• 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊 •

Chapter 6

" She'll be the best you ever had if you let her."

Emily woke up in a daze, instantly anxious upon
seeing the daylight streaming through the windows, blindingly bright. She never woke up this late. She scrambled up in confusion to the sound of sizzling. Making her way to the kitchen, her footsteps attracted your attention and you turned around waving the spatula in your hand.

" Hey! I figured I'd help you out with breakfast seeing as you never seem to eat, since you let me spend the night. Pancakes?" Flipping one still steaming onto a plate, you offered it out to her and slid a bowl of fruit across her counter along with it.

" Thank you?" She was still a bit lost. You standing in her kitchen in her clothes left an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. She shook it off before you caught on to her and bit into the pancake. " What time is it?" She asked, searching for her phone.

" 8," you responded, finishing drying the dishes and tucking them back onto their shelves.

Emily froze mid bite. " Shit," she pivoted around panicking. She had planned on waking up earlier than she had, so she would have time to take you home and then return to her apartment to get ready herself. " You're going to have to wear something of mine again. I can't be late. I have a budget meeting with Barnes today." Dropping her plate in the sink, she slid down the hallway in her socks, scrambling for clothes.

Not wanting to stress her out more, you agreed silently. She unexpectedly started tossing clothes at you and you clumsily caught them, going to get changed.Both of you rejoined at the door a few minutes later and Emily grabbed her keys, double checking the door was locked behind her twice before both of you headed toward the office. The weather was horrid. Harsh winds sent bits of ice cracking and popping against the car windows until you were shielded safely inside the parking garage. You went to climb out of the car, but were stopped at Emily's tight grasp on your seatbelt. " No, we have to go in separately."

" But why? The entire team already knew that you came to work with me the other day? Why can't we just say this was the same thing."

She squints her eyes as if the answer was obvious."Because last time was me reluctantly accepting your favor. Now it's the other way around, and a second time they'll know we've spent time together outside of work, which is rare for me because..." She grew short with you quickly. The farther you grew from her apartment the more her walls went back up, just as they were when you first met her.

Realization washed over you and you sucked your teeth. " Right, cause the world would truly collapse into ruins when you show the slightest bit of softness or friendship towards anyone that's not part of your team, we know." The words came out slightly more dramatic than you had intended, but you were growing tired of her hot and cold act quickly.Eager to separate yourself from her, you gathered your stuff and strode towards the elevator quickly. You didn't hear her footsteps behind her as expected. It was obvious to you that she would rather stick to her plan of arriving separately than get the last word in against, as she typically desired. So, she was the one to wait in her car for exactly four minutes and 28 seconds, she counted, until she stepped out of the car.

You were already sitting against the edge of JJ's desk chatting as she laughed loudly, covering her mouth. Emily walked straight through the bullpen, blazer flaring out as she stepped. Her eyes remained on the ground by her feet without one glance upwards until she was inside her office alone with the door locked and blinds pulled down behind her.