Author's note:
So I am not new to this website, but I am new to the One Tree Hill section. I have been inspired by "Shattered" a Brooke and Lucas video made by the fantastic missfrenki on youtube. Also when I was leaving work a few moments ago, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri came on the radio and I knew I had to create this story. I highly recommend everyone watch the video who may be interested in reading my story. I have always been a huge supporter of Brooke and Lucas and was always upset that, that relationship was not explored more at all in seasons 5 and 6 when Lucas was still a part of the show. There has been so much talk by some fans that Brooke and Lucas never had anything in common and that it never made any sense why they were ever together, but my opinion is that Brooke to me has been the number one character who has grown and developed into the best person and character and in her mature, adult years Lucas and Brooke seemed so perfect for each other, amazing balances. Of course, I can go on forever about poor choices and unrealistic scenes the show has created based on Brooke and Lucas, but that is why I am writing this story about them.
Summary:
What if Brooke had stayed the night with Lucas when he comes to visit New York after hearing his novel is being published? The paths of Brooke and Lucas take different turns as they both realize that what they have in their lives are missing one specific component in their lives. Is it each other? Is it others? I am going to explore the lives that follow if Brooke had stayed that night with Lucas the day he got the news of his novel being published. Just like the show, there will be drama, pain, suspense, and disaster to strike the lives of Tree Hill. This will go between Brooke's and Lucas' POV.
All main characters will appear in this story including Lindsey Strauss as well. I hope you all enjoy and feedback only encourages and improves my writing.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the first chapter,
-DK
Chapter one: Home
Heart beats fast
Colors and promises
How to be brave
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall
But watching you stand alone
All of my doubt
Suddenly goes away some how
One step closer
It seems like a lifetime ago when I fell in love with a certain boy. My life had changed forever when I realized that my heart would always belong to him even when he put me through all the heartache and pain I suffered. The night he flew back into my life a year after graduation seemed like yesterday. My heart fluttered as I closed my eyes to remember.
Three years ago
I was in the middle of a conference meeting discussing new ideas for my clothing line, Clothes over Bros. My phone vibrated on the table and I saw it was a message from Lucas Scott. My brow furrowed as it seemed like a complete shock to hear from him. I rolled my eyes as my mother and partner, Victoria, rambled on and on about how she wanted to make amazing changes to the company not once mentioning my name as it was my blood, sweat, and tears I would be pouring into designing the new clothes for the company. To drown her out, I picked up my phone and read the message.
'Brooke, it's Lucas. I am coming to New York in a few hours. I want to see you. They are going to publish my novel, Brooke. It's unbelievable. I need to share this with someone and I want it to be with you. I hope to see you. I'll be at a bar on the corner of 7th and Longleaf tonight around 7.'
I couldn't help but smile and feel relieved to get this message. I started gathering my things as I could not take this any longer.
"And where do you think you're going?" Victoria rested her hands on her hips and glared at me. I rolled my eyes.
"Victoria, honestly I am tired and it seems that everyone in this room gets the picture that there will be new designs surfacing soon for the line. No one needs to here any more of your ranting for the day. Millicent." I nodded towards my only dearest friend in New York and I saw she was eager to leave as well.
I could hear Victoria hollering after me and I just couldn't take it anymore. Millicent slammed the door shut behind her and sighed with relief.
"Thank you, Brooke. I don't know how much more I could take of her rambling." Millicent kept close behind me and it was comforting.
"No problem. I needed to get out of there myself. Look I just received a message from an old friend so I am going to dip out a little early today." I rested my hand on her arm and gave her a light squeeze.
"Ok, sounds good, I suppose. What should I tell Victoria?" The dread filled Millicent's voice.
"I don't know, Milly, you're good at thinking on your feet." I grabbed my jacket from my desk and headed for the exit of the building.
By the time I got back to my apartment it was five thirty. I had enough time to get ready to meet up with Lucas and surprise him. For some reason, my heart started racing and I became suddenly nervous. I approached my walk-in closet and began to grow anxious searching for the right attire to wear this evening.
"No, not that one. No not you either." I stopped as I realized what kind of outfit am I going to wear? I don't want to wear anything too over the top or revealing or-wait a minute why did I even want to dress amazing tonight. I am only meeting up with an old friend, an old ex-boyfriend to admit as well. I stopped and found something casual, yet exciting as well.
"This should do." After I made myself look presentable, I looked over at the clock and it read, 6:59.
"Shit." I grabbed my purse and called for my car.
Andres was ready and waiting for me when I finally got outside.
"Good evening, Miss Davis—"
"Andres, for the last time, and I mean it, call me Brooke." I slid into the car and placed my purse beside me.
"Yes mam, Brooke, where are we heading to tonight?"
I knew exactly where Lucas was going and I smiled.
"To Marissou's." It was one of the nicest bars in town. It was great to hear some wonderful news to someone who sincerely deserves it. Lucas has always wanted to be an amazing, recognized author. His dream was finally coming true. He didn't mention anything about Peyton being here. I wonder why? I haven't spoken to Peyton in awhile either, so hopefully everything is okay.
The stop of the vehicle pulled me out of my thoughts.
"We're here. Should I wait for you, Miss—I mean Brooke?"
I smiled at him.
"No, it's not necessary, I am sure I will be out for some time. Thank you, Andres." I winked at him and stepped out of the car.
It didn't seem as crowded as it normally was. I looked at a nearby clock that resided in the main dining hall. It read 7:25. He should be done with his meeting. I saw him talking to a woman. Must be his publicist, I thought. I stopped a waitress.
"Excuse me, if you don't mind, could you tell that handsome blonde, Mr. Scott, in the plaid shirt, that there is someone here to see him from Tree Hill." I handed her a twenty and she greatly appreciated it.
I watched her approach him.
"Excuse me, Mr. Scott, there is someone here to see you, she said to tell you she's from Tree Hill."
There were a few people in front of me, so I figured I would make a slight entrance before him.
I smiled once he caught glimpse of me. Relief flooded over him and he smiled.
"Well, well, Lucas Scott." I walked towards him.
"You got my message."
I threw my arms around him and he held me close.
"Aww, you think I was going to miss a chance to spend the night out on the town with a soon to be bestselling author." I couldn't stop smiling at him. It was so great to see him. He looked great.
"God, it is so good to see you Brooke." He still had his hand around my arm.
"Yeah." I nodded. It was so amazing see him as he came in just at the appropriate time in my life.
"Brooke!"
I snapped out of my memory to see a skinny blonde holding several boxes.
"Whoa, skinny. Hold on." I rushed over to help take some of the load off. We both walked over into the kitchen and placed the boxes on the counter.
"Damn! I thought the unpacking part was going to be easy, this is ridiculous."
"Well we'll have fun together unpacking everything and putting it where it belongs in our new house together."
"Brooke, thank you."
"For what?" I crossed my arms.
"For coming back to Tree Hill with me, I know leaving New York and the company to Victoria wasn't easy."
"Ugh, P. Sawyer, I would do anything for you, you know that." I pulled her into my arms and hugged her tightly.
"Have you spoken to Lucas yet?"
Hearing her ask me about Lucas sent shivers down my spine. Peyton Sawyer was my best friend and has always been there for me. I promised myself over and over again that I would never do anything to hurt her or betray her even though she may have done that a time or two in high school. But the way I felt about her, I promised I would never to do those things regardless. I shrugged my shoulders.
"Yeah, I mean I stopped by to see the new girl really, but I did speak to him a little." Of course that was a lie. I had never met Lindsey in person, but I knew who she was. It was not what I expected either when I saw him once I came back to Tree Hill. Lucas and I had been through so much over the past three years since that night in New York it had become a little awkward as for the past seven months I hadn't spoken to him for certain reasons.
"Did he say anything about me?" Peyton shook a little as she asked me this.
Peyton Sawyer, the girl who said no to Lucas Eugene Scott's proposal. I couldn't believe it when he told me, and I couldn't believe the reasons why when she called me and told me about it either.
"No honey. I'm sorry."
The air filled with tension and the look of devastation washed over her. If only she knew everything about Lucas, me, and the past several years after the moment she had said no to his proposal.
"Well, anyways, I say we break out the wine and start unpacking all my stuff." A bright smile came across Peyton's face and I couldn't help but smile as well.
I reached into the cabinet and grabbed two glasses and Peyton uncorked the wine.
That night we killed three bottles of wine and her stuff was everywhere. We definitely did some unpacking but no organizing. It was three o'clock in the morning when we realized that we accomplished pretty much nothing.
"Oh I love you Brooke Penelope Davis." She threw her arm around me and held me close.
"And I love you, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." I genuinely meant that and never took that for granted. Peyton and I are completely two different people than when we were in high school. There is so much I want to tell her and so much I want to explain to her.
"Okay, I believe it is time for us to go to bed. We both have big days tomorrow." Peyton brushed the disheveled hair from her face and stumbled towards her room.
I stayed behind to burn out the fire in the fireplace and put away our dirty dishes. The wine began to wear off on me a little and I wasn't tired at all. I grabbed the nearest blanket, stepping over Peyton's stuff scattered amongst the floor and took my phone with me as I went to sit out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. I felt at peace once outside. Leaving New York to come home for Peyton was not only for her, but for me as well. I would never admit this to anyone but I was so relieved to leave New York and never look back. I could run Clothes over Bros anywhere I desired and it would still work out for me.
My phone buzzed and I figured it was drunk Peyton sending me 'I love you' texts but instead it was from Luke.
'We need to talk. Can I see you?'
I felt like throwing up not only because of Lucas' message, but from all the wine as well.
I sent him a message back, saying I've been drinking. Shouldn't leave the house. Peyton just went to bed.
I waited for his response. Five minutes went by, ten minutes, and then thirty. I was about to leave the balcony when something startled me. I jumped and almost lost my balance.
"Whoa, hey, hey, it's me." A whisper came from around the back porch.
"Lucas Scott! What the hell are you trying to do? Did I not mention to you that I was drunk and all senses are incapable of working properly?" My heart was racing at speeds I could not control. I started to stumble some and Lucas was at my side before I realized.
"I know and I'm sorry. When I saw your text, I figured I should just come over here as opposed to you telling me not too. I really didn't think you would be out here on the balcony." He helped me back to one of the chairs and sat opposite of me with his hands still on my arms keeping me steady. He began to gently rub my arms affectionately. I pulled away because our interaction was becoming inappropriate.
"What do you need to talk to me about at three thirty in the morning?" I whispered.
"Brooke I need for us to talk about Lindsey and Peyton and…everything that has happened since that night in New York."
I closed my eyes again to remember how that night ended.
The night had been amazing. Playing married couple with Lucas Scott turned out to be an adventurous night for us taking me back to our first date at the bar where I got him to loosen up.
We arrived at his hotel room and goodness was Lucas a little more drunk than me.
I giggled as I opened the door he fell into me and I caught him.
"Whoa, ok alright boozy. Let's get you to bed." I looked up at him and he seemed so lost, "Come on." I smiled at myself and got him to the bed.
"Wooo, alright, here we go."
He plopped down on the bed and his face became sad.
"The bed is spinning." He said.
"You're going to be okay." I started unbuttoning his shirt.
"I am going to get you into some jammies and I am going to take a cab home and you can sleep it off."
He looked up at me.
"Come here." I said as he kept sliding away from me.
"Ooor…you could stay…" He pulled me close to him and kissed me. For a brief second I was lost in him and reality snapped me out of it.
"Oook. Umm." I patted him on the chest, "That might have been the second stupidest thing you have done in the last twenty four hours."
He looked heartbroken and my heart began to break as well.
"Luke, we're not in high school anymore and I love Peyton and even if you don't want to admit it right now, so do you." I was sincere and honest to him as he deserved to hear it.
"Okay?" I was trying to be strong for the both of us trying to hold back tears. That kiss only made me feel worse about myself as I enjoyed an evening out with him that made me forget about Peyton and everything else.
"I feel lost Brooke, I don't know what to do without her." His face was contorted and he was devastated. Hearing him speak of Peyton in that way only made me feel worse, but I was stronger than this, better than to feel like that girl I was in high school.
"Okay, do you remember when I started Clothes over Bros, it was right after we had broken up and I was trying to mend my broken heart by focusing on my work and you need to do the same right now. You need to go out there and become the best person and the best writer that you can be. And then you approach Peyton," I brushed my bangs from my face, "and if she comes back to you, then you know it's meant to be. Okay?" I looked at him and I saw tears begin to well up in his eyes. If I stayed around any longer I knew I was going to cry as well.
He nodded and my heart began to crack around the edges.
"I am going to go," I pulled off his engagement ring, "and you probably won't see me for awhile," I placed the ring in his hand and closed his fingers around it and patted his hand with love.
Choosing his same words he spoke to me a little over a year ago I said to him, "Lucas Scott is going to change the world some day and he doesn't even know it yet."
His eyes started to tear up and I knew I had to leave at that moment. I pulled him close to me and kissed his forehead. I caressed his face one more time and pushed back tears I was trying desperately to hold back.
"Goodbye Luke." I grabbed my purse and headed towards the door.
"Brooke, wait, please."
I stopped in my tracks and instantly regretted it. I turned back and looked at him.
"Please don't go. I am sorry I tried to kiss you, that wasn't fair, but please, please just stay the night with me." He looked so much smaller almost like a baby in desperate need of affection.
"Luke, I can't, I shouldn't—"
"Brooke, I really don't want to be alone tonight and…I know that deep down neither do you. So please just one night. Stay with me." He pleaded with me but it wasn't desperation, it was real and honest.
"Luke, I can't…I…I have to go." I walked out of the room and started down the hall. I started to cry and realized that he was right. I did not want to be alone either.
"Uh, damn it." I hit the wall and knew what I did next, I shouldn't have.
When I opened the door, he was waiting for me as if he knew I would be back. He knew me too well that I sometimes hated him for it.
"I will stay the night with you Lucas under two conditions, you don't try anything funny with me and we just sleep and lay next to each other in bed. You were right, I don't want to be alone either, but I will not betray Peyton and I know you don't want to either."
He stumbled to sit up and once he did, he tried walking towards me and I met him halfway. He threw his arms around me and buried his face in my hair.
"Brooke Davis, I do not know what I would do without you in my life." He pulled me with him to the bed.
We both got under the covers and held each other tightly as we fell into a deep slumber.
The next morning the sun was on my face and burned my eyes when I opened them. A half naked Lucas still had his arms tight around me. I made sure my clothes were still on and they were. We slept together in the same bed holding each other and nothing happened. My phone started vibrating and I rolled my eyes.
Lucas started to wake up and his arms were still tight around me. Once his eyes opened his face was calm. His arms loosened a little around me, but he didn't let go.
"You stayed." He said to me.
"I told you I would." Surprisingly I was not uncomfortable. I was relaxed, content.
"Brooke, I will be in town for a few more days. I know you said that I would not see you for awhile and because you stayed last night, I would love for us to spend some time together over the next few days if you have the time. I miss you Brooke Davis, and I want to know who you are, who you have been over the past year."
I was beginning to lose the comfort, my shoulders began to tighten and he could feel it too.
"Luke, I don't know, I—"
"Brooke, I promised you when we graduated that I would keep in touch and I haven't, so I am keeping that promise now for good. I want us to talk, spend time together. I want to know who you are now." He finally released me from his arms and propped his head into his hand and waited for my answer.
I should have said no repeatedly, but he was right he not only made a promise to keep in touch, but I did as well and what harm could come from that? We were friends and he is very important to me.
"Okay." I said.
He smiled at me and I smiled in return.
"Damn that night." I whispered. I knew I should have left and kept my promise that he would not hear from me.
"Brooke." He whispered as he looked towards the door hoping not to see Peyton all of a sudden.
"Please can we talk about this?" He rested his elbows on his knees and his eyes were pleading with me. I gave in…once again.
"About what exactly involving us, Peyton and Lindsey?" I wrapped the blanket tighter around me.
"I don't know what to do or say to her. I haven't seen Peyton since the night I proposed to her and Lindsey she doesn't know anything about us either. I mean I've spoken to Peyton and even called her when I was in LA."
"I remember you telling me that she never showed up, but Luke you do realize that there is no 'us'." I looked at him hard. The wine was definitely beginning to wear off as his conversation was making me sober.
"I know Brooke, but I mean she doesn't know about what could have happened several times during the past few years."
Lucas was bringing up moments from our past that haunts me and plagues me to the core of my body. I haven't spoken to him in almost seven months because of it and now here I am back in Tree Hill where he lives.
"Lucas I moved back for Peyton. That's it. You and I can work on our friendship, because we both know that since seven months ago, things started to change and I didn't like how it made me feel."
"Brooke, Peyton and Lindsey must never know that we—"
"Peyton should never know what exactly…"
Lucas and I both jumped at the sound of a third voice. I looked behind me and there stood Peyton in a Led Zeppelin t–shirt. Horror filled my stomach as I couldn't breathe.
Ok that is the end of chapter one of A Thousand Years. Please, please, PLEASE leave me some feedback, I need all that I can to help improve and steer me in the right direction with this story. I hope to have chapter two up as soon as I know people are reading it! LOL
Thanks again! -DK
