“Good. Penny’s sister is playing tennis tonight, so she went to watch. Olivia's decided she’s going to be a mechanic, so she’s been helping fix the vehicles.”
“She’s smart. I bet she’s good at it.”
“Actually, she’s not bad. The guys have her getting them wrenches and things, but she really likes to watch them work. She has her own stool to sit on and talks their ears off.”
“I can see that,” I smile. “We need to go for ice cream again when things settle down.”
“She would love that,” Bay agrees.
The whistle blows, so we focus on the game. It’s a good match, and E is playing better now that he’s away from his family. We end up winning, with Seb scoring the most points, and he and E are quick to join us after the game. “Sunshine,” Seb greets, throwing an arm around my shoulders.
“Hey Hurry, good game. You too, E,” I say, looking around Seb.
“What are we up to tonight?” Seb asks everyone.
“I believe Summer requires rest, Seb,” Alex says.
Seb looks down at me with his eyebrows lowered. “Are you okay? Are you tired? Should we drive you home? What do you need?”
Smiling, I answer. “Yes. Yes. Don’t know. Rest.” I text Zander to see where he’s at and he responds right away that he’s still at work but should be home by 9pm. “Zander's at work until nine,” I tell the guys.
“Why don’t we let Summer get some sleep tonight, and Seb can take her home. She’s back now, and we’ll see her in the morning,” Bay suggests.
“We have a plan,” Seb announces. “Night guys. Let’s go, Sunshine,” Seb ushers me towards the parking lot.
“Bye, guys.” I turn my head back and wave to them, and then I text Zander I’m heading home with Seb. When we’re on the road, Seb grabs my hand and kisses it, holding it the entire drive.
I unlock the front door for us and step inside. I missed this place. “Good to be home, Hurry,” I say, walking towards my room.
“How about a bath to relax, Sunshine? Get some of those herbs and salts.”
“That sounds fantastic, actually,” I sigh. As thrilled as I am about Jake, I’m mentally and emotionally wrung out.
“Good. I’ll hop in the shower and then turn on the bath. You get your herbs.” Seb takes his bag into the bathroom.
I unpack my backpack and then go over to my bookshelves, looking around. Grabbing a muslin bag, I add a mix of dried herbs for my bath, then walk to the kitchen for water. I stop at Nick’s room and lean against the doorway. This will always be Nick’s room to me. No one has slept here since he left. He’s never far from my thoughts, but I’ve been so focused on Jake that I've had little time to dwell. Probably a good thing. Wondering about all the horrible things he might be experiencing is overwhelming. I root around in the drawers until I find one of his t-shirts. He didn’t leave many clothes, but I’ve confiscated the few shirts here. I fling it over my shoulder to wear after my bath. “Sunshine?” Seb calls.
Turning, I see him in the hallway, freshly showered, with shorts and a t-shirt on. “Hey.”
He stands behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “I miss the grumpy bastard too, Sunshine. Come on, let’s get you in the bath.” He leads me back down the hall to the bathroom, and I hang the muslin bag under the faucet that’s running. After adding epsom salts, I go into my room to grab shorts and underwear.
“Stay?” I ask. Seb nods and shuts the bathroom door. After grabbing a towel, I strip and get into the tub. Seb groans, making me smile, but takes a seat on the floor against the tub. Once the water is high enough, I turn the taps off and lean back. “What a long week,” I sigh. I’m so happy about Jake, but I’m glad to be home. I missed Seb and my friends and just the familiarity of thisplace.
“I can imagine Sunshine. It all worked out, though, and now Jake will only be a few minutes away. That'll make things a lot easier for you.”
“True, and I wouldn’t change any of it, but it’s been a whirlwind. I haven’t had a moment to just be and process, and there’s still a long way to go.”
“You know we’ll all help. It doesn’t all have to be on your shoulders. What you’ve done, Sunshine, would have crushed a lot of adults. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“Well, when the adult in the situation can’t handle anything, the child needs to step up. Ugh! That’s really messed up, isn’t it? Guess I’m still a little bitter about Ray. He seems fine now, which is the main thing, but it never sat right with me that his parents just moved away and left him there. That makes me a terrible person, damn it.”
“No, it doesn’t. They should've been there for Jake, but they chose the easy way out. Sure, they have trauma, but Ray didn’t even try therapy; he just gave up, and that’s not okay. You’re not a terrible person for thinking that. Will Jake get angry at his parents when he finds out?”
“Oh yeah. He’ll be furious, although he knows his mom and dad divorced. Jake is gonna be in information overload for a while, plus dealing with rehab. It’s a lot for anyone to handle.”
“He will, though. Jake will handle it. He’s gonna have so much support surrounding him.”
“Everyone has been so great. I was really lucky when I moved here, getting all of you guys and Zander. How are things with E?”
