Chapter Two

                “ARE YOu okay?” Teagan’s careful brown eyes follow me as I plant my foot solidly on the heavy bag. It shakes away from me, and then comes back for more. I wipe the sweat off my forehead and nod.

                “I’m fine. Why?”

                “You have been quiet and moody for a week,” Teagan steadies the bag for me and I plant a jab, cross, hook, and uppercut in quick succession.

                “I’ve just been thinking,” I say between controlled breaths. “I have a lot to think about.”

                I don’t tell him about the weird shadow person who has been following me. I feel crazy enough as it is, there is no reason to verbalize it to my brother and best friend. He was adopted too, but I think he is secretly haunted by his own past. He has always looked out for me.

                Now, he regards me carefully. I stretch carefully and toss my training gloves onto the bench against the wall. “It’s really not a big deal,” I say sincerely, unwrapping first one hand and then the other.

Teagan snatches the wraps off the bench and carefully wraps them into a ball. “If it wasn’t a big deal, my sister wouldn’t be so off in her own little world that she would be down here for 3 hours banging up a bag without a break.”

I shrug. My hands feel permanently curled, and I know a hot soak is in order. He comes over and puts his hands on my shoulders, his gaze piercing mine. “Tell me.”

Before I stop myself, I blurt “Someone’s been following me.”

Teagan’s eyes narrow. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know,” I feel foolish now. “I can’t ever see them but I know they’re there. I can’t get a good look at them.”

“Maybe we should talk to Mom and Dad.”

I shake my head. “No, I’m sure it’s just my imagination in overtime. Forget about it.”

I take the basement stairs two at a time, and hear the rattling of bag chains as Teagan preps to do his own training. I draw a bath and soak for an eternity before dressing and seeing if he’s done yet.

There is a knock at the door. I hear our butler answering- good ol’ Charlie. Then, he seeks me out. “Miss Sabella? It’s for you.”

Tentatively, I come around the corner to see…blue eyes, scruffy jaw, thick arms, and quite frankly the most beautiful man I had ever seen. The air let out of my chest, and he smiled quietly. Like he knew some secret that I should already know.

“Ma’am, this is Jonathan Turner,” the butler introduced. Good ol’ Charlie.