Charlotte
Ike and Axel eventually returned to Grams with talk of a fish fry. Grams and Axel didn’t seem to notice, but Ike’s interactions seemed off to me. He was quieter than usual as he attempted to teach my brother how to clean and filet the trout.
“You are destroying that trout,” I informed Axel as I watched him.
“Who taught you to do this?” he shot back defensively.
“George,” Ike answered before I could. Our eyes met and he gave a weak smile. I couldn’t tell if he was jealous, or if thinking of his brother just made him sad.
“Well, he tried, at least,” I huffed. “I wasn’t much better than dear old brother here, so he revoked my filleting privileges,” I recalled. “Said he couldn’t watch me waste a good meal.” My mouth lifted in a smile at the memory.
“Well, it looks like you have the hang of it now,” Axel noted before standing. Ike and I each set our fish on the tray before Axel took it. “I’ll take this to Grams so she can season it.”
My hands were coated in fish guts, a faint fishy odor in the air. Ike waved his hand and the remnants disappeared with the smell, leaving my hands pristine. “I have to say, that’s pretty awesome.”
Standing, he looked down and studied my face, but didn’t reply. Something tightened in my chest when I saw the worry in his eyes. “Are you okay?”
When he reached out his hand, I took it and allowed him to help me stand. He pressed my hand to his cheek and held it there, his eyes still fixed on me. “Are you happy here?”
His question surprised me. Did I seem unhappy?
“I am,” I said truthfully. I was with Grams and my brother, and more importantly, I was with Ike. How could I not be?
“Is there anything you want to talk about,” he paused shifting uncomfortably, “about our night on the cliff?” My stomach dropped a little when I understood. Before I could respond he hurried on, “I didn’t mean to push you. I would never want you to do anything with me that you’d regret.”
“Stop,” I told him, reaching up and holding his face in my hands. “I don’t regret anything.” He nodded, but his hesitation remained. “What is it, Ike? What’s got you so caught up inside your head?”
Gently, he slid his hand behind my neck and gripped it gently. “The other night…” He grazed my jaw with his thumb as he stared deeply into my eyes. “It was so much more than I’d ever imagined.” The lust deepening his voice made my tummy curl. It had been unbelievable.
Smiling, I pushed up on my toes and pressed my mouth to his. The combination of his chest pressed to mine and the taste of his tongue as it darted softly between my lips sent a feeling of ease and excitement rushing through me, making my eyelids flutter. He awakened all of my senses, readying them to burst into action. “I feel exactly the same, Ike McDermott.” His shoulders began to relax. I hadn’t realized how tense he’d been until I felt it ease out of him.
Taking my hand in his, we walked toward my grandmother’s house. He hadn’t told me what he’d been mulling over in that head of his, but I decided not to push. Whatever it had been was gone, and he seemed like his old self again.
At least I thought he was.
We had only taken a few steps when he slowed. When I glanced back to see why, he was listing heavily to one side before collapsing entirely. “Ike!” I shrieked, rushing to him as he hit the ground.
Kneeling beside him, I shook his shoulders, trying to rouse him. “Wake up, Ike,” I growled. But he was gone, all that was left of him was a limp heap. My heart wrung in panic. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I might’ve been new to the ways of this side, but even I knew that. So what was this? What was happening to Ike?