The moment Carmen was out of the café, she felt like her knees would buckle under her weight.
God, did she just say all that to him? Did she just...do that?
Her mouth fell open and she brushed a hand down her face as if she couldn't believe it had actually happened. That she had snapped back. That she had been rude and stood her ground in a way she never had.
If anyone knew Carmen, they knew she wasn't the kind to lose her temper that easily. She was the patient one, the one who thought before they spoke, the one to take into consideration the emotions of others more than her own, the one to not want to hurt anyone, no matter the situation.
But Carmen had done what Grandpa had told her to. There was no other choice but to practice the lessons he had given her not so long ago.
After they returned to Asheville, Grandpa dropped her home. But as soon as she woke up after only a few hours of sleep, a car had been waiting outside her home. This time, there was no need for Carmen to question Grandpa's intention. She knew what it was all about. He was preparing her for the new role she was about to take on, ensuring she knew what she was getting into and helping her get ready for it.
And that's exactly what happened. Their lengthy conversation in his room was invaluable. Grandpa provided her with valuable pointers on how to carry herself in the office, the necessary changes to assert authority over others, and most importantly, how not to take anyone's shit. He warned her that some people might talk behind her back, and might question her capability, but he advised her to ignore them and stay focused on what truly mattered.
When Ronin pointed out—ever so bluntly—that she did not deserve to be the CEO, it deeply stung. How could it not? His words made it painfully evident that, in his eyes, she was nothing more than a woman with no value, someone who was worth nothing.
Wasn't that right?
Typically, Carmen would have chosen to walk away in such situations. Engaging with people who were so closed-minded and stubborn seemed like a pointless endeavor. It drained her energy, and she saw no reason to indulge their desire to argue. But while she did have the same plan in mind—to just leave the hell out of his face—she braced herself and gave him the piece of her mind.
It was so not like her, but she couldn't lie that it felt good in a way. To let it all out. And to watch that dumbstruck expression on his face. Shit. It was pure gold. That had to be the highlight of the day she would never be able to forget. Ever. She could tell that he hadn't expected her to clap back like that. He probably hoped she'd just take his crap without a fight.
Carmen took a deep breath, trying to collect herself, and ran her hand through her hair. Despite the scorching sun above her, the air felt refreshingly cool against her skin. The scent of flowers from a nearby flower shop hit her stronger than ever.
It shouldn't have felt so invigorating, but it did. Her heart was pounding in her chest, as if she had done something wrong, yet she couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it. It was such a strange feeling, like she had broken through that safety barrier that always kept her grounded and sane.
Once she put some distance between herself and the damn café, she turned into an alley and leaned against the wall. She noticed her breath was still heavy, her thighs trembling, and goosebumps covered her arms. Something silly was happening deep in her stomach, too, but she tried to ignore it. She couldn't help but wonder if this was how it'd be every damn time she stepped into that office as someone in charge. Would that adrenaline rush always be pulsing through her veins? Keeping her on edge, a constant reminder that she was living in someone else's skin?
Carmen's thoughts had barely flourished when she heard a car pull up to her right. Instinctively, she turned her head to look what it was about, only for her poor heart to skip a beat as she found Ronin smacking the door shut of his car and heading in her direction as if he had murder in his mind.
Carmen peeled her back off the wall and pinched her brows, instinctively taking a few steps backwards as if afraid he would hit her.
Ronin had never ever laid a hand on her. Never. In fact, he never really struck her as someone who would hit a woman. Not when she had watched him doing everything in his strength to protect her from Simon's madness. But this odd dread that suddenly boiled in the pit of her stomach and rose in her chest, she couldn't explain it. It happened so fast...
"What the hell did you mean by that?" He was practically seething, but more so, he looked confused like anything. But then, maybe he noticed something in her stance and his tightly wounded shoulders eased a little. The hard muscles across his face relaxed and his eyes softened. "Carmen?" he reached forward to touch her arm. "Are you okay? You look..."
He was about to say when something warm and boiling shot up her chest and before she knew it, she was spinning around with the speed of light and throwing up as if her guts were trying to escape her body.
With her hand on the wall, Carmen felt her eyes water and her chest burn, as she leaned forward and felt like she was about to die right then and there. She couldn't stop herself from hurling everything she might have eaten this morning. Such a bizarre thing to happen to her out of absolutely nowhere.
But then, a hand that wasn't hers, planted itself on her back and rubbed her in small circles. Carmen knew it was Ronin. She could feel him, see him from the corner of her eyes, but was helpless to tell him to stay away. Why wasn't he moving away? He should be running for the hills right about now, shouldn't he?
"It's okay," She heard him whisper under his breath, as she felt his other hand reaching from around her, drawing her hair behind her shoulder and muttering something in such a way, she was reminded of all those times her dad took care of her when she was little and sick. She remembered how he would stay up all night, check her temperature, ensure she was hydrated, and make sure she took her medicine on time. It reminded her of how little she had done to repay him for his kindness, care, and love.
After what felt like an eternity, the violent wave of nausea subsided, leaving her feeling weak and shaky. She leaned against the wall, still trying to catch her breath and regain her composure.
To her surprise, Ronin stayed beside her, his hand now resting gently on her shoulder.
"You okay now?" he asked softly—maybe a little too gently—his face pinched with the kind of concern she had never seen on him before.
Carmen nodded weakly, swallowing, unable to form coherent words just yet. She glanced at him, tears still blurring her vision and racing down her eyes. She wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve.
God, this was so embarrassing.
"I... I don't know what happened. I've never... never felt like this before."
"Hey, it's fine..." he reassured her, not allowing her to apologize for something she couldn't control.
She sucked in her lips and looked away, her face heating up.
What she hadn't expected next was for him to step closer and weave his fingers through her hair, the pad of his thumb stroking her cheek gently. "Come on, I'll take you to the doctor. Is there a clinic or hospital nearby?"
"I'm fine, really."
"You don't look fine," he was back to frowning, but it wasn't due to his usual annoyance with the world. It was something else. Something that made no sense at all.
Carmen didn't want to assume that Ronin Logan, the man who had been absolutely cold towards her for as long as she could remember, was warming up to her. It was a thought too strange. Silly, even. Perhaps that was the reason she tried to distance herself from him, hoping to prove that she was actually fine and he had nothing to worry about. If worrying was what he was doing, that is.
But thanks to whatever bug she had gotten, the moment she took another step, her head spun and she staggered a little, not able to help from taking support of the solid wall once again.
Something warm and hard closed around her elbow—additional support she didn't know she needed until it rescued her from taking a fall.
"Shit, you're burning up!" Ronin cursed under his breath, sounding angry, and now even Carmen could feel her whole body temperature rising, not just her face, to the point where she felt like she might spontaneously combust.
Before she could protest, Ronin took matters into his own hands, quite literally.
"We're going to the damn doctor, and if you even think of fighting me on this, Carmen, I swear I'll never fucking forgive you."
In a flash, he scooped her up like she was made of feathers, not caring about the fact that she had just puked her guts out, probably smelled like a dumpster on a hot summer day, and practically jogged out of the alley.
Carmen couldn't believe the turn of events, but she was too weak and disoriented to resist. So, she did what she thought was the most logical thing to do. She dropped her guard, shut her mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck, letting her face fall in the crook of his neck while she struggled to keep her eyes open.
A/N: Oops like Ronin's mask slipped for a moment there :P