HIDDEN VOWS

Chapter 06

Seconds ticked by and her guest was still awaiting a response to his greeting but Emery seemed to have lost her voice because she just stared, and stared some more at the man who sat in her living room. 

This was one of the most embarrassing moments she had had to deal with. Why does he always put her in such awkward situations?

“Aunt Em look whah I draw!” little Alexis's voice snapped the two out of their staring battle. 

Emery smiled broadly and picked her little buddy up. Wrong idea. Her wrist throbbed from where Nicholas had forcefully grabbed her earlier but she quickly bit on her lips to stop herself from wincing when Alexis shifted in her arms. 

Putting on a smile, Emery scanned the latest art to get the great picture since everything was just strokes, patterns and whatever Alexis's chubby little fingers could scribe. 

“This is beautiful, Angel,” she said to the four-year-old. 

She was good with Kids. Miles reasoned as he observed the scene before him. 

She is a good liar as well. His fatherly senses countered. 

At the back of Emery's mind, she knew she was stalling their pending conversation but was glad to have the little distraction to organize herself. Even if little Alexis was practically sitting on her aching wrist.

However, her delaying tactic was brought to an end when Natalia announced that she had to take Alexis home. 

Don't leave me alone to deal with him. Emery pleaded in the eye language only she and her best friend understood. 

In a silent response, Natalia offered her friend a closed-lip smile as if telling her to get her feminine pants on. Reluctant, Emery handed the girl over to her aunt. 

“Just got a text from her dad, I need to get her home,” Natalia said once again. “Say goodbye Lexy” the only response they received from the girl was a flash of missing teeth before she hid her face in the crook of her aunt's neck. 

Natalia turned to the man whose gaze was fixed on her oblivious friend and said, “It was nice meeting you, Mr. Dekker.”

“Its Miles. Nice meeting you too, Natalia.” Miles waved back at little Alexis.

“I'll call you,” Natalia told Emery before walking out of the Delado's household. 

Emery went stiff when the door closed behind her companions. Great. Now she was alone with him. It was not as if she was scared of the man. But for some reason, she didn't trust herself to be in the same space as him. Without embarrassing herself that is.

Miles who had witnessed enough of the girl's stand-off show broke the silence. “Can we talk now?”

Ashamed to even look him in the eye, Emery gave an audible sigh and joined him in the sitting area. She was highly tempted to sit on the couch at the corner of the living room. Putting some space between them would have helped her nerves but that would have also read as immature so she chin up and sat in the chair opposite the man.

“Nice friends you've got there.” Miles wanted to lighten the mood but only got a wavering smile from Emery. It was obvious she was embarrassed. Anyone in her situation would so he decided to cut her some slack.

“Look, I'm not going to judge but don't make it a habit to lie to me,” he said.

Emery muttered an apology. She met his gaze briefly and asked, “Coffee?”

“Not a fan.” A deep frown took over Miles's face as he regarded the girl. Her hand to be precise. 

Earlier, she had winced when she lifted the little girl. It was a subtle act so he had thought little Alexis was just heavy for her. But from how she kept rubbing her wrist when she thought no one was watching, he knew that was not the case.