Page 24 of Hiding for the Holidays
“I told you, I want to train you. Now, face the mirrors,” Asher instructs.
The day went by pretty fast. Between the four of us finishing moving the equipment into place and painting the walls, the place was almost done. I was just waiting for the new reception desk and tablet to arrive so I could set up a more welcoming atmosphere for newcomers.
“Leo, stand beside her, same position.” Leo moves to my side, and his fingers graze over mine. I glance at him in the mirror, and he winks at me, making my cheeks heat as I look away. Why did that small movement make me blush? Could I be more obvious in my attraction to him? To all of them?
“Okay, we’re going to work on being grabbed from behind and getting out of it.” Grant steps up behind Leo as Asher moves behind me.
“Shouldn’t Grant be teaching me?” I ask, suddenly having a little déjà vu from my first day here. “Isn’t he the instructor?”
Grant averts my gaze, and Leo laughs as he tells me, “We’ve never actually run any classes before. Grant was just improvising.”
My eyebrows raise in surprise, and I swear I see a slight pink blush Grant’s cheeks. He’s embarrassed.
I turn to look at him as I ask, “You really pretended to teach a class just to keep me from leaving?”
He finally looks at me and shrugs. “You looked like you needed someone to help you. I wanted it to be me.”
I can’t stop the smile from covering my face. “That’s really sweet.”
He smiles back at me, and I feel something spark between us. I was already attracted to him, but the way he’s looking at me now makes my body hum with need.
“Alright,” Asher says, making me jump in surprise, forgetting we weren’t alone. He places his hands on my shoulders and turns me back to the mirror, his eyes meeting mine in our reflections. “I’m going to try to grab you, try to break free, then spin around as if ready to punch me.”
He takes a step back and asks, “Ready?” I nod then he lunges forward, his arms banding around me faster than I can react. My mind flashes to Scott trying to grab me, and I struggle for a few seconds before I give up the fight.
“Okay, let’s watch Leo try, watch how he moves his body.” I take a breath to calm myself as I watch in the mirror as Grant tries to grab him, but Leo ducks and twists, quickly sliding away from his grasp. “Did you see what he did?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I nod and we get back into position. Asher lunges for me again, and I get half out of his grasp before he pulls me back against his chest.
“Gotcha,” he whispers in my ear, making me smile.Somehow he’s making this feel fun instead of scary. I can almost forget that I was actually attacked and that there’s a genuine threat out there looking for me. “Try again,” he tells me.
Grant and Leo keep doing it beside us as I try again and again. On the fifth try, I finally pull away from him, and as I twist my feet catch on his and fall hard on my back. Fire shoots across my bruised ribs, and I hiss in pain.
“Shit,” Asher swears as all three of them drop to their knees around me.
“Are you okay?” Leo asks as Asher watches me clutching my side.
He grips the hem of my t-shirt and tries to pull it up, but my hand’s in the way. He gives me a stern glare as he demands, “Show me.” I hesitate for a second. I’m not sure what he’ll do if he sees the bruises. But from the determined look on his face, I’m not sure he’s giving me much of a choice.
My shoulders drop in defeat, and I lay back on the mat, moving my hand away.
He pulls my shirt up, exposing my bruised side.
“Fuck!”
“Clara, who did this?” Grant asks as Leo swears.
Asher’s angry eyes meet mine, and I swallow nervously.
“Please don’t fire me.”
Asher’s eyebrows furrow as Leo asks, “Why the hell would we fire you?”
“I’m a mess,” I say, my eyes feeling damp as I try to control my emotions.
“But you’re a hot mess,” Leo says, making me look at him.
“That’s not the compliment you think it is,” Grant mumbles. “Seriously though, Clara, who did this?” A tear breaks free as I press my lips together, unwilling to answer. “Are you in danger? Do you live with someone who’s hurting you?”
