Chapter 17 #2
The coach congratulates us on a job well done. When the Clemson scout comes over, I step back so she can talk with the other girls. “Excuse me,” someone says.
“Summer,” Holly calls.
I turned back around to see her motioning for me to come back, so I walk up beside her. “Hello. I’m Nora from Clemson University,” the scout says, looking at me.
“Oh, hello.” I never expected her to speak with me.
“I’d like to talk to all four of you for a moment, if that’s okay?
” She asks. We all nod to her. “Great. Although I am a recruiter for Clemson, I am also on the state athletics board. I’d like to invite all four of you to compete in the state meet this August. You would compete with runners from other school districts around South Carolina, and there will be many colleges and universities in attendance for recruitment. What do you think?”
“Yes,” Holly says excitedly. The twins and I agree too. She will be in touch through the coach this summer, then walks off.
“That is quite an honor, girls,” Coach says. “You’re all done for today, so go rest up. We can talk more later.”
Holly and I return to the stands, where she runs up the stairs to tell her mom the news. I wait at the bottom for Nick, who is walking around the track. “Hi Nick.”
“Shortie. What was that about?”
“The recruiter wants all of us to compete at a state meet in August.”
He nods, then guides me up the stands to Zander and I fill him in. “We’ll that’s an exciting development, darling,” he smiles.
“Yeah. I never expected that.” I’ll attend, but I’m not sure about track in college.
“You did so well today. I’m very proud of you,” he says, pulling me into a side hug.
“Thanks, Zander.”
“Do you mind if I leave now? I’d like to get an update at work, then relieve Troy.”
“Sure. That’s fine. The guys are here. Say hi to Troy for me.”
“I will. Text when you decide what you’re doing for the rest of the day, please. I won’t be home until midnight or so.”
“Okay, I will.” Zander says goodbye to the guys, Holly, and her mom, then leaves.
Seb takes Zander’s seat beside me. “So, you’re invited to the state meet, Sunshine. Way to go. How does it feel to be a three-time winner today?”
“Incredible,” I smile. “Things just clicked today. I had an epiphany before my first run,” I tell him, leaning close so only he can hear. “I realized I would go through the kidnapping again to have all of you in my life. I’m so blessed because of all of you.”
“Aww, Sunshine,” Seb says, putting his arm around me. “We love you too. But we never want you to suffer to be here with us. Let’s not repeat the bad stuff. Only good from now on.”
“Sounds perfect. So, what time are you meeting your mom?”
“At 5pm, it’s gonna be weird.”
“It may be, but that’s okay. Get what you need from the meeting and go from there. So, what’s the plan for the rest of the day?”
“I think E is gonna try to talk to his mom, and Alex has something with his family because his dad is in town. Nick is going home with you, and I’ll come by after dinner and bring E and Bay if they're available. Tomorrow is a beach day. It’s supposed to be hot and sunny.”
“That will be fun. My first dip in the ocean.” We relax back as I eat another protein bar and pass the rest around the group.
Jaxon is the first distance runner to return to the school.
We stand and cheer for him as he does his last lap around the track.
I pass Holly a protein bar for Jaxon as she leaves to join him at the finish line.
The guys and I gather up all our belongings before moving towards the track.
I congratulate Jaxon after the Clemson recruiter finishes talking to him.
He’s invited to state with us. It’s been a very successful track meet today.
We split up in the parking lot and go our separate ways, and Nick drives me home. “Grumpy, are you just dropping me off or staying for a while?”
“Staying,” he replies.
“Okay. What do you want to do?” I ask, looking over at him. He raises an eyebrow but says nothing. “Hmm, my choice, then. Let’s see…we can braid each other’s hair, wear face masks, try on dresses, do our nails, watch a romcom, talk about boys.”
“You don’t even do most of that shit,” he replies.
“True. Thanks for having my back today on the track. Hey, I was thinking you could invite Ceres and Neve to the beach tomorrow. They probably don’t know many people around here yet.”
He gives me a nod and a grunt, so I take that as a yes. I text Sue about the track meet and let Zander know I’m going home with Nick. “Oh, did Zander talk to you guys about the Savannah job today?”
“Yeah. We’re on board.”
“Good. Have you done any digging into Seb’s mom yet?” I get another eyebrow raise. “What? You’re protective of us. I know you probably checked already,” I shrug.
“I did. Nothing concerning,” he replies.
“Good.” Nick pulls into the driveway, and I hop out to unlock the door. “I’m grabbing a shower and a soak,” I call over my shoulder. After I find some clean clothes, I head to the bathroom to get clean. Using my phone, I call Sarah while I’m in the tub.
“Hi Summer. How are you?”
“Hi. I’m great. I had a sort of breakthrough today,” I tell her.
“That sounds interesting. What happened?”
“I was standing on the track for my first race and realized I would go through the whole kidnapping again to have the family and friends I have now. The realization was like finding treasure in the ruins.”
“You are feeling thankful,” she states.
“Yeah, very. I don’t know. It was like a weight lifted off my shoulders at the realization. I’m truly not alone, and this new family I have means the world to me. I will fight whatever fight I need to be here with them, and I won all three of my races today. It was wonderful,” I smile.
“I’m so happy for you, Summer. You have a purpose and many things to live for now. That changes one’s perspective on life. Having the amount of support you have now makes dealing with obstacles easier.”
“It really does, Sarah. Not that you and Sue weren’t supportive. I don’t want to sound ungrateful because I wouldn’t have gotten here without you both. Geez, this sounds bad, like you two weren’t enough. Crap, I’m sorry.”
Sarah smiles kindly at me. “I understand what you are saying, and the fact of the matter is, we weren’t enough.”
I open my mouth, but Sarah holds up her hand.
“Hear me out. We both played vital roles in your life and are happy to remain doing so, but you needed more, and there is nothing wrong with that. That doesn’t diminish our roles at all.
You needed a new environment and friends your age, which we couldn’t provide for you in Virginia.
You also needed an expanded support circle.
Most people have over two individuals in their life, Summer, and now you do. ”
I think about what she said. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense. I really appreciate you and Sue.”
“We know,” she smiles. “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss?”
“No, I just wanted to share my news. Thanks for listening, Sarah.”
“Of course, Summer. I’m thrilled for you. Bye,” she says, then ends our call.
I get a text from Alex offering me to stay with him while Zander is in Savannah for the entire contract.
That makes things simple. I thank him, then join Nick on the couch after I’m dry and dressed.
He’s got a soda in one hand and is flipping through the channels.
I apply my recovery cream and massage my legs.
“Hey, do you mind if we eat dinner early? I’m starving. ”
“No,” he replies.
I return my cream to the bedroom before walking to the kitchen.
Rummaging in the fridge and freezer, I decide to make a hamburger bowl.
After putting the meat on the stove, I wash my hands and start chopping veggies.
It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
I set some aside in the fridge for Zander in case he’s hungry later. “It’s ready,” I call to Nick.
“Thanks, Shortie,” he says, taking a seat at the island beside me.
I take a moment to really look at him. His eyes are ringed with the dark purple of exhaustion, and his face is noticeably paler. My guess is that he needs a good night’s sleep. After we finish, I clean up the kitchen and load the dishwasher, sending Nick back to the couch.
Grabbing a pillow from the spare bedroom, I get comfortable in my corner. “You’re tired, Nick. Come here,” I say, placing the pillow on my lap and patting it.
Nick shakes his head. “I’m fine, Shortie.”
Raising an eyebrow, I stare at him patiently. After a few minutes, I get his signature eye roll, and he scoots over, laying his head on my lap. I pull the blanket I keep out here down and cover his torso. “What show are you watching on tv now?” I ask.
He picks up the remote and puts on a comedy show about scientists.
It’s something I haven’t watched before, and I’m realizing I never watched much tv growing up.
Pulling the elastic out of Nick’s hair, I run my fingers through it, massaging his scalp.
He lets out a deep groan that hits me in the lower belly, but I ignore it and continue.
He falls asleep quickly as I feel his body relax.
The show is funny, and I think it is my new favorite thing.
After a couple of episodes, I remember to text Seb, E, and Bay to be quiet if they come over because Nick is sleeping.
Each of them knows where we keep the spare key, so they can let themselves in.
I get a thumbs up from Bay, but no response from the other two.
I relax my head back against the cushions to continue watching tv.
I must have fallen asleep because the light has changed when I blink my eyes open at the sound of the front door opening. Looking down, I see Nick is still out cold. As I turn my head, I notice Seb, E, and Bay coming inside. They settle in on the couch and coffee table. “Hey,” I whisper.
“Hi Sunshine,” Seb says, smiling as I get waves from Bay and E.
“How was dinner?” I ask Seb.
“Good. I think. She says she’s been clean for the last 2 years and remembered that my sperm donor was living in the Charleston area.
She found out about my custody case through an online search and guessed I was still in the area.
Her boyfriend got a job offer in Charleston, and they drove across the country last week.
She found Troy on the Finn website and was going to check out each high school until she found me, but I was at the first one she went to,” he shrugs.
“How did she get your number?”
“I don’t know.” He shakes his head, a frown forming on his full lips. “I forgot to ask Sunshine.”
“Maybe find out? I’m probably being paranoid, but better safe than sorry.”
“You’re right,” he nods. “She seems different from what I remember and wants a relationship with me. Any kind of relationship I’m willing to have.”
“I’m happy for you, Hurry,” I give him a small smile. Maybe it’s paranoia, but I have little faith in this woman.
“Thanks,” he says as E puts his arm around him.
“Be cautious, Seb. Take it slow. I don’t want you to get hurt,” E tells him.
“I will. I promise,” he replies, kissing E’s cheek.
These two are the cutest couple. “Did you resolve anything, E?”
He shakes his head. “No, my mother is determined to go along with whatever my father wants. She doesn’t care about what I need.”
“I’m sorry, E. I was thinking about your situation this week. Have you considered emancipation?”
“Yeah. Alex has brought it up several times, but I’d lose my inheritance.”
“Well, you could approach your grandparents about it. From what I understand, they're all about appearances, right? So, you could threaten them with emancipation and a public scandal if they don’t allow you to stay out of the house when your dad is around. I’m sure your grandparents could convince your dad to back off.
You are the only grandchild, too, so that’s even more incentive. ”
“Huh. I never thought about it that way. It just might work,” he smiles. “You’re a genius!”
“Not really,” I shrug.
“I’ll call on Monday to arrange a meeting with them.”
“It might be more believable if you have the papers drawn up and bring them with you for the meeting.”
“True. Can you text me Mr. MacLeod’s contact info? I don’t want to use the family lawyer for this.”
I nod and grab my phone, sending the info to him. “Anything exciting in your life, Bay?” I smile.
“No, mine is pretty boring compared to you guys.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” I smile. “Grab a snack if you guys want. I don’t want to move and wake Nick up.”
“Thanks, Sunshine,” Seb smiles and gets up with E and Bay to go to the kitchen.
They come back with bowls of ice cream. E hands me one, then he and Seb take seats on the floor in front of Nick, letting Bay sit at my feet.
We watch several episodes of television before Nick stirs.
I remove my arm from his chest as he stretches his arms up with a grunt.
Rubbing his face, he blinks his eyes open. “Hey Nick. Feel better?”
He looks up at me and nods, swinging his legs off the couch and sitting up. “Thanks, Shortie,” he says in his gravelly voice.
“Anytime. I’ve gotta go pee.” He smirks at me but goes toward the powder room himself.
The boys stay until Zander gets home at midnight. Bay is going to pick me up tomorrow morning for the beach.