AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She stayed.
Isaac had barely slept waiting for her to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night. But she had stayed. And his heart hadn't stopped leaping around since he'd woken up next to her. And even though he hadn't seen her since.
After Katie had left for the ladies room, Isaac had made them each a bowl of oatmeal. He’d left her bowl on the footstool after eating his, then headed for the garden he'd destroyed the day before.
Throughout the morning, he put up the hose—thank God it hadn't burst after leaving it on for so long. Leveled the mulch over the path he'd created when he had slithered through it like a snake sneaking up on Katie. And, while he was there, he plucked up all the weeds.
Inside again, Isaac tidied the house. Picking up what was left in the living room from when he was sick and from their Quarters game. After he finished loading the dishwasher, his stomach couldn't wait any longer.
It wasn't quite noon but since they’d had such a small breakfast, Isaac went ahead and made sandwiches. Then placed them on a large plate, either side of a heaping pile of potato chips.
Isaac stared at the plate.
She had to eat but would she have preferred to choose when? What if interrupting her, even with the good intention of feeding her, ruined her workflow? What if she used that as an excuse to leave and get her work done free from him interrupting her?
Then there was the chance the sight of food would turn her stomach. Depending on whether or not she’d fully recovered from the marshmallow debacle.
Screw it.
Isaac snatched up the plate.
The only way to know for sure if a relationship could work between them was for him to treat her exactly how he would if they were already in one. AndrelationshipIsaac wouldn't make his hard-working woman get her own sandwich.
???
"Hungry?"
Katie looked up from her computer to a plate of food. Her stomach fought to burst through her skin wanting to devour the sandwich whole without the trouble of chewing.
"Yes, thank you!" Katie set her laptop aside and put the plate down in its place.
When Isaac reached for one of the sandwiches, Katie swatted him away. "Get your own."
"Really? Did you learn nothing from last night?"
Katie rolled her eyes and handed him one of the sandwiches. "Good point." She did not want to go through that again. Mainly because she couldn't afford to lose the time with her head in the toilet.
The last couple of days had put a real hurt on her progress. The hours she'd gotten ahead, at the student union and while Isaac was passed out sick, were gone. At best, she was on track but she felt further behind without her buffer.
"How is it going?" Isaac sat on his bed and bit into his sandwich.
"Fine." Katie bit into her sandwich avoiding eye contact with him.
"Really?"
She pushed a potato chip off the pile with the tip of her finger. "No."
Isaac stood, sandwich in hand, and walked to the door.
"Where are you going?" Katie asked.
"Out of your way."
"I'm not going to get any work done while I eat. And I don't want to eat alone." Like she always had before. Which she hadn't realized how pathetic that was until now.
"If you're sure."
"I am."
