Chapter 2 Leslie's Invitation
1328 Words
As she opened the door, Rachel bumped into a young man who looked exactly like Leslie. If it weren't for his different attire, she might have thought she was hallucinating.
The young man's hair was still wet, with water dripping down his neck and chest, making him look handsome and sexy. "Rachel... are you Rachel?" he asked, his pupils trembling slightly when he saw the two.
To be frank, he exuded a faint coldness that made Rachel a bit uneasy.
"You must be Leslie's brother, Connor, right?" Rachel struggled to put on a smile, trying not to let her sadness show.
Connor Murphy's face suddenly turned red. "Yeah."
Before Rachel could say anything else, he added, "I've seen your photo in Northbrook University's distinguished alumni section. Rachel, you haven't changed a bit."
"Still just as gorgeous, right?" Leslie suddenly chimed in with a grin.
Connor shot him another look, asking, "Why did you tell me you were picking her up?"
Rachel couldn't help but laugh. Typical brothers, arguing over such trivial matters. In any case, Leslie hadn't come specifically to pick her up.
Rachel’s parents, Molly and Colin, were caught off guard by her sudden return, but thankfully, dinner was plentiful. Rachel knew she looked like a mess but didn't want them to worry, so she stuffed food into her mouth.
For some reason, since her return, Leslie's gaze continually drifted towards her. He kept asking what she wanted to eat or drink and then enthusiastically said, "There's a water polo match this week, Rachel. Now that you're finally back, want to join?"
But Rachel was clearly not in the mood. She declined, "No, I've long forgotten how to play."
After everything that happened today, she just wanted to sleep and forget about Trevor and Emma, those two cheaters.
"Come one! If you don't remember, I can teach you. I really need a pretty partner," Leslie said earnestly.
What? Rachel was surprised. Before she could refuse, Connor chimed in, "You? Have you forgotten how I used to beat you soundly?"
"That was in the past. I'm an athlete now. Plus, you’re not nearly as athletic as me!" Leslie retorted.
"You should ask Rachel if she believes you," Connor mocked.
Caught between the brothers, Rachel awkwardly lowered her head, not understanding why they were arguing over her. The Murphy twins' relationship now didn't seem as solid as she remembered.
Leslie set down his fork and turned to Rachel, who had been quietly watching the exchange. "Is that true, Rachel? You don't believe in me?"
The usually confident Leslie was frowning, looking genuinely upset.
In Rachel's eyes, Leslie looked like a pitiful puppy. She couldn't bear it any longer and nodded, saying, "Alright, alright, I agree. I believe in you." If she didn't agree, who knows what nonsense he might come up with next.
*****
After the Murphy brothers left, Rachel returned to her room and collapsed onto her bed, feeling like she was falling apart. It was only then that she realized she had actually accepted Leslie's invitation.
'What did he say again? Teach me how to play? And what else?'
Regardless of his skills, he certainly seemed unusually enthusiastic toward her.
Rachel's mind couldn't help but wander back to the way he had looked when she had bumped into him.
That sun-kissed brown hair, those toned arms, and a face as handsome as Apollo...
'Oh, snap out of it, Rachel,' she scolded herself inwardly, giving her cheeks a quick slap. 'He's the kid next door you watched grow up.'
Feeling flustered, Rachel got up and walked to the window, pulling back the curtain to gaze at the clear blue sky.
'It feels like a dream, being back here...' She felt suddenly felt away from everything in New York, especially Trevor and Emma, that disgusting duo.
With that thought, Rachel grabbed her phone, ready to delete anything related to Trevor. Suddenly, the phone rang. She discovered that Trevor had called her many times.
Trevor: Avoiding me, Rachel? I know you can see this.
Trevor seemed to sense her hesitation and switched to texting her on Skype.
Trevor: We're not kids anymore. Can you please just grow up a bit? You'll regret it if you leave me. Can't we just have a calm, adult conversation?
'The nerve of that guy!' Staring at the flood of messages, Rachel felt tears welling up in her eyes. Trevor was always like this, talking down to her as if he was superior to her. But wasn't he submissive when he was giving head to Emma in the bathroom?
Rachel: There's nothing left to talk about.
Her fingers trembled as she typed.
Trevor: You can't do this to me, Rachel. It's not fair to me.
Trevor: Every time I tried to spend time with you, you were buried in your work. You couldn't even focus when you were kissing me. Don't you think that was unfair?
'Unbelievable, he thought it was my fault!'
Rachel: That's no excuse for cheating!
She texted, her anger spilling over.
The next moment, tears streamed down her face.
'Has he forgotten everything? He used to say he loved how dedicated I was to my work—those were his own words.'
*****
Four years ago, Trevor, a high-powered executive from a renowned New York brand, had taken a liking to Rachel's graduation project and had encouraged her to start her own fashion brand in New York.
So, when she ran into him again while pitching to a client, and those deep, amber eyes locked onto her, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world, chosen by fate itself.
Trevor was tall, handsome, young, and wealthy. He supported her career without question.
She never imagined that it was all lies. He didn't value her talent at all; instead, he thought she shouldn't work so hard because he could use his connections to achieve anything.
And to top it off, he cheated on her with Emma while she was striving for my dreams.
And Emma, who used to be Rachel's best friend and business partner, betrayed her without blinking an eye.
'Did he look at me with those tender eyes while thinking about the positions he used with Emma in bed?'
Rachel's stomach churned with the urge to vomit. She didn't want to say another word to him and immediately blocked him on all platforms.
When the world finally fell silent, Rachel let out a long breath of relief. Maybe Trevor had one thing right—she was avoiding things. But right now, she didn't want to dwell on anything from New York. She was back in Seabreeze Bay, and she just wanted to relax.
With that in mind, Rachel opened her suitcase and began to rummage through it.
"Sweetheart, want some snacks?" Molly knocked on the door and entered, only to find Rachel struggling to put on an old swimsuit.
Seeing her daughter nearly suffocating from the tight fit, Molly quickly set down the cookies and helped her with the straps. "Oh dear, you're like a clumsy goose!"
"Mom!" Rachel's face turned beet red.
She'd been so busy building her career that it had been ages since she last went on a vacation, let alone had a chance to wear a swimsuit.
This one was from when she'd left Seabreeze Bay years ago.
Molly chuckled, clearly knowing what was on Rachel's mind. Now that her daughter was back, there was no way she was going to let her continue suffering.
Molly pulled another swimsuit from the closet and handed it to Rachel. "I bought this for you when I heard you were coming back. Be confident, honey. You've got a great figure and a beautiful face—why not show it off?"
Rachel looked at herself in the mirror. Molly was right—she did have a beautiful face and a curvy figure.
"Thanks, Mom." Rachel felt a surge of strength as she hugged Molly tightly. "I love this gift."
- Writer
