Hi lovelies! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed, alerted and favorite'd this story (naley23alwaysforever, takemewhenyougo, thibbs65, britt, brucas, lucy, lovepink2much, broodygirl, OTH, dianehermans and guests) you guys rock. :)

Thanks!

Krystal

Chapter 4:

*36 Hours Before Brooke's Wedding*

Brooke was getting dressed for brunch, but she felt a million miles away. 'Lucas Scott king of bachelor town has declared his love for me twice in twelve hours,' Brooke sighed, 'what does that even mean?' She was pulled from her thoughts by the light knocking on her door, "Come in."

"Hi B. Davis we just wanted to check on you." Peyton said when she entered the bedroom, Haley, Rachel and Millie in tow.

Brooke smiled, "Thank you guys. You ladies are the best friends a girl could ever ask for. I'm going to miss you when I move to California with Julian after our honeymoon."

The girls sat down on Brooke's childhood bed, "We're going to miss you too tigger," Haley leaned her head against Brooke, "We're all moving on with our lives huh? Nate and I are moving to Tennessee next week for basketball. I'm going to start recording new music too, so we'll see how that goes."

Brooke smiled, "That's great Hales. I'm so proud of you."

"Marvin and I are going to Seattle in October for his new job," Millie added.

"That's right, the sports announcer internship." Brooke pouted, "I'm such a bridezilla, I feel like I have been completely out of the loop and focused on my own stuff, the wedding, the move. I'm such a bad friend."

Peyton exhaled heavily, "Shut it B," Brooke stuck her tongue out at her, "It feels like the group is disbanding, we survived minor moves for college, but some of these next moves are across the country."

"That won't ever happen," Brooke reached for her hand, "We are just going to be further apart is all. At least most of us will be in the same country, Rachel is going international."

"Vancouver, Canada is hardly international bitch, it's like international lite," Rachel said glaring in Brooke's direction. "I don't know how I'm going to get through graduate school without you and Peyton keeping my ass in check."

"You'll have Chase," Haley volunteered. Brooke's face fell, "What's the matter tigger?"

Brooke shrugged, "Nothing, just thinking about Lucas. I'm worried about him."

"How come?" Peyton asked, folding her arms across her chest.

'Because he loves me' she told herself. She wouldn't dare say it out loud to her friends, she knew how they all felt about it. They couldn't understand how she could still marry Julian when Lucas had told her he was in love with her. She sighed, "Nothing... Never mind. I need to head down stairs soon, Ted and Victoria Davis have yet to meet Paul and Sonja Baker. It could be one spectacular show."

Brooke stood up and clinked her glass, "Hello everyone I just wanted to say thank you to our family and friends that made it out this beautiful day. I would like to give a big thank you to Karen Roe for catering this lovely brunch. Where are you Karen?" Brooke looked out at everyone and Karen waved at her. Brooke blew her a kiss, "Thank you again. I know a wedding weekend seems like overkill, but anyone that knows me knows that I never need a reason to extend a party." She paused at the laughter, "So after brunch there will be croquet, my groom's request of course, board games and cocktail hour. Tonight Julian and I will be hosting a murder mystery party here at the Davis residence and grounds." Julian kissed her hand, "And tomorrow evening this handsome man to my right is going to make an honest woman out of me." Brooke giggled as the tent erupted in cat calls and whistles, she looked out at her family and noticed Lucas at the back. He put his hand to his heart then headed out into the sunlight. "Thank you again everyone," Brooke bent down and kissed Julian's cheek, "I'll be right back sweetheart."

Rachel stopped her as she walked towards the arbor, "Where are you going B?"

"I need to figure out what Lucas was doing here, cover for me Rach?" Brooke pleaded.

"Cover for me Rach," Rachel mocked before pulling out her phone and setting an alarm, "You have ten minutes, make them count Don't make me come looking for you in these heels."

"Thank you," Brooke looked back at her party and slipped out and headed behind the house. She turned the corner and gasped, "You need to stop doing that. That's twice today that you've scared me."

Lucas smirked, "You didn't used to be so jumpy pretty girl." He looked around and smiled, they were completely alone. "So what did you need, it has to be serious, Brooke Davis doesn't leave her own parties early... Ever."

"You want to go for a walk with me, we need to talk." Brooke motioned for him to follow her. She headed out to the wooded area at the back of the property, she pushed apart the branches to the weeping willow and sat down on the hidden bench. Lucas stayed standing, "Why are you here Luke?"

"I was invited," Lucas said coyly.

Brooke huffed, "I rescinded the invitation after what you said to me last night Luke. I thought I made myself clear."

Lucas laughed, "You brought me out here to bitch at me?"

"What did you think I wanted," The grin on his face said it all, "Gross, I'm getting married tomorrow, there will be none of that."

Lucas whistled, "Damn, can't blame me for trying."

"What are you trying to do Lucas?" Brooke rubbed her shoulders, "It's too late for your games."

He sat down next to her and she recoiled at his closeness, "It's only too late if you say I do, after it's just additional paperwork."

"No Lucas, it's too late." Brooke stood up, "You have had years to tell me how you feel, but you made it crystal clear that you didn't want anything to change. You liked our relationship the way it was. So I'll say it again it's too late and I think it will be best if you leave."

Lucas leaned in and kissed her cheek, "I love you Brooke, I don't know how clearer I can be. I'm sorry my timing is bad, my timing is always bad. We have spent years making fun of my shitty timing. I called you while you were in Paris to tell you how I felt but I was already too late."

"What are you talking about Luke?" Brooke questioned.

"It isn't important," Lucas pulled her in for an embrace, "If you want me to leave, I will go." He pulled back and looked at her from head to toe, she was wearing a lilac Grecian style gauze dress, he put his hand on her cheek and smiled, "You look beautiful Brooke." Before she could respond Lucas was gone.

*Five Months Ago*

Lucas let his phone ring one more time before he answered it, "Hello," he realized he wasn't going to have to try that hard to sound out of breath, his heart was racing and his lungs were pounding.

"Hi Luke, did you call me and hang up... Twice?" Brooke quizzed.

"Oh I'm sorry did I wake you?" Lucas asked, trying to sound sincere, "I was out for a run, I must have pocket dialed you." Lucas closed his eyes when he heard Brooke giggle, he could hear Julian's voice in the background.

Brooke continued, "Running at night huh? That isn't your usual style. What's on your mind broody?"

"Nothing, just a little jet lagged." Lucas immediately cursed himself for saying that, New York and North Carolina were in the SAME time zone. "You know Haley, she's a feeder. I felt like I needed to burn off the second piece of cheesecake I had."

Brooke wasn't sure what was wrong with him but it was late and she didn't want to pry, especially when she had company, "Well go enjoy your run Luke, we can talk soon. I talked to you twice in one day, if we keep it up I'm going to start to expect that treatment every day."

"I wouldn't mind talking to you everyday." Lucas said, trying not to sound desperate for her attention. "But I start training for March madness once I get back to New York. Are you going to be able to watch any of the games?"

Brooke giggled again at Julian, he was now making faces at her. She threw a pillow at him, "Jake is going to email me video of the games if I can't find them online. I told him the other night I needed to be able to watch my two favorite Scott's eliminate the competition one team at a time."

"Are you still going to come home if it's me and Nate in the finals?" Lucas didn't know what was wrong with him, why was he sounding like a needy girlfriend all of a sudden?

Brooke sighed, "Of course I'll be there Lucas. You think I would miss the opportunity to watch a show down between you and Nathan? It would be like high school at the Rivercourt all over again." Brooke yawned, "Now I need to get some sleep, I have a lecture tomorrow morning. Talk to you soon broody."

"Yeah, absolutely." Lucas said, "Get some sleep pretty girl, I'll talk to you soon."

Lucas walked back to Nathan and Haley's defeated, who was the guy in Brooke's room? He wondered, how long was he going to be in Brooke's room. Had his brother and Haley been right, had Brooke found herself a boyfriend. Lucas felt a dull pain in his chest, he opened the door and headed inside, "I'm going to bed."

Haley saw the look on his face and sat up and leaned over the couch, "What happened?"

"Nothing," Lucas sulked.

Haley folded her arms across her chest, "Spill it Lucas Eugene."

"I was thinking about what you two said about Brooke, so while I was out on my run I called her." Lucas sat down in the club chair across from the couch.

"Isn't it like three in the morning there?" Nathan asked, "If you woke Brooke the bear you should be happy she's all the way in Paris, otherwise she would kill you."

"She wasn't asleep," Lucas rubbed his head, "A man answered her phone."

Haley gasped, "What did you do?"

"I hung up," Lucas shrugged, "Naturally. So I figured there must be some mistake so I called her again."

"Isn't Brooke like speed dial one on your phone? How could you have dialed wrong?" Nathan said.

Haley hit him with a throw pillow, "Do you have to say everything that comes into that head of yours?"

Lucas frowned, "So I called again and the man answered again. Then I heard Brooke giggling in the background, his name is Julian. I froze and had no idea what to say so I hung up again."

Haley reached for his hand, "I'm sorry sweetie, she hasn't mentioned anyone named Julian if that helps."

"No, how could that help?" Lucas scoffed, "That means there's a stranger in Brooke's room right now doing who knows what."

Nathan laughed, Haley hit him with another pillow, "What? Can't you see the irony in this situation Hales, Brooke waited for Lucas to figure all this out and when he does, she has a boyfriend."

"No one said he was her boyfriend." Haley corrected.

"That's even worse, Brooke is having random sex with some dude she met in Paris." Nathan laughed as Haley pinched him, "Damn it Haley what was that for."

"You aren't helping by putting all that stuff in Lucas's head." Haley scolded.

Lucas laughed, "He hasn't said anything that I wasn't already thinking Hales." Lucas let out a deep breath, his head was spinning right now. All the relationship scenarios between Brooke and this Julian guy wouldn't leave him alone, the worst one being that he was just some random guy in a club she picked up and brought home. He knew about some of her conquests, oddly enough, sex was something they discussed often. Thinking about those past conversations made Lucas ill, "I'm going to go lay down. I'll see you guys in the morning."

Lucas unlocked his door and headed inside his apartment, he felt like someone was in his house, "Hello?"

Jake came from the bedroom, "Hey Luke. I thought you were going to be gone till tomorrow?"

"No today, I have practice tomorrow. How did you get in here?" Lucas looked at him, confusion on his face.

"Your emergency key remember?" Jake pulled the key out of his pocket and shook it.

"Did my super call you? What was the emergency?" Lucas wanted nothing more than to go in his room and go to sleep.

Jake shook his head, "No emergency, Peyton told me you were out of town. Your apartment is closer to the bar."

"You didn't fuck Peyton in my bed did you?" Lucas rubbed his temples.

"Hell no Luke, I wouldn't do that to you. Only one that slept in your bed was me." Jake walked to the kitchen, "You look like shit, are you coming down with something?"

Lucas sighed, "No, just tired. I had a long weekend with Nate and Haley."

Jake pulled a carton of orange juice form the refrigerator and chugged a drink right from the bottle, "So this doesn't have anything to do with Brooke doing the deed with some frenchie in Paris?"

"How did you hear about that?" Lucas asked.

"Haley told Peyton about it sometime this weekend, Peyton told me last night." Jake sat down at the breakfast bar, "So do you want to talk about it?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Lucas wondered, "Brooke is a grown woman she can do what she wants." Lucas put down his suitcase, "Are you leaving soon, I really just want to get some sleep."

Jake nodded, "I see you want to mope. No Radiohead okay." Jake winked.

"Do you guys have nothing better to talk about?" Lucas groaned, "I swear I am not that interesting. I'm not suicidal, I'm not going to be moping about and listening to Radiohead. It's not a big deal Jake, like I just said Brooke is a grown up she can do what she wants, she'll be home in a few months and this Julian clown will be a memory."

So what did you all think? I hope you liked it...

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Thanks again!

Krystal