"Yep, that's definitely a lateral ligament tear," Harvey muttered, casting Charlotte an almost reproachful look. She knew what that meant - after years as a track and field athlete, this wasn't her first ligament injury. He wrapped her foot and handed her a pair of crutches. Then he helped her up and walked her to the door of the examination room.
Outside, Sebastian was still waiting - Charlotte had asked him to leave, but he had refused. He wasn't sure what worried him more: the fact that Charlotte was actually seriously injured or that the damaged foot was technically his.
"So: keep weight off it, elevate as much as possible, no sports," Harvey instructed, then shot Sebastian a skeptical look he couldn't quite interpret. "No physical labor either," he added, turning back to Charlotte. "Some people just aren't cut out for life on a farm."
Charlotte blinked. What was that supposed to mean? She opened her mouth to protest - but for once, she couldn't think of a way to make the situation any less uncomfortable. As far as Pelican Town was concerned, she was Sebastian - the grumpy IT guy who would never have set foot on a farm… unless he was hopelessly in love with Charlotte. Only the two of them knew the real reason. Well, them and Maru. And Sam. And they were about to meet them at the library - because if anyone could decipher those mysterious runes, they'd find them there.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Sebastian asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his overalls. He could feel the eyes of the townspeople on him - especially Charlotte. Heat crept up his face as he caught Marnie openly staring before whispering something to Jodi, who nodded enthusiastically.
"It's fine," Charlotte replied curtly. "Not my first time."
Sebastian nodded. "First time for me, though - maybe we should hold off on switching back until it's healed," he joked, but Charlotte's glare instantly silenced him.
"I'm not staying in this body a day longer than I have to," she hissed, quickening her pace despite the crutches.
Sebastian sighed. After the storm had settled, they'd moved back into Charlotte's house, where she took the bed while he made himself somewhat comfortable on the rug beside it. They hadn't spoken since. The weight of their conversation in the chicken coop still sat heavy between them. Even that morning, they'd kept their words to a minimum until they left for Harvey's.
Sebastian had tried cracking a joke here and there, but he could tell Charlotte was still lost in thought.
He opened the door to the library, where Sam and Maru were already seated at one of the large oak tables. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been here. Honestly, the library would have been the perfect spot for their next Solarian Chronicles session.
When Sam caught sight of Charlotte, his eyes widened in alarm. He shot up from his chair, pulling another one back to make it easier for her to sit.
"You'd do that for me too, right?" Sebastian asked his best friend.
Sam just shrugged. "Maybe? But since you mostly spend your days holed up in your room, we've never had the chance to find out."
He was still mad. Not at Charlotte anymore - Sebastian could tell - but Sam would hold a grudge for a long time about the fact that she had told him instead of Sebastian himself.
Sebastian sighed and dropped into a chair.
"So? What do we have?" he asked, eyeing the massive binder his sister had spread out before her.
"No idea what this is supposed to mean," Gunther said flatly after Maru slid the parchment across the counter. "But I'd be happy to add it to the collection."
She raised an eyebrow. "Not until you translate it," she ordered, tapping on the parchment. Gunther nervously watched her finger, which, in his opinion, was getting far too close to such an interesting find.
"I'm afraid I can't…" he admitted again, just as the library door swung open. Vincent and Jas rushed inside and immediately settled into the cozy reading nook Penny had set up for them a few months ago. She followed shortly after, but instead of joining them, she headed straight for Gunther and Maru.
"Hello," she murmured almost inaudibly as she placed a stack of books on the counter. She waited for Gunther's acknowledgment, but he remained fixated on the parchment in front of him. Penny was about to move on when curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked past Maru.
The moment she recognized the runes on the parchment, she sucked in a sharp breath. Gunther glanced up at her over his glasses, and Penny immediately flushed. Maru, now intrigued, also turned to scrutinize her, which only made things worse.
"Sorry," Penny stammered and quickly turned to leave - only for Maru to grab her arm.
"You know what this is?" Maru asked bluntly, holding the parchment up to Penny's face.
"N-no, I must be mistaken," Penny stuttered, attempting to pull away. But Maru, thanks to her work as a nurse, was far stronger than she looked. Penny's eyes widened.
"Really, Maru, I was mistaken. For a second, I thought it was…" She squinted at the parchment. "I mean…" she trailed off, wishing she could disappear.
Maru's sharp gaze locked onto her. Then, she noticed Penny glancing around desperately - first at Gunther, who was far too entertained by the scene to intervene, and then at Sam. He was tilting back in his chair, casually reading one of the newspaper clippings from Maru's binder.
If possible, Penny turned even redder as she watched him absentmindedly place the pencil he'd been drumming against his notepad between his lips, furrowing his brow in concentration. Maru smirked triumphantly.
"You do know something. No need to downplay it. And you know what? If you help us, Sam will go on a date with you," Maru declared.
Penny tore her gaze away from Sam. "Excuse me?" she stammered.
Maru patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's simple. You help us, and Sam takes you out."
"I don't want a date with…"
"Oh, come on. You know it, I know it… he probably knows it too. And it's nothing to be embarrassed about. So, come on…" Maru was already about to pull her along when Penny finally managed to wriggle free.
"I have to work," she stated firmly, sneaking another glance at Sam, then pointing at Jas and Vincent who had already packed out their school equipment.
He was still balancing on the back legs of his chair, when he tossed a gummy bear into the air and caught it with his mouth. He nearly lost his balance but recovered at the last second. His white shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a glimpse of his lean but toned stomach.
Penny cleared her throat. "You need a translation?" she croaked.
Sebastian decided to take a walk before tending to the crops on the farm. He closed the door behind him after bringing Charlotte home. There was no guarantee that she would actually follow Harvey's advice to take it easy but he didn't have the energy to enforce it by staying with her. The tension between them still lingered, something neither Maru's research nor Sam's bad jokes could ease.
He followed the path through the farm and into Cindersap Forest. The air was warm and humid, and he wouldn't be surprised if another storm rolled in during the night. Luckily, he didn't need to water the crops after last night's downpour. He only had to check that none of the plants had been knocked over and tape the damaged ones if necessary.
As he passed by Marnie's ranch, he noticed he wasn't alone. But he couldn't see anyone outside the farmhouse. Then, he spotted Haley and Alex down by the river, just below Leah's cottage. Haley had clearly dressed up for the occasion - she wore a short denim skirt, a white top, and… cowboy boots?
Cowboy boots? That alone was unusual, but something else about her appearance felt off. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then, she burst into laughter, tucking her curls back in an overly casual manner. Her curls.
Sebastian inhaled sharply, biting back a laugh so he wouldn't be noticed. Haley had actually styled her normally sleek waves into wild curls - exactly like the ones he was currently trying to tame in a messy bun on top of his head.
She wasn't seriously trying to… Sebastian couldn't help himself. He moved carefully, staying hidden behind trees and bushes, creeping as close to the picnic blanket as possible. He didn't know why he suddenly cared so much about what they were up to. Maybe he just craved information. Maybe - just maybe - he ignored the small hope that if Haley tried hard enough, Alex might finally lose interest in Charlotte altogether.
And Haley really was trying. Every move she made seemed deliberately calculated. From the way she leaned her knees to the side, letting her skirt ride up just a bit higher, to the way she sipped from the straw in her freshly cut coconut.
Her laughter rang through the air, crystal clear, as Alex said something mildly amusing. She playfully nudged his shoulder, her hand lingering there just a second too long. If there were a rulebook for dating, Haley would be the author.
Sebastian wrinkled his nose and was about to turn away. What was he even doing here? He didn't care what those two were up to; he had never been interested in either of them. Not in Haley - and certainly not in Alex. But then, he heard the name that always set off alarm bells in his head.
"How insanely embarrassing that Charlotte got that drunk. I swear, I could still smell her puke in Jodi's flower bed the next day," Haley chirped, sighing dramatically. "Poor little thing, completely... out of control."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow. If he hadn't already known he had gotten himself into that situation at Sam's party, he wouldn't have been surprised if Haley herself had poured the rum straight down his throat just to make herself look better now.
"Maybe she just had a bad day..." Alex weakly defended Charlotte. Sebastian was briefly surprised that he didn't immediately jump on Haley's train.
"Oh, please. This wasn't her first time. Did you see what she was wearing? A total sl…"
"I thought she looked really good." Alex's words were so sincere that for a moment, Sebastian wasn't sure whether he should be pleased - or if the feeling twisting in his chest was that stupid jealousy whispering that he didn't want Alex complimenting Charlotte.
His phone vibrated in his back pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A message from Robin, asking if her son would finally come home for dinner that evening. He ignored it but kept his phone in his hand.
"Anyway. Pretty pathetic, if you ask me. But let's not talk about her," Haley decided, reaching for the strap of her camera.
Sebastian had seen her take pictures before. A hobby that, he had to admit, was actually kind of cool. He watched as Haley instructed Alex to turn away from her, only to have him look back over his shoulder. She giggled, brushing something from his face in a nervous gesture. Whatever it was, it definitely wasn't cake, despite the two plates she had set up. Well - one plate now. Alex's remained untouched.
Sebastian couldn't make out what Haley was saying, but Alex shifted positions several times before they got up and walked toward the river. Sebastian didn't miss the moment Haley slipped off her boots, before stepping on the grass.
Alex stepped closer to the water, ready to pose - when Haley moved to stand beside him. She held the lens rather close to his face… and suddenly slipped.
She stumbled, one foot landing in the water, arms flailing as she desperately clung to her camera. Alex reached her in just a few strides, catching her - and Sebastian nearly laughed when Haley instantly relaxed, gazing up at him with a dazzling smile. She rose onto her tiptoes... and pressed a passionate kiss to his lips.
She leaned fully into him, pressing her body against his, arms wrapped around his shoulders, her camera still clutched tightly in one hand. Sebastian had no doubt she would never have let it drop into the water.
The shutter sound that followed, however, had nothing to do with her camera.
It came from Sebastian's phone.
The picture he had just taken of them? Haley might want to show it to their kids someday. Not that she'd ever see it.
But Sebastian saved it - just in case he needed to show it to someone else.