"Lucas are you coming home with me, or will Brooke give you a ride?" Karen asked her son. "I'm coming with you, Brooke's gone." Lucas responded. As he rose he touched his friend Peyton's leg and looked at her nodding his head as to say goodbye. Peyton longingly looked at him. She had tried not to, but she had fallen in love with her best-friend's boyfriend, again.
Peyton had told her probably now ex-best friend Brooke last night, how she was feeling. She wondered if Lucas knew; if Brooke had told him. Or was it just the kiss they were fighting about? She learned Brooke had found out about the kiss too. What timing, they were all supposed to be celebrating their friend's happiness, their love, the re-newel of their vows.
Peyton thought about it and Lucas and Brooke really didn't seem to be mad or to be really fighting. They danced together and sat together, said lovely speeches, but was it all an act? Brooke, Peyton had to admit, played the part of a maid of honor well, but she was clearly not her usual self at the re-wedding of their good friends, Nathan and Haley.
Lucas after the reception told Peyton that he accidentally told Brooke about their kiss the day of the shooting. This, just after Peyton admitted her feelings of Lucas to Brooke. Wow, her best friend was really hurting and Peyton did feel bad, she hated how she felt, but she just didn't know what to do. Obviously she could have kept her mouth shut, but it was too late now.
It was an innocent kiss; it meant nothing to her, at first. Luke however, was not at all thrown by it, he laughed it off and told her it was "okay" cause he was completely in love with Brooke. So what did he know now? What was Brooke going to do? Peyton pondered this a little and then left to find Brooke. She was going to make this right. Brooke needed to know that Lucas had told her (Peyton) time and time again that he was in love with her (Brooke).
Brooke meanwhile, headed straight to Peyton's she wanted to be packed and out of the house before Peyton returned. She packed her things as quickly as she could and left. They had been sharing Peyton's bedroom for some time now and were so happy. But how could she live there now? Peyton was in love with Lucas and Brooke was terrified and heart-broken. What if Lucas loved Peyton back? Why had her best friend in the world hurt her in the worst way possible?
Brooke needed answers; she also needed a place to live. Mostly though, she needed a friend, someone to talk too. She sat in her car and mentally went through a list of possibilities. She would have called Haley, but she was on her honeymoon, the girls on the squad would have listened to her but she felt she needed someone else. Mouth? No. Rachel? No. Maybe Karen, Lucas' mom was amazing at giving advice and was like a mom to Brooke. Maybe Karen? But Brooke just really wanted only to see and talked to Lucas again and so she headed to his house.
They left many things unsaid at the wedding. Brooke hadn't told Lucas about Peyton's revelation, she was going to but then Lucas came clean about Peyton kissing him and they dealt with that. Brooke was furious. Why hadn't he told her sooner? She would have understood, it was the day of the shooting, Peyton was bleeding and scared. Brooke felt betrayed, this couldn't be happening again, could it? Brooke was so disappointed in both of them. And to top it all off, Peyton had the nerve to tell Brooke about her feelings, for her boyfriend, some best friend. She needed to talk to Lucas, she needed to know how he felt and he needed to know how she felt.
Brooke had let Lucas "have it" at the reception. She initially had grappled with the idea of not telling Lucas about Peyton. She could have tested him, tested their relationship to see if Lucas would tell her about Peyton once he knew himself. She could have kept her mouth closed and not said anything, maybe Peyton wouldn't either. She ultimately decided to tell Lucas, he knew something was wrong and there was really no point in hiding it. And when she started to tell him, him must have thought she was talking about the kiss so he came clean about that. Brooke was crazy mad, she was hurt and she wanted to bash their heads in, but she loved her boyfriend (she loved her best friend too). That's why it hurt so much.
It was while yelling at Lucas Brooke realized why she was so passionate, so hurt, so badly broken because she loved him. That was truth. At that moment she knew she was going to fight for him, for them. She was not going to walk away, he had fought for her once and it was her turn to fight for him. As she drove to his house she re-confirmed her vow to fight.
She walked up to his door, the one that went directly into his room from outside. She heard him speaking and leaned into the door to see if she could make out what he was saying. She looked around and was relived to not see Peyton's car. "We need to talk…" she could hear pretty well "…you need to hear me out, you need to know how I feel, how I have always felt. And I need to know what's going on with you, how you are feeling…" Brooke began to cry, she thought he must be talking to Peyton on the phone because she didn't hear her phone ringing. It hit her then; she forgot her purse at the wedding. Then she heard him say, "…so just call me Pretty Girl. I love you." Brooke smiled and opened the door.
He saw her standing there and smiled. "I was just calling you for like the 20th time. I'm so glad you're here." He walked toward her and grasped onto her waist pulling her close to him and she let him. More than anything she just wanted him to hold her.
She eventually pulled away, which was really hard and looked at him "we have a lot to talk about." He nodded and led her to his bed as they sat down he leaned into her and kissed her very gently. "I first wanted to do that, and I know you're right, we have a lot to talk about. Do you want to start?" She nodded "I'm going to try, I'm going to try my hardest to express to you everything, cause there's a lot and I need to say it." She looked up at him and he was looking at her with concern and love and it made her feel better, perhaps she could trust him. Trust him and trust in him and in their love. She continued "It's not just the kiss Lucas, there's a whole lot more to it. Last night at the rehearsal, Peyton admitted to me that she has feelings for you. Luke she loves you and she said she owed it to me to be honest with me. My best friend in the whole world just old me that she loves the boy that I love and I'm scared Luke I'm scared that when you find out, that you'll… that I'll be left…" She was crying so hard that she just couldn't get the words to come out.
Lucas was stunned. He didn't know what to say. So he trusted to say what he felt. "Peyton told you she loves me? Well, that's a lot you know? I'm sorry you had to hear that." He felt bad for Brooke she didn't deserve this, he knew that now she had doubted him and their relationship. He knew that hearing what Peyton said and what he had told her about the kiss, that it caused her to be insecure. He just needed her to know the truth and to be confident in them, and in him. "She's my friend and I care for her Brooke, you know that. But we are together, you and me." This sounded familiar to both of them, Lucas smiled as he continued "I told you when we first got back together that you, that us, this, it meant everything to me. It still does Brooke. I'm sorry that Peyton did and said things to make you think otherwise. I love you Brooke Davis. Not only am I the guy for you. But you are the girl for me. The only girl for me…" Brooke cut Lucas off with a kiss.
She felt herself relax as she kissed him. He had chosen her. She decided to fight for him and she realized as he spoke that there was no need for a fight. They just simply were in love and their relationship was everything she thought it was, fun, solid, trusting, comfortable. She looked at him "I hate that I can feel so insecure, I hate that I can't just always trust us." Lucas touched her face as he said "this was a lot to deal with Brooke; this would have been hard for anyone. No one is that strong, some times you just have to let me in, to tell you and to show you how much I love you. Believe it, because I do."
Brooke heard him, but she still could not stop feeling unsure, feeling hurt by it all. After all, the two people she loves most in the world did keep things from her and ultimately did betray her even if it meant more to one person than it does to the other. There was more to it, he had chosen her, Brooke got that, and she loved him for it but there was more to say.
"Lucas, when Peyton told me last night that she loved you, I felt so betrayed, so full of disgust and hate. I didn't sleep all night, I cried most of the night and then panic and fear set in. Here we are again just over a year later, I love you and we are together but then there is Peyton, who loves you. Last time you chose her, I know you said it's different this time, I know it feels different this time, but I can't help but to think, she has something over you. You guys really didn't get to be together; aren't their curiosities? Don't you wonder what could have been between you and Peyton?" She cried steadily as she spoke.
Lucas looked at her, he loved her so much and he knew she was hurt and it killed him to watch her, to see her pain and not to be able to make it all just go away, but he was going to try and do just that. "Brooke, I don't love Peyton. I love you. I don't want her; I haven't for over a year now. It's always been you, it will always be you. Peyton and I, if we were meant to be together, we would have tried last year, it would have happened. But you happened, you came into my life and turned it upside down you added so much to my life and I have never been happier. I hate that I hurt you last time. But this time, it's not my fault Brooke, she kissed me I didn't kiss her back, it was in a moment of desperation and she knows, cause I told her, it meant nothing to me because I love you Brooke." She smiled at him and he could tell she had begun to relax, her posture soften, her mouth let a smile escape and when he leaned into kiss her she kissed him back.
"Luke, I know you've been having a rough time lately and all this Peyton stuff aside, I got to thinking today, you too, you need to let me in, all the way. Just like I need to do, I need to let you in all the way, no holding back, not ever." Lucas looked confused now. "Brooke, what are you saying?" She continued "we have had some amazing moments, a lot of fun, but Luke I hate it when you can't talk to me, when you shut me out. I hate that we can go days without really talking, without having a meaningful conversation. You left for days and I know you needed that time with your mom, but would have quick phone call to your girlfriend have really been too much? I thought about you all the time you were gone and hoped you were okay, even a text Luke, just to know you were okay."
Lucas struggled with what to say and then remembered the letters. He stood up and went to retrieve them from his knapsack, she watched his every move; he still hadn't unpacked from his road trip with his mom. "With all wedding stuff I didn't get to talk to you about my trip. You're right, I should have called. I thought about you every night, everyday. The trip was very much needed for my mom and I, it was good for us. I didn't call but I did write. I'm always better on paper, so I thought to write to you." He handed her a small stack of envelopes and a small box. She accepted them and raised her eyebrow in curiosity. "What's this?" "We haven't written each other in a long time and there was so much that came out of my discussions with my mom and I wanted to share it all with my girlfriend. But sometimes it got late, or you would have been in class, so I wrote to you. These letters aren't an excuse for not calling or are they in replacement of any conversation that we should have, but I did think of you and I also got you a little something. Go ahead open the box first, and then we'll read the letters, together." Lucas leaned in and kissed her, again she kissed him back. Through her tears Brooke smiled "You never stop surprising me, you know that right? Here I am all scared out of my mind and here you are with the letters and a present and all the right words. Thank you." She said kissing his forehead. She became giddy as she flipped open the box. "Lucas, oh my…" Brooke gasped at the sight of the ring. It was beautiful antique setting with a large onyx emerald cut stone. "I'm not my brother, I'm not proposing marriage at 18 and obviously it doesn't look like an engagement ring, but I want to make you a promise with this ring. I promise to love you forever and to one day, when we are ready to replace it with the real deal."