Page 22 of The Veteran

“You done?” he mouthed silently.

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll need to edit the video before it goes to Jonah though.”

I started shifting the furniture back into place and he detached from the wall to help.

“When did you start teaching yoga?” he asked, shifting the sofa far more easily than I had.

I dragged the table into the center of the room and dropped onto the sofa, patting the cushion for him to join me. He did.

“I used to spend a lot of time at this shop where they sold crystals and homeopathic remedies. They taught yoga in the evenings, and I preferred to be there than at home. It was peaceful. The lady who owned the place knew a little of my background and let me take the classes for free. I only became a certified teacher after the trial though. I felt like people were watching me all the time, and since I didn’t have many job prospects, I figured I may as well take advantage of the attention. I got certified and started teaching—mostly online, but a few in-person classes too. I also set up social media accounts and got sponsored by a few brands.”

I glanced at him and found him frowning.

“Didn’t it just make you feel more violated?” he asked. “You’d already lost so much privacy, and then you invited the world in for more.”

I sighed. Yeah, it had been overwhelming at the time, but my life had worked out pretty well, and I was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason. “Before, people were prying without my consent. I turned it around so that I controlled the narrative, and I consented to what was happening. That was important to me.”

“I can see that.” His gaze softened. “You’re a pretty badass woman, you know.”

My lips curled of their own volition. “I’m not sure I’d use those words, exactly.”

“I would.” He was serious. “You’re resilient. Far more so than most people.”

“Well, thanks.” I couldn’t help but be pleased by his praise. “For the record, most of my subscribers don’t consciously associate me with the tragedy of my past anymore. I’m just Sage, the person who teaches them yoga and helps them experience the beauty of meditation.”

“You give them a safe space and make them feel able to express themselves.”

“Yes.” I shivered, surprised by his observation. I’d never have imagined him saying something so perceptive. There was more to this man than he let the world see. I only wished he’d allow me to glimpse behind the curtain.

I liked him. More than was wise. But despite my misgivings, I wouldn’t change a thing.

KADE

I cooked pad Thai for lunch—one of the few dishes I could reliably make—and Sage and I ate together in the living room. I invited Sean to join us, but he didn’t want to abandon his post outside. It felt strangely domestic to be eating a meal with Sage in a place that could be a cozy home under different circumstances.

“So, you were in the military,” Sage said when she paused for a drink. “You mentioned special forces. What branch of the military was that?”

“The army.” I ate another mouthful and realized she was waiting for me to elaborate. I was reluctant to explain when everything I knew about her suggested she was a pacifist. “My team was sent in when we needed a covert approach. In and out. Maximum effectiveness with minimum fuss.”

She nodded encouragingly. “So, you mostly had missions rather than being part of general combat?”

“That’s right, although I did my days as a grunt too. Some guys are recruited straight into special forces, but that wasn’t me.” I’d come in at the very bottom rung of the ladder, but I wasn’t about to tell her the circumstances around why I’d joined the army. I liked the way she looked at me—as though I impressed her—and I wanted it to continue. If she knew my past, all she’d feel for me was disgust.

“My sister joined the army, too,” I added. Something I had mixed feelings about. I was proud of Audrey, but I doubted she’d have even considered the army as a career path before I enlisted, which made me feel doubly worried for her safety because if something happened to her, it would be my fault.

“Good on her.” To my surprise, Sage looked like she meant it. “What’s her name?”

“Audrey.”

“Audrey Campbell,” she said. “It’s a nice name. Is she older or younger?”

“Younger. She’s the spoiled baby of the family.”

One side of Sage’s mouth hitched up. “I have a hard time imagining a military woman as a spoiled baby.”

I shrugged because she was right. Mom doted on Audrey, but my sister was by no means soft.

“How did you come to work with Ronan?” Sage asked.