The Truth Shall Set You Free
"The Truth is heavy; therefore, few care to carry it."
Anonymous.
*** Author's Note ***
Hey readers!
And another update is ready!
Please, as always, leave comments and reviews, good or bad, happy or sad… they are what helps me write this and keeps me motivated to keep going!
Thank you all so much for your reviews and support!
*Chrissy*
Chapter 4
Your Past, My Future Condemns.
"The past is never dead. It is not even past."
William Faulkner.
"You think you know everything about me, don't you, Baker?"
Curly blonde tresses blew in the wind as the city hummed in the evening glow, the sun painting its way across the darkening sky, warming the city with a citric glow. A smoky haze blanketed the buzzing metropolis, Los Angeles a haven for entertainment industry folk and bohemian trendsetters, all washed together in a maze of streets, corner clubs, and café delights. The little pizzeria was buzzing with collective noise, plates clattering and laughter ringing out as a powerful Italian tune rasped out over the diners, adding to the already artistic atmosphere of the restaurant. Perched in a wooden chair, fingers entangled in the checkered linen tablecloth, Peyton Sawyer smiled at Julian Baker, her hazel eyes watching him from across the tiny table. The handsome producer returned her grin with an equally devilish one; eyes alight as he leaned back in his chair and brought a hand to his mouth in contemplation, a small laugh escaping soft lips as he watched his girlfriend eye him off.
Sexy bitch.
"Yeah, Sawyer, I know you. I know everything about you!"
The waiter looked down at the two as they gazed at one another, neither one looking away as the standoff continued, both stubborn. This was how it had always been, her feisty nature a perfect compliment to his cocky demeanor, fire on fire, pure heat. Julian waved off the waiter, and he turned away, confused by the exchange as Peyton leaned forward in her chair and folded her arms across the table, her voice dropping to a low whisper, barely auditable in the noisy eatery.
"And what if I didn't want pizza? Then what?"
Julian laughed at her as if she had made a comment in a foreign language, a move which made thin lips purse in an annoyed fashion. Pearly whites flashed their beaming brightness, and the smile that sent hearts a flutter returned in full force, Julian leaning over the table himself and taking her hand, his soft touch sending shivers down the ex-cheerleader's spine.
And every other part of her body.
"Pizza's perfect. You know this as well as I!"
The blonde conceded and nodded her head; unable to resist the charm that oozed from the man she enjoyed calling hers. Julian smiled in triumph, the knowledge of beating his girl verbally creating a warm feeling within. It was so rare for her to concede anything, forever arguing his points and pushing his buttons, but he knew this was one argument she wouldn't even begin to win, being that their first date was at this very restaurant, eating that very food. It always amazed him that after so long, a simple food could hold such meaning.
They knew the perfection wasn't the pizza.
It was them.
A sturdy hand grabbed the side of a wooden chair and pulled, the stool sliding over easily as the blonde was lured in, clearly too far away from her man for his liking. Soft lips brushed glossy vanilla as a happy giggle escaped into the air, Julian's scent turning Peyton's mind to mush as the background noise faded away, their entwined lips the only image in focus. As a bottom lip became devoured by her godly lips, Julian sighed, her curls kissing his cheeks as their lips moved in perfect unison, a dance they had long ago perfected.
"This is the life I want," Peyton mumbled into his lips, Julian smiling as he pulled back, gently brushing a curl behind her ear.
"You're just in it for the good food and amazing body!"
Peyton laughed and leaned back, shaking her head at the boy before her, the sunlight hitting her blonde curls, showering off a golden kind of wonderful.
"Yeah, that too!"
Suddenly the waiter arrived and the love birds looked up, sliding the pizza onto the table with ease and clasping his hands together.
"Are you sure pizza is enough?"
Julian smiled and looked over at Peyton, knowing his sassy blonde already knew the answer to this, and as her lips parted in a delicious response, both knew the underlying message that spilled across the table in a harmonious melody of truth.
"Pizza's perfect!"
And so were they.
The dim light flickered before it brightened, a warm glow showering luminosity across the tiny kitchen and dining that Lucas had called home for so many years. The blonde brooder sat at the diminutive dining table, fingers tapping on the wooden hardness as he thought about his day, mind abuzz with mixed emotions from his encounter with Julian. As thin lips scowled in abhorrence, a dominant creak from the side door woke him from his aggravated thoughts, and he looked up, Peyton sliding into the room, eyes downcast and sad. As she looked up and saw the concern in Lucas' eyes, the blonde slid into the chair next to him, her fiancé taking her hand in his and kissing it gently, smooth lips causing her to feign a smile for him.
"Hey there, are you okay, Peyt?"
Peyton forced a smile to cross her lips, eyes closing as she nodded her head, trying to build some courage to put on a happy face, Julian's voice raging through her thoughts like a bullet to her heart.
"You made the choice, Peyton. You chose Lucas. That's the life you want!"
"Sure, I'm just feeling a little tired today, that's all. I'll have to get used to this though, right?"
A half smile spread across thin lips as hazel eyes hit blue, Lucas nodding his head as a hand trailed down and rested on her stomach, gentle circles not as soothing as they once had been.
Get a grip, cheerleader!
"Right, and you can take all the time you need getting used to this, Peyton. Cos we're going to be a family… and I wanna make sure that you have everything, everything that I didn't have growing up!"
His words were sweet, a gentle kiss on the top of her head merely the icing on the cake, yet somehow her heart refused to warm up, ice cold sorrow encapsulating her like a shadow stretching out over the end of the day and enveloping her in darkness. As Lucas stood up and exited the room, gentle arms enveloped the blonde as she held herself together, Julian's embrace still warm on her skin, still able to be felt.
"Our lives aren't meant to be together…"
Damn him. Why now?
And why Brooke?
Blonde curls bounced over silky shoulders as Peyton tried to erase the memory, to eradicate her old flame from her mind. She was getting married to Lucas Scott, and she was having his baby. This was the life she had always wanted.
What the hell was so wrong with her that she couldn't just be satisfied with that?
Soft soles tapped on hardwood floor as Lucas reentered the room, his gentle approach dragging his fiancé from her morose thoughts. Shock catapulted the blonde as oval eyes opened in shock, Lucas' gift both unexpected and strikingly thoughtful. With a warm smile planted on his face, Lucas beamed down at Peyton, the baby's crib held safely in his hands as Peyton approached, coherent sentences all but lost.
"Lucas… I… I can't believe…"
A reassuring smile slid across the blonde writer's face as he registered her awe, something he had been hoping for. With all the confusion surrounding them, the changes happening, the speed in which it all happened, he had felt like something had to be done to lessen the burden.
Burden, was that even an appropriate word for such a time?
"I saw it the other day and thought of you but wasn't really sure when would be a good time." A soft sigh escaped tense lips as the brooder looked upon the expectant mother, regret etching at the corners of his sparkling blues.
"I know the movie takes up a lot of my time, but if there is anything you ever need, Peyton, I'm here for you. I thought you might like to paint it yourself – you know, Peyton-style?"
Warmth filled her heart then as Peyton smiled at the gesture, the thought that had gone behind it. It was all beginning now, the building of a family. Their family.
No turning back.
"You chose Lucas. That's the life you want!"
"That is a great idea," came the automated response, warmth sinking into the words as hazel eyes gazed over the raw material that would soon house a baby's slumber. Delicate hands wrapped around the familiar face, rough day-growth shadowing a tired expression. "Are you okay? You seem distracted?"
A quick nod of the head was neither comforting nor believable as Lucas sighed and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling older than his young twenty-three years. Steady hands gripped the bottom of his chin though and his eyes reopened, an unconvinced expression from his fiancé demonstrating the lack of conviction he tried to display.
"Come on, baby daddy, what's on your mind? Movie getting you down?"
Blue eyes became shielded by soft eyelids once again, thoughts trailing back to the scene he witnessed today, thrust upon him in the most unexpected of ways. The movie was not what had brought him down, yet the nagging feeling that it had all been a mistake was gnawing at him, feeding on his doubt.
Doubt that had been long buried.
If he hadn't signed the movie to Julian, then Julian would never have met…
"No, actually I'm not really down, just a bit unsure about what to think of something I witnessed today."
Something that stung my eyes.
Ripped at my heart.
Made my blood boil.
Peyton's eyes fluttered open in curiosity, edging closer to the blonde boy-wonder as her words came out laced with excitement.
"Oooh, do tell. This sounds fun!"
Fun?
Not what he would have called it.
Torture might have been closer to the truth.
"I saw Brooke and Julian today," he mumbled, watching for Peyton's reaction, trying to find the same shock that had ravaged his body earlier. He felt he'd hit the mark when her eyes opened in shock, a bottom lip consumed as she turned away from him and walked towards the door.
He wasn't alone in how he felt about this.
They both thought it was wrong.
They were just looking out for their friend.
Right?
"Brooke has changed so much, she has Sam now, and she's all grown up and so..."
Amazing.
Talented.
Going to change the world someday.
Just not Julian Baker's world.
Asshole.
"It just really isn't her style, you know, Peyt? He isn't her style. He just doesn't seem like the right fit. Maybe I just don't like the guy. Do you think, you know, they're a couple?"
Peyton nodded her head as she let Lucas' words wash over her, too consumed by her own feelings on the subject to really hear what he was saying, until his final sentence shot through her soul like a bullet, and she had no choice but to respond.
"No," came her stern reply, finally turning to allow her hazel eyes to demonstrate her opinion on the subject. "They're not a couple."
Lucas' eyes opened wide as he took in her appearance, the resolute tone in her voice catching him by surprise.
"You knew about this?"
Damn.
Got her.
A smile broke out across her face then as she edged back towards him, soft fingertips encircling his arm as she brought him in to her, her voice soft and controlled.
A complete contrast to the raging emotions that soared through her body.
"I only found out today, Luke, but it's whatever. This is Julian we're talking about… and Brooke… well, she hasn't had a serious boyfriend since what… Chase? She has Sam to worry about now anyway, and when the movie is done, Julian will be leaving… so it's not such a big thing. Definitely not."
Her voice trailed off on the last part of her sentence as she gazed out the window, blue eyes watching her warily as she drifted away.
"You don't seem too worried about this?"
The smile returned then as Peyton looked at Lucas, running a gentle hand through his golden hair.
"Because I'm not. I'm happy with my man and my family and nothing else matters. Besides, I honestly don't think this is going to work. I know both of these people better than anyone, and neither are cut out for relationships. So you worry about your movie, Mr. Scott, and forget about the little 'thing' between Brooke and Julian. It won't last... I promise."
A sudden brush of soft lips against his silenced him on the subject, and with a tired mind, Lucas decided to drop it and allow Peyton to convince him that this thing between Brooke and Julian was a fleeting moment of insanity.
At least on her part.
As he noticed Peyton rub her tummy, Lucas placed a soft kiss on her forehead and brought her into a warm embrace, neither wanting to deal with the subject anymore today. It was hard enough that Julian had reentered their lives so dramatically, turning their world upside down. For one night the brooder wanted to forget the jerk even existed, to push away the thoughts that right now he was snuggling up to a brunette he used to…
Stop it, Scott, you're being ridiculous!
"Pizza?"
The words escaped his mouth without much thought, desperate to have his mind concentrate on anything but the wayward producer and where his roaming hands may be at that very moment.
Asshole.
However his words had a different effect on the blonde in his arms, and as he untangled himself from their embrace and made his way over to the phone, his voice drowning out her response as he placed their order, Peyton stared out through the window at the black night, silvery stars casting sparkling diamonds across the heavens.
"Pizza's perfect," she whispered, looking down at her engagement ring as she circled it slowly with a delicate finger.
Just perfect.
"Sam? Sam, where are you?"
A concerned voice escaped cherry-glossed lips as Brooke made her way inside the house, the heavy wooden door closing gently behind her, and a Gucci handbag sent flying into the soft cushions of the couch. Pointy heels danced along the wooden floorboards as Jimmy Choo guided the designer's dainty feet, green perfection dancing from room to room in search of the sullen teen.
Her teen.
Her Sam.
"Sam?" a raspy voice called out again, a gentle hand pushing on the door of the laundry and bringing the younger brunette into Brooke's vision, a sullen stance to match her usual sarcastic and bored expression. Covered in soaking wet clothes that clung to her body, Samantha Walker, Brooke Davis' live-in foster daughter was a picture of utter chaos, tiny droplets of water dripping to the floor and splashing in the puddle that now pooled around her feet. With a confused expression Brooke glanced at the teen, eyes roaming the poor drowned girl before her as a smirk began to slide across her glistening lips.
"I thought you said you were in an accident?"
With an obvious eye-roll that sent brown eyes flicking around the room in a swift movement, Sam looked on at her guardian in complete disgust, annoyance dripping from her tone as she spoke.
"Does this not look like an accident to you?"
The feisty brunette ran a soft towel over her face to soak up the droplets that had formed, more reappearing as her chocolate locks dripped profusely.
"Seriously, you need to tape up the laundry with like that yellow police tape, cos it's a freakin' crime scene in there!"
The retort only served to make the fashion designer laugh, a creamy Royal Dalton towel falling into her hands as she delved into the cupboard beside them. In one rapid movement, the foster mom had the towel draped around the teen's shoulders, and the two share a brief moment of smiles as they looked at one another. Of course, lovey-dovey moments were a hard pill for Sam to swallow for too long, and the feisty teen shook her head to break the moment, spraying water all over Brooke as she ducked away.
"Okay, Sam, time for a shower, now!"
With a slight push on the shoulders, Brooke guided the teen towards the bathroom as both broke out in a laugh, their melodic tune interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. As designer shoes jumped over the forming puddle from the laundry crime scene, Brooke hurried to the door and opened it, her smile still prominent as she opened the door to an old friend.
"Oh hey, Hales, come on in. We're just having a bit of a water crisis here!"
The brunette stepped back to welcome her friend, but the look on the musician's face was anything but happy. As concern filtered into her eyes, Brooke's arms immediately shot out for Haley, her voice caring and sweet as she endeavored to find out what was causing her friend such stress.
"Hey, what's wrong, Tutor Wife?"
The remark was enough to make Haley scoff at herself.
Wife.
Did she even deserve that title today?
"Oh nothing," she exclaimed, walking past Brooke and into the house, landing with a thump on the couch as she looked up at her best friend. "But I may have just ruined my marriage with a stupid idea."
Brooke took her place next to Haley on the couch, the door clicking shut behind her. The confusion was yet to leave her expression, and it mixed with concern now as Haley's words hit her ears.
"Okay, be kind, rewind, and explain to me how you managed to do that?"
Soft eyes gazed up at her Tigger's anxious face, Haley so consumed with uncertainty that her face distorted in an uncharacteristic way. A bottom lip became consumed in an anxious mouth as Brooke awaited Haley's response, nervous breaths escaping her lips as she released them. Finally the musician opened her mouth, her words spilling out in a long, jumbled mess.
"Well, I took your advice and decided what I needed to make me whole again and what helps me write, and I think a big part of that is Nathan and Jamie. But another big part of that is me, who I am, who Haley is without the husband and son… god, that sounds terrible, doesn't it?"
Sadness crept over her then as she looked at Brooke for support, the feisty designer already throwing her an encouraging look.
"Haley James Scott, you are allowed to be any woman you choose to be, and you can be many different things at once… you don't have to pigeon-hole yourself… Wife, Mum, and Haley – right?"
Haley nodded, however her face showed she wasn't yet convinced. Her lips parted slowly as she spoke again, voice unsure and guarded.
"Right. Except there is one side of Haley that shines and makes me feel alive. The music…"
Brooke smiled and nodded in total agreement, her signature beam hitting Haley as she grabbed her hand for support.
"Which I fully support because you rock it, sister!"
"Right," the young mother agreed again, her heart beating expeditiously in her chest as she felt the confession building within. "Except I'm having trouble writing. I've tried everything from listening to my favorite music, reading my journal, watching my family… and nothing has come to me… then I realized there is something that helps me write…"
Brooke clapped in excitement, her smile unwavering as she quietly applauded herself for the wonderful advice. The young designer felt it was about time she had given some to Haley after all the kind words she had bestowed upon her through the years.
"Great, then use it! I'm failing to see the problem here, Hales?"
With closed eyes Haley sighed, her musically-gifted hands finding her face and hiding her, fingers dragging down soft cheeks as she tried to bring herself to say it.
Confess, Tutor Wife.
It's good for the soul.
Or so they say.
"Okay, maybe not something that helps me, but more like someone who helps me…"
As her voice trailed off, green eyes clouded over in confusion, unsure where the music sensation was going with this. Nathan and Jamie were the people who helped her write, and although Peyton ran a producing business, she had never worked with Haley before.
None of it made sense?
Until a flashback of high school brought a familiar cheeky grin into her thoughts, a cocky musician who had swept through the town like a cyclone and wreaked havoc, but had also managed to get Haley to write one of her best sings to date.
Oh, damn him!
"Nooooooo," Brooke let out in one long, breath of disbelief, her eyes opening wide as she gazed at her friend. "Please, don't tell me you…"
"I called Chris," the musician confessed, letting out her own groan of disbelief as she sank into the couch, its softness unable to calm her senses or bring any kind of reprieve from the dread that burned within.
"But how, where, what, why?"
Brooke's lack of sentence structure displayed her absolute shock, unable to fathom the reasoning behind her friend's serious lack of judgement. The young mother jumped up from the couch then, her voice shrill as she conceded her error.
"I know, Brooke, I know, but this is important! Nathan has his dream, and I have supported him for so long now. I just want us to be able to do both, you know? I'm older now, and hopefully wiser, so I can handle this now. Right?"
"Of course you can!" The brunette responded, taking on the role of supportive friend once again. This wasn't a complete mess after all, and besides, friends stick by one-another, even through the decisions they decisions they don't necessarily agree with. "Emailing and phone calls are totally acceptable and you need help!"
A shake of the head from Haley meant that idea was out the window.
Damn.
"Video messages?"
Another shake of the head, soft brown locks bouncing over creamy flesh.
"Instant chat?"
Haley rolled her eyes as her friend grasped at straws, a sigh escaping her lips as she sprouted the words she knew the brunette never wanted to hear again.
"Chris is coming back, Brooke, to help me."
With an obvious shudder Brooke let out a sound of disgust, turning quickly to Haley as she took a deep breath, trying to remain as supportive as possible.
She really hated that guy.
"How did Nathan take it?"
Haley gave Brooke another look that caused green flawlessness to open once again in shock, Haley sinking into the couch further still, waiting for the eruption of Mount Brooke.
"You haven't told him yet, Hales?"
"He'll be totally cool with it. I mean, Chris helped me last time, sort of helped Nathan and I reconcile in his own, weird Chris Keller way. So Nathan will be totally cool with it. Totally cool with it."
As she repeated her words Brooke glanced at Haley, watching her try to convince herself of the fact that her husband would be okay with Chris' return. Truth be told, Brooke wasn't so sure he would be, and she understood why. Chris had always had a way of trying to get in the middle of relationships he just didn't belong to. But right now, the designer knew that this opinion was not helpful to her friend, and the fact that Haley had always supported her, meant that Brooke was now going to return the favor.
Because friends are the people who walk into one-another's lives when everyone else walks out.
Or something like that.
She had never been good with literary quotes anyway.
"Of course! You and Nathan, well, I don't know what epic means exactly but I'm guessing when it comes to love, you're it. That title just wouldn't fit anyone else in this town, Mrs. Scott!"
Haley looked up at Brooke and smiled, thankful for the support when her mind was so cluttered with insecurity and doubt. As she fell into the brunette's embrace, the musician closed her eyes and felt her friend's lips grace her hair, arms wrapped around her protectively. It wasn't until the disapproving voice of a sullen teenager broke through the silence that they both let go, turning to see the sarcastic teen shooting them looks of semi-irritation.
"No more of the lesbian love-vibes please! It's bad enough that Brooke subjects me to the gross make-out sessions she has with Julian on that couch!"
With a grunt, the teenage turned and exited the room, a towel wrapped around her dripping hair. Haley laughed and got to her feet, a kind smile from Brooke finding her as she helped her friend up from the couch.
"I should go home and tell Nathan."
Brooke nodded as Haley turned and made her way to the door, whirling around as she stepped out, a cheeky smile on her face as the designer looked at her curiously.
"But, you and Julian, I expect full details!"
Brooke laughed and nodded her head as Haley made her way up the path, closing the door gently behind her and making her way into the kitchen. She smiled as she reached the refrigerator, photos plastered all over the white appliance as its sturdy hum filtered through the silent kitchen. She stopped when she landed on a picture of her and Julian, a delicate hand trailing over his smiling face as her phone buzzed on the counter, lips turning into a dazzling smile as she answered it with a quick flip of the cover.
"Hey there, I was just thinking about you!"
White teeth shone as a broad smile encompassed Julian's lips, mobile phone attached to the ear as he listened to the sultry voice of the brunette on the other line.
His designer.
Perfection.
"Well, that is definitely the kind of ego talk I like to hear, and in true gentlemanly fashion, I am about to return to favor and profess that I indeed was just thinking about you too. I was heading back your way and thought maybe I could bring dinner with me… any suggestions?"
"Hmm, sweet talking me with food?" Brooke breathed into the phone, her husky voice sending the corners of the producer's lips further upwards, broadening his smile. "Hold on while I go ask Sam."
Julian laughed at the mumbled conversation proceeded on the other line, his awe for the fashion queen only growing as he thought about the way she was with Sam. Not many people her age would take on a teenager, yet somehow this amazing woman took it all in her stride, wanting to give the young teen a home and person who loved them.
She was inspiring in so many ways.
And she amazed him.
"Okay, Mr. Producer," the brunette breathed yet again into the phone, bringing him back from his daydreams of her. "Sam, being the teenager that she is, has decided on having the customary food of any staple teenage diet. That being said, and keep in mind that mushroom is a fungus and doesn't belong anywhere near someone's mouth, pizza would be great! Is that okay?"
"This is the life I want!"
Peyton's voice filled his head as he was transported briefly to that day, hazel eyes and blonde curls revisiting him. But as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared again, and the green-eyed beauty that waited for him on the other end of the line had suddenly become the only thing he could see.
Because he had made the choice that Lucas could not.
And he had made the right one.
"Pizza is perfect," he breathed into the phone as he turned and made his way down the street, readying himself to start a new batch of memories with the brunette he now knew he was falling for, her voice continuing to cure him as she chatted animatedly into the phone.
The only one, it seemed, who could mend his jaded heart, and as his feet tapped along the cemented path, he knew one fact had become crystal clear.
The perfection wasn't the pizza.
It was Brooke Davis.