Chapter 26 #2
“My dad is an abusive asshole. Not physically to me anymore, since I’m bigger than him now.
I have been for a few years. He’s military, so he’s in and out of our lives, but we’ve never moved anywhere with him.
Mom stays married to him for the money and prestige.
His family comes from old Southern money.
That’s all she cares about. I stay with Alex when he’s home. ”
“I haven’t been interested in anything since the accident.
Plants, school, track, nothing. I was stuck in survival mode, even with therapy.
Moving here flipped a switch in me, and it’s like I’m alive again.
My therapist said moving here freed me, and my hometown kept me stuck. I think she was right.”
E pulls into the driveway of the house and parks out front. “That was an intense way to get to know each other,” he jokes.
“It was. I didn’t intend that when I asked you to tell me about yourself.”
“I’m aware, Summer. It was strangely freeing, though.” E seems contemplative after our rapid, intense conversation.
I think about that. It was easier to blurt things out without thought or a huge discussion.
“It was, wasn’t it?” I smile. “Thanks for the drive, E. I’ll see you and Seb after dinner.
” I grab my bag, open the door, and look down.
“Um, E, a little help down please?” E jumps out and comes around to my side.
Gently grabbing my waist, he lifts me down. “Thanks,” I say and wave goodbye.
I grab water in the kitchen, then go to my bedroom to drop off my bags. After a quick shower, I call Mal. I tell Jake all about track and the guys, the wedding, and my possible new bully while I soak in the tub with the lavender oil and salts.
Zander comes home a little before 5pm. I’m asked to choose steak or chicken for dinner tonight, and he’ll help me make it. We eat and chat at the island about our day. Seb and E show up as I’m putting the last dishes in the dishwasher.
Since Zander will work in his office, we spread out on the dining table to start homework.
The guys give me copies of their notes from the three novels I missed, and E actually hands me his copies of the 3 novels with highlighted sections and tabs, and they show me where to concentrate with the reading.
Afterward, we move on to other homework.
After we’ve finished, I tell the guys to relax on the couch while I defrost some brownies. I fill a tray with water bottles and brownies, and bring it to the living room. Seb grabs a brownie before I’ve even sat on the couch. “Sunshine, did you bake these?”
“Nope, Sue did. She sent me here with a whole suitcase full of baked goodies we made the day before I left.” Turning to E I say, “Sue was my foster in Virginia.”
E grabs a brownie and takes a bite. “Yum. These are superb.”
“I may have to leave and move to Virginia. Does Sue like younger men?” Seb asks dramatically.
I simply throw a cushion at him in response, and E offers me a high five. Seb turns on a basketball game as we relax on the couch. “When is your birthday, Sunshine?”
“June 21st.”
“What’s your favorite color?”
“Green.”
“Favorite food?”
“Chocolate.”
“Favorite meal?”
“Roast turkey with all the trimmings.”
“Food dislikes?”
“Seafood and mango.”
“Favorite ice cream?”
“Death by chocolate.”
“Favorite flower?”
“I have too many of those.”
“That’s enough, Seb,” E interrupts him.
I look over at them. Seb must have been adding my answers to his phone because E has his hand over the screen. “I don’t mind E. It’s much less intense than our talk earlier,” I smile.
Seb looks between the two of us. “Did you guys play 20 questions without me?” He exclaims, “Tell me you didn’t, or I’ll be devastated!”
“No, we didn’t, Hurry. We shared things about ourselves on the drive here.”
“Care to share with me?” He asks, looking between us.
“Seb, man, you’re being too much right now,” E says as he puts his arm around him. “You don’t need to know everything we said. That’s between me and Summer.”
I look at E with an eyebrow raised in question. I’ll keep quiet if he doesn’t want Seb to know, but E shakes his head. “He already knows it all. I just didn’t want Seb pushing you to share things you didn’t want to.”
Nodding, I glance at Seb. “Sorry, Sunshine. I can be pushy. It’s absolutely your decision what to tell me. You don’t have to say anything.” E kisses Seb on the cheek, pride in his eyes.
“I actually don’t mind telling you. You’re aware of most of it already, except that I’m a virgin,” I shrug.
Seb opens his mouth and closes it. He opens it again and looks between us, then closes it as E roars with laughter.
Seb is still sitting there, not saying anything, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.
“Oh my god. I’ve never seen him speechless before,” E says, holding his sides. “You’ve done the impossible, Summer.”
I chuckle too, which seems to confuse him even more. Pretty soon, we’re leaning on each other, laughing while we watch Seb. “You,” Seb starts. “No way,” he shakes his head. “And you,” he says, pointing to E. “You’re touching.”
“E doesn’t trigger me either,” I tell Seb.
“How?” Seb asks, seeming genuinely confused.
That makes two of us. “I don’t know. You guys just don’t. I can’t explain it.”
Seb breaks into a huge smile. Eyes twinkling. “That’s amazing, Sunshine!”
“I still wouldn’t sneak up on me though,” I warn him, pointing my finger towards his face.
“Noted. So you’re a virgin? You and Jake never…” he starts, wiggling his eyebrows.
“No, Seb,” I shake my head.
Seb gets a look of mischief in his eyes, opening his mouth to say something else, but E puts his hand over it. “Nope. I recognize that gleam in your eye. New topic.”
“Aww, you’re no fun, E,” he sulks for a moment but quickly moves on. “Ok Sunshine, how are the legs doing after two runs? Are you jogging or actually running? How fast are you?”
“Sore. Running. No idea,” I respond. Speaking of my legs, they’re pretty tight right now.
Seb looks me over critically for a minute before standing up. He comes over, picks me up, and gently sits me down beside E. He takes a seat and lifts my feet onto his lap. “I’m giving you a foot rub now, Sunshine. Just enjoy.”
“You don’t need to do that, Seb,” I argue.
“I want to. I’m sure your feet are sore after running too,” he says. His hands are magic. I didn’t even think my feet hurt, but the massage is wonderful. He goes all the way up my calves after finishing each foot, and I’m a big puddle of goo by the time he’s done.
E picks me up and carries me to bed. Seb turns the covers down so E can place me gently on the bed. They both say goodbye, but I’m already drifting off.