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 regr 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 idents. 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 elerate 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.


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    I ponder more about what Brennan said than the doctors did. I thought I was a lousy fighter and a terrible


    klutz because ording 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 yer in any ballgame the


    school I attended hosted. Because of this, when the teams were picked in PE, mine was thest name to


    be called.


    So howe 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 ab 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. Thest few days, or thest


    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’vee 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 contemtion, “No, I’m not. The club is good, and the coach is great. It’s


    exactly the ce 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 re and went on with his day.”


    “That is only wishful thinking when ites 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 augh, “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-developingpany, 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 nning to take over thepany by somehow bing 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 upied 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 aint at the police station. This might escte 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 bing 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 vtile, 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.