Lucas opened the door to the Tree Hill Diner, steered Brooke inside and stopped. Every person in the place turned to look at them, and he knew. That stupid video was on the internet, and it seemed clear that it seemed the hot topic in Tree Hill.
The welcoming scents of coffee, French fries and burgers greeted them. Classic rock played on the old fashioned jukebox in the corner, and noise from the kitchen drifted out of the pass-through, but other than that, the silence was telling.
"Let's go," Brooke said, and tugged at his hand.
"Not a chance," Lucas countered, then, bending his head down to her, he whispered, "Do you really want them to think you're scared?"
He knew it was just the right note to take when she squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and stood there like a queen before peasants. Lucas hid a smile, because in just a second or two the women he knew so well had re-emerged, squashing the part of her that wanted to run and hide.
A couple of seconds ticked past and then the diner customers returned to their meals, though most of them looked to be having hushed conversations. It didn't take a genius to guess what they were talking about.
He gave Brooke's hand a squeeze and smiled at the waitress as she hurried over.
"Well, hi, you two," she said with a deliberate bright smile. "Booth or table?"
"Booth if you've got it, Lucas said quickly, knowing Brooke wouldn't want to be seated in the middle of the room. Hell, he still half expected her to make a break for the door.
"Down there along the windows good. I'll get you some water and menus."
They walked past groups of friends and neighbours, nodding as they went, and Lucas felt Brooke stiffening alongside him. She was maintaining, but it was costing her. She wasn't happy, and he couldn't blame her. He hated this whole mess for her.
The familiarity of the diner did nothing to ease the tension in Brooke's shoulders. Once they were seated, the waitress came back quickly, set water glasses in front of them and handed out menus. Smiling down at them, she said, "I guess congratulations are in order."
"Oh, God," Brooke murmured, and her shoulders slumped, as if all the air had been let out of her body. "You've seen the video."
The waitress gave her a friendly pat and said, "I'm not talking about the video, honey. Don't worry about that. That nosy bastard has been poking into too many lives, so everyone here knows they could be next. Looks like his moving pretty quick, so he'll be onto someone new before you know it and you'll be old news."
Lucas could have kissed her. "She's right."
Brooke looked at him, and he read resignation and worry in her eyes. "Doesn't help much, though. The whole town knows I'm pregnant now."
"Sweetie, most of us guessed anyway."
At Brooke's stunned expression, she added, "You've never worn loose shirts and long cover-ups in your life. Don't forget, it's a small town, most people here watched you grow up."
Lucas grinned. "She's got a point."
Brooke blew out a breath and gave him a rueful smile. "So much for my brilliant disguise."
"Oh, it probably fooled the men." The waitress said patting Lucas. "You guys don't really notice much. But women know a baby bump when they see on being hidden."
Brooke nodded. "Right."
"But I wasn't congratulating you on the baby anyway. Though, best wishes. I was talking about your engagement to Lucas here."
Now it was his turn to be stunned. "How did you find out about that already?"
"Remember where we live, honey." She said with a shake of her head that sent her dark blond ponytail. Swinging behind her. "Brooke's mom called one of her friends, who called somebody else, who called my sister in law, who told me."
Brooke just blinked at her. Lucas felt the same way. He had always known that gossip flew in Tree Hill as fast as the hurricanes that swept across the coast. But this had to be a record.
"We just left my parents' hotel twenty minutes ago," Brooke complained.
"What's your point?"
Helplessly shaking her hard, Brooke said, "I guess I don't have one."
"There you go. The waitress said. "And just so you know, most everybody's talking more about the engagement than that video. I mean, really." She laughed a little. "Guess he thought he was being funny, mocking you like that. Didn't make any sense. People around here know how successful you are. So making that woman look so big and sloppy just didn't have the smack he probable thought it would."
Lucas saw how those words hit Brooke, and once again he could have kissed the waitress, who he now noticed wore a name tag, declaring her name; Amanda. She was right of course. Brooke, even with her pregnancy showing, would be just as stylish as ever. That video was meant to hurt her, humiliate her, but he knew Brooke well enough to know that after the initial embarrassment passed, she'd rise above it and come out the winner.
"But you two engaged," Amanda said with a wink. "Now that's news worth chewing on."
"I hate being gossiped about," Brooke muttered.
"In a small town," Amanda pointed out, "we all take out turn at the top of the rumour mill eventually."
"Doesn't make it any easier," she said
"Suppose no, but at least people are pleased for you," Amanda said.
"Well, it's good the news is out." Lucas spoke up, getting both women's attention. "And to celebrate our engagement, I'll have the double cheese burger with fries and some sweet tea."
"Got it, and for you?"
"Small salad, please," she said. "Dressing on the side. And an unsweetened tea."
"That's no way to feed a baby," Amanda muttered, but nodded. "And not even close to a celebration, but okay. Be out in a few minutes."
When she was gone, Lucas took a drink of water, set the glass down and said, "She's right. That baby needs more than dry lettuce."
"Don't start," she warned, and turned her gaze on the street beyond the window. "I'm not going to end up waddling through the last of this pregnancy, Lucas."
Irritation spiked, but he swallowed it back. Brooke had been on a damn diet the whole time he'd known her. In fact, he could count on the fingers of one hand how many times he'd seen her actually enjoy eating. But it wasn't just her now. That baby was going to need protein. And once she was living with him, he'd make sure she ate more than a damn rabbit did. But that battle was for later. Not today.
"Fine."
"I can't believe people already know about the engagement," Brooke said, looking back at him. Reaching out, she grabbed a paper napkin and began tearing at the edges with nervous fingers.
"At least they're talking about us, not the video," Lucas pointed out and took another sip of water. His gaze was fixed on hers, and he didn't like the haunted look that still colored her eyes.
Scowling, she muttered, " I don't want them talking about me at all."
Lucas laughed, and laughed even harder when she glared at him.
"What's so funny? "She demanded.
Scrubbing one hand across his face, he did his best to wipe away the amusement still tickling him. Keeping his voice low, he said, "You, Brooke Davis. You love being talked about. Always have."
When she would have argued, he shook his head and leaned across the table toward her. " You were senior class president and head cheerleader – at college you were the president of your sorority. Now? You still love it. Why else would you have your own magazine, called 'B. Davis'? you like being the center of attention, Brooke, and why shouldn't you?"
"I didn't do all that just to be talked about," she argued.
"I know that," he said and slid one hand across the table to cover hers. "You did all of it because you liked it. Because you wanted to." Then in his head he added 'and because it was the attention you never got at him and that fed something in you that's still hungry today'.
"I did. And I like designing, knowing people will wear and talk about it." She leaned towards him, too, even as she pulled her hand from beneath his. "But there's a difference, Lucas, between people talking about my work and talking about my life."
"Not by much, there isn't," he said and leaned back, laying one arm along the top of the booth bench. "Brooke, we live in a tiny town in North Carolina. People talk. Always heave. Always will. What matters is how you deal with it."
"I'm dealing," she grumbled, and he wanted to smile again but was half worried she might kick him under the table if he did.
"No you're not." He tipped his head to one side and have her a look that said be honest. "You're nearly five months along with that baby, and you just now told your parents."
"That's different." Her fingers tore at the napkin again until she had quite the pile of confetti going.
"And when we walked in here and people turned to look, you would have walked right back out if I hadn't gotten I the way.
She frowned at him, and the flash in her eyes told him he was lucky she hadn't kicked him. "I don't like it when you're a know-it-all."
"Sure you do." She lifted one eyebrow again, and he had to admire it. Never had been able to do it himself. "Look, either you can let this gossip jerk win, by curling up and hiding out…. Or you can hold your head up like the tough woman I know you are not let some mystery creep dictate how your life goes."
"Using logic isn't fair."
''Yeah I know."
She at back in the booth and continued to fiddle with the paper napkin in front of her. It was nearly gone now, and he told himself to remember to ask Amanda for more.
"Lucas, I don't want to let him win. To run my decisions. But isn't that what I'm doing by agreeing to marry you?"'
"No." he straightened up now, leaned toward her and met her gaze dead-on. "If you were doing what he wanted, you'd be locked in a closet crying somewhere. Do you think that bastard wants you to be with me and happy? Do you think he wants you turning the whole town on its ear so they don't even think about his stupid video?"
"No, I suppose not," she murmured.
"Damn straight." He laid his hand over hers again and quieted those nervous fingers. "You're taking charge, Brooke."
"That's not how it feels."
"I can see that. But trust me on this – you're the one calling the shots here. You've left that video in your dust, already, and he's only going to get dustier from her on out." He squeezed her fingers until he felt her squeeze back. "Us getting married? That's a good thing. For all of us, baby included."
She sighed. "I just don't know how this day got away from me. One minute I'm dreading talking to my parents, and the next I'm engaged to you."
"I don't know why you seem to think marriage to me is such a hardship."
Her gaze narrowed on his. "I didn't say that – fine," she said when he smiled. "Make jokes. We'll see how funny you think it is when I'm living with you."
He shrugged to show her he wasn't bothered. "You're an okay cook and you're already pregnant, so al li need to do is keep you barefoot and in the kitchen."
She laughed then slapped one hand to her mouth to hold the rest inside. Lucas grinned at her. Good, he loved hearing that wild, deep laughter come out of such a wisp of a women.
"You're making me laugh so I won't obsess about what a mess my life is."
"Is it working?"
Thinking about it for a second or two, she finally said, "Yes. So, thanks."
"You're welcome."
He watched her as, still smiling to herself, she looked out the window at the little town still buzzing over their news.