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~Darlina's POV~

I choked on my noodles.

My back hunched over as I coughed, placing a hand to my chest once the food finally went down. "Did you just say he was just released from prison?" I exclaimed, stunned by how casually he had dropped that on me.

Emmett pursed his lips as if he had expected this exact reaction out of me, but how else would one respond? "Yes." He nodded, propping his elbows up on the table. I gazed at him with wide eyes, utterly perplexed by how unperturbed he was. "And you're fine with that? I mean, a criminal living here with us?" I asked.

His eyebrows furrowed and I noticed the clench of his jaw at my words, so I knew immediately I had hit a nerve. "Please don't reduce him to something like that. You don't know him and I get that, but you know me." He said, a long finger tapping on the table. "I'd never invite someone in our home if I thought they were a danger. Can't you trust me on that?" He asked.

An embarrassed blush crept into my cheeks and I looked away, ashamed. "I'm sorry." I apologized softly. "I didn't mean it that way. Of course I trust you. If you think this guy is genuinely harmless, then I'm okay with it." I told him, and he smiled at me, smoothing a hand over the short cornrows on his head. "I know you didn't, Li. You're probably the least judgmental person I've met in my life." He said with a snort, causing me to laugh and shake my head. I looked down at my plate, biting on the inside of my cheek as I considered my next words and whether or not I should ask them.

Would it be rude if I asked what he had been in prison for? I mean, I didn't know this man, nor did I know if he would've wanted me to know.

"You don't have to worry, you know." Emmett chuckled as if knowing exactly what was on my mind. "Atlas is a very private person, so I doubt he'd want you knowing his business, but he didn't go to prison for anything horrible. Just don't ask him because he's a little bit of a grump, but he'd never do anything bad to either of us." He assured me. I gave him a small smile, twirling my fork around in my noodles. Emmett knew me far too well, but I guess that just came with him and I living together for two years.

He and I, funnily enough, had never met before I moved in with him. Not even once. I had just turned nineteen when I moved in after saving up enough money to begin paying for rent, and without even really thinking about it too much or trying to find more out about the random man I'd be living with. It was quite frankly a blessing that I'd gotten a good roommate after how careless I'd been in finding someone who needed one.

"When is he supposed to move in?" I asked, curious. I'd have to make sure our apartment was clean before he got here. I didn't want him to think we lived in filth.

Tilting his head to the side for a moment to think, he then looked at me. "Wednesday. That's when he gets out." He answered, causing me to furrow my brows. "Gets out?" I repeated. "I thought he was already out." I said, a little bit confused.

Grinning sheepishly, he shook his head. "Ah, no, technically not yet. I just meant that he's about to get out soon, that's all." He explained, causing my mouth to form an 'o' shape in understanding. "I see..." I said softly.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence and began to eat instead, but my mind continued to buzz with curiosity and slight anxiety. Personally, I wasn't too sure how to feel about this situation, but I trusted Emmett and his judgment. If he felt that it was okay, then I had no problem with it. Besides, this was technically his apartment, being that he had lived here by himself before I even moved in.

"How long have you been friends with him?" I asked after a couple of bites, curious. He had never even mentioned someone by the name of Atlas to me before, not even in passing conversations. "About ten years, I think? We became friends when we were fifteen in high school." He answered, popping some chicken into his mouth.

Surprised, my eyes widened. "Wow." I said, brushing a strand of my hair back when it fell over my shoulder. Knowing that Emmett had known him for so long made me feel better about the idea.

I happily finished off the last of the food on my plate and hummed in content, patting my now full stomach. "Okay, then." I grinned, meeting his dark eyes with my own. "Since you went to such lengths to even make me my favorite food, I can tell this is important to you." I said. Although he hadn't needed to do that, it was clear that he truly wanted my approval on the matter, and I was grateful for that. Most people wouldn't bother, not when it concerned a friend they'd known far longer.

Emmett shrugged his shoulders, looking away in slight embarrassment. "Well, we are friends. It'd be unfair if I just showed up with him here without even saying anything."

All I did was shake my head in response, laughing quietly. "I'll make sure the apartment is clean before he gets here, then." I told him. Though Emmett always assured me that I didn't need to clean every time someone was in our apartment, I couldn't help but to do it anyway. My mom had raised me that way since I was a child, so I felt the need to. Besides, I also knew that he secretly appreciated it.

"I'm sure you will." He chuckled with a shake of his head, knowing very well how I was. The two of us continued with brief discussions about our day's until he finished his food, and I volunteered to do the dishes since he had cooked for me. I was incredibly adamant about storing the leftovers in the fridge first, however.

When I finished with the dishes I entered the living room, plopping down beside Emmett on the couch. The movie Brave was playing, but he wasn't really paying attention to it as he was busy texting someone instead.

Being that I loved animated movies, I curled my legs up on the couch and focused on the movie, happy to have time to relax.