Chapter 49 Chapter 49
Amber
I realized why he didn’t disagree with me as I collapsed on the ground after my last lap. I lay in the mud and dirt that stuck to my clothes because of all the sweat I was drenched in.
Damian made me do nothing except run until my legs couldn’t even hold my weight.
I was wheezing, panting and my legs were burning. All the air in the world was not enough to fill my lungs.
I stared up at the sky that had brightened considerably as the sun had risen up the horizon long ago.
I groaned, curling up on the side, forcing myself to move, to get up. Thankfully, Ellie, Jess and Maya came looking for me but not before they heard him call me all the names in the world.
“Hey, how is the training going?” Ellie asked, glancing from me to Damian.
I only gave her a thumbs up to show all was okay when my entire body felt like it was on fire. I lay there for a good five minutes until I heard the soft sound of footsteps beside me.
Black shoes were directly in front of my eyes and I slowly looked up to see Damian looking down at me.
He squatted down beside me, holding a towel.
“Water” I croaked. “I want water”
But he only held the towel in front of me as if I hadn’t spoken a word.
“I…said…water,” I repeated.
He thrust the towel in my face which I swapped away with my hand. Forcing myself to move, I propped myself up on my elbows, still half lying on the ground and scowled.
“What is…wrong with you?”
I was so fucking tired I couldn’t even shout at him. I was already second guessing my decision of choosing to ask him to instruct me.
“For someone who wants to be a fighter, your stamina is ridiculously low.”
So much for not getting insulted in front of my friends.
I couldn’t tell him my stamina was low because my family wouldn’t let me train or provide me nutritious food. I wasn’t dying but all the protein and meat was usually reserved for the warriors while girls were given fruits at most to keep their cheeks plump.
On top of that, it was incredibly hard to sneak out of my room, find a spot to hide and try to mimic the actions of the warriors training on the ground when any second I would be dragged to embroidery classes or the kitchen to learn cooking.
I was a self taught fighter at best, not that I could tell him any of that.
“At least you could appreciate that I didn’t pass out”
“I do. You are stubbornly annoying”
Despite that jab at me, I felt my heart flutter because his words sounded more like a compliment rather than a snide remark.
My elbows started to shake and I was about to smack my back on the ground but then he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.
I wasn’t prepared for the unexpected touch and my stomach did that odd thing as his face was inches away from mine.
Without taking eyes off me, he grabbed a bottle lying nearby and pushed my fingers open, placing the bottle in it.
“Take slow sips, if you chug down it all at once, you are going to be sick.” He warned.
He could have pulled back if he wanted to. But that bottle fit snugly between the very little space between us.
“You could have said that five minutes ago” I grumbled, taking the bottle and sipping like he told me.
“And you would have listened?” He replied sarcastically.
Point noted.
He then sat back on the ground, watching me as I held the bottle with one hand and wiped my sweaty face with the other.
The sports tee stuck to my body but I would rather do one more lap instead of taking it off and being in front of him just in the sports bra.
I sipped on the water a few more times before handing the bottle back to him.
He got up and offered a hand but I resisted the urge to touch him and shook my head, forcing my legs to move.
It was a catastrophic mistake because I wobbled immediately and would have fallen if not for Damian who grabbed me before that happened.
My tee had ridden up a little and his hand brushed against my bare skin, making me yelp.
The contact had been accidental but it made him step back instantly.
Thankfully, I leaned over to the nearest tree as he stared at me like he had touched a livewire.
I was hurt by the way he shook me off like I was a bug.
“Its not like you have never touched me”
His silver eyes widened a little on hearing that and I realized what a completely inappropriate thing I had said.
But I was too proud to admit a mistake so instead I glared at him.
“What? Did I say something wrong? We touch each other all the time”
Woah, Amber, shut up already my mind was screaming at me.
Ellie squealed beside Maya and Jess, slapping her hands on them as she tried to fan herself. And that is when I recalled we had an audience.
He cocked an eyebrow as if he couldn’t believe what I was saying. I couldn’t either.
I cleared my throat.
“That came out wrong and you know that.” Then I looked at my friends. “Right?”
They all nodded like the three chipmunks, their heads bobbing up and down.
“Yes, totally, absolutely. That’s what happened” Jess said, her eyes dancing between me and Damian.
Ellie was whispering something in Maya’s ears when Damian leveled a gaze at her and she scrambled up.
“Come on, let's go. We are disturbing the lovebirds…eh…I mean the couple..”
Damian’s eyes narrowed and she slapped Jess on the shoulder. “What are you gawking at? We have classes, lets go”
The three hurried away as Damian shook his head, muttering something to himself.
“No need to be rude, they are just scared of you” I jutted my chin up as he turned to look at me.
“That’s one quality of theirs I wished you had” He walked past me, grabbing his stuff and leaving the training pit.
“See you tomorrow then” I called out but he didn’t answer.