The hotel room was silent, aside from the odd sniffle from over on the couch and the sound of her own breathing in Brooke's ears. Lindsay and Lucas has just come back inside and found Peyton on the couch and Brooke still standing shell shocked by the door. It had only been moments ago Peyton dropped the bomb shell that had ripped Brooke's heart wide open. "Hey Brooke, everything alright?"
Taking a deep breathe and swallowing the lump that had taken up residence in her throat, Brooke looked him in the eyes. "No Lucas, everything is the furthest thing from alright." She admitted in a very low tone. She looked at Lindsay and Lindsay knew that Brooke now was in the know.
"Lucas, I think maybe we should let Brooke and Peyton talk a while." She touched his arm gently. She walked over to Peyton and knelt beside her. "Peyton, are you okay if Brooke stays with you? Or would you rather I stay?" She asked. Lindsay was more than willing to stay with her friend, but she also wanted Peyton to have the chance to fully talk to Brooke.
Peyton smiled a fake smile and sniffled. "Linds, I can't thank you enough for everything. But it's your wedding night! Every girls dream right?" She hugged Lindsay for a moment. "Go be with your husband. If I need anything I'll call." She whispered.
"You better." She whispered back and headed for the door. She hugged Brooke. "Call me if you need anything Brooke, I mean it." And with that the two newly weds left the women alone. Brooke locked the the door behind them.
"Peyton do you want something to drink? Water?"
The blond on the couch just shook her head. Brooke took that as her queue and went and sat down beside her on the couch. "I'm sorry I let what I thought I had seen get the better of me Peyton! I should have known better!" The brunette was mad, but not at Peyton. She was furious with herself, most of all for even allowing herself to believe Peyton would EVER cheat on her, let alone with that scum bag. Second for not even giving her one minute to defend herself or explain until now. All that Peyton had carried around for three years or more. The scares that had been left on her from what he did, the broken heart of having Brooke walk away without so much as even a chance to clear the air. At that moment Brooke felt lower then lower and rightly so. Yet if she felt that low she couldn't fathom how Peyton was feeling.
"Brooke I'm not angry with you." Peyton admitted.
"Yeah well you should be! I'm angry with me!" She confessed.
The blond shook her head and finally met the brunettes eyes. And for the first time in years she was met with sensitivity and understanding. "Brooke this wasn't your fault. None of it. Not John's actions, not the after math, not even your initial reaction." Peyton explained. Brooke looked at her in awe. How could this woman in front of her be so amazing? If roles were reversed Brooke could only imagine how angry she would be with Peyton for jumping to conclusion. For saying things to their friends that invalidly changed their opinions of her. Yet Brooke knew it was one of the many many reasons she had fallen in love with Peyton Sawyer so many years ago.
"What happened Peyton? I mean I get what he did to you, I mean the lead up and the after math? And why has it taken this for you to even tell me or anyone?"
There was a long silence while Peyton tried to compose herself. When she felt able she began telling her about the lead up to her and John going for drinks. Peyton explained why she had accepted his invite, and Brooke nodded in understanding. She told her about how she kept telling him she needed to get home, knowing Brooke was due home very soon. About the drink waiting for her when she came back from the bathroom and thought nothing of it at the time. It had only been her second beer all night. Peyton explained how when she went to start walking home she felt very sick and disoriented and John offered to get her cab. After that she explained that she only remembered bits and pieces. Not recalling getting in the cab or the apartment. Remember vaguely being on the bed with John on top, seeing Brooke trying to call for her. And then she blacked out again till she woke up on the bathroom floor. She told her about crawling to her phone and attempting to reach her but Brooke wouldn't answer. Eventually she explained what happened after Lindsay called.
"OMG!" Lindsay exclaimed when she walked into to Peyton's apartment. Peyton had managed to crawl her way to the door and unlock it and was now hunch over by the door. Lindsay made quick work of shutting the door and helping Peyton over to the couch. She got her some water and a cold cloth. She noticed Peyton was in nothing but a long t-shirt. Lindsay also took note of the bruises on her fore arms and upper arms, her black eye and fat lip. It wasn't till she noticed Peyton's legs that she was mortified. There was dried blood running down the inside of Peyton's legs. "Peyton what happened?"
"Linds I don't remember..." She couldn't keep her eyes open, everything hurt and the dizziness was overwhelming. "Brooke left." She added.
At that moment Lindsay's last concern was Brooke. In fact the only thing she was concerned about was her friend laying broken on the couch. "I'm gonna get you some clothes and I'm taking you to the hospital." Peyton couldn't even find the energy to protest.
The wait at the hospital had been maybe 30 minutes before they had seen a nurse, blood work drawn, and had a physical examination. Peyton had felt degraded, humiliated and Lindsay held her hand and stood beside her the entire time. Lindsay couldn't imagine how Peyton felt, yet she did know she wasn't allowing her friend to suffer through it alone.
They waited for the results, for quite awhile. Peyton was so sick, though they had her hooked up to an IV to help with her fluids. "Peyton, I think I should try Brooke again. She'd want to know." All the woman on the bed could do was nod, she couldn't even open her eyes.
Lindsay step out of the room and into the lobby where she was able to use her phone. She dialed Brooke's number and waited. "Hello?" Came an unfamiliar voice.
"Hi, may I speak with Brooke Davis?"
"I'm sorry she is currently in a meeting. Can I take a message?" The voice was curt, belonging to another woman.
"Yes can you have her give Lindsay a call please. It's regarding Peyton, it's urgent."
"Regarding Peyton did you say? Oh I'm sorry, but Brooke will not be returning this call! And further more, please don't you or Peyton or anyone on behalf of Peyton Sawyer attempt to contact her again." Then there was a click. Lindsay wasn't 100% sure, however if she took an educated guess based on stories from her inner circle she assumed that was Victoria Davis.
"My mother?" Brooke gasped...The wheels starting spinning and she began to seethe again, for entirely different reasons. Victoria hated anyone and everyone in her daughter's life. Whether they were friends or lovers, business partners or acquaintances. Yet for some reason and really no reason Brooke could think of her mother absolutely loathed Peyton Sawyer even before they had become more then friends. "I can't believe I'm hearing this." She admitted.
"Brooke I'm telling you the truth." Peyton pleaded. "Ask Lindsay if you don't believe me."
Shaking her head the brunette rested a hand gently on Peyton's. "No it's not that I don't believe you. Quite the opposite Peyton. I know you're telling me the truth. What I don't understand is why she has such a fucking problem!"