by W. A. R.
He swallowed and she chuckled lowly at her friend. “It’s a deal…but you’ll pay for that.”
She bent her knees, sliding her feet apart and balling her fists at her sides. “Bring it on.”
He moved first, rushing forward and sliding to his knees, bringing the crook of his elbow to her knee. She attempted to jump out of the way but he jerked his arm to him, causing her to lose her balance and thud painfully to the ground below her. The wind was knocked out of her when she landed on her chest but she listened for his movements as he stood quickly, turning and readying himself for a blow to her back. She quickly placed her palms on either side of her chest, pressing hard against the dirt to lift herself and turn, swinging her foot around with her, catching him in the hip. He stumbled with her and when she was on her bottom she leaned back, bringing her knees to her chest before kicking him in his thigh. He again stumbled back, barely catching his balance as she rose to her feet. He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. She shrugged her shoulders and began circling him slowly. He copied her movements, one foot sliding in front of the other, every move thought out and balanced. He moved gracefully and she had to admit she enjoyed watching him. She quickly lunged forward, reaching for his wrist as she did so. He expected her to do this and instead snapped his hand around, his fingers gripping at her right arm. He quickly jerked her up to him, pulling her arm up and against her throat. His other hand quickly gripped her right arm and twisted it behind her back. She grimaced, struggling against him. He lowered his head as her mind raced. She leaned into the pain shooting up her arm, angling her back just as she needed.
“I win.” He smiled triumphantly. But he didn’t win, he had only subdued her. Without hesitation she brought her knee up, relying on his hold on her for balance as she did so. Pain jolted her knee as it connected with his mouth and he loosened his grip on her. She twisted, spinning herself from his hold on her. Once free, she shook her arm, the feel of their captivity still evident in her bones. He looked up at her uncertain.
“Not yet you don’t.” she informed him, consistently trying to shake the dull ache from her bones. Her breathing was heavy and her muscles tense. Sweat beaded on her brow and she wiped a few strands of hair from her face quickly.
“Playing hard to get?” he asked of her and she couldn’t resist the next words that came out of her mouth.
“I have for years, or haven’t you noticed that by now?” she teased him, grimacing at the sight of blood that came from the cut on his lip. He bit his lip, bringing his fingers up to his cut and wiping at the blood that dribbled down to his chin. He looked at the blood and then at her, and there was something in his eyes that flared. It was normal for blood to be drawn when they fought like this, but it still didn’t take away the regret, especially since he was still pretty beaten up from their encounter with the Biters. She wanted to apologize but she didn’t get the chance as he put one foot forward and lowered himself, swinging his other foot around him. She jumped, avoiding falling on her back end, and barreled into him, knocking him on his back. He scrambled with her and they rolled, ending with Miles pinning her arms over her head. Dirt coated her face as he straddled her. His breathing was heavy and he stared down at her. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Give in.” he told her, excitement flaming in his eyes. She grit her teeth, attempting to gather whatever strength she had left.
“I take it back. You are infuriating.” She growled before bringing her knee up and hitting him hard in the back. He jerked forward, one hand loosening on her wrist and she brought her elbow up, ramming it into his chest. He immediately loosened his hold on her other arm and she was able to grip his shirt and roll him over. He landed on his back with a loud slap and she scrambled from him before he could lock her in place with his feet. She rushed to stand, watching as he did the same. She smiled at him. She knew that he could easily have had her twice by then, but he let it go, and not because he thought she was weak. He wasn’t taking it easy on her… no…he simply wanted the fight to keep going. She knew this, and ultimately, it was what led to his loss about half the time when he did lose. She had to wonder why he did such a thing.
She ran forward, preparing to attack as she had earlier, feigning a hit to his chest. If she could get his guard down she would have a chance to beat him and she hoped that he would anticipate her move, remembering it from their previous match. To her satisfaction he did and he caught her wrist instead of sidestepping her. He attempted to pull her to him and she used his hold as leverage to spin on the balls of her feet, turning so her back faced his chest. His grip on her tightened and he brought his hand around to her chin, jerking her head back. She dropped her elbow, jamming him in the ribs. He gasped and released her chin. She jerked from his hold and reached back with both hands, gripping the back of his neck. She pulled, kneeling and leaning as she did so, and flipped him over her back. He landed with a thud, knees brought up at an angle. She stepped around him, placing a foot on his chest firmly, pointing a finger at him.
“You lose again.” She informed her breathless opponent. He stared up at her heatedly and she wondered what was on his mind right then. Slowly she removed her foot as he remained silent, staring up at her. She leaned forward, holding her hand out for him. He easily gripped it and allowed her to assist him to his feet. “One day you are going to learn to take me down when you have the chance.” She told him easily. He grinned at her, releasing her hand. He began dusting the dirt from his pants.
“I enjoy the dance.” He told her playfully, never tearing his gaze from her. She shifted on her feet, being the first to look away. It was like a dance for the two of them; they had learned to move together so easily, fluidly moving to accompany one another in their individual quest for control.
“I’m sorry about your lip.” She told him and he jerked his gaze back up to her. She suddenly felt even more heated than she already was from the physical exertion. She looked at him in concern and he straightened his stance, glancing over her head at the people who stood on the porch. He turned back to her, a small smile on the corner of his lips.
“So I’m infuriating now, huh?” he asked of her chuckling, and before she could answer he stepped past her, aiming for the porch. She turned and watched him go. Sometimes that man was a mystery to her. She shook her head, refusing to let her thoughts of him overpower her just then. She would wait until later, when she was alone, when she could try to put those overwhelming and confusing thoughts in order. Slowly turning towards the porch, she followed him as he made his way over to their family. He glanced between Buddy and Katie who stood leaning against the brick wall of the steps and turned to sit next to Elliot on the edge of the porch. Amber lowered her head, watching her heavy steps as she ran a hand over her sweat soaked air. She appreciated putting her body to work, whether it was sparring, gardening, or checking the perimeter. It put her mind at ease, which was exactly what she needed most of the time.
“You think that was fighting?” Buddy asked her in a crisp voice which grated on her nerves. Miles snorted, remembering her earlier words, and tried to cover it with a cough, looking away from her. She placed both hands firmly on her hips. This man was pushing her already tense buttons.
She closed her eyes tiredly and sighed. “What else would you call it?” she asked of him and he scoffed at her, crossing his arms across his chest.
“That wasn’t a real fight.” He simply told her, refusing to answer her question. She clenched her jaw and shifted on her feet. It was real enough to her. She sighed. She wasn’t going to argue with him about his opinion.
“What are your rules? Go ahead and tell me so I can wrap my head around them.” She said sarcastically, changing the subject. She was ready to get their encounter done and over with.
His eyes gleamed with devilishness. “I am not going to be afraid to hit you. Only one rule: anything goes.” He informed her. He was trying to scare her, to anger her. Did he want her to hurt him? What was he trying to prove with all of this? At his words both Miles
and Brian stood, glancing between the two. Their concern stemmed from Amber’s uncertainty.
“I don’t fight out of anger. I don’t fight to hurt people. I fight to defend myself.” She informed him, hoping he understood. And instead, he laughed. He laughed at her. He laughed at everything she stood for and it infuriated her.
“I guess you will just have to defend yourself against me.” He shrugged. Noting her hesitation, he continued. “You in or are you too scared?” he asked of her and she stared hard at him, her heart pounding an angry beat in her chest. There was only one answer to his question. He was trying to prove a point and now, so was she. She had never really had a choice.
“Let’s get this over with.” She growled turning and marching from the porch. She didn’t miss the worried glances from everyone on the porch, but her children were watching and she needed to prove a point. What point would that be? She had to keep reminding herself that her entire point was to prove fighting was for defense, not for anger, not for lashing out. She had never even hit anyone with her fist; not really…she had never had the need to. In the world the way it was, those kids needed to appreciate this little fact alone. Once she reached the patch of grass and dirt where she and Miles had sparred she turned to see him standing across from her, hands in his pockets.
“I was hoping you would win.” He informed her, stepping slowly to the right. She mirrored his movements, keeping him in her sights. He grinned at her and she found it unnerving.
“Why is that?”
“Because you are naïve.” He told her bluntly. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you honestly think that you can make it in this world without hurting someone out of anger? There is nothing wrong with it.”
“Yes there is.” She replied as they continued circling one another. “There is no point in doing it.”
“Everyone has their breaking point.” He replied and she hesitated in her steps. So that was his argument.
“You want to break me? You want me to snap?” she asked of him and he studied her, amusement obvious in his eyes. “It won’t happen.” He was silent for a long moment and tension gripped the air around them. Amber found it hard to breathe. He was going to hurt her, and if she was going to be strong and relay to her children that Buddy was wrong for his actions, then she was going to have to take it with every bit of power she had and try to win without fighting in anger.
“We’ll see about that.” He mumbled maliciously before turning on his heel and surging forward. She quickly sidestepped him, bringing her knee up into his stomach. He doubled over with a grunt and she slammed her elbow into his back. She quickly lowered her foot to the ground as he gasped against the pain. He quickly turned and gripped her ankle, jerking her foot from under her. She didn’t even have time to think before her shoulder slammed into the hard ground. She cried out with the pain but turned and kicked her other foot at his hands that held onto her ankle. She slammed the sole of her shoe into his fingers as hard as she could and the one hand released her. His other hand held her shoe and she quickly jerked her leg back, bending her knee and freeing her foot from the burden. She brought her foot down and kicked her shoe covered foot at his knee cap. He cried out and fell, her shoe flying from his hand and into the yard around them. She quickly scrambled to her feet, her heart racing and her blood roaring in her ears. She rapidly tore her other shoe off and tossed it to the side as he stood, her shoulder crying out at her. He surged forward again, refusing to let her think, to let her breathe. He wanted her angry and out of control and she struggled with keeping it.
She knelt down and met his barreling form, catching him in the middle and flipping him over her shoulder with effort and she was grateful for his momentum. Still, when he fell, he grabbed both of her feet and twisted them, causing her to fall on her chest. She felt the breath leave her lungs and she struggled from his grasp, clutching at the dirt before he could pin her down. She steadied herself on her feet, and when she turned around she was met with a fist to her jaw. Pain blinded her and she fell to her knees, the metallic taste of blood entering her mouth as she bit her cheek. She spit the blood out, attempting to see through the dizziness that enveloped her.
“Get angry.” He taunted her and she heard footsteps hurrying their way. She eased to her feet and he watched her, amused.
“You son of a bitch!” she heard Miles exclaim behind her and she held up a hand to stop him, never taking her eyes from Buddy. She heard Zeus begin barking from inside the house.
“I’m fine. Stay back.” She called over her shoulder and she knew that someone had subdued both Miles and her brother at her words. She didn’t want them to intervene; she couldn’t. She would either win or go down in flames. Either way, it would be on her terms.
“Hit me.” Buddy demanded and she shook her head. Was she angry with him? Yes, of course she was. Could she act on that? She could…but she wasn’t going to. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
“No.” she replied and this seemed to anger him. He brandished a pocket knife and her eyes widened at the sight, sending her already overwhelmed heart into hyper drive.
“Fine. Have it your way.” He said lowly, rushing at her. She jumped to the left falling to her side and rolling but not before the knife slashed at her arm. She cried out and clutched at the wound, blood running between her fingers. She jumped to her feet and narrowly avoided the fist that he drove at her. Before he could straighten his stance, she twisted and kicked him in his ribs, causing him to fall over. He grunted and she rushed forward, not missing the loud commotion coming from behind her. Suddenly, he swung at her and she jumped back, stopping her forward momentum and he stood.
She knew then what she was going to have to do. She was going to have use the same trick she had used on Miles in order to subdue the hand in which he had the knife without actually hitting him. Once the idea was in her head she rushed forward, ignoring the feel of blood on her arm, the taste of it in her mouth; she ignored the steel gaze of his eyes and the yells behind her. She simply let her feet move her, aiming a fist at his chest. He sidestepped her as she had expected and swung his knife to the side, cutting her hip. She ignored it and quickly grasped his wrist, jerking it behind his back. He groaned in pain as she did so. She quickly grabbed the knife from his hand and, applying more pressure to his arm, nearly breaking it, she pressed the knife to his neck. He quit struggling, quit moving.
“Don’t you dare try that shit again.” She growled at him and he chuckled. She was surprised by this and slowly, she eased her hold on him.
“You win. I concede. I can admit when I’m wrong.” He told her sincerely and she released him completely, handing his knife back over to him. She didn’t want to but she felt oddly connected to the man then. He stared hard at her in fascination. “You taught me a lesson today and I am sorry that I hurt you. I just needed to see what kind of person you were.” He told her by way of an apology before he turned and walked past her and to the house. It was that quick, how easily he accepted his defeat and her opinion. After a moment he hesitated and stopped in his tracks, turning to her. “Still, everyone has their breaking point. I can’t wait to see yours.” And with that he turned and continued towards the porch. Amber’s side ached, as did her jaw and arm and she turned her tired eyes to the porch, where Buddy approached them. Brian was rushing to her and George and Derek were holding Miles back as he struggled to attack Buddy.
Brian ran up to her, looking at her bleeding arm. She continued to watch the men at the porch. Her children were seemingly afraid, or worried, she couldn’t tell. She was dumbfounded by his words, or maybe even his impromptu lesson to her; she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that her mind was drawing and the air seemed to growing thicker with tension as Buddy neared the porch.
“Amber , are you alright? Where are you hurt?” Brian asked and she shook her head in response to him as Miles broke free from George and Derek, grabbing Buddy by the collar and slamming his back into the brick column. “Oh shit.” Brian
grumbled before he and Amber both ran as fast as their legs would carry them to the porch.
“What in the hell is your problem?” Miles exclaimed at the man. Miles jerked him forward and slamming him back again, causing Buddy’s head to snap back. Buddy said nothing, he merely watched in amusement as Miles’s anger escalated. He didn’t try to fight back, or even move. He stood, letting Miles belittle him and Amber had to wonder why. Amber struggled between the two, placing a blood covered hand on either man’s chest. Brian and George pulled Miles back as he drilled holes into Buddy with his eyes. Amber sighed, her chest heaving from the previous encounter with Buddy. Her head was pounding. “You bring a knife on her after all we have done for you and your people?”
Buddy shook his head, glancing from Katie to Derek. “They had nothing to do with this. This was strictly my own doing.”
“Then why in the hell did you do it?” Brian asked loudly and Amber continued to stand in front of the man. She wasn’t sure why she was defending him after what he had done…then again; maybe what he had done was exactly what she needed. Maybe she needed to experience the ruthlessness and the pain that he could unbiasedly offer. Were they friends then? She wasn’t sure and she certainly didn’t want to ask.
“She needed to learn to fight through the pain and I needed to be taught a lesson in the type of people you really are.” He said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Miles and grinning. “Ask her yourself.” He said and Amber suddenly felt all eyes turn on her. He knew that she had understood his reasoning, his actions and oddly enough that bothered her. She understood then that whatever had just happened a few yards away between her and Buddy was significant and strictly between the two of them. For some reason he wanted to push her, to test her and see if she would break. She didn’t wonder why he would take that interest in her, and quite frankly she didn’t care what his reasoning was. It was done and over with and nothing they could say or do could change any of it. She shifted on her feet. She didn’t want to discuss what had happened anymore. Instead, she simply wanted to clean herself up and find a way to ease the headache that was slowly coming on. It was a good fight; it had exerted her and forced her to think faster than she had before. She considered it beneficial on both of their parts. He was testing her, and she had obviously passed. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to test her, although he had done so in a Neanderthalistic type of way. From that point on his motives would be questioned and he would be unable to be trusted, regardless of what she said. He knew that. She knew that.