by SM Olivier
She stumbled back, barely catching herself from falling over her own feet and landing on the ground once more. I took advantage of her floundering and darted in to place my foot behind her knees as I swept an arm to clothesline her across the chest. I barely skipped back in time to avoid her falling body. She landed on the mat with another thud.
“It’s important to know your opponent's strengths and your weaknesses,” I shouted. “I know a battle on the mats would not be favorable for me. There’s a possibility I can find a submissive hold that may hinder her momentarily, but I’m not willing to put that theory to the test.”
With more speed than I thought she had, she lunged towards me. This time she was able to grab one of my feet as she swept the other leg out from under me. Her foot came out to connect with my inner thigh, and I barely contained the yelp of pain I felt. I heard the crowd react in displeasure.
My training kicked in at the last second as the mat came rushing towards my face. I braced my hands out and pushed my body weight forward, tucking my head to my chest, I continued into the front roll, effectively dislodging her hand from my ankle.
I quickly turned once more, my left leg stinging. I was going to have a bruise there tomorrow, I had no doubt. My lungs were beginning to burn and I was becoming winded. My cockiness and her unexpected attack were catching up to me.
“Beast, beast, beast,” I heard Sylvia’s distinct voice begin to chant.
It caught on in seconds, as my brother’s voice joined hers, followed by others. I smiled. My opponent sneered. She rushed, and I looked for my opening. A double roundhouse kick, followed by a spinning hook kick, grazed the side of her head.
A shrill whistle blew, indicating the end of the match, but she continued to charge. She grabbed me by the waist and pushed me down with her full body weight. Without a doubt, she outweighed me by at least thirty pounds, but I was sure it was all substantial muscle weight.
I felt the wind get knocked out of me and landed hard against the mat. Her face was full of fury as she snarled down at me. I had humiliated her. She cocked her fist back, aiming it to my face, and I barely had time to move my head from her intended target. Her knuckle grazed my cheekbone, and I felt the sharp pain radiate through my head. I gritted my teeth to keep from crying out.
The whistles continued to blow. She cocked her hand back again. I knew I had to jump into action and fast. Several things happened simultaneously; I was able to scissors her knees between my thighs and twist with all my might, at the same time, two men looped their arms under her armpits and pulled her up and off me. She cried out as I pulled one way, and the men pulled her the other way.
I was pretty sure I jacked up her knee.
Chapter 3
“You were like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Bruce Lee wrapped up in one,” Sylvia gushed as she swung her legs back and forth. “Maybe you’re their love child!”
I snorted and shook my head.
After the fight was broken up, Sergeant Major rushed me to the nurse's office as the JOpS took care of their angry, insolent, wounded teammate. I was given two ice packs, one for the nasty welt on the inside of my thigh and one for the bruise forming on my cheekbone.
I hadn’t even realized the bitch had a ring on. It had caught my skin, and what I had thought was sweat coursing down my face, had actually been my blood.
Now that the adrenaline was leaving my body, I was in pain.
I told Sergeant Major that stitches weren’t necessary and just asked for the ice packs to go. We were now sitting in the back of my pick-up truck while we waited for BJ to grab his bags. Well, technically, I was lying down.
It was a beautiful spring day, and I wanted the fresh air. It was a little too warm in the cab of my truck, and I liked the feeling of the sun on my skin.
“Mission accomplished,” I joked sarcastically. “I always wanted to be their love child.”
“Seriously,” Sylvia prattled on. “Where the hell did you learn some of that shit? Nowhere in the sparring guide book is front handsprings off your opponent’s back permissible.”
“Muscle memory, cockiness, demonstration teams,” I said wearily. “You forget I did gymnastics for years, and the demonstration team is all about showing off.”
I knew Sylvia meant well, but my head was beginning to ache. I wanted to ask her to quit talking for a little while, but I knew this was how she coped with stress. She had been worried about me. Where I became silent when stressed, she talked incessantly. It was who we were. I was okay with that. She was the yin to my yang.
“Harrison,” I heard a man call.
“Holy hotness times three,” Sylvia yelped.
I bit back my groan as I sat up. I had to school my features as I noticed Tacka and two other attractive males coming towards us. I recognized the average height and built body of the blond guy who I first saw sparring with the cadet. He had smiling blue eyes and looked like he would be easy to talk to. His other companion was taller and slim. He was dark where his friend was light, but his face was just as open.
They were cute, hot even, so why didn’t they garner the same reaction Tacka had given me? I stuffed that in my To be Examined Later file as I realized what I was wearing—or should I say, what I wasn’t wearing.
I really wish I hadn’t been too lazy to grab another shirt. As it was, I was sitting in just my sports bra and yoga shorts. The ice pack had gotten cold on my face, and I had wrapped it in my shirt.
By the smirks on the men's faces, they had heard Sylvia’s comment. Tacka's face, like earlier, was impassive.
I looked over at Sylvia, hoping to hide some of my embarrassment. “You know they heard you, right?” I murmured.
“Oh, I know,” she nearly shouted with a broad smile. “But Tacka shot me down, finals are over, and I haven’t hooked up with anyone in like…” She looked up as if she were searching deep into her memory banks. “…three months. I need to blow off this extra steam, and you know I have a weakness for men in uniform!”
Sometimes I wished I could embrace my sexuality as she did or, at the very least, separate the action from my heart. I missed sex. Like, really, really missed it. The problem was, I hated casual hookups. I’d been there, done that, and despised it.
To Sylvia, the act was as normal as breathing. I could swear sometimes she was a man, with the way she treated most of the guys in her life as a once and done. She had a list of guys she might visit for seconds or thirds, but she always kept them at arm’s length, saying she was in pursuit of the “authentic college experience.”
I snorted as the guys didn’t even try to hide their broad smiles. “Filter, Syl, filter.”
“None, Ave, none,” she retorted back immediately with zero shame. Zero!
“Hi,” Blondie said, extending his hand to me first before taking Sylvia’s hand with a receptive smile. By Sylvia’s giggle, I knew he hadn’t just shaken her hand. “I’m Cal, and this is my teammate Joe.” He indicated the tall, slim, dark-haired guy before he tilted his head over towards Tacka. “And I guess you already met Axel.”
Tacka, or should I say Axel, cleared his throat.
Cal rolled his eyes. “Anyways, how are you doing… Harrison?”
“I’m Sylvia, and this is Avery,” Sylvia immediately informed him. “We don’t go by the last names like ya’ll do. And she’s doing better now that you guys are here!”
Cal smiled at her once more before looking over at me, and I realized he was still expecting an answer from me.
“I’ve been through worse,” I said honestly, dropping the ice pack from my cheek. “It’ll heal in no time.”
Joe frowned before he reached for my face. Axel cleared his throat once more, and Joe quickly withdrew his hand after giving Axel an indecipherable look.
“We apologize for Burns,” Joe said, looking back at me again. “It’s hard to acclimate to our real-life when we return. Our last tour was hard on her, and she reacted inappropriately. Rest assured, as her team lead, I’ll be handling the
situation.”
I looked at them in confusion. Axel hadn’t even said a word to either man, yet they both seemed to be listening to him. If Joe was the team lead, why did he seem to hold Axel in a higher position? Even if Axel was a team leader, was he in a more elevated place of power than Joe?
I shrugged. I could empathize with Burns. My dad was strong and very private, but I knew he suffered from PTSD. He never spoke about it, but I saw the signs. I had heard him cry out in the middle of the night before Steph entered the picture.
I still didn’t respect Burns, though. I believed she had character flaws that couldn’t be attributed to possible transition issues. She seemed to enjoy the humiliation of cadets too much. PTSD and transitioning back to normal life screwed with your psyche and could make you act out of character but not in the way she had with the cadet.
“It’s all good,” I finally said when I noticed they were all staring at me. “Honestly,” I said, holding up my hands. I bit back a sigh of frustration when I noticed their gazes linger on my breasts. FML. I didn’t think that action through. I felt my cheeks warm before I mumbled. “I’ve been an athlete since I was three. I’m used to pain now. She barely touched me. I’m okay.”
“Sergeant Major said you were part of the National Team. What team is that?” Cal asked.
I looked over at Sylvia with a faint grin. I’d sic my mouth dog− not to be confused with guard dog− on them. She loved talking, and I wasn’t in the mood.
“It means,” Sylvia smiled at me, understanding me with zero words spoken. “That we are this close to the USA Olympic team in Tae Kwon Do!” she enthused as she held up her thumb and pointer finger about one inch apart.
“You’re a fighter too?” Joe asked her with renewed interest.
Sylvia laughed, not in the least put-out. “Nope,” she enthused, popping the P. “I compete in the poomsaes or forms.”
She hopped up, brought out her phone, and began showing them a video she had of herself doing poomsaes. It was a series of beautiful, precise, powerful techniques using defense and attacking movements. It had a specific pattern to it, and you had to execute each move flawlessly. To me, it looked like a dance as she performed it. She made it look so stunning and natural.
I was good at doing my poomsaes, but Sylvia was terrific.
Joe and Cal hovered close beside her as she showed them the video, and I could see her reveling in their closeness. The guys seemed just as impressed, and Cal and Joe even clapped for her when the video was over. Sylvia beamed and dropped into an exaggerated curtsy. I smiled and shook my head at her as the guys laughed at her antics.
“Which way are you headed tonight?” Cal suddenly asked Sylvia as he pulled out his phone.
“Woodmore, right now. Not sure where we’re headed tonight.” Sylvia smiled coyly as she played with her phone.
“No way,” Joe said in surprise before he turned to Axel. “Isn’t that where Cavalier's parents live?”
Axel gave him a raised brow.
I chose to close my eyes and lay back down. One− I breathed in− I deserved better. Two− I breathed out− I was stronger than this. Three, nothing could hurt me if I didn’t let it. Four, everything happened for a reason. Five, patience was a virtue. Six, three months. Seven, my new life began in three months, and whether I made the Olympics or not, it was a new experience not associated with the Cavalier family in any way.
I continued to do my breathing exercises and affirmations as I vaguely heard them talking around me.
“We know Corbin!” Sylvia enthused. “He lives right down the street from where we’re heading.”
“Small world,” Cal said. “Let me put my number in your phone. Text me, let’s get together tonight.”
“Avery, are you coming?” Joe asked.
“Avery!” Sylvia yelled at me.
I had to wait for my brain to process everything that had been said. “I have a little boy at home. I promised him pizza, movies, and PJs,” I replied, opening my eyes as I looked up to the sky.
“He’s not your son.” Sylvia sighed. “He’s your stepbrother.”
“I have to wash my hair,” I said next without skipping a beat.
“It won’t take you long, plus it’s time to get you laid, too. It’s been too long for you. It’s time to exorcise the demons,” Sylvia cajoled loudly.
“I need to see a priest, then. Wait… I’m not Catholic.” I frowned. “Do pastor’s exorcize demons?”
“They’re not real demons. It’s time to get under someone to get over him,” she nearly whined. “We need to go out.”
We had played this game for too long. She was getting better. I allowed her to drag me around in months four and five of AT− or After Trevor. I hadn’t liked who I’d become and the danger it put me in, so I began coming up with excuses for why I couldn’t accompany her when she was on the prowl. I prided myself on being able to think quickly on my feet and finally stumping her. Unfortunately, she was catching on.
I had to act and say outrageous things to stun her into silence.
“Can’t.” I sighed, closing my eyes. “I like it on top, so if he’s over me, it’ll only make me claustrophobic.”
“You can ride me,” Joe immediately volunteered before I heard a loud oompf as if he had been hit.
Dammit. That backfired! Time to roll with the punches.
“Ran out of quarters to ride,” I deadpanned. “Have you ever been to a Meijer’s? Did you know that you can ride a horse for a penny? A penny!” I exclaimed excitedly. “Who doesn’t have a penny? One time, I rode one sixteen times before the manager asked me to leave. And I had eleven more pennies in my pocket!”
“Umm, are you sure you’re okay?” Cal asked with a frown in his voice. “Did you hit your head?”
“Don’t let her fool you!” Sylvia cried in frustration. “She acts crazy to deter men from coming onto her. Avery didn’t have eleven more pennies. She only had two left. She got kicked out because she was blasting Big and Rich’s song, Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy on her phone! There were kids around, some of them were waiting for their turn. It really wasn’t appropriate, and the parents were getting upset!”
I had to bite my lip from laughing. Now Sylvia sounded crazy. The incident in question occurred in month five of AT, and I had been really, really intoxicated. The guys we had hooked up with that night wanted to take a road trip. Next thing I knew, we were on the road, stopping at places we had never been, and drinking heavily. Our DD… I shut down my thoughts. No, just no. Happy thoughts.
Joe and Cal began to laugh. “Most guys don’t like crazy,” Cal admitted with a laugh. “But you forget you’re talking to JOpS. We bask in crazy! We’re the kings of insanity!”
I sighed. Damn. It hadn’t worked. And who liked crazy?
“Thanks for the invite, but I’m seeing someone.” I feigned a look of contriteness.
“Who? You’re not seeing someone! Come out with us,” Sylvia insisted.
“Oh look, there he comes now,” I looked over at BJ as he approached us with one of his friends.
“You’re not seeing anyone,” Sylvia said in exasperation.
“Am too,” I deadpanned. “It’s new.”
“Are not. I would have known it.” Sylvia stuck her hands on her waist.
“Am too,” I continued.
“Bravo, let’s roll,” Axel spoke in clipped tones. His unnerving gaze was no longer on me, but it didn’t make me feel as good as I thought it would.
“I’m gonna have to bail out tonight, guys,” I looked over at Cal and Joe with feigned remorse, trying to avoid Axel’s piercing gaze.
“You better be good to her,” I insisted. “If you hurt her or push her into something she’s not ready for, I’ll hunt you down. I know things!” I did my best mean mug.
The guys looked like they didn’t know how to behave with my erratic behavior.
“Seriously, guys, ignore her,” Sylvia pleaded. “She’s a fighter. I lost count how many times she has
been hit in the head. Text me, Cal, and we’ll get together.” Then she gently began to push me towards the truck
“It’s the eye of the tiger,” I began to belt out, just to mess with Sylvia further. “It’s the thrill of the fig-”
Sylvia clapped her hand over my mouth. “She’s had concussions!”
One! I’d had just one. I wanted to refute her statement, but my mouth was still being covered.
“I’ll text you in like an hour,” Cal stated with a laugh. “Soon as I find out the plans, I’ll let you know. You don’t mind hanging with a group of us, do you?”
“The more the merrier.” Sylvia grinned as she leaned over me, releasing her hand.
“The more the merrier. Get it? Wink. Wink,” I yelled before she dove on me to cover my mouth once more.
“Ready, ladies?” BJ asked in confusion as the guys passed him. “Ave, do you mind if we drop Reid off down the road? He needs to pick his vehicle up.”
I immediately hopped up. “Let's go! I’m thinking of pizza.” I didn’t bother climbing down from the tailgate. Instead, I launched myself off the side, further away from them. I winced in regret as my wounded thigh struck the truck.
“You okay?” I heard BJ and his friend ask as Sylvia snorted.
I cringed, feeling embarrassed for my lack of finesse. I handed BJ my keys as he threw his arm over my shoulder. “Just wounded my pride.” I laughed, belittling myself.
“Hi, I’m Reid,” Reid held out his hand, and I had to admit he was a good looking guy. “It’s great to meet you finally.”
I smiled up at him as I took his hand. “Likewise. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”
Reid was like a big brother to BJ. He had taken my brother under his wing years ago and was trying to convince him to attend the college next door. We were supposed to meet on several occasions, but things always seemed to come up.
