Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! Sorry it took a while to get it up. I was having trouble uploading the chapter the past few days. Not really much to say other than there's some DRAMA in this chapter! Anyways, I hope you like it! As always, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the CW.
Rating: K+ to T
There Goes My Life
Chapter 2 – New Beginnings
Over the next few days, Brooke and Nathan spent a lot of time talking. Brooke went to the hospital and got her pregnancy confirmed by a doctor. She was eight weeks along and the baby was healthy. They decided that they would keep the news of the baby under wraps until she started showing, which wouldn't be too long. They were currently at Brooke's house and they were packing up her stuff into boxes so they could move it over to Nathan's apartment. Brooke was getting frustrated. Nathan was hardly letting her do anything. She heaved a sigh as she picked up a small box of clothes and began to take it out to Nathan's car. "Brooke, what are you doing?! Put that box down! You shouldn't be carrying heavy boxes around in your condition," Nathan shouted as he rushed over to her and took the box from her hands. "Dammit Nathan! I'm not incapable! I'm still able to do things while I'm pregnant. It was just a small, light box. The doctor said I can't lift or carry anything over fifty pounds. This over-protectiveness is getting downright irritating," Brooke growled as she pushed past him and rushed down the stairs, disappearing into the kitchen.
Nathan put down the box and followed after her but there was no sign of her in the kitchen. "Brooke," he called out concernedly. He searched the house but Brooke was nowhere to be found. He began to get worried. He decided to look outside and he exhaled a large breath when he found her in the backyard, sitting sideways on a bench swing off to the side of the pool in the grass. He approached her cautiously, not wanting to upset her more. "Brooke," he inquired softly. She pulled her legs close to her chest, giving him room to sit. "I-I'm sorry," she sniffled, wiping some of her tears away, "my emotions are all over the place. I don't know how I'll react from one situation to the next. I don't know if I'll be sad or angry or happy… I have no control over my emotions and I hate it. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just… I need to live my life normally. I'm being careful but it doesn't mean I have to live my life with a cloud of fear hanging over my head, or in this case, you and your worrying. You're going to get wrinkles on your forehead if you worry too much."
Nathan chuckled softly and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to yell at you like that. I just don't want anything to happen to you or the baby. You have to understand that you can't do everything you used to when you're pregnant." "I know. I guess I'm still trying to get used to the idea that I'm pregnant. It still seems a little unreal, you know? That there's a little life growing inside of me," she gently laid a hand on her flat stomach. "Yeah," Nathan responded as he stared at her stomach too. "Do you want a boy or a girl," she asked a few moments later. "I would love a little boy to teach and play basketball with but a little girl would be great too. It doesn't really matter as long as the baby is healthy," Nathan replied, "What about you?" "I would love to have a little girl to talk to and play dress-up and take on shopping trips with me, but a boy would be nice. I agree with you though, as long as the baby is healthy, I don't care." A slightly uneasy silence fell between them as Nathan stared off into space and Brooke kept her eyes on her hands.
A few minutes later, Brooke ran her hand against the worn wood of the bench swing then looked up at him, "Nathan?" "Yeah," he inquired, breaking from his trance and gazing at her. "Can we take this with us," she asked softly, looking down at the bench again. It held so many memories and stories for her. It was her comfort spot where she liked to think or when she was upset or when she wanted to ponder life's questions. Nathan chuckled, "I'm afraid not. It won't fit in the apartment." He thought she was joking but when he saw her crestfallen expression, he suggested, "maybe we can move it somewhere else where you can have access to it. I don't think the landlord will let us put it outside the complex. Do you have any ideas of where to put it?" "What about under the tree near the rivercourt by the water? That way I can come watch you play basketball and I can look out over the water too. The river is so peaceful. Do you think we would be allowed to put it there," she asked uncertainly. "I don't see why not. It's a public park," he replied. "Yay," Brooke clapped her hands and bounced a little in her seat. He laughed at her happiness then gently grabbed her arm, "Come on, you said you wanted to help so I'm going to put you to work. At the rate I'm going now, we won't get everything done before it gets dark. Light stuff, nothing heavy, and no lifting. Leave that to me." He pointed a finger warningly at her. "I promise," she replied as she struggled to get off the bench swing and Nathan helped her up from it, "Thanks." Together, they walked back into the house to finish packing up.
Once they loaded Nathan's car as full as they could, they headed over to his apartment. Nathan brought all the boxes in then collapsed with a thud onto the couch, letting out a groan, "God, you have a lot of stuff." "Sorry," Brooke responded as she walked over to the refrigerator and opened it up to find something to drink, "You need to go grocery shopping. There's only beer, Gatorade, pickles, olives, hot dogs, and what looks like a questionable bottle of milk. I don't understand how you can live like this. Yuck!" She stuck out her tongue in disgust. "I'm sorry. I'll have to clean that out. I guess I'll have to start living better now that you're here," he chuckled, "We'll go shopping together tomorrow so we can both get stuff that we like." "Okay," she replied then asked, "Can I have one of your Gatorades?" "Sure, you're welcome to anything you like. You live here now," he smiled back at her. "Well, I would have something else, if there were anything else to drink. I can't drink beer, remember? And I don't even want to know how old that milk is." "I'll go throw it out now," he hopped up from the couch and took it outside down to the dumpster.
"There, better now," he asked when he returned. "Much," she replied, "so, do you want to start unpacking?" Nathan groaned, "No, not right now. Let me have a little time to recuperate. Let's get something to eat. Are you hungry?" "I could eat," she replied with a nod, "what kind of food do you want to get?" Nathan shook his head, "It doesn't matter to me. You got any requests?" "Mexican sounds good. What about Taco Bell? I could go for one of their Burrito Supremes and their Mexican pizza, oh, and their Grande nachos are pretty good too. I'm getting hungrier just thinking about it," Brooke grinned as she rubbed her stomach in anticipation. "Geez, that's a lot of food," Nathan remarked, "Where do you put it all?" Brooke's smile turned into a pout and she crossed her arms over her chest, staring down at her stomach, mumbling, "I'm eating for two now, you know." "Oh Brooke, I'm sorry, I didn't mean...I wasn't implying..." Nathan rushed to correct himself before she got upset again.
"It's okay," Brooke sucked in a deep breath as she fiddled with her fingers in her lap, "I know I'm going to get fat. I just didn't…" Nathan quickly moved to sit beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Hey, you are not fat Brooke. You're pregnant. That's a baby growing inside of you." "Mhmm," Brooke squeaked out as she nodded meekly then wrapped her arms around his neck. Nathan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close to him, "It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be alright." "How can you be so sure," she sniffled. "I'm not so sure right now, but I have faith that things will work out. We will be okay." After a few more seconds, Brooke pulled away and gave him a watery smile. Nathan lifted his hand and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb.
She stared into his eyes for a few moments then turned away, getting up from the couch, "I'm going to get changed into my pajamas. I'll be back in a couple minutes." "Okay," he responded, a pang of disappointment rising in his chest. He saw her pick up one of the small boxes and called out concernedly, "Brooke?" She rolled her eyes as she turned around, "Don't worry, it's just a light box. It has my undergarments in it." Her cheeks tinted a slight pink at these words. Nathan tried to hide the blush creeping in and he got up from the couch too, "Alright, well I'm gonna go get the food. I'll be back in a little while. Will you be okay by yourself?" "Yes Nathan," Brooke sighed heavily. "Call me if you need anything," he responded as he grabbed his keys and headed towards the front door. "I will," she replied as she walked down the hall to the spare bedroom that had been designated as hers. Nathan stood there for a moment, looking after her retreating form, before he turned the door knob and left the apartment.
Nathan returned forty-five minutes later and he found the living room empty. "Brooke," he called out concernedly. "In the bathroom," he heard her muffled voice. He rushed to the door and quickly opened it. He found her on the floor, hunched over and throwing up into the toilet. He crouched down beside her and started to rub her back in soothing circles, "Are you okay?" "It's called morning sickness for a reason," Brooke grumbled when she finally stopped and leaned against the side of the bathtub. "You said the doctor told you it could happen any time of the day. Some women have it all day long. Be grateful for that," he told her as he stood and wetted a washcloth then crouched down on one knee and gently pressed it against her forehead. Brooke closed her eyes in relief as she felt the coolness calming her burning skin. "Thanks," she replied after a few minutes. He helped her to her feet and led her out of the bathroom, "I'm guessing you don't feel like eating now." "No, not particularly," Brooke responded as she wrapped her arms around her stomach, "just save my food for tomorrow. I don't feel very well so I'm going to lie down on the couch for awhile." "Alright, do you need anything," he asked. "No, I'm fine. I just need to lie down," she replied. "Okay," Nathan responded as he went to the kitchen to eat his dinner.
Once he was done eating, Nathan returned to the living room and sat on the edge of the couch where Brooke was lying, "How are you feeling?" "A little better, but I'm still a bit tired," she replied hoarsely. "I know you're probably still not that hungry, but you should try to eat something. I made you some chicken noodle soup. Can you try to eat a little of it?" She nodded and he went to go get the tray he had made up for her. "Thanks, this all looks great," Brooke said sincerely. "No problem," he responded as he sat down in an armchair adjacent to the couch, "Do you want to watch a movie?" "Sure," she responded after she had taken a sip of the warm soup and let it travel down her throat, "Mmm, this is good." "Any preferences," he asked. "Just nothing too bloody or gory," Brooke scrunched her face in disgust. They finally settled on a comedy and when the movie was over, Nathan noticed that Brooke was fast asleep.
He turned off the television and cleaned up a bit, bringing the dirty dishes to the kitchen sink. He went back over to the couch and stared at Brooke for a moment. Realizing that it must be uncomfortable for her lying on that couch, Nathan decided to move her. He carefully picked her up and carried her down the hallway. Brooke's bedroom wasn't ready yet so he decided to let Brooke sleep in his bedroom and he would take the couch. He gently laid her down on his bed and noticed that she had goose bumps all over her arms and legs. He realized that she was cold and retrieved one of his nightshirts from his dresser drawer. He cautiously lifted her upper torso, not wanting to wake her, and slid the shirt under her, carefully sliding her arms through the long sleeves. He then pulled the covers up over her body to just below her shoulders and slowly leaned down, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight Brooke," he whispered.
The next morning Nathan was making pancakes for breakfast when he heard a knock at the door. He wondered who would be coming around at this hour as he walked towards the door. When he opened it, he found his brother standing in front of him with a worried look on his face. "Hey Nate, have you seen Brooke? I can't find her. She's not at her house and I really need to talk to her," he said anxiously. At that moment, Brooke entered the living room with her eyes closed shut and she was holding a hand to her forehead, "Nathan, why did I wake up in your bed? Last thing I remember was that we were watching a movie and I was lying on the couch." Lucas saw that Brooke was wearing one of Nathan's shirts and he took in what Brooke had said then he felt his heart shatter to pieces. His ex-girlfriend, the girl he still loved, had slept with his brother. Brooke opened her eyes slightly when she received no answer and she caught a glimpse of blonde hair as her ex-boyfriend ran out the door.
"Lucas, wait!" Brooke called out as she ran after him. He only ran faster. "Lucas Scott! Do not make me run after you in my bare feet!" Lucas finally slowed down and stopped, waiting for her to catch up to him. "What do you want Brooke," he asked coldly. "That back there…" she heaved labored breaths as she tried to regain a normal breathing rhythm, "It isn't what it looks like…" "Really? Because it looks a lot like you're sleeping with him," he retorted nastily as he pointed to the shirt she was wearing, "How could you do this to me Brooke?" "How could I do this to you? First of all Lucas, I am not sleeping with Nathan. Second, we are not together anymore. Even if I were sleeping with Nathan, which I am not, it's none of your business. Thirdly, it was you who cheated on me. You remember Peyton, don't you," she returned icily. "I can't believe you're throwing that back in my face! I said that I was sorry! I can't even believe I was going to come tell you that I wanted us to be together again. I thought you loved me," he looked at her with desperate eyes, filled with tears.
"Lucas, I do love you," tears rose to Brooke's eyes too. "Then let's be together again. We both still love each other. We can make it work this time," he said softly as he took her hand into his own. "I love you Lucas, but I can't be with you again," Brooke responded as she pulled her hand from his and took a few steps back. "Why? Why can't we be together again," he asked confusedly. "Because we just can't," Brooke cried as she turned around and started to walk away, "I'm sorry." "Brooke," he called out. "No Lucas," she replied back, "don't come after me. It will just make it harder to let you go." "But Brooke, I love you," he said desperately. "I know you do, Lucas, and I love you too. But sometimes love isn't enough…" With that, Brooke started to run back to Nathan's apartment, which was now her home.
Before she went back into the apartment, Brooke wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. She loved Lucas; she would always love him. He was her first true love and she would never forget the way he made her feel. He made her feel beautiful and confident. Despite being the most popular girl in school, Brooke had trust issues. It was no wonder because of her nonexistent parents. She always felt insecure and she knew she was pretty, but Lucas made her feel beautiful inside and out, that there was more to her than just a pretty face. She probably would have forgiven him for cheating on her eventually. However, things were different now. Her life had changed; she had changed. She was a different person now. She was a mom; at least she was going to be. Brooke's lips curved into a smile as she looked down and rested her hand against her stomach. She had Nathan now too. Of course they weren't together but Nathan had been more caring and concerned about her in the last few days than anybody in her whole life. Granted, she knew he was more concerned about the baby than he was her, but it felt nice just the same.
Brooke took a deep breath as she felt some of the weight she'd been carrying lift from her shoulders. Breaking up with Lucas, for good, had been somewhat liberating. She could finally close that chapter in her book and finally let him go. She could start over. She was glad because even though she and Lucas were not together, she had begun to feel guilty for the feelings she was starting to feel for Nathan, as if she were betraying Lucas somehow. Brooke knew Nathan didn't share the same feelings, but she could rest easy knowing that he would always be in her life, forever bound together by the child growing inside of her. They were just friends raising their baby together. She could live with that as long as Nathan stayed in her life because she didn't know what she would do without him. He had been her rock so far and she needed his support. She didn't know if she would be able to raise this baby alone. She needed him to be there for her.
She opened the door and entered the apartment with a smile on her face. However, it turned into a frown when she saw Nathan shoving pots and throwing cooking utensils into the sink with an angry look on his face. "Nathan, what's wrong," she asked concernedly as she approached him. He stopped and lifted his gaze, glaring at her, "You went back to him, didn't you?" "Nathan, I-" she shook her head. "Don't lie to me, Brooke," he yelled and she flinched back, "I saw you two holding hands! How could you do this to me? How could you mess with my head? I thought we were going to raise our baby together!" "We are going to raise the baby together, Nathan," Brooke replied, tears forming in her eyes. "Dammit," Nathan pounded his fist into the counter then said in a cold voice, "Get out." "What," Brooke sucked in a deep breath at his words. "I said get out," Nathan shouted as he pointed towards the door, an angry look upon his face. "Nathan, I-" she started as tears fell down her cheeks. She saw his jaw clench and decided not to press any further. She quickly grabbed her purse and keys then ran out the door.
