Peyton woke up to the sun shining bright in her eyes. She looked around the room, sitting up as her head spun. Definitely a sugar hangover.

She got up and headed to the kitchen for some water. A note was posted on the fridge, on a Clothes Over Bro's sticky note. Peyton, I'm sorry you had to wake up alone, but I have to go into work for a little while. I left my credit card on the counter, have a fabulous day of New York City shopping on me. –Brooke

Peyton rolled her eyes, opening the fridge and trying to figure out what she was going to do with her day.

******

"Okay, now let's go over this part again."

"Which part?" Lucas asked, rubbing his forehead and closing his eyes.

Lindsey sighed. "Luke, where is your head today? Or I guess the better question would be where has it been, because you haven't been checked in since we started a few days ago."

"It's just some personal stuff," Lucas said, looking up to meet her disapproving gaze.

"Like what?"

"I don't really feel like talking about it."

"Well either we talk about that or we talk about this book. Pick one."

"No offence Lindsey, but this really isn't professional."

"Well no offence Lucas, but this is my first book to edit, and I have to prove myself more than anyone else here. So I won't lose it over some hung over, high strung writer who is only worried about remembering which number is the girl he hooked up with last night so he can pick someone new for tonight."

Lucas chucked. "Wow."

"So I was right?"

"No."

"Then what's the problem. You not sleeping well?"

"No."

"Is it being in the city? Because I told you we can still figure out a way to edit this book and have you living in Tree Hill."

"It's not the city. But I am planning on staying here for a while."

"So the plot thickens. Why would that be?"

"Well, I think the numbers I have are all girls from Tree Hill, so it's time to move on to a new city."

Lindsey sighed. "Luke, you can talk to me."

Lucas shakes his head, recalling all the madness of the past couple of days. "It's a long story."

"I've got time."

******

"Okay, and I'll have those sketches to you by Thursday," Brooke said, doing a typical walk and talk with one of her employees.

The employee veered off to their office as Brooke continued walking, reading the papers in her hand when she ran into someone.

"Oh I'm sorry," she said, looking up to see Milli in front of her, hurt in her eyes.

"Well that's a first," Milli said, starting to storm away.

Brooke hesitated before grabbing her arm and turning Milli towards her. "Hey, I am. And you were right okay, you are my friend, who I could really use right now."

Milli twisted her lips, considering Brooke's apology before giving her a big smile. "Time for a break?"

"Definitely," Brooke said as she and Milli headed to her office, locking the door behind them. This is a ritual they'd had for a while. When something was wrong and either one of them desperately needed to talk, they'd go into Brooke's office and lock the door, ignoring everything going on outside of it.

Brooke sat down in her office chair, Milli in the chair across from her desk. "The counselor is in. Is it a Victoria crisis again?"

"No."

"Intrigue. What's going on?"

"I slept with Lucas and Peyton is in town," Brooke said quickly.

Milli just stared at Brooke for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay, I may need a minute for this one."

******

Peyton had showered with amazing water pressure and had made herself lunch. She sat at Brooke's table over looking the city, picking at her lunch and picturing Brooke sitting at this table alone every night.

She was concerned about her best friend. No one ever pictures people leaving high school to a miserable, lonely life.

So while she had considered walking around the city for a while or dropping in on Brooke, she decided to stay in and snoop around instead.

Peyton wandered into Brooke's room first. It was fairly plain and nicely made up. There were pictures of Nathan and Haley, one of her and Jamie, one of her and Peyton. There wasn't much she saw that she could go through without being totally obvious, so she went to the place she knew Brooke liked to hide things-under the bed.

******

"Lucas, you need to talk to her. In person," Lindsey said, slumped over in her chair.

"I don't think that's what she wants."

"But it's what she needs."

Lucas just stared at her blankly.

"Take it from a girl, the flowers and letters can be gotten rid of and avoided. You need to actually talk. Cut out the games."

"It's not a game."

"Okay, but you still need to be more direct about what you want. What do you want?"

"I want Brooke."

"Then why would you bother staying in the same city as her if you're not going to talk to her in person? Letters will get here from Tree Hill the same way they will from your hotel building."

Lucas nodded in acknowledgment.

"And you need to start answering Peyton's calls. Avoiding either of them is just a bad idea."

"You know you'd make a hell of a therapist."

"Well, at the rate this book is coming along I may just have to resort to it."

Lucas laughed a little to himself. "I'll try to be better."

"Okay then. Hopefully tomorrow we can actually accomplish something."

Lucas stood up and put his bag over his shoulder. "I wouldn't say we didn't accomplish anything," he said, grinning at her and leaving the office.

Lindsey grinned back at him as he left, then turned her attention to the lucky bamboo on her desk and sighed.

******

"Thanks for the help Milli. You know you'd make a hell of a therapist."

Milli smiled to herself. "So they tell me."

"Do you want to come meet Peyton? We could order a pizza and talk about anything besides Lucas."

"You know, I think I'll pass this time. You guys need to talk."

"Okay. Well I owe you. Maybe I can take you to get laid this weekend?"

"Sure, you get to work on that," Milli said, standing up and walking for the door. "Bye Brooke. Good luck."

Brooke sighed. "Thanks."

Brooke just sat in her chair, staring out at the city lights, deep in thought. She knew what she needed to do. She took out the letter from Lucas, tearing open the seal, her heart thudding.

Her eyes scanned the words with an intensity and eagerness.

Dear Brooke,

Knowing you, you have found some way to dispose of my flowers, and may not even get around to reading this letter before burning it. But if you've gotten this far, maybe there is some hope for me.

You may regret what happened between us, but I don't. My feelings haven't changed since I woke up that morning with you in my arms. It may seem twisted and hard to understand considering recent events, but you are the one I want Brooke. You may not believe me, but it's true, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to prove it to you. I'll wait as long as I have to.

Love,

Lucas

Brooke was speechless as she folded up the letter and put it in her pocket. Her feelings were so confusing but yet so clear as she tried to deny them. She rushed out of the office to get home to Peyton.

Brooke got out of her car, tapping her foot as she went up the elevator. She got her key out to unlock her door, fumbling with it as she unlocked it, feeling the water well up in her eyes as she anticipated all the emotion that was about to fill her apartment.

She barged in the door. "Peyton?" she yelled with some desperation in her voice as she walked farther into the apartment.

Her feet stopped in their tracks when she spotted Peyton on the couch, her makeup smudged from tears running down her cheeks.

"Peyton was is it?" Brooke said with some panic in her voice.

Peyton's eyes looked down into her lap, where a box of 86 letters sat, addressed to Lucas.