As Claire left Alex's house later that evening, her mind was filled with questions she didn't dare voice. The way Alex looked at Emma when she wasn't paying attention—the care in his eyes—was something she hadn't seen in him for years.
"Am I imagining things?" she murmured to herself as she got into her car. "Does he… care for her more than he's letting on?"
Shaking her head, she started the engine. "If he does," she thought aloud, "I'll find out. And if it's real, I'll do everything I can to make sure they stay together."
Her resolve hardened as she drove away, the flicker of hope in her chest growing stronger.
The sound of Claire's car fading into the distance left an unusual stillness in the house.
Emma stood where Claire had left her, arms crossed, and her face a blend of confusion and relief. She hadn't expected Claire's apology—or her warmth.
But then, this just proves that Alex was right in trusting in Claire. It was good she had trusted him.
"That was... unexpected," she murmured, glancing at Alex.
Alex, who had been leaning against the wall, straightened as he watched Emma walked towards him. "Claire isn't one to admit when she's wrong," he said, his voice thoughtful. "For her to come here and apologize… that says a lot."
Emma nodded slowly. "It does." She paused, turning her gaze toward Alex. "But if she doesn't admit when she's wrong what does she do?" she asked curiously considering how confident he had been when he said Claire would believe him.
"She puts everything in the past. She doesn't seem the need to apologize for anything so I was equally surprised when she apologized," Alex said and Emma nodded.
"I guess she felt guilty that she might have ruined your life," she said and he nodded.
"I guess so."
"Thank you, by the way."
"For what?" Alex asked, his brow furrowing and Emma shrugged.
"For defending me," she replied, her voice soft. "For standing up to Jake when he tried to—" She hesitated, her throat tightening as the memory resurfaced. "I've never had anyone do that for me before."
Alex stepped closer, his expression gentle but firm. "No one should have to go through what you did, Emma. Least of all because of someone like Jake."
Emma looked down, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Still… thank you."
Alex gave her a small smile, the corners of his eyes softening. "You don't have to thank me. I meant what I said earlier—I'll make sure no one treats you like that again."
For a moment, they stood in comfortable silence. The distance between them felt smaller than it was, the air charged with an unspoken understanding.
The quiet was broken when Emma's stomach growled audibly. She let out a startled laugh, covering her face with her hands.
"Guess it's been a long day," she said, peeking at Alex through her fingers.
Alex chuckled, his smile growing. "We did leave the food untouched earlier, didn't we?" he said reminding her that they had left their food untouched even though they had been quite determined to eat.
Emma nodded. "I was thinking of reheating it, but now I'm tempted to just make something fresh."
Alex tilted his head, considering. "How about we cook together?"
Emma blinked, caught off guard. "Cook together?"
"Why not?" Alex shrugged, moving toward the kitchen. "I could use the distraction. Besides, it's been years since I've done something like this."
"Its one thing to finish up what I had already made but it's totally a different thing to cook, afresh...."
"I know that. Besides, I've watched you a few times and I know my way around the kitchen," he said and then winked at her causing her to smile.
"Alright. If you say so then, let's do it," she said and Alex followed her into the kitchen.
They worked side by side in the kitchen, the tension from earlier slowly melting away. Alex rolled up his sleeves, his movements deliberate but slightly awkward as he chopped vegetables under Emma's instruction.
"You've done this before, right?" Emma teased, watching him struggle with an onion.
Alex smirked, wiping at his watery eyes. "Let's just say I'm better at boardrooms than kitchens," he admitted.
Emma laughed, a sound that seemed to light up the room. "Well, you're doing great. Just… maybe not with onions."
He chuckled, setting the knife down. "Noted."
As they continued, their conversation drifted to lighter topics—movies they liked, embarrassing childhood memories, and random talks.
Alex found himself smiling more than he had in weeks, while Emma's laughter came easier with each passing minute.
At one point, as Alex reached for a bowl on a high shelf, Emma moved to grab it as well. Their hands brushed, and both froze.
"Sorry," Emma said quickly, pulling her hand back, though her cheeks warmed.
"No, it's okay," Alex said, his voice soft. His hand lingered on the bowl for a moment before he passed it to her. Their eyes met briefly, a flicker of something unspoken passing between them.
Emma broke the gaze first, focusing intently on the ingredients in front of her. Alex cleared his throat, stepping back slightly to give her space, a little awkward tension forming between them as thoughts they hadn't thought about started crossing their minds.
Thankfully, by the time they sat down to eat, the awkwardness had faded, replaced by a quiet companionship.
"This turned out pretty good," Alex said after his first bite, nodding in approval.
Emma smiled, watching him. "It's not bad, considering we made it together."
"Are you saying I didn't contribute much?" Alex raised an eyebrow, feigning offense.
"I'm saying you should stick to boardrooms," Emma teased, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Alex laughed, shaking his head. "Fair enough."
After dinner, they lingered at the table, neither seeming eager to end the evening. Alex poured them both glasses of water, and they talked more, their voices low and relaxed.
At one point, Emma's expression grew serious, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. "Do you ever regret it?" she asked the one question that had been on her mind ever since Claire's first visit with Margaret and Jake.
"Regret what?" Alex asked, leaning forward slightly.
"Marrying me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Alex's expression softened, and he shook his head. "No, Emma. Not once."
She looked up, her eyes searching his face. "Why?"
"Because it was the right thing to do at the time," he said simply.
"At the time?" she asked back and he nodded.
"Yes and I thought all I wanted was to see you get back on your feet but right now.…" He hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"What about right now?" she asked and he looked at her.