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

39 | Rage

I kept everything inside 

And even though I tried, it all fell apart

What it meant to me

Will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard.

-Linkin Park, "In the End"

Panama City Beach, Florida

Brooke

"I'll be fine, Luke. I promise, I insisted. "Just go to your conference."

"But what if – " he started, but I cut him off.

"But 'what if' what? What if I see Jordan? Babe, that was months ago. I've heard nothing from him since," I reminded him, and he shook his head.

"Come on, Brooke. You should know better than anyone that that's when the bad shit happens: when you least expect it!" he countered, leaning into the Pack-N-Play to kiss Lily goodbye.

I cocked my head to the side. "There's no indication that he's going to come around. He hasn't texted me or anything... or found me on social media. Stop worrying. Your dad needs you to go to Chicago with him; this conference is important for y'all."

Sighing, he stood up straight, rolling his shoulders, and I knew he was going to relent. "Fine. But I really wish you'd go stay with Katherine for the week."

"All right. I'll think about it. Now go before y'all miss your flight!" I exclaimed, kissing him swiftly.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him, parting his lips and deepening the kiss.

"Mmm," I hummed as I matched his intensity. "What was that for?"

He looked down at me and stroked my cheek with his thumb, his touch still igniting the fire within me that had sparked so many years ago. "I don't have to meet my dad at the car for another thirty minutes, B," he breathed as he leaned down to kiss my neck.

"Is that right?" I whispered, leaning my neck to the side and sweeping my hair over my other shoulder.

"Mmhmm," he said, backing me into the bedroom and laying me down on the bed. "I think we have just enough time to do a little something before I have to leave you for 7 days," he whispered as he pulled my tank top over my head and started to unbutton his shirt.

I grinned and reached up to unbuckle his belt as he let his shirt drop to the floor. "That's the best idea I've heard all day."

***

Thirty minutes later, Luke left, and when I finally got up to go run errands, it was 2:00 in the afternoon.

My phone buzzed on the way out the door, and I shifted Lily to my other arm in order to pull it out of my pocket.

It was Rachel.

"Hey, Rach!" I said excitedly. "What's going on?"

"Hey Brookie," she said, her voice subdued. "Not much, I was just going to ask what you're doing today."

My eyebrow dipped as I lay Lily in her stroller and rolled her into the hallway toward the elevator. "I just have a few errands to run. Luke just left for the conference in Chicago with Adam. Why?"

Rachel cleared her throat and said, "Miles and I are coming down for a few days, and I wondered if we could crash at the condo with you. I miss you," she said, and I could hear the melancholy in her usually cheery voice.