[LYNN POV]

Few weeks had passed since Joel's disastrous visit on set. After the incident, I went back to my old coping mechanism: indulging myself to work.

Work was enjoyable. Most of the time it was good and satisfying, though some days were full of mess and stressful.

But no matter how messed up it gets, it was a much welcomed distraction. I almost always hated the time when I knew work time was nearing its end for the day.

Do you know what was the scariest thing these days? 

My own thoughts. 

It was freaking me out. Every time I was unoccupied, it would wonder by itself to places and memories I massively resented, eventually bringing me to the being I wanted to forget the most: Joel.

Ironically, it was not the bad, painful memories with him that hurted me the most; it was our happy memories that did.

I stayed late at work, determined to finish all my paperwork instead of doing it later despite the still faraway deadline. 

By the time I was done, I groaned in discomfort at the kink I felt at my back and hips as I stretched. 

Good lord, I needed exercise.

So I went back to my trailer around dinner time, putting on my fitted shirt, yoga pants and running shoes, along with my ipod.

I smiled at the sight of the beautiful scenery in the city; New Zealand was indeed beautiful, no wonder they chose this country as the main set location for The Hobbit.

By the time I went back, Orlando were already sitting on the stairs in front of my trailer's door. 

His fingers were intertwined together, supporting his chin. His dark eyes faraway and his expression blank, lost in his thought. The wind blew his short, dark curls soflty that glowed a little under the lights of the lamp on my door. He was wearing jeans pants and a dark grey T-shirt that were tightened around the sleeves, flattering the sculptured muscles on his toned arms.

How did such simple clothing on him able to made him look like a male model? It was as if he was posing for a branded, men's clothing photo for God's sake.

Orlando stood up as soon as he saw me jogged towards him. I offered him a genuine smile as I took off my earpiece.

"Hey, monkey," I greeted him between breaths.

He seemed tense and upset beneath the smile that didn't exactly reach his eyes.

"Hey, luv," he replied flatly. "I've been waiting for you. You didn't answer your phone."

"Oh, sorry," I said, checking my pocket, finding about three missed calls from 'Monkey' on my phone. "I forgot to turn the silent off. Why did you wait for me? You should've gone back to your trailer."

"I just need to make sure you come back in one piece instead of in pieces in a bag with a death note," he answered with a humorless tone.

Wow. He must be very upset about something and were trying to seek refuge and snacks in my trailer. I stopped in my track for a while to look at him while fumbling with my key.

"You okay, monkey?" I asked.

Orlando blinked in a mild surprise, but nodded. However the questioning look in his face was rather unsettling.

"Why are you looking like that?" I asked him, entering my trailer and switching on the lights.

"What? Nothing, luv," he denied before changing the topic. "You run again?"

"Uh huh," I answered, deciding to not push him to tell me what was bothering his mind, knowing that he would tell me when he was ready. I offered him an apple juice before downing one myself.

"Since what time did you run?"

"I don't know, maybe around 7.00."

"What? Do you know what time is it?" he asked in a rather patronizing tone, making me winced a bit.

"Umm," was all that I could say while my eyes flickered to my wrist watch.

"Luv, it's almost 9.30 already," he told me exasperatedly. "You ran for almost three hours?! Wasn't running around the set for ten hours today enough for you? What were you trying to do?"

I tilted my head quizzically upon hearing his demanding, upset tone.

"Whoa, I was just running," I replied, slightly annoyed at the way he talked to me. "What's wrong with that? What's going on with you tonight? Surely you don't come here to just yell at me," I chided him.

Orlando was stunned. "What's wrong with me??" he asked in disbelief. "We were talking about you, Lynn."

I was upset with the way he called my name. The only times he ever did that was only if he was being serious to me. As of right now, he was seriously upset for some reason I got nothing to do with, and it pissed me off that whatever it was he was dealing with, he took it out on me.

"Look, Orlando," I said, trying to maintain my cool. "I didn't know what were bothering you today, but it is not okay if you just go around and take it out on me."

"What???" scoffed Orlando in disbelief at me.

"You know what, what about you go back to your trailer to chill then come back here again tomorrow to hang out? Besides I just want to sleep right now."

Orlando looked at me in disapproval and disbelief.

"You're not making any sense," he said with a sarcastic chuckle. "You want to sleep now? Have you even had dinner?"

"No, but I'm tired. I prefer to sleep," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Can you just go and settle whatever is bothering your mind right now?" I said in annoyance.

"What??? How is it about me? I was talking about you, Lynn. And whatever you are doing right now, I've had it. It needs to end tonight," he fumed.

The hell what he was talking about? How the heck was this about me now?

"What?!" I exclaimed quizzically. "Now what is wrong about me?!" I demanded, raising my voice in anger.

Orlando let out a sarcastic laugh again before answering me.

"Let me tell you what's wrong with you. You're letting yourself being controlled by your cheating ex bastard since he came here--"

Anger rose inside of me as he mentioned Joel in front of me. How the hell he thought that Joel was controlling me?!

"--You're not sleeping enough. You work like a mindless robot. You over run yourself almost every night after a tiring workdays for hours. You're not eating enough and basically you're not taking care of yourself!" he exclaimed in a raised, patronizing voice.

Who did he think he was to talk down to me like that?!

"You're not my dad! I do what I want and this is none of your business!" I shouted angrily.

"It is my business because I care about you, Lynn!" he exclaimed, exasperated, though his eyes showed me the depth of his sincerity. "Don't you see what you're doing? You're punishing yourself because of him!" he snapped at me.

Ouch. It was like a slap on the face. I was at loss for words. I stared at Orlando in shock, partly because of the way he raised his voice at me, partly because of what he said just now.

Was I really punishing myself for the breakup? Was I letting Joel to control me by not taking care of myself enough?

Orlando blinked in surprise before he ran his hands through his dark, curly hair, cursing under his breath softly. His eyes softened when he looked at me.

"Fuck..." he cursed to himself, closing his eyes briefly in frustration. "Lynn, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." he told me gently and sighed, approaching slowly as if afraid I would run away from him if he make a sudden move.

By the time he pulled me into his arms then I realized that tears were already sliding from my eyes and wet my cheek. Slowly I returned his embrace and pressed my cheek to his chest.

"Forgive me," he apologized as he wiped the tears on my cheek tenderly with his thumb. Guilt swam in his chocolate orbs in a way that made my stomach hurt.

I smiled in shame. He was trying to help me and I tried to kick him out of my place instead, thinking that he was the bad guy for taking out his frustration at me, while all he was doing was showing his concern for my being.

"You're right. I haven't been myself these past few weeks. I'm sorry too, for yelling back at you."

Orlando smiled in relief and kissed my temple.

"It's time for you to be free of him. He doesn't deserve someone like you. He doesn't even deserve your attention," he said earnestly, his dark orbs boring into my blue ones as he stroked my cheek gently.

The intense gaze he held for me and the proximity of our closeness was suddenly became overwhelming. It made it hard for me to breath. So I joked instead to break my uneasiness.

"So you think you deserve my attention instead?" I asked him playfully.

"Absolutely, luv."

I laughed lightly and punched his stomach playfully. He groaned, faking a painful groan.

"Argh!! I think I deserve that for making my shortie cry."

"Don't call me that."

Orlando laughed heartily and kissed my temple audibly.

"I'm going out for dinner and you are coming with me," he said with a broad smile.

"And if I say no?" I challenged, arching my brows as I folded my hands in front of me. His smile faltered and it turned serious again as he leaned his face closer to mine.

"I'll persuade you," he answered huskily with a seductive gaze that seemed to be hot enough to burn me.

Oh boy. Damn actors!

I turned my body away towards the bathroom, rolling my eyes to conceal my blush (if there were any). God, please don't let him see me blush.

"Be out in ten," I muttered before stepping into the bathroom.

That night he brought me to eat sushi again. The guy sure knew the way into my heart. However he was determined to feed me like a pig by constantly refilling my plate with more food until I thought I was going to throw up and not eat Japanese again for the next three years.

Orlando had shown incredible care and attention towards me. By the time he dropped me to my trailer and left for his, I was slightly saddened by his absence.

I wondered if we would be able to see each other often after this movie was finished? I couldn't believe I was taking his presence for granted most of this time. 

The thought of the end of our friendship was rather dark. I couldn't believe that I was even thinking about this, but I was sure now that I was going to miss my monkey friend dearly by the time we finished filming next year.