The Dark Artifices: Lady of Los Angeles

Chapter 22

Jules POV

 

I miss you too.

I miss you too.

The thought had tormented Jules ever since Emma had hung up. What did she mean?

     He was interrupted by a knock on the door. Startled he sat up straight on the edge of his bed.

     Two girls entered before he got the chance to let them in himself.

     Lizzy and Adriana, the Nightwhite sisters. They’d come to his room with food the last couple of days. Lizzy was there to talk too. She was one year younger than him while Adriana was 19. Adriana used to stand next to her sister with arms crossed waiting for her to finish talking.

     This time Lizzy brought a tray with the food that Jules had seen in the dining room – or hall more likely.

     Fish and potatoes.

     “Hello, Julian”, Lizzy giggled. Giggled. Never talked. That habit went along with wrinkling her nose like she was chronical disgusted. Giggling and wrinkling. Adriana…well, Jules wasn’t sure she actually had any habits other than crossing her arms.

     “Hi, sorry I couldn’t make it to dinner”, he said with his hands behind his back.

     “You can still make it if you want to. We haven’t eaten yet. You can join us.”

     “Thanks, but I think I’ll stay here tonight, maybe tomorrow.”

     Lizzy wrinkled her nose. “Okay. Look for us if you change your mind.” She gave him the tray of food. Adriana had taken a seat in the armchair by the window, waiting for Lizzy’s talk. She didn’t disappoint her. “Have you seen Antonia’s new little brother yet? He’s gorgeous!” Gorgeous? “I’m gonna help them take care of him, since I’m friends with Antonia. She’s really nice.” Jules listened to her even if he had no idea who Antonia was. “The other day we went to Oxford Street. Have you been there yet? We could take the bus there sometime-”

     She was interrupted when somebody knocked on the door. Once again the guest let himself in. This time it was Isaac. His hair was messy and his eyes tired, like normal then. He still held Rebecca in his arms. Adriana rose to her feet and grabbed her sister by the elbow before she let themselves out.

     Isaac grinned behind them like she was amused by the way Adriana reacted to him.

     Jules was surprised. “What did she do that for?”

     “She doesn’t like me”, he answered shortly that made it clear it was nothing Jules could go any further with.

     “Has she eaten anything?” Jules asked instead and nodded at Rebecca.

     Isaac sat down in the armchair Adriana had sat in only a moment before and played with the child’s tiny fingers.

     “She got stressed by the crowd and I had to leave.”

     Isaac smiled when Rebecca caught his pinkie finger. His features which Jules had seen as dark had lightened up. He looked like the 16 years old he was, and a happy one.

     “She can take some of mine.” He went over with the tray with food.

     Jules tried to give her a spoonful of mashed potatoes but she refused it.

     “Let me try”, Isaac said and took some on his index finger and gave it to her. She ate it. He laughed proudly. “She’s eating.”

     He kept giving her more potatoes until she once again turned her head away.