Page 83 of Meet Me In The Dark
“Promises, promises.”
The door slams behind me, and he leads the way through a rusted metal entrance. Inside, a battered boxing ring takes center stage with heavy bags lining the walls.
A tall, broad-shouldered man approaches, his eyes flicking between us. His smile is small but genuine.
“Celeste, this is Mateo,” Julian says. “Mateo—Celeste.”
“Pleasure,” Mateo offers with a nod.
“You too.”
They exchange a look I can’t quite read before Mateo retreats, leaving us alone.
“What exactly are we doing here?” I whisper, glancing up at him.
He leads me to a quiet corner, away from prying eyes. “If you insist on running alone in the dark, you'd better know how to fight in it.”
“What?”
“I won’t always be here to run with you.”
An unwelcome knot forms in my stomach, but I hide it with a tilt of my lips. “Finally planning on giving me some peace?”
He arches a brow that says,Never. “Sometimes I have to travel for business. Some basic self-defense won’t kill you.”
“Julian, I’m not—”
“Just trust me.”
I scoff, but his eyes are suddenly serious enough that I fall silent.
Letting out a disgruntled sigh, he moves behind me.
His voice is a quiet rumble near my ear. “If someone grabs you from behind, your first instinct will be to panic. Fight that instinct. Lean into them, not away. Drop your weight, stomp their foot, then elbow their stomach.”
I swallow hard and nod once.
“Words, Celeste.”
“Okay.”
“What do you do?”
“Drop my weight, stomp, and elbow their stomach.”
“Good.”
When his arms come around me, every muscle in my body goes rigid. His hold isn’t tight, not even close, but the feeling of being enclosed by him is too much.
“Relax.” His breath brushes my skin. “You’re safe. I promise. Now, do it.”
With him so close, every rational thought becomes static. My breathing speeds up to match the rapid pounding of my heart.
“Celeste,” he says gently, fingers curling a little more firmly at my waist. “Breathe.”
“I am breathing,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Try it without holding your breath in your throat.”
