Lovebirds

twenty-eight

Naira was pleased to see the new improvements around the Red Knights. After a lot of yelling, scolding, and pushing she finally had the three men taking care of themselves on their own. They paid attention to the nutrients their bodies needed, added a yoga session to their workouts, and spent less time in the gym and more time on their proper health. 

There was still one problem. 

Wesley and Rayan easily adjusted to their new meal plans, finding it to be more enjoyable rather than a chore. Kyle, on the other hand, was doing the exact opposite. As any wise manager would do, she called him into her office for a talk, knowing the nutritionist she hired would be tired of seeing his meal plans go to waste. 

Kyle sat in front of her, gaze looking everywhere but at her. He knew he was in trouble, and he dreaded being the object of her wrath, a fact Naira knew all too well. She would use it to her advantage. 

"So," she drawled, tapping a pen against her desk. The slight tap caused him to flinch, tension brewing like a cauldron of doom awaiting its instructions. "We could do this the easy way or the hard way."

"I have no idea what you're implying," he said, though she could see a bead of sweat trail down his jaw. Kyle cleared his throat, dark eyes meeting hers. "Can I leave now?"

She ignored his question. "Why are you rejecting your meal plan?" 

"You know your office is really stuffy. You ever consider a new air conditioner?" 

Naira shot him a blank stare, the chillness of her gaze too sharp for him to ignore. "Kyle," she pressed with a clipped tone. 

Running out of excuses, Kyle slumped against his chair, head down in shame when he realized there was no running circles around Naira. "Alright, I got it," he whispered. "I know you're mad at me, and I'm sorry."

She released a deep sigh. "What's really going on? I thought we were good, that we formed a bond so you wouldn't be afraid of coming to me with any problems."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," she insisted. "Just tell me what's making you not follow through with the meal plans. Your therapist said you were doing great in the sessions."

His shoulders tensed as if her words caused a deep sated pain from within, as if she was entering uncharted territory. It was a dangerous border to be standing on, yet Naira continued to press for answers. She was determined to help him, knowing that if she didn't care then no one else in the industry would give Kyle the time of day to deal with his issues. 

Several moments of silence passed, the void stretching between them. There was a vast land in front of her, an untold chapter and a book never opened. These were the pages he kept to himself, the stories of his self esteem that he hid behind the flashes of cameras and his overly flirtatious personality. 

With a slow inhale, he lifted his head, teary brown eyes meeting hers. "It's hard to accept... these changes," he admitted. "After telling myself that I had to watch my calories for so long, it's hard to switch into a mentality where I'm not thinking of a way to puke it all out later."

Her heart softened at his confession, knowing that it was difficult for Kyle to acknowledge the lingering pain he kept hidden for so long. Even though millions of women fawned over his body, he saw it as nothing but imperfection. Kyle hated his body for it. 

"What am I supposed to do? How can I change my habits if I can't even look myself in the mirror some days?" he asked, exasperated and tired. "I don't want to be like this anymore. I wish I could change, and just eat the meals without feeling guilty, but I can't. I'm sorry, Naira, but I can't do it."

"Hey," she softly called out. "I know this is hard for you, Kyle. I don't expect you to change overnight, and you shouldn't put that pressure on yourself. Eating disorders take time. You will feel the urge to throw up or feel the need to workout excessively to counteract the meals you eat, and slowly we're going to tackle each of these problems."

"How?"

"Well, we have your nutritionist, your therapist, and even your friends if you let them in," she advised. When he still wasn't convinced, she released a breath, willing herself to try again. "Listen, the only way change can happen is if you allow it. You are capable of this, Kyle. You are capable of being healthy, of being famous, of being happy. There is no one that's stopping you, except yourself. My question is, will you tell yourself you're not good enough or will you show the world and yourself exactly what you're capable of?"

He stayed silent, pondering her words. She caught a glimpse of his ambivalence, saw the light capture whisks of his hair in the sunlight as the epiphany of her advice rose in a field of melted gold. His dark, chestnut eyes stared far into the distance, searching for answers even though he knew deep in his heart that he was capable of changing his eating habits. 

His frustrations blinded him, but Naira dragged him out of his self-loathing and into a realm where he could capture his crown all over again. 

At long last, he smiled graciously at her. "Thanks. I suppose I was being too hard on myself," he said, standing up. "I'm glad I can always count on you to bring me back to reality."

"What are friends for?" she teased. 

He chuckled, shaking his head. "You really think I should tell the guys?"

"Wouldn't it be easier than hiding all this from them?" she countered as she stood up to walk Kyle to the door. "You might be so frustrated because you hate keeping secrets." 

"As if," he scoffed. 

"Is it so hard for men to admit they love their friends?" she said, rolling her eyes. 

Kyle gave her a sideways glance as they walked out of her office door, an amused smirk tracing his lips. "I could say the same about you not admitting your love for Rayan," he said with humor laced around his voice.

She narrowed her eyes in distaste. "Don't speak nonsense."

"Well, Manager, you better act fast because there seems to be a lady trying to steal your man," he whispered before straightening. 

"What-"

That was when she looked ahead and into the lounge room. Rayan sat on the couch with a pretty brunette with killer tan legs that went on for miles and perfectly round lips that could drive any man to insanity. She laughed at a joke Rayan said with her manicured hand on his bicep. 

Her heart dropped. 

----

Kyle needs a hug. My poor baby.

Who hates me for ending it there? Don't lie.

I neglected my physics studying to write this chapter ;-; and now I'm sad. Too much work, so little time. Summer is so close, yet so far.

It's like I gotta burn with my grades *cries*

Any thoughts on the mystery woman? Do you think Rayan can forget Naira that fast?

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