Title. Broken. (1/1)

Series. Fate Intervenes series.

Author. Em2323.

Disclaimer. I don't own any of the characters from One Tree Hill or the Twilight Saga; they belong to their respective owners. No profit intended.

Fandom. One Tree Hill/the Twilight Saga.

Rating. T.

Word count. 856.

Spoilers. OTH. AU. | TWILIGHT. Pre-Twilight. AU.

Category. Alternate universe, crossover, angst, romance.

Summary. [Sequel to Playing for Keeps.] "I can't stay," he murmured to her, his forehead pressed against the side of her face.

Warnings. Strong language.

Author's note. Here's the next installment in the Fate Intervenes series and it's another one-shot, originally it was supposed to be a multi-chapter story but (like always) it took its life of its own. The story is un-betad, which means all grammar and spelling errors are my mistakes. Emphasizes are written in 'italic'.

"I can't stay," he murmured to her, his forehead pressed against the side of her face.

She gasped softly as she felt his cold and slender fingers intertwine with her own. "I know." She whispered, a single tear sliding down her rosy cheek.

"Brooke . . ." a small smile spread across his marble features. He looked into her hazel eyes; the warmth, compassion and love was still there, but also pain, despair and hatred. His chest tightened at the mere thought of her hating him. "I hope that one day that perhaps you will find it in your heart to forgive me."

Tears blinded her sight as she looked up at him. "Forgive?" she choked out as tears spilled from her eyes. "There's nothing to forgive, Edward." His cold embrace felt soothing and comforting, her hands holding onto the fabric of his shirt, the side of her face pressed against his hard chest. "What I feel for you . . . oh, god. I . . . I love you. I know I shouldn't, but I do and it scares me."

"Oh, Brooke," he whispered softly and held her close. Resting his chin on the top of her head, he could feel her trembling in his arms. A sigh slipped past his lips as he cradled her closer. "You know that you and I can't be – there can never be us," unshed tears burned in his golden eyes, tears that would never be shed, "you know what I am, what I am capable of doing – the monster that I am."

There was no comforting sound of his heart beating, but she knew he had one. Although, she knew he considered himself a monster and perhaps he was in some aspects, he had shown her more than once that he was capable of loving. Still, there was a darkness to him that he never had been able to escape.

"You know me," he spoke as he stroked her chestnut hair with his hand. "I've frightened you as I have hurt you. Still, you stay . . . you always come back to me. Why?"

She smiled against his chest. "We're not that different from each other, Cullen," she murmured softly.

"We're kindred spirits, you and I." He chuckled softly as he looked at the setting sun above the horizon. He pulled her closer, feeling her warmth numbing the coldness. He had always been amazed by how broken she was; broken, but still so full of life. "But this between us, Brooke, it's not meant to be."

She moved away from him, letting her hands fall to her side. "What is this between us?" she asked and glanced up at him. "Is it love?"

"I don't know," he answered gently and gazed down at her. His fingers itched to touch her, to hold her in his arms one last time. "Time will pass, Brooke. You will find someone who you will spend the rest of your life with, someone who will love you, someone who won't hurt you and I'll be just a memory – just another part of your past."

Fresh tears slid down her cheeks as she looked at him in shock and disbelief. "No, you won't just be a memory, Edward," she exclaimed. "Don't you get it?!"

"Brooke, you know it's over. It was over before it even begun," he replied harshly and looked at her. "It was my weakness that made me come back to you because you were warm, kind, gentle and . . . so human. You were there, willing and you wanted me – since the first time you saw me, and you wanted me as much as I wanted you. You made me feel human again for the first time in a hundred years, but it isn't--"

"No!" She told him and ran a hand through her wavy locks. "No, it wasn't like that – it wasn't. What I feel for you, you have to feel the same way. You can't fake those feelings, that connection, Edward." She paused and gazed up at him. "Not this bond between us."

He held her gaze. "It isn't real," he murmured gently. "This bond between us, Brooke, is not real – it's the loneliness that binds us together, the heartbreak." His hand brushed against the side of her face. "I wanted to save you from yourself, so much that I . . . I let you see me, Brooke, the real me. You were never supposed to see that side of me."

"Don't." She hissed through gritted teeth, moving away from his touch. "I can't believe that you have the fucking nerve to throw my feelings back at me as if I'm some stupid and foolish little girl!"

"Brooke . . ." he began.

"Fuck you, Edward Cullen." She spat and spun around, running towards the forest.

He stood rooted in his spot, watching her small frame disappearing amongst the trees. He had wanted to save her from herself and the pain that was slowly eating her up inside but instead he had broken her even more.

Kindred spirits, they were; tragic and majestic and broken.

Fin.