Teach Me to Please | Please Me #1 - Chapter 28: Chapter 28

So, my birthday didn't go as planned. I had a nice night with my parents, but they knew something was wrong. I didn't tell them what because I wanted to have a nice time. They knew I was no longer with Adam and my mom has kept trying to get me to open up about it but every time she tried, I was too tired to talk. I knew it wasn't the healthiest to postpone your problems but sometimes you aren't ready to open up those wounds just yet. I didn't know if I was going to be able to for a while.
"What's the date of the September Massacres?" I asked, lying on a bench with my feet crossed in the air.
"17..." punch, punch, "72." Roman answered. He was training with Jesse in the ring as I worked through some History homework.
I wrote down the answer as Jesse made some side comment about Roman's punches. Roman had already started training with Jesse when I arrived and so I made myself comfortable. He didn't even acknowledge me that much which got on my nerves. Had I done something? Was he okay? I had so many questions that I felt too scared to ask.
As well as that, Roman shirtless, punching the training pads on Jesse's hands, the muscles on his back rippling as his skin gleamed with sweat made it difficult to focus on what I was doing. I held my breath and bit my lip as I watched him, punching ruthlessly into the pads, standing tall, looking as powerful as ever.
"Didn't realise your homework was on Roman's back, Sienna." Jesse called over with a stupid smirk on his face. Tattletale.
I quickly averted my gaze and focused back on what I was doing. Tried to at least. The constant grunts and groans slipping from Roman's mouth as he worked his punches harder was enough to make my legs clench together.
Fuck, I needed to talk to Roman about what was going on with us.
I spent the next hour trying to finish my essay, attempting to put my full time and attention into it but the knowing of the smoking hot boxer several feet away almost forced me to keep stealing glances at him.
By the time I had finished the essay, Jesse had tapped out for a break to get some water, leaving Roman and I and the awkwardness was too much to bear.
"You done?" Roman then turned to ask me. The sweat dripping down his bare chest took my attention before his words did. "Sienna?"
"Erm, yeah." I snapped out of it. "You can check it over if you want." I held up hand up to him in the ring. He nodded, unstrapping his hands from the boxing gloves, wiping them down his gym shorts.
I waited nervously as he took the paper and scanned his eyes across my work. Please say it's good. Please say it's good. Please say it's good.
"It's good." He finally commended. Thank god. I let out a sigh of relief as he handed it back. I couldn't help but want more praise though. Good how? Good excellent? Good decent? Good it's the best essay I've ever read? Why was I overthinking this so much?
"Good how?" stupid, why did you have to ask that? I sound so desperate.
"What d'you mean?" Roman walked away and towards the punching bag set up in the corner of the ring.
"Just like, um, how good is it? Like on a scale of 1-10?" yep, I sounded so desperate.
"I don't know." He chuckled lightly and strapped tape around his knuckles, biting the end off with his teeth. Damn, he could bite my – not now, Sienna.
Was it that bad? Oh my god, it was that bad.
"I like you're writing." He then said as he aimed a punch at the bag.
"My writing?" I questioned.
"Your opinions. Like how you view things. I like it." He aimed another punch.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Thanks." I suddenly felt awkward again. How did I view things? What was so great about it? Why did he like it so much?
Roman threw several more punches to the punching bag, so much so it started to shake from the stand, and I thought it was going to topple over any second even though I knew it was built not to. I watch the frustration relieve from his features as lines of sweat trickle between the muscles on his back.
"You're going to break that thing any minute." I said before I could think. Roman stopped and chuckled.
"That might be the point."
I placed a hand on the thick, rubber ropes lining the ring. "Something bothering you?"
He sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. "I have several things bothering me."
"Like?" I pried.
He sighed once more and cracked the sides of his neck; something was really bothering him. "It's none of your concern. Don't worry about it."
But I would worry. That was the problem.
"You're my concern." I said, once again before I could think but I didn't regret saying it.
He laughed, sarcasm dripping off his tongue, "Since when?"
"Since the deal."
He threw a hard punch at the bag. "My cock is your concern." He threw another ruthless punch. "Not me."
His words made me stagger back a little. Did he really think that? Did he really think that all he was to me was sex?
That was what he was supposed to be.
But we're friends now.
Yeah, friends in secret.
My silence must have guilted him as he apologised. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."
"We're friends, Roman." I clarified. "Whatever's bothering you, you can tell me."
"I know." Was all he said before throwing even more punches. These ones were quick. One after the other. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
I witnessed the stand shake and the rubber bands of the ring wobble. "You really are going to break that thing."
He stopped and turned to me, chuckling lightly. "You want a go?"
I paused and shook my head. "Oh no."
"Why not?" he crossed his arms, flexing his chest.
I decided to be confident, "I'd destroy that thing."
Roman found that amusing and laughed, "Would you now?"
"Oh yeah, totally."
The amusing smile playing on his lips grew as he walked over to the edge where I stood, slowly I might add, so I could admire his gorgeous body.
"Totally." He smiled and held out his hand. Before I even knew what I was doing, I grabbed it and he lifted me up to the ring. What the hell am I doing? That punching bag could destroy me.
"Show me what you've got." He gestured to it. I smiled and flicked my hair over my shoulder but on the inside, I was having a storm of panic. Fuck.
Fixing my posture, I threw the most pathetic punch in the world at the punching back. Roman burst out into laughter, the deep sound vibrating in my belly.
"That was a practice one!" I defended. He kept laughing. "Okay, it wasn't that bad!"
He kept laughing as he answered, "Oh no, it was totally destroying."
I rolled my eyes and huffed, about to walk away in complete embarrassment when he grabbed my hand and pulled me back.
"Hey, I was kidding. C'mon, I'll show you."
I sighed again but easily gave in. He left me in front of the punching bag and stood behind me. "You want to punch like this." He took my hand and put it in the right position. "You never want to wrap your fingers around your thumb. Position it over and behind your fingers." He took my thumb and placed it, so it enveloped my index finger.
"Why can't I wrap my fingers around my thumb?" I asked.
"You'll dislocate it." He took my pinkie and tucked it in. "And don't allow your pinkie to stick out."
"The Queen of England is shaking right now."
He sniggered, "We're boxing, not drinking tea. Squeeze your fist." I did as he said. "Woah, not so hard you cut off your blood circulation. Loosen it a bit." I obeyed. "Good. Drop your wrist a little, so it aligns with your forearm."
"Why?"
"So you don't break your wrist."
"Fair point." I could feel him smile behind me. He helped me align it properly and I let him take control. He seemed to know what he was doing. Yeah, it's not like he's been doing this for years. Shut up.
He told me to throw a punch and I did as hard as I could. It was much better than last time, but it hurt much more.
"That hurt." I complained.
"You're not using the right impact tools. Punch again." I did as he said. It still hurt. "You're twisting your fist in which makes your ring finger knuckle hit the bag first. Here." He covered his hand over mine and directed it to the punching bag. "You need to use the knuckles of your index and middle finger to punch. They're your impact tools."
"Okay." I nodded, ready to give it another go.
"Try again."
I took a deep breath and focused, remembering all he's taught me so far. I threw another hard punch, and it was... good. Holy shit, it was good!
I turned my head back to look at him in pleasant surprise.
"Damn, you should take up a career in boxing."
I chuckled and lightly pushed him. I threw another punch in the bag. Damn, go Sienna!
"Oh yeah?"
"Oh yeah. Super tough."
I smiled and threw another punch in the bag. "Tough enough to take you on."
I looked back and saw him raise an eyebrow, "Oh really?"
Crossing my arms over my chest, I answered, "Really."
He raised both eyebrows and bit his lip to contain his smile. He walked back into the middle of the ring. "Come on then."
Wait, he was seriously asking me to fight him?
"You can't be serious."
"Sienna Callum isn't going back on her word now, is she?" oh he knew how to get to me.
"She isn't." I walked over to where he was. Oh girl, you're about to get crushed. "You better watch out nerd-boy."
"Watching out, pretty-girl." Pretty-girl.
Yep, I was going to die.
Holding my breath, I aimed a punch at his chest only for him to dodge. "That's not fair, you moved!"
"It's called dodging a punch." He chuckled. I threw another punch for him to dodge it again. Bitch. He jerked towards me and I screamed, ultimately falling on my butt.
"Ouch!" I groaned. Roman rushed towards me and helped me up.
"Are you okay?"
"You scared me, you dumbass!"
He laughed and pulled me towards him. "I was giving you a chance to react."
"Well, your chance made me fall on my ass." I narrowed my eyes at him. He stepped back and held his arms out.
"Here, you can hit me. Free pass."
Free pass, I mentally scoffed.
I scowled and threw a punch at his abdomen. Jesus, is he built of bricks or something?
"Okay, so that kinda hurt. Not going to lie." He softly chuckled and rubbed the previously punched area with his hand. "I might have underestimated you."
"Oh really, hmm?" I placed my hands on my hips.
"Yep. Now my turn."
"What – oh my god!" I shrieked as he advanced towards me and picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder. "Roman! Put me down!"
He didn't pay any attention to my shrieks and kept me there.
"You little bitch! Put me –" slap! "Did you just slap my ass?!" I gasped. Slap!
"You have a nice ass." He reasoned.
I narrowed my eyes. Two can play that game. I reached down and slapped his ass. "So do you." I retorted smugly.
"Hmm." He hummed and reached his hand under my top and began tickling my belly. I gasped and shrieked and began kicking my legs.
"You.... Bastard!" I couldn't contain my laughter. "Put.... Me.... Down!"
He picked me off his shoulder, getting access to under my arms and tickled me there. I kicked my feet in the air as he held me around my waist, my back against his chest.
"Put me down!" I shrieked. I should have thought twice before saying that as he plastered me down on the floor, climbing on top of me and ticking me everywhere.
My high-pitched screams and laughs echoed all around the gym as his hands and fingers lightly but somehow roughly tickled me, evoking every piece of laughter I held in my body. I could barely breath, but I didn't want it to stop weirdly enough.
"I've never seen this boxing move before." The voice of Jesse commented as he walked back into the room. Roman paused and immediately got off me, standing up straight. He pulled me up and we waited as Jesse smirked in front of us.
"Then again, I'm pretty sure boxing wasn't the first thing on your mind, huh?" I could feel my face heat up and I knew Roman's was doing the same. For fuck's sake, was this man born with such ironic timing? "You're lucky it was me and not your dad. Hit the showers."
I followed Roman out of the ring.
"Preferably alone, Sienna!" Jesse teasingly called back. Right. Shit.
I turned around and looked at the floor so my bright red face wouldn't show. Shit.
Picking up my books and papers and placing them on the bench, I could feel Jesse by my side. "What d'you want with him?" he asked me.
I looked up to see confusion written all over his face, as if he were trying to understand some crazy equation.
"What d'you mean?" I furrowed a brow.
"With Roman."
"We're just friends –"
"That didn't look like 'just friends' to me." He cut me off.
I turned back to the bench and started packing my bag. "I don't know what you're talking about." I muttered.
"There were girls like you in my high school." Jesse went on to say. "So don't think I don't know what girls like you think of guys like Roman."
"You don't know anything." I argued. Jesse only shook his head and tutted.
"I know that Roman's actually a very sensitive guy and I know that he'd be heartbroken to find out you're just using him."
"I'm not using him."
"Well then you must like him."
"I like him as a friend." I emphasised.
"So then you're using him."
What was his problem? I wasn't using Roman. Was I?
Jesse sighed and walked a little closer. "What I just saw up there wasn't just 'as a friend'. I know it, you know it, and he knows it. So, if all your going to do is keep leading him on, I suggest you leave him alone."
I was taken aback as his sternness before I remembered that he was in the military and intimidation must have been one of his many strengths. However, I couldn't quite believe what he was accusing me off. Using Roman? Leading him on? I wasn't leading him on to anything! Was I? There were no feelings between us besides friendship. An anger suddenly bubbled inside me.
"You don't know anything. There is nothing between Roman and I besides friendship. I know it and he knows it."
Jesse could see the anger firing in my eyes and softened his expression. "Fine." He agreed. "Just... just don't hurt him, Sienna. He feels a lot more than what you think."
I didn't say anything before I turned and left, his words replaying over and over again in my brain.
Just don't hurt him, Sienna. Just don't hurt him.
I wasn't going to hurt him. I would never hurt him.
Entering the men's locker room, clouds of steam filled up the air and I noticed Roman standing in his boxers, combing back his hair.
I coughed to make myself know. He turned around and acknowledged me.
"D'you think Jesse is going to snitch to your dad?" I began conversation.
"No." he replied. "Even though he's close with my dad, he wouldn't do me like that."
I hummed contently and stepped further in. "I have something for you." He then told me.
I paused and cocked me head to the side. Something for me? He fiddled with his gym bag before pulling out a neatly wrapped package.
A present.
No. not just a present. A birthday present.
"You kind of gave me short notice but... here." He held it out anxiously. The wrapping paper was pink with little fairies on. "Excuse the paper, it's the only one I could find." I chuckled and took it between my fingers.
Nervously, I ripped it apart and studied the book in my hands.
SIENNA'S SUPER SMART TEXTBOOK
The book was light brown with the title written in soft pink and red paint. On it were painted pictures of clouds, high-heels, Lana Del Rey song lyrics, and Louis Vuitton logos. A lump formed in my throat as I stared at it. This was handmade.
"I don't want you to feel stupid when you look at those textbooks." He explained. "You should feel anything but that. So, I made you your own."
I tried to blink the tears away, but I could feel them piling up in my eyes. "You... you made this?"
Roman rubbed the back of his neck and chuckle. "I put the thing together, but I know someone who's insanely good at art and so she painted it, but I've put together all the textbook pages from all the different textbooks that you need and divided them into sections and –"
I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my head into his chest. He staggered back ever so slightly but didn't think to push me off. "Thank you." I whispered.
Apprehensively, he placed a hand on my back, stroking his thumb gently as if to soothe, "You're welcome."
I quickly pulled my head away, wiping my fallen tears so he wouldn't see and stared back down at the book. Little frogs and rabbits lined the bottom with cute smiley faces.
"What's with the frogs and rabbits?"
Roman's face went a little red. "Oh sorry. I told her not to do that. She has an obsession with those things."
I laughed and swallowed down my final tears threatening to make a ruining appearance. "Thank you." I whispered again. "Thank you."
"I'm glad you like it. I was kind of afraid to give it to you." He admitted, walking back over to put his clothes on.
"Why's that?" I queried, finally pulling myself together as I hugged the book to my chest, afraid it would slip away.
"Because I'm sure you probably got some really cool stuff and a textbook's a bit... I don't know, nerdy I guess."
"It's perfect." I assured. It was the best present ever.
I couldn't take my eyes off him as I watch him get dressed. Shameless, I know, but I couldn't. I frowned as he struggled into those ugly jeans.
"Roman?" I began. He turned to look my way. "Where do you buy your clothes?"
He shrugged, "I don't."
I pulled back a little, "What do you mean you don't?"
"I get hand-me-downs from my cousins in college." He didn't buy his own clothes? How tall were his cousins?
"How tall are your cousins?"
"Not sure, like 5'10 or something." 5'10?! Roman was practically a 6'4 guy wearing 5'10 clothes. Oh hell no. I had to do something about this.
"I want to do something." I announced. Roman put on a tatty, old sweater that I'm sure his cousins also gave him.
"What's that?"
"Let's call it a Sienna Day."