When we don't know who to turn to, sometimes we turn to the ones we least expect.
Luke Salazar is a senior at Bay High School, and he's been pushed, shoved, and shut out for most of his life. Miles Jefferson has been the ringleader of a lot of that...
In the nearly two months since my father's death, Rachel and I have made some pretty big decisions together.
At the end of June, we decided to sell the house. It wasn't an easy decision – after all, it was where I grew up with my mother, and where Rachel and I had our first kiss. But it was also where I suffered years of abuse at the hands of my father... and we're leaving for college the second week of August. It just wasn't smart to try to maintain the mansion while we went to college hours away.
We sold the house to a kind family with two kids and a dog, and they didn't mind waiting until we moved to Tallahassee to move in. It really couldn't have worked out any better.
"Miles?" a voice was calling. I looked over to see Rachel packing the last box in my room.
"Yeah?"
"This is the last box!" she squealed. "You're all packed!"
"Yes!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in a lame "raise the roof" motion.
"God," she said, plopping down on the bed next to me. "I can't believe we go to Tallahassee in two weeks. I still have some stuff to pack at my house."
"Me either... I'm glad we're going early, though; we need to find a place to live. I already have a few apartments picked out that I think you'll like," I said. She'd left me in charge of finding a place, which I didn't mind.
"Where will we stay until we confirm which apartment we want?" she asked, laying down and looking at the ceiling.
"I already booked us a hotel for a week," I said, and she looked at me with a grin on her face.
"I like the sound of that," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"You'll like the look of it too – it's downtown and one of the nicest ones I could find with my monthly allowance."
In the weeks since the reading of Dad's will, Luke and I were both assigned a financial advisor who put most of our money in high-yield savings accounts that we are not allowed to touch until we're 25 or for very special reasons, and even then, we have to clear the withdrawal through our advisor. We get monthly allowances deposited into our checking accounts, but the bulk of that money is put away safely. Even we had to agree that ten million dollars in the hands of an 18-year-old young adult probably wasn't a great idea. And now, I had even more due to the sale of the house.
"Oooh, yes," she said, turning over and propping herself up on her elbow to look at me. I turned to face her. Her eyes were grey, searching my face.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
"Just wondering how in the hell we got where we are right now," she said, and we both laughed.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean! 7 months ago, I couldn't stand you and you were one of Luke's biggest bullies. Now you and I are moving in together and you and Luke are brothers... It's just so mind blowing to me," she said, shaking her head.
"I know... me too." I shifted so I was sitting on my butt, and pulled her up onto my lap. "Seriously, Rachel... I know we joke about what a big asshole I was... but truthfully, you saved me. You make me better... I like who I am now – and it's because of you."
She flushed. "You've always been in there, Miles... you just needed someone to tell you it was okay to be that person. And you... you brought me out of my shell. I'd probably have graduated without ever being kissed, or skipping class to go to the beach, or going to the club. I can damn sure tell you that I never would've fallen in love," she said, putting her hand on my cheek and running her fingers across the stubble that had appeared over the last week.
I kissed her then, like it was the first time, the last time, the only time. I pulled back and whispered, "God... you're perfect. You deserve everything good in this world." She shook her head and started to speak, but I lay my finger across her lips. "Uh-uh. Don't say anything. Let me show you."
Rachel
Miles made love to me three times this evening. I so didn't want to leave his bed, but I had to go home and finish packing... and spend as much time with my parents as I could before August 12th.
My parents had taken the news that I was moving in with Miles in Tallahassee fairly well. They had to admit that he and I had been through more than our fair share of events together in a short period of time. Everything we'd gone through bonded us together in a way I couldn't explain... but they seemed to understand.
"Mom!" I called when I came through the door. "Dad! I'm home!"
"Man, I'm gonna miss that," Dad said from the kitchen.
"Me too. Where's Mom?"
"She's out getting you and Miles more stuff for your apartment." He chuckled. "I keep telling her you might want to pick some things out, but she insists that it doesn't matter which waffle iron and toaster you have."
I laughed. "No, it's okay. We appreciate everything you guys are doing." I sat down at the island and looked at him seriously. "Dad, you know you don't have to worry about us, right? Miles is going to take care of me."
He nodded. "I know he is. I trust that young man with the most precious thing in my life – you. I wouldn't be allowing this to happen if I didn't."
Tears sprang to my eyes and I jumped up to hug him. "Thanks, Daddy."
"You don't have to thank me, darling. Just make sure you come home to visit some, yeah?"
"Of course. And you guys can always come see us in Tallahassee," I said, and I meant it.
"Oh, don't worry. We will," he promised.
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