She didn't even bother to hide the envy that was obviously washed across her face as she downed another shot of vodka and tried to fixate her eyes away from the dance floor where her supposed best friend and the guy that she had been pining for all year were all over each other.
She waited until the bartender had turned and no one was watching before grabbing an entire bottle of hard liquor and heading out quietly.
xxxxx
As he adjusted his black dress shirt, he groaned inwardly at the thought of having to see Nate and Dan, the banes of his existence. His mother had insisted that he go to Keith's wedding, as Lucas' uncle was the one person who attempted to keep in touch with them and she had to run the café, ot so that was her excuse.
The sun was beginning to set and he knew he had missed the actual wedding, so he parked his beat up truck across the street and walked over to the tent where the reception was being held, hands deep in his pockets.
In the near distance, he saw a girl in a red dress, bottle of liquor in her hand, stumbling with every step she took. Falling over at one point, before slowly getting back up and continuing to stumble towards the parking light.
Lucas wasn't the good samaritan type, frankly he didn't really give a shit. But this chick was drunk out of her mind and would definitely get killed if she tried to drive a car.
He didn't want that on his conscience.
xxxxx
"You are way too drunk to drive this thing," she heard a voice that sounded a lot like Nathan's and turned hopefully with a smile, only to be met with a brooding scowl she had never seen before. "Who the hell are you?" she slurred incoherently.
"Let's call me a fairy godmother, who is saving you from getting into this car and getting yourself or some innocent person killed." He said, his expression deadpanned.
As Brooke tilted her head to the side and observed him, even in her drunken haze she could see that he was very attractive, deep blue eyes and scruffy blond hair and all, yet he didn't seem as put together Nathan and the majority of guys she knew.
"Well, too bad," she said before she shuffled through her purse, searching for keys.
"Shit!" she exclaimed, pounding the hood of the car clumsily. "Peyton has my keys…"
With that, she grabbed her bottle and decided she didn't want to deal with Peyton right now, she would just walk home. It wasn't that far…
"You aren't in any state to walk, I have my truck, and I can give you a ride." He called after her.
"Well aren't you a gentleman, thanks but no thanks, my mom taught me to never accept rides from strangers." She turned and smiled sincerely, standing a safe distance away from him.
"Well from the looks of that bottle, you obviously listen to everything your moms taught you..." he smirked back at her
She thought for a moment and shrugged. He couldn't be any worse than the guys she did know.
"Lead the way."
xxxxx
"So, you from around here?" she asked, when they settled into his blue pick up truck. "I've never seen you before. Take a right here"
"I'm from out of town." He replied as he came to a halt at the stop sign, and turned to look at her as he spoke. She took out the pins and clips in her hair and shook her brunette locks out, letting them cascade down her back.
"All better," she replied giggling at him as she ran her fingers through her hair. She looked years younger, her hair wild, her bare feet resting on top of the front of the car, she was definitely hot.
"Ooooh, Jules side of the family," she replied, and Lucas didn't bother to correct her.
xxxxx
As she took another sip of her alcohol, she felt herself almost begin to numb, yet something was holding her back. She closed her eyes; she wanted to forget about it, all of it. Nathan, Peyton. She was done. But she couldn't.
As his truck stopped infront of her house, she couldn't help it as the tears started to poor out of her eyes.
"Woah…you're house is fucking hu-" she heard him begin, but as he saw the waterworks he stopped. "Are you okay?"
She wiped them away and shook her head furiously, as they both sat silently for a minute. Then finally, she spoke, and she had no idea what came over her.
"When I get out of your car, I could get shot," she began, but was interrupted by him.
"Is that what you're worried about? Because this is Tree Hill-" she cut him off.
"Just listen. I mean it's not likely, but I could get shot. Or my house could burn down, or my best friend could just steal the guy I'm basically in love with," and she glanced over at him, he was clearly confused but she continued.
"Any number of things could happen. Or I could meet my soul mate, or-"
"I don't understand what you're getting at it…" he exclaimed, turning towards her a bit more.
"The point is that anything could happen, isn't that amazing if you think about it? That you never know exactly what's going to happen next? It's crazy…"
xxxxx
She smiled at him, a glimmer in her eyes and he wanted to kiss her. He really wanted to just devour those lips.
"I guess what I'm saying is that I want to live in the present. To indulge myself in the now. And not worry about the past, or what is to come." She looked him straight in the eye, her own eyes searching for his approval.
And then she grabbed a hold of his face and kissed him, feasting on his lips, and he responded with his tongue. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. He could taste the alcohol on her breathe and smell the faint scene of lavender. After a minute or two, they pulled apart to breathe, and she began unzipping the back of her dress, he stopped her.
"Wait a second, don't take this the wrong way, I'm a guy and you're hot beyond words, but you're drunk and we don't even know each other's names. And I need to go to the wedding." He said, knowing he would probably regret this later.
She shrugged, clearly disappointed.
"Okay."
She then continued unzipping her dress, revealing her lacey strapless bra that left little to the imagination, and Lucas almost passed out.
"Oh I'm so sorry, it just slipped," she feigned shock, zipping her dress up as fast as she had unzipped it.
"Anyways, thanks for the ride." She said, and Lucas knew that he would likely never see her again, that she was here and willing.
As she turned and opened the door, about to hop out, he grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her towards himself, his lips crashing into hers as he began unzipping her dress again.
xxxxx
