32. DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

32

DROP IT LIKE IT'S HOT

Caleb

Jaden, Harvey, and I watch Arch and Bumble make food and set the table. None of us want to disturb the domestic porn that's happening right in front of our eyes. I don't know what it is about watching her just existing that is so satisfying. Adding to that the fact that she probably isn't seeing that loser. Maybe today is looking up.

Her and Arch seem less inclined to hide their little touches and the looks they share. And I am too curious about what happened.

Are her and Logan really over because he doesn't think so, but she's acting very single right now and knowing Summer it's not unprovoked.

We get up and sit at the table when they are done.

"The food looks great, Sunshine." Jaden breaks the silence.

Arch glares at him. "I made it too."

"We don't care," I say as I fork the bacon.

"Come on, Arch…helped too." Bumble shrugs and we chuckle. Arch smiles because she is saying it. Out of all of us, Arch is most attached and dependent on Summer. She is like the air he breathes. Watching their love has always fascinated me. And how Summer can match his intensity and even quail it.

If Summer is the Joker, then Arch is Harley Quinn because there will only ever be one right side, and that is Summer's. If Summer was running a cult and she said everyone must go jump in the volcano, Arch would be the first to follow her.

Not even because he believes there would be any reward, he just stans Summer and if he could live under her skin, he would. That kind of intensity is beautiful to witness but when things get bad, then it's bad.

Before it would make me feel like what I bring to the table for her wasn't adequate, but Summer had enough heart for all of us and what she gave me was also beyond what I thought I could get.

I mean, the sex stuff is great, she's liberated, but with Summer the real treasure is when you look underneath. A lot of people probably wonder why all of us have clung to the idea of her for so long when we could move on, but she feeds our souls. And that's the sum of it.

"Your boyfriend came here last night looking for you," Harvey says casually as he slices a piece of grilled tomato.

"He is not my boyfriend anymore," she says with gritted teeth.

All of us stop chewing. I mean, we had hoped it was over, but we couldn't be sure.

"Really?" Jaden's voice comes out chirpier than I think he intended, and she snorts.

"Wow. So you not going to even pretend to be sad a little bit like Archer did?" She grins.

"No, and in fact I think a pop of champagne is due." Getting up, I head to our small liquor fridge in our tiny pantry. Fishing out the chilled champagne, I place it on the table.

"You are joking, right?" She has her hands crossed.

"No," I confirm. The others are just amused.

"So, what happened?" Jaden asks as I rinse the flutes.

I knew buying these would come in handy one day. Harvey and Arch thought it was a stupid idea when we went shopping but it's like I predicted the future because I said they were for when Summer finally dumps Logan and here we are.

Her face is morose as she moves food on her plate around. Okay, so maybe the champagne was insensitive.

"Um, I'm sorry…" she says when she looks up. She looks so guilty and filled with shame. I don't like that look on her, so I round the table.

"What's wrong, Bumble?" I hug her from behind and she is stiff. She isn't welcoming my comfort at all. I look Arch's way, and he looks like he is supporting her.

I kiss the top of her head before I go back to my seat. Everyone is waiting on bated breath for her next words.

"So, I got cheated on."

"What?" Jaden is the first to react.

Harvey stops chewing.

Well, this is…I don't even know.

"Yup, I found him and Trevor having a Hazel sandwich…at their house."

"Um…" Jaden starts.

We're all speechless and he is trying to fill the silence, so it doesn't seem she's talking to herself.

"Wait, your friend Hazel?" Harvey asks for clarity.

"Yup. The very one." The shame practically becomes her.

"Bumble, it isn't your fault, neither is it any commentary on you as a person."

That does not help things because there is still the unresolved issue of Harvey getting drugged and sexually assaulted by Tracey; a story she has never wanted to hear before. No doubt feeling like everybody just cheats on her and lies to her, especially with how low her shoulders are hanging.

"It is, Cal," she says after a moment.

"No, it isn't," Harvey says.

Her eyes rise to meet his and they stare at each other. This could go really badly or it could go…not badly.

But she shrugs after a few seconds and looks down at her food.

"So, I'm sorry for being a hypocrite. I feel like I owe you all that apology. I think you know I may have cheated first on Logan with Arch, then Caleb." She pauses. We all give her space to say her piece. "It's weird but I feel like I deserve it. I…I wasn't a great girlfriend to Logan anyway. Maybe he did what was best for him…" she drifts off.

It doesn't seem she meant to divulge that last bit to us. It seems more like a reflection thing.

"We thought you were happy with him?" Jaden says.

She shakes her head then folds her arms over her chest. "It was just payback." She chuckles joylessly. "I know I shouldn't be admitting that and maybe I should lie but…I'm tired of not living in truth. I don't know who I've become. I don't even know what I'm doing anymore, you know? Arch landed in hospital. And it's just…fucked and…"

"You do know that you don't owe us apologies for the decisions you made in your life?" I say.

"I do. I think I do. I shone myself in a light I don't like, and I can't help thinking what you all think of me now."

"Peach…" Arch says next to her and she just sighs.

"It's either this or I cry, Arch."

He reaches for her, pulling her to his lap. He whispers something to her and she nods and he kisses the side of her face.

She finally turns back to the table.

"I'm sorry I judged you so harshly." She looks directly at Harvey.

The air in the room gets intense instantly as Harvey looks at her.

"It's fine, Summer," he says after what seems like forever. It doesn't seem fine.

I see her flinch a little. This leaves so much in space, so much in the air.

"So, what is the plan now? What are you going to do?" I ask when no one else will.

She scratches her head. "Focus on school, be single for a while. Try to…find myself. Probably."

"Oh." Jaden's shoulders drop. I think maybe all of us were hoping for, 'I want to get back together with all of you.'

"So, you still haven't forgiven us?" Harvey asks.

"Harv…" Archer warns.

It's a hard question but one we all need to know. Where is her mind with regards to us?

"It's not that I don't want to. I feel like I'm no longer worthy to give any of you forgiveness. I am…"

"Summer, you need to stand up," Jaden says and I find myself chuckling. She does too.

"Jaden, I just feel like shit, okay. I think I'm allowed that, and on top of everything I went and did exactly the same thing. So excuse me if I feel shitty and like a giant fucking hypocrite right now and I just want to wallow in self-pity."

"Okay, first of all, I will speak on it because none of them seem to want to address the issue. But it's separate issues. Your relationship with that dickhead is incomparable to what we had with you. Not the same things. You acted on feelings for Arch and that is not the same as Harv getting drugged and sexually assaulted by Tracey."

***

Summer

My ears feel like they are ringing a little.

"What did you just say?" I didn't hear that right.

Sexual assault?

Harvey looks uncomfortable.

"Arch?" I turn to him.

"You didn't have to drop it like it's hot, asshole," Harvey says.

"Harvey?" I look in his direction.

He gets up and he leaves, and I am left stunned and so confused.

"Can anybody explain to me what just happened?" I say, turning to Arch who is still holding me.

"Harvey got drugged at the party and Tracey offered to help him to the bedroom since she was going that way anyway. We shouldn't have let her because he was pretty out of it. And she set up a camera and got on top of him. He doesn't remember anything; how he got there, or when most things happened. The only thing he says he remembers was seeing you on top of him. He thought…"

My whole inside recoils. "Tracey was me?"

I feel hot suddenly and get off Arch's lap and stand.

"Is this true?" I don't know why I am hoping a little it isn't, and he just cheated. But if he got sexually assaulted, then I may be worse than the worst.

"Yeah," Caleb answers but none of them get up.

I remain there feeling worse than when I thought I got cheated on.

"I…I have to go." I take off to the door and hear footsteps behind me.

"Peach, stay." I hear Archer's well-meaning voice.

"I need to think. I…Maybe I'll see you." I don't turn and head out the door.