Never Again

OOC- This is an alternate ending to the episode when Brooke finds out about Lucas and Peyton sneaking around. Instead of confronting Peyton, like she had in the episode, she goes to Lucas. Here we goo...

Betrayal. Deception. Chicanery. Despite the fact that Lucas had nearly died only a couple of days ago and despite the fact that he had once again been sent to the hospital, Brooke felt anger boiling inside of her. Yes, he had broken up with her. Should she have seen it then? Had the truth been right in front of her nose the whole time and she'd just been to naive to see it? How long had it been going on for? It was obvious that he'd been cheating on her from what she'd seen, but with Peyton? With her best friend in the entire world? That didn't seem fair.

Lucas, Brooke should have expected it from. He was a guy, afterall. A great guy, of course, but still just a guy. He still thought with his dick before anything else and he still had that need for wanting what he couldn't have. No matter how hard they tried, boys would still be boys. They'd never be able to get rid of that chip in their brains. The chip that programs them to be cheating jackasses. What Brooke hadn't expected was to see Peyton. Peyton and Lucas...Together.

So, here she stood, in front of Lucas's bedroom door. The red door, much like her own. If she hadn't been so upset at the moment, Brooke would have smiled that dimpled smile of hers. Instead, her face stayed stern and cold, not allowing her emotions to get the best of her. She wouldn't cry over him. Not again. Not ever again.

One knock. Then two. Then three. Brooke retracted her hand from the door, allowing it to fall to her side. Lucas opened the front door in a hurry and Brooke watched in silence as his face visibly fell. She swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing past him gently so that she could get inside of his bedroom. "Expecting someone else?" She questioned, her voice wavering ever so slightly.

Lucas stood by the door for another moment longer, his back turned to his ex-girlfriend before turning around and facing her. "No, of course not." Lies. Lies, Lies, and more lies. Had Lucas ever told her the truth? Had one thing that he'd said to her been genuine at all? The door closed and Lucas walked over to her, sitting himself down on the edge of the bed.

Brooke nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "You sure?" She asked, giving him one last chance to come clean with her. Brooke wanted to hear him say it. She wanted to make him say the fucking words. I cheated on you with your best friend. Say it, Lucas! Fucking say it!

Still, he stayed his aloof self, shaking his head. Brooke could practically see the wheels turning in his mind. He was probably asking himself over and over again if she knew. Good. Brooke got some sort of enjoyment ouft of watching him squirm. "Yes, Brooke. I'm sure. What's up? I'm kinda tired." He admitted, his gorgeous blue eyes staring holes into her.

Brooke couldn't wipe off the look of disguist that crossed onto her face. "Long day with Peyton?" She questioned cooly, still not allowing the tears that were burning in her eyes to fall. Brooke didn't faulter in the least as she stared back at him, her own eyes taking on a new, much darker, shade of brown.

Lucas's eyes must have tripled in size, remorse and regret immediately falling onto his own face. Brooke let out a cynnical laugh, tearing her eyes away from his as she stared at his computer. "Brooke..." He began to object, but Brooke heatedly shook her head, storming over to the computer.

She clicked on the minimized screen, allowing Peyton's website to pop up. "I saw you on the screen, Lucas!" Brooke practically screamed, her voice cracking. "You were on the fucking screen!" Brooke continued to yell at him, pointing to the computer screen time and time again.

Lucas's face contorted in a mix of shock and confusion, unable to look at Brooke at all. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, his voice shaking as he spoke. He was sorry? That's it?

Brooke nodded, smiling to herself. "Good. You should be." She stated, her words shooting out of her mouth like venom. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, right? The next words that came out of Lucas's mouth made Brooke sick to her stomach.

"We didn't plan it, okay? It just..It just happened.." He stuttered out, finally gaining enough courage to lift his gaze and meet her cold glare. Lucas almost immediately looked away again, quite uncomfortable with her intense stare.

It just happened? How...What...Wow. Brooke could barely think straight. She was too damn pissed off. It just happened? It just happened? "I don't...I don't understand how something like that can just 'happen', Lucas." She stated, her emotions getting the best of her for a split second. "Do you love her?" She questioned in the heat of the moment, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

Lucas stayed both silent and still for at least a minute. Finally, he lifted his head up, looking Brooke dead in the eye. The second that he nodded, Brooke felt her world come crashing down right on top of her. "Yeah...I think so.." He managed, causing a small sob to fall from Brooke's lips.

She closed her eyes tightly as a single tear fell from her eye and down her cheek. Once she was able to regain her bitchy exterior, Brooke re-opened her eyes and nodded her head. "Well, I hope you two have a really great life together." She spit out coldly, grabbing her purse from the bed and storming out of the house. Part of her had hoped that Lucas would chase after her and explain that he loved Peyton but was in love with her.

It was only when she reached her car that she realized that it wasn't going to happen. Brooke turned her head and looked at the house, tears streaming down her slightly flushed cheeks. He wasn't coming. He wasn't going to fight for her. She shook her head in disguist and got into the car, leaving behind Lucas Scott and everything that he brought with him.

Never again would Brooke be that girl. Never again would she go through a relationship with blinders on and never again would she allow someone to break her heart. From now on, Brooke was going to keep her heart closed off from anyone and everyone that tried to get to it. Never again would she fall in love.