Sitting at the back seat of the car, I was lapping vigorously at the cold pink delicacy in my hand while Jack was driving me home. Every time I would bite in it a cold seeping pain cold be felt in my gums and a cold-stimulus headache would awaken making me hiss in pain as I pressed with the palm of my hand against my forehead trying to sooth the pain, but it was all worth it.

By the time that I gobbled up the last piece of my cone, the bustling streets and the tall skyscrapers which I had seen a thousand times finally came into view.

‘I am back home.’ I thought, relieved, as I let out an exhale.

I could feel Jack peering at me from the rearview mirror. I looked back at him and raised my eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing.” He grumbled and focused his attention back on the road, muttering some profanities words angrily at a reckless driver swooshing past us.

‘Okay?’ What’s up with him now? 

...

I was finally back at my apartment, being carried in by Jack. He brought me to my bedroom and sat me down on my bed.

“I will get your crutches back.” He said in a gruff voice, talking about the crutches that were left behind at the picnic place because Jack had to play the cave dweller.

‘I totally forgot about them.’

“Okay.” I said, but soon frowned, deep in thought. How am I going to move throughout the entire house with no support system? I guess I will have to abuse my left leg until he comes back with them.

Jack, who still hasn’t left the room, stood at the door frame staring hard at me. I gave him my own weary stare, getting a bad feeling from this.

He leaned at the door frame, crossed armed. “You know I suddenly realized that I can’t just leave you by yourself.” He said, slowly stalking towards me. “Maybe I should carry you around the whole day?”

My eyes broaden in fear. “No!” I yelled adamant waving my hands vehemently in front of me against his proposal.

“Why not?” He asked sullen as he kneeled in front of me, laying his chin on my knees as he looked up trying to act like a lost puppy, not like it had any effect seeing how I can’t see his face. “This way I can show you that I can care properly for you.”

I pushed his head away from me, resisting the urge to rip his sunglasses away from him. ‘I swear to God I may smack him one of these days.’

“Get off me.” I said, annoyed.

Lying down on the floor, he clutched at his chest as he was caressing his cheek, feigning hurt. “Baby, why do you abuse me physically.”

“Why do you abuse me mentally?” I retorted.

“Because I love you.” He said, stretching out the word ‘you’.

Narrowed eyed, I just pointed at the door, signaling him to take his ass out of here. “Please get the crutches back. I need them for work tomorrow.”

I honestly hope that the heavens bless me with a speedy recovery so that my feet can function again by tomorrow, but knowing how unfair life can be and how I can’t take a sick leave because the company is evil I know certainly that I’m going to need those support.

“You’re seriously going back to work?” He asked in disbelieve, however the faint hint of anger could be heard in his tone. “Just stay home.”

My eyebrows were slanting upwards, almost reaching my hair line. “I still need the money and they don’t pay us if we take a sick leave.” The rent of this month is almost due and let’s not talk about all the other bills that I still have to pay.

A shiver run down my spine at the thought of the still unopened stacked pile of envelopes that were laying on my table in the living room. “So, no matter what you say, I will still go to work. I will just ask Cher to pick me up.” I concluded.

Jack said something, but I wasn’t able to decipher it as he had his mouth covered by his hand, looking downwards, deep in thought. “Fine.” He grumbled after minutes of mumbling something to himself.

Somewhere at the back of my mind I was curious to what he was saying, but the bigger and logical part didn’t want to know at all feeling that it would only traumatize us if we would know.

After casting one last glance at me, he made his way to the front door and left. I took out my phone to message Cher, asking her if she would mind picking me up tomorrow. She replied a few minutes later saying ‘Of course!’ sending some hearts and hugging emojis alongside it.

I laid back down on my bed, stretching myself out like a starfish, letting out some satisfied moan after hearing my stiff bones pop.

“I should train more or at least do some yoga.” I told myself, but soon scoffed it off, because by the end of the day, we all know that’s never going to happen.

I rolled over onto my stomach and went on to social media to see what was going on in the world. Like that, without realizing it, a few hours went by.

The sound of the thunder-sounding rumbling of my stomach declaring to me I had been starving myself made me groan as I clutched at it; letting go of my phone in the process.

“I am hungry.” I whined and glanced at the clock to see that I really should have dinner, but there was still no sign of Jack, so there’s also no sign of my crutches to be seen.

Sighing, I pushed myself up and sat at the end of my bed debating if I should hop to the kitchen to fix something and by fixing something I meant cooking hot water for my cup ramen noodles, because again I’ve got nothing in the fridge or starve myself.

‘Yeah, starving isn’t the option.’ I thought quickly. Food is life period.

I made a mental note to myself to please do some grocery shopping for once and slowly rose on my left leg, feeling the weight of my whole body weighing it down.

“Okay, here I go.” I grunted as I hopped towards to kitchen.

‘This is also a form of exercise.’ I thought, snickering to myself.

After a lot of grunting and huffing because my stamina sucks, I could finally reach the counter and held tightly on it as if my life depended on it.

Filling the water cooker with tap water, I turned it on and waited patiently for it to be done. The bubbling, boiling sound of the water cooker caused my stomach to go on to war as it was reaching its limit.

‘Come on, come on, be done.’ I thought as I stared hard at it.

A celebration started in my stomach when the clicking sound of the water cooker could be heard signaling me it was done.

I was about to take out my ramen noodles when I heard the clicking sound of my front door causing me to freeze on spot glancing towards the direction of the sound. The killing hunger that I felt few seconds ago was instantly replaced by a gut filled fear, churning around and making me feel sick as my breath got hitched in my throat.

Thinking that some burglar was trying to break in to my apartment I slowly tow at the kitchen drawer, pulling out a sharp knife keeping it close to my chest as I tried to slowly inch towards the living room entrance- dragging my right leg across the floor.

With my back pressed firmly to the wall, I haltingly peered beyond the door frame, looking at the front door. With quivering eyes, I stared at the door; my ears wide, trying to detect any unfamiliar sounds. When I saw the door handle moving downwards and the clicking sound being made, I could feel my heart being catapulted through my ribcage as I was clenching strongly at the handle of the knife. The door opened ajar, and I quickly hid back behind the door, shutting my eyelids tight.

I tried to calm down my breathing, but it still came out like staggering puffs of air.

I could hear heavy footsteps entering my home, and I knew I had to pull myself together. ‘Come on April. This is your home. It’s your job to protect your haven. You’ve got a knife to protect yourself. It will be alright.’ I told myself.

I schooled my fear-stricken expression into an expression full of determination. I took a big breath of air and leaped out of the leaving room, landing in a stance with my knife aggressively pointed at the burglar.

“Don’t move! I’ve got a knife!” I yelled in a threatening tone.

“Baby?” Jack called out to me in a stance that told me he was about to remove his shoes. On one of his shoulders hung my crutches and on the other he carried a white plastic bag filled with something.

I felt my tensed-up muscles relaxing on spot and lost the feeling in my legs; slumping down on my knees as I drawled out an exhale. “What the fuck, it was you Jack?” This may be the first time that I was glad that my stalker broke in to my house.

“What’s wrong? Why are you not in your room?” His voice walked on a line between worry and confusion as he knelt down in front of me, grabbing my shoulders and checking my body for any injuries.

I glared at him, ticked off that he scared me like that. “What do you mean ‘What’s wrong?’ I fucking thought that a burglar broke in to my house!?” I yelled. “Why didn’t you just ring the doorbell!?”

“I thought you were sleeping, also I didn’t want you to be walking around with that ankle.” He said and stared at my leg. “But I see you aren’t capable of staying in your room obediently.” He exasperated. He was about to carry me again but I held up my hand, stopping him in his track.

“You don’t need to carry me anymore, now that you’ve brought the crutches.” I said, pointing at them.

He looked at me and then at the crutches. I raised my eyebrow, giving him an amused grin as I beckoned with my hand for him to give them to me.

He clicked with his tongue, pissed, and gave them to me. “Thank you.” I grinned and received them. I stood up and glanced at the plastic bag that was dangling off his shoulder.

“What’s with that.” I nodded at it. “You didn’t bring a dismembered body part, did you?” I asked warily.

He chuckled lowly. “No, I thought you would be dying of hunger by now, so I stopped by my house for a second and brought you some lasagna.” The rustling sounds of the plastic bag could be heard as Jack was pulling out a bowl of lasagna; trusting it my way.

The aroma assaulted my nostrils, causing a droplet of drool to glide out of my mouth. My mouth was just watering at the sight of the sweet delicatessen, and my stomach let out its own share of a roar.

Jack laughed. “I wish you would look at me the same way you are looking at the lasagna, that I made by the way.”

“Oh, what?” I asked absentmindedly, not really listening to what he just said. Using the back of my hand, I wiped away the drool and returned my gaze towards Jack. “You really didn’t strike me as a person who can cook.” I said, focusing back on the lasagna again. “I mean I seriously can’t cook this well.”

I had so many kitchen accidents every time I tried to cook something nice that I lost count. The last time that I seriously tried to cook, the kitchen stove somehow exploded. Luckily enough, nothing was seriously damaged, and I let someone look at it afterwards and he said that nothing was really amiss. Nothing!

It’s like some invincible force tries to stop me from cooking or something.

He chuckled. “I had no choice. We don’t want another explosion to happen like last time, right?”

I went rigid. ‘How does he-? Oh… yeah… right…. stalker.’

Jack put back on his shoes. “Are you already leaving? What about your bowl? Don’t you want it back?” I asked, surprised that he’s really leaving.

He shook his head. “Nah, you can have it. I am not sure if I’ll be able to hold myself back from having my way with you If I stay here anymore longer.” He said bluntly.

My face flushed. “Wha-!“

“Besides…” He said interrupting me. “I’ll be watching over you to make sure that you somehow don’t blow up the microwave or something.” Saying that he really got out of my apartment leaving me and my medium hot lasagna alone.

I sighed and looked at my lasagna. “There’s now only you, me and stomach left.” And with the last rumble of stomach telling me to hurry I took the lasagna with me to the kitchen and ate it.

It was magnifico.

…

I was standing outside the apartment waiting for Cher to pick me up. She had messaged me she would be here any second now. The cool wind breeze was caressing the loose strands of my hair, which were still in a bun. I don’t think that I would change this hairstyle any time soon now.

Cher finally arrived and pulled up. I hopped towards the passenger seat and opened the door to greet her, but what I saw left me being rooted in place. Cher’s high cheekbones were sunken, the normally bright brown eyes that were shimmering with hope and future were now terrifyingly dim and the terrible dark circles under her eyes couldn’t be missed.

When Cher finally looked at me, her eyes went wide.

“What happened?” We both said in unison, our voices coated in pure concern.

“What happened to your ankle?” Cher asked, looking at my bandaged ankle.

‘Oh, I forgot to mention that.’

I let a wobbly laugh. “I was so clumsy, I tripped over my own feet as I went down the stairs three days ago.” And took a place in her car, putting the two crutches in the back seat.

“And you’re still going to work.” She asked in bewilderment.

“Bills girl, my bills are piling up.” I said, leaning in to the chair.

“Fair enough.” She said and started the car.

“But what happened to you?” Now it was my turn to be concerned.

She coughed a little, letting out an uneven smile. “Nothing happened.”

“Cher… you can’t fool me, I know you too well.”

She bit down on her trembling bottom lip, trying to suppress the tears, but it was fruitless. The tears still forced themselves out. “That’s what I also thought about, Brandon. That I knew him well enough.” She whispered in her quivering voice.

“What are you talking about, Cher?” I asked, not understanding by what she was trying to say. She took in a big shuddering breath, her chest heaved up and her hands were clenching tightly at the stirring wheel.

She locked eyes with me.

“I think Brandon is cheating on me.”