Blaise Evans hasn't been back to Adair, Kentucky in eleven years, but finds herself in her rural Kentucky hometown after a series of tragic circumstances and unforeseen surprises. At only nineteen years old, she is doing her best to balance family...
Nothing takes the edge off a hard day quite like kicking the shit out of something. I set my feet, take a deep breath, and execute a perfect combination. I can't help but grin as the tension rolls off my body and the snapping sound of my strikes against the heavy bag echo through the room. I look up at the six pairs of eyes fixated on me.
"See? It's all in the form. Again!"
The six women standing in front of me in two crooked lines simultaneously execute push-kick-punch combinations on the heavy bags before them.
"Better." I walk behind Sienna and pull her shoulders back. "Imagine this is a man. Imagine you're smaller and physically weaker than your opponent. Your form has to be perfect so you can leverage all the power you have." I move to the right and tap Carmen's elbow. She sticks her tongue out at me before she brings her left hand up to the side of her face, protecting her neck and cheekbone.
"Again!" I instruct, but I'm distracted by the sound of my cell phone chiming from somewhere deep in the abyss of my oversized tote bag. I glance at the clock and confirm its time for class to end before jogging to the edge of the mat, the sound of flesh striking leather echoing throughout the gym.
"That's good for today. Good work, ladies." I retrieve my phone with Carmen on my heels.
"Want to go out tonight? Everyone's back in town for winter break," She gives me a wide grin and an enthusiastic head nod. I pull the edge of my old, worn Army P.T. shirt up to wipe the perspiration from my brow. I catch an unfortunate whiff of my own odor, a disgusting combination of greasy-spoon diner and dirty gym sweat. I know by the time I get home and shower, I'll be too tired for pants or a bra.
"It's been a kind of a long day. Maybe another night."
"You always say that. And tonight is not just any night." She juts her bottom lip out and raises her eyebrows. I'm not persuaded. "And I'm only in town for a few more weeks before I have to go back to school. I can't believe winter break is almost over." She pouts again, but I refuse to feel any sympathy for her. As much as she complains about the communal showers in the dorm, I know she's having a blast living on campus. Who wouldn't?
My fingers finally brush against vibrating, hard plastic. I pull the phone from the bag and unlock it.
"Your dad?" she asks. I hate the sadness in her tone and sympathy in her eyes. I shake my head and look down at the phone in my hand. I can't help but smile when I see Wyatt's name on the screen.
"So not your dad," she says, her eyes still on my face. "It's Wyatt, isn't it?" She wiggles her eyebrows, pushes on her tip toes and angles her head toward my screen. Nosy.
"Yes, and it's not like that, so don't give me that look."
"Sure," she laughs and rolls her eyes. "He's hot and single. You're hot and single. I don't see the issue."
I'd be lying of I said its not something I've considered. Especially since he's been such a shameless flirt recently. But it would be weird. "Um, for starters, he's hundreds of miles away. And he's practically family."
"Well, we're all meeting at the brewery on Taft at ten. Let me know if you change your mind."
I wait until she leaves before I sit on the edge of the mat, fold my legs underneath me and read his message.
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