Sin and Sinner

1

~Darlina's POV~

A sigh of relief left my lips as I entered my apartment, where I was greeted by the sound of pots knocking around from the direction of the kitchen.

I locked the door and wandered through the dark themed living room, raising a brow as I entered the kitchen. Not to my surprise, there was Emmett, bent over in front of one of the cabinets as he looked through our pots and pans. "Are you looking for something?" I asked after a moment of just watching him, smiling in amusement.

Emmett must've not heard me come inside because he jolted at the sound of my voice, almost hitting his head on the counter in the process. He turned to look at me, scowling. "You scared the hell outta me." He complained, standing straight. "We should attach a bell to you or something. I swear I never hear you coming." He said. I crossed my arms over my chest and frowned at him, not offended but not amused either. "Well, it's not my fault." I mumbled.

Very quickly after Emmett and I had become roommates, which was a little bit over two years ago now, he had began to tease me about how silent I was in walking. It was a weird thing to tease someone for, but it certainly could've been worse, so I didn't mind.

"So," I began, changing the topic. "What were you looking for?" I asked, tilting my head curiously. He turned around and placed his hands on his hips, frowning. "I can't find that skillet. The really small one." He told me. I hid a smile and stepped further into the kitchen, pulling open the dish washer, which hadn't been unloaded yet. "You always forget to check here." I giggled, gesturing down at the skillet.

His dark eyes lit up before he grabbed it, kicking the cabinet shut as he did. "Thanks, Li." He said happily, setting it on the stove. I just gave him a thumbs up and turned around, exiting the kitchen to instead head to my bedroom. I wanted to take a shower.

I entered my bathroom, pulling my blonde hair out of its ponytail. After setting the scrunchie on my counter beside the circular shaped vessel style sink, I turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. Although my favorite color was pink, the way that the rest of Emmett and I's apartment was decorated didn't really make it seem like it, what with how darkly themed it was. Even our guest bedroom was decorated with greys and blacks, whereas both my bedroom and bathroom were the exact opposite.

This was my space, and I wanted it to feel that way, so my bathroom was white with pink decor, such as a shaggy pink bath mat outside the shower or the pale pink towels both hanging up and on the sink. However, the rest of the apartment was styled more to Emmett's taste, which I was fine with.

Once the water finally was hot enough, I hopped into the shower and took my time in getting clean, only getting out once my fingertips began to prune up. I entered my room and found a pair of comfy clothes that I pulled on, brushing my fingertips through my wet hair as I headed back towards the kitchen.

A delicious smell filled the air, causing my stomach to grumble as I sniffed the air. Emmett was a chef, so he always made really good food and was often in charge of cooking, though I could cook as well. He just could do it better.

My eyes widened when I stepped up beside him, peeking to see what he was making, and excitement had me bouncing on my toes. I gasped, curling my fingers into happy fists as I looked up at him. "You're making my favorite food?!" I cheered, elated. Everything Emmett cooked was good, but my favorite food was and always had been lemon chicken with pasta. He usually only made it for me on special occasions, though.

And it was when I realized this that I frowned, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Is today a special day?" I asked, trying to remember if something was different about today. However, I came up with nothing at all.

Emmett gave me an innocent smile, turning the heat down on the stove before grabbing some plates. "Why don't you go sit down? I'm nearly done." He said, bumping me with his elbow. I hesitated, but eventually did as I was told, quietly sitting down at the dining table that looked into the kitchen.

The food was plated and then brought to me, my stomach grumbling at the sight of it. I began to happily eat, completely forgetting what we had been discussing just minutes before. Emmett didn't hesitate to remind me after a few moments, however, not having touched his food at all when he decided to speak. "There's something you should know." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. The serious tone of his voice made me pause to look up at him, placing my fork back onto my plate.

I frowned and looked at him expectantly, curious as to what he had to tell me. It must've been important if he felt he needed to make my favorite food just to tell me.

Slightly nervous, I straightened my spine and met his gaze. "There's a friend of mine who needs a place to stay for the next few months, so I offered to let him stay here with us until he can get his own place." He explained, catching me off guard. My brows furrowed. "A friend? Who?" I asked. I'd met all of his friends since we had become roommates, but he hadn't mentioned lately that any of them might've been having problems with housing or money. Then again, I wasn't super close to his friends, so it made sense.

"Oh, you don't know him. He's cool, though, swear it." He assured with a dismissive wave of his hand. I hesitated, biting on my bottom lip in thought. "And you already agreed with him on having him here?" I asked, to which he nodded his head.

"You trust him?" I asked, a little uncertain. I mean, I didn't even know this guy. However, Emmett nodded hurriedly again. A hum left me as I gave a nod of permission, murmuring out an "okay."

I picked up my fork again and twirled it around in my noodles. "Can I ask why he has nowhere else to go, or is that too personal?" I wondered aloud, eating the noodles wrapped around my fork. It was then that he paused, avoiding my gaze in a way that was far too suspicious as I chewed. "Ah, that." He chuckled almost awkwardly.

"It's not a big deal, really." He said. "But he just got out of prison."