Uniting the Souls (Souls of Chicago #6)(13)

“That sounds perfect,” he answered happily.

It didn’t take long to get to the restaurant and I pulled into an open spot and parked my SUV. Isaac’s brows furrowed as he peered out the window at the building and his shoulders suddenly looked tense.

“Is something wrong? Do you not like this place?” I asked him.

“No, it’s not that. I’ve never been here before, but I’m sure it’s good,” he said. He turned his head to face me and I hated the nervous look in his eyes. I didn’t even stop to think before I reached over and covered his hands which were folded in his lap. Both of his hands fit neatly in one of mine and I was surprised at how protective of him that made me feel. Isaac’s eyes shot down to our joined hands and stayed there as he continued.

“I just wasn’t expecting a place like this and I’m not sure that I can afford it,” he admitted shyly. I squeezed his hands gently and he looked up at me.

“It was my idea to ask you to dinner so I fully intended on it being my treat, but we can go somewhere else if it makes you uncomfortable,” I assured him.

I didn’t really care where we ate as long as I got to spend time with the young man beside me. The more time I spent with Isaac, the more I liked what I saw and I wanted to continue getting to know him. He stared at me for several seconds and then nodded his head once.

“No, this place is fine. Thank you.” A small smile graced his lips and I hoped that by the end of the night, I would know what those lips tasted like. I reached for the handle on my door and opened it, letting the cool night air clear my head before I could do anything stupid.

We made our way into the restaurant and were quickly shown to a table. Isaac picked up the menu and began studying it while I took the opportunity to study him. He was dressed in a bright blue polo shirt which matched his eyes perfectly. The longer hair on top of his head flopped down over his forehead in a sexy way. My eyes traveled over his face, the small nose dotted with freckles and the delicate cheekbones that most supermodels would kill for, to his full lips which had turned up into a crooked grin as I watched. My eyes darted to his and I felt my face growing hot as I realized I’d been caught staring.

“Hudson, do you know what you want?” I wanted to tell him that yes, I definitely knew what I wanted and it had nothing to do with the choices on the menu, but then I heard a small giggle and I turned my head to find our waitress staring down at me. How long have they been trying to get my attention?

“Oh, yes! I’ll have the bacon cheeseburger with everything, fries, and a Coke,” I said, handing my menu to the waitress then looked at Isaac as he ordered the same. The waitress took his menu and walked away.

“Tell me about yourself, Isaac,” I urged. He seemed a little uneasy as he shrugged his shoulders.

“There’s really not a lot to tell. What would you like to know?” he asked.

“Let’s start with something simple. Do you like working at Agape House?” I already knew that he did, but I could tell he was nervous and I wanted to put him at ease by talking about something he enjoyed. It worked too because his face lit up and I could hear the happiness in his voice as he described his work at the center. It was obvious that he loved interacting with the teens and helping them create a better life than the one they’d been given.

“It’s an amazing place,” I agreed. “What made you want to work there?” He paused as the waitress came back and set our drinks in front of us. After she walked away again, he answered and his words took on a more guarded tone.

“I used to be one of the teens that lived at the center,” he told me. The same protective feeling I’d experienced in the car came over me again, but much stronger that time, and I had to fight to school my features so he wouldn’t see my distress. I knew that there was only one reason he would’ve ended up living at the center and that was if something bad had happened to him. The thought of anyone causing him pain, either physically or emotionally, had my gut churning, but I could tell by the way his jaw was clenched that it was not a subject he wanted to talk about.

“When did you start working there?” I saw his shoulders relax when he realized I wasn’t going to push.

“I’d been living there about a year and had just graduated. I’d been making myself sick with worry about where I would go and how I would live once I turned eighteen. I had no job prospects, nothing higher than a high school diploma and soon I wouldn’t even have an address to put on applications. I knew Matt wouldn’t just turn me out on the street, but I felt guilty taking a spot since he would lose his government funding for me as soon as I aged out of the system.” Isaac’s mouth lifted in a small smile and he got a faraway look in his eyes.

“One day, Matt came to me and offered me a job working the front desk. He said with my organizational skills and my friendly attitude that I was the perfect person for the job. He even insisted that I stay at the center until I could afford a place of my own. I’d spent months feeling as if my world were about to fall apart and in one moment, Matt had fixed everything.” Isaac’s eyes met mine and in his gaze, I could see all of the admiration he had for the other man.

“You care about Matt a lot.” It was a statement, not a question because the answer was written clearly across his face.

“Of course, I do. He’s my friend and he’s helped me in ways that I could never repay,” Isaac told me. I knew that he was being sincere, but I could also tell there was more to it than just that. I let it go though because our food arrived just then.