Chapter 26

26. I grew up.

That night as I do my homework, I cannot help but mull over the words of both Brannan as well as the hospital staff.

I’ve never thought of my health much. I got as sick as regular children did and got into the same scrapes as they did. I never gave much thought about how my bruises would fade away so quickly, or about how I never spent a day in the hospital except for a broken limb. Even then, I’ve only had my limbs broken twice, both by accidents. I remember now how the doctors remarked about how quickly I healed and called me a good boy for taking care of myself enough to accelerate the healing process. Back then I absorbed the praise as if it was precious but did not think about it further. My mother, when she was alive, never seemed fazed about this. Like me, she was quick to heal.

I ponder more about what Brennan said than the doctors did. I thought I was a lousy fighter and a terrible klutz because according to all my past experiences I was. I always came home with bruised knees when I was smaller because of how clumsy I was, constantly falling, and constantly making a fool of myself in public. My hand-eye coordination was, to say the least, shitty. I was the worse player in any ballgame the school I attended hosted. Because of this, when the teams were picked in PE, mine was the last name to be called.

So how come Brannan is telling me that my coordination and my reflexes are good? I want to think that he made a mistake, but he’s a clear professional in this regard. How can he make a mistake?

The only logical conclusion is that between then and now, my brain and body became more refined. The good health I can scratch off in the name of good genes. It’s not unheard of, otherwise, I would be somewhere in a lab being tested, ethics be damned.

And the advanced coordination and reflexes? Well, my body finally decided to grow up.

I admit, receiving that sort of praise was nice, and I’d go as far as to say that it totally makes it up for running into Aiden.

Aiden, who will be attending the same club as me.

Unable to concentrate on my work, I move away from the study desk and perch myself on the window. seat right next to the open window. The moon is up tonight, full and silvery, casting beautiful, soothing rays all over the grounds of my father’s estate.

Watching the moon had always been calming to me, a good stress reliever when my mind seemed to be a tornado of chaos. The last few days, or the last month to be precise, had been a headache. I just wish the worst is behind me. I’ve had enough.

excitement for a lifetime, and I’m plenty busy with the job at Zelt Tech, school, and boxing.

Aiden did not pick a fight with me today, and I decide to take it as something positive. I hope he will continue to ignore me because I like Adrenaline Rush, and I do not want to search for somewhere else.

Suddenly, my phone rings. I skim it out of my pants pocket to see who it is before taking it.

Coraline. Huh. At this hour?

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jace. Did I wake you up?”

“No, no, I was just catching up on some schoolwork,” I tuck my legs under my knees, crossing them.

“Oh, cool. How was the club by the way? Good?”

“It was good, but you will never guess who I met there.”

Silence dawns, and then in a low voice she says, “No!”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“Aiden?!”

“The one and only.”

Coraline lets out a cuss that would’ve made a sailor proud. That was another thing that I’ve come to notice about her. Whenever she was stressed, Coraline was prone to cussing.

“Well, that’s just awesome. Are you going to quit, then?”

“No,” I decide after a brief contemplation, “No, I’m not. The club is good, and the coach is great. It’s exactly the place I need to hone myself, and I’m not going to tuck my tail and run just because Aiden is there. Besides, he didn’t even look at me. I mean, he noticed me being there, but that was that. Just shot me a glare and went on with his day.”

“That is only wishful thinking when it comes to Aiden,” Coraline mutters darkly.

That is not exactly consoling to hear. So, I decide to change subjects.

“So, did you call me to ask about the club?”

Coraline huffs a laugh, “Not exactly. I got some news, which bizarrely ties to the subject at hand. Actually, there are two new developments.”

“Shoot.”

“First, Aiden’s father has been looking into buying more stocks at Zelt Tech,” she reveals, and I immediately feel wary, “I got the information through the corporate grapevine that he’s approached quite a few of our minor shareholders and offered to pay a ludicrous amount of money to buy the stocks from them. Because we’re a fast-developing company, many of them hadn’t taken him up on the offer.”

“But some did,” I conclude and Coraline sighs.

“Yes, some did”

“Do you think he’s planning to take over the company by somehow becoming the majority shareholder?” I ask.

“It is a possibility, especially after what we did to his son,” Coraline’s voice lowers again, “Who, by the way, is apparently stalking me.”

My blood runs cold, “What?”

“Yeah, I saw him watching me from a street corner one too many times for it to be a coincidence, no matter how he looks to be otherwise occupied all the damn time,” she grouses, and I can hear the underline of fear in her voice. “He especially lurks around Zelt Tech, because it’s an easy spot to hang around at, what with all the little cafes and the mall.”

“Coraline, this sounds serious and really creepy,” I reply, feeling concerned for the sake of my friend, “I think you should file a complaint at the police station. This might escalate into something else if we let it fester.”

“With what evidence, Jace? All I got were glimpses. Besides, it might not be much.”

“Coraline, he abused you,” I point out, and hear her take a deep breath which is exhaled in a sigh. “You have to do something.”

“If things get more serious, I will,” she promises, “I swear I will. I don’t fancy becoming a victim of his again.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for him at the club,” I add, “try to get something out of him.”

“Be careful, though. He is as volatile, and he is vindictive.”

“I will,” I promise her.

Turns out my thoughts were wrong. Aiden was up to something. And so was his father.

And something tells me it goes deeper than I can even realize.