Brooke, Haley, and Lindsay gathered in the kitchen of Karen's Café. The women brewed and drank coffee while Lucas and Juliet bonded in the backroom.
"It's going great back there." Haley said after checking in on Lucas and Juliet. "He has her laughing so much I think her cheeks will be sore by at the afternoon. Speaking of time." Haley turned the sign on the front door of the cafe to closed.
Brooke watched her flip the sign over, "Why aren't you opening today?"
"Lucas making a bond with his daughter is way more important than one day's worth of business." Haley smiled and walked over to Brooke with open arms. "I've missed you."
Brooke laughed and hugged Haley. "I've missed you too Tutor Girl! Only now it's Tutor Mom." All three women laughed.
"Brooke and her nick names." Haley playfully rolled her eyes.
Lindsay nodded, "That was in Lucas' book."
"Book?" Brooke questioned.
Haley and Lindsay looked at each other than Brooke.
"Lucas wrote a book in high school called the Unkindness of Ravens." Lindsay informed Brooke of the bestseller book. "You're half of the book Brooke." Lindsay walked over to her purse and pulled a copy of the book out, handing it to Brooke. "I think you'll like how Lucas portrayed you in the book."
Brooke took the book from Lindsay, "Thank you. I can't wait to read this!" She slid the book into her designer black studded hand bag. "So other than book authors what else has happened while I was gone?" She questioned Haley and Lindsay.
Haley smiled at Brooke, "Well Peyton just married Jake Jagielski last week." She held her breath as she waited for Brooke's reaction.
Brooke smiled and nodded once, "I was rooting for those two." She admitted.
Haley let out a sigh of relief at Brooke's positive reaction. "Were you really rooting for them Brooke?"
"Of course! I wasn't into Jake so she could have him." All three women laughed again. "I'm just glad she is happy." Brooke added. She no longer saw Peyton as a lifelong friend, she just couldn't after what Peyton did to her but she did want her to find peace and happiness. "What about you and Lucas?" Brooke asked Lindsay.
Lindsay raised both of her brown eyebrows, "We've only been dating for a year. I don't think he is ready to be with me forever." Brooke almost sighed a sigh of relief but held back. She loved Lucas and wanted nothing more than for him to be happy even if it wasn't with her but she wanted him again. She wanted that family with him and Juliet.
Brooke sat her empty coffee mug down on the counter. She twirled on the stool she was in, "You really did this place good Haley." She put her fist out toward Haley and Haley bumped it with her fist.
"Thank you!" Haley smiled. "You did good with that clothing line of yours. What is it called again?"
"Clothes over Bros!" Lindsay answered Haley. "I love every piece. If I could afford it I'd own all of it."
Brooke laughed, "Well I'm flattered. I'm thinking about opening one here in Tree Hill."
Haley and Lindsay gasped, "That would be awesome." Said Lindsay.
Lucas walked out from the back room with Juliet in his arms. "Princess here says she is hungry!" Lucas sat her down on the floor.
"Aw! Honey let's go home and grab you something to eat." Brooke stood up from her position on the stool and grabbed her purse.
"You sure you don't want me to whip something up here?" Haley offered.
Brooke shook her head, "I don't want to put you out any longer and besides it's almost time for her nap!"
Juliet pouted at the sound of the word nap. "I hate naps!" She said to her Aunt Haley.
Brooke laughed and shook her head at the little girl. "Well let's go eat silly!"
"Can daddy come?" Juliet ran over to Lucas and grabbed his hand.
Lucas opened his mouth to say something but he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to invite himself to their home.
"Momma please!" Juliet pleaded.
Brooke sighed lightly, "Ask your father if he'd like to join us for lunch."
Juliet turned to Lucas, "Daddy! Can you come eat lunch?"
Lucas smiled, "Of course I can!" Juliet squealed out of happiness and Lucas turned to say goodbye to his girlfriend Lindsay. "I'll check in with you after lunch."
Lindsay kissed Lucas, "Okay have fun!"
Lindsay and Haley watched Brooke, Lucas, and Juliet walk out of the café all holding hands. "Why am I nervous about this?" Lindsay asked Haley.
xoxo
Brooke, Lucas, and Juliet arrived back to Brooke's new beach house. The three walked inside. Juliet pulled Lucas into her room so she could show off her toys to him and Brooke began preparing lunch. Brooke made her daughter chicken tenders with a side of grapes.
"Juliet! Come eat your lunch sweetie." Brooke set the table for her daughter. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Lucas carrying Juliet to the table on his back. "You two having fun?"
"Yes!" Juliet smiled and hopped off of her father's back. "Chicken tenders!" The five year old squealed.
"That sure smells good! You should eat as much as you can since it looks and smells so yummy!" Lucas joked with Juliet before joining Brooke in the kitchen.
"You hungry? I could whip you up something really quickly!" Brooke offered.
"I'd never thought I'd see the day Brooke Davis cooked!" Lucas joked.
Brooke laughed and nudged him, "Well when you have a baby you can't exactly feed them take-out!" The two locked eyes but Brooke turned away and opened her fridge. "We have hotdogs."
Lucas shrugged his shoulders, "Hot dogs sound fine." He watched Brooke move around the kitchen preparing lunch. She moved with such grace that she every move she made a more beautiful than the last.
Four years later and she was still taking his breath away. He regretted how badly he'd hurt Brooke and spent the entire four years wishing he could take it back but he couldn't. But her arrival back in Tree Hill gave him a chance to make up for it.
"You okay?" Brooke asked after several minutes of silence. "This all too awkward for you?"
Brooke's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Yeah I'm okay. I'm just observing."
Brooke frowned at him, "Observing what?"
"Observing how much you've changed." Lucas scratched the back of his head. "I didn't think it was possible but you grew more beautiful."
His words surprised her. She didn't expect he'd still think of her that way after the way they left things.
"I'm all done momma. Can I have my juice now?" Juliet asked from her place at the table. Brooke gently brushed past Lucas to get to the fridge for Juliet's juice.
"Sure honey!" She poured her daughter a cup of juice and handed it to her. "C'mon you can watch some cartoons before your nap but only if you promise not to get hyper."
"I promise momma." Juliet placed her tiny hand on her heart, something she'd learned from her mother.
"Okay c'mon." Brooke turned on Juliet's favorite cartoon and sat the little girl down to watch it.
"Can you watch it with me?" Juliet asked her mom and dad. "Please?"
Lucas and Brooke looked at each other and sat down on the couch, one on either side of Juliet. Half way through the show Juliet was complaining of being sleepy.
"I can put her to sleep." Lucas offered.
Brooke nodded once, "Make sure she goes to the restroom and washes her hand before she goes to sleep. Don't give her any excuses to stay awake." She turned to Juliet."You be good for your daddy and go to sleep."
"Yes momma." Juliet said before disappearing into her bedroom with her father Lucas.
Brooke finished making the hotdogs for her and Lucas to have for lunch.
"She fell asleep pretty quickly." Lucas said after cracking the door to Juliet's room. "She's a great kid Brooke. You did great raising her."
Brooke smiled and made Lucas' plate for him. "Thank you! Its been so hard doing it all by myself."
"Well you don't have to do alone anymore." Lucas leaned against the wall. "I'm here for you and Juliet."
Brooke handed Lucas his plate accidentally grabbing hands they locked eyes. Old feelings rushing back for the both of them. Before Lucas broke Brooke's heart the two had a genuine connection. Lucas just chose lust over love.
Brooke broke the intense eye contact and went back to the stove to make her own plate. "So how have you been Lucas?" She asked as she joined him at the dining table.
"I've been good." He lied. Since Brooke's disappearing act out of Tree Hill four years ago Lucas hadn't gotten over her. Every time he saw a billboard of Brooke smiling wide his heart would break all over again. Without him she was so much happier and had such a better life or so it appeared from the outside looking in.
"That's good!" Brooke smiled.
The two ate in silence for a few minutes. They exchanged looks after finishing their meal. They felt like teens in high school all over again.
"Who would think hot dogs could be so delicious." Brooke said sarcastically.
"Need help cleaning up?" Lucas rose from his chair at the dining table.
"Sure! Mind dumping those plates out for him." Brooke smiled as Lucas began to help her clean up. "I still hate washing dishes." She frowned.
Lucas laughed. "How about this, I wash and you dry?"
"I knew you were a genius!" Brooke laughed and grabbed a dish towel. "I need to go to the grocery store a.s.a.p. to buy dishwasher soap because there is no way I am doing this again after today!"
The two laughed and started on the dishes. While washing dishes they caught up and Brooke shared memories of Juliet with Lucas.
"Okay last dish!" Lucas playfully held the dish into the air, watering sliding off of the dish.
"Lucas you are gonna get my hair wet!" Brooke cried out and jumped out of the way.
"It's just water Brooke!" Lucas picked up the hose to the sink and pointed it at Brooke.
She held up her index finger and waved it at him. "Don't you dare Lucas Scott!"
"Or what?" Lucas squirted Brooke with the hose.
"I am going to kill you!" Brooke snapped the dish towel at Lucas but missed.
"I still have the water?!" Lucas sprayed Brooke again.
"Lucas Scott! You got my hair that time!" Brooke attempted to run off but Lucas scooped her up.
"It's not that easy to get away from me!" Lucas held Brooke loosely against his chest.
The two stared into each other's eyes for a few moments before kissing. Brooke took Lucas' face into her petite hands as the two kissed. Sparks flew between the two of them as they kissed. It was like they had never been apart.
Brooke finally pulled away from the kiss. "I can't do this!" She whispered against Lucas' lips. "I can't do this to Lindsay."
Lucas put Brooke down and turned off the water. He remained silent.
"I can't participate in something like this." Brooke continued. "You did this exact same thing to me Lucas. You did this to me with Peyton!" She began to tear up.
"Brooke don't cry!" Lucas held her. "I'm sorry!"
Brooke cried into his chest. "But I love you Lucas. I do!"
Lucas kissed the top of her head, "I love you too Brooke."
"But you're with Lindsay. I'm too late." Brooke cried.
Lucas pulled back to look Brooke in the eyes and wipe away her tears. "The timing does suck but hopefully one day we can be together again."
Brooke shook her head, "I think you should go Luke."
Lucas was shocked by her reaction but he obliged. "When will I see Juliet again?"
"I'll bring her by Karen's café tomorrow after her first day of preschool tomorrow." Brooke opened her front door to let him out and the two again locked eyes. They were naturally drawn to one another. They kissed again but only briefly before Brooke broke away again. She placed her hands on Lucas' chest and he left. She closed the door behind him and slid down the wall. "Why do I still love him?" She thought to herself as she cried.