The Hunt

Chapter 6

Emily bustled around her room, wishing she had brought a better choice of clothes with her.

She had thought they would be spending most of the time outside and indoors, unlike her father, she had no need to impress Melissa. And so Emily found herself rummaging through her suitcases blindly, digging into the pile of clothes she had dumped on the bed in hopes of finding something decent to wear so she didn't look like a clown in front of Nick.

"We're off!" Henry declared from the door. Emily paid no heed.

After more than half an hour of toiling, she managed to put together an outfit that consisted of a white dress, pink cardigan and white shoes. She wasn't very proud of her improvisation, but this would have to do.

Emily was still brushing her hair when the doorbell rang. Throwing her hair into a ponytail, she abandoned her paraphernalia and dashed to the door.

Anxiety swam in her stomach as she opened the door. And there stood Nick, devilishly handsome as always, in a dark jacket and boots. Emily smiled nervously, standing aside to let him in.

"Good afternoon, Emily," he spoke smoothly in that rich voice of his that turned her insides into mush.

"Good afternoon," was all she could manage. Emily did not know to remember to speak in the face of such a gorgeous man. She thought him hazardous to her health.

"My afternoon just got ten times better," he spoke lowly, before casually finding his way to the kitchen.

Emily was left flabbergasted. Was he flirting with her? Her, of all people in the world? Or was she simply being delusional?

"Emily?" His voice jolted her out of her thoughts. Shaking her head, she rushed after him.

~~~

"You're good at this," Emily commented as she watched Nick whip up the cream, his impeccable biceps flexing with every movement. And the black t-shirt he wore only made the view all the better...

"Didn't have much of a choice, really," he chuckled lightly. "Mom was very particular that we were self-sufficient as kids."

"That's amazing," Emily mumbled, a little embarrassed that she could barely prepare a basic meal and had absolutely no experience in cooking. And she couldn't blame her father either. Single parenting was not easy, she knew. Besides, he had been a busy man and to make up for the neglect, he had ended up spoiling her. Emily did not think she was a very spoilt child, but she knew she hadn't faced many hardships in her life that most people had to. Everytime she missed her mother or felt neglected, she would chide herself, knowing that there were people who had it far worse that she did. Trent, her best friend, never approved of her self-depreciation, but he also seemed to have a high opinion of Melissa, so she did not think much of his words. "How old is your brother?"

"Darian's nineteen, although he has the intellect of a three-year old." Emily laughed.

"I'm jealous. I have always wanted a sibling."

"Believe me, there is nothing to be jealous of," Nick assured her. He could understand why she longed for siblings though. As far as he knew, it had been just her and her father for the longest time. Henry had told him stories of his rather undesirable in-laws and his own opportunistic family, both of which he had ultimately decided to cut off from their lives. He had wanted Emily to grow in a safe environment, not one where she would have to look over her shoulder for every move she made, especially in the presence of her own family. Henry thought she was better off without them. While he might not have been entirely wrong, this must have resulted in a rather lonely childhood, Nick realised.