The Revealed (14 page)

Elias comes around beside me. “Let’s start by having you work with the bag instead of Kai,” he laughs. “We don’t want you hurting that pretty-boy face of his.”

“Watch it.” Kai drops his arms.

Elias leads me to the center of the studio, which is one large room. Mirrors line the back wall where half a dozen weight sets are assembled. Heavy bags dangle from the ceiling in a line, one after the other. In the middle of the room is a boxing ring made of simple mats with ropes strung around the perimeter.

Elias directs me to a punching bag. “Alright,” he says, moving behind me, “hit this.”

I look back at him hesitantly before throwing out my fist and connecting with the thick cushion.

“Okay,” Elias says, “needs some work. But okay. First things first, you want to reposition your feet so they are staggered.” He bends over and lifts my right foot, pushing it back behind my left. “Now loosen up.” He grabs my knees. “They should be slightly bent. When you punch, use your whole body, not just your arms. Follow through on your shot and move with it, extending your arm out as part of the natural rhythm. A straight shot. Imagine hitting two inches deep into your target. Don’t curve your hand around. Keep your wrist straight, and your thumb tucked on the outside of your fist. Get the power from your hips.”

Elias moves out of the way. “Go ahead and try it again.”

I swing out. This one is better. I can feel how it is better, though it doesn’t really show much strength. I don’t see the bag move. But I can feel the movement in my body.

I can’t help but drop my mouth in awe of the strength and excitement that pulses through me. I’m suddenly empowered. The rush of emotion comes with the adrenaline, and it feels like I can breathe again for the first time since turning eighteen.

I punch the bag again.

My body understands the movement. Though I know my motions aren’t yet coordinated, there’s something so fluid and natural in it.

“Better,” Elias says and nods, “but you want to keep your other hand up.” He moves my left fist up near my face. “If you ever do have to defend yourself, it won’t be in front of a bag. There will be another person, and they aren’t just going to stand still while you punch them. Keep your hand up as protection.”

I do as I’m told and punch again. Then again.

“Much better,” Elias says, encouraging me.

He makes little corrections as we go along. He teaches me different ways of striking. He explains it’s best to ball my hand in a fist and use a hammer motion to the side. If I don’t have gloves on this will keep me from hurting my knuckles.

Once I’ve gotten the hang of punching, Elias teaches me some other simple self-defense moves. It doesn’t take long before my arms begin to feel heavy. No doubt the muscles will hurt in the morning.

But I’m alive. And I’m proud of myself. Taking on this new challenge is invigorating. It makes me feel like I have a chance.

“Alright, come here Kai,” Elias motions him over. He positions Kai so he’s behind me.

Elias moves around us and says, “Now Kai, I want you to wrap your arms around her and grab her as though you were an attacker coming up behind her.”

Kai does as he’s told. His arms encircle my arms and waist. The bare skin of his forearms is warm against me, and I feel his breath against my neck. The rest of his body is aligned with mine. I’m tense with the sudden awareness of him touching me, touching him. I try not to get distracted from what Elias is saying, but being this close to Kai does weird things to my mind.

“Your right foot on his,” Elias is saying.

My right foot where?

“Lily?” Elias glances over at me.

“Um … yeah. Right.” I blush. “Sorry, could you repeat that?”

Kai chuckles and my cheeks flush.

Elias rolls his eyes good-naturedly. “You’re going to start by stepping on his right foot with your right foot, okay?”

“Right,” I nod. “Right now?”

“Let me explain the rest of the move,” Elias says.

“Right.”

“You’re going to step on his foot and then push your body out to create some space, throwing your elbow behind you as you do this. Let’s try it in slow motion first. We don’t want anyone getting hurt today.”

“Okay.” I do as instructed, pretending to step on Kai’s foot and then pushing my elbow back. I can’t get my arm out of his grip. He’s too strong. I struggle for a moment before Kai starts laughing.

“Well,” Elias says, “obviously it doesn’t work very well in slow motion because it’s your momentum that will carry you through.”

“She can try it full force,” Kai tells Elias.

“Maybe it would be better if she practices with me. I’ve been punched before, and I can take a hit. I don’t want you getting hurt. Then the whole country would be after my ass.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kai brushes him off. “I’ve been training in combat. I’m in the military.”

“Kai, are you sure?” I ask hesitantly.

“Of course. Come on.” He puts his arms around me again. “You won’t hurt me.”

“Okay,” Elias says skeptically. “One … two … three.”

I step on Kai’s foot with all my strength, throw my weight forward like Elias showed me, then jab my elbow back. But instead of it connecting with Kai’s ribs, he dodges out of the way, wrapping his arm around my elbow and dropping me lightly on the ground, falling next to me on the mats.

I sprawl out on my back and start giggling. “You’re such a show off!” I roll over and push his shoulder.

He shrugs. “I told you. It’s the military.”

“What do they teach you? How to assassinate people?”

“It’s top secret,” he says and stands to help me up.

“Did I even hurt you a little?” I ask, taking his hand.

“Maybe,” he says and grins, keeping hold of my hands.

“Not even a little?” I pout.

“What? You wanted to hurt me?”

“Not badly.”

He lightly socks my stomach and I grip his elbows, squirming to push him away, laughing.

“Come here.” He tries to reach out to me, and I pull back, preparing to run. Instead, he grabs me around the waist and hoists me up, swinging me over his shoulder.

“Kai!” I’m breathless as he tumbles with me to the ground again, gently tossing me as though I’m weightless. I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face, and we’re both laughing euphorically. I can’t remember the last time I did anything like this. Not since I was a child, living in Arizona, did I feel so carefree.

“Alright.” Elias walks between us, reminding us he’s still in the room. “I think that’s enough for today. You better get Lily home before her family realizes she’s gone.”

My attention snaps to him and then to the clock. I need to get home.

Elias extends his hand. “It was nice meeting you. Hopefully we’ll be seeing you again soon.”

“Yes,” I agree. My cheeks are flushed, and I feel light with energy.

Kai drapes his arm around my shoulder, and we walk out to the parking lot comfortably in sync with one another. We get into his car and head back to my house.

“So can I see you again tomorrow?” he asks as we pull up to the gate.

“I have class,” I say, falling easily into my skeptical nature.

“On Sunday?”

I look over at him and just as quickly wish I hadn’t. I avert my eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Alright, what about next Saturday?” he asks but doesn’t give me time to answer. “Saturday at five o’clock it is. I’ll take you on a real date this time. To dinner. So wear something nice.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

I clear my throat. “I said I don’t—”

His hand covers mine, and I repeat my mistake. My eyes glance over to his. He holds my stare.

Then he replaces his hand with his lips and for a moment, I’m his. He captures my mouth, wrapping my hair in his fist so he can pull me closer. I shiver in surprise, but sink into his hold. Desire coils in my stomach. It’s hard to breathe again, but not in an uncomfortable way. I’ll never breathe again if I can be close to him like this always.

Crap.

I pull away.

“This is a bad idea,” I say, my voice shaky with the emotions that kiss left behind.

“You only think that because it’s what your parents tell you.” There’s that playful sparkle in his eyes. His thumb grazes across my lips.

But the smile fades from my face. It’s a bad idea because I trust Kai, and no matter how much I try to fight it, it’s like my body has some internal signal I can’t figure out how to turn off. And until I do, it’s pushing me to make decisions that aren’t safe. I can’t trust myself right now.

I move to get out of the car, but Kai’s grip on my hand tightens. When I look back his eyes are filled with determination and resolve. His hand moves from mine and cups my face. His rough fingers run down the line of my jaw. I’m so lost in his gaze that I don’t even realize how close he is until he speaks, and I feel his breath across my lips.

“Saturday night.”

It isn’t a question. But he’s asking so much of me. More than just dinner, he’s asking for me to let him in. He’s asking me to be vulnerable. As if I’m not already so lost. I’m so far down that deep, dark hole, scrambling for purchase, when it’s clear I’m already going to fall all the way down. And as all of these thoughts swirl through my mind, they suddenly dissipate because all I can focus on are the sharp lines of his jaw and the warmth from his hands and the way his eyes are staring at me like I’m completely exposed.

“Someone will see us.” My voice has transformed into this low whisper because all the air leaves my chest as I gape at him, and he stares back. It only makes everything feel more intimate.

“So?”

“So, what about the cameras?”

“I can fix that.” His eyes light with the challenge, but he doesn’t pull away from me. “It’s going to happen eventually. People are going to catch on whether we hide or not. Say yes.”

All I see are green and gold.

And I realize that in my daze, I just nodded my consent.

He drops his hands, and I try to keep from stumbling as I walk to the gate. The line along my jaw where his hands were resting continues to burn.

Kai waits to make sure I get inside the house alright before he drives back to the main road. Once I know he’s out of sight, I take a deep breath. I just lost that battle. And the war isn’t looking so promising either. Judging by the way my heart is still pounding in my chest, I’m already done for. The worst part is I’m not upset. Not even a little. My self-control was my most-valuable weapon, and now it’s crumbled with a simple touch from Kai’s hands. My emotions are rushing in, clouding my mind. And I don’t even try to hide the smile that curls on my lips as I walk inside.

I do everything in my power to push away thoughts of Saturday, but my attempts are useless. Especially because I can’t keep away the thoughts of our kiss—his hands in my hair, the heat from his body so close to mine, his lips needy but gentle, like he was holding back, like there was so much for him to discover.

I suffer through my tutorials, finish
Wuthering Heights
, master a piece on the piano, work on my French conjugations (not too successfully), and plug in equations for calculus. I dedicate myself to my schoolwork, hoping that it will get me through the week faster, but Kai is never far from my mind.

I’ve never been on a real dinner date before. The idea of dressing up and going out makes me bite my bottom lip to suppress a preteen squeal that threatens to leap out of my throat.

When Saturday evening finally does arrive, I watch from my balcony, waiting to see his car. My hands run down my thighs, smoothing the lines of my simple black dress. It’s cut low in the front, flaunting my curves in just the right ways. When the seamstress finished the garment, my mother forbade me from wearing it. She said it was too revealing for a girl of my stature and age. I secretly kept it in the back of my closet. I never thought I’d have a use for it, but tonight I’m going to dinner wearing it. For the first time in my life, I feel truly beautiful. And it isn’t just the dress. Something inside me is changing. There’s an awareness that wasn’t there before. My reflection doesn’t seem so distant anymore.

Impatiently, I stare out at the fence in the distance, and then glance back at the clock.

The clocks, which had seemed to be moving so slowly all week, quickly begin to tick off minutes as the hour of our date approaches. First ten minutes pass, then fifteen … then a half an hour … and an hour.

His car doesn’t appear at the gate.

I call his phone, but it goes straight to voicemail.

Kai’s never been late before.

I call his phone again but get voicemail just like before.

Maybe there was a miscommunication. Maybe he said Sunday instead of Saturday? Maybe he was waiting for me a little farther down the road, and I just couldn’t see his car from my window. Maybe he couldn’t get his camera app thing to work and so he had to ditch Plan A, and he’s trying to figure out a Plan B to get me out of the house.

I grab for my bag and start to head out, but my mother meets me at the top of the stairs.

“Lilith.”

“I’m going out.”

“Lilith.”

“Mom, stop trying to stop me.” I try to skirt around her, but she’s in front of the stairs blocking my path like a goalie.