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Elena nodded. “Indeed.”
“And then this morning, I woke up to a new message, and this time it was… threatening.”
Elena groaned and looked up at the ceiling as Jaxson and Zack traded another look.
“Why do I think there’s a history here we should know about?” Jaxson asked as Zack walked over.
I glanced at the stool near the island and took a seat. “My very first boyfriend out of high school turned very possessive. So much so that our dad had to get involved and put a stop to things.”
“Okay. I don’t like where this is going.” Zack leaned over the island, propping his elbows on the granite, which made his forearms bulge.
I thought about the scrawny, menacing kid I’d left behind so many years ago and knew there was no competition between the two. I held in a wry smile and stared at Zack.
“Well, he did all kinds of creepy things back then.” I looked at my sister. “Was I about twenty when he finally left me alone?”
She nodded. “Something like that.”
“What kind of creepy things?” Zack asked.
“Well, he’d just always show up wherever I was, and he’d leave intimidating notes and little mementos. He always called me his little seashell, so he’d leave shells around.”
“And all it took was your dad talking to him to get him to stop?”
I nodded. “My dad told Tim that we’d be going to the authorities, and since Tim wanted to be an attorney, I suppose he realized that wouldn’t be a great idea. Although, I don’t think he ever went to law school. He left me alone after that.”
“Until now.”
I nodded, folding my arms across my chest. The tightness underneath my breastbone had returned, and taking deep breaths felt like I was running a marathon.
“Can I see the messages?” Zack asked.
I nodded as Elena reached for my phone and handed it to him.
“Do you mind if I take it into my office?”
I laughed. “I have nothing to hide. No hot dates tonight or anything.”
A glimmer of relief flashed in Zack’s eyes, but I wasn’t sure for what, in particular.
Jaxson followed Zack out of the kitchen as Elena plopped down on the stool beside me. She reached for my hand and squeezed it.
“Things will get back to normal someday, Sadie. I promise.”
I laughed and shook my head, taking a sip of coffee. “You know better than to make promises you can’t keep.”
“Okay. How about thenewnormal?” The kindness in her eyes dropped a veil of comfort over me that I desperately needed.
“Just promise me that you’ll do what Zack says. I know you two aren’t dating, even though he wishes with every part of his being that you were, but please do what he says. He protects people for a living.”
I frowned. “What makes you think I wouldn’t do what he says?”
She laughed, tilting her head. “Uh, because you’ve never liked being told what to do.”
I chuckled, knowing my sister knew me too well.
“Did you catch any of the looks between the boys? Do you know what they’re up to?”
Elena shook her head. “Not a clue.”
