Hopelessly Devoted

Chapter 27

Chapter 27
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        "Okay coach, what do I do first?" I asked way too excited.

"First, never call me coach again," he started. I smiled awkwardly.

"Second, I'll teach you the move that I did on you yesterday at my car. Come over here," he gestured to the spot right in front of him on the mat.

"Jee sport, not even gonna take me out for drinks first?" I joked, snorting a moment later as I laughed. When he didn't laugh, I just rolled my eyes at his lameness and followed him over

"Okay, now what?" I asked when I got over there. In a flash, he had already gotten me in the arm-lock position that he had me in yesterday. He eased up and I squirmed my way out of his grasp. The electricity fled my body as quickly as it appeared.

"I thought that the purpose of these lessons was to teach me how to do this stuff, not to do it against me," I rolled my eyes and rubbed my wrists.

"The element of surprise is very important in this move- especially since your opponent could be much stronger than you," he stated.

"But if they're stronger than me how will I be able to hold them in place?"

"Well, no matter how strong someone is, if their arms are folded the right way they wont be able to get out of it. Self defense uses more strategy than muscle. There are ways to overpower strength." He explained.

He then told me what to do for the move. It sounded way too complicated for my mind to even begin to grasp. As much as I wanted to just give up and walk out before things got too hard, I stayed.

He told me to try it on him, and that he would take it slow for me. He started with his hand on my right shoulder. I tried not to focus on the electricity that was flowing through me. I took a deep breath, and went for it.

I twisted his arm the way he told me to, but he instantly pulled away, a pained expression on his face as he grunted and nursed his arm.

"Oops.. sorry," I apologized. "I must have twisted the wrong way."

"Still worked.." He said and half-laughed. He put his hand back on my shoulder and we tried again. And again. And again... After about 10 more tries, I finally gave up.

"It's hopeless! There is literally no possible way I'll ever be able to do this!"

"I learned how to do it,"

"That doesn't mean that I can,"

"Yes it does," he said and put his hand on my shoulder again. "Just go slower." I sighed. I went through the moves as slowly as I could. When I got him in the arm lock, I let go and celebrated.

"See?" he asked. "Now just do it a bit faster." I did it again, this time quicker. It got easier and easier each time. After a while, we finally decided that I was good enough at it to give it a break.

"I told you that you could do it," he mocked as he handed me a water. I took a swig of the cool liquid and placed the bottle next to my stuff.

"Yeah, I guess I could." I replied and smiled. He smiled back. For the first time that I could think of, I was looking at Ashton's genuine smile. I had seen him smile when he was with Kevin and Eli, but I always felt like it was never 100% sincere.

"Next time it would probably be easier to use stuff I already know, though," I told him, "I might be less annoying while you're trying to teach me."

"Doubt that," he replied, and I stuck my tongue out at him in response as he stepped towards me with a grin. "But fine, show me what you know."

I was about to clarify that I didn't actually know any moves or anything, when he quickly spun me around and brought me into him. I let out a surprised noise as he wrapped one arm around my chest and the other wrapped around my waist. He held me tight to him, my back pressed against him, as if he was an attacker- but at the moment he was anything but that.