Chapter 7
That night, I was laying in bed, unable to sleep because I was thinking of Isaac. I didn’t know what he was to me. A boyfriend, perhaps. Maybe just a really close guy friend that I’m attracted to. I really wasn’t sure what I would call him. He already knew more about me than any other friend I had, and I told him everything. He was welcomed by my parents any time he wanted to visit our house. I was even allowed to have him over when my parents weren’t home, which was a stretch for them, even though they gave me a lot of freedom. The only problem was....Jake. He didn’t know about our little excursions on the romantic side of the friendship scale. He only saw us as good friends and hadn’t been able to tell that our friendly boughts were actually a way of flirting. For some reason I was reluctant to tell him that Isaac and I were a semi-item and therefore had decided to kind of ease him into it. It would be easier to slowly warm him up to the idea of us being together.
While that problem played in the back of my mind, I still thought about Isaac and the way it felt to be with him. I wasn’t sure what it was about him that gave him such allure, but he had a way that seemed to tie my heart up so that it’s not even sure what it wants. With Isaac, neither my mind nor my heart are completely decisive in situations, and that leaves me blind without anything to help me find my way, giving me only the option of using guesswork to understand where to go.
While laying on my bed I must have fallen asleep, because I was startled awake by the ringing phone and waited a moment for someone to answer it before realizing I was the only one home. The parental units had taken an overnight trip to Dallas to retrieve some equipment for the elementary school. I rolled over and reached for the piano-shaped phone and pulled it to me.
“Hello?” I asked, my mind still only half awake in a groggy haze, only to be brought screeching back to reality when it was his voice I heard on the other line.
“Hey Mel. I’m glad you’re home,” Isaac greeted.
“Where else would I be? I have no life outside of the studio, you know,” I joked.
“Yeah right. Anyway, I was just laying around thinking and all of the sudden it hit me,” he said excitedly.
“What hit you?” I was tempted to ask if it was Zac or Taylor this time but stopped myself, deciding that it was either too late at night to make my jokes come off right. Or was it too early?
“How to say it louder!” he exclaimed.
I scrunched my brow and thought a moment. “Okay, I must have been gone when you defined ‘it.’”
“How to get it across that me and my brothers are more than just teenage boys. I’ve written a song that will blow everyone away. It really screams my message and I know people will have to hear it.”
“That’s great Isaac....” I yawned.
“Can I come over? You’ve got to help me out. I’m kind of lost for words on the last verse and you know me better than anyone else,” he pleaded.
“I-” my pre-planned protest was cut off by the ring of the doorbell, and said dryly, “That’s you isn’t it.”
“Mmhmm.”
“I hate it when you use the cell phone,” I hung up and pulled myself to a standing position for a quick check in the mirror to smooth my hair and de-rumple my clothes. I then walked down the stairs and towards the door where I looked out to see a very impatient Isaac. I opened the door and he rushed in, his guitar case hanging from his right hand and some crumpled papers in his left.
“So, do you want to go to the living room or something or would you rather just sit on the steps since you’re in such a hurry?,” I asked, leaning on the door and then added, “Nevermind that it’s 2 a.m.”
Isaac ignored my remark and headed off the landing we were on towards the living room on the lower level. “The living room is good. Listen, after I got home, I started playing; I was trying to think of a way to say what I wanted to really say in a way that our fans would listen and when it finally hit me, I had to come and show you since you were my inspiration.”
“I’m glad I could help,” I yawned, stretching.
“Anyway, here it goes,” he smiled, positioning his hand on the guitar as he began to strum a chord and began to sing...
“We’re not bodies without souls
We’re not faces without expressions
These aren’t words without meanings
And a life isn’t true without being real
Give us a chance
As people just like you
Give us a chance
As sinners and believers
Give us a chance
To show our words are true
After he was done singing, I noticed I wasn’t tired anymore, but was simply listening to what he was singing. I was wide awake and completely blown away by the powerful words that had just been sung.
“Wow, Isaac....”
“You like it?” he asked quietly. His excitement had boiled down a bit and was replaced by a kind of anticipation of my reaction. “I mean, it really says exactly what I feel, and if I talk to Zac and Tay I was thinking that we could revise it a bit and maybe put it on this album. But first I want you to help me with the last line.”
I thought about his statement a moment. Someone wanted my help in writing a song for an album that would be released in more countries than I could count. I sat a moment thinking about the last line he had written. “We make mistakes and lose our tempers/And to see that we’re human maybe something new.” I looked at Isaac and grabbed a paper and jotted down what came to me and then shoved it toward him. He smiled.
“Just remember we’re works in progress, too,” he read aloud and smiled. “I like it. Man, it feels so good to finally get all that out of my head and onto paper!”
I smiled and watched as he lay back on the couch and looked lazily around the room. “Oh crap! It’s 2:30! Why didn’t you tell me it was so late?”
“You were a bit caught up,” I grinned, “Why, you need to go home?”
“No, it’s just I can’t believe that I bothered you so late. I think the time is just getting to me. I feel really tired now. I guess I’ll just grab my stuff and go now,” he started gathering up his papers and I realized that now that the excitement and adrenaline had worn off he was about to fall asleep standing up.
“Isaac, you’re in no condition to drive for any amount of time. Why don’t you just stay overnight?”
“I couldn’t do that....”
“Why not? You said you didn’t need to be home,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but it’s too inconvenient for you,” he protested.
I shook my head and took his papers back from his hands and placed them onto the table again. “No it’s not. My parents won’t be home until late tomorrow and I’ve got empty beds and couches all over the house. Stay.....please?”
Isaac looked into my eyes and I knew I had won him over by the way he seemed to be melting on the spot. “Okay....I’ll stay. Where do you want me to sleep?”
“You can stay in my room, and I’ll take my parent’s room,” I suggested, assisting him as he got up to go to the rooms. “Come on, I’ll help you up there.”
I took his hand and led him to my room and sat him down on the bed. Quietly and carefully I untied his shoes and pulled them off along with his socks. His shorts looked comfortable to sleep in, but the shirt was rather scratchy.
“I can take care of myself, you know,” he smiled at the way I pampered him.
“Yeah, but it’s so much more fun for us both this way,” I smiled.
I then slowly unbuttoned his shirt, watching as his smooth chest was revealed little by little. Soon, he was sitting there, staring at me, his shirt barely hanging onto his shoulders. I ran my fingers over his pecks and then over his abs and then carefully removed the shirt from his shoulders and laid it beside him on the bed. Slowly, he leaned down and kissed me softly on my awaiting lips. I suddenly felt hot as I wrapped my arms around him and sat in his lap, my legs on both sides of his. We continued to kiss and I felt his hands come around and unbutton my own shirt. It was soon discarded and we laid down on the bed, kissing and exploring the wonders of the other laying beside us. As things slowed down a bit, I pulled away and looked in his eyes. “I should go t my parents room now…”
“Yes, you should, but the question is, will you?” he brushed the hair out of my eyes. The corners of his mouth pulled gently upward. “Stay in here,” he whispered.
I looked at him, shirtless, laying in my bed and thought for a moment. He was the sweetest guy I had ever met and I knew he wouldn’t try anything unless I told him he could, but it was still a guy in my bed. I debated in my mind for a moment, thinking about if what I was doing was right and then slowly crawled into bed beside him.
“You’re cold,” he hugged me tight, the bare skin of my legs, feet and arms touching him.
“Yeah, I’m always cold,” I kissed him lightly on his cheek. He only hugged me tighter and whispered a soft good night before slipping slowly away from me and into a land of dreams where even I couldn’t follow him.
::::::::::::::::::::
I was walking down the tree-filled street when I saw Isaac at the other end. I smiled and quickened my pace, forgetting my surroundings and just thinking of him. When we were about 20 feet apart, without warning, lightning struck a tree and it fell between us. The tree wasn’t huge, but it blocked our path. I tried to yell at Isaac and he tried to yell at me, but we couldn’t hear each other. I tried to climb over the tree, but each time I seemed to be getting over to the other side, I would just fall back down again and have to start all over.
When I awoke from the dream, I felt almost out of breath. I turned my head to see Isaac there, his arms still wrapped around me. One of his arms was under me, his hand gently holding my arm while his other hand rested on my stomach. I sighed at the way it was all so comfortable and sweet. I glanced at the clock which showed me that we had thirty minutes to get up and get to the studio. Not wanting to wake him abruptly, I softly kissed Isaac’s neck and shoulders and rubbed a hand along his smooth chest. When I saw him open one eye, I smiled.
“Morning,” I whispered, kissing his forehead.
“Morning,” without moving, he then asked, “What time is it?”
“8:30. We’ve got thirty minutes until we have to be there.”
He groaned and closed his eyes again. “I really don’t want to move yet.”
“Oh, but we have to,” I announced, slowly pulling away. “Do you want some breakfast? I can see if we have anything.”
“Nah, we can just grab a breakfast burrito or something at McDonalds on the way,” he shook his head, getting up slowly as well. I watched as he stretched, the light hitting him through the window and making him have a certain glow. I smiled to myself and then retreated to my bathroom where I brushed my teeth quickly.
“Hey, Isaac, we got an extra toothbrush here,” I leaned out of the bathroom and held up the cheap utensil.
“Are you saying my breath is bad?”
“Exactly. You just woke up; did you expect it to smell like daisies?”
“Not really,” he smiled as he took the toothbrush from me. While he brushed his teeth, I leaned against the door frame, waiting. He still didn’t have his shirt on, and I couldn’t help but notice he was somewhat muscular. It wasn’t nearly amounted to the “rippling muscles” effect, but his muscles did show through. Strong arms, developed chest, gorgeous face; it all worked together to make the most wonderful guy I had ever been out with.
I went to him and put my chin on his shoulder and moved my hands from his shoulders to his back, massaging it lightly. When he was done brushing, I smiled as he turned around to wrap his arms around my waist and bring his lips down to mine.
“Mmm, minty fresh,” I raised my eyebrows after he moved away.
“But not squeaky clean. Can I borrow your shower?” he requested.
“Sure thing,” I nodded, heading over to the small shelf that contained towels and other toiletries and handed him what he needed. “Have at it. I’ll go get dressed.”
With that, I left the bathroom and closed the door behind me. A glance at the bed made my stomach tie in knots with the feeling that Isaac gave me. As I gathered an outfit, I pondered the feeling. Not quite obsession, but way more than a crush. I wondered to myself: Could this be love?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
what would you say to Jake in this situation?
Chapter 9
Chapter Index