Chapter Seven: No Quick Fix

Lucas and Brooke were still standing on opposite sides of the door just looking at each other. Lucas had thought about Brooke coming home for days and now that she was here it seemed kind of unreal.

"So do you want to come in or are we gonna just stare at each other all night?" Lucas asked in the playfully sarcastic tone they always used with each other.

"I think outside might be better" Brooke suggested in a much different voice. Even though she had come back she was still skeptical and couldn't hide her doubt.

"Alright." Lucas agreed. It didn't matter to him where they were as long as they could talk.

They sat down on the steps side by side. It was one of those really nice warm nights where the world seems kind of still. Normally Lucas could have just sat out side enjoying a night like this for hours but tonight he there was too much on his mind. He had wanted to talk to his girlfriend now. Brooke seemed a little apprehensive about what she wanted to say so Lucas decided to jump start the conversation.

"You gonna tell me where you been?" He asked still using the same voice. Apparently Brooke's skepticism hadn't fazed him.

Brooke thought about the last couple of days. How she had pretty much just thrown her bags in her car and made a beeline for California. She hadn't bothered to tell anyone where she was going. She had just needed to get out of Tree Hill as fast as she could." Driving." Brooke confessed.

"You've been driving for four days? Strait?" Lucas was in disbelieve he couldn't see Brooke doing that. Unlike Lucas she got antsy after about two hours of car travel. Road trips with her were hell.

Brooke nodded "Pretty much."

Lucas knew there was a story there. A story Brooke wanted to tell so he stayed quite for a while and waited for her to explain.

Brooke collected her thoughts. She decided to tell Lucas what had happened. "Lucas when I found out you kissed Peyton again I was hurt." She decided to leave out the part of the story where Peyton confesses her love for Lucas.

Lucas tried to interject but she wanted to get this out before he could say or deny anything.

She continued "Really, seriously, hurt. I didn't think I could forgive you this time." Her voice was getting a little unsteady and her eyes were tearing up a bit. "I was about half way to California when I got your message."

That hit Lucas like a blow right to the heart. To think she had been planning to run half way across the country with out even telling him.

"So it was my message that made you turn around?" he asked some what spitefully.

"Yeah" Brooke confirmed. "I wasn't sure if we could make us work but if you really meant what you said in that message…"

"I did" He reassured her. He put his hand on her knee.

"Let's hope so." She said quietly

"Brooke what do I have to do to prove I want to be with you?" He asked her

Brooke looked away off into the distance. She then took a deep breath almost as if she knew what she was about to ask was a little crazy.

"Ok." She started, a little breathy. "I can't live my life and be in this relationship if I'm always gonna have to be worrying about you and Peyton. I need you to prove to me that I'm the one!" she explained

Lucas wasn't quite sure where she was going with this but he could tell by the tone in her voice it was something big.

"What are you saying Brooke?" He wanted her to clarify

"I'm saying I don't want you to see Peyton anymore!" She declared

Lucas started to freak out. He could feel his heart rate rise but he kept his cool.

"What do you mean not "see" her anymore?" He wanted to know

Brooke suddenly got a lot more sure of her self. Her voice went from quiet and cautious to loud and definite. "I mean I don't want you to be friends with her, I don't want you to talk to her, I don't even want you to look at her anymore!"

Lucas thought Brooke must be kidding. "You're joking right."

Brooke shook her head and gave him a look that him know she most definitely was not.

"You're serious?" He could hardly believe what she was saying.

"As a heart attack." She said staring him right in the eye. "It's the only way I can trust you Lucas. And if you're totally devoted to me like you say it shouldn't be a problem. You should be able to live with out her."

Lucas jumped at that one "She's still one of my best friends Brooke! I can't just cut her out of my life. That's like asking me to cut out Haley." He argued

"No Lucas. You see there's a difference you didn't kiss Haley! You've never cheated on me with Haley! And besides you said anything!"

She was right Lucas thought. He had promised he would do anything. It was just that when he made that romantic promise he'd had no idea it would mean this. He took a deep breath and tried as heart as he could to block Peyton's face from his mind because at the moment it was all he could see.

He forced the words to come out of his mouth. "Alright." He said darkly in a bitter voice he had used since Keith's death. "If that's what you want."

"It is!" Brooke told him. "It's the only way!"

All of a sudden as if her trust had been magically restored she scooted closer to Lucas and started talking cute again. "Thanks for understanding Boyfriend!"

Lucas nooded his head still a little out of it as if his head were somewhere else. Brooke pulled his face towards her and kissed him for the first time in awhile.

Brooke broke away from their embrace. "Well I should get going. I still have my bags in the car!"

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked realizing she probably wasn't going back to Peyton's.

"Oh that's the other thing I wanted to tell you I'm moving in with Rachel. I talked to her while I was driving home."

Lucas couldn't belive his ears! Rachel, Brooke's biggest enemy! The person she had spent have of last year bitching about. " You're moving in with Rachel? Are you kidding me?"

"No." Brooke smiled "we actually get along pretty well. Pluss she's going through a lot with the accident and all and could really use a friend. I think it'll be a much better arrangement for me."

To hear Brooke call Rachel a friend was just weird! Brooke stood up and gave Lucas a kiss goodbye.

"Oh." She said "and don't worry about dealing with Peyton. I have to pick up some clothes at her place tomorrow. I'll inform her of our little arrangement."

Although Lucas nodded everything about the conversation they had just had seemed surreal. Brooke Davis was moving in with Rachel and apparently as of now he wasn't speaking to Peyton Sawyer.