The Hidden Heir

07. Walk Home

The cool breeze blew her hair all over her face. The chilliness of the night turned her cheeks pink. But the question lingered in the air,
'Does she want Emir to walk her home?'
The dark green eyes of hers flickered between the dark browns of Emir's, while he stood patiently waiting for her answer.
Eda's gaze slowly moved down to his arm, where those dark inks were embedded and hidden behind the leather jacket of his.
Her mind wandered to the night where she thought she dreamt of those tattoos.
But how can someone dream of something they have never seen before. She knows for a fact that she had never seen Emir's tattoos before tonight.
Was it just some random dream? Was it some sort of coincidence ? She doesn't think so... cause she remembered those exact strong veiny hands with those precise tattoos, brushing across her hair, very clearly.
So that means that it wasn't any weird dream, but that it was real ...?!
But how can it be? What would Emir be doing in their place? Let alone in the middle of the night, while they were sleeping? It don't make sense...
Something don't seem right!
" Eda... Is everything ok?", Emir's deep voice broke Eda's train of thoughts and she realized that she had been staring at him for a while now.
Despite the coldness around her, She could feel her body warming up...
Was it because she felt scared of him or maybe because they were standing too close, Where she could almost smell the musky leather scent wafting off him.
Eda gulped before she tentatively smiled at him, "Everything's fine... B-But isn't it getting late for you? Are you not tired?"
There was a hint of a smile as Emir looked at her, "I don't get tired very easily. And I'm used to sleeping late. Very late. Sometimes I can go days without sleeping"
Now that's just great .... He had to add fuel to the fire , didn't he ?!
Eda's confusion and curiosity was already burning as it is and now his reply just made it ablaze.
And before she could stop herself, she blurted out, "Why? What do you do?"
Emir chuckled at the curious gaze of Eda's and he raised his arm and gently brushed his fingers in between her eyebrows to smooth out her frown.
Eda's breath hitched at her throat at Emir's sudden gesture and she forgot to breathe for a few seconds.
Emir put his hands down and into his pocket, yet his smile lingered on his handsome face.
He liked the way Eda responded to his little teasing. "Like I said, I am an artist. When I start painting, I tend to turn off everything around me. Time... Place... Hunger.. Or even sleep. It's like slipping into a place where I could forget everything and just be myself"
Eda bit her lips and she gathered her courage enough, to tease him back a little, "So, you do things that you regret, and you spend your nights, staying awake, to paint your regrets away?!"
Emir's smile faded, as his eyes darkened a little. He knew that she didn't know anything about him. Yet, the way Eda managed to put together his explanation of sleepless nights, into a fact he would not admit to himself, felt like a crack in the thick facade of an armor he had built around him for all these years.
Oh Eda was smart!
When Emir didn't respond, Eda became a little nervous, "I-I'm s-sorry.. I didn't..."
Emir took a quick step forward, invading Eda's personal space and looked into her emerald orbs, "Hey", his deep voice made her shiver, "never apologize when you are not wrong".
His dark eyes shifted from her green ones, to her slightly parted pink lush of a lips, and he inhaled deeply, filling his mind and soul with Eda's beauty.
He swallowed his growing desire and stepped back a little, "So.. Shall we get going?", he asked as if nothing had happened. Eda let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and struggled to find her voice.
No. Eda should say no!
"O-Okay", knowing that this man is a stranger, filled with some sorts of secrets, someone who could knock out a person with a swift blow from his fist, whose presence screamed 'Danger', Eda should walk away from him.
Yet she found herself alongside him, on a cold night, walking down the deserted streets, towards her home.
Eda should be worried about the weird dream or reality, she was yet to figure out. She should be pondering over the fact that Emir was all around the places wherever Eda was. She should be focusing on his intentions of participating in a dinner arranged for her or should be wondering on why he wanted to walk her home.
But all her brain could summon up for her was, how close they both were walking.. Arms sliding beside each other.. She could feel the warmth radiating off his body...
The slight movements cause their hands to brush each other from time to time... And if he just stretched his fingers, he might just be able to hold her hands into his warm big ones.
"I didn't get to properly congratulate you on your win", Emir let out after a few minutes of walking in silence. He tilted his head sideways to look at her, "congratulations!"
Eda smiled and thanked him.
"Did you always want to bake?", Emir asked her.
"Not really.. I never knew anything about baking until I met Mr and Mrs Erol. They taught me everything I know and somehow my passion followed suit", Eda kept smiling for her gratefulness.
"How long have you been with them?"
"Since I turned 14. Mr Erol took me out of the orphanage and straight to their house. And Mrs.Erol was more than happy to welcome me home",she blurted without giving much thought.
Emir's eyebrows furrowed, "orphanage? You were in an orphanage?"
Eda's lips turned into a small smile, "it was a long time ago. I don't... don't remember most of it"
"Do you know how you came to the orphanage?"
Eda looked at him with a slight amusement. Emir realized that he might have stepped beyond his boundaries, "I am sorry I didn't mean to invade your privacy.. I was just... wondering", he apologized softly.
They both were walking for a while now, and Eda could almost see her house. Her tummy twisted with the thought that their little bonding time was soon going to come to an end.
Despite her questions and Mysteries regarding Emir, she found herself liking his company and felt herself trusting him a little more than she initially thought she would, "I don't know how I ended up in the orphanage. I have been there as long as I can remember"
Emir could see the glint in her emerald eyes, dim a little with the sadness. And he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms, and to wipe those sadness away.
But not being able to do that, and not knowing what to say to comfort her, he sighed in frustration.
They both reached Eda's house slowly and stopped at her front door. Eda turned and smiled at Emir, "thank you for walking me home"
Emir lingered, not wanting to step back, and not finding words to speak. When he kept looking, Eda felt a little flustered and looked down to hide her blush.
Give him a knife, gun or just a rope, or you can put him against a bunch of men, big enough to hurt him and he would not be phased, yet he found his heart beating erratically as he chose his next few words, "Eda, can I take you out for dinner tomorrow?"
Eda's heart matched his pace as it thudded in her chest. She should say no for the second time tonight. She should figure out the doubts in her head first.
Yet for the second time tonight, she found herself agreeing to his request,
"Okay.. W-Where are we going?"
Emir grinned at her answer. Even though Eda could feel the dark aura around him, his smile made her feel warm. It made her feel like home.
"I'm not sure", Emir chuckled, "I asked the first thing that came to my mind", he answered honestly. "Maybe you could choose somewhere you like", he looked hopefully at her.
"Sure.. I'll let you know tomorrow", Eda replied with a bright smile.
Oh how much he wanted to keep seeing that smile.
Emir bit his lips and nodded looking at her intently, "since you aren't working tomorrow, can I come around 7:00 to your house to pick you up?"
He shouldn't know that.
"H-How do you know that I don't work tomorrow?", Eda asked, frowning.
Emir froze as he realized her question. However, he quickly managed to come up with an answer, "I figured since we had a late dinner celebration tonight, the bakery must be closed for tomorrow"
Eda looked him straight in the eyes.
Was it the truth?
"O-Okay.... So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then", she hesitantly waved her hand as she stepped inside the house.
"Good night Eda", Emir's voice ringed in her ears as she closed the door.
Emir wanted to smack himself so hard.. That's the second time Eda looked right into him, within the span of just 20 minutes.
He didn't even realize that he had let his guard down. When he was with Eda she made him feel things he had never felt before.
If this continued, he was worried that Eda might actually find out who he really was. And for the first time in his life, Emir felt scared.