One in a Million (Book 3 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

2 | Love Says They Will

Like two sparrows in a hurricane

Trying to find their way

With a head full of dreams

And faith that can move anything.

-Tanya Tucker, "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane"

Tallahassee, Florida

Brooke

Knock knock.

I looked up from the box I was packing and turned around to see Rachel leaning against the door frame of my and Luke's room.

"Hey!" I greeted her. "Come on in and pull up a box," I joked.

She offered a small smile and started folding the clothes that were lying on top of the bed. I peered at her as she carefully placed my jeans in a box and labeled it, sitting it aside. She was quiet, and I could tell she was in her feelings.

"Rachel?" I asked.

"Yeah?" she responded, folding shirts and placing them in another box.

"Are you all right?"

She sighed. "I guess. I'm just... I'm just really dreading what's coming in two weeks," she admitted, sitting down on the floor abruptly, putting her head in her hands.

"Oh, Rachel," I murmured, dropping to my knees beside her. "I'm so sorry we're leaving you too."

She shook her head and looked at me, tears shining in her eyes. "Don't be. You and Luke are starting your careers, and I am so proud of you. I'm going to be okay," she said, more to herself than me.

I moved a loose piece of hair from her forehead. "We'll FaceTime at least once a week, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay."

"You're gonna miss Miles, huh?" I asked, almost afraid to broach the subject.

She just stared straight ahead and nodded almost imperceptibly. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again, a tear sliding down her cheek.

I shifted so I was sitting on my butt in front of her, handing her a tissue from the box on the bedside table. "Rachel, does Miles know how upset you are over this?"

She blew her nose and nodded. "I mean, it's normal, right? To be sad when the man I've spent almost every day with for the past four years is going to be gone for at least 14 weeks?"

"Absolutely," I agreed. "I just..." I trailed off.

"You wonder if he should go through with it," she said, phrasing it as more of a statement than a question.

I shrugged. "I don't know..."

She swallowed. "He's already sworn in; there's no going back now. But I honestly wouldn't want him to. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for him. I have to be supportive. He would do it for me," she said, her voice stronger now.

I smiled and patted her shoulder. "You're such a strong person, Rachel, honestly."

She shook her head and stood up. "Nah, I just love him more than I love myself," she said, smiling at me before she disappeared out into the hallway.

Luke

I shut the water off and stuck my head out of the shower. "Brooke, is anyone else out there?" I called.

"No, Rachel just left," she answered.

"Okay, good," I said, coming out of the bathroom wearing a towel. Brooke wolf-whistled and I grinned. I used the other towel I was holding to dry my hair. "How's Rachel doing with everything?" I asked, my voice muffled by the towel.

Brooke sighed. "She's okay, I guess... she's really going to struggle with being away from Miles for 14 weeks."

"I definitely get it," I said, dropping the towel from around my waist and stepping into my pajama pants. "I can't imagine being away from you for that long."

"Me either, babe," she agreed. "I'm really excited about going back to PCB," she said, stretching her arms over her head.

"I am too. Dad is ready for you to get there and spruce those condos up," I said, stacking the boxes from the bed into the corner. "Now let's get some sleep, eh? We have a long day tomorrow." I patted the mattress next to me.

Brooke grinned and jumped into bed next to me, snuggling in against my chest.

Within ten minutes, we were asleep.

Miles

I looked around the apartment for Rachel, but she was nowhere to be found. Her suitcase sat in the floor next to our bed, packed for our trip we were taking with Luke and Brooke tomorrow. But she wasn't in bed or in the bathroom.

I finally walked onto the balcony, and she was sitting in a chair with her feet propped onto the railing.

"Rachel, what are you doing out here? It's raining," I said, probably unnecessarily.

"I was just thinking," she said, putting her feet back on the concrete and looking up at me with stormy grey eyes. "Sit down," she requested, waving her hand at the chair next to her.

I sat and turned my body so I was facing her. "Whatcha thinking about?" I asked.

"Just about how much I love you... how we are going to be fine, no matter what. And how I've decided to stop moping around and make the most of these two weeks we have together before you go to Missouri." she said, squeezing my hand.

I brought her hand to mine and kissed her knuckles. "I love you too, baby girl. And I intend to make these two weeks perfect. Starting right now," I said, sweeping her up into my arms suddenly.

She gasped and wrapped her arms around my neck. "What are we doing now?"

"You already know," I whispered in her ear, and she giggled.

"Yes," she hissed, and I planted kisses on her neck all the way to the bedroom.

***

"WAKE UP!" Brooke's shrill voice broke through my pleasant slumber.

"Ugh," I moaned, and when I reached over for Rachel, I just felt air.

"Get up, babe, she's not going to stop until we're out the door and in the Jeep," Rachel said sweetly, kissing my forehead.

I sat up and stretched my arms over my head.

"I've never seen someone so excited for..."

"DISNEY WORLD AWAITS!" Brooke yelled, bursting into our room. "LET'S GO!"

"...Disney World," I finished shaking my head in amusement.

Rachel grinned and slid her feet into her sandals. "I'm pretty excited too. I haven't been to Disney since I was 12," she admitted.

I was going to try to be all tough guy, but I decided to just embrace it. "I can't freaking wait to see Mickey Mouse. I gotta brush my teeth, but then I am ready to go!" I said, jumping up and running into the bathroom.