Sunday morning her Mother comes to her room and gives her orders to start packing. "Ye better get ready tae leave, we leave directly after breakfast." She nods and sees that her things are packed and ready for Henry to load her bags. During breakfast, she watches Mira and Seth and she sees how they look at each other. So...Torin was correct. What an interesting weekend... When they reach their home later, she's tired of the trip. Tired of her Mom's nagging about her obesity, her hair that's too long for a fat girl like her, what college she must go to and what she must study. Her Dad sees her tired looks and stops her Mom from going on. "Mildred leave the child be. We're all tired efter the trip and Eva needs tae pack her school bag and dae some homework afore tomorrow." She smiles at her Dad and mouths thank you to him. Fortunately, her Mother decides to leave Eva alone for today.
Monday morning Eva missed breakfast and for the rest of the week she only has dinner. After two weeks, Eva starts to feel the impact of all the missed meals and Friday afternoon she passes out in their kitchen. There's no one home except Mira who's early from work with the excuse that she's going away with a friend for the weekend. When she enters the kitchen and sees Eva on the floor, she panics and calls the EMT's. Eva is taken to hospital and after a lot of blood-and other tests her doctor says she has hyperthyroidism or in plain English an under active thyriod. It's the main reason she cannot get the weight off, the always tiredness, the depression and mood swings. In addition, because she hasn't eaten properly for the past two weeks her blood sugar dropped and she fainted. Her Dad comes to fetch her at the hospital and after she gets her new medication and a diet she needs to follow, they return home. Her Mother is not very happy or compassionate with her. "Ye ken Evanora I dinnae hav time tae nanny ye. Ye ar auld enough tae ken ye should eat more healthy and proper meals. I hope that this diet and medication, will help ye tae look less like a stuffed sausage. This weekend ye're on yer own, yer Dad and I hav a weekend planned for ages and we're nae gaun tae postponed it for yer nonsense. All the staff is off too, so see that ye eat properly." Eva doesn't even answer; she just leaves for her bedroom. Her Dad comes to say goodbye and makes sure she has all the emergency numbers on her phone and enough cash in case she needs anything. They have left by four o' clock and as she lay on her bed her phone rings.
"Hullo it's Eva." She didn't look at the caller ID so she had no idea who it is until he speaks.
"Hullo Eva, it's Torin, I heard from Mira that ye fainted and landed in hospital, ar ye okay now?" She can't think why he would bother to call; he's only her teacher after all. "Och hiya Torin, aye just a little mishap. I'll study for Monday's test and I'll be at school, naething major tae fash aboot." He sighs. "Eva I told ye before nae tae lie tae me. Unfortunately, for ye, Mira already told me the diagnosis. I also heard yer parents arnae home 'til Sunday and I ken Mira is with my impossible twin for the whole weekend. I need tae talk tae ye so I'm caming over in half an hour." She does not know what to say. "Um ... I ...I dinnae ken if it's a good idea Torin. Ye can talk tae me over the phone as well." He chuckles. "Eva I promise I will behave like a gentleman, ye hav naething tae fash aboot, but I need tae see ye when I speak tae ye." She blushes and is glad he cannot see her now. "Um ... I dinnae imply that ye willnae behave like a gentlemen Torin, that is the least of my worries, but ye ar my teacher and if somebody ken ye visited while my parents ar away, they will see that I'm expelled from school and ye will be in the gossip mill and maybe even fired." He laughs again. "Nobody will even ken I was there if ye dinnae tell them Eva." It is her turn to laugh. "It shows how wee bit ye ken about this town Torin. Ye ar a MacKensie from Thornton and I am a Blackhood, people ar always watching tae see when we will dae something they can gossip aboot. Yer car is nae missed that easily and ye will hav tae pass by several houses of kids in my school. Word will get out that my parents and house staff wasnae here the whole weekend and ... well ... ye ken what will happen." He sighs again; it is something she picks up that he does very often when he speaks to her. "I willnae cam with my Porsche Eva, dinnae fash aboot it okay see ye in a wee bit." Twenty minutes later, she hears a motorcycle and when she looks through her window, she sees a black road bike stopping at the front door.
O my goodness is he totally crazy; he probably thinks he will not be noticed. She opens the door and he steps inside with his helmet on his head, only taking it off after she closed the door. "Torin whit the hell, ar ye crazy? Dae ye really think people willnae notice ye?" He laughs and she notices how attractive he looks in his black leather pants and jacket. She always thought only Seth is the bad boy, but suddenly she sees another side of Torin and to her amazement she axially likes it. "They will maybe notice the man and the bike, but they willnae ken it's me. Ye ken I stay on the other side of town on a small estate without any staff, because I prefer tae hav some privacy. I dressed and put my helmet on, then drive out of my garage and dinnae stop anywhere. So, ar ye gaun tae give me some coffee or am I gaun tae hav tae beg?" She laughs and shakes her head while she walks away to the kitchen. "Och cam on, begging is nae necessary, I'll make ye some coffee." He takes of his jacket and she cannot help to take a second look at his tight white t-shirt.
Wow, she noticed before how good he is build but suddenly he looks even better than before? She blushes and looks away fast because see knows he saw her looking. She keeps her busy with making their coffee while he looks at her diet on the counter. "So what couldnae be talked aboot over the phone Mr. MacKensie?" He looks up thoughtfully and a slow smile spreads over his face while he goes and sits at the counter watching her. "Well, Miss. Blackhood it is totally nae the same talking tae ye over the phone as talking tae ye while looking into yer pretty blue eyes. Then at least I ken when ye try tae lie tae me." She cannot believe he is flirting with her. The scoundrel ... he promised to behave ... "So ye're here ... start talking." She puts their coffee on the table and sits across from him at the counter. "I want tae talk tae ye aboot a very personal matter and I dinnae want ye tae run tae yer room and hide from me. I want ye tae listen tae me until I'm finished." She nods and smiles. "Okay I'll wait 'til ye are finished then I will gae and hide in my room." He laughs and shakes his head and gives her a killer smile. "Eva I ken ye have a few issues and I want tae help ye. I ken what harm yer thyroid can dae tae yer body. Ye need tae get a bit more active for the diet tae properly work and I ken ye will hate tae gae tae a gym as the doctors advised ye. Therefore, I hav a proposal for ye. The gym at my house is at yer disposal every day. I will help ye with a proper exercise program specifically for a person with thyroid problems. There is a lot of yoga ye can dae tae help ye lose weight and strengthen yer muscles. Why dinnae ye cam and use the gym every evening?" She looks stunned. "I ...dae nae ken what tae say ... it all sounds good, but how dae ye think I will get there without my Mother knowing where I'm gaun. She will never allow me tae gae tae yer house alone and once again, it will start a lot of gossip." He looks thoughtful for a while before he takes out his phone. "Just give me a minute and I'll tell ye what we'll dae." He walks out of the kitchen and she hears him faintly talking to someone while he walks up and down in the lounge. When he enters the kitchen, again he smiles broadly. "My friend Toni, is a doctor at a private weight loss clinic. The clinic is here in Blackhood on his estate next tae me. I am sure yer Mother will nae hav a problem if ye gae there and use his gym a few times a week. Henry can drop ye off. Eva I can talk tae yer Mother but she willnae like it. Ye will hav tae stand up and just tell her ye ar gaun, I am sure if ye talk tae yer Dad, he will talk her into it. Ye say she always nags ye aboot yer weight, use that against her." She nods. "Okay I'll talk tae my Dad first Sunday night." He smiles and looks away for a moment. When he looks back at her, he looks more serious and she wonders what is coming now. "Now, there's something else I want tae tell ye and I dinnae want ye tae feel awkward or afraid or fash and start tae avoid me Lass, I told ye there is naething wrong with yer name. I also told ye, ye arnae ugly and hideous ... and I lied ... ye arnae beautiful ... ye are an extremely beautiful curvy young woman. Ye just look at yoursel and see what yer Mother and that skinny bitches at school want ye tae see. I want ye tae stop with that kind of thoughts. Ye should start thinking aboot whit ye want in life. I am sure ye dinnae want tae stay in this house forever because yer Mother makes ye think all the people out there in the world ar as shallow as she and Margie and her click. Nae ... Please Eva, honey dinnae cry ..." Eva did not even realised tears are streaming over her cheeks until he walks around the counter and pulls her into his chest. She sits very still on the bar stool with her arms around his waist and his arms around her shoulders. When her crying subsides he let her go to dry her face with a piece of kitchen paper towel. He looks down into her face and he knows he should move away from her and suddenly it is the hardest thing he ever had to do. For a moment, he considers pulling her up into his arms, but he takes a step back and moves back around the counter. "Please nae more crying Eva. For me ye are beautiful just as ye ar, but I ken ye want tae shake off a wee bit of weight and I will help ye as much as possible. However, ye must promise me ye will also help yersel. Ye will stick tae the diet, ye will exercise, and if ye need tae talk, I am just a phone call away. Ye think hard about yer future and I will see what I can dae tae help ye. If ye want tae study, ye know yer Dad will pay any course, but I am nae gaun tae help ye if ye study something that yer Mother wants ye tae dae. Then I am sorry Eva, I will help ye with yer diet and exercise until the end of the year, but ye will be on yer own at college. I willnae help ye tae becam what yer Mother wants ye tae becam. It must be something for ye, for a change." She nods. "Thenk ye Torin, I'm nae sure why ye ar helping me or why ye even want tae try. I promise I will work hard tae lose the amount of weight the doctor thinks I need tae lose tae be healthier. I'm still nae sure whit I want tae dae with my life but I also promise ye, it will definitely nae be something my Mother wants me tae dae." He smiles at her and her heart gives a little flutter. "I'm sure ye havnae eaten yet, so let's try something of yer new menu." She laughs and they start making a Chicken stir-fry dish. They laugh a lot and joke with each other. He lays the breakfast nook's table and they enjoy their dinner with a bottle of mineral water each. Around nine, he decides to go home. "Ye will be okay here alone?" She nods. "I'm often alone here. I'll set the alarm and beams as soon as ye're off the property." At the door, he turns around and gives her a kiss on the forehead. "Night Eva, sweet dreams." Later in her room she looks at herself in the mirror and decides that tomorrow is the perfect day to look at her clothes and change her look a bit. Who knows, maybe she will feel better about herself.