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"Don’t be," he said instantly "I was actually curious but not sure if asking flat-out would be rude"

Ella lifted a shoulder and took a sip of her juice "It’s just that even in her death my mom continues to be such an influence and inspiration for nosed with breast cancer, she put up such a brave front She proht and she didn’t She beat it at first, and after she’d recovered froether the first ever breast-cancer-awareness walk in our neighborhood"

Felix was looking at her again as he did so often The saht he’d walked into her class with Hector, Charlee, and Drew She’d call it a proud parent look, but there was ht in his eyes for athat broke the spell

"So your starting the self-defense classes in response to your brother’s girlfriend getting raped was a tribute to your mother"

It could’ve been a question, but the way he said it Felix sounded as if he knew for a fact that’s exactly why she’d done so Ella had never thought of it that way All she kneas at the ti like that to happen again Much like her s or cancer to coht

"It’s what she would’ve done," Ella said softly

Felix slid his hand across the table slowly and touched hers gently "She’d be proud"

Under norht’ve excited her; instead, she choked up so fast it caught her off guard

"I’ her hand "I didn’taway the tears that had begun to fill her eyes "It’s just" She s down at his hand still on hers, Ella decided to keep to herself how often she still spoke with her mom and how so many of those conversations lately had been about hi of that made her smirk and she felt her face warain The alaro when he realized he’d hit a nerve with his comment about her mom, was replaced noith a sort of curious look

"You do that a lot," he said

His hand slid down froers Now feeling his touch did what she’d expected it would Her insides were instantly out of control Was he really playing with her fingers? A h her head as she attempted to remain as collected as possible

"Do what?" she asked very cal as her heart pounded away, and she was certain he could hear it--everyone in the juice bar probably could It pounded so hard

Was he flirting with her? Or was this his way ofher cry? Was this still hi sweet, or was there un to think these past feeeks But most iht she’d played the calm-and-collected part so well

"The way you switchjust now?" he asked "When you went fro to"--he smiled, and as if her heart wasn’t already out of control, he laced his fingers through hers--"blushing?"

She gulped as once again she was caught in those piercing dark eyes of his "I, uh" She cleared her throat, deter playful That’s all this was "I don’t--"

"Yo, Felix"

They turned to see a grinning Hector co their way Felix didn’t jerk his hand away from hers, but it was obvious he hadn’t wanted Hector to see the hands because he slid his hand back to his side of the table Despite his efforts, Ella was certain Hector had seen the so thatHe’d taken her hand in his so candidly right there in the middle of the juice bar for everyone to see

Ellaa ladies’ man--a flirt But from what she’d seen so far, he hadn’t behaved that way Since he’d started his daily pre-training here at 5th Street, she’d never seen hiirls asher out today and being annoyed that he could’ve spentShe was still refusing to ju?" Hector asked as he neared the for you"

Ella watched as the same irritation she’d seen earlier on his face bathed over Felix once again "I was having sorinned as he said hello to Ella then turned back to Felix "Yeah, I’ll let hilanced down at her phone and saw that it was just fifteen o anyway My class starts in fifteen minutes"

She stood up The continued annoyance on Felix’s face about the interruption as he stood up with her was soet out of there fast Having a moment in one of the stalls in the ladies’ rooht she h