All in all, settling in with Kayla went rather well. The security system wasn’t too invasive and had been installed with incredible speed and precision. Mr. Aster, who had been watching the process with narrowed eyes, seemed impressed by the professionalism displayed. He watched the guards do their work until they left. Summer was impressed by how well they kept their word that she wouldn’t see them unless they were needed.

  Mrs. Aster took to Kayla immediately. She started sharing embarrassing stories before they even took Kayla’s things to the guest room.

  “Summer has always been a warm person, but she hasn’t had any friends over since high school. I’m so happy to see that her new job has given her an opportunity to be close friends with her coworkers. You are welcome to drop by and visit every time.”

  While Summer was feeling flustered, she noticed Kayla looked a bit overwhelmed. “Mom, she just got here. Give her some space,” she broke in, “Kayla isn’t used to this kind of thing.”

  Kayla seemed relieved and a bit thankful when Mrs. Aster obediently backed off a bit. “I’m sorry. After everything that has happened I guess I let my excitement get to me. Don’t be afraid to ask for anything while you are here.”

  The two were left alone for a few minutes so Summer could help Kayla unpack. Kayla seemed a bit lost as she looked around the guest room that had been prepared just for her.

  “Now that I am here, I understand more about you,” Kayla said, “When we first met you clearly hated me, yet you turned around and helped me the next moment just because I was more pitiful than you expected. At first I wondered if you were mocking me. Later I thought you were just using me since you can handle my power better than most people can. Even once we talked about Ma- that person, I thought we were just sharing the same suffering. Summer, have you really seen me as a friend this whole time?”

  “I don’t know,” Summer admitted, “but I don't think I ever really hated you. I was just scared. You are pretty and your ability is amazing. If someone as amazing as you is interested in Ashton, how can I compare? You even have a similar past, something I can never understand. That’s why I want to show both you and Ashton the world I grew up in. One without blackmailing masterminds or government facilities.”

  There was a pause, then Kayla grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. “Your parents are so warm and welcoming,” she told her, “I think I would like to see more of your world. It just might take me some time to get used to it.”

  “We have plenty of that,” Summer assured her, “Our little vacation probably won’t be ending any time soon.”

  The girls finished unpacking Kayla’s things, and Summer ditched her smaller pack in her room before going to help her mother fix dinner. It looked like she was pulling out all the stops to impress their guest. A large pot of beef stroganoff with noodles made from scratch by a family friend, a side of garlic bread, and even a pudding cake for dessert.

  “Could you chop the onions while I make some cream for the cake?” her mother asked, pulling a carton of heavy whipping cream from the fridge.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “Alright,” Summer agreed, gathering some candles that decorated the nearby shelves. Ever since she had heard that burning candles helped tone down the onion fumes, she had never cut an onion without setting up at least three.

  Kayla came in while she was chopping and offered to help with something, instantly getting roped into assisting with the whipped cream. It was nice seeing her slowly let her guard down and enjoy cooking together. As they set the table, her father talked about furniture, eager to show off the new kitchen chairs he had finally finished designing to match their table. Kayla shared another glance with Summer at this, no doubt remembering the day they first met again.

  “You raised your daughter well,” Kayla told them once there was a lull in the conversation, “Even when we were rivals she was always kind to me.”

  “And you repaid that kindness back plenty,” Summer pointed out, “If you hadn’t had my back during that last mission…”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Kayla interrupted, “We both knew who we were up against, and I let my guard down. I should have let my security team know where we were once I noticed they lost track of us.”

  Summer recalled all of the sharp turns MysteriousMaskz had ordered Ashton to take. Had all of that been to shake off Kayla’s private security force? It was something she hadn’t even thought of. Unfortunately, another thing she hadn’t thought of was her parents’ reaction to hearing this little snippet of information.

  “I think it is time you tell us what happened,” her father pressed, “You said you collapsed from overusing your power, but it is starting to sound like it was more than just that.”

  Summer shared a glance with Kayla as they seemed to wonder how much they were allowed to say. “Actually, my vacation has more to do with Mason than my overuse of power,” she admitted, “Mason and Aunt May were both put in danger by a dangerous criminal so that he could blackmail me. That criminal is still out there, but I guess he got what he wanted since they are home safe.”

  “Is it the same one from before?” her father asked, “The one who has been threatening you since before SI fell apart?”

  “Yes, it is,” Summer confirmed, “Sorry, I didn’t want to talk about something like this when I finally came to visit.”

  “Don’t be sorry,” her mother scolded, “We want to be there for you when you are struggling. You should never feel like you need to hide things like this from us.”

  “I just don’t want to put you in danger too,” Summer admitted.

  “They should be safe as long as I am staying here,” Kayla offered, “My security detail is trained for situations like this.”

  “Are we allowed to know why you have such a well trained security detail?” Mr. Aster asked.

  Summer shot a worried glance at Kayla who smiled. “I don’t mind telling you a little,” she agreed, “My ability makes me a target. I can’t tell you what it is, but Summer knows.”

  There was a tense silence for a few moments before Mrs. Aster started badgering them to start eating. From there, the conversation turned to lighter topics like the food, or the family friend who had made the noodles. Somehow even Summer’s old job at the hero themed cafe was mentioned. Kayla seemed particularly interested in the last topic.

  “I would like to visit sometime,” Kayla spoke up, “It sounds like an interesting place. Maybe there are some posters of Golden Reign now.”

  “I doubt it,” Summer told her, “Even before SI fell apart, Golden Reign was pretty unpopular.” Unpopular being a mild way to describe all of the hate comments she had come across back then.

  “The two of you should visit tomorrow,” her mother suggested, “It would be nice for both of you to get away from it all, and I hear your old boss still misses you.”