Brooke sat on the balcony with goosebumps running up her arms. The sun was setting over the Pacific and the air was getting increasingly chillier. She looked down at her phone to check the time. Lucas had been gone for ten minutes now, and she couldn't understand why it was taking him so long to get a jacket for her. Then, just as she slipped the Blackberry into her pocket, it began to blare her Britney Spears ring tone.

"Hello?"

"Miss Davis? It's Rosalita. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are home. They would like you to join them for dinner as soon as you can."

"Oh. Okay," she responded disappointedly. She had been hoping to spend the rest of the day and night with Lucas, but those plans now seemed out of the question. Her parents rarely requested her appearance, so she had no choice but to comply. "I'll get into a taxi now. Tell them I'll be home in a half hour please? Thank you Rosalita."

"Yes Miss Davis. See you soon."

Brooke hit the 'end' button and began getting up from her chair. She slid open the heavy glass door and the smell of beer and smoke entered her nostrils at once.

She surveyed the scene for Lucas but he was no where in sight. She walked over to one of the girls she had met earlier. "Do you know where Lucas is?" she asked. She didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to Lucas. Her stomach twisted nervously as the girl shrugged before continuing her other conversation.

"Hey, does anyone know where Lucas is?" she announced to the group. They were all huddled around a coffee table. From what she could see, Lucas was the only one who was missing.

Everyone shook their heads except for a boy who's name was Dylan. He nodded toward the back bedroom and Brooke mouthed a quick 'thank you' before walking in the direction of the room.

The door was closed, so she knocked before opening it. Before her were Owen and Lucas, both facing in her direction. Their faces were serious and once again, she felt her stomach churn. They looked angry, and she had a feeling it had something to do with her. Owen had been coming on to her pretty strongly earlier and Lucas made it clear that he would not let him get in the way without a fight.

"What's going on?" she asked confusedly. Lucas immediately broke into a forced warm smile.

"Oh, it's nothing... Owen was telling me something that happened with a friend of ours, so I was nervous. But, turns out, it's not a big deal," he lied. His eyes shifted toward Owen who was standing with his arms crossed. "Right, Owen?"

"Sure, whatever…" Owen growled, his eyebrows still furrowed, before he excused himself out of the room quickly.

Brooke watched him leave and then turned back toward Lucas. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

"I was just coming out," Lucas said as he eased over toward her. He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. But I got a blanket," he said before retrieving the large fleece blanket from the nearby bed.

"Ugh," she moaned, pushing the Owen-Lucas situation to the back of her mind for a moment. "I have to go home. My parents are back. They wanna have dinner with me? I don't know. Maybe they took their crazy pills this morning," she chuckled.

"Okay, then let me drive you home at least?" He kissed her forehead before she shook her head quickly.

"Na, I think I'm just gonna take a cab…" she said nervously.

"Don't be stupid… Let me ta--…"

"Lucas, they don't know I've been seeing you," she blurted, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Well, they're gonna have to find out at some point," he smiled.

"I don't know, Luke. I mean… They don't really… you know…" she rambled nervously, not forming complete sentences.

"Oh. So you don't want them to know about me?" he said in a hurt tone.

"I do!" she defended herself. "Just not the second they get home. I want them to see you like I see you."

"And right now, I'm just your driver," he sneered before walking toward the door.

"Oh Lucas, stop that," she said as she blocked his way. "They just got home, they're probably grouchy and if they're asking me to join them for dinner, something's up. Tomorrow, I promise," she said before kissing him lightly.

He sighed before kissing her again.

"So are you gonna tell me what really happened with Owen?" she ventured, still not buying the excuse Lucas had fed her.

"I told you. I thought something bad had happened, but it was nothing."

"Are you sure? You seemed angry."

"That's just because I hate him for flirting with you," he smiled. He kissed her once again before she broke away.

"I gotta go. Call me later?"

"Of course baby," he replied before she walked out of the room. Although Lucas had promised that nothing had happened between him and Owen, she still had an uncertain feeling about the situation. She pushed the thoughts away in favor of ones of Lucas's eyes as she rode down the elevator to the lobby.

-------------------------------

Lucas walked back into the room where all his friends sat laughing together. Owen was seated in the group, but his face was hard and he remained silent. He watched Lucas intently as he slid into his seat, and Luca tried his best to avoid eye contact with him.

He wanted to punch him more than anything, but in his heart, he knew that this was his mistake, as usual, and that Owen was completely right about everything. He ignored his aggressive stares and attempted to make conversation with the rest of the group in order to push away the guilt pangs that ate at his stomach.

He laughed as one of his friends told a story. The room went silent a few moments later, everyone's eyes drawn to the girl walking through the hotel room's main door. The girls all gasped and shrieked in unison as they all spotted who had entered the lavish room. They immediately all ran over to the strawberry blonde girl and hugged her.

"You look so good!" they squealed.

"I can't believe you got an early flight!"

It took Lucas a moment to process everything that was happening. Lindsey was supposed to be in Aruba for another few days, yet she had just walked through the door and was now being enveloped in hugs from her friends. Lucas got up slowly, his legs suddenly feeling like jell-o underneath him.

"Lucas," she smiled warmly.

"Linds…" he said in disbelief. "I can't believe… wait, why are you home?" he questioned before wrapping his arms around her in shock and delight.

Lindsey pulled back a few seconds later, a humungous smile still plastered across her bronzed face. Her green eyes were greener than ever and Lucas had to admit: she looked beautiful.

"I didn't want to tell you, but my parents decided to come home earlier. Surprise!"

He looked at her, still in disbelief. "God, Lucas Scott… I missed you," she smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss.

Lucas kissed her back forcefully, happy to see her. "I missed you too Lindsey. I missed you like crazy."

But he couldn't help seeing Brooke's dimpled face emblazed into his eyelids as he kissed the green eyed girl before him.

Owen watched from across the room in sheer disgust as Lucas Scott played with yet another girl's mind. But this time, it was a girl who deserved more than another Californian player.