Holding onto the past?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this fanfic unfortunately and I never will

Lucas Scott sat in his mother's café steadily stirring the spoon in his coffee. He wasn't thirsty anymore but it was just something to do. He had no energy to play basketball and he wasn't interested in writing anything at the moment. The café was almost deserted which was strange for a Saturday. Behind him the bell struck as someone entered, either that or the wind had pushed the door. Footsteps behind him told him he was right with his first theory. It was a women from the sound of the heels on the tiled floor and the smell of perfume wafting through the room. The scent was familiar and Lucas suddenly had a sense of familiarity. He didn't turn around; instead he sat waiting for whoever it was to talk to him. It seemed like forever when he heard the voice that once made him go weak at the knees.

"Can I ask you something?"

After thinking for a moment about what Brooke could possibly ask he nodded his head and waited for her to speak again. He was trying to work out ehy all of a sudden after months of silence she would come looking for him to start a conversation. Was she looking for a fight or something else? He didn't know and he was anxious to find out only hoping it wasn't something bad.

"Why have you still got the tattoo?"

Of all the things she could have asked Lucas found it amusing that she asked him about a tattoo, something that seemed so insignificant and he chuckled

"What's so funny?"

"Its just you could have asked anything, I don't know what I was expecting but not that and you asked the same question that Peyton asked me just last night"

"Oh…well"

The look on Brookes face went from confusion to sadness and Lucas realised the conversation of him and Peyton would most likely still be uncomfortable to Brooke, maybe she still had some feelings for him, maybe that's why she was asking about the tattoo or was that just wishful thinking.

"So did you give her an answer or did you keep her guessing too?"

Lucas realised he had stayed quiet for a bit too long and snapped back into reality

"Well when we got the tattoo it was our first date and that night was the start of us so it was special, apart from the memories the only thing that I came away with on that night is this tattoo so by getting rid of it, it would be like getting rid of that night. Despite what has happened between us I cared about you and that night is a part of us so its not something I want to forget. You're not something I want to forget. Does that answer your question?"

Brooke had expected a response along the lines of he had forgotten or he didn't want to go through the pain but not that. It wasn't really the real reason for her visit; she had just found herself there and needed to say something when she saw the tattoo on show which was a rare occasion. It had got her thinking about the night and when her and Lucas were starting out and she was so hopeful. Something inside her needed to know if it had the same meaning to Lucas.

"What did Peyton say to that?"

"She didn't say much, she might not like it but she of all people knows our history so she has no right to resent it"

Brooke wanted to stay and talk to Lucas more, she wanted to tell him that she still loved him and that she was going to wait for him, fight for him even but she knew she was too late. She knew she was hanging onto the past and she had to stop. She turned around and walked out the door without a word to Lucas. He looked up but turned back almost straight away, he had no more fight left in him and he had to accept that his Pretty girl would one day be calling someone else boyfriend. He had to accept the past was just that, it was in the past and no number of cute conversations would change that. He was living the life he had chosen and so was Peyton and so was Brooke, he had to learn to accept it, however hard that may be.

Thanks for reading Please review so I know what you think.