One Hundred and One

Nicholas took the cooked omelette from the kitchen and brought it to the living room. Alicia was lying there, wearing a gray fleece blanket and staring at the television showing an old movie.

"Surprise! A special egg omelette for Alicia and Nic, the handsome detective."

Hearing Nicholas complimenting himself narcissistically, Alicia chuckled amusedly. She corrected her sitting position, then lowered the blanket that covered half of her body.

Nicholas sat on the same sofa as Alicia, then placed two plates of omelette that he had made himself onto the table. Alicia could smell the aroma of eggs fried in butter and paprika.

"It smells good."

"Sure." Nicholas lifted his face, proud of himself. "This is a special dish, I made it with great effort. You'll love it."

Alicia rolled her eyes lazily, she then chuckled. Her laugh sounded hoarse and melodious at the same time. "You need to lose that confidence, Nic."

"I can't. If I wasn't confident, you probably wouldn't have come and kissed me like that."

Alicia's cheeks turned red as tomatoes. She was blushing. And Alicia couldn't cover her embarrassment in front of Nicholas. Nicholas laughed at Alicia's adorable demeanor and gently rubbed Alicia's head.

"You're beautiful when your face is red like that."

"Stop teasing me, Nic." Alicia immediately picked up the plate of omelette, eager to change the subject. "I'm going to eat this."

"Alright, alright."

Alicia's thin hands scooped a spoonful of omelette on the plate after mixing it with the tomato sauce and chili sauce on the side of the omelette. Alicia tasted it like a chef judging the participants of a cooking competition. Her face was completely serious and Nicholas raised an eyebrow, waiting for her comment.

"How was it? The omelette I made tastes really good and special, doesn't it?"

Nicholas raised his eyebrows, hoping that Alicia would give him the judgment he expected. But what came from Alicia's lips, instead... "Well, when I first bit into it, it tasted like-"

"Like?"

"Like an egg."

The man gave a short snort and rolled his eyes lazily. "You're annoying, Alicia."

"Ahaha, I'm serious, Nic. This tastes like eggs, try it!" Alicia scooped up the omelette, then thrust it forward, as if to feed Nicholas with her own food. "Open your mouth, aaaaaah!"

"Tsk, stop it. You just brought down my pride, Alicia!"

And they laughed together afterward.

After the small talk they had over the omelette, Nicholas suddenly remembered something. He finished his drink, apple juice, and cleared his throat to start a more serious conversation.

"By the way... were you serious about that kiss, Alicia?"

Alicia was putting down her almost empty glass when Nicholas asked her that. She coughed because she was surprised that Nicholas had brought up such an embarrassing subject. The kiss she had given Nicholas had just happened. Alicia hadn't planned anything at all. She just couldn't help herself and wanted to express what she felt.

"When did you realize that I liked you this much, Alicia?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, then muttered. "Since the beginning, maybe. But can we stop talking about it, I know you just want to embarrass me, hm?"

"I'm serious about my feelings, Alicia." The look in Nicholas' eyes touched Alicia. She smiled a little. "I promise to protect you from now on. And, don't ever feel shy about asking me for help if you need it. OK?"

"Okay."

Nicholas looked around. The sky outside the house was already dark. From inside the house, he could see that the garden and yard in front of Alicia's house were poorly lit. He thought of something.

"Alicia, I think we need to do some repairs in this flat tomorrow."

Alicia's eyebrows rose. "Why exactly?" She looked around, then stopped in the direction Nicholas was looking.

"Is it because the garden out there looks too dark?"

And the man sitting next to Alicia nodded in agreement. Nicholas snapped his fingers in the air, pointed at the garden filled with flowers sent by Alicia's parents, and said, "You could be being watched right now. You have two choices, fix this place up to make it safer, or... you can stay at my house."

"No, Nic," Alicia said, her tone sounding sad. Alicia lowered her head, before looking up to see Nicholas waiting for her to continue. "You're staying with Emma and Alan, it would be very risky if anything happened to me. They're after me, I could be a danger to anyone. So, it's best if I stay here."

Nicholas tried to understand Alicia's wish even though it was against his will. He then took a deep breath and tried to find another solution, "It's fine if you want to stay here. I'll take tomorrow off to fix the flat."

Nicholas took a deep breath, considering the weight of Alicia's words for the tall man. Protecting Alicia was his top priority now, but Alicia's insistence on staying posed a significant challenge.

What if the assassin was really after Alicia? Why of all the murders, did the assassin not kill Alicia outright? With a gun? A more efficient weapon? What was the purpose of all this terror given to Alicia?

By the time they finished eating, the atmosphere had changed. Nicholas' mind whirled through various scenarios, searching for a solution that would keep Alicia safe while respecting her wishes. Alicia's eyes, a mix of determination and vulnerability, silently begged to be understood.

And Alicia noticed Nicholas' anxious gaze for her. "I'll be fine, Nic. I really am. I can take care of myself."

"It's fine if you say so. You had to repeat yourself, hm?"

Alicia's laughter was low, but it was enough to calm Nicholas' heart that was filled with a rumble of worry. The two of them spent the evening together, watching the television in front of them even though their heads were thinking of different things.

Alicia with all her worries, and Nicholas who continued to worry about Alicia's safety. Would this problem end as soon as possible?