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I shake my head. “Maybe we need to look into step classes?”
She turns and smiles. “What about self-defense?”
I pull out the pepper spray from my pocket. “Got you this.”
She frowns. “You already left this morning?”
“I get up early for work.”
“Huh.”
My eyebrow quirks. “Does it surprise you I’m an early riser?”
She shrugs. “A little. So is this lesson one?”
“It’s lesson two.”
“Oh, what’s lesson one?”
“Think smart. It’s sad to say that puttin’ yourself in a position where you’re alone at night, for example, isn’t a good idea. Especially not for a woman.”
“I won’t be doing that.”
“Not while you’re here, but you won’t have security on you forever.”
She stands. “So? How would I get away from an attacker?”
“Best thing to do? Make noise.” She stares at me as I elaborate. “Would-be attackers don’t like the idea of anyone seein’ them or bein’ heard, and whatever you do, don’t ever drop to the ground if they get you in a hold.”
“That sounds scary.”
I give her a chin lift. “I teach this stuff.”
She frowns. “For real?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“At the community center.”
“Since when?”
I let out a deep sigh. “Since a friend of mine was raped when I was eighteen. She didn’t get away.”
Her throat bobs as her eyes go wide. “Oh my god. That’s horrible.”
“Yes, it is. Ever since that day, even when I was goin’ through shit of my own and in a bad place, I tried to help where I could. I’ve always done martial arts or fightin’ of some sort, but most people, especially women, aren’t fighters.”
“Scary world,” she mutters.
“Right again.” I point to the pepper spray. “Carry this everywhere. I don’t wanna scare you, but let’s face it, this will work until you can get away.”
“Rock?”
I look down as her gaze meets mine. “Did your friend…recover?”
I shrug. “Eventually. But she’ll always have that memory, you know? She’ll never really be healed, not when she was violated like that.”
