Page 40 of Forged Forever

I spend a few minutes talking to Jake before we need to head to the MMA tournament. Jake's coming to the final match tomorrow.

Markus thought ahead and designated a staff parking area, and it’s a good thing he did because the crowd is massive. Grabbing my lanyard and clipboard, we get out. I texted the guys when we left the school so Bay and Alex could meet us at the edge of the staff parking lot. “The number of people is insane, guys,” I greet.

“It is. Classes are full, and the stands are full. We even have food trucks parked along the edge of the park,” Bay tells us.

I’m surrounded as we get to the entrance. Troy's there, along with two other Finn employees. After Dad checks in, we follow Alex to the tents. I say hello to Seb and E, who are sitting in the shade, and then Dad excuses himself to check on the rest of his employees. “Sunshine. I missed you. Did you win your races?” Seb says, coming in for a hug.

“Me too, Hurry, and yes, I won all three today. So, update me, are there any issues? What do I need to do?”

“Classes are ending soon. We need to ensure people clear out, and the next groups can enter,” Alex tells me.

“Lead the way.” I have Alex in front and Bay behind me as we make our way through the crowd. Two classes are already finished when we stop outside the ropes. It looks like they added a second rope about 10 feet away to keep the crowd back, and I smile at the two Finn employees stationed in front of the crowd. The teachers, all from Markus’ martial arts academy, are responsible for checking tickets as they let people enter their area. We have two kids’ classes and two adult classes up next.

For the most part, people are behaving. One teen tries to stay for a second class despite only paying for one, so I call Jensen over, which solves the problem. Bay is concerned about a few of the parents, so he and I hang back while Alex moves on to the cages.

The parents are allowed to stand just outside the ropes to watch their kids, but Bay was correct; an overly obnoxious dad is disrupting the class, telling his son what to do. Jensen asks him to leave nicely, then not so nicely, as he plants him in the main crowd right in front of him, and I hide my chuckle behind my hand.

The rest of the afternoon is more of the same. Checking in and managing issues. I catch Ceres in the ring for a few minutes but don’t see his family. As the last match ends, Seb thanks the crowd for coming and tells them the tournament will resume in the morning. It’s over an hour before everyone is out. The guys and I grab a bunch of food from the food trucks for our group after the last person leaves. We sit at two picnic tables and chow down. Dad is working the first night shift tonight, so I hug him goodbye before I leave. I grab my bags from Dad’s truck, tossing them into Bay’s Honda, then he drives us to Alex’s house.

Despite being so busy all day, any moment of quiet brought thoughts of Nick to the forefront of my mind. He should be here today, kicking ass in the cage. My heart ached all afternoon, but I put on a brave face. “Are you okay, Summer?” Bay asks me. My face must give my thoughts away.

“Just missing Nick today.”

“Me too. It's weird without him.” He squeezes my hand briefly.

“Yeah, it is. I wish we received more information than he’s alive every few months.”

“We all do. Hopefully, he'll come home soon.”

We arrive, and I gather my bags to trudge up the stairs, my energy waning along with my mood. I excuse myself and grab a shower right away. The hot water fills the shower with steam, but instead of relaxing my sore muscles, it makes me even more tired. Leaning my head on the tile wall, a few tears mix with the water. I’m very emotional today. Not sure why, life is pretty good.

I must have been in here a while because Seb enters the bathroom. “You alright, Sunshine?”

“Yeah.” My raspy, low voice causes Seb to pull the shower curtain open to find me slumped against the wall.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m emotional, missing Nick,” I mumble.

“Come on out, Sunshine. Let’s get you dried off. We’re all feeling it today with the tournament.”

I turn off the water and step out. I should’ve known the guys would be missing him extra today too. Seb gently dries me with a fluffy towel, and then I get dressed. He brushes my hair as I lean against the counter. “Sorry for being morose. I know you miss him too.”

“Nothing to apologize for. Besides, your period should start soon. I’m not saying you have PMS, but you get emotional just before it starts, which is natural and not a big deal at all. And don’t worry, you’re not cranky, you just have heightened feelings.”

What? “Do you follow my cycle, Hurry?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” He tilts his head, a tiny frown forming on his mouth.

Aww. “That’s sweet, Hurry.” I twist my hair into a bun when Seb's done. Dropping my bags near my bed and checking my phone, I see he’s right. My period should start today. Huh.

Seb takes my hand, guiding me to the couch. He pulls the blanket off the back and wraps me up like a burrito, then sits me between his legs in the corner to snuggle. He’s the best.

The guys play video games while I relax. Warm and safe and loved, I drift in and out of consciousness. When the guys decide it’s time for bed, Seb carries me to our room, and I wave to Alex and Bay over his shoulder.

As Seb sets me down, a cramp hits my belly. Unwrapping the blanket, I rush to the bathroom. While there, I get ready for bed, only half awake.

I shuffle back into the room and flop onto the guys’ bed. Seb chuckles and wraps me up, becoming the middle spoon. I feel E’s hand rest on my hip as sleep once again pulls me under.