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

42 | Let It Go

Tryin' to fit your hand inside of mine

When we know it just don't belong

There's no force on Earth

Could make it feel right, no.

-James Bay, "Let It Go"

Brooke

"Yes. I'm sure," I insisted as I helped Luke load his bags into Miles' Jeep.

"But I'm going to miss you," Luke whispered, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.

"I know, and I'll miss you too. But you need to break this news to Jessica without me there, and I have some things I need to tie up here before I move to Tallahassee. I know once I leave and come up there, I won't want to come back. So I want to be all ready when I leave PCB," I explained.

He sighed. "You're right." He groaned and kissed my lips, leaning me against the Jeep and pressing his body against mine.

"I love you, Luke."

"I love you too, Brooke. You'll come back with me after Christmas, right?"

"Yes. I'll go ahead and register for classes and start in January. It'll be perfect," I said, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Okay. Have you told Katherine yet?"

"Yes, I told her last night," I said. "She was really happy for me – for us."

"So am I," he said, kissing me.

"Jesus, y'all. Are you trying to make up for all the kisses you've missed over the past few months?" Miles called as he and Rachel made their way to the Jeep with their bags.

"Hello Pot, I'm Kettle," I shot back with a good-natured wink.

Miles laughed and tossed his and Rachel's bags in with Luke's. "We better get going," he said, tossing Luke the keys. "You're gonna drive, bro. I'm not feeling so good," he said, massaging his temples.

"Okay, no problem." Luke turned to me as Miles crawled in the backseat. "Only three more weeks and we'll be back to get you, love."

"I can't wait," I said, running my hand down his chest. "I love you," I said for what was probably the tenth time today. But I never got tired of hearing him say it back.

Rachel

"Want me to come in the backseat with you and massage your scalp?" I asked Miles after we'd been on the road for about twenty minutes.

"Ooh, please," he said, his blue eyes sleepy.

I smiled and climbed over the seat, sitting next to him and pulling his head into my lap. I tangled my fingers in his hair, avoiding the stitches they had given him at the hospital. I ran my fingernails across his scalp rhythmically until I heard his breathing even out.

I looked down at him and immediately felt tears spring to my eyes as I remembered what the doctor told me while Miles was changing back into his clothes before he was discharged.

"Do you have any questions?" Dr. Crawford asked as he handed me the prescription and other paperwork.

I gulped. "Was this almost really bad, doc? You can tell me the truth."

Dr. Crawford's green eyes flicked down as if he didn't want to answer the question. He ran his hand over his white goatee and studied me. When he determined that I could handle whatever he was going to say, he nodded.