The Jacket Snatcher

Chapter 63- Rachel's Boyfriend

It's been nearly a month since Luke and I talked. This is the longest we've gone without talking to each other, and I honestly wonder every day if I made the right choice. I reached out once or twice, but after a few unanswered texts, I got the hint and stopped trying.

It's true that since I don't really expect him to call or text, then it doesn't hurt as much when he doesn't. Before, when we were together, I would wait around for hours, hoping for some kind of communication. Now, I've come to expect the phone silence between us, so it's not as much of a disappointment. This is what I wanted.

This is what I wanted.

I chant this to myself as I pour pancakes onto the griddle in the kitchen. Today is the first day of semester break for Rachel, and Brett leaves for a tournament in a few hours. Since I don't start classes until January, I have put some of my free time into household chores like cooking meals for all of us. I don't always make something as extravagant as the breakfast this morning, but since Brett is about to leave for a few days, I want to make it special.

Just as I flip the last few pancakes on the griddle, Brett comes wandering into the kitchen.

"Smells good," he says, grabbing a piece of bacon off the counter and sitting on one of the barstools.

"Can't you wait?" I say, snatching the juicy meat from his fingers and popping him in the nose with it.

He glares at me before lunging for another piece and shoving it into his mouth. With full cheeks, he grins at me and says, "Nope."

I roll my eyes, but move the already-prepared food to the other counter until the pancakes are ready. Luckily for Brett, it only takes a few more minutes. With him breathing down my neck, I carry the warm food to the table.

"Go and tell Rachel it's ready," I say, smacking his hand before it can grab any more food. "We're going to have a family breakfast before you leave."

"Oh, come on. Let's just eat," he whines. "She was out all night with her boyfriend anyway. She's probably still asleep."

"Really?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. She didn't come home until like three in the morning."

I shake my head. "Who is this guy? I can't believe that we've still never met him..."

Sure enough, when I go to check on Rachel, she's still fast asleep. Shutting her door quietly, I go back out to join Brett. He's already grabbed us two plates and has the syrup sitting in the middle of the table.

After we eat, I help him carry his soccer gear down to the parking lot where one of his teammates is already waiting. I give him a quick hug as we approach the car.

"Win and don't get injured," I say, giving him my traditional pep talk.

"Stay out of trouble, and don't miss me too much," he retorts before kissing my hair and jumping into his friend's car.

When I get back inside the apartment, Rachel is still nowhere to be seen. I wander back and forth between the kitchen, living room, and my own room, trying to find something to occupy my mind. That's been the worst part of all of this. Since I don't have the routine of classes yet, going from the busy touring lifestyle to pretty much doing nothing has been painfully monotonous.

Deciding that I should probably just get out of the apartment for a bit, I leave Rachel a note telling her that the leftovers from breakfast are in the fridge for when she wakes up. I'm not really sure where I'm going yet, so I leave that part of the note vague.

Throwing my hair into a ponytail and grabbing my keys, I flee from the empty apartment where my thoughts constantly cycle back to Luke and the guys and how much I miss them. However, as soon as I step through the door and the cold air hits my arms, I find myself wishing for Luke's hoodie. I am about to turn around and grab one of the jackets inside the door, but then I just sigh. I can't even wear Brett's jacket anymore without thinking of Luke. Instead, I cross my arms tight over my chest, trying to contain body heat, and head for my car.