I Can Feel You

Chapter 15

Kate and I looked at each other with measuring gaze, waiting for each other's next move. We spot each other moving in circles, staring. Unlike my stance, she looks relaxed but I know she's ready to attack at any given second.

Both having defensive styles, waiting for whoever will make the first move is tough. Knowing she wouldn't do it; I took a big step forward and feigned a punch but then using the momentum to turn around and land a kick.

Unfortunately, she was quick enough to dodge it, not enough damage but enough to keep the momentum. Not even a second later she swung a kick, I barely dodge it by hair. She stared at me then smirked, she then launched at me.

She lifted her leg fully ready to drop a full house kick, I braced my self and guarded my face. "Shit" it was fake, instead she punched me to my gut. It doesn't hurt as much as a real one but shit.

I stepped back, she's staring at me amused "You're really good at those, Kate" she smiled. "You'll get a price if you beat me" I don't want to, "Oh, is the lioness scared?" she teased "try me"

I fixed my stance, I am calm. She went for another attack, this time I didn't wait and just kicked. Our feet clashed and I was quick to turn around and land another kick. I threw a punch but she ducked effectively dodging it.

She tried to punch me but I caught her hand. She kicked me on my side freeing her hand, she put distance between us but I'm not back down. I lunged and landed and flying kick ending the fight with my stance.

"Whoa my love, that's...amazing" I turned to the door and saw my girlfriend looking at me with awe. "Hey" I greeted, she just smiled. I took at towel first and wiped myself before going near her.

"Did you just get here?" she nodded taking the towel from me and wiping my sweat with it "My love, that's crazy what you just did" I chuckled.

We settled after a while; I'm going to teach her today. She told me to rest for a bit while she changed clothes in the locker area and I agreed. We are currently at my condo building's gym and it's fully equipped and has a huge space. There's usually a lot of people here in the morning but not so much in the afternoon, though some people still come at night.

There's two people working out earlier when I got here but soon enough, they finished their sets and left. We stepped on the open area first and I let her stretch; she's only wearing a t-shirt right now and a comfy sport short.

"Baby, do you have any background on this?" I said standing behind her "Not really", I nodded. "Should we start from the basics?" she happily agreed. I lead her to the punching bag, "Let's start with punching"

I grabbed and hand wrap and gently fixed it on her hands. "Okay, try it" I said raising my hands in front of her, she just looked at me "Punch me" she fixed her stance leading on her left side.

She stared at me intensely and then she swung, using the momentum from her waist she put her body weight on that right hook. It fucking hurt. "I thought you didn't have any background on this? Your form is great and the punch was really strong"

She just smiled proudly "Anime" huh, peculiar but not surprising honestly. I gave her gloves and let her practice on the punching bag first. She's pretty good but it definitely needs some polishing.

Eventually, I grabbed some mitts and we went on the ring. She practiced hitting the mitts and then dodging, she was pretty slow at first but then started to get the hang of it. Since, I'm satisfied with where we are, I figured we could take a break.

"Baby, let's take a water break" she nodded and I help her remove the gloves "Are you feeling okay" she's a bit sweaty but still pretty "Yeah, I'm good". We sat on the bench and rested for about 5 minutes.

We take 5-minute intervals after every 10 minutes. "We'll learn footwork next" I suggested and she look very hesitant but didn't complain.

We went back on the ring and I began teaching her the most basic foot works, "It's always important to move around, makes it easier for you to dodge and counterattack" I reminded I told her to try it and she almost tripped.

This are very simple footwork, just the 4 directions back and forth. "No, look what I'm doing" then I demonstrated it, she tried and it was okay. It was very sluggish, I thought she'd pick up the pace but she didn't. "Do it again but faster"

She obliged but now she kept failing miserably, she's tripping on her own foot and losing balance. I can't tell if she's doing this on purpose; before I realized it, 10 minutes is up and we went to take our 5-minute break.

I'm not the most patient person, but I tend to have more tolerance towards my girlfriend. But now that she can't even do something that simple frustrates me, we were doing so well. "My love, should we try again?" I shook my head "No, let's skip it. Let's go with kicking"

"Oh okay" I instructed her to kick me and she did, not gonna lie she punch harder than she kicks. It doesn't make any sense. "Why don't you try practicing on the punching bag first?" I suggested but she immediately refused "Can't I just kick in the air first?"

This annoyed me, she had to learn to kick with a target first before moving to shadow kicking. "Fine" I sat back on the bench and watch her. I can't help but wonder if she's playing with me. I have no idea what she's doing.

She's lifting her legs in the worse way possible, it's not that high and she couldn't even get it straight. Eventually I got sick of watching and went towards her. I grabbed her waist "lift your leg" she did but just waist high, "Higher" "Annie I can't" I grabbed her leg and lifted it myself "Raise it higher"

"Annie, it hurts, what are you doing?!" I let go of her leg and she took a few steps back "No, what are you doing? Look at your form it's so flimsy it's ridiculous. You couldn't even lift your leg properly" I snapped back

She looked shocked at my outburst; she can't keep making mistakes like this. She's lucky, because if it was me, I would've been beaten with sticks. "What's wrong with you" she muttered under her breath.

She seemed to snap out of it "I'm not that flexible and you know damn well this is my first time doing this" I heaved a breath "Right, I forgot you two are very different after all" I can see the sadness in her expression as I said those words.

We are engulfed with silence. I could barely look at her, she went to the bench and packed her things "I injured my leg years ago, it never fully healed. Even my walk is affected by it, this is one of my biggest insecurity" she wore her bag on her shoulder.

"This was a bad idea after all. I think we've done enough for today, I'm going home" Then she headed for the door "Wait!" I called out she stopped at the doorway "At least let me take you home" she nodded.

I immediately gathered my stuff and followed her, we changed clothes at my condo. Our drive was very silent but the atmosphere is very thick and heavy. In that small car, I feel like there's a huge wall between us.

I stopped near her house; she grabbed her bag "be careful" she says before getting out and walking home. I just knew how much I fucked up.