Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters...I own nothing but the plot of this story!!


Chapter 7: Remember the Hot Chocolate

"So who was that on the phone?" Peyton asked suspiciously, tightening her folded arms. Her eyes narrowed as she locked him in her icy stare.

"No one, just Haley," Lucas threw out as he walked past her to the closet, slipping on his tennis shoes.

"Oh," she said, her face falling from anger to jealous hurt. "Well where are you two going?" she questioned, following him into the small, cluttered room they shared.

"Just to a late breakfast, then we'll probably hang out with Nathan at the house until he has practice," Lucas suggested, hoping Peyton wasn't thinking this is total crap, which of course it was.

"Okay then," she said, trying her hardest to sound sweet. "You know I would go with you but Tonya and I are going to Chelsea to check out this vintage shop one of her co-workers told her about, and we've had these plans all week."

"I understand. That sounds great. So when will you be back?" he asked not really interested, looking at her for the first time during their entire conversation.

"Probably not till late," she answered, moving closer to him. "Tonya's boyfriend is playing this underground club up there. You could always come with?" she asked as she suggestively traced his mouth with her finger.

"You know that's not really my scene," he said, pushing her hand away and walking into the living room. He wasn't in the mood to deal with her hot and cold routine today.

"Well don't wait up," she called, stalking him into the next room. Her response sounded lie she was trying to get back at him for brushing her off just now. "Of course I won't be out all night without so much as a phone call like some people in this relationship," she added rolling her eyes.

"Peyton that night was my first time to go out in forever. So I passed out at Nathan and Haley's before I had a chance to call. Sue me. At least I wasn't calling you to bail me out of jail, which is something I can say I haven't done, unlike 'some people in this relationship'," he snapped in anger, mimicking her voice on the last part of his sentence.

"Luke, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Peyton quickly said, walking closer to him. "I know I'm not perfect and you have always cut me slack for that. I should do the same for you…" she trailed off, moving her skinny lips into a pout.

"Well you should be sorry. You have been on my case ever since Nathan and Haley moved here. Are you threatened by them or something?" He questioned his voice still mostly calm. He ignored her pout and his eyes filled with more anger.

"I just don't want them to change you," she said quietly, still pouting. She knew Lucas had never challenged her, always giving into her way to forgo a fight with the blond. She was hoping this little talk would have him dropping his old friends once and for all.

"They aren't. They are a huge part of me; Nathan is my brother for God's sakes! If anything, they make me who I have always been, and if anyone has made me sway from that person, it's you!" He said his voice lined with accusation.

"Well I'm not sorry for trying to make you fit into the part of tormented writer that you always seemed to want to so badly become! I helped you Lucas. When you came here you were a small town boy with a jaded side. I took that part of you and cultivated it; I made you who you are today!" She screamed, dropping her pouty act and moving to anger.

"Oh you did?" he snapped. "Well silly me, I thought I had changed on my own accord, reflective of the things that were happening or had happened in my own life. But I guess it was you all along. Don't worry, I won't wait up!" he flatly told her as he walked out the door, leaving Peyton's mouth hanging.


As soon as Brooke hung up the phone with Lucas, Haley called her wanting to spend the day together. Under normal circumstances that would sound like the perfect day, but today, today was different. Brooke had plans with Lucas, but instead of telling her best friend that she sold her some bullshit story about how she had a head cold and that she planned to stay curled up in bed watching a Sex in they City marathon with her DVDs. Haley had promised to come over later with Minestrone and Italian bread from her favorite little restaurant, and Brooke couldn't turn her down. I mean, if she was actually sick she would let her come. All this façade because she didn't want to tell her best friend she was hanging out with her other best friend, Lucas. She didn't know why she didn't want to tell her. It wasn't like anything was going on between them, or was it?

Her phone's ringing made her stop her contemplating her situation and snap back to reality. She finished pulling her turtleneck sweater over her head and reached for her phone. She smiled when she read the name flashing on the screen—Lucas.

"Hello," she purred in a sexy voice. "Umm, I mean 'Hello'," she corrected in her more normal, raspy voice. "Why did I answer the phone like that?" she thought to herself. "Snap out of it, Brooke. You are married!"

"Well hello to you too," Lucas chuckled in a voice as equally sexy as her first. "Are you ready to go? I'm outside."

She smiled to herself and said, "Let me grab my coat and I'll be right down," into the phone as she clicked off. Then she did just that, but in the process she dropped her phone on the entryway floor, instead of her purse.


Lucas hadn't stopped smiling all afternoon, and now that he thought about it, neither had Brooke. The only problem was every time her deep hazel eyes locked with his it took all his it took all his strength to keep from lunging at her and kissing her perfect pout. Even though a part of him felt she wanted him to. Their interaction was more than friendly, he couldn't deny it, and what he didn't know was neither could she.

While Lucas was trying to work through his and Brooke's relationship issues, she matched his gait and started to talk.

"Okay, so I really feel like we need to talk about what happened last night at Haley's," she sighed. "I really don't want to make things weird between us though, you know."

Lucas stopped in his tracks and looked at her, what did she want to hear? "Okay, well I don't want things to get weird either, but if you think we need to talk, talk." He was trying to sounds detached from the conversation, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. What was this girl going to say about their mini make out session?

"Well, I don't really know what to say," Brooke stopped on the sidewalk as well and turned to face him. "I mean, it was a mistake right? You were upset with Peyton and you kissed me. We just got caught up in the moment." She stated with pleading eyes. The look she sent him wasn't one saying 'this is what happened,' as much as it was saying, 'this is what I need to have happened.'

Reading her delicate features and the seriousness that was etched across them, He told her what he thought she wanted to hear. "Of course it was a mistake. Peyton and I fought on the way over and before I met up with you and Haley she snapped again. Mix that with the coincidence of me just getting a breakthrough on the literary front and it all culminated to that kiss. I'm sorry, I know it was wrong and I know we are with other people, I just wasn't thinking straight." He said the words she needed him to, and all the while he regretted every one of them.

Brooke smiled and looked relieved as he spoke, "Its okay Lucas. I really want us to be friends. I don't have many true friends here and I really feel like you could be one of them. And I am married, and you are with Peyton, and we just met…." She trailed off, not wanting to let her mind wander once again to where it had been going ever since she met Lucas.

He took her small hand in his, "I agree. I think you are an incredible person, so let's just forget the whole thing ever happened, deal?" He asked with a fake smile. He didn't want to forget it happened; he wanted to talk about it. Figure out why it happened, maybe do it again…..what was he thinking he had a girlfriend, who surprisingly was becoming easier and easier for him to forget about.

"Forget what ever happened?" Brooke asked with a dimpled smile and kink of her eyebrow. And they both started to walk again.

The two traveled along in awkward silence for a while. Brooke knew things would change once she brought up the incident, but she hadn't realized it would happen this quickly. Or that is would be this strange.

Lucas was a few steps ahead of her since she had stop to look at a jewelry display window. She decided to end this awkwardness, I mean, they were still friends, right?

She walked up to him and linked her arm through his, "Wanna buy me a hot chocolate?" she asked as she smiled her signature smile up at him. "extra whipped cream."

"Sure," Lucas answered, smiling down at her in return. He was glad to see she was ready to back to the way things were, if that was even possible. "Extra whipped cream it is."

"Feel my nose," she demanded taking his hand from his pocket and touching it to her ice cold nose. "It's freezing," she warned.

"Holy Shit," Lucas said, pulling his hand back as if it had been burned. "Let's get you that hot chocolate and then head to my apartment. It's right around the corner," he suggested.

"That sounds great," Brooke agreed, as she snuggled in closer to him, burying her face against his arm to block the wind.


"So what has my baby got planned for today?" Nathan asked as he walked out of the bathroom in a cloud of steam. He was dressed in nothing but the towel draped around his waist, revealing his taught arm and chest muscles.

"Nothing now," Haley said as she took in his appearance. "Just going to see Brooke later. She's not feeling well so I am thinking a bringing her some soup."

"You're too sweet," he said walking up to her and kissing her cheek as he grabbed her shoulders from behind. He bent down and took in the scent of her lavender shampoo, "Want me to come with?" He asked.

'Nah," Haley responded. "I think we're going to do a girl thing. But maybe you, Lucas, and I could grab a late lunch after practice. Then I could go to Brooke's after," she said turning to face him. She looked him up and down then said, "And put some clothes on. You're too sexy and I know you have to be at practice, like, now." Then she slapped his bare chest.

"Ha," he laughed. "You just try and resist me." He kissed her and then walked into the closet to throw on some practice clothes. He was going to be super late, but every minute he got to spend with Haley was worth it.


Lucas unlocked the door to his apartment and led Brooke inside. He turned to hang his keys on the rack and when he did he noticed Peyton's keys hanging there. "I thought Peyton was doing something with Tonya," Lucas wondered to himself. "Oh well, maybe she forgot her keys," he quickly thought, brushing off the whole thing.

"That's some awesome music you have going," Brooke laughed and gestured towards the stereo that seemed like it was about to vibrate off the wall. She set her hot chocolate cup down on the counter in the kitchen area and thought the loud rocker music that came from it seemed nothing like Lucas to her, but maybe she was wrong. I mean, how well did she actually know him?

"Oh, that's Peyton's music," he answered rushing to the remote on the counter and quickly turning it off. "She must have left it on," he suggested with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Alright, if that's your story," Brooke said, sitting down on the black leather sofa. "Are you okay?" She asked when she noticed Lucas was looking around nervously.

"Yeah, I'm just going to go see if Peyton's here," he said as he walked towards his room. Did he really care if she was here? I mean, her catching him in a lie would finally free him from her, but is that what he wanted? He wasn't sure anymore, come to think of it, there were a lot of things he wasn't sure of anymore.

"Why? So I can meet her?" Brooke questioned in a teasing voice, as she watched Lucas's form retreat from the room.

These words broke the contemplating that seemed to constantly plague him these days. "Yeah, something like that," he called over his shoulder, not even turning around.

Lucas walked into the bedroom and when he did Brooke laid back on the couch. She was pretty tired she had to admit, maybe she was actually sick. She heard the front door open accompanied by a surly, yet unfamiliar woman's voice. At this she immediately ducked down so she was hidden by the back of the leather couch.

"Just let me get my keys," the woman's voice said.

"Well hurry up, Baby, or we're gonna be late," a deep masculine voice boomed.

"Oh, I think us being late is already an issue after what happened at your place this morning," the female voice giggled. It seemed like she was trying to be flirtatious but it was so not working.

Brooke couldn't take not knowing who was talking anymore; she had to put faces with these voices. She peeked around the corner of the couch just in time to see a blonde mess of curls make contact with a dark spiky head. She didn't stop looking until, not even when she heard the door lock behind them.


Okay guys, thanks for reading!! Please leave a review if you like the story and where it is headed...I love hearing from you guys that do review, you make my day. Getting the review emails and emails about people who are following my story just makes it worth writing!

Audra