Page 12 of Sixty Days Of Summer

Leaning against the wall across the hall, Xander’s furrowed brows mirror the same sense of unease twisting in my stomach. The person I saw this morning, grinning with Alex in the driveway, seems completely different from who I encounter now.

With his head in his hands and his leg bouncing like a jackhammer, Theo sits slumped in one of the chairs, appearing on the verge of losing control. Stress has never been his strong suit, and it’s painfully evident in his posture.

As soon as Xander spots us, he pushes off the wall, his face contorting with worry.

As Xander moves, Theo lifts his head,and I can’t help but notice the cut on his head, hastily mended with those fucking butterfly clips. Scarlet hurries over to him, and I see Theo’s gaze tighten when he takes in her bruised skin - the marks seem to have worsened since I picked her up at the airport.

Theo stands up, his arms wrapping tightly around Scarlet, as if he’s afraid to let go. It’s impossible to overlook the profound connection between them as Theo effortlessly embodies the role of a protective older brother.

The family dynamic between Nate’s household and Theo, who practically lived there, has always fascinated me. I’ve always admired how seamlessly they welcomed him into their home. I only had my sister, Daisy, but when things got tough, she bailed, leaving me to deal with all the messed-up shit on my own.

“Is she okay?” Xander asks, stepping up beside me. I can’t tell if he’s talking about how Scarlet’s handling the news or the bruises fucking up her face. Either way, it’s a goddamn mess.

“Yeah, she seems okay,” I reply, keeping my voice low as I glance over at Xander. “Any updates?”

“Yeah,” says Xander, his gaze drifting to Scarlet and Theo, sitting together. “He went into surgery a little while ago. His shoulder is pretty fucked up. The doc didn’t give me a solid recovery time yet, but it’s gonna be a few months at least before Nate’s back on his feet.”

The news hits me hard. Nate, the heartbeat of our band, is about to have some difficult days ahead.

“Fuck, that’s rough,” I mutter, feeling the weight of it all. The thought of the upcoming tour next month consumes my mind, especially remembering how excited Nate was to perform on stage again. But the only priority at this moment is his recovery.

“Theo said some old guy ran a red light,” Xander says, crossing his arms. “Theo was a wreck when I got here.” He glances over at Theo, who looks a bit more composed now, thanks to Scarlet. “Theo’s convinced it’s his fault that the old bastard ran the light.”

“Yeah, I heard him feeding that same bullshit to Scarlet. If he keeps this up, it’s gonna fuck with his head.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking.”

As Xander’s phone rings, he reaches into his pocket and retrieves it, briefly glancing at the screen to see who’s calling. It’s Poppy. He answers the call, his voice fading as he steps away from us. “Hey, Princess,” he says, his voice dropping to a softer, almost tender tone.

I move further into the room, keeping a sharp eye on Theo and Scarlet. I plop down in the seat across from them and catch snippets of their conversation, hearing fragments of their words as I try to decipher the situation.

“Is anything broken, Scar?” Theo asks, reaching out to touch her cheek. She flinches at his touch.

“I don’t think so,” she replies.

“What did the doctor say?” Theo presses.

“I don’t know,” Scarlet admits. “I didn’t get it checked out.”

“What the hell, Scar? You didn’t get it looked at?” Theo’s voice rises.

“No, I’ll be okay. I’m just worried about Mom and Dad seeing me like this. You know how Dad loses it,” Scarlet says, her voice shaky.

“Yeah, he’ll probably want to hunt down that asshole, and so do I, and so will Nate the minute he sees what that bastard did to you,” Theo replies, his voice edged with anger.

Yeah, get in fucking line. You all can have a crack at that bastard once I’m done with him.

Theo finally pulls his gaze away from Scarlet’s bruised face and turns his attention to me.

“You good?” I ask, trying to offer a bit of support. I can see the strain in his eyes, the effort it’s taking him to stay calm.

“Yeah, just trying to keep my shit together,” he replies. It’s clear he’s trying to put up a strong front.

“Nate’s tough. He’ll pull through,” I say, trying to sound reassuring. “And you’re not alone in this. Your brothers are here for you.” I’m relieved I can offer some support; it’s a hell of a lot better than the awkwardness I felt earlier with Scarlet, where I couldn’t give her what she needed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Scarlet’s gaze, but I purposely avoid making eye contact, fearing that Theo will pick up on the awkwardness between us. As Xander comes back and takes a seat next to me, I feel a slight release of tension.

"That was Poppy," Xander says, glancing at his phone. "She’s checking if there’s any update on Nate. Apparently, it’s all over the headlines."

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