thought my maple tree would be fun to climb."

Brice studied the tree then looked at Isa's house and pointed to a window. "Is that your bedroom window?"

"Yes. It is." Isa shuddered.

Brice nodded. "I think you have your reason for your friend's tree climbing adventures."

And Isa just got a suspect for the lily crushing creeper.