Nine

She got up and walked out of her door. There was no one in the living room but she could hear voices in the kitchen.

She was surprised when she got there and met Orion cooking with her mother.

His jacket was gone, he was now in his black shirt with sleeves rolled to his elbows. From the look of things, they were almost done.

She made her presence known.

"Go tell Knox to come in. Inform him we are both staying for dinner," Orion said.

April rolled her eyes and left after saying 'okay'. He couldn't even add please, she thought.

She walked out of the house and was right in front of the car when she remembered that she didn't even ask who Knox was. She had just assumed it was the person Orion came with.

She felt too lazy to go back inside and ask. Besides, the man in the car already noticed her before she even got near the car, turns out he was very aware of his environment.

She greeted him and asked if he was Knox. The man told her he is and she relayed Orion's message to him.

She watched Knox open the compartment and her eyes widened when he brought out a gun and tucked it behind his trousers. She didn't wait for him to finish that action before running in, locking the door behind her.

She ran to the kitchen, breathing heavily.

"He has a gun!" she shouted.

"What?" Mrs Caddel asked in confusion.

A bang came from the door and April jumped, getting more scared.

"The man Orion brought, he has a gun!" she cleared.

"What?" Mrs Caddel said again, for a different reason this time.

"Calm down, Mom. He is my bodyguard," Orion spoke.

"Oh," Mrs Caddel and April said at the same time.

"A little heads-up would have appreciated," April said, displeased.

"Go open the door, April," Orion said.

"I'm not going," April refused.

Orion sighed and got out of the kitchen. April tagged along in a distance, as if expecting things to go awry. Orion opened the door and Knox came in.

Orion directed him to the dinner table and was going back to the kitchen. April quickly followed him, glancing wearily at Knox, who stared back at her blankly.

"Where is Dad and Iver?" April asked.

"They stubbornly went to get wine," Mrs Caddel replied.

April nodded and stayed with them in the kitchen. Not because she really wanted to help but because her eyes couldn't leave Orion.

She just wanted to be where she could sneak glances at him.

Mr Caddel and Iver came back few minutes later and soon, the entire family, including Knox, was gathered at the dining table, having their meal, slipping in talks in-between.

A chair was added at the other head of the table, that is opposite Mr Caddel. Iver was sitting close to Mr Caddel's right, Orion's previous seat, while Knox now sat in Iver's previous seat.

So, April was now on Orion's right, closer to him than the previous setting while Knox was to his left, opposite April, who couldn't help but keep remembering he has a gun whenever her eyes lands on him.

April had made sure to serve her own food and had added a tiny portion into her plate as usual.

She finished it with difficulty and her hands went to her stomach, there wasn't any difference at all and she was glad.

She was about to leave the table when Orion added food unto her plate from the serving dish placed at the center of the table.

He did it and continued his discussion with his parents. April knew then that she knew and she was suddenly disappointed in herself.

This wasn't the first time she would be in that kind of situation. It also happened when she was thirteen, she was been bullied for being poor and fat even though she really wasn't fat but not thin either.

She started cutting back on food and Orion was the only one who noticed.

By the time he noticed though, she was used to it and found it difficult to eat normally again. He had helped her regain her confidence and step by step, she was able to having her meals normally again.

That was what brought about the apple.

Orion would secretly shove two apples in her bag before she went to school, telling her she must have it with her food and would threaten to break her legs if he finds out that she threw it away.

She always ate it with her lunch, which always added to her appetite somehow.

Almost a year after he left however, April reverted to the habit again due to her insecurity after her long-time male friend, who she thought was interested in her, had taken a liking to another lady.

It started lightly, as something not that serious but it fully worsened when she met Kylo. That was after she graduated which was two years ago. He is so manipulative and perfect at doing it with her that she doesn't even realize it.

She became extremely thin and even though her parents noticed it and informed her about it, she shoved it as stress and they believed her considering the fact that she never stays home anyway, always jumping from a place to another with her friend group.

"The food is going to get cold with you playing around with it like that," Orion said to April with a displeased voice.

She bit her lips and started forcing in tiny portions, not wanting her family to notice anything.

She almost flared up when he kept adding unto her plate but she couldn't do it. She finally gave up saying she was full, he didn't argue with her.

"I will come back tomorrow afternoon after checking on the building site," Orion announced.

"What? You are not staying here?" Mrs Caddel asked in surprise.

"I already booked a hotel," Orion informed.

"I thought you would be staying in Iver's room as usual, your bed is still there," Mrs Caddel said.

"Come on, Mom. He probably won't be comfortable," Iver scratched the back of his head.

They knew what that sentence meant, Orion had probably gotten used to luxury now in the span of six years and their house isn't exactly a place he would find comfortable anymore.

"Oh. I forgot," Mrs Caddel said in embarrassment, giving a light laugh to cover up her disappointment.

She has missed him greatly and just wants to know that he really is back and close to her.

"I'll stay," Orion said and her face lighted up in joy.

"You will have to drive back to the hotel by yourself, Knox." Orion said to Knox.

"I can't leave without you, Sir," Knox replied.

"Why? Are you two dating?" April asked with sarcasm.

Iver laughed and Orion glared at April.

"Sorry," she quickly said, masking her amusement with a cough.

"I'm his bodyguard, I can't leave him here," Knox seriously answered April's first question.

"It's not like we are going to eat him or something," April retorted.

"Miss April, need I remind you that-"

"That you have a gun? Yes, I remember so don't threaten me with that," April blurted out, interrupting Knox.

"A gun?!" Mr Caddel and Iver both exclaimed at the same time and April realized what she just said.

Orion gave her a deadly gaze and she uncontrollably heaved, immediately slapping her palm on her mouth in urgency.