Chapitre 19: Chapter 19

"Okay, tell me what you want to defend yourself against. Describe a scenario."

"Umm, if something ambushes me from behind, trapping me in a chokehold."

Khai's jaw ticked, if this was happening to her, there was no way he was leaving her out of his sight. But he went on despite himself.

"Okay Ana. Forget the deer, let's imagine a human does this to you." He told her in a serious voice. "The first thing you need to know is that it's important to remain calm and not panic. Panicking will only make it harder for you to break free."

Ana nodded, confirming that he saw through her lie. She ignored her embarrassment and paid attention, but her shoulders slightly slumped. This was her biggest challenge. She froze at the sight of Sean.

"Don't worry, your confidence will build as you get stronger. Remember, if you ever get scared, think of someone that gives you strength. Imagine their face in your mind and try to channel that energy to focus on the situation."

"You can use your small size to your advantage. You want to bring your hands up to your throat and grab the attacker's arm that's choking you with both hands."

Khai demonstrated the move, showing her how to grab the attacker's arm with both hands.

"Now, you're going to want to pull down on the attacker's arm with your hands, while pushing your head forward. This will loosen the chokehold and create some space for you to breathe. Your petite size can help you to move easily in a small space."

Again, with a clear demonstration, he showed her how to pull down on the attacker's arm and push her head forward.

"Once you've created some space, you want to use the back of your skull to hit their nose. If they're taller than you, jump as high as you can and head butt their jaw. Simultaneously, use your knee, foot or even better, anything hard or sharp, that you can access quickly to strike the attacker's shin. This will disorient them and give you an opportunity to break free."

He moved to show her how to use her knee to strike the attacker's shin.

"Finally, once you've struck the attacker's shin, you want to turn and run. Don't look back, just get away as fast as you can."

Ana watched him like a hawk, taking mental notes on everything he explained so far.

Khai's expression grew somber as he understood the gravity of the situation. A foreign emotion he never felt before overcame him. He was terrified, for the first time in his life. And it was for her safety. He looked at her, masking his emotions. If he was this scared, he wondered what she must be feeling and his heart ached at that thought.

"Let's practice it a few times so you can get a feel for it."

After practicing it a dozen times, Ana nearly perfected all of the moves he taught her. He didn't use any opposing force while she practiced, knowing this would boost her confidence. He gave her instructions throughout, making sure she was clear on what she learned.

When she finally executed every move to perfection, she turned to Khai jumping up and down in excitement. "Yes!" She exclaimed as she threw her hands up in the air.

Khai's worries vanished on seeing her celebrate, he broke out into a grin as he watched her. He leaned down to lightly pinch her cheeks, unable to resist how adorable she was.

"Good job, Miss Anaya Willow." He looked proud of her and she beamed at his appreciation.

As they walked back across the field, Ana saw that Khai was distracted in his own thoughts. They reached back to where they started and she slipped into her t-shirt suddenly feeling exhausted.

She hadn't noticed earlier, but her feet were beginning to hurt now and all she wanted to do was crash on her bed.

"Sit down and stretch your legs out." Khai told her. She looked up at him inquisitively, but he just waited for her to do as she was told.

He crouched next to her and held her leg, kneading her calf with mild pressure. Surprised she tried to pull away, shaking her head. "Khai, please stop!"

"Relax, you need to able to walk tomorrow."

Dumbstruck, she watched him for a while, as he pulled out her shoes, then her socks, now moving to massage her bare feet. The words rolled out of her before she could think clearly.

"Why're you being so nice to me?"

Khai's hands went still and he looked up at her briefly before going back to press her feet. He sat down, making himself more comfortable and placed her foot on his lap for better access. Ana blushed, feeling like she was walking on the clouds.

He spoke abruptly, as if he couldn't hold himself back anymore. "You're driving me crazy Ana. You have ever since I met you. I'm not one to beat around the bush, so I'll tell you straight. I can't get you out of my mind and it hurts when you turn to leave me. I'll be honest, I've fooled around a lot before. However you, you've started to mean everything to me. I'm not going to force you and you won't see me again if you don't want this. But if you give me a chance, I promise to hold you close to me, in my heart, till the day I die."

Words just poured out of Khai's mouth, without any filter. A string of feelings washed over him, starting from relief, moving to vulnerability and then nervousness. Finally, his heart settled on fear. Fear that she might reject him. His chest thumped loudly in his ears and he was sure she could hear it as well. George's words suddenly came back to him and before she could say a word, he spoke again.

"Take your time Ana. You don't have to say anything today or anytime soon. I don't even expect a reply from you. I just don't want to hide my intentions for you."

Ana's face was red, and what Khai was hearing might as well have been her heart beats and not his. She was so overwhelmed it made her lightheaded. She couldn't comprehend what she just heard and she wondered if it was best to just pass out.

Slowly pulling her legs away from him, she got up and collected her shoes and water bottle. Khai felt like someone emptied a bucket of ice cold water on him. Turmoil and rage stirred in his heart as he watched her slide her foot out of his grip. She was willing to be friends and he threw it all away. He felt like roadkill. No, he wished he was roadkill for ruining any chance he ever had with her.

As she was about to get up, she nervously asked him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Can I really take my time?"

He looked up at her with a flash of hope. "Of course! Nothing will change unless you want it to." He said.

"Th-then we'll train at the same time tomorrow, if you're okay with it." She tried to meet his gaze, but she was blushing too fiercely and her voice was shaking.

"More than okay. Let's walk back." He said, his face brightening.

Both Khai and Ana said nothing as they walked back to her room. When they reached her door, she looked up at him, trying her best to fight a smile. "Thank you." She said as she closed her door.

Khai was ecstatic as he walked back to the men's dormitories. All he needed was a chance with her. He understood that she was overwhelmed and needed time. He could sense that she was drawn to him, he saw her go red, he felt her pulse quicken, he watched her pupils dilate when she looked at him. Ana was only fighting this out of some deep rooted trust issues. But he'd gain her trust and hold her in his arms some day, of that he was confident.

Ana leaned against her door as she evaluated what she was feeling. Her heartbeat was still erratic, but she could make sense of everything clearly now. Happiness burst inside of her, threatening to spill out as she came to terms with what he said. She hadn't felt an ounce of fear around Khai. She wanted to jump into his arms when he was at her door, but something held her back.

What if this was all too good to be true? Was she ready to get hurt again? He heart told her to run into his arms, but her mind reminded her of the pain she felt with Sean. She tossed and turned on her bed all evening, cursing her fate for suffocating her heart. Tired from overthinking, she finally sank into a deep sleep a few hours after midnight.

commentaire Commentaire 0

Voter

ENVOYER LE CADEAU

Load failed, please RETRY