Sunny

Chapter 6

"So, this is your place?" Mason asked, looking around curiously.

"It's my family's, we've owned and lived on this island for more than four generations." She turned her attention to him, glad for the reprieve from Eli's constant stare.

"So, Phoebe is you sister and Collette is your mother?" Eli asked, putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Yes," she confirmed and the conversation died quickly when she didn't elaborate.

She was thankful to hear Aion's little whiny voice from behind Mason and Eli's massive frames as it broke the awkward silence.

"Where am I supposed to sit!"

Eli and Mason turned to look at the boy, who didn't care in the least that they were supposed to be famous, staring at at them until Eli rose with a serious face and offered Aion his chair, and Aion jumped into it without a word of thanks.

"Aion, say thank you to Mr. Emory for giving up his seat so that you could sit down," Rhea insisted.

"It's my seat!" he cried, crossing his arms.

"Your about to sit by yourself in the corner if you don't say thank you," Rhea insisted once more.

Aion crossed his arms and refused to say anything, so Rhea walked to the counter by the backdoor where a step stool sat and laid his food there.

"I won't eat!" He cried.

"Your decision," Rhea said as everyone waited silently for Aion to cave.

"Will you make me cookies, the oatmeal kind?" he asked, trying to strike a bargain.

"That was your last chance, over there is your breakfast. If you want it you'll eat it there." Rhea realized she was quickly losing control of the situation so she pulled out the look, the one she only gave him when she really meant business.

"Yes Ma'am," he agreed sullenly as he shuffled across the kitchen to the stool and started to eat in silence.

Eli didn't sit back down, but he did keep looking from her to Aion.

"I apologize, he's having a hard time adjusting to school, he just started and it's not going very well." Rhea was wondering what was going through his mind, and she hoped it wasn't what she thought. Eli should know she would never keep something like that from him,

"How old are you Aion?" Eli asked, she noticed he hadn't touched his food. Rhea frowned as she knew he was thinking that Aion was his.

"Five!" he announced as he shoveled his food in his mouth.

Rhea turned to look at Eli's response to Aion's answer and found him leaning against the wall sipping his coffee and watching the boy. Now there was no doubt in her mind what he was thinking and as his eyes met hers, she shook her head vehemently to deny it, but Eli only raised an eyebrow disbelievingly.

Mason was oblivious of the look passing between the two of them as he focused on his food and a part of the paper that he had stolen from Otto, and Otto, thank goodness, had his head buried in the paper as well. Eli ended the silent conversation that was happening between the two of them as he looked over at Aion, watching while he shoveled food into his mouth.

"You about ready buddy?" Otto asked looking up from his paper.

"Yep, I got my shoes on today," he said between the last bites of food then jumped down from the stool.

He wrapped his arms around Rhea's legs and looked up at her. "I'm sorry Ree," he pleaded with his eyes, and Rhea could never stay mad at him as she pushed his hair out of his face.