Not All Sunshine and Rainbows - Bouncing Back, Book III

Markus laughed as he recalled the look of feigned innocence on his brother's face when he handed in his test at Ontario Tech University. The way they played on the smug expressions of the administrators was hilarious. David had been livid when they accused Jaxon of cheating, ranting about how they judged his son and his friend without proof. Thinking they had the teens right where they wanted them, the Board caved to Trace’s demand for a retest for both boys. This time, each of them would go in alone while the other waited in the hall. Much to the vexation of the university Board of Directors, Lukas and Jaxon passed with flying colors—again. He glanced at his reflection as he passed the mirror hanging on the hallway wall. He had grown a few inches since his high school days. Like Kennedy, he opted for mechanics and business administration courses, but his major was diesel engine repair. His gold-frosted black hair was starting to grow out, and his dark grey eyes reflected his daily mood. Pushing his bangs aside, he winced as he checked his latest battle wound. Gingerly touching the spot where his brother had punched him, he sighed. The skin was tender around the edge of his eye, but it was his own fault. Testing the limits of his little brother's patience was not something he was going to revisit any time soon. Lukas had damn good aim, and Markus didn't need two black eyes. Having turned eighteen not long ago, Markus had more freedom than his brother. Not that he and the others were ever treated as children. No, they were treated the same as their peers, which initially caused a bit of upheaval. Thankfully, Declan was a good trainer and a patient man when it came to their whiny, childish attitudes until they reached high school age. That was when the kid gloves came off, and he no longer had any mercy for them. The instigators, Phoenix and Kennedy, ensured they weren't alone in training. "Stupid leader and his stupid ex-right hand," Markus muttered as he grabbed his backpack. "You would think they would have let the rest of us be, but no, not Kenni. She had to convince the adults that we should all train." His father leaned back on his ankles, pausing his search of the hall closet. "What was that?" "I said I was heading out to meet up with Memphis," Markus replied. Trace shook his head. "Mark, if I'm asking, it's because I already know what you said. Don’t lie to someone trained to listen in on conversations while looking like they’re not paying attention. It was actually Ambrosia and Callum's decision to make the rest of you train as kids. Kenni didn't want to share Phoenix with any of you, to be honest." Markus hadn't known about that. He thought his friends had asked for it to happen. "Greedy b***h," Markus grunted as he shouldered his bag and snapped the buckle in place. "Seriously, though, I'm heading out to go riding with Mem." Cursing in German, his father said, "Markus, have you seen my black flame duster?" "Yeah, Luke had it earlier. If it's not in his room, he may be wearing it. I think he went to the mall with Jax and Ross. They were talking about new hard drives." "Verdammt jugendliche," Trace muttered in his native tongue. It was something his friends encouraged, and he wanted the boys to know how to speak German in case they ever visited the family in Germany. "Easy on the cuss words there, Dad," Markus laughed, amused that his father was cursing out his teenagers. "So, how did you finally get the university to take on the twinned techy terrors?" "You want me to blacken the other eye? Get out of here, brat. Ride safe, and call me when you get there. Before you say I’m controlling, think again. I just want to know my boys are safe when I can’t protect them," Trace yelled as he stomped toward his younger son's room. An hour later, Memphis found his best friend leaning over the rail at their usual meeting place. The smell of burned tobacco hung thick in the air around Markus as he finished his smoke. Flicking the butt over the side, he watched it vanish into the bottom of the deep, rocky ravine. He turned to Memphis, "Sup?" "Not too much," Memphis replied calmly. "Kennedy's home studying, Dad is watching Francis, and I just got my acceptance letter to The University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law." "Nice," Markus breathed. "That was a pretty close call a few months ago." Memphis sighed and nodded. "I'm just grateful she woke up okay. Watching that happen gives me a whole new respect for what women go through to have a kid. It's painful, man. When she stopped breathing and when Amber told me she hemorrhaged badly enough to need blood, I thought I lost everything. But that woman of mine bounced back with a vengeance." Markus watched cautiously as Memphis’s hands balled into fists. The way his leather riding gloves stretched tightly over his knuckles indicated the stress the other man had been under. His best friend let out a long sigh. Chuckling, Markus said, "I'd say married life changed you, Memphis, but you still got that same wild streak. I wouldn't let that ego of yours go to your head, though." "Are you kidding me? My father would let Kennedy beat me senseless if I did that," Memphis grinned. Slapping his friend on the back, he added, "Law school is driving me crazy. I start the second week of September, but I'm already stressed about it. There are times when my brain decides to shut down, and I end up blanking out. Thank God my sharp memory is one of the reasons I passed high school." "That, and a certain red-head who kept us all on our toes," Markus laughed. "Seriously, though, your dad seems to have come around where Kenni is concerned. Are you guys going to have any more kids? I'd like to be a godfather, you know." He watched the smile fade from Memphis's face. The look of regret in the dark honey-brown eyes gave him an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Es tut mir Leid," Markus said, apologizing in German. "I didn't mean to hit a sore spot." "You didn't," Memphis muttered. "I never want to put her through something that life-threatening again. I told her about my stance on it, and she's pretty content to only have Francis around. I made the decision for both of us when I got a vasectomy two weeks after he was born. I have another appointment in three months to make sure it worked, and the last one is at the one-year mark.” Nodding, Markus accepted the facts with a grain of salt. His best friend had faced an unfortunate encounter and made his decision. It was for the best, and he knew it. "She's strong, but even Kenni has her limits.” Nodding, Memphis leaned against the rail of the bridge. “I hear ya, man. Besides, my father raised me to believe that it wasn't only the women who should think about contraception. Men have options, too, so why should it only fall to the women we choose to bed? Oh, wait, you and Jax are an exception to that rule." "Speaking of my handsome boyfriend, Jaxon and Lukas are going to m******e the other students at OTU, man. I swear it's going to be their fault if Ontario has a tech meltdown," Markus lamented. "It would be more of a nation-wide shutdown if the Board, students, or teachers back them into a corner," Memphis laughed. He knew without a doubt that the two boys they grew up with had abnormally powerful tech-oriented minds. Yet, both also harbored a darkness that threatened to spill over at any moment—a fierceness that starkly contrasted with their normally happy, shadow-bound personalities. Markus fell silent, rubbing his leather-clad hands together. Swallowing his ego, he said, “I’m nervous.” "Mr. Smooth-Talker is actually anxious about something?" Memphis snickered, chuckling as he drank from his water bottle. With narrowed eyes, Markus shook his head. "Yes, I'm nervous. I want him with me for the rest of our lives. Jax is perfect for me. Legally speaking, he's still a minor, but I can’t really get in trouble if it’s only a two-year age difference." Memphis’s face fell. Though he was concerned about his best friend, he was more so about the almost sixteen-year-old that Markus loved. He thought about it some more before saying, "What about a promise to get engaged? No legalities, no Sky or Dave on your ass, and no surprise visit from my wife because you upset Jax." "True," Markus agreed easily. Shaking his head, Memphis said, "So, do you have a promise or engagement ring or even an idea of what he likes in the form of jewelry?" "Nope." Figures Mark wouldn’t have anything like that. Memphis frowned. "Okay, do you need a hand picking one out?" Unsurprisingly, Markus grinned. "I'd like that, ja." "Let's go," Memphis smiled. "I got two more hours to kill before I gotta head home. It's my turn to give Francis a bath and put him to bed. The closest jewelry store is Twin Gems, so let's go there. That's where Ken and I picked out our set." Raising his brows, Markus looked over at Memphis. "That place costs a fortune!" "I know, but are you really going to skimp on costs?" Memphis replied, egging his friend on in a way he knew would get him going. “Two words,” Markus laughed as he shoved his helmet on. “Screw you.”