I close my eyes and try to take a mental picture of the three of them. Jack sitting on his chair with an actual smile on his face, Ikram standing behind with one hand holding Jack’s and the other on his shoulders. Evie next to them, grinning widely.
Hope, I’d name it. Yeah. It looks like hope.
“You better have packed or wore swimsuits under your clothes,” Evie says, parking the car in the reserved disabled spot in front of the restaurant.
“I did.”
“Me too,” Jack says, but his voice is a little hesitant. “Not sure how I can get in the water, but I can still lounge on the beach and… I don’t know, get a tan or something.”
I arch a brow and turn my head towards the backseat to give him a look. Jack’s skin is so pale and freckled he’d burn if he even spends five minutes exposed to the sun. Ikram notices my skepticism.
“There are sunshades. And I brought sunscreen. I’ll have you know that I take melanoma really seriously,” he says with a firm nod. “And if you feel like getting in the water, we’ll go together,” he adds, directly to him, interlacing their fingers.
We all exit the car and Ikram rushes to take the foldable wheelchair out of the trunk.
“I think I can walk,” Jack says, leaning on the car.
“It might still be useful for later, if you need it,” I answer for Ikram who paused, the chair halfway out. He nods at me, and places it on the ground, without unfolding it, ready to push it inside. I see the struggle in his eyes, and I step towards him to grab the handle. “I’ll push it. Jack might need help towalk there…”
His eyes narrow in confusion, but I just shrug with a wink. I’m sure Jack wants to be by his side, and if Ikram is stuck pushing the folded wheelchair, he won’t have any free hands for my brother to hold. Also, holding on to something might lessen my damn limp…
They start walking and Evie joins me a few steps behind them to walk by my side.
“That’s nice of you. Jack shouldn’t have refused the help from the weekend care team…”
“I think he just wants to feel normal, for once,” I shrug. “And it’s really no bother. I want him to have a nice day and enjoy the company of his friends.”
“Okay, so firstly, we’re nothisfriends. We’re both of your friends,” she scolds. “And secondly, don’t say that we’re friends to the weekend team. It’s not as unethical, but still a little frowned upon to be friends with the people you take care of.”
I gasp in indignity. “Are you ashamed of us?”
She rolls her eyes and I chuckle as she circles my shoulders with an arm.
“Never. I can’t wait to meet your college friend. Nuri, right?”
I nod. “I’m sure you’ll get along.”
“Someone who gives shit to JackandNate for being absolute dumbasses? I don’t doubt it for one second.”
“How do you know that?” I ask with a confused frown.
“I talked to Nate on the phone this morning before I left to pick you guys up,” she shrugs. “He might have mentioned it in passing.”
They talked on the phone this morning? Was it before or after the shower incident? Did he really go for a run to escape the house and my see-through tee-shirt? Has hetoldher about that incident? What if he—
“Hurry upladies!” Jack yells, pulling me out of my internal turmoil. “Nuri and Nate are already waiting inside. Nate looks miserable and Nuri is way too proud of herself, it ought to be good.” He adds with a chuckle when we reach them at the door.
The second my eyes meet Nate’s, I feel my face starting to burn from the embarrassment. He doesn’t look away though, his gaze way too intense for my comfort, and I clear my throat awkwardly as I turn my full focus on Nuri’s mischievous face. Did she take advantage of their time alone togetherto resume her scolding?
They’re sitting at a rectangular table dressed for six people, at the edge of the deck. Nate’s sitting on the beach side, two seats available on his right, and Nuri, on the middle seat facing the empty chair next to him.
I stop next to her, ready to pull the chair farthest from Nate when Evie stops me, placing her hand above mine on the backrest.
“Do you mind if I sit there? I want to be closest to the bathroom and not bother anyone when I go… The wave sounds make me want to pee all the time,” she says, giving me a shy smile.
Weird reason, but alright…
I pull my hand away slowly and look at the other seats. Jack is sitting next to Nate, so I look at the seat next to him, behind which Ikram is standing with a guilty look on his face.
