Thank you to everyone who took time to read my story and review. I just want to clear things up, I got some messages about the outcome of this story. This is a Brucas story. Sorry for any confusion.

Come Together

Chapter Two: Making Amends

She cringed as memories of their friendship swarmed in her head. She exhaled softly as she tried to think of something to say. There was so much that she wanted to say, but not in the first time talking to her in a couple years.

"I know, this is a little out of the blue…"

'No, that would be your baby shower,' Brooke thought.

What could they possibly talk about to soften the blow of their rocky relationship? Brooke still wanted answers about how she could possibly do all of this to her once best friend, but part of her was scared of the answer.

She knew that even after all of these years, she still wasn't strong enough to see Lucas. After the whole ordeal, she just cut him out of her life without hesitation. However, she regretted that she never got answers from him.

"Say something?"

"What do you want me to say?" Brooke snapped as she finally found her voice. "It's been five-damn-years, Peyton. What do you want me to say?"

Sighing, "Brooke, I just—"

"You just what, Peyton? Why are you calling me after all of this time? Better yet, why are you sending me a baby shower invitation as if we were best friends? A lot has changed since high school and you know that."

"Brooke," she choked out behind the tears, "I understand where you are coming from, but I miss my best friend."

"It took you how many years to say that?"

"I begged you not to leave and to stay here so we could talk things out. I just thought that maybe, just maybe, we could get passed all of this and move on…"

Brooke rubbed the back of her neck. She didn't know if she could move on from this, but she knew that she couldn't be angry forever. There was a greater chance of her forgiving Peyton than Lucas.

"Don't you just miss sitting in my room and dancing to my records?"

"We aren't seventeen anymore."

"Look, I'm sorry about everything that happened and the way that things ended, but I do genuinely miss you. I thought that if I sent you a baby shower invitation, you would call me and we could talk about this. I want you back in my life. You were like my sister, Brooke."

Brooke scoffed at the comment. Her sister? Sleeping with your sister's boyfriend is definitely not allowed. This conversation was just rubbing her the wrong way. She knew that Peyton meant well, but this wasn't what she wanted to deal with. Part of her was ready to forgive Peyton and let the past be the past, but she was more cautious now.

"I know that deep down inside, you want to make amends with me. So, let's use this as a fresh start, okay? The baby shower invitation might have thrown you for a loop, but I would hope that by now, you would accept everything…"

"Okay, Peyton," she surrendered. She was over fighting with her and hearing her plead her sad case. "I forgive you, okay? Just please, for the love of everything, shut up."

Peyton giggled, "That's the Brooke I know!"

Brooke felt a smile creep on her face, "Yeah, same me."

"So," after a moment of silence, "I saw you on television tonight. You looked gorgeous in that dress! I mean, Davis still has it going on."

Brooke let out a small laugh, "Thank you."

"That man on your arm wasn't bad looking either!"

"Yeah, he's built like a Greek god."

"Brooke, do you think that you'll come?"

She sighed, "I don't know yet. I have a busy schedule with the clothing line and all of the press functions…"

They were actual reasons for why she couldn't attend the baby shower, but she could probably work her schedule around it if she wanted. She didn't want to seem like she was harboring all these bad feelings still and seem obsessive. However, didn't Peyton know that sending the baby shower invitation was like a smack in the face?

"Well, I just thought it would help us get back to where we were…"

"Peyton—"

"Brooke, come on, please come. You need to come home and visit everyone from school. More importantly, we can't be angry about this forever. We are too good of friends to sit here and let more time pass over something I did. I have apologized so many times about this, so has Lucas—"

"Fine. I will come, okay?!" Brooke hissed.

She was over this conversation entirely. Brooke just wanted Peyton to stop talking and get this phone conversation over with so she could go to sleep. Her body ached from wearing the six inch heels that hadn't been broken in yet.

"You mean it?" he voice squeaked out.

Brooke took a deep breath, "Yes, I mean it."

Brooke covered the phone as she heard Peyton squeal with excitement. In a weird way, she felt a sense of calm wash over her. Peyton was right, they had such a friendship and it would be a shame if they never reconnected. She wanted to one day fix things with her, but she felt like they were all in a different place.

"Okay, well, I have to go because Lucas just got home from the garage!"

Brooke cringed every time she said his name, "I will send you a text when I have everything figured out."

She hung up the phone and walked towards her kitchen. Her hazel eyes spotted the bottle of vodka that Damon brought over. It was one in the morning, but she really wanted something to take the edge off of what just happened.

The bottle was cold against her warm hands. She opened the cap and took a swig. The second it hit the back of her throat, she coughed. Her face puckered and she ran to the sink to wash it down with water.

"Yuck," Brooke said as she poured the bottle of vodka down the sink.

She sighed as she looked at the liquor cabinet. Normally, she would have a nice glass of wine, but she needed something a little stronger and less elegant. A smile crept on her face as she pulled out a bottle of whiskey. She took a swig and felt at ease.

Whiskey reminded her of two things, home and Lucas Scott. Tree Hill High always had bonfires and whiskey. Originally, Brooke would never go near whiskey. She wanted the fruity drinks or the shots that get you wasted. Lucas was the one who got her to like it and drink it with him after a long day.

She took another swig as she slowly allowed herself to think about the things that she normally wouldn't want to. She missed Tree Hill and her home. After she left, her parents moved to Paris and sent her postcards of their Parisian life. Brooke smiled was she remembered a post card of her parents trying escargot.

Another swig and she was already feeling it. Why did Peyton say that Lucas just got home? Wasn't it a little late for her so-called-husband to be getting home to his wife? Brooke didn't know much about the boy she used to know.

She took another sip from the bottle. She was angry with the sudden thought that entered her head, why had Lucas never reached out to her? It completely devastated her that he never tried to stop her from leaving Tree Hill. Why hadn't he been the one to call her and tell her about the baby shower?

Another swig from the whiskey bottle and Brooke knew that it was time to stop. It was time to stop thinking about Lucas and Peyton. Time to stop thinking that none of this had ever happened and she was completely healed of all the pain. It was time for her to stop thinking about all of these things before she went insane and snapped.