Lucien had disappeared completely.
Where before I could hear him at odd hours of the night leaving or coming home with a friend or two, the past three weeks were nothing but silence. There were no more girls coming and going, no more weird noise coming from his apartment, no sign of life at all. For a while, I drove myself into an obsessive frenzy, wondering if he had moved out, and if it was because of me. But after a while, I decided that it was none of my business. Whether he went on a long vacation or he left because of one drunk comment I had made, it no longer concerned me.
Life went back to its normal, steady rhythm. I worked my usual hours, met with my friends whenever they were free, and tried not to think about the fact that I was the human form of man-repellent. Mark, the last guy I went out with, never texted me back, and I let that go, too. One thing that did change, however, was my unwillingness to be defenceless any longer. The night of my birthday had left me shaken and distraught, but I refused to be a victim, so I signed up for a boxing class. My mentor was attentive, and he tried his best to teach me how to protect myself without pushing me too far.
Tonight was my fourth lesson with him, and I couldn’t help but feel excited. Being in control, knowing I was powerful enough to protect myself, made me feel safe. I couldn’t wait to learn more.
I ducked into the gym, signing in with the front office girl and heading straight for the locker room. I placed my bag, phone, and jacket inside and made sure to lock it. I wrapped the digital key around my wrist, the bracelet designed to fit perfectly while simultaneously feeling weightless. Inside the training room, a few people here and there worked out diligently with their respective mentors, the sounds of their punches, kicks, and grunts echoing around the room.
“You must be Nova.” A deep voice behind me brought my attention to the man who stood at my usual spot. He was tall, his biceps bulging out of his compressed shirt as he crossed his arms against his chest. His blue eyes shone with interest, his lips lifting into a smirk.
“I am.” I nodded, peeling my eyes away from his impressive form to look for my coach.
“Sebastian told me all about you,” the stranger said, his gaze fixed on my face. “He couldn’t make it today, so he asked me to fill in for him, I hope that’s okay.”
I eyed him carefully, something about him raising a few alarms in my head. Why didn’t Sebastian tell me he wasn’t coming today? I knew it was ridiculous, this guy didn’t do anything to make me suspicious of him, but after that night I couldn’t help but feel extra wary of strange men.
“I’m Eli, by the way.” He extended his hand for me to shake, and I took it gingerly.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Shall we get started, then?” Eli smiled, and I nodded in agreement.
The session went by smoothly, the new trainer proved to be just as competent as Sebastian. He taught me some new moves, ones that made me more confident in my abilities. Unlike Sebastian, Eli wasn’t afraid of pushing me to my limits, he instructed me to channel my anger and frustration into my movements, and by the end of our time together, I was a tired, sweaty mess.
“You did great today,” Eli said as we made our way to the locker rooms.
“Thank you,” I replied, a bright smile on my face. As we worked out together, all of my suspicions of him vanished into thin air, and I realized I was just being paranoid.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” He asked, his now familiar smirk a bit less irritating.
“Is Sebastian not coming back?”
YOU ARE READING
Fated
Fantasy"Lucien kissed me as if he was starving, as if he was desperate, as if he was a sinner, and my lips held the keys to his salvation. His hands snaked under his coat, exploring my body like he was on a mission, like my skin had the answer to all of hi...
