**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...
"Rachel!" I called from the kitchen. "Dinner's ready!"
"Yes!" I heard her enthusiastic reply from the bathroom. "Let me wash my hands and I'll be right there!"
A minute later, she bounded into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around my waist and looking around my shoulder at the stove. She sniffed happily. "Yummm, spaghetti. My favorite," she said, kissing my cheek.
"I know. That's why I made it," I said, turning around and pulling her to me, kissing her lips gently.
She hummed appreciatively against my lips. "Let's eat first, then dessert, hm?"
I swatted her butt and handed her the plates from the counter. "Fine. Set the table then," I ordered playfully.
As we ate, we fell into comfortable conversation, mostly about school.
"Did you get your upper division form turned in on time?" she asked as she took a sip of her tea.
I nodded, swallowing a mouthful of garlic bread. "I did. Just under the wire, but I did it." I sat back and sighed. "Junior year... can you believe it?"
She shook her head. "No. I can't believe I'm on track even after changing my major."
Rachel had decided that law wasn't for her after the first year of college, and she had changed her major to psychology with a concentration in school counseling.
"That's because you're a beast that did 18 hours two semesters in a row to stay caught up," I said, and she flushed.
"Yeah, yeah... But I can finally go back to 15 hours this fall. How many engineering classes are you taking this semester?"
"Three out of five," I said, sighing. "It's going to be intense. I'm going to apologize in advance."
"For what?" she asked, taking her last bite of spaghetti and pushing her plate away.
"For any added stress I might cause you. Because we all know what happens when I'm stressed..."
She nodded. "Everyone's stressed." She got up to clear the table and faced the countertop.
I laughed and shrugged. "I'll just need to make sure to get a little..." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, "stress relief," I finished, and she smirked.
"Want to start now?" she asked, turning around and leaning against the counter.
"Hell yeah," I growled, getting up and putting my arms on either side of her waist, resting my hands on the edge of the counter.
She never failed to have this effect on me. Every day with her felt both brand new and ages old at the same time.
She draped her arms around my neck lazily and I picked her up, sitting her on the countertop. I pushed her knees apart and stepped between them, running my hands through her hair.
She leaned forward, her lips brushing mine...
knock knock knock
"Fuck," we murmured at the same time.
"Who the hell is that?" she asked, clearly frustrated.
"Who cares?" I asked, leaning in to kiss her again.
knock knock knock
"Damnit!" I exclaimed, and she slid off the counter.
"I guess they're not going away," I said, rolling my eyes and following her to the door, running my hand through my hair.
She peeked out the peephole and looked at me with wide eyes.
"Who –" I started, but she was already opening the door.
It was my brother.
"Luke?" I asked, waving him inside. "What are you doing here, bro?" I asked as he just walked past me blindly and sank onto the couch.
Rachel and I glanced at each other and she shrugged. We sat on either side of him. "Luke, honey? Are you all right?" Rachel asked, taking his hand in hers.
He stared straight ahead, the dark circles under his eyes stark against his skin. I wondered how long he'd been awake.
Rachel glanced at me over Luke's head and I chewed the inside of my cheek. Just when I was about to ask him again what was wrong, he spoke.
"It's Brooke."
Rachel's face paled. "My God. Is she okay?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.
Luke nodded. "She's fine... but... she left me... and I didn't know where else to go," he murmured.
"I'm sorry... what?" I asked, sure I hadn't heard him right.
"She broke up with me," he said, his voice strangled.
"WHAT!?" Rachel and I yelled at the same time.
Rachel
If I didn't know better, I'd swear Luke just said that Brooke broke up with him. But that couldn't possibly be right because wouldn't I know about that before it happened? But even more than that – Brooke was in love with Luke. Why in the hell would she break up with him?
"Luke, honey, what happened?" I asked gently, turning toward him and tucking my leg under my butt.
He shook his head. "I don't know, Rachel. I really don't. One day we were fine, and the next, she was telling me she needed to 'find herself,' and that she needed to do that without me," he spat, leaning back against the couch and closing his eyes.
"Jesus Christ," I murmured, leaning against the arm of the couch and pulling both knees to my chest.
Miles got up and went to the kitchen, bringing back three bottles of water, handing us each one. Luke twisted the cap off gratefully and chugged half the bottle in one go.
"I never thought this would happen. God, I'm such a fucking idiot!" he exclaimed suddenly, jumping up off the couch.
"You're not an idiot, Luke," Miles said, putting his hand on his shoulder.
"I am!" he yelled, shaking his hand off and whirling around to face us. "I was so foolish to believe that I could ever be happy! That anyone would ever fucking love me!" He stalked toward the door and I grabbed his wrist.
"Lucas, stop!" I demanded, but he jerked his hand out of my grip and flung open the door.
"Bro, wait!" Miles called, running after him.
I sank onto the couch, putting my head in my hands.
Poor Luke.
I raised my head suddenly, grabbing my phone off the coffee table and dialing.
"Brooke Lillian Kane. What in the fresh hell is wrong with you?"
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