Author's note: Still own nothing. The song is a beautiful song that I love, and I think it fits here, so if you don't know it listen to it FIRST...I think it really fits both Brooke and Lucas and this chapter. Read and review please...
"We give thanks today," the minister began, "for Lucas and Lindsey, and their open hearts and their willing spirits, and for their closest friends and family. May we all be changed by what is said and witnessed here today. And as their separate lives and journeys in life become one today, may we all be reminded of our own wants and desires, and our own journeys. It's a mystery how we fall in love, who we fall in love with, why we fall in love. But, we do," he said as Lucas held Lindsey's hands, "Lucas Eugene Scott, do you take Lindsey Evelyn Strauss to be your lawfully wedded wife, do you promise to be true to her in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor her for all the days of your life, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," he said with a smile. He was thankful that Lindsey had not reacted as Haley has about the book.
"How did I get so lucky," he asked as Lindsey leaned in to kiss him, "you know if I knew being engaged would be like this, I would've proposed the moment we met."
"It's the book."
"Book," he asked as they made their way to the bed, "my book".
"I love it Lucas," she smiled, "I love what you wrote and I love that you wrote it. It was so romantic."
"Ok, we can talk about this later." He stood there and looked at her confused, "you know can I ask you, how do you mean romantic?"
"What," she asked confused.
"Well, I'm glad you like it, but I didn't really expect romantic, I mean it's about a guy and a house."
"Luke," she said, "are you kidding me? I cried so much, he's just this lost little boy, and he finds himself there, in that place with those people, and suddenly his life has meaning and purpose, and then he waits his whole life for that to come back, that feeling, he believes against all odds that he will be able to capture it. Even though everyone, including himself tell him he can't get it back, his heart still believes," she said as she kissed him. "It's beautiful Lucas, and heartbreaking, it's an epic love story."
"It's about a home, a house."
"It's about love in its purest form. And when I think about how it came from your heart and your mind, it makes me so happy to know that I found you, and that I get to be your wife."
"Lindsey Evelyn Strauss, do you take Lucas Eugene Scott to be your lawfully wedded husband, do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor him for all the days of your life as long as you both shall live?"
"It was a red door," she whispered.
"Excuse me," the minister asked confused.
"The house had a red door Luke."
"Could you just give us a moment please," Lucas asked as he looked towards the minister, everyone looked around confused.
"The door was red."
"Ok," he said confused.
"The boy, he had found that feeling of life and love, Luke, in that house, with the red door. He searched his whole life for what he had found behind that red door."
"Lindsey, I love you," he said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "but this really isn't the time for a book review."
"What were you going to miss most about her, Luke?"
"Lindsey," he sighed.
"Please," she pleaded.
"The girl behind the red door."
"So what are you gonna miss most about me?"
"I can only choose one thing?"
"Yes, and it has to be something good. Not how much you'll miss hanging out with me, or how hot I am."
"Huh," he said as they stood on the porch together, "neither one of those huh?"
"No," she smiled.
"Damn," he said playfully as he snapped his fingers, "I'd miss the girl behind the red door." He motioned towards the door she looked at him, "come on," he said opening the door. She looked around in awe. "I had my mom talk to your parents and they said that you could stay here till the summer. I wasn't ready to lose you yet."
"I wasn't ready to be lost," she said wrapping her arms around him.
"The boy found the place, the red door, and suddenly his life had meaning again," she said with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry Lucas I can't marry you." She turned and ran as fast as she could in her gown and heels towards the back of the church. Lucas stood stunned. Brooke immediately felt Peyton place her arm around her. Lucas started to walk after her, but suddenly stopped and sat on the stairs of the altar, Nathan and Haley standing beside him.
Lucas was sitting alone in the same room that Lindsey had gotten ready in, lost in thought. He hadn't faced anyone yet. Nathan and Haley were dealing with the guests, and for that he was thankful, but he still hadn't lost hope that she'd come back, that this would be their wedding day.
"I'm sorry Lucas," Nathans said sadly, "she's gone."
"I never took the time to make her feel comfortable with my history," he said as he shook his head, "I never took the time to explain it all."
"So what are you gonna do," Nathan asked, "what happens next?"
"I want her back."
"Then go get her, you're Lucas Scott. Screw that, come on listen to me," he said, "you're Lucas Scott ok, now I've seen you do great things, I've seen you do some of the greatest things. Now you need to look into your heart and ask yourself what you truly want, and if the answer is Lindsey," he sighed, "just go get her man, she doesn't stand a chance. You're my brother, I'm here for you, Haley and I have this under control, now go," he said as Lucas smiled, "go on man."
"Thanks, Nate," Lucas said as he hugged his brother, "you really are my best man."
"Hi," Peyton said softly as she sat beside Brooke in the empty church, "that was a crazy wedding huh?" Brooke remained silent, Peyton could see the tear stains on her face, "did I ever tell you the one about the girl that everything she ever wanted?"
"Did she feel horrible?"
"At first," Peyton sighed, "but it's only because she had a good heart. Then she fixed her makeup and smoothed out her pretty red dress and went and talked to the boy she loves."
"He said I do," Brooke whispered, "he said I do. The minister asked if he would love and cherish Lindsey forever, Peyton, and he said I do."
"You need to stop," Peyton said frustrated, "ok, you came home Brooke. You are twenty two and you have more money than you will ever spend, honey, but you were alone. You were alone, honey, you need to talk to him. And, if you let the fact that he said I do today to Lindsey, while he's obviously lying to his own heart, stop you, I am gonna slap your pretty face."
"Peyt, I love you, ok," she said wiping her eyes, "but this," she motioned to the empty church, "this is not what I wished for."
"Brooke," Peyton sighed.
"Peyton, I have to tell you something," she sighed. "When you and Luke split up, he came to New York, we went to dinner and we talked for hours. We had so much fun, and it was almost like I was transported back to high school," she wiped her eyes, "and I remembered exactly why I fell in love with him."
"I know how you feel, honey, we all do."
"But that's just it, he told me that night that it was me. He told me that his heart had always been with me."
"I know that," she said with a smile, "I was just a roadblock, Brooke, Luke and I weren't meant to be…"
"The thing is, I said no, Peyton, I walked away that night, I left, I said no. So, why should I care now, I was the one who let him go, I didn't tell him that I loved him," she said.
"But you do," she said, "Brooke, you do. I know that you do."
"We are friends, Peyton, Lucas and I are friends, and right now what I want for my friend is for him to be happy. He loves her," she sighed, "and right now he is hurting because of me."
"And me," she said wiping her eyes, "Brooke, it was my fault you and Luke broke up all those years ago, and it was me who caused you not to open your heart, and I'm sorry for that, honey, I am."
"Hey, I don't want to relive history, ok," Brooke said forcing a smile, "you and me are ok, Peyt, we've moved on from all of that, and we're ok."
"Brooke, if you love him go talk to him."
"I do love him, as a friend," she smiled, "but it's because I love him, that I want him to be happy Peyton. Right now his heart is broken and the last thing I want is to make it worse."
"It's not too late to change what you did wrong, Brooke. It's not too late to tell him that you love him."
"He said I do."
"Lindsey," Lucas called as he walked through the front door of his home, he ran towards the bedroom, "Lindsey," he saw her sitting on their bed holding the book, tears streaming her face.
"It was more than just a house, more than a door, because of what it brought to his life. Love, direction, beauty, meaning. There are many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them, but even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday he would return to that place, that home, that red door. His world would be whole again, and his belief in love and art, and god, would be reawakened."
"It's just a story," he whispered, "so what, Brooke grew up in a house with a red door. This is crazy, I love you."
"I love you too Lucas," she sighed, "I do, and I always will. But, your heart is conflicted, and I think I've always known it, I guess I was just hoping that someday I could be your girl behind the red door."
"Lindsey, I love you, I want to spend my life with you."
"I wish I believed that Lucas, I do, because that is what I want. I want to be your wife, to be the one who inspires you," she said, "but we both know where the inspiration for that book came from."
"I don't care about her, Lindsey, I don't."
"Oh, Lucas," she sighed, "you do, and that's why it was so easy falling in love with you. You have this big, amazing heart, so full of love. You do care for her Luke, you do, and maybe you're right, maybe you're not in love with her, but right now, Lucas, your head and your heart are conflicted."
"Lindsey, I love you, please believe that."
"I do, I know you love me, but I'm afraid you love her more," she wiped her eyes.
"Lindsey," he sighed, "it's a story, And Brooke's back, so what? Why should I care, I've moved on Lindsey, I love you. It's just a story."
"It's an epic love story Luke," she said as she sat the book down on the bed beside her wedding gown, "it's just not ours. Neither is this," she said as she placed the ring on top of the book.
"Lindsey please, you can't just leave," he said as she reached for her bags.
"People always leave, Luke, you know that," she said as she walked out the door. He stood there stunned, he watched her walk out his door just as he had done with Brooke in high school.
So I know this chapter wasn't as long, but I feel it gets the point accross. I wanted to give both sides, and I think I did. The song for the title has been the easiest to pick so far, because well I think it fits. Both Brooke and Lucas have the feeling of why should I care? I screwed up, I messed this up, so why should I care now? Hopefully another chapter up tomorrow, technically today, but no promises. I really love writing this story, and am excited to keep going, the reviews have been awesome so far, thank you! I really am going to change things up in the next few chapters from the show, still sticking with main plots, but hoepfully give it my Brucas love, lol. I am still not sure on Julian...should he be from Brooke's past, Lindsey's past or Peyton's past? A whole new character? I just don't know...thanks again for the reviews!
