Rachel Reads Novels & Stories

Although Belle had now gotten older and was more mature, in the past she liked to do what her mother often called “Monkey acts.” What she meant was, climbing on trees and demanding little Damian to follow her while Rachel laugh with the book she always hold on her hand. Each day, her sister hold different books, at some point making Belle wondered if she had ever finished any of those with the fast pacing of books that she bring each day. Rachel stared at the window. She had sat on her bed while holding her book but placing her focus somewhere else in her head. Her eyes turning darker and hollow the longer she stared at it.

The scent of pine and damp earth mingled with the sweet smell of chocolate. Rachel beamed, her good cheer returning. “Awesome! Okay, dig in!” She handed me a cookie that was still slightly warm. “So,” she said, munching on her own, “aside from.... that” —she nodded towards the rabbit — “how’s the whole ‘becoming a super mysterious and dangerous woman of the world’ thing going? Are you, like, fluent in sarcasm yet? Mr Thorne seems to consider it an Olympic sport.” I actually almost smiled. “I’m working on it.”

"We think... someone else might’ve been involved." Rachel’s face went pale, all color draining away. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, but for several long seconds, no words came out. She looked between me and Rowan, as if waiting for one of us to laugh and reveal it was all a prank. But when we didn’t, she pressed a hand to her chest, checking if her heart was still beating.

I did not want her looking too closely at my recent research topics. Rachel stepped into the room, her eyes scanning the cramped space. She picked one book up from the floor before I could reach it. She read the cover out loud. "Advanced Cellular Mutation," she read. She looked at me with a slightly raised eyebrow. "Oh, you are still into science stuff?" I nodded stiffly. "Yes." I walked up to her, politely collected the textbook from her hand, and kept it securely tucked under my arm. "That is interesting," she replied, completely unbothered by my rigid posture.

Her hands slowly crept down between her legs, the wetness between making her ache for his touch as she pictured being pinned to the bed by those brawny arms. A knock at the door caused her to freeze mid-swipe. “Chloe? Are you there?” Rachel’s voice rang cheerful and loud enough to make Chloe’s heart skip a beat. “Uh… yeah, come in,” she responded, hastily tossing her phone onto the nightstand. Rachel pushed the door open and stepped in, smiling brightly. “Sorry if I startled you. I felt like I was going to die if I stayed in my room any longer.” Chloe sat up, brushing back a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s fine,” she said too casually. “I was just reading a book.”

Helped her take a few other books. We stood close to each other but my focus was never really on Jessica, it was on Rachel. My eyes kept drifting to the side of the shelf where Rachel was standing with Angel. Rachel held a novel in her hand. Calmly flipped through the pages like she did not care about me or Jessica. Rachel's face was expressionless, like Jessica. I did not exist to her. Every time I tried to laugh with Jessica it felt like something was stuck in my chest when I thought about Rachel.

Something had to be done. Rachel was waiting with a bright smile for them. “Hi, Bonnie! Thank you for coming to sit with us.” She said, then gestured to the dark-haired girl with her. “This is Molly and I’m Miss Rachel.” Molly stood excitedly. “Hello! Do you want to read with me?” Bonnie nodded tentatively and joined her on the bench. The teachers stood aside, chatting quietly as Molly pointed to different things in her book. “I like your earrings.” Bonnie said shyly.

Badass alert ? Rachel took a train home and spent that time reading in and answering emails. She finally reached the daycare, only to be greeted by Evelyn who opened the door with her usual beaming smile. "How was your day, Rachel ? You look bone tired today" Evelyn observed, sensing the young mother’s fatigue radiating off her in waves. "Everything was fine, Evelyn,” Rachel smiled at the kind old soul. “Just had a stressful bid. We have been neck deep in proposals all month and now it is finally over," she sighed in relief.

Instead, I asked, “Do you like books, Rachel?” She startled, nearly dropping the one in her hand. “I read sometimes, sir.” “Sometimes,” I repeated, stepping closer. “Sheila read *all* the time. She said stories were the only escape when the world turned cruel.” Her grip on the book tightened. “That’s… that’s beautiful.” I wanted to demand she admit it. That she knew those words because she *was* Sheila. But her silence, her calm refusal to slip, made me feel both enraged and addicted.

I swallow hard and nod. "Yes, ma'am". I responded nervously and she leaves me to do my chore. After I finished the dishes I wander up to Rachels's room, the door was open so I peek and look inside and see her reading a book in bed.