•DESTINED•

•Chapter Six•

Dinner was great.

There was a variety of dishes to choose from. I felt like a princess in shorts.

Aunt Portia started feeling as though she was overstaying her welcome but Mr and Mrs. Smith insisted that she stay a little while longer.

While the adults spoke about things that only they would find interesting, Evan stood leaning against the doorframe of the living room, watching us.

I eventually got up and walked over to him. He watched me the entire time, drinking in every step I took.

"So," I say in the most confident way possible, "it comes across to me that you know a lot about flowers."

"Not a lot. Just a bit," he says with a shrug but also seems to be enjoying the praise.

"Well, thank you... Again... For stopping me," I say, my confidence draining, "from smelling that... Flower. By the dam."

"You already said thank you," he says, "but you're welcome. Again."

Awkward.

I've made everything awkward.

"I don't really know what you were expecting to smell anyways," he says after a long pause, "water hemlock smells like carrots."

"So that's how you knew!" I teased, "You smelled it yourself, didn't you?"

He blinks, "No... I'm just cautious when it comes to smelling or touching plants. It's called research."

"Sure," I say dar sarcastically, "I believe you."

"It's the truth," he says, frowning slightly.

"Okay," I say, gulping down any awkward statement that would seep from my mouth any moment after.

I fumble with my fingers and stand there saying nothing.

I'm aware of his eyes that is still dancing over my entire body. As if he can see every follicle of hair on me. As if he can see through my clothes.

His stare makes me disturbingly insecure.

"The flowers," my voice breaks slightly because of my pounding heart, "I'm collecting them for their scents. To take home with me. You know, to the city."

"I somehow knew you weren't from farmlands," he says, "but don't they have plants in the city?"

"They do, but I think it's the story behind the plant that counts," I say.

Evan looks at me in a way that I can't explain, it's the kind of look that makes me want to disappear into thin air.

"What I mean is..." I start to stumble over my words, not caring if I made any sense, "I'd rather pick the flower myself instead of going to a shop where I pay more money than what I need to for a flower I can just pick. It means more."

"I know what you mean," he says quietly, "you don't need to explain yourself."

"Okay..." I'm making an idiot of myself.

The adults break out in laughter. Now I'm starting to wish I'd stayed there.

"Want to go outside?" He asks.

"O-outside?" I ask, "As in outside the Manor."

"Yes."

"Alone?" My heart beats my chest.

"Yes."

My knees feel like giving in. I feel high on nerves.

"I won't do anything, you know," he says, he sounds serious.