Not the Only One (Book 1 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

Thirty-Two

Miles

"Rachel, are you okay?" I called.

I heard her coughing, and I grasped the doorknob.

"Don't let him come in," Rachel croaked.

"Don't come in, Miles. She doesn't want you to see her this way. She's going to be fine," Brooke called, and I heard Rachel cough again.

I sighed. "Fine, but let me know if you need anything, please."

"I will," Brooke promised, and when I heard Rachel retching again, I turned away and jogged down the stairs back to the living room to update Luke.

"Rachel's okay, I just think she had a little too much to dr—" I stopped when I saw Luke standing in front of the fireplace staring at something. "What are you looking at?" I asked, and his head snapped in my direction. There was a look on his face that I couldn't place.

"Um, who is this in the picture with you?" he asked, pointing to the silver frame, but something in his tone told me he was asking an unnecessary question that he already knew the answer to.

"That's my dad," I said, walking over to him and looking at the photo. "That was taken at the baseball banquet last year. We look so happy, huh?"

Luke set the photo down and looked at me again, his eyes dark. "Miles, does your dad—" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind."

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Listen, tell Brooke I had to leave. My mom texted me a few minutes ago asking me to come home."

"Are you okay to drive?" I asked as Luke pulled his hoodie over his head.

"Yeah, I'm good. I didn't drink that much...having an alcoholic mother will do that to you," he said, shaking my hand and disappearing out the front door.

I just stood there, staring at the door.

What the hell was that about?

Brooke

"Shh, Rachel, it's okay, baby, we've all been here," I said, twisting her long blonde hair around my hand and holding it behind her neck.

"Miles probably thinks I'm such an idiot," she moaned, sitting back and wiping her mouth with a towel I had laid on the countertop. She leaned back against me, her head on my shoulder.

"No, no...he does not. I can guarantee you he's puked his guts up at least one time before," I said, smoothing her hair.

"He'll never love me now," she moaned still tipsy even after all of her vomiting.

I smirked and kissed the side of her head. "I think he already does."

She looked up at me, her eyes gray and cloudy. "Really?"

"Really. He looks at you like you're the only person in the universe."

She jumped up and grabbed the counter for support. "I need to go see him."

I stood up and grabbed her wrist. "Nuh-uh, not until you brush your teeth."

"I have a toothbrush in my bag in Miles' room. Will you go get it?" she asked, putting the toilet seat down and sitting on it.

"Yeah, hang on," I said, sliding out the door and down the hall to Miles' room.

Miles

I was standing on the back deck, looking out at the pool, thinking about Luke's strange departure when I felt Rachel's arms slip around my waist, her fingers slipping just under the waistband of my pants.