I say goodbye to Zander and Troy when the guys arrive. The game is in Charleston again this week. Alex kindly puts my bags in the trunk for me as I take a seat in the back. “Hi Bay,” I smile.
“Hi Summer. You’re in a good mood considering,” he comments.
Alex gets in the driver’s seat as I reply. “That’s because the doctor has even more hope after the first trial this morning. She thinks round two will work. It’s a week from Monday.”
“Excellent news, Summer,” Alex replies. “Would it be insensitive of me to ask to join you on your next trip? I would be interested in seeing the research.”
“Not insensitive, Alex, but you can’t. The procedure is classified, so to speak. I can’t even talk about it. Sorry. We signed NDAs.”
“I never thought of that. I am still happy to join you if you want company.”
“Thanks Alex. So, did I miss anything today?”
“We had a quiz in math, and Gabby has a boyfriend. Seb didn’t take that well,” Bay smiles.
“Oh, what happened?”
“Seb saw Gabby flirting with a guy at lunch, and when he kissed her cheek, Seb marched over to their table demanding to know what he was doing with his sister. The whole cafeteria quieted, and Gabby was mortified and dragged Seb out into the hall. When they returned, Seb told the guy he’d better treat her right, or he’d kick his ass, loud enough for the whole cafeteria to hear, and he was cranky the rest of the day.”
“Aww, poor Gabby,” I chuckle.
When we arrive at the school, the guys step to either side of me as we enter the gym and take seats on the less crowded side of the court. The teams are already warming up. Seb spots us and jogs over, climbing the stands to pull me into a hug. “Hi Sunshine.”
Smiling, I hug him back. “Hi Hurry. Good luck.”
He winks as the coach yells at him to come back. Wiggling his eyebrows at me, he jogs back to join his team. E and I connecteyes, and he waves, so I do the same with a small smile. “No, Penny tonight, Bay?”
“No, she had a family thing.”
We win the game, although I see what Seb was talking about regarding E. His head wasn’t in the game. He missed some easy shots and fumbled the ball several times. He’s not bad, but not at the level I’m used to seeing him play.
When Seb and E join us, I wish E a good night, as he has a society function. E looks sad, but resigned as he says goodbye and walks away from us. I notice Seb didn’t speak to him. We walk out, and I hop in the Jeep with Seb to follow Alex home. Steven is just leaving when we arrive to attend the same function as E. “Hello all,” he smiles.
“Thank you again for all your help with moving, Jake.”
“As I’ve said. No thanks needed, Summer. How did the procedure go?”
“It failed today, but the doctor remains optimistic about the next round.”
“Excellent news. Please let me know if it’s successful. I must be going. Have a good night, all,” he waves.
We say goodbye and head upstairs. I drop my bag onto the bed as Seb heads straight for the shower. Going into the kitchen, I look around to see what I can make for dinner, but there’s hardly anything. “Alex, where’s all your food?”
“I have been eating downstairs most evenings with my father, so I am afraid I have not kept my fridge well-stocked.”
“Okay, so what do we want to do for dinner?”
“I vote pizza,” Bay says.
“Fine by me,” I reply.
Alex gets his phone out to order as I grab water from the fridge. We have an hour's wait for delivery, so Bay pulls out the game console and hands me a controller. He brings up a driving game, which I haven’t played before. Alex shows me how to drive,and I actually get the hang of it. Seb soon joins us and picks me up from the corner, putting me between his legs, and we take turns playing until the pizza arrives.
After I shower and get ready for bed, I join Seb on his side. “Hi Hurry.”
Seb pulls me into his arms and tangles our legs. “Sunshine. How are you really doing after this morning?”
“I’m actually good. I was sad, but I’m hopeful for the next round, and my gut tells me this is going to work. The waiting is hard, but it’ll be worth it in the end.”
