**ATTENTION! This is a sequel to Not the Only One. Please please don't read any further until you read it! - SPOILERS ahead! All of the characters will be returning in some form for the sequel**
It's been two and a half years since Miles and Luke Sa...
My eyes widened and I was stunned into silence. She smirked and turned around, flouncing off in the other direction, out of the student union.
"Are you okay, miss?" the barista asked me.
I glanced over at her and nodded. "Yeah, I – I have no idea what just happened. But I'm fine."
"Let me make you another coffee, okay?" she offered.
I smiled. "That would be great. Thank you."
***
I drove straight to Luke's without bothering to call first.
I knocked once and Rachel came to the door, looking fucking gorgeous as usual. "Hey Jess! I didn't know you were coming over! Come on in," she said, opening the door so I could enter.
"Sorry I didn't call – I have to tell you what just happened." I looked around. "Can we go on the balcony?"
"Yeah, sure," she agreed.
When we got outside, I sat down hard in the chair. "Rachel, the weirdest thing just happened. And I don't want to tell Miles because he seems worried enough, and Luke will be pissed."
"What is it?" she asked, sitting down and taking my hand. "You're shaking."
"I just had a run-in with Iris," I said, pointing at my coffee-stained hoodie.
"What? No shit, me too!" she exclaimed. "You go first."
I nodded and told her what happened, and when I quoted Iris on her intention to "fuck her boyfriend," color flooded her face.
"She said what?"
"Yeah... It was really bizarre. What happened with you?"
As she recounted the events from the library, I squinted at her. "Wow. This is getting a little weird, don't you think?"
"Yeah. That's putting it mildly. I can't believe I have to perform with her in Grease," she sighed.
"That's okay. You're going to blow her off the stage. I've heard you practicing. Your voice is beautiful. And all she gets to sing is 'Brusha Brusha' and 'How much dough did he spend?'" I joked, hitting her knee with mine.
She laughed at that. "Thanks, Jess. You're a good friend, you know that?"
I blushed. "You are too. Thanks for being so nice to me... I know it can't be easy, with Luke's ex being your best friend and all."
She smiled. "It's easy to be nice to you; you're precious," she said. "Now let's go inside and find the boys. Let's not tell them what happened to you – not yet."
"Okay, deal."
But when we went inside, Luke and Miles were nowhere to be found.
Miles
"Bro, come on. Let it go," I said as I ran down the sidewalk.
Luke tried to keep up with me but was failing. I slowed down and turned around, stopping to lean against a tree.
He jogged to me, putting his hands on his knees and breathing hard. I watched him in amusement.
"Damnit, I'll never be as good a runner as you," he groaned.
"You're right. You won't," I responded, and he glared at me.
"You can't just say something like what you said earlier and then just leave me hanging," he pushed.
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Come on, let's go get some ice cream."
***
We sat at Marble Slab, silently eating ice cream comes until I finally spoke.
"I had a realization about Iris when I saw her at Outback," I started.
Luke looked over at me. "What was it?"
"She's from Panama City," I said, and Luke almost dropped his ice cream.
"What? I've never seen her before?"
"She didn't go to Bay. She went to a private school," I continued.
"How did you know her?"
"Her father worked for - " His voice cracked. " – William at Jefferson Properties," he said.
"Whoa. Seriously?" he asked incredulously.
"Yeah, seriously. I don't know what it means yet, but it has to mean something," I said, taking the last bite of my ice cream cone and wiping my mouth.
"Weird... I can have Dad look into it if you want?" Luke offered. "Maybe see if he still works there?"
I considered this. "That wouldn't be a bad idea. Thanks, Luke."
"No problem. You ready to go?" he asked, standing up.
"Yep. I just realized I didn't tell Rachel where we were going and I don't have my phone. She's probably worried."
He checked his phone. "Yep. I have two texts. Jess is over at the apartment too. We're in trouble," he joked.
In more ways than one, I thought as I tried to put the pieces of the Iris puzzle together in my mind.
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