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Brooke sat on the beach, waiting for her limo to bring her to the airport. She thought about the last time she saw Lucas Scott:
"Brooke..." He said as he opened the red door that he painted for her.
Brooke was sitting on her bed, packing the last of her things in the big suitcase.
He pulled her into a tight hug, a hug neither of them wanted to end. And before she knew it, he kissed her.
"I wanna be with you Brooke." He told her, as she looked into his piercing blue eyes.
"What?"
"I know we're only friends, but I love you."
She wanted to believe him, but there was too much going on with all the Peyton stuff.
He tried to find the right words, but then the taxi honked, signaling that Brooke had to leave Tree Hill for good.
"Why Lucas, why now, I'm leaving for good and we may not see each other for a long time…so why?" she asked, suitcases in her hands.
"Because I want you to be with me the rest of my life." He whispered, thinking she could probably hear his heart breaking.
"I'm sorry Lucas. I have to go." Brooke said, walking out the red door and to the taxi, trying not to let a tear fall.
Lucas sat on her bed with a picture of the two of them in his hands.
Why is he always a moment to late?
A few hours later, Brooke was on her way to Tree Hill. A place she hasn't been in 6 years.
Brooke took out her cell phone to call Haley.
"Brooke!" Haley answered the phone and Brooke smiled, she couldn't wait to see her best friend again
"Tutorgirl, I just landed I'll be there in an hour." Brooke said happily.
Haley squealed "Ahh I'm so excited!"
"Me too Hales. Me too." Brooke said with a smile, hanging up the phone.
Brooke walked over to the luggage claim but stopped a few steps later, looking at the tall boy standing before her.
She looked him in the eyes for the first time in six years…six whole years. She could scarcely breathe. For a few seconds, she saw the boy she fell in love with in the first place, it was in his eyes. Then the vision vanished and she became angry, recalling how badly he had hurt her.
"Lucas." She barely got the name out.
Before Lucas could say anything, a blonde girl popped out of nowhere
"You're Brooke Davis!" she said happily.
Brooke put on a fake smile and offered her hand to the girl.
"I'm Emily!" the girl said very cheerfully, even for Brooke.
"Nice to meet you Emily." Brooke said politely.
"I loveeeeee your designs." Emily went on but Brooke's eyes stayed fixed on Lucas'.
"Oh." Emily said, noticing where Brooke was staring "This is my fiancé Lucas."
Brooke tried to keep in the tears "We've met" she said bitterly.
"You didn't tell me you knew Brooke Davis!" Emily said to Lucas, nudging him on the arm.
Lucas tried not to look Brooke in the eye "Yea, we've met before." He said, offering his hand like he was just meeting a stranger.
"There's my luggage!" Emily said, walking….well, frolicking, over to the luggage claim. Leaving Brooke and Lucas standing there in silence.
"Are you going to the---." Lucas started
"Funeral? Yea." Brooke finished.
Another few seconds of silence.
"Congratulations on your engagement." Brooke said to him, trying not to say anything else.
"Yea, you too." He told her, motioning to the ring on her finger which she covered quickly with her other hand.
"You look great Brooke." He said quietly.
"Thanks." Brooke said politely "You do too….It's been a long time."
"Six years. It's hard to believe." Lucas said as Emily ran up behind him.
"Lucassss!" she cheerfully said "Ready to go?"
Lucas smiled and took Emily's hand.
"It was sooooo great meeting you Ms. Davis!" Emily said before pulling Lucas away. Lucas turned and smiled one last time as Brooke called her limo.
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"Jimmy, sweetheart." Haley yelled outside "Come in and get changed! Dinner's in 15 minutes."
"Coming mom!" Jimmy said, running inside.
The door opened a few minutes later and Haley turned around, looking at the girl standing in front of her…her best friend.
"Brooke!" she yelled, running over to her.
"Oh Tutorgirl!" Brooke said, hugging her tight "You look great!"
Haley smiled, letting the tears fall off her face "You too." Haley pulled away and took a good look at Brooke "God, look at you. You look wonderful Brooke!"
Brooke put her hand on Haley's large stomach "You do too! I can't believe I'm here!"
"Me neither." Haley said, pulling
her into the dining room where dinner was already on the table.
A
few minutes later, Nathan walked in the dining room and Brooke jumped
up.
"Nate!" she said happily, hugging him tight
"Brooke, I missed you!" Nathan whispered happily in her ear.
"You have no idea." She whispered back.
When they pulled away, Brooke looked at the doorway, where Lucas and Emily were standing.
"Hey stranger." Haley said, getting up to give Lucas and Emily a hug.
"Hey Brooke." Lucas said.
"Brooke Davis!" Emily yelled once again as Brooke tried to control her smirk…wondering why Lucas fell for her.
Haley gave Brooke a look and they sat down at the table.
"Where's Jimmy and Lily?" Haley asked Nathan after they all sat down.
"Here!" Jimmy and Lily ran in the dining room and sat down across from Brooke. Brooke looked down at the little boy that looked exactly like Nathan, and the little girl who looked just like Karen.
"Oh Jimmy, look at you! You got so big. You too Lily!" Brooke said, wiping the tear from her cheek and embracing the kids.
"I'm 6!" Jimmy said happily.
"Me too!" Lily smiled
"Jimmy honey, this is Brooke, she's your godmother." Haley explained.
"Do you like basketball?" was the first thing Jimmy asked.
Brooke laughed "I can learn to if you want me too."
Then Haley turned to Lily "Lily." Haley said "This is Brooke."
"You're pretty." Lily smiled.
"Thank you Lily." Brooke said, "You look just like your Mommy you know."
Lily took a good look at Brooke "I know you. You're in the pictures on the wall."
Brooke smiled and looked at Haley.
"From high school." Haley explained.
Brooke nodded and turned back to Lily "Yea, I am Lily."
"You and Luke were hugging!" Lily recalled the pictures "And then some of them were of you and Aunt Haley, and you and Uncle Nate. But mostly you and Luke. Luke said you were his other pretty girl. Because I'm Luke's pretty girl too!" she explained.
The whole room became silent and Lucas cleared his throat.
"The chicken should be done." Haley said quickly "Brooke, can you help me?" Haley knew Brooke needed to get out of that room.
"I'm so sorry." Haley said as soon as her and Brooke got into the kitchen.
After dinner, Lily asked Emily to go out back with her and Jimmy. So in the kitchen, it was Nathan, Haley, Lucas, and Brooke.
Brooke and Lucas were avoiding each other the whole night.
"Remember our graduation party?" Nathan asked, starting a conversation.
Brooke smiled "That was a great night."
Haley nodded in agreement.
"We were all so happy." Brooke recalled.
Lucas turned to the three others, standing in front of him "That was the night Brooke told me she'd love me forever. And that's we'd always be together." He said in a cruel voice "Then she left a few weeks later."
"Lucas!" Haley and Nathan yelled at the same time, seeing the tears in Brooke's eyes.
"Brooke!" Lily came in, tugging at Brooke's arm, motioning for her to help her on the chair that Brooke was leaning on.
"I like your necklace!" Lily said, looking at Brooke.
"Thank you sweetheart." Brooke said, trying not to let everyone hear the pain in her voice.
Every time Lucas tried to look at Brooke, she turned away. He knew he crossed the line way to far, but it just came out…and it was true I guess.
Later that night, Lily asked her mom if she could stay over Nathan and Haley's. So, Brooke lay in the guest room with a 6 year old on the other bed.
"Why don't you love Luke anymore?" Lily asked innocently.
Brooke sighed and sat on the other bed next to Lily "Oh, I still love him Lily, and I always will. But sometimes it's just not meant to be."
Lily turned to Brooke and smiled "Well, Luke still loves you."
Brooke laughed "What makes you say that?"
"Even if he pretends to be mean, but he really loves you. You can see it when he looks at you." Lily told her.
"Lily, Luke is getting married soon, he loves Emily." Brooke reminded her, still wondering why she was talking to a six year old about this.
"But I think you and Luke should get married." Lily said, sitting up in bed.
"I guess it wasn't meant to be." Brooke said again.
"Maybe it is though." Lily pointed out before lying back down and closing her eyes.
Brooke got off of the bed and walked out to get a glass of water, when she walked to the door of the room, she was startled by the man standing in the doorway.
Brooke let out a gasp "Lucas….I didn't know you were still here."
"I was out back with Nathan. I came to say goodnight to Lily. I'm…I'm sorry about what I said before, it wasn't my place." Lucas said to her as she moved further out the door.
"No, it was. You were right." Brooke told him quietly.
Lucas leaned in the door "Goodnight pretty girl." He whispered.
Brooke almost turned around, before remembering she wasn't his pretty girl anymore, and Lily sat up.
"Luke!" she said happily.
"Hey Lils, I just wanted to say goodnight." He said, walking in the room.
"Read to me! Brooke, you too!" Lily practically demanded.
"She's pretty bossy." Lucas explained with a smile "Not the only bossy brunette I know."
"I'm not bossy!" Lily exclaimed.
"Me neither!" Brooke agreed like a six year old.
"Lay with me!" Lily said to both of them.
Brooke and Lucas, not wanting to upset her, climbed into the small bed, all crammed up under the covers, just like Lily wanted.
Lily held the book and motioned for Lucas to read
"Guess how much I love you?" he began…reading the whole story from start to finish.
"How much do you love me?" Lily asked in a sleepy voice.
"Sooooooo much." Lucas said, emphasizing the words.
"How much do you love Mommy?" Lily asked.
"Soooooo much." Lucas repeated, making Lily smile.
"How much do you love Brooke?" Lily asked
Lucas looked into Brooke's eyes for the first time since they were at the airport. Brooke couldn't take the pain anymore. She stood up and walked out of the room.
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