Chapter 24
Zander and I drive into the office the following morning for the debriefing, and I sit beside Seb again at the end of the conference table. “Hey Sunshine. How are ya? Did you sleep well? Did you like the helicopter ride? Want to join the security team yet?”
I shake my head, smiling. “Good. Yes. Yes. Maybe.”
Troy comes in following the rest of the employees, walking to the front of the room.
“Okay, everyone, let’s get started,” he says.
Each team member summarizes his or her night, including any issues they had or suggestions for next time.
Zander takes notes on his phone as people talk.
When it’s Nick’s turn, he mentions I spotted the hedge moving, and everyone shifts their attention towards me.
“Sunshine, you saw that?” Seb asks.
“Um, yeah,” I nod, feeling my face flush red.
“You’re a natural!” He exclaims. “Z, we gotta get her trained up for real,” Seb tells him.
Zander holds up a hand for Seb to stop talking and gives me a smile, telling Nick to continue. Once done, Troy and Zander give their reports, and the meeting wraps up. Zander asks me to give him a few minutes before we leave, so the guys and I hang back around the table.
“You did well catching that movement, Summer,” Bay comments.
“Thanks,” I reply. The guys seem to be making a big deal out of such a simple thing.
“You should talk to Z about getting trained up, Sunshine. Then you could do security with us all the time. Nick could train you, and you can do the course the company offers. The pay is awesome, too. So what’cha doing the rest of the day?”
“You’re going to give me whiplash one of these days, Seb,” I mutter.
“Nah, you’ll get used to it,” he waves. “Can I come over and hang out today?”
“Sure, I guess. I don’t have any plans.”
“Yay!” Seb fist pumps the air. The guys discuss their plans and upcoming basketball playoffs at school.
When Zander comes back about a half hour later, the rest of the guys disperse, and Seb follows Zander and me out to his truck. “That was a good catch on the monitor yesterday, Summer. You have a good eye,” Zander compliments on the drive home.
“Uh, thanks. I didn’t really do anything but tell Nick,” I shrug.
“You helped stop the reporter from getting unauthorized pictures of the party. That means a lot to the family and makes us look good,” he smiles.
“I told her to ask you to train her, Z. She needs to join the company,” Seb comments from the backseat.
Zander smiles over at me. “You’re more than welcome to go through our training program, Summer, if you decide it’s something you want to do. No pressure though,” he says pointedly, looking at Seb in the back seat, who holds up his hands in surrender.
When we get back to the house, I’m not sure what to do. Zander excuses himself to the office to finish up paperwork for the wedding, not wanting to leave it all for Troy. I go to the kitchen, grab two water bottles, and sit at the island, as Seb joins me. “Why do you seem nervous, Sunshine?”
Perceptive guy. “Um, I’m not sure what to do now,” I reply, feeling awkward. The ability to just hang out with new people seems to have disappeared over the last year, along with everyone else. “Did you have something in mind to do today?”
“Nope, I simply wanted to hang out with you,” he says, watching me closely. “Why don’t we go outside?”
“Okay.” Looking through the patio doors, I glance around and choose the live oak. Sliding the door open, I walk over to the tree and take a seat under its branches, leaning against the trunk. Seb joins me, leaning against my side. I happily don’t tense at all.
“Sunshine, tell me more about yourself. I know you like plants, you’re smart, you’re cute, and you run track. That amount of information doesn’t make a BFF.”
“There’s not much else.” My life has been pretty nonexistent, and who I was…before doesn’t feel like an accurate description of me now.
“I highly doubt that,” he replies. Sensing that I’m getting uncomfortable, he says, “How about I go first? Hang on to your hat because I’m gonna tell you a story, and it’s a doozy.”
“So you’re aware of Troy and Gabs, but you don’t know that we’re only half siblings.
We all have the same father but different mothers.
Troy has custody of us. The parentals aren’t in the picture anymore,” he starts.
“Troy grew up with our dad, who is an absolute prick and abusive. He was a highly decorated soldier in the military, and Troy was unaware of our existence for a long time. When I was 12, my addict mother nearly overdosed. I called 911, and the paramedics who came to our apartment called CPS. My sperm donor received a call, and CPS sent me on a flight to live with him. Troy’s military contacts told him the sperm donor had a new son while he was deployed.
After coming back from deployment, he immediately told me I was moving in with him.
My dad didn’t care because he didn’t want me anyway, and I was happy to escape the abusive ass.
“My mom was a mess, but my dad physically beat me and belittled me all the time, and I had to live with him for almost a year,” he says, putting his arm around my shoulder and stretching out his legs.
“Gabby came along a year after me. Her mom was a stripper in some dive bar outside New York. She loved and took care of Gabby as best she could, but died in a shooting at the bar she worked at. Again, CPS contacted our father. Luckily, Troy was stateside and took Gabby right away. In fact, the sperm donor called Troy to tell him there was another one and to come get her as soon as he hung up with CPS,” Seb tells me, disgust in his voice.
“Troy wanted legal custody of us, so our father couldn’t take us from him if he changed his mind in the future.
The sperm donor didn’t like that idea, though.
He didn’t want questions from anyone about why he wasn’t taking care of his kids or why his oldest son would even want legal custody.
When Troy pushed him to sign over his rights to us, he threatened to force us back to live with him, so Troy hired a lawyer and took him to court.
“Sperm donor tried to get Troy to back off until the trial date. He told Troy his case lacked merit, and that Troy’s frequent deployments created an unstable environment for us.
He really thought there was no way in hell he’d lose.
The sperm donor was unaware that Troy had maintained detailed records of his abuse for years.
He had pictures, doctors’ reports, and teacher concerns.
He kept everything, including a recorded conversation with our father’s commander, telling Troy to keep his mouth shut about his father because he was an excellent soldier and he didn’t want to lose a good military man over something like this.
Troy was also getting discharged from the military,” he tells me, grabbing a piece of Spanish moss to play with.
“Troy won his case, got out of the military, and our father got dishonourably discharged and served time. We haven’t seen or heard from him since.”
“I’m so sorry you all had to go through that, Seb. I’m very glad you and Gabby have such an amazing big brother, though.”
“Yeah, we’re lucky to have Troy.” He gives me a sad smile.
“Knowing you guys, I never would have guessed anything like that happened. You’re both so outgoing and happy.”
“All three of us have had therapy. Troy went for years. I went for about a year after I moved in with Troy.” He bumps my shoulder with his. “When we met, I told you we all have our demons. I wasn’t lying, Sunshine.”
“Thank you for telling me your story Seb.” I hope to be brave enough to tell him my story one day.
“Welcome, Sunshine.” He leans his head on top of mine and lets out a big breath. My body seems totally comfortable with the contact. We sit in companionable silence under the oak branches, listening to the wind rustle through the trees.
Zander calls us in for lunch around noon. The three of us eat sandwiches and a fruit salad Zander made, and I grab three chocolate chip muffins from the freezer for dessert.
Seb and I head to my room after lunch. He turns a basketball game on the tv and hops on the bed, making himself at home.
I join him after grabbing one of Mara’s journals to read.
It’s…nice. It's like when Jake and I used to hang out.
Not really doing anything but being together.
“Hey Sunshine, who are the people in the photo?”
I raise my eyes from the journal entry to catch sight of the picture of Mal and Jake in his hands. Inhaling deeply, I decide I can share this part after what he told me earlier. “That’s Mal and Jake,” I reply. “The accident left Jake in a coma. He’s my boyfriend and best friend. Mal is his nurse.”
“He’s cute. You have good taste, Sunshine,” he winks. I never expected that comment from him.
Smiling at Seb, I say, “yeah he is. I visited him every Tuesday and Friday after school in Virginia. Now Mal helps me video call him at the same times.”
“I’m happy you still have him in your life. Tell me about him?” He asks.
“Well, we’ve been best friends since we were five. He beat up a kid who pulled my hair in kindergarten, and that was it.”
Seb whistles. “Wow, that’s a long friendship, Sunshine.”
“Yeah, almost my whole life,” I smile, staring at his face in the photo.
“Jake is a fantastic hockey player and made the varsity team his freshman year. He was pretty popular at school, too. He loves photography and wants to be an architect when he grows up. Jake spent as much time at our house as he did at his own. He got along really well with Mom and my little sister. We did everything together.”
“What’s your mom’s name? And your sister’s?” He asks gently, twisting his upper body towards me.
“Mom is Vanessa, and my little sister was Lily, but I always called her Lily bee.”
“Why bee?” Seb asks, reaching behind him to place the photo back on the nightstand. He props his elbow on some pillows, leaning his hand on his jaw, giving me his full attention.
“The first time I held her was when Mom got home from the hospital. I was waiting outside to see them, and when Mom put her in my arms, a bumblebee landed on her. She became my Lily bee.” I smile at the memory.
She was so tiny and fragile, all pink and squishy.
Mom had her wrapped in a soft, pale pink blanket with a yellow knitted beanie.
“That’s sweet, Sunshine. What were they like?”
“Mom was a graphic designer. She worked mostly from home when we were little, but worked for a small company in town after Lily bee started kindergarten. She was what you’d call a free spirit.
Very easygoing and friendly. Nothing ever bothered her, and she was always smiling.
She treated Jake like one of her kids. Lily bee was precocious, determined and smart.
A bit of a spitfire, too. She could be very stubborn, and she loved to draw, like Mom.
Mom and I lived with Nana until she passed and left us the house.
The four of us did almost everything together. ”
Seb reaches over slowly and brushes my cheek with his thumb. I didn’t realize I had started crying. “They sound like amazing people, Sunshine. Thanks for sharing that with me. If you ever wanna talk about them, I’ll happily listen, okay?”
I nod. “Yeah, okay. I haven’t talked about them since that day.”
“Really?” He seems shocked, his eyebrows heading towards his hairline. “How do you feel now, Sunshine?”
“Sad…but good. It’s kinda nice to talk about them with someone, but it hurts a little too,” I reply, wiping a few more tears off my cheeks.
Seb wraps me up in a comforting hug. I breathe in his scent, accepting the comfort of his offering.
When he pulls away, I ask him how he met the guys.
When Troy moved them all here, Seb was behind in school, and Alex ended up being his tutor.
Nick was in a shitty home situation, and when Troy heard about it, he helped Nick get away from his dad and moved him in with them.
Seb said the rest was Nick’s story to tell, which I understand.
Alex tutored Nick, too. The three guys became friends.
They met Bay through Alex, as they were both divers. Seb met E on the basketball team.
“How long have you and E been together?” I ask.
“Caught that, did you?” He smiles. “A couple of years now. Both of us are bi, so there have been girls here and there, but no other guys. It makes basketball trips fun,” he says, wiggling his eyebrows.
A surprised laugh slips out of me. “I suppose it would. Are any of the other guys dating?”
“Are we interested in someone, Sunshine?” Seb ribs me, poking my side.
“No,” I say, wiggling away as I shake my head vigorously. “I still love Jake. I was just curious.”
“Alright, well, Bay has dated a few people, but nothing long term. Alex has a girlfriend, I guess? It’s more about their parents approving of the match, so they date, or pretend to date, to keep the parents off their backs?
It’s complicated. Nick doesn’t date ever.
He has sex with girls, but just sex. No relationships exist there.
How are you feeling about school tomorrow? ”
“Honestly, I’m nervous. I’ve never switched schools before.” The thought of all the bullying I endured before makes me queasy. Realistically, I know mean girls exist at every high school. I just hope I can avoid them here.
“Luckily, you have me and the guys, and Gabs. We’ll be in your classes, and you’ll sit with us at lunch. It’ll be fine. Promise.”
“I hope you’re right, Hurry.” Hmm, that just slipped out, but it seems appropriate considering how fast Seb talks. I think that will be my nickname for him.
“What? What’s a Hurry?” He asks me, sitting up from the pillows, brows furrowed.
“It might be your new nickname,” I smile at him.
“I don’t know what to think about that,” Seb mumbles. “I’d like to reserve the right to have you change it if it doesn’t grow on me.”
“I can live with that,” I reply, feeling proud of myself. Not only did I talk about my family, but I feel like I solidified my friendship with Seb.