ℝ𝔸𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ𝔸𝕃 ➵ o. kenobi {my only hope; book 1}

【 EIGHT 】

     ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ ᴛʜɪʀᴛʏ ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇꜱ before I got the courage to put my clothes on and leave the changing room. I was almost scared Obi-Wan would be waiting around the corner to apologize, but to my immense relief, when I cracked open the door and peered around the corner, nobody was there.

So I grabbed my stuff and rushed to an empty room to just sit and think for a while.

It wasn't like I needed more time to think. More like I needed time to clear my thoughts, and find my center, just as Kera had taught me. Whenever my emotions started to get overwhelming, she'd tell me to do something monotonous or serene, something to keep me distracted and slowly clear my mind.

The room I was occupying had a mirror, so taking a deep breath, I began to braid my hair, a singular French plait down the back. Over, under. I counted each stroke in my head. Over, under.

The door slid open, and I jumped, my braid tumbling loose before I got the chance to secure it. My thoughts began to trickle back, my concentration broken. I rolled my eyes and began to snap at the intruder before realizing who it was.

"Will you stop barging in on me?" I demanded of Obi-Wan, who was standing there awkwardly, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.

"I will if you stop inhabiting rooms I mean to go into," he challenged, then sighed. "In all seriousness, Emeré, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to walk in on you when you were... you know..."

I swallowed, clenching my eyes shut, unable to believe I was about to ask this question. "You didn't... see anything, did you?"

"No," he assured me quickly. "I promise." When a look of relief flashed over my face, he shot me an apologetic half-smile. "I really am sorry."

I sighed and looked away, turning back to my mirror and my hair. "I know."

"But we do need to talk," he went on, coming closer to me.

I whirled back around at once, and the anger in my eyes was enough to stop him in his tracks. "No," I replied, probably a little too coldly for the situation. "That's far enough."

"Fair." He held up two hands. "Look, I just wanted to talk about what we said in the hangar."

"Good. I did too," I replied simply. "We can't let anything happen between us, got it? No friendship, no... walking in on me in the changing room-"

"-that was an accident!"

"No nothing," I finished. Obi-Wan, mid protest, sighed and nodded.

"I know."

"We both want to be Jedi, right? We can't do that if we form attachments to others. Especially if that attachment is to another Jedi. We'll get in serious trouble. Not just from the Order... from ourselves." I shook my head. "I don't know about you, Kenobi, but I've spent my whole life training for the moment I get to become a Jedi Knight. I spent the first six years of my life yearning for adventure, and now that I've got it... I can't just throw it away."

Obi-Wan nodded. "If you recall, I was the one who was trying to tell you that back in the hangar."

I swallowed. "Yeah. But that was before..."

Obi-Wan cocked his head as my voice died out. He eyed me curiously. "Before what?"

"Nothing," I murmured. "The point is, I believe you now. We can't let this... whatever this is... go on. We may make a good team, but us working together isn't worth sacrificing our careers."