Chapter 22 #2
The truck backs up near the garden beds and dumps a gigantic pile of soil on the ground.
Bay grabs a wheelbarrow and shovels from the garage, and the guys haul soil to the finished garden beds.
I continue to clean out grass clumps as Nick finishes tilling the last two beds.
When I finish that, I help spread the soil out in the beds.
It takes us until 4pm to get all the soil placed, and we are all sweaty and tired. “Thank you, guys, so much for today. It would have taken weeks to do alone.”
“Happy to help,” Bay smiles.
“I need a shower or a pool,” Seb groans.
“There’s the water park,” E offers.
“Hell yes!” Seb shouts. “Who’s in?”
E and Bay nod as Nick gives a grunt. Everyone turns to me. “What do you say, Sunshine?”
“I’m not sure…” All I can think about are my scars and a bathing suit. I’m not ready for that yet.
“Taking your hand, Sunshine,” Seb cautions, as he pulls me over to the dining set on the back patio to sit down. “I can feel your hesitation. Is it the crowd you’re worried about?”
“That’s part of it,” I admit.
“The place is enormous, so that shouldn’t be an issue. What else in on your mind?”
“Nothing,” I automatically answer, looking down at the grass.
“I know that’s not true. You’re still hesitating. Can you tell me what you’re concerned about?”
I look up at Seb. He looks serious. It’s not the goofy guy looking at me right now. “If you choose to trust me with your concerns, I promise I won’t tell a soul. I just want to make you comfortable so you can enjoy the water park with us, Sunshine.”
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and whisper, “I have scars.”
Understanding fills his eyes. “From the accident?” I nod.
“Then they showcase your strength. They’re nothing for you to be concerned about with us.
Troy, Z, Nick, and I all have scars, too.
Mine are from my prick of a sperm donor,” he tells me, lifting his shorts.
I can see a scar running along his thigh.
Next, he pulls his shirt over his head and turns around.
On his back is an angular line from his right shoulder down to below his left shoulder blade.
He turns around and looks at me. “Do my scars make you see me differently?”
“No, not at all.” I quickly assure him.
“Do they make me less devastatingly handsome?” He smirks.
“No,” I blush, looking away.
“Sunshine, I promise you, your scars won’t bother any of us. If you’re not comfortable in a bathing suit, then wear shorts and a t-shirt to the water park. But I’d love for you to come with us.”
He's so sincere. How can I say no? The guys have been working hard all day to help me too. “Okay. I need to make a call first.”
“Thank you for trusting me, us. We’ll clean up the tools and then go to my place and get changed. We’ll come back and pick you up, okay?”
I squeeze Seb’s hand, nod, and head inside. Knocking on the office door, I stick my head inside. “Zander?”
“Hi Summer. What’s up?” Zander greets.
“Hi. We’re all done outside. The guys want to go to the water park to cool down.”
“Okay. Are you going with them?”
“Yeah, I think so. If that’s okay? I need to call Sarah first, though.”
“Of course it is. You’ll have fun,” he smiles. “Give a shout when you’re leaving and send me a text if you’re going to be out late.”
“Sure. Um, what do you consider late?”
“No idea,” he laughs. “I’m new to all of this. How about 10pm?”
“Okay, but I’m not expecting to be gone that long.
” I can’t imagine staying there that long to swim.
Heading into the bathroom, I wash up, then look in my closet.
Be brave, Summer, I tell myself. First, I put on a new bathing suit, then cover it with a t-shirt and shorts, and I switch my sneakers for my new sandals.
I put my wallet, phone, a change of clothes, and a towel in my backpack, then I get comfortable on my bed with my laptop and call Sarah. “Hi Summer,” she smiles.
“Hi Sarah.” The woman could bottle calmness, I swear. Just seeing her face and hearing her voice helps me with no advice thrown in there.
“How has your week been?”
“A lot of changes, Sarah, but I’m doing okay.” I give her the highlights, including my new friends, especially Seb, whom I realize I’ve seen every day since we met.
“That sounds positive. It’s wonderful to have new friends so quickly.”
“It is. Seb is very outgoing and really talkative. He can hug me, and I hardly react. His brother calls him Hurricane Seb. You can’t help but be comfortable with him around. I even told him about my scars today.”
“That’s good you’ve found someone like that, Summer.”
“Yeah, I’m amazed at the speed things are changing, Sarah.
I went shopping with Seb and his sister on Tuesday.
The guys helped me build a vegetable garden all day today.
We’re going to a water park after our call.
I put on a swimsuit, but I’ve got a t-shirt and shorts over it.
I’m not sure I’m ready for them to see my scars yet. ”
“Wear whatever you’re comfortable in. You’ve made tremendous progress in just a week. No need to push yourself. How are things with Zander?”
“Good. We’ve hung out and gone shopping for food and house stuff.
He’s helped me make more decisions instead of just following along.
When we were at the stores, he’d give me two choices of items, and I had to pick one.
They were ridiculous. I needed a hamper for my laundry, so he picked a white one and a kid’s lime green one with dinosaurs and told me to choose,” I say, smiling.
“Do you think it helped?”
“Actually, yeah, it did. I got a tour of his workplace on Monday, too. That’s where I met Seb. They have a big security job this weekend, and he asked me to fly in the helicopter with him.”
“That sounds exciting. Anything else to discuss?”
“No, I don’t think so. I broke down a bit the first time I talked to Jake, but I handled it.”
“Good for you, Summer. You’re blossoming down there. Keep spreading your wings. Don’t limit yourself. Get involved and try new things. Make more decisions,” she winks. “Call if you need to talk anytime, alright?”
“I will, thanks, Sarah. I think I’m getting out of survival mode here, surrounded by these people.”
“I’m so thrilled for you, Summer.” Genuine happiness suffuses her features. “Talk soon.”
“Bye,” I wave goodbye. Grabbing my backpack, I head into the kitchen and add a water bottle to my bag. Waving goodbye to Zander in the office, I go out the front door.
The guys are already back, sitting in their vehicles, waiting.
“Hop in, Sunshine,” Seb hollers from the passenger seat.
Nick is driving the Jeep. I hop into the back, and we follow Bay’s Honda out.
It’s only about 20 minutes to the water park.
I’m surprised there aren’t that many cars in the parking lot when we get there.
We get out and wait for Bay and E, then head to the ticket counter.
“I’m paying for everyone as a thank you for helping today,” I state, purchasing 5 tickets, and the guys all thank me, except Nick, but I get a nod.
Seb leads the way inside. There are several waterslides that empty into a large pool.
A few hot tubs, a torpedo run, and a tube run on a man-made river that circles everything.
“What is everybody doing? I’m hitting the torpedo run, then the tube,” Seb declares. E and Nick choose the same as Bay opts for the tube run straight away.
“I think just the tube run for me.”
There’s a row of lockers near the entrance, so we put all our stuff in one.
All the guys strip out of their clothes and just leave their shorts on.
I gulp, avoiding eye contact with the exposed muscles.
High school boys should not be this cut.
Chickening out, I decide to leave my t-shirt and shorts on.
“Come on, Summer. Let’s grab a tube.” Bay nods towards the river as the rest of the guys head for the stairs to the torpedo run.
The beginning of the river run is to the left of the water slides.
Bay grabs a large red tube from the stack and holds it steady for me to get on.
I smile over at him in thanks as he gets his own tube.
He clips a piece of rope between our tubes to keep them close, then gives me a shove and hops into his.
I pretend not to notice his very defined abs contracting with the movement.
We travel downwards on an incline for a few seconds to get momentum, then it’s a fairly flat course with the water current keeping us moving.
Passing the pool, I hear a holler and see Seb flying down the slide.
“That looks like it would give you an awful wedgie,” I remark.
Bay barks out a surprised laugh. “Yeah, we learned that lesson after the first trip years ago. That’s why all the guys have their legs crossed going down.”
I nod and watch as E flies down next. I miss Nick going as we’re heading past the pool now.
The river meanders far to the right of the pool area through a lush, albeit fake, tropical paradise.
I lean back in my tube, enjoying the sound of the water and the sun on my face.
Bay stays quiet beside me as we travel through the area.
We leave the tropical forest as we float around the slides.
There are large murals painted on walls hiding what I would assume to be an ugly view.
I recognize one as Rainbow Row and many of the trees and flowers around the area.
As we near the start of the course, I see the rest of the guys getting their own tubes ready. The course turns right and then circles back to the starting point when it flattens.
“Perfect timing, Sunshine,” Seb calls as he bumps into my tube after his descent. He reaches over and clicks a rope onto my tube. I feel a minor bump and look back to see E and Nick joining us, clicking into the nearest tube.