Still the One (Book 2 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

5 | In the Woods

Miles

"Brooke, what the hell?" I blurted, letting go of Rachel's hand and taking two steps toward her, ready to yank the needle out of her hand.

"Miles?" she asked, her eyes cloudy. "What are you doing here?" She looked completely out of it. My anger flared.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped, reaching toward her, but she pulled her hand back. I scoffed and grabbed her wrist, pulling the needle from her grasp and driving it into the tree next to me.

"Umm, who the hell are you?" the Pixie girl asked dazedly.

"I'm her friend," I hissed. "Who the hell are you?"

"Ooh, you're pretty sexy," she purred, stepping toward me.

Rachel was next to me in an instant. "Stay away from him, you bitch," she spat, as if seeing Pixie girl come on to me pulled her from the spot she had rooted herself to.

Brooke whirled around, and instead of looking angry or surprised, she smiled. "Rachel!" she exclaimed, holding her arms out and pulling Rachel into a tight hug.

Rachel looked at me over her shoulder, her eyes shocked and confused. "Brooke, what are you doing?" she asked, putting her hands on Brooke's cheeks.

"Oh, Rachel... I didn't really want you to see me like this," she said dreamily.

"How could you do this? You aren't a junkie, Brooke. This isn't you!" she exclaimed.

"Okay, who the hell is this little goody-two-shoes?" Pixie girl interrupted.

"Excuse me, but I'm her best friend. Who the fuck are you?" Rachel asked, but we already knew.

"I'm Madison, and I'm pretty sure I'm her best friend, because I've never heard of you."

Rachel's nostrils flared and she stepped toward Madison, her anger growing. I almost stopped her, but I decided to let Madison get what she deserved.

Rachel grabbed Madison's collar, getting in her face. "You're not her friend, you pathetic piece of junkie shit," Rachel seethed.

Madison jerked out of Rachel's grasp. "You don't even know me, you little blonde whore."

My blood boiled. "That's enough, now," I said, stepping between them. "Brooke, you need to come with us."

Brooke laughed. "Oh, come on, Miles... don't you want a hit?"

I wrinkled my nose. "I think you know the answer to that."

She winked. "Fine, have it your way." She turned to Rachel, who had tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying, honey? It's just a little heroin," she drawled, her voice sickly sweet like honey straight from the hive.

Rachel wiped her eyes furiously. "Brooke, please. Why are you doing this?"

Brooke just smiled, leaning back against a tree, her eyes falling closed. "It's such a rush... almost better than sex," she said, laughing lowly. "Almost."

Madison grinned. "I told her to keep Salazar around for that part, then she could have both at the same time."

Brooke snorted. "Nah, he had to go. He was cramping my style."

I looked at Rachel and then at Brooke. "He knew about this?!"

"No, of course not. But he knew something was up, I think. But I knew I'd never get him to try it... not with his mom being the addict she is. So I had to break it off." Her hazy eyes turned sad for a moment. "I do miss him, though."

"You're not serious, Brooke. You broke up with the man you loved for dope?" Rachel said incredulously. "My God... who are you?"

Brooke's head lolled to the side. "Come on, Rachie, you're killin' my high."

Madison spoke up again. "Can you guys please leave? We paid good money for this black tar and you're really fucking it up."

Rachel's nostrils flared again, and she clenched her fists. I grabbed her elbow before she could take a step. "Come on, Rachel. Let's go. This is futile. She's not going to listen to you right now. Not in the state she's in," I whispered in her ear, placing my lips on the skin behind it.

At my touch, she relaxed slightly. "Fine. Meet me at my house tomorrow, Brooke. Noon. If you don't show up, don't bother ever contacting me again." With that, Rachel turned and walked away, leaving me behind.

"Wait, Rachel, please!" Brooke called, but she didn't have the energy to get up.

I clenched my jaw and shook my head. "You better be there, Brooke. Don't break her heart."

Brooke

Damnit. How did I let this happen?

My high had long ago worn off, and I was standing shin deep in the gulf behind my house, wondering what the hell I had done to my life.

It's not like I meant to get addicted to heroin. No one plans for these things to happen.

It started small. When I started working at Sephora, I met Madison. Since Rachel was gone, I missed having a girlfriend around. We clicked immediately and started hanging out a few times a week after work. We smoked pot a couple times, which is nothing new. I'd done that before... but when she asked me to try heroin, I was apprehensive. Drugs weren't my thing. But I watched her get high once, and that was all it took. She just looked so happy, so carefree. Even Luke couldn't make me feel carefree. It was a feeling I hadn't truly had since before my parents died. And I wanted it.

So... I did it. I shot up for the first time six months ago, and I've been doing it ever since. Luke never found out; he just thought I was crazy for wearing long sleeves all the time. Luke would never suspect me of something like that; he saw me as a perfect princess. And that's why I had to end it with him. I wasn't a perfect princess, never would be, and I never would be good enough for him. I had to end it before I hurt him worse, before he caught me shooting up.

That would kill him.

And I cared... but I guess I didn't care enough, because it didn't stop me from using.

The high was too damn good.

And I knew... I was in way too deep.