Second Chances: a Coincidences novel

Chapter 10: New Opportunities

After showering, I looked at my bare torso and sure enough, I had a few bruises. I then looked at the scar that had formed from when my brother stabbed me, and the good thing was that he had stabbed me practically right where I had gotten stabbed that one time I fell against the coffee table nearly a year ago when Khaled assumed I was an intruder.

The scar was not very visible and for that I was grateful. Then I looked at the one over my peck where my brother had first attempted to stab me. That one was almost as invisible as the other ones or, the one since it was practically in that area. I then looked at the bruise on my side and it was quite bad but not bad enough that medical intervention would be needed.

My arm was also badly bruised and it looked almost like that one time my cousin Mehmet and I played dead arm and bruised each other's arms badly to see who could handle the most pain.

Yeah, Boys will be Boys, Kitana would say.

Jihan and Ragheb walked into the room, with Khaled and Louai in tow.

"Oh my god, those look bad" said a concerned Jihan.

"They're not as bad as they seem. Besides, I've had worse injuries" I tried to calm her and everyone else, down.

"How did you learn to fight like that?" asked a now curious Louai.

"Yeah" Khaled practically raised one of his thick brows.

"Well..." I went and sat down at the foot of the bed. "When you have a violent brother due to his substance abuse problems, it drives you to train in various forms of self-defense."

"What types?" Louai asked, now curious. "Cause those moves you displayed were more the types one would be trained in if they were spies. You fought like a highly trained secret agent of sorts."

"All sorts. Kung Fu, Japanese Martial Arts, and Krav Maga. But I tend to mix moves and I've been trained in the use of weapons as well."

"Like?" Ragheb asked.

"Dart and knife throwing, guns, sword fighting, and even Archery."

"So you know how to aim and shoot?" asked Khaled.

"Yes. I'm a really good shot" I laughed. "I hope I didn't scare you guys."

"No, if anything we feel way safer having you around" Ragheb laughed.

"Look, I'm not typically a violent person but I also won't back down if someone is trying to hurt or attack me, or anyone else I love" I said, then looked at Louai.

I figured maybe now was about time I started to let go of my anger toward him. I wanted peace and I wanted it to be both emotionally and mentally.

He was sorry and I knew it. I could see it in his eyes and everyone deserved a second chance no matter what.

"Well, there's something we want to show you" said Ragheb.

"What's up?" I asked, grabbing my tank top and slipping it on.

"So we come to Dubai often and while you still have your room over in our house in Beirut, we want you to also have your own room here for whenever we come. So come on..." he had me follow him and we all went along.

Entering the room that would eventually be mine, it was still a work in progress and it didn't even have a bed. However, I could tell it would be superb the moment it was done and filled up.