Chapter 32: Chapter Thirty-One ✓

Recap:

"Hey there's a thing at my parents house. Do you want to go?" He asked me timidly.

"What thing?" I creased my brows together and questioned him warily.

"Just a family dinner." He informed me casually, but he still seemed hesitant.

A family dinner at the senior Raymond house didn't sound to pleasant to me. His whole family would be there and I barely knew anyone. It would be too awkward for me to be there with the rest of them.

"I don't know it sounds too personal. It would feel awkward." I told him truthfully.

"Why?" He frowned.

"You're my boss remember." I informed him and he narrowed his eyes like I had said the dumbest thing ever.

"I'll introduce you as my friend." He looked satisfied with his solution, and for a second, I forgot he was my boss but when I realized what he said, I frowned.

Who is he and what has he done with Arran? He was willing to introduce me as a friend?

"I still don't know." I rubbed the side of my arm nervously.

"Just say yes." He insisted, his eyes were pleading with me.

What was the worst thing that could happen? What if it turned out well? I was getting a chance to know him so why pass on this opportunity?

"Fine, I'll go." I sighed, and his lips curved up in a bright smile.

"Thanks Emberly."

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Chapter Thirty-One

Emberly's POV:

"What is going on?" Cherry asked me, peering her eyes away from the magazine.

We were in my room searching for a dress. Well I was! Normally, I would've gone with the first choice, but for some reason, I felt like getting dressed to impress. Maybe it was the nerves! I had never been in this situation before so I really didn't know if the knots forming in my stomach were normal or not. I was excited to meet them, yet scared at the same time. What if they hated me? What if they frowned upon me? I sighed and picked a red dress.

"This one?" I questioned her again and she briefly looked, narrowing her eyes at the dress in my hand as she commented.

"Too slutty."

Jeez, why did I buy it in then...? I chucked the dress to a corner where a mini mountain was forming.

"Ughh this one?" I asked her again, examining the black dress.

"Sure, if you are going to a funeral." She said dryly.

"What about this one?" I picked a nude colour dress this time, and showed to her.

"Hey, can you at least tell me what's going on?" She closed the magazine and sat up straight. I bit my lip. If I told Cherry, I needed to break the news nonchalantly. I knew she would overreact.

"I'm going to meet Arran's family today... well he asked me." I said casually, preparing myself for the outburst.

"WHAT?" She shrieked as I tried my best to not flinch, "Why didn't you tell me you guys are a thing now? Jeez Berrs, I thought I was your best friend." She said accusingly and pouted.

"You are, we are not dating. He asked me to accompany him for the dinner and I said yes but there's nothing going on." I defended myself quickly, but she just rolled her eyes and picked up the magazine.

"Yeah right! And Justin Timberlake and I are just friends." She muttered sarcastically.

What?

"I mean it... okay what about this one?" I picked a navy dress, and tried to distract her.

"Why do you care if it's just formal?" She snapped, and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Seriously Cherr? Not a good time to get snappy, please help me." I kneeled down to where she was sitting. I gave her my best pouty look. It probably looked hideous on me, but it was worth the shot.

"Go with the white one, it will look good on you but at least tell me what's going on?" She handed me a white dress that had black lace around the waist. I beamed at her and went in search for heels.

"Nothing. Like I told you, he asked me and I said yes. That's it. Its normal." I added the last part quickly when I saw her disbelief. Shrugging my shoulders, I searched for a clutch to go along with the dress. Once I found it, I dumped the important things I needed into it.

"Berr, normal people are not CEO's of  multinational companies, and they certainly don't invite their assistants for a family dinner. Unless you both have a thing going on for each other, this is too intimate a gesture babe." Cherry said seriously, and I had to agree.

When it came down to relationship advice, she was the sensible one. I knew why she was saying this, but I seriously didn't know what goes on in Arran's mind. I found it weird too, but something in his eyes made me say yes immediately. When I was around him and not angry, I seemed to forget I even had a tongue in my mouth, forget replying back in English. Simple as that! But that didn't mean I forgot how to use my mind though, it irked me but I really couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation. Sure we got along sometimes, but he could've asked someone he knew better. Maybe I was reading into this too much, it could just be a friendly gesture.

Pfft yeah right, Arran and friendly does not go together.

"You really think I didn't consider this before? He said there is a 'thing' going on, and he wants me to be there. It's not a big deal." I sat down on the bed next to her, and explained.

"This is Arran freaking Raymond we are talking about babe. Guys like him give a second glance to girls like us, forget inviting them." She rolled her eyes.

For some reason, what she said stung me, but I knew it was the truth. I still remembered the first time Arran saw me. He just glanced at me once and looked away, as if what he saw disgusted him, and then he opened his mouth to shout at me. Even though I could never disregard his looks, I knew there was more to him. He showed me the other side of him, which he was trying to hide for some unknown reason. Unfortunately, I fell for both sides of his personality. I was willing to forget what happened in past, but it would always be there in some corner of my heart. Unless, I spoke to him about this, which let's face it, would never happen. The thing with Arran was that although he would appear heartless, he could be a really caring person too. So what if he had trust issues? He trusted me enough to let me... deal with the finances...? Well sometimes.

Just hear yourself Emberly.

"Are you suggesting I should cancel it? He said he would introduce me as a friend. I agree I'm just an assistant, but Cherr you know that I really like him. Trust me he isn't what he appears to be, deep down, way deep down he is a normal guy you'd meet in a club... A real posh one though..." My voice was barely audible. Her eyes went soft, and she smiled.

My feelings had complete control over me. No matter how messed up he was, I really liked him. Something about him always fascinated me, especially Arran's ability to manage everything so well, and to have everything under control. He would remain calm even if the building was on fire. Nothing could break him, yet there was something about him that was so... different. If you put his status aside, he appeared to be like everyone else. A caring and loving individual who deserved someone to like him, admire him, and even love him. He would do anything for his loved ones, and that was a rare quality to find these days. Only his aura could take my feelings for him to another level.

"If you really like him, then as your best friend, I will respect your decision but as a sister I will suggest to be little careful. Before doing anything big, just think where is this heading." She warned me, and even in hidden words, I received her message. I nodded, and she smirked.

"Now, let's show the Raymond's who Arran's new friend really is." She smirked, and much to my horror, picked up a hairbrush.

My poor hair. I gulped, and allowed her to do my hair.

A few hours later, I was in the same dress we decided on earlier, with my hair loose in soft curls. The makeup was done to perfection, but I could feel little beads of sweats forming on my forehead. I glanced at the clock, which indicated six forty-five, and my heart pounded wildly.

"I don't feel well." I told her, lying on my bed with my hands on my stomach.

I had never felt this nervous before, not even on the first day of work. All I could think about was the consequences. What if I ended up doing something really embarrassing? What if they didn't like me? What if I ended up messing up everything, and Arran never looked at me again? I kept repeating these questions again and again.

Cherry on other hand rolled her eyes, and muttered something. My eyes were glued to the clock. With every passing minute, I could feel all my nerves getting tense. I couldn't even feel my legs anymore.

"Stop eye-raping the clock, and try to relax." She offered me a red bull, but I refused.

Maybe he won't come. Maybe he has realised what he has done and will cancel the plans. Maybe he was drunk at that time. Well, he did have couple of bottles. It might have been the alcohol talking, but then again, he did drive all the way soberly. Maybe he will get kidnapped. Yeah that can happen. Maybe...

My heart stopped beating with the sound of the bell. Cherry smiled, and looked at me expectantly. I made no move to get up, and she lightly slapped me on the arm and went downstairs with a frown. I could hear the door opening followed by her cheery voice. Reluctantly, I sat up and checked my reflection in the mirror. I added hairspray, for the last time, to tame the wild hair and straightened my dress.

"Your prince charming has arrived... in a white SUV." She shouted, earning her a deep chuckle that I knew too well.

"Just a minute." I screamed back, and slipped into the heels.

It's now or never.

With my heart beat ringing in my ears, I walked down. I could hear them talking, but I was too caught up with my nerves to comprehend their words. Taking a deep breath, I strolled towards the door. Our eyes locked and just like that, it was just the two of us. His green eyes darkened when they connected to mine, and I felt like I missed a heartbeat. He gazed at me intently, his eyes roaming my body shamelessly, making me feel very nervous, but also causing sparks to erupt in my body. I took a moment to praise what I was seeing. My eyes travelled down to his white, fitted shirt and black pants. His hair was slightly wet, hinting at the shower he took before coming here. Needless to say, he was at his usual best.

"Hey." I finally said, realising I had been holding my breath for a minute.

"Hey." He replied in the same tone.

"You look... lovely." He mumbled, and I felt like his eyes were piercing my skin.

I smiled stiffly, not knowing what to say. Maybe thanks? Heat radiated in my cheeks. Cherry was beyond enthusiastic. Didn't she tell me to be careful a minute ago? All she needed was popcorn in her hand.

"Thank you. Shall we?" I asked him, and he nodded his head.

"Sure." I replied, and he gestured me ahead. I picked up a small box from the kitchen table, which I ordered from the local bakery earlier.

"I'm going back to my place in half an hour, you will have the whole house to yourself." Cherry winked suggestively.

I merely shook my head, and gave her a sideways hug. Suddenly, I felt like a teenager all over again who was going on her first date. Only I was twenty-one years old, and this wasn't a date. Cherry wasn't joking when she shouted about the white SUV. Placing my shaky hands on the handle, I was about to open the door when Arran's hand stopped me. My heart thudded, and an electric shiver ran down my down.

'Snap out of it.' I mentally kicked myself.

"Allow me." He whispered in my ear.

I could feel the fire burning back up in me, especially when he was this close. I stepped aside hastily, and allowed him to open the door for me. Damn my hormones!

"Nervous?" He asked me once we were in the car. He narrowed his eyes at the box suspiciously, but said nothing.

"A little." I replied, inhaling his strong masculine cologne that was all over the car.

"Don't be, we don't bite. Not that hard from what I remember." His eyes twinkled, and I felt a smile spreading across my lips.

But this didn't calm my nerves. In fact it made it worse. It was all coming back to me. Arran was a billionaire, therefore so is his family. Duh! What am I going to do with people who were literally born with silver spoons in their mouths? I sighed, and rubbed my temples. He eyed me warily.

"You are awfully quite today. Is everything alright?" He placed a hand on my knee, and his fingers pressed lightly. I bit my lip, and kept my mouth closed.

It took a whole lot of willpower not to snap at him. How could he be so casual about... this? I wanted to ask why me? Why not Lucy, Hayley or whoever it was! But somehow, I ended up asking something else.

"You know the first time you saw me... did I... did I disgust you?" I blurted out, and looked straight ahead.

Great! Nice start.

"What...? Why would you say that?" He questioned in a surprised tone.

"Because you had that expression." I looked at him briefly and even though it was dark, I could see the disbelief in his eye.

His green eyes were looking at me, but were showing no emotion. 'Any minute now.' I thought, and waited for his answer impatiently.

"I was... not because of your appearance, but because of your innocence. I loathed the look in your eyes; it reminded me of who I was four years ago. At that time, all I was thinking was that my father hired you to get even with me. You know with all the shit that was going around. As if he already knew I wouldn't like you." He explained, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

I was kind of offended. Not only did he admit it, but apparently he didn't like my type either! Hey, excuse me if I kept my legs closed! It was hard to figure out what type of relationship he shared with his dad. One minute they got along, and the very next minute they would anything to irritate each other.

"It's not a bad thing... I don't even know what you mean." I said briskly, and he gave me a half smile.

"It's too complicated for you to understand." He trailed his eyes on me for a second.

I didn't know what to say. He was right, I didn't understand. Apparently, four years ago, Arran was as innocent as I was. Even the thought made me laugh out loud. It was hard picturing him as innocent when proof showed that he was far from it.

"But I don't loath it anymore, truthfully I find it very appealing..." He said softly, smiling genuinely, and I blushed. I let my hair cover my face. "And that too." He chuckled and took a left turn. "I like you Emberly, and I apologise for judging you."

"Have you never heard don't judge a book by its cover?" I asked sarcastically, hiding the glee in my voice. He likes me!

"As if, you didn't judge me." He narrowed his green eyes at me.

"Did not." I lied. I use to think he was a rich snob, and a man whore, but he didn't have to know that.

I began to relax as he casually started telling me about his family. Apparently everyone was going to be there since it was a family get together. They always had one once a year as a family tradition. According to him, he had a huge family. This only unsettled me further. He parked his car when we reached his parent's house.

"Come on, let's meet everyone." He placed his hand on my back, and lightly pushed me out of his car. He walked casually while I tried to slow my heartbeats that were shooting like rockets.

I could already see various expensive models of cars parked, showing how big his family was. The drivers and chauffeurs stood off at a distance, looking after the cars and probably bitching about their bosses. Been there, done that.

I wasn't very keen on going to his parent's house after what happened last time, but it was not like I had a choice. Everything was the same as before, except it was louder, and it appeared more homey. Waiters were running around with drinks and snacks. The ladies were dressed in expensive clothes, and were looking their best. Men were in formal suits, some were smoking, and some had drinks in their hands. Children were running around, and crashing into waiters. Just like a normal family gathering.

Mr. Raymond was in a corner laughing with some familiar looking man. When he saw me with Arran, his eyes widened for a split second before he averted them to whatever the other man was saying to him. Everything seemed normal. However, in one corner, a lady who reassembled Arran was trying her best to smile when her eyes said something else. They were sad, and she kept looking around for someone. Before I could ask Arran about her, a young boy, probably fifteen, stood in front of us and grinned at me.

"MOM!!! Arran is here and with a girl too... a hot one." He yelled in our ears, making us both wince. "Hi I'm..." he started, trying to be seductive but Arran interrupted him.

"Emanuel Valentina Raymond and this is she-is-out-of-your-league kid." Arran said firmly, making him give us a flat look.

"Dude its Emanuel V. Raymond." He corrected, appearing highly offended. He puffed his chest out as I watched him in amusement.

"Sure Valentina!" Arran smirked and ruffled his hair.

He slapped his hand away and fixed his hair. A lady with rich, red curls hugged Arran. I would've assumed she was his cousin, if Arran didn't approach her as 'Aunt Valentina'. I nearly fainted. She could've been mistaken for a Spanish supermodel. She kept on rambling about how long it had been since he visited her, and how much weight he had lost. Arran coughed and appeared embarrassed. Instead of replying, he introduced me, probably to save himself!

"Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." She said in a thick, Spanish accent and took me by surprise by hugging me. Really? I was hearing that a lot. I glanced over to Arran, baffled, but he shook his head.

"Thank you and this is for you..." I gave her the small box, which contained cheesecake from local bakery. No one needed to experience my baking skills.

"You didn't have to. Please make yourself comfortable. Excuse me, I have to check on some guests." She gushed, before strolling away with the teenager.

As the night went on, many people came up to Arran and slapped him on the back, giving him congrats on the new deal while practically ignoring me, not that I minded. It was a pleasant change to watch Arran speaking to his family so fondly. He was polite with everyone and even ignored the teasing looks the women were giving him. It was fun to watch him remain so calm after his uncle asked him about his 'private' life. I guess family did come first for him.

Every time he introduced me, we would earn a shocked look. First they'd mistake me as his girlfriend, which he corrected by calling me just a friend. Their eyes would dance in mischievousness, leaving me completely baffled. I was about to ask him about it when the same lady that I spotted earlier, walked toward us incredible elegance. Arran smiled softly at her, and engulfed her in a hug. He was careful enough not to crush her tiny frame. She smiled warmly at him and bombarded him with many questions, which Arran replied to patiently. When her eyes met mine, confusion clouded her face.

"Emberly, meet my mother, and mother this is Emberly." He introduced proudly, and I smiled politely at her.

Now that I looked at her closely, I noticed she had the same striking, green eyes as Arran's. Cecily Jayne Raymond was absolutely gorgeous. She showed no sign of ageing and with her dark, auburn hair, she took my breath away. My face heated up when she scrutinised me from top to bottom, before giving me a stiff nod. Awkward.

"I thought you were bringing Julie." She questioned a bit harshly.

"No mother, I wasn't. I brought Emberly along." He said firmly, and his mother looked at me once again.

Suddenly the tension in the room felt so thick that you could slice it easily with a knife. She studied me carefully, and I had an urge to say something to stop her staring.

"You have a lovely house. I love the... decors." I said lamely while she just nodded her head. I was disheartened at her behaviour but I didn't let her show it.

"Arran... I need to talk..." Her tone was urgent, but Arran didn't seem to notice. Instead, he was looking around for someone.

"Is Luke here? That bastard better not be late." He questioned his mother, ignoring her worried face. That's strange; normally he would've noticed the worry in someone's face before that person informing him.

She was about to repeat the question when a few ladies called for her. She looked at Arran, who was completely oblivious to his mother's condition, once more before walking away. Sadness was evident on her face, and I opened my mouth to tell him when an old lady attacked Arran in a bear hug. Like everyone else, she was in an expensive suit, but she had the warmest smile plastered on her face. She then showered kisses on his face, while Arran did everything to not blush. I giggled when she cooed at him.

"Emberly this is my grandmother." Arran breathed a sigh of relief when she broke the hundredth hug.

"Hush, call me Diane. It's lovely to meet you." She shook my hand and grinned.

"Likewise." I replied sincerely, with a smile of my own.

She stood for a few minutes before one of her sons came and took her away. She was clearly the heart of this party. Just by looking at her, I could tell she was the main pillar holding this whole family together.

"I like her." I told Arran truthfully, and he smiled.

"Everyone does. What's not to like? It's in our genes." He said smugly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure Arran because you are so hot." I replied in sarcasm, earning a playful glare.

"Hey, if you insist." He spoke, raising his hands.

I was about to retort back when the waiter came by with the drinks. I took what looked like champagne while he took... whisky, or scotch, maybe vodka...? I wasn't sure.

Yeah, like he would take vodka shots in front of his family.

He tried to unbutton the top button of his shirt but struggled. I wasn't surprised since he was trying with one hand. I handed the drink I was holding back to the waiter, and swatted his hand away.

"Here, let me help you."

With the heels I was wearing, I was the same height as he was. He allowed me to do so, and I tried to open the button. Maybe it was his looks, or the fact that it refused to come undone, so I applied a little more force in anger. Maybe a tiny bit too much as the button snapped from his shirt, and rolled down to the floor.

Shit.

"Well done Emberly, you have accomplished the task successfully." He mocked. My face burned with embarrassment. I honestly didn't know what to say. Luckily a waiter came to the rescue, and informed us the dinner was ready.

Never helping anyone ever again.

"Well, hello there." My thoughts were interrupted by a small voice.

I looked over my shoulder, and saw a small frame in a way too large T-shirt. He seemed to be in his early teens. However, his eyes were glistening in hidden intelligence, and wisdom. Unlike Arran's dark brown hair, he had sandy, blonde hair and freckles covering his cheeks and nose.

"Easy tiger. She's with me." Arran playfully scowled at him.

"Hey Arran, did you read my article?" He beamed in excitement once he realised I was with Arran.

"Sure did, the article was excellent. I recommended it to Mr. Shaw." Arran replied and his tone made it clear that he was proud of his work.

"You did?" He screeched. Sometimes I easily forgot how loud people could get. "Thank you, I worked really hard on it. It wasn't easy to get all the information, but thanks for passing me those files."

"I could tell, but you did a great job. Have you seen Luke?" Arran questioned, looking around once again.

"Yeah he was with Amy, more like flirting with my sister." He pouted, sulkily.

"John, stop whining." Luke smacked him on his head and greeted us both. He looked at me in surprise. but masked it quickly with a smile.

If I was surprised to see the number of people who were around the large dining table, I did a good job at hiding it. It was ridiculous how lavish the dining room was. I was even more surprised when Arran pulled a chair out for me. Although, I was in a room with 70+ people, I still felt a bit lonely. The person I came with was in a deep conversation with his best friend, and the others were too. All of a sudden it went silent. Everyone's attention was diverted to Diane, who asked everyone to quiet down for the prayer. Not my words!

"Thank you, Lord. These are simple words but they come from simple hearts that overflow with the realisation of your goodness. We ask you to bless us as we eat, bless this food, and bless the hands that prepared it...."

I zoned out on the prayer and stared at the candle stand to the side. Diane's voice was like a sweet melody causing me to feel sleepy. I felt guilty for not paying attention, but one glance at the table showed that everyone else was feeling the same way. She kept on rambling about how fortunate they were, and how blessed they were to have good health. Even after fifteen minutes, her prayer was not finished. I looked over to Arran, who sat beside me and even he had a bored look on his face.

"...  Lastly, please Lord, remind the entire group of youngsters here to use condoms, and show them the right path. Amen."

What...? Did she say what I heard? I nearly choked on my saliva, and saw everyone mirroring the same horrified expression that I had. She sat down with a mischievous smile while various words were mumbled across the table.

"Nana..."

"Mom..."

"Oh fuck..."

"Mommy what is a condom?" A little kid asked his mother who flushed deep red in response. She shushed the kid by stuffing mashed potatoes in his mouth.

Around 20 waiters stood at the side, serving the food. It must have been awful to work here. All of the guests were stiff as waiters placed food on their plates. I mean, come on, how hard was it to grab a plate and serve yourself? It didn't require that much effort. Some guests were eating salads while others like me went with the main course instead. One waitress, who was same age as me, placed a delicious looking chicken on my plate, while the other poured some roasted vegetables on the side. I was about to take my first bite when Arran's Aunt, whose name I forgot, asked me a question.

"So Emberly, where do you live?"

I held my breath when several pairs of eyes were set on me. A minute ago, I was complaining about how lonely I felt, and now I was regretting that thought. I hated being  the centre of attention. I gulped and answered back.

"On the other side of the city." I replied politely. She smiled in response, and took a bite of her Russian salad.

"How did you meet Arran?" Another woman asked me.

"I actually work for him." I replied again with a fixed smile. My fingers bunched the cloth together.

"You must have met all of his criteria to work for him. He hardly hires anyone," said a man in his late forties.

If only they knew how I got this job. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Mr. Raymond smirking at me.

"I was lucky I guess." I mumbled, taking a gulp of water. The room felt hotter than the Sahara desert.

"You knew who he was?" This time a lady with Botox-gone-wrong asked me with sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"Not really... I did hear about the Raymond's but I never imagined their company being this... huge." I answered truthfully. I vividly knew who the Raymond's were because of their charity work in our college.

"Which college did you graduate from?" She asked me again, playing with the bigger than life diamond ring on her hand. I looked around and saw almost everyone was listening to the conversation with an interest, even Arran and Luke. All this attention was making me nervous and shaky.

"I... I didn't." I fumbled with my words.

"You're a drop out...?" A guy asked me in a surprise.

I didn't blame him; I was working in one of the biggest companies in the world without actual qualification or experience. I looked at Arran, begging him for help, but instead, he waited for me to reply. Sell out.  I took a big breath and calmed my nerves. They don't bite... remember they don't bite.

"Not exactly, I had to leave due to some circumstances." I replied firmly.

It was not like I could say, oh hey I needed money for my mom's operation so I withdrew all the money saved for my tuition fees. The last thing I wanted was their pity, especially Arran's.

"Well it was all for good." Dianne said.

"Indeed." I picked up the fork to eat. Maybe, they would go back to eating, and leave me alone.

"What were you majoring in?"

Guess not. I placed the fork back down.

"Chemistry."

"Hey that's where you figure out 1 plus 1 without protection, would be 3 right?" A boy asked which earned him glares and a few snickers.

"Daniel, watch your language. I apologise on his behalf dear." His mother scolded him.

"Sorry if I am wrong, but did your father use to own a garage?" Someone asked me, and my head snapped his direction. I was confused how he knew about it. Aside from Arran, I hadn't told anyone about my dad's garage.

"Yes... how do you know?" I asked the curly haired man.

"Your father came to my firm once, and asked me to make a legal notification on the garage. He sold the property, and cashed it to your name. That's why your name is so familiar." He informed me, and I instantly knew who this guy was. I remember my dad talking a lot about how helpful he was.

"Mathew right?" I asked him, and he nodded. Wow what a small world. I never thought that the person who helped us would be related to Arran.

"What happened?" The lady sitting to his right asked me.

"My dad use to own a garage, but he had to shut it down." I told her and smiled at her sadly. That garage use to be my dad's dream.

"So sad. Even my Timmy had to shut down his business." Someone said.

"That's because Timmy was selling ice cubes in winter." Her husband replied sarcastically, and few people laughed.

"Dad, I was doing something." Timmy flushed and complained.

"I just wish you had my brain not just my looks." The man said, shaking his head. I had to suppress my smile seeing Timmy's face cloud in anger.

"Trust me dad, I only got the brain. With this face, I wouldn't even get inside..." whatever he was about to say was interrupted by his mother.

"Timmy." She snapped.

Arran's granddad appeared to be very drunk as his fork clattered on the plate loud enough to divert everyone's attention to him.

"I remember meeting this lovely woman at the gala. She was such a sweetheart. She was amazing for a night." He slurred and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Many gasped loudly while the others eyed me strangely.

"Fuck." Arran swore under his breath.

All eyes turned to me, and I was left speechless. What exactly do you say when someone is accusing you of a one nightstand?

'And that person being your boss's grandfather.'

'In front of the entire family.'

"What he means is we... danced together at a charity event." I quickly composed myself, and corrected his statement. I could feel heat on my neck.

"For a minute I thought something else." Someone mumbled.

"Dude that would be so weird. Don't even go there. Especially when she is so..." whatever he was about to say was interrupted by Arran's glare. They both looked away, and continued talking about something else.

"Why don't we carry on with the meal?" Mr. Raymond spoke for the first time. I sighed in relief, and picked my fork once again.

"How's the chicken?" Victoria asked, winking at me. She eyed Arran for a split second before focusing on me. Somehow, I felt like she didn't really mean to ask about the chicken.

"It's lovely. Thank you for having me." I sighed inwardly and put the fork down again.

"It's good to see Arran with someone... It's refreshing." Something about her tone was not right, and it was confirmed by Arran's sharp breath.

Arran was frowning and thinking about something really hard. I expected Victoria to explain more, but she just shrugged her shoulders and continued eating. I glanced at him several times but he just kept quiet. It wasn't right for me to ask him in front of his own family. The ladies kept me involved in a conversation, and thank god I wasn't the main subject.

"Hurry up guys, the fireworks are about to start." A kid yelled a while later. The adults began to stand, leaving me bewildered. I looked at my untouched plate and sighed.

'Maybe next time.'

We walked to the back of the house. Like Arran's house, there was a mini pool in the middle and greenery around it. It was a breezy night. Couples cuddled up, and watched the fireworks whereas the kids gasped with fascination. I, on the other hand, shook my head in disbelief. I tried to ignore the warmth radiating off Arran who stood closely beside me. He took a step forward, only to cause havoc in my senses.

"You do it every year?" I whispered to him, and cranked my head a bit to look at him. Big mistake. Before I could get lost in his eyes, I turned away swiftly.

"Yes." He replied back with a smirk.

"It's ridiculous." I whispered more to myself. I watched the fireworks illuminating the night. The only time I got to see fireworks were on New Year's Eve and even that was on a TV screen since my mom was afraid of fireworks.

I watched the many colours exploding in the night sky. The lights turned on once it was over. Ladies sighed happily, and the waiters rushed with deserts in their hands. Arran stopped a passing by waiter, and took a plate containing a piece of chocolate cake.

"No more talking, just eat." He silenced me when I opened my mouth to ask him something. I smiled greatly at him and took a bite of the cake. I nearly died on the spot when the flavour kicked in. Just kidding, I had to keep a straight face since he refused to peer his eyes away from mine.

I raised an eyebrow and matched his gaze. A lazy smirk formed on his lips and unwillingly, I found myself diverting my gaze to his lips. My heart rate increased when he parted his lips a bit. I vividly remembered the warmth of his lips on mine, the tingles exploding in my whole body. Embarrassed at my thoughts, I looked away swiftly and took a deep breath to soothe my ragged nerves. I ended up looking at a woman laughing loudly.

Praise the lord for the distraction.

"That's Aunt Lidia and that's my Aunt Lily." He whispered in my ear and motioned to them. I clenched my fingers in a fist, and kept my eyes only on them.

I eyed the two women carefully. Aunt Lidia was a short lady with a hairstyle straight out of the movie hairspray, whereas his Aunt Lily reminded me of Miranda from the devil wears Prada. I swear Arran's Aunt's looked way younger than me. Even in their late thirties or forty's, they showed no signs of ageing at all. They all were so petite and stunning that it wasn't even fair.

"Let me guess, Aunt Lidia is your favourite?" I asked him, watching the short lady laugh and hug Mathew. By now, I knew Raymond's loved giving hugs. Except 'you-know-who.' He was the odd one out.

"No, Aunt Lily is." He retorted, and I widened my eyes. The reason I was flabbergasted was because Aunt Lidia was warm and kind whereas Aunt Lily looked completely the opposite. She was standing with the rest but, she kept herself reserved.

"Really? She seems so..." I hesitated. Don't offend him... don't offend him.

"Cold...? That's why I like her. She once told me to get up and get better and I admire her for that." He said quietly, his whole stance changing instantly. His muscles tensed, and he clenched his jaw as if remembering something really horrible.

"She must be your favourite after all since you seem to resemble her personality so much." I said sarcastically, hoping to cheer him up. Much to my relief, he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

"I think I overdid it a little?" He raised an eyebrow and smirked. However, his eyes were still cold. I wanted to ask him about it, but something about his posture stopped me.

"A little.... seriously?" I feigned a gasp.

"Emmmi..." A tiny figure hugged my legs, and I reached over to hold Arran's arm, balancing myself. Belle gave a toothy grin.

"Hey sweety, how are you?" I asked her, getting on my knees. She engulfed me in a hug.

"Good... Thank you... And you?" She replied.

"I'm fine too. Did you like your new paints?" Her eyes shone in delight at my question.

"Yes... love it... you want... to... to see... it?" She asked me, hesitantly looking up at Arran.

"Later princess." He replied dismissively.

"But... I... want... to... show... now." She pouted adorably, and my heart melted. Who on earth could refuse her?

"Princess, she is still eating." He gestured to the plate I was holding. Honestly speaking, I didn't feel like eating anymore.

"It's okay." I replied to him and stood up. "Where are your paintings?" I asked as her eyes lit up again.

"Are you sure? You don't have to." Arran said warily, and I shook my head.

"You are still her favourite uncle Arran, relax, I won't take long." I teased, and he smiled.

"This... way." She grabbed my hand and started pulling me. I chuckled and followed her. She took me to the first floor and opened a door, which was painted in pink. The room inside was painted violet, and the furniture was white. In the center against a wall, was a queen size bed with dozens of teddy bears. On the side, there was a small table with tiny chairs and empty tea cups, which I assumed were for tea parties.

"You have your own room here?" I asked in disbelief.  As far as I knew, this wasn't even her house.

"Yes." She nodded her head and with her small, chubby hands, she opened a drawing book and showed it to me.

I took a look at the drawings and hey, compared to mine, they were pretty awesome.

"Wow.... These are your paintings...?" I exclaimed, and widened my eyes. She giggled and jumped up and down.

"Let me guess this is a moon." I examined the white blob carefully. She shook her head negatively.

"A ball?" I scrunched my eyebrows and asked her again. She shook her head again.

"Balloon?"

"Nope." She popped the 'p'.

"Flower?" I questioned her, confused.

She sighed and shook her head once again. Then what the freak was it?

"What is it?" I asked her, giving up.

"A... sheep." She pouted, and I ignored urge to slam my head into the wall.

"Of course it is. It's wonderful." I covered my surprise and praised her. She smiled wholeheartedly and started telling me about her drawings.

I realised it was getting late so I told her we should head downstairs. She got off her bed and opened the door. However, instead of going down, she opened another door and told me to wait in there. I obliged in confusion, and watched her disappear. Maybe she needs the toilet, but won't she need help? She is going to be six, Emberly, not two.

At least I could turn the light on, instead of waiting in the dark. I flicked the switch for the lights, and briefly closed my eyes in the brightness.

My instincts were telling me to leave the room, but I ended up doing the opposite. When had I ever listened to my guts feelings? I would probably still walk in even if it read, 'DANGER, STAY OUT!!!' Taking a deep breath, I took few steps further into the room.

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Thank you Mia for editing for me :) she is the best <3 x

Sorry for taking ages to update, my grandma was in hospital (she was discharged today) Hopefully chapters will be up sooner from now on x

Dedicated to everyone, thank you for loving this story ^.^ thank for all the messages and votes <3 x I promise to reply to everyone when I get time :D x

Cover at the side is made by *starcyrichver* thanks hun, its lovely x

I'm really nervous about this chapter... not my best but do let me know if you like/hate it :P Have fun reading it though x

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Love, Ameerah x