Chapter 10: Chapter 10
It's dark and late once I make my way through the front door, trying to be as quiet as possible. I shuffle in and close the door over, the soft click filling the silence in the air.
"Where the hell have you been?"
I jump out of my skin, clutching my heart dramatically. I definitely wasn't expecting that...
I whirl around to find Micah perched on the end of the couch, his arms crossed over his chest. He's glaring at me, eyes narrowed and even though the room is dark, I can see how annoyed he is.
"I was out with Calvin and his friend, Zack." I say, dropping my bag down onto the floor. Micah doesn't reply but his eyes narrow further. I ignore him and signal at the stairs --
"The parents asleep?" I ask, ignoring his burning stare.
All he gives me is one nod in return.
"What did you find out?" He says bluntly, remaining rooted to the spot.
I walk past him, heading for the kitchen.
"Not much. I'm still working on gaining his trust, it's not easy." I respond, pulling open the fridge door. The light inside flickers on, illuminating my face as I search the contents.
"Did you find anything today?" I ask, turning around and grabbing an apple from the counter instead. I take a huge bite from it whilst waiting for Micah to answer me.
"No."
He begins to walk up the stairs and I frown at his blunt response. His face is permanently twisted into a scowl and I stop him as he's halfway up.
"What's wrong with you? Is this about me skipping practice? I'll wake up at six to train with you, it's no biggie." I shrug, keeping my voice down. I don't want to wake my fake parents. Micah lets out a grunt like response --
"I'll see you tomorrow, four am. Bright and early."
He continues to walk up the stairs and as his words register through my mind, I groan.
"Four? Are you serious?"
"Deadly." Micah shoots back before disappearing. I drop myself down onto the couch, taking another bite of my apple.
"Idiot," I grumble under my breath. I glanced down at my watch to find it was already midnight. During training in the FBI headquarters, we woke at the crack of dawn to train all day but during missions, I prefer to lie in. With Micah, that doesn't seem possible. I don't see the point in making my way upstairs to sleep so instead, I kick off my boots and get comfortable.
*****
In my sleep, I hear the water tap running and the lightest patter of feet coming towards me. It's barely audible but I'm expected to have excellent hearing. During my time on the streets, I had to sleep with one eye open so when I can feel Micah standing over me, I attack.
My eyes fling open and I spring off the couch, grabbing hold of his wrist and flicking it backward. The glass of water in his hand lands directly in his surprised face and I chuckle, dusting my hands off. I get a scowl in return --
"Fuck Hunter, I wasn't going to drown you in water." Micah mutters, wiping water away from his face. I raise one eyebrow, running a hand through my dark hair --
"Please. Tell me with a straight face that you weren't going to wake me up with a glass of water to the face. It's the oldest trick in the book." I smirk before yawning loudly. I head for the kitchen and begin to make a coffee. I've had over three and a half hours sleep but it would have to do.
"I sometimes forget that you actually have a small percentage of brain in there." Micah teases, pulling open the cupboard door and grabbing two mugs. He places them down in front of me, standing directly beside me. Despite the lack of sleep he's had, he looks fresh and wide awake. His dark hair that's ruffled on top of his head is the only indication that he's been sleeping. I reach up and run my hand through it, taking him by surprise.
"Haha, funny bedhead." I say sarcastically, yawning behind my hand again. I rub my eyes with my hands and let out a small groan because I'm utterly exhausted.
"Eat a banana, it'll give you energy." Micah says, tossing a large one in my direction. I catch it one handed and give him a thumbs up in return because I'm too tired to form words.
"Can you go easy on me today?" I ask sleepily, dropping myself down on one of the kitchen chairs. Micah shoots me a smirk, his dark eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit kitchen. I swear, he feels pleasure from my pain.
"When have I ever gone easy on you Hunter?"
His words are spoken in a hushed tone right behind me and I close my eyes, resting my chin on my hands.
"Asshole." I mutter.
He chuckles quietly as he places the coffee down in front of me.
"Drink up princess."
*****
I pant over and over again, resting my hands on my knees as I stare down Micah. He's jumping around me, his fists raised and ready to attack. A look of concentration is fixed on his face mixed with a smug smirk. I know he's loving every second of this. We're currently training on an abandoned roof of a warehouse. The floor is flat, away from prying eyes and the sun is only just beginning to rise.
"Are we done yet?" I gasp, the feeling of my clothes sticking uncomfortably due to my sweating.
"You wish, attack me Hunter." Micah says, his eyes dropping down my body.
The zip on my jacket has been pulled down, exposing the top of my sports bra and bare skin. Despite him being my trainer, he's also a teenage boy and I know exactly how his mind works. I decide to use it to my advantage and I walk towards him before pausing. I hold my finger up, signalling for him to pause.
"I need to fasten my shoe lace," I say, bending down and fiddling with them. I glance at him from under my lashes and find his eyes directly where I wanted them. Bullseye. The urge to smirk and chuckle with victory is too much but I keep a straight face.
"My eyes are up here Micah." I smirk, swinging my legs underneath me and striking for the bottom of his legs. They immediately give out underneath him and I pounce from the floor onto my feet. Micah lands hard onto the floor, letting out a small groan. I take it as my chance to get payback and so I strike him repeatedly, earning several other groans of pain from him.
On one blow, he blocks it with his arm and grabs my other arm with his free hand. He pulls me forward and my entire body somersaults through the air, landing opposite him. I land in a crouch position on my feet and whirl around, ready to block out his strikes.
When my eyes land on him, I'm taken aback by surprise. He's still lying flat on the floor, his chest rising and falling heavily. I can hear small noises of pain coming from him and an un-familiar feeling of panic and fear fills my chest.
"Micah?" I say quietly, inching towards him. He doesn't acknowledge my voice and continues to breathe deeply.
"Did I hurt you? Micah?" I say, my voice wobbling slightly.
I stand to my feet and walk over to him, my heart pounding in my chest the entire time. I've never seen him like this. He only ever remains on the floor for a few seconds, constantly hiding his pain. I approach him and bend down, desperately trying to figure out where the pain is coming from.
"Micah, talk to me." I mumble, slapping his cheek lightly. His eyes are fluttered closed, dark lashes fanning across his skin. I inch closer to try and listen to his breathing and heartbeat, decide whether it's irregular. As soon as I'm close enough to inhale his scent, his arms swings out, taking me completely by surprise. He grabs onto my entire body, slamming me into the floor so I land on my back. The entire time, he never lets go and ends up straddling me, pinning my arms above my head.
"Two can play at that game Hunter," Micah smirks, brown eyes shining in victory.
I clench my jaw angrily and struggle against his tight hold but it's no use, he's got hold of both my arms and pinned down the rest of my body with his.
"Get off me! That wasn't cool, you idiot!" I yell, struggling to free myself.
The hold on my arm almost comes loose and Micah applies more force, grunting from the effort of keeping me still. His body hovers over mine, inches away but he turns his face so his mouth is aligned with my ear. His scent smacks me in the face and I can't decide whether I want to be breathe it in or be sick.
"You tricked me!"
"You tricked me too," Micah shoots back instantly, his voice travelling down my ear. I stop struggling but my breathing is heavy, pressing against his chest as I inhale and exhale.
"Touché," I mumble unhappily, ignoring the flutter of butterflies in my stomach. We've been in compromising positions before but this one feels different. He has the option to let me go and walk away but he doesn't.
I also have the power to throw him off me if I tried, but I don't.