Alone. Five letters, one sentiment. Singularity; whether chosen or sentenced, the outcome is the same. As she sits in her car with salty drops welling in sad sultry eyes, the memories bombard her, blinding her vision momentarily. She starts to drive aimlessly, hoping to outrun the pain that seems to wear away at her very being, creating a shell of the person she once was. She shivers from the cold, even though it is a humid summer night. She continues to drive, with no destination in mind, but she sees her subconscious had a different plan when she sees the black old school convertible. She knows what has to be done, but that doesn't make it easy. She's not sure how long she sits outside the all too familiar house, minutes, seconds hours, eons; they are all of no value to her now. She knows what she has to do. With a strength she was sure she had lost in the last few weeks, she pulls herself up and out of the car and begins the voyage to a place that she has been avoiding up until now. As she nears the front door, it suddenly opens, and she is faced with the piercing green eyes, eyes that were once filled with love and devotion, eyes that have a backdoor into her soul. As their eyes lock her breathe gets stuck in her chest; after a minute or two she finally blinks, braking the connection and lets out a ragged breathe she didn't know she was holding. She opens her mouth to speak, but no sound comes out. She tries again, but before she can her surroundings begin to dissolve; the sky, the trees, the walkway under her feet; she begins to fall, the fear gripping as a soundless scream pushes past her lips. She looks up and the last thing she sees with those hazel brown eyes are green ones full of pain despair and heartache; heartache she was the cause of.
She jerks awake in a slight panic unsure of where she was, eyes hazed over from sleep. Once the hotel room comes into view, she begins to remember what has just happened. Another nightmare to add to the collection she has been having over the past few weeks. Nightmares that all have one common theme, then blond that held her heart, the one person she could truly be herself with, the one she had hurt beyond repair in a moment of weakness. As the thought hit home the tears gathered, ready to take their daily trek down the pale cheeks that held dimples when she smiled, something she hadn't done in weeks. Standing before they can begin, she walks over to the dresser grabbing her blinking phone .Looking at it, she sees a missed call and a voice mail. With hope in her heart she checks hoping it's from her love, but sighs to see Haley's name. She decides to listen to the voice mail, and is shocked to hear next week would be Jamie's birthday party. Had she really been away from Tree Hill for a month?
She quickly decides to call Haley back and is surprised to hear a sweet little voice answer the phone. "Aunt Brooke! I miss you sooo much!" "My bestest little man! I miss you too Jim Jam" Brooke replies with tears making her throat thick. "When are you coming home? Everybody misses you lots and lots, especially Aunt Peyton," he says in a stage whisper. He continues, "She hasn't been all smiley since you left, and all she does is stay in her room and play loud music and cry when Mama and Daddy go and check on her." Brooke breaks down hearing this. "Aunt Brooke, please come home." His sweet voice is replaced by Haley's soothing voice. "Hey Brooke, calm down sweetie." Brooke is sobbing hard into the phone at this point. "Haley, I broke her, I fucking broke…." She crashes to the floor under the weight of her emotion. "Hey, hey you listen to me, you and Peyton will make it through this just like you have made it through everything else that is thrown at you. She is upset, but you have to have faith in your love." Brooke tears start to slow as she hears the resolve in Haley's voice. "How is she Haley?" Brooke almost whispers into the phone. "She needs you Brooke," Haley replies truthfully. "She hates me Haley," Brooke chokes out. Haley sighs, "No she doesn't Brooke, she's just hurt." "Then why won't she take my calls, why won't she let me come home!" Brooke begs into the phone, hysterically. "She's just trying to protect herself Brooke, she has a lot on her plate." Brooke sighs, "Can you give her a message for me Haley?" Brooke rasps. "I don't know if she will accept it in the state she is in right now Brooke," Haley cautions. "Just tell her no matter what, I won't stop loving her, but I'll let her go if that's what she really wants." Brooke once again brakes down with these words are uttered. "Haley's voice cut through her despair, "Damn it Brooke, fight for her! You two were meant to be as much as Nathan and I are! She needs you, so stop your moping, and self-loathing and get your ass home to your girl!" With that Haley hangs up leaving Brooke with her thoughts of how her life had come to this.