Chapter 96. Romeo and Juliet

Zachili gestures something to me, which I interpret as: ‘I’m trying to not hit you, Tara. But a crude like me can hardly be a gentleman. I may snap.’

“Hit me, then. See if you can. I had a good teacher, remember?” I rap again while flexing my stance, my hands stabled in front of my face to defend, while my fists are wrapped tightly to attack.

But what weakens me is Zachili’s sudden smile. I don’t know what pit of hell it came from, but it looks good; better than the expressionless face.

The smile stretches his lips a little, stressing a dimple on one cheek while forming smile wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

It’s contagious, I can tell, because I’m grinning without even knowing until now.

Zachili corners to the first path I blocked and walks past me. And I just stand there, now watching him slowly move up.

I let my stance go. Whatever charm he wore on the smile, it worked. Too good. Because now my brain’s messed up and the only thing I c