Struggle (7 page)
Authors: P.A. Jones
"He said he would like to help me with some specific training to
help my injury.” I was all happy when I got back to the dorm. I kept disturbing Chloe by my talking.
"That's good
. I hope it will help you." Chloe was busy with her homework so she was only half listening to me.
"Chloe, you are not listening to me
! We kissed two days back."
Her head shot up.
"What did you say, sweetie? Can you say that again?"
"I said we kissed each other
two days back."
"And you are
just telling me this today? You had a big date and I, your roommate, your best friend, am the last to know?"
She made her angry face
, but I knew she was happy for me. "It's not a big deal. We got lost in the moment and kissed each other. It was just one kiss, not a big deal."
"What?
Were you playing a kissing game or something?” Chloe's eyes were so wide that I thought they would pop out.
I giggled
, looking at her expression "No, he wanted us to get to know each other before we went further.”
"What
does that mean? Why would he decline such an opportunity?"
“No, nothing
like that. I felt something troubled him, and I am okay with him taking some time. Maybe something happened in his past.” I was thinking about it while talking, but it just troubled me more. "You know what? He offered me help with my training so that’s what I’ll concentrate on right now.”
Chloe smiled. "That
nice of him, but I’m still troubled by his actions.”
"
It troubled me, too, like a setback. But I can't force him, and he is right anyway. I don't want just a one-night stand and if we are going to get serious, it will take some time. We’re going to get to know each other. I don’t want to rush things, either.”
"You both seem serious
about this.” Chloe took a deep breath. “And I am happy for you."
"I just hope that
I won't get hurt this time.”
***
I slept
peacefully that night and, the next morning, I woke up, excited for the training. We had agreed that I would meet him at his house early. I was on the road sooner than I expected myself to be.
When
I reached Nathan's house, I checked my watch. I was lot earlier than we had agreed upon. We had decided on 7:30 AM, but it was only 7. What should I do now? I thought for a second and decided to give him an early surprise.
Instead of calling him,
I rang his bell. To my surprise, he opened the door right away. He was already ready in a blue t-shirt, off-white trousers, and a pair of Nike sneakers. His long hair was pushed back, giving him an Italian hunk look, which suited him. When his dark brown eyes meet mine, a spark coursed through my body, which reminded me of the kiss we shared earlier.
"Good
morning.” His voice snapped me out of my hypnosis.
"Hi
. Sorry, I am a bit early."
"
It's okay.” He stretched his arms into the air. “We can start early." I nodded.
"
First, I will introduce you to a good technique. It’s called foam rolling. One of the wonders of sports science. I will show you how to do it, then I will take you through it." I nodded, his scent hypnotizing me.
"Have you heard about it?" He asked, looking at my puzzled face.
I shake my head to get out of his spell and concentrate on what he was saying
. “Um, no, let’s start it.” The last thing I wanted him to know was his effect on me. I followed him inside to his exercise room. I was stunned to see his equipment… dumbbells, kettle balls, yoga mat, full set of resistance bands, weights and, of course, kickboxing gear. But the thing that really got her attention about his room was the neatness. There were a hell of a lot of machines, all placed neatly. "You can make a full gym here. You just need a treadmill.”
"I prefer running outside
. It makes me feel connected to nature,” he said, smiling.
"
I don’t even like the treadmill,” I said, laughing.
He rolled
out the yoga mat and took one roller out of a box. It wasn’t exactly a roller, but had knobs pointing to the outside. “It’s a rumble roller. This will relax your muscles. It will help you start the blood flowing in your legs, warming them up.”
"How do we use it?" I could sense the operation, but I wanted to hear it from him.
"You place it on the mat and roll your leg on it. Start with
your calf, then shin. Once you’re done with the lower leg, we will move to the thighs and hamstring muscles.”
"Can you show me?"
"Absolutory. We will do it together."
He took off his pants to reveal his exercise shorts underneath.
I could see his leg muscles, which were rock hard and sculpted. His calf muscles were bulging, and his thighs didn't have the slightest bit of fat.
He started showing me
how to use the roller, and I followed all the details. The knobs were digging into my flesh and it was painful. After fifteen minutes of the exercise, I gave up. "It hurts."
“That
means it's working." His calm eyes gave me the confidence. "Listen, there are many muscles in your legs that you are constantly using for daily activities. To let them rest, you have to do something more than regular stretching. The roller allows your body weight to act on your muscles to stretch them and relax them."
He had
a point. It felt like someone was massaging my legs, which felt good after fifteen minutes.
Nathan followed
up with some other exercises after the rolling part. When he announced that we were done for the day, it was past 10.
Damn, I will be late for class.
"I have to go, Nathan. It’s getting late."
"Sure
. I will start working on your project."
"So I will catch you tomorrow evening then
?”
"That
sounds good." He threw a towel at me. Within ten minutes, I was headed back to the dorm, thinking about him.
***
The next evening
, I went to his house for training. He had some extended training planned using Indian Yoga. For the first ten minutes, it was hard enough for me to start sweating, but after a half-hour of the yoga, I actually felt good. That was the first exercise I did where my mind was equally focused on the form, poses, and surroundings. After yoga, we continued with some strength training.
***
The training continued like that for a week. One Saturday evening, I said, “So, day off tomorrow?”
"No, it will be a
surprise for you."
"
But I didn't get you anything,” I said with a slight smile.
He smiled.
"You will start running tomorrow."
My mouth dropped open.
"You know I can't run in this condition! I don't have the strength in my right calf!"
"Don't worry
. You will do fine. I want to see how you run, then we can discuss modifications if we need any."
"Ok
ay, I will get going then."
He
hesitated for a second, like he was afraid to ask me something. "Would you like to come out for dinner tonight?"
“Like a date date?”
I teased him, keeping my face serious.
“Uhmmm
…”
I laughed
. "Just kidding, Nathan. We can go in ten minutes if I can get ready here."
"Please, the spare room is
yours. I’ll go into my room and change, too.”
"You look decent enough already
,” I teased.
He just laughed
. "We will see.”
I took a bath as fast as I could,
dried off, and changed into other clothes that I had with me. They weren’t “date” clothes, but they were decent. Nathan was sitting on the couch when I was ready. He was in a red t-shirt, which showed off his muscles, and blue jeans.
“Hot outfit.”
I winked.
"And you look
good, too.” He smiled.
His
eyes were talking to my soul. It was something that language can't describe, but the touch of it was comforting to my mind. His scent was wrapping me in his deadly effect and I was losing myself.
"Shall we
?”
***
He took me to a nice Italian restaurant. "You like Italian, Nathan?"
"A bit, but I know you like it."
I was surprised. "Who tipped you off?"
"Nobody. I can guess that myself." He smiled and I dived deep in
to his eyes again.
"What would you like to have
, Eva?" He handed the menu to me.
"Fettuccine Alfedo
, and a shot of tequila."
"That
sounds good.” He signaled the waiter, and ordered two Alfredo’s and two shots of tequila.
Soon
, we had downed four shots, and I was starting to feel the effect. I never drink out much because of the emotional aftereffects.
***
"Who do you hate
, Nathan? Why are you so scared about the attraction between us?"
I was shocked by her sudden question. I looked away
. I always felt like she could see into my soul. "That's a strange question, Eva. Why do you want to know?”
"
You said that we should get know each other. That's why I am asking."
“I think
you are a bit drunk, Eva. We will discuss this later." I wanted to distract her.
"No
, Nathan. I am completely sober. Please answer my question."
"
Nobody, Eva. I am just afraid that I will hurt you." I was speaking the truth. I just didn’t think I needed to tell her about Samantha right now.
"Why would you hurt me
, Nathan? Do you
want
to hurt me?" She moved her hand to hold mine. Her emotions radiated through my body. I knew exactly what she was feeling.
"I don't want to
, Eva." I looked into her eyes, but I tried my best to hide my pain. "I am a player, and I don't want this to end like that. I feel that there’s something is special in you, and I want to preserve it. That's why I am taking it slow." I held her hand tightly. She didn't know how much I was fighting with myself.
She smiled and ordered her fifth
drink. “Are you sure, Eva?” I wasn’t sure if she could handle that much alcohol.
"Yes. Nathan. To our friendship." She rose her glass in a toast. I followed her.
She drank two more
shots while we talked about various things. It was amazing how much we had in common. But after her seventh drink, her eyes started closing and I knew that was her limit. "I think I should drive you home. You can pick your car up tomorrow."
"I trust you
, Nathan,” she said, as she laid her head on the table. She looked as innocent as a child.
I smiled.
"It's time to get home, Eva." I helped her up and walked her to the car.
She was giggling while we walked
. "Thanks for helping me, Nathan."
She slept on my shoulder
while I drove to her dorm. I had no other choice so I picked her up and walked towards the building. I knocked at her room.
"Don't hurt me like Jacob
,” she mumbled, a tear falling down her face.
What was she talking about?
Chloe opened the door. "Six pegs down?"
"Yes. I didn't know tequila would have such an effect on her."
"I know
. Sometimes she goes a bit overboard. I hope she didn't embarrass you."
"Not at all
, Chloe. She is like a sweet child, and she is lighter than I thought.”
Chloe laughed and directed me to Eva's bed. I said good
bye to Chloe and headed towards my apartment, but the question kept coming into my mind…
Who is Jacob, and how did he hurt Eva?
The next, day I woke up with a major hangover. I couldn't open my eyes, but my phone was ringing so somebody had texted me already. I reached over to the night table. It was from Nathan.
Good morning
, sleeping beauty. We have a training session around 10.
The memories of last night
come slowly.
Damn, what had I talked about with Nathan?
I couldn't remember anything, only that I asked him who he hates and I said something about Jacob.
Holy shit
.
Chloe was already up
. She had some plans with Martin. "So, sleeping beast, how are you today?"
"My head
hurts, Chloe, and I can't remember how I got back here." My head felt like somebody was pounding on it with a hammer.
"That's because you passed out in
Nathan's arms and he carried you here, laying you in bed.”
"Did he?" I felt
embarrassed.
"Yes, and he was kind enough to drop you
off, safe and sound. One thing I don’t get is how you could drink more than five when you know what happens after that."
"I kind of got emotional
, and I didn't know how much I drank. I need to get ready. I have a training session with him."
"You are blushing
, Eva." Chloe had a mischievous smile on her face.
"I am not
!" I ran back into my room.
I had
to get ready for a big day. Nathan wanted to see how I run, and to see if I’ve improved. Butterflies were flying inside my belly. Was it because of Nathan, or the fact that I was going to run again?
***
At 10 AM sharp, I was in front of Nathan's home. I was feeling restless already so I took a second to compose myself. I took a deep breath, pressing the doorbell.
Nathan was already ready for the session. "We will go to
a nearby park and start there." He was holding his foam roller.
"Why
the foam roller?"
He smiled.
"Let's go and have some fun.”
We walked
towards the park. I wanted to ask him what I had done yesterday, but he was silent so I kept quiet.
Once we reached the park, he says,
"Ok, run for hundred meters, then come back."
"Is that it?"
He nodded. "Just run and come back."
"Ok
…” I wasn't sure if I could do it. Sudden stabs of pain shot through my leg. I felt like I would let myself down again. "Are you sure I can do this?" I asked in a whisper.
"Yes
, Eva, you can do it. Have faith in yourself and your training."
"But my leg is already hurting
.”
"That's nothing
but psychological. Trust me. You will do just fine. We have finished our indoor training and we have to start doing outdoor training now. It's for you to build up strength."
I nodded
. Just looking into his eyes gave me some confidence. I started out at a fast walk, then I started running. For the first two minutes, it was good. I regained my confidence and decided to increase my speed but, at the same moment, an immense pain started in my right calf and I couldn't run any further. I fell down, feeling the pain and the shame at the same time.
Nathan came running to me and gave
me his hand. "Get up, Eva"
"No
, Nathan. It’s not working. I am a loser and I won’t run again." I couldn't control my sobbing.
Nathan wiped
the tears with his thumb. "Remember one thing, dear…if someone knocks you down, you should come up with twice the force he applied so that you will reach a new height and no one will be able to hurt you. Get up now, complete your hundred meters, and come back."
"But it's
hurting a lot, Nathan. I can't run."
"Yes
, I’m sure it is hurting. Have you seen a cancer patient taking chemotherapy, or the athlete without legs participating in the race? Do they say they can’t do it?”
"No
, they are great and I am not. I don’t even know how much I should drink when I’m out with someone."
He smiled.
"You do know that. And don't worry. When you are with me, you can be as drunk as you want. Rest assured that I will drop you home safely. Now, get up and run."
He gave me inspiration.
With his help, I got up. The leg was hurting, but my mind wasn't. I walked fast, then started running. It was hurting like hell, but I had to complete my hundred meter run. When I reached Nathan, it wasn’t hurting as much.
"Now
, take off your shoes and run on bare feet."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Bare feet?"
He rolled his eyes. “Run.”
I did what he said. It was hurting more than when I wore the shoes.
"Now
, run on your toes as much you can, pushing off on the balls of your feet only when necessary.”
Without thinking twice, I ran again.
It was less painful this time. "It is less painful, Nathan."
"Is it
? Now we’ll have one rolling session and then we will see how you run in your shoes again."
He led me into running again and again
. Over the next two hours, I had done half of what my normal routine was when I was healthy.
"Ok
, let's stop for today. We will continue tomorrow."
My heart was racing
, and my eyes widened when I checked my heart rate. It was almost equal to what I received from my normal training sessions. A wave of happiness that I couldn’t control washed over me and I run towards Nathan, hugging him tightly. "Thanks, Nathan. I can't express my gratitude for what you are doing for me.”
"You don't need to
. That’s what friends do to help each other. Also, I can't bear to see pain in your face.”
"Why
, Nathan?" I could feel the rage in his body when he accidentally touched me while training. I wanted to figure out why.
He didn't
say anything. He came closer and pulled my head towards him. I knew what he was going to do. The sweet sensation flowed through my body. His breath touched my cheek and I closed my eyes. My lips separated, anticipating his lips touching mine. The waves of hunger were emerging from my belly and spreading all over my body. My heart stopped racing and waited for the moment…but nothing happened. He withdraw his hand from my neck and walked towards his car.
It was hard for me to control my emotions
, and I had an urge to slap him across his face and ask him why he did that. What is preventing him from kissing me and making me his? What hurdles has he faced? I had many questions, but my tongue was frozen and I kept everything inside.
"Nathan,
hold on.” I walked to him. "Mrs. Cooper wants to know the progress on the project, and she would like you to give her a call."
"Sure
, Eva, and I am sorry. I have to learn to control myself. Maybe I will be able to answer your questions one day, but not today."