Not the Only One (Book 1 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

Thirty-Four

Brooke

Rach, have you talked to Luke today?

I haven't...I just got home a few minutes ago.

i've been texting him all morning, and he hasn't answered one time...after he left Miles' house so quickly last night, i've been a little sketched out

Oh, well, that doesn't have anything to do with you, B.

what you mean? do you know what happened?

Well, sort of. Miles said he freaked out over some photo he saw on the mantle and ducked out really fast.

what? that's weird. now i'm really worried.

Let me know if you get in touch with him.

i may just go over there. is that out of line?

No. He'd probably be happy to see you.

okay...thx Rach

"Katherine!" I yelled down the hall, "I'm going over to Luke's!"

"Okay, have fun, love you!" 

"Love you too," I called on my way out the door.

When I got to Luke's the only car in the driveway was his. I rang the doorbell, stood there for a minute, but no one came to the door. I bit my lip, and at the risk of scaring the hell out of him, I turned the doorknob, hoping it would be unlocked.

It was.

I stepped over the threshold. "Luke?" I called. "Luke, where are you?" No answer. I climbed the stairs, where I assumed his bedroom was. "Luke?"

When I rounded the corner, I saw a door open at the end of the hall, with another set of stairs inside. I crept to the door and called his name again. "Luke, are you up there?"

"Brooke? Is that you?" he called from the attic.

"Oh, thank God," I said, jogging up the stairs. I threw my arms around him when I reached the attic. "Why haven't you answered my texts?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized, kissing my cheek. "I've been up here for a while and I didn't have my phone..."

"What is that, Luke?" I asked, glancing down at the photo in his hands.

He handed it to me, his face blank. "What do you see here?"

I peered at it. "Your dad and..." I cocked my head to one side. "Is that his brother?"

He nodded. "I think it might be..."

"And...what's the big deal about that?"

"Well, to begin with, I've always thought my father was an only child. And the other guy is Miles' father," he revealed.

"What?" I exploded.

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed, taking the photo from me and putting it in his back pocket.

"How—how is this possible? I mean, wouldn't that make you and Miles—cousins?" I was flabbergasted.

"Yeah, I guess it would," he said, standing up and holding out his hand for me to take.

"But—why would they keep it a secret? I mean, how did you never know you had an uncle?" 

He shrugged. "I don't know...maybe because Miles' father is a corporal douche? Maybe they had a falling out."