Eventually, we walk E out to his truck with his bags, and he promises to call me and Seb before bed tonight. After hugs goodbye, he drives away. “Why do I have a bad feeling, Hurry?”
Seb slings an arm over my shoulder. “For the same reason I do, Sunshine, but he has to figure this out himself.”
Nodding, I ask him and Nick to drive me home. I hop into the passenger seat, and Seb jumps in the back as Nick drives us. Zander’s truck is in the driveway when we get there. After kissing Nick on the cheek and getting a hug from Seb, I unlock the door.
Going inside, I find Zander on the couch watching tv. “Hey. How was your trip?” I ask, taking a seat in the corner.
“Good darling. How are you? Did E move out?”
“He did. I wish he could see what we see and just skip all the in-between.”
“I know. Me too. Hopefully, it doesn’t take him long. How is everyone else?”
I sigh. After a nice mini-vacation before school started, my stress levels are high again. “Well, Seb’s mom has dropped off the face of the earth, so he’s going to her apartment tomorrow with Nick. Nick’s dad is back to running drugs and is working for someone, according to his hacker friend, but there’s no evidence yet. You know about E. Reesa is still wearing the engagement ring, but Alex has stopped staying away from us, so that’s something, I guess,” I shrug.
“You’ve got a lot going on, Summer. Support your friends, of course, but they need to handle their own lives.”
“I know. I don’t think I’ll ever understand this old southern money thing. Holding money over someone is disgusting. Telling E he can’t be a chef and to pretend he’s not in love with Seb is so wrong. How can money be worth that?”
“I agree with you that money isn’t worth it, but E hasn’t known any other life than being rich. It must be scary to think of not having that anymore.”
“But Alex and I have both offered to help him.”
“I know, darling, but that isn’t the same as having your own.”
“Yeah, I guess. I also think Alex’s imagination has gotten the better of him.”
“How so?”
“He’s letting Alicia control his life so he doesn’t upset his dad. Alex has been in a loveless relationship since sophomore year because he thinks his dad approves, and he’s staying engaged so it doesn’t cause a family scandal. More old money stuff, but I don’t get the feeling his dad cares about those things as much as Alex thinks. He seemed like a nice man when I met him. I could be wrong, but I think his dad’s response would surprise Alex.”
“Perhaps. I’ve only met him a few times, but he seemed to care about Alex despite never being around. They are difficult situations for sure, darling. All you can do is be there for your friends.”
Nodding, I tell him I’m getting cleaned up. Deciding a bath is in order, I grab some herbs before filling the tub, and Seb calls with E on conference while I’m soaking. E is in his room and unpacked. His grandparents had the remaining stuff from his parents’ house moved over there as well. Other than showing him his room, they have said little.
We chat about school and gossip going around until my water cools and I have to get out. E and Alex are coming over tomorrow to help me with some herbal preparations and the veggie garden, and I’ll see the rest of the guys Sunday to finish painting the house.
Chapter 13
Summer
Alex arrives at precisely 8am in the morning. I’ve got several groups of flowers I need to harvest and dry, as well as infuse in oil. Once we finish our tea and coffee, he follows me out into the yard. I show him which flowers to cut, and we spend about an hour gathering them. “Alex, you understand E’s situation better than anyone. Could you explain old Southern money to me in more detail? I know we clash occasionally regarding family matters, but I genuinely want to understand.”
“I can try,” he smiles. “It is about legacy and preserving tradition. The wealthy want to stay wealthy. Like-minded people prefer to associate with each other. Long family lineages are a source of pride.”
“Okay,” I nod, as I cut some flower heads.
“Old money is old because it has grown over centuries. It is a small community. It is generally agreed that only someone with a similar background can understand what is necessary to preserve and grow a legacy.”
“What about new money?”
“There is a place for it in society, but many are wary of new money. If new money appears stable and likely to endure,society generally accepts that family and often absorbs it into an older, established family through marriage or business partnerships.”
“I see.”
“You remain unimpressed.”
“No. I guess I get the concept. It’s like the top 1% want to remain the top 1% and don’t want to share. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the idea, but spread the love around.”
