“All better now,” I say, wiggling my fingers. I thank Bay for the ride when we get to my house. After my shower and soak, I make supper for Zander and me. He arrives before I’m done, and we enjoy dinner on the island.
“I’ll be leaving at 7:30am tomorrow morning for Columbia. Jensen is picking me up, so I’m leaving the truck keys here with you. I also got you a copy of my office key,” he says, handing it to me. “Put that one on your keychain. We’re taking a company SUV up to the military base. I can drop you off at the office since it’s a little early, and one of the guys can pick you up for school from there.”
“Sure, okay,” I agree. I’ll text Seb later to ask him to swing by for me.
“TheCommander and I will settle on the schedule tomorrow, so we can let everyone know what it will be when I get back. I’m expecting to be home around 6pm,” Zander tells me.
“Okay. Nick said he’s starting my training tomorrow. I’m not sure where we will be training, but I’ll let you know.”
“Good. I have coursework that I need to go over tonight. I’ll be in the office.”
“Alright,” I nod. I do my homework on the couch, then call Seb. He’s happy to pick me up in the morning at the office. I’m feeling a little nervous about everything, so I talk it through with Seb, and we stay on the phone until bedtime. I refresh Jake’s cologne on his pillow, then snuggle down to sleep.
Chapter 44
Zander is full of nervous energy in the morning, so I make us some breakfast. Jensen arrives at 7:10am and we pack up and head out. Troy is already at work, all smiles despite the early hour. Zander gives me a quick hug before Troy lets me inside. I drop my bags off in Zander’s office, then Troy gets me set up with the fingerprint scanner for the front door, but assures me he’s always here by 7am. Seb, Nick, and Gabby show up as we’re finishing up, so I grab my bags and hop in the back of the Jeep beside Gabby. “Morning, everyone,” I say as I fasten my seatbelt.
Seb and Gabby say hello but Nick is quiet. “Hello Nick,” I say, leaning forward.
“Shortie,” he grunts.
“That’s better,” I say, patting his shoulder.
When we arrive at school, Gabby takes off to see her friends as soon as Nick parks the Jeep. As we’re walking towards the front door, I ask Nick where we are training today. “Your house.”
Oh, that makes things easy. “Okay,” I reply and text Zander that I will be at home with Nick training after school.
E is waiting for us on the steps. I get a hug while Seb gets a peck on the cheek. “Is Zander on his way?”
“Yup. He and Jensen left at 7:30am.” I say hi to Alex and Bay, then we split up for classes.
“I had a conversation with Cara last night,” Alex tells me as we’re walking to AP Biology.
That might not be good. “About what?” I ask.
“Her behavior towards you and Seb. Hopefully, she will back off now.”
“Okay, thank you. Is this a money and influence thing?”
“Yes, it is,” he tells me as we take our seats. I was not expecting that this morning. I’m very lucky to have these guys as friends.
The rest of the day passes quietly with no drama. Cara and Ben both ignore me in gym class today, which is weird but good. I follow Nick out to the Jeep after school. Gabby is apparently going to the mall with a friend, so Nick and Seb drive me home. I call Jake and then join the guys in the backyard. “Okay Nick. I’m ready. What do I do?”
“We’re going to start with the basics. I’m going to teach you how to get out of holds first. Do you think either of us will trigger you if we grab you or restrain you?”
“You guys, no,” I shake my head.
Nodding, he calls Seb over. “I’m going to demonstrate different holds on Seb and walk you through what to do. Then Seb will repeat the hold on you and I’ll talk you through how to get out of it.”
We spend several hours going through different scenarios. Nick is an outstanding teacher. He’s patient with me and adjusts the moves to suit my size and strength. I flip Seb over me as Zander walks through the patio doors. “Woah. Good job, Summer,” Zander grins.
“Hi Zander. Thanks. How was today?” I ask.
“Great. The Commander seems like a good guy. I’ve got a schedule if you guys want to have a look?”
“Lay it on us, man,” Seb tells him. We sit at the outdoor table while Zander hands us each a copy from his bag.
“So we're alternating one day of class, then one day of practical for the first week. Then we will be up in the air most days after that, with shorter classes during weeks two and three. There willbe a Saturday in there too. All the night training will be in week four, and that’s for 7 days straight.”
