Professional Children ✔

(45) Apples

"Today was amazing." Arabella was cuddles into Ethan's side. They were back at her place after hours of time spent together on the mainland. Her parents left for the mainland only an hour after they got there, but the older couple were simply there for work purposes, not to have fun like the younger two.

Ethan was comfortably laying, his shirt off besides the bed, a had thrown on a pair of sweats — ones Arabella stole from him — and was laying with his girl in his arms as they both watched the tv in front of them. "It really was." He sighed happily.

"Thank you." She snuggled in closer so her head was buried in his bare chest. Arabella was also wearing comfy clothing, opting for a pair of sweats just like her boyfriends, along with a plain yellow t-shirt.

Ethan chuckled slightly. "Don't thank me. Thank you. I enjoy taking you shopping even if you only used to ask me so I could drive you." He joked. In return he felt the girl poke his stomach. "But I do enjoy, whether it's me giving my opinion on the clothes you pick out, getting food together, you choosing which watch suits me better, anything. I always enjoy it with you."

"Bub?"

"Yes, baby?"

"When did you realise you liked me?" Straight in with the tough questions. The two had never actually spoken of that yet. They had been dating for around three months now but didn't want to be the one to ask those sort of questions.

"Well..." He thought to himself. "After the whole Parker thing, when I found out I lost my mind." He spoke truthfully.

Arabella shifted so she was still close to the man, her fingertips drawing shapes in his chest as she looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

He looked up at the ceiling as he spoke, one arm around the waist of his girl, the other behind his head. "After Elijah told me what happened, I just kept shouting, most of the time not even words, just noises. Practically animalistic. I would cry, and you know I don't cry."

"I know you don't."

"I bawled by eyes out for hours at a time. Wouldn't sleep, wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink. I started smashing up my house wishing it was him. Elijah had to stay with me to stop my outbursts, he practically force fed me." Ethan admitted. No one else except his big brother knew about all of it.

"Is that why no one saw you for a while?"

"Yes, sweetheart." He nodded, eyes still glued to the ceiling. "Elijah views you as his niece yet not even he had an outburst that big. It was obvious then that I felt something for you, but I kept denying it. You had just turned fifteen, had been sexually assaulted, you're my best friend's little sister. I remember making arts and crafts with you and Jenkin in the kitchen when he had to babysit, or playing with you in the pool. It was wrong so I kept it at the back of my head and made sure not to tell anyone or act on it."

Arabella admired the man's face as he spoke. Ethan hadn't been able to grow facial hair like her father or brother — Jenkin decided to shave his. She figured it just have been a gene the brothers had, as Elijah also couldn't grow facial hair. He had piercing blue eyes and dark hair, very dark actually. He looked similar to his brother, but that's to go without saying. They are siblings of course. Just like Jenkin and Arabella look alike by their noses, lips and eye shape. The main difference being hair colour and height.

"But when we were spending more time together, I just couldn't stop thinking of it. We didn't even have to be alone, whether we were helping Jackson setting up his office ready for when Cole retired, or when we were helping Jenkin clean out the pool. It didn't matter if we were at the gym together, grabbing food with Izzy, Jackson and Jenkin, all I could focus on was you. And the final push was when I would be with Jackson, Jenkin and Robert in training, I could see you in them, no matter what, i just kept thinking of you. I kept thinking how I'm going to be your bodyguard and I will be keeping you safe, how I would rather die than let you get hurt."