And Then, There Was Fire.

thirty three.

V I R G I N A

a few weeks later

All seemed calm on the surface. Surprisingly, Trey and Lauren's anxiety only grew internally rather than the opposite with all that they know now.

Their final days in Germany had come to a genuine calm, however. The two and their parents were finally able to become civil, which turned into a stronger bond between them with April and Daniel. The first night for April and Daniel, Kurisch's idea did just that through old pictures and videos that he kept for keepsake. They went through tons of photos and videos until the sunlight began to break through.

As Trey and Lauren slowly began to enjoy what they seen, it was heightened when watching April and Daniel go down a trip of memory lane together. The first time in their lives, they watched their parents' faces and heard the tone in their voices express true, genuine love for their significant other- something that they never witnessed before from them.

Their final days in the country was enlightening for the four of them, along with Kurisch and Donnie on all that they missed out on Trey and Lauren's life thus far.

Kursich returned to Virginia with them as promised, however with an extended absence from his businesses as he's unsure just how long he would need to remain in the states.

It was a Friday afternoon that Trey's black Challenger pulled into the parking lot of Frank's bar and grill. Due to their long, unexplained absence from home, they decided to meet at Frank's to continue their ordinary life as instructed by Kurisch.

"Sarai has been bugging me like crazy at home with her questions. Was running out of ways to avoid her." Lauren breathed as she exited the car after Trey was already out and making his way to meet her on her side.

"Just remember nowhere south or tropical. They'll expect a tan on you." Trey advised, referring to a cover story to avoid telling any of their friends that they were in Germany. Their paranoia caused a new wave of untrust like never before.

It felt instant to Lauren that she found herself at the large table in the back of the restaurant sitting beside Trey with Sophia to the other side of her. Only being able to have ordered her first drink before Devahn anxiously came for them across the table. "Man, where the fuck ya'll been?"

"Oh, we went down to Florida for a bit." Lauren mistakenly, and all too suddenly answered. She could feel the heat off of Trey beside her.

"Florida?!" Sophia burst out. "I thought ya'll was local this whole time. Damn ya'll could've invited us." She jokingly envied.

"Came back without a damn tan with your light ass." Sarai added. "Must have been in that room the whole time."

Lauren rolled her eyes as they all began laughing.

"Look, the way herb 1 and 2 been on our heels we had to disappear for a bit. Shit was annoying." Trey covered as he leaned back in his seat while looking around for an open pool table, stretching his arm out across the back of Lauren's seat. "Was just trying to start the summer off chill."

"I feel you. Ol' girl was looking for you hard." Marlon began, sitting between Devahn and Sophia as he referred to Alexia. "We was out here when ya'll first left and she kept asking us as if we were lying that we didn't know where you went."

"See what I mean?" Trey laughed.

Lauren turned her wrist to see the notification on her Apple watch, seeing a text from Aubrey come through. She pulled her phone out and leaned forward in her seat, turning her brightness down.