Page 2 of Quiet
Isa was the first member of his family to go to college out of state. If he hadn’t gotten a surprise full scholarship from Hawthorne University, he never would have been able to go, either. His parents had blown a fuse when they realized they couldn’t stop their youngest from fleeing the nest.
“We’re here for you, Isaiah. You don’t think we’d just leave you unprotected out here, do you? Last week, I did some research on your school and found out they’re giving out,” Rebecca lowered her voice and whispered, “free condoms.”
Isa couldn’t help it, he snorted. He tried to cover his mouth, but it was too late. Both his cousins, Josh and Paul, had joined Rebecca in time to hear him laugh at his sister’s outrage.
Now Isa had two towering young men glaring at him as well.
This wasn’t going his way. His tummy was no longer happy, it was churning. Maybe having a big lunch hadn’t been the best plan today.
“It’s bad enough for you to skip church when you’re home, but mocking our faith is just disgusting.” Rebecca’s eyes flashed, and Isa flinched. Out of the three family members here, she was the most likely to hit him.
“At least hold a sign, dork.” Paul thrust a sign toward him, and Isa stuck his hands behind his back. If the slogan on it was too offensive for Isa to say, it definitely didn’t belong in his hands. Just because his unfortunately virgin self had no need for condoms didn’t mean he was going to look down on the people who did.
“Guys, I’m going to be late for class and . . .” Isa took a deep breath. They were in public, and it would be a month before he was planning on going home. This was the safest time for him to express his opinion. “I don’t agree with what you’re doing. People have the right to make their own choices.”
“Isaiah!”
Outrage began to build momentum on his sister’s face. She hated being contradicted—especially in public. This was going to hurt. His status as youngest member of the family didn’t help him much when it came to Rebecca. Her beatings always hurt the most.
At least he was right outside the school clinic.
Whatever happened next, at least he’d said something. He’d take it bravely and lick his wounds later. It would be okay. Isa was always okay, even if it took a little time for him to believe it.
“Oof!”
All the air left his body, but it wasn’t because his sister had hit him. It was due to the arm around his waist snatching him off the ground and carrying him away. From his new vantage point, Isa saw overlapping splashes of paint on a pair of long, jean-clad legs.
“Class.” An unfamiliar voice said somewhere from over Isa’s head.
He had enough time to see the surprised faces of his family before he was swung around and toted off like a stray puppy.
“Hey!” his sister cried, but his abductor/savior didn’t slow down until the sounds of the protesters had faded into the distance.
Once the protest was out of sight, Isa’s feet touched the grass, and he straightened.
His first impression of his captor wastall. The second one wasgreen. Grass green. Irish green. Vibrant, stunning emerald eyes bore into his, and something in the back of Isa’s head tingled.
He tapped his head ruefully. “You just gave me a head rush, swinging me around like that. Thanks though. My family can be a bit intense.”
There was a moment of laser-like focus from those green eyes, and then Isa was presented with the young man’s back as he walked away without a word.
Chapter2
Isa
“Istill think we should have gone with a modern retelling ofMuch Ado About Nothing.”
Ryan, the set designer for the sophomore play, waved a hammer as he complained, narrowly missing the doorframe he was assembling.
Isa stopped mid brushstroke. “Absolutely not. Someone’s already done it, and it freaking slapped. I’m not competing with that.” He continued painting giant, purple flowers on a plywood trellis Ryan had insisted was necessary for the set, even though everyone else claimed it was useless clutter. Whatever the case may be, Isa was going to make it pretty.
“Don’t mention that film, I’m still broken overyou know who’stoxic ass.” Ryan flung out both arms this time. Isa cringed, hoping he didn’t lose hold of the hammer and accidentally take out a volunteer techie.
“You know who?” Isa’s friend Will asked. He was technically a makeup artist, but they conned him into helping paint the set by claiming he was still an artist, just on a micro scale.
“We don’t say the name. It hurts too much,” Isa said around a mouthful of paintbrush handle. He needed more purple, but they were out, so he was trying to mix the right color. It was coming out all wrong though. “Anyone good at mixing colors? I can’t switch to fuchsia halfway down and that’s all I seem to be able to come up with.”
“I’m better at building, that’s why I gave you the painting gig,” Ryan said as he finally got back to using his hammer for its intended purpose.
