Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill and I don't own the songs that are used and I don't own the quotes from Grey's Anatomy.
Notes: REVIEWS WERE AMAZING!!!!! I AM SOO HAPPY!!! Thank y'all so much! It really means a lot to me to know what you are thinking!
CfozluvsCMM23: Thank you! GiGiHealys: Thank you so much! I'm glad you like it!
Eemah: I am so glad to hear that you think the story keeps getting better and better! That makes me feel so good as a writer! Don't worry, this story is definitely going to keep going for a while! Nicole: Thank you! Thanks for taking the time to review! SophiaVal3ntine: Your review made me laugh…I agree, there are so many words I can put at the end of that sentence:o) I'm proud of Brooke too! I am excited about exploring her strengths as well as her weaknesses. And yes, I think she is beginning to build a "home." ;o)
Daymiracle: Glad you like the father! We will be seeing more of him! And yes, of course Brooke was going home with Lucas, but it's not quite as simple as that…. You might want to kill me after this chapter…Iamkagomeiloveinuyasha: Thanks! Leyton2006: Hope this update is soon enough:o) Yeah, I would never make Brooke get an abortion! Glad you like the parent scene- I was worried about how that came out!Victoria: Fulfilling your request :o) Jennie: Thank you so so much! Your review was so amazing! I love hearing what you think! It makes me so happy to know that you like this story so much because it means a lot to me! Brooke and Lucas are going to find each other soon…just not too soon. I want them to be able to work out their feelings independently. Although, I can't stand them broken up either :o(
PaulineJ: Thanks! It's great to hear that you got chills reading it! That means that my writing is strong enough to affect someone! Glad you liked the part where Lucas talked about his child being like Brooke – I couldn't resist throwing that in! Hope you like this chapter just as much! Alpal206: I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much and I'm glad you discovered it too:o) I loved making Lucas defend Brooke, I think that is something he would really do. B. Davis: Thanks! Sorry it was short though! This one is longer thought! Enjoy! Dolcegrazia: Thanks!Catcat51092: Thank you! Onetreefan: Since you cannot wait, here is the next chapter:o) Thanks for reviewing! And thanks for the baby names!Goober396: Brooke's dad surprised me to! Lol, I didn't plan on writing him that way, it just came to me! But I'm glad everyone liked him! Brucas does belong together, and don't worry, they will get there. Jeytonbrucasnaley: THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I'm glad you commented on the last line, I was hoping some one would! I love it when people tell me there favorite lines! PS- I'm not a fan of Brooke's mom either! Nemo123489: Thanks! TypoKween: Thank you! I'm not one for cliché's either. Love hearing your thoughts! Thanks for taking the time to tell me! Brucasforever: I'm glad that you liked how I wrote the parents. I thought about how I was going to do that for a long time! And deep down, I think they care too. Tricia: That means a lot to me! Thanks! Chad'sheart13: Thank you!!!
Once again, thank you for taking the time to review. It means more than you know! Now, on to the chapter!
At the end of the day, there are some things you just can't help but talk about. Some things we just don't want to hear and some things we say because we can't be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say, they're what you do. Some things you say because there's no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often, but every now and then, some things simply speak for themselves.
"Hey! Your dinner is cold! Where have you two been?" Karen stood up from the table where she had been reading a book.
"I tried to call your cell, but you wouldn't answer." Karen looked to Lucas, a little upset that he had made her worry.
"Sorry Mom. We went over to Brooke's house…" At this moment, Brooke came in from behind Lucas carrying a trash bag full of clothes.
"I told my parents." She said, before feeling the tears well up behind her eyes again.
Karen could tell from the look on Lucas' face and the tone of Brooke's voice that the confrontation had not gone well.
"Oh Brooke, I am so sorry." Karen quickly pushed passed Lucas and pulled Brooke into a hug.
"Everything is going to be okay." Karen said in a quiet but confident voice.
"No!" Brooke's voice exploded as the tears fell more quickly down her cheeks. "Nothing is going to be okay anymore! How could anything be okay! I'm pregnant, I'm seventeen, my mom thinks I'm a slut, I'm homeless, and the father of my baby cheated on me with my best friend! Nothing is okay!" Brooke sobbed as Karen gently rubbed her back.
"Shhhh. Calm down hunny. Slow down." Karen tried to calm her, but Brooke seemed to have gone over the edge. She was crying so hard that she was shaking. She hated this. She hated that she had no control over anything in her life.
Lucas stood still; he had no clue what to do. He felt awkward standing there, watching Brooke cry, but there was nothing that he could think of to do.
He rubbed his shoulder subconsciously; lifting all of Brooke's boxes had really made it sore. However, he wouldn't let himself think about his own pain. Not when he had thrust so much of it on others.
Karen slowly walked Brooke over to the couch and sat her down. "I am going to get you some food okay? You need to eat something." Brooke tried to smile at Karen as she wiped her salty cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket, but smiling wasn't something that came easy to her anymore.
Lucas was still in the kitchen when Karen walked back in.
"What happened at Brooke's house?" She asked in a whisper, not wanting to upset Brooke.
Karen listened to Lucas' retelling of the earlier events as she made a plate for Brooke. She couldn't believe that a mother could say those things to her daughter. Of course, she had been so mad, so disappointed when Lucas had told her, but she would never have said anything like that to her own son.
"So is Brooke going to stay here?" Lucas questioned. He wanted her to, but this wasn't just his house.
"I don't know Lucas. Brooke moving in is not a small thing. It is very serious. This whole situation is very serious. Of course, I am not going to put her out on the street, but there are going to be some very serious rules that cannot be broken. No drinking, no parties, you must go to school and get decent grades, you and Brooke will both have to get jobs. I can give Brooke a job at the café with Haley, but you will have to find one somewhere. You two need to start saving for this baby."
Lucas nodded, her rules where better than he had expected.
As if she were reading his mind, Karen continued, "There are going to be more rules added as things get settled, but I don't want to overwhelm the two of you. You have to understand Lucas that yes, this pregnancy is going to be stressful for Brooke, but you also need to take care of yourself."
Karen looked to Lucas' arm, which he was still unknowingly rubbing. "Hiding your pain from Brooke, physically or emotionally, is not going to make hers go away. You can't hide anything from her anymore."
Lucas nodded and took the plate that Karen had just made for Brooke. "I'll bring this to her. I think we have some things to talk about."
Karen nodded but stopped him, "Take this," she handed him another plate of food, "you need to eat to."
He took the plate without protest and started for the living room. "Oh, and Lucas?"
He stopped once again, a little annoyed because he was anxious to get to Brooke. "Remember, don't hide your pain. I think what Brooke needs right now is to know that she isn't the only one who is hurting, and that she isn't alone in her pain. You need to heal each other."
"Your mom can really cook well." Brooke spoke up over the low buzz of the TV. Neither had been watching; it was just something to make the silence less awkward.
"Yeah she can." Lucas agreed, trying to figure out how to start the conversation that he knew they needed to have.
"Brooke. I think that there are a lot of things that we need to talk about." He finally said as he put down his fork.
Brooke felt her heart start to beat faster. She knew that this was coming, and she also knew that Lucas was right- they needed to talk.
"I know." She said in a voice unfamiliar to him.
"I want you to live here." He stated clearly, as if it had already been decided.
"No." She said almost automatically.
"Brooke-"
"No, Lucas. This isn't a discussion. I stayed her because my parents were out of town-"
"And now they kicked you out of the house!" He interrupted, a little aggravated that Brooke was not willing to move in.
"Luke, I appreciate you letting me stay here, but I just can't put myself in this kind of situation."
Lucas felt himself losing the battle, and got a little panicked. He had to get her to stay. He had to make her understand that he wanted her to stay.
"What situation Brooke!" He was getting anxious and that was causing his voice to rise.
"The kind of situation where I'm living with the father of my baby, who isn't even my boyfriend, and his mother! It's the kind of situation where the first guy that I have ever loved is living in the same house as me but doesn't love me back. Lucas, I can't just walk around and see you everyday. I will never be able to heal that way. Don't you understand? Every second that I spend with you is like pushing the knife deeper into the wound." Brooke finished, surprised that she wasn't yet crying.
Lucas looked at her, knowing that every second that he didn't say anything he was losing her. He wanted to say the same things that he had been saying; the words "it's going to be okay" and "I'm sorry" kept popping into his head. However, he remembered what Karen had told him, and he decided that she was right.
"Brooke- I'm hurting too okay? It kills me inside when I see you cry, but it also kills me to even look in the mirror. I hate the guy that I became. I've always hated the guy who cheated on his girlfriend. I can't believe that I am that guy. It hurts to know that my first child is going to be born to such a broken relationship. It hurts me that you can't trust me Brooke! I'm sorry that I didn't realize this before, but god Brooke, I love you. I really love you. But that is what hurts the most. You will never believe that."
Brooke was shocked. Lucas was shocked. Neither could believe what they had just said to each other. In a twisted way, they had just had their first "I love you's."
"I…" Brooke tired to say something, anything that would make this moment pass. It was hurting her too much. She wanted to believe Lucas. But like he had said, she couldn't. He had just cheated on her with her best friend. That was not love. However, there was a look in his eyes when he had said all of those things that made her wonder if he had ever looked at another girl that way.
"I'm falling more in love with you everyday Brooke. I'm not going to lie to you, I did have feelings for Peyton, strong feelings. But they weren't anything compared to what I felt when you kissed me earlier. I can't explain it. I know that I screwed up Brooke, but please, if you just give me-"
"That's not fair Lucas. You can't just say that to me, after everything you have done. This is just about the baby. That's the only reason that you feel all of these things…" Brooke cried, not letting herself believe Lucas. Lucas closed his eyes as he tried to think of what to say. Honestly, he had questioned if that was the reason. But the more he thought about, the more he knew that it wasn't. When he had thought Brooke was going to get an abortion, he was upset. But he still wanted to feel her in his arms. He still wanted to love her.
"Brooke, it's not because of the baby. I mean, of course the baby is a part of it. But it's a part that only makes me admire you more. You are so strong. You were handling this when I was too stupid to be there. Brooke, if you just let me have one more chance than I promise you-"
"I can't." She whispered, as she wrapped her arms around her knees.
This left them in a horrible silence once again. The soft lull of the TV, which was set on MTV, could now be heard as Lucas and Brooke locked eyes.
What if there was no life,
"It's not because of the baby." The words echoed in her head. Was he telling the truth? Or was he just trying to do the right thing?
Nothing wrong, nothing right.
Lucas looked into her teary eyes. What else could he say to her? What was the right thing to say?
What if there was no time?
And no reason or rhyme?
She loved him, Brooke was sure of that. But just because she loved him didn't mean that they were meant to be together. Some things just aren't meant to be.
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side?
That you don't want me there in your life.
Lucas was still racking his brain for something, anything to say. Nothing would come.
What if I got it wrong?
And no poem or song,
Could put right what I got wrong,
Or make you feel I belong
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there by your side
That you don't want me there in your life.
What if there really was nothing he could do? What if he had hurt Brooke too bad to mend her scars? What if they couldn't heal each other?
Every step that you take
Could be your biggest mistake
It could bend or it could break
But that's the risk that you take
What if you should decide
That you don't want me there in your life.
That you don't want me there by your side.
Brooke wasn't really thinking anymore. She was just listening to the music, hoping that it could take her away from where she was. It wasn't working. How could it? The guy that she loved was telling her that he loved her. It was her fairytale.
Oooooh, that's right,
Lets take a breath, jump over the side.
Oooooh, that's right,
How can you know it when you don't even try?
Oooooh, that's right
Finally, as the song ended, Brooke spoke. "You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales, that fantasy of what your life would be, white dress, prince charming who would carry you away to a castle on a hill?" Brooke paused and let a tiny smile come across her face.
"You would lie in bed at night and close your eyes and you had complete and utter faith. Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Prince Charming, they were so close you could taste them…" As quickly as the smile had formed, Lucas watched it disappear.
"But eventually you grow up, one day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to the things and people they can trust. I turned to you Lucas. I believed in you. I thought that you were my Prince Charming, coming to save me from the girl that I had become. You didn't save me Lucas, so I stopped believing." At that exact moment, with those few words, Lucas experienced the pain that Brooke was feeling. The feeling that you aren't good enough. The feeling that your own past is too much to forgive.
Brooke wiped a few tears from her face, and then put her hand on Lucas'. "But the thing is… it's hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely because almost everyone has that smallest bit of hope, of faith, that one day they will open their eyes and it will come true."
Brooke didn't know exactly what she was saying. She didn't know exactly what her words meant, she just knew that's how she was feeling.
Lucas searched Brooke's face for a sign, for something that could tell him how she was feeling.
"What does this mean for-"
"It means that I even though I want to, even though I want to reach for that fairytale again, and even though I will always have that tiny ounce of hope, I don't know if I can do this. Because if I lose it, if I lose my fairytale again…I just, I don't think I could handle that."
Lucas squeezed her hand, making sure that she was real. "Brooke. I can't promise you that everything is going to be perfect. I can't promise you that I'm never going to make a mistake again. What I can promise you is this: I will never put myself before you again. When I was with Peyton, I wasn't thinking about you, or even her. I was only thinking about what I wanted. It didn't matter to me then that I was ruining a friendship, it didn't matter that I was hurting you. I mean, it mattered, just not as much as it should have. I am so sorry for that Brooke, you have to have faith in that. But for this to work again, you are going to have to be willing to try."
"But what if-"
"See. You can't say 'what if.' You have to believe that knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beats the hell out of never trying. The fairy tale may be slightly different than you dreamed. The castle, well, it may not be a castle. The Prince isn't quite as perfect as you thought. But it's not so important happy ever after, just that it's happy right now."
Brooke shook her head, this was all too much. Standing up, she looked away from him. She couldn't say the things that she needed to say while she was looking at him.
"Lucas, I can't. I can't live with you. I can't be with you. I can't trust you. I can't let myself love you anymore." Brooke was sure that if she cried anymore she would set some sort of record, but she couldn't help it.
"I just…I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. It hurts too much."
"Brooke please! I don't know how many times I can say I'm sorry! Compared to how I feel about you, Peyton meant nothing." He was begging, and he knew it, but there was nothing else he could see to do. "Brooke, everything was fine at the doctor's! We were there together, getting through everything. We can work this out. I know we can!"
Brooke listened as he talked, still not looking at him. She thought it was funny how his words wanted to make her yell and cry at the same time. How could his words be exactly what she wanted to hear but at the same time rip into her heart?
Brooke could feel her emotional wall start to build up again, and there was nothing she could do about it.
"Everything was not okay at the doctor's office! Nothing has been okay since you cheated on me with my best friend!" Brooke yelled, wondering how many times in her lifetime she would have to say those words.
"Oh, and Peyton's means nothing to you compared to me? That's just it Lucas! I do believe you when you say that, but there is the problem. You cheated on me over nothing. You destroyed our relationship over nothing. I cry for hours every day over nothing. I honestly don't know what hurts most- the fact that you cheated on me or the fact that you did it with someone who supposedly means nothing to you. It's like you don't even care. You weren't even torn. So forgive me if I don't feel sorry for you now that you are left with nothing." Brooke was looking at him now, staring straight into his eyes. She wanted to find the right words to hurt him. To make him feel how she was feeling. He was not going to get her heart again. He couldn't.
Lucas sat still trying to hold back his own tears. He was hurting so bad, and it was his own fault. He had lost her. It was over. He sat frozen as Brooke grabbed her jacket and her keys, and then stepped out the front door.
"Lucas…" Karen stepped into the living room thirty minutes later to find Lucas still staring at the door.
"Can I just be alone? Please?" He asked, never taking his eyes off the door, as his mom sat down beside him.
"Sure. But Lucas, she will come around." Karen added before stepping into her own room.
MTV was still buzzing in the background, but Lucas didn't care. He still had too much to think about.
I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don't bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok
But that's not what gets me
The rain was hitting against the windows outside and Lucas wondered where Brooke had gone. Was she safe? Did she regret anything that she had said? Closing his eyes, he tried with all of his power to beat back the tears. "Don't cry." He kept saying to himself. The stereotypical words, "boys don't cry" were running through his head. Pressing his fingers to his temples, he tried to soothe his headache. The physical pain of his head and his arm he could deal with, the pain of losing Brooke and his baby…He wasn't sure. There was so much that he wanted to tell her, so much that he needed to tell her. He couldn't have lost her.
What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin' to do
Finally, Lucas stood up. Even if Brooke was mad at him, he couldn't let her sleep out on the streets. Picking up his cell phone, he decided that he should get Haley and Nathan to help him find her. He dialed Haley's number quickly as he put on his jacket.
"Haley? I need your-"
"She's here Lucas." Haley's voice was very soft, but it had a tone of sadness to it.
"Okay, I'm coming over."
"No Luke. Stay home. I don't think you need to be here right now." Her voice was still soft, but it was firm.
"Haley-"
"Lucas, no." She said again, although this time her voice was harsh. "You had no right to tell Brooke all of those things…not so soon after Peyton. You were teasing her heart Lucas, you can't do that."
"Everything I said to her I meant Haley."
"Maybe. But you don't have the right to just spring all of that on her."
"She was shutting me out! I had to do something!" He was yelling now, angry that Haley wasn't helping him.
"She can do whatever she likes right now! If that means keeping emotional distance from you right now than so be it. You broke her heart Lucas, seeing her tonight…I never knew it was so broken. So if she needs a little space, give it to her. She is trying to figure out a way to put back all the pieces of her heart. How she does that is none of your business."
"But I want to be one of those pieces."
"That's not your choice. Night Lucas."
It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go What hurts the most
But I'm doin' It
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do
Lucas dropped the phone on the couch and followed in suit by sinking back into the couch cushions. Haley was right – it wasn't fair for him to have said all of those things to Brooke. He was just so confused. Peyton…Brooke…Neither…Was he scared of being alone? Was that why he suddenly thought he loved Brooke? Did he love Brooke? All of these questions clouded his head as the song faded away and Lucas was left in complete silence. He was left in the nothingness that he had created himself.
"I'm sorry Haley to come over like this and cause a fight between you and Lucas…" Brooke was sobbing into her tissues as Haley patted her back a little awkwardly. The first time Haley had even talked to Brooke was this year and now she knew more of her secrets than probably anyone else besides Peyton. But even Peyton didn't know about all of this…
"It's okay Brooke. You aren't causing any problems. I promise. I am here for you…and so is Nathan…and, well, Peyton is too."
Brooke's head shot up at this. "Peyton knows?"
"No, she doesn't know. But I talked to her today after school and she is really upset. She just wants her best-friend back. She is so sorry for everything that happened." Haley felt bad for Brooke, but she also felt bad for Peyton. After all, people make mistakes.
"I know Haley…I just…I don't know how to even talk to her anymore. It's like we are strangers…everything that I thought I knew about her was a lie." Brooke sobbed some more. It was nice to be able to cry and not worry about how pathetic you look in front of a guy.
"Brooke, she is still the same person. A mistake doesn't change who you are. It's the same for Lucas…" Haley added, not sure if it was the right choice.
"So what?" Brooke threw her hands up in the air, "You want me to jump Lucas and have a sleepover with Peyton?"
Haley put her hands up in defense, "That's not what I meant. I'm just saying that a mistake is a mistake. It's an error in action or judgment caused by poor reasoning or carelessness. Unless you want it to, but I know that Lucas and Peyton don't want to be the people that hurt you."
Brooke laughed loudly as Haley said this, "You really are tutor-girl aren't you?"
Haley joined Brooke in her laughter after she realized she had just quoted the definition of 'mistake,' "Yeah, I guess I am, but you love me for it!"
Brooke raised her eyebrows, "We all know Nathan does." She smirked as Haley's face turned bright red.
"There is the Brooke Davis I know!" Haley rolled her eyes as Brooke giggled.
"So…you want to order some Chinese food or something?" Haley stood and reached for the phone. She had been about to go and eat with Nathan when Brooke had shown up, sopping wet, at her door.
Brooke nodded, she had just eaten, but she was already getting hungry. "I think I'm supposed to be eating healthy, but…" She shrugged her shoulders and Haley shook her head.
"I think it will be okay. I'll order while you change out of those wet clothes. I don't think getting pneumonia is good for the baby."
Brooke thanked Haley and went to get some clothes. "Oh, and get enough for four!" She called over her shoulder.
Haley shot her a confused look but Brooke ignored her and began looking through Haley's clothes.
"Thanks!" Haley told the deliveryman before closing the door.
"So, why did you want enough for four?" Haley questioned as she set the food down on the floor in front of the TV. After Brooke had changed into some of Haley's clothes, and complained about them, they had started watching Cinderella. Brooke had found it shoved under some clothes in Haley's closet and insisted that they watch it.
Ignoring Haley's question, Brooke pointed at Cinderella, who was dancing with the Prince. "I blame Disney."
"What?"
"I blame Disney for my unrealistic expectations of love. I mean, you never see the Little Mermaid getting knocked up and Sleeping Beauty never got cheated on."
"Ariel and Sleeping Beauty are also cartoon characters…" Haley added as she mockingly felt Brooke's forehead.
"I guess that's true…can you pass me the sesame chicken?" She reached out for it but Haley held it away.
"Again, why so much food?"
Brooke frowned, "Well, for the baby of course, and I was thinking about inviting…Nathan!" She finished too loudly, proving that she was lying.
"Brooke, did you want to invite Peyton?" Haley asked seriously, placing the chicken in front of Brooke.
"I…I was thinking about it. But it's stupid right? I mean this is all just happening too fast and-" Brooke couldn't finish because Haley was already dialing Peyton's number.
"Tutor-girl!" Brooke tried to grab the phone away from her, but it was too late.
"Peyton? Hey…Oh, it's Haley. I was wondering if you want to come to my house for dinner. I know it's late but…Okay! See you in a few."
Brooke locked her jaw, "Didn't take much convincing, she is probably just looking to replace me."
"Or she is just as lonely as you." Haley looked at Brooke who was pouting, even though she knew Haley was right.
It was about twenty minutes before they heard the knock on the door.
"Okay, remember, don't let your guard go up. You know what happens when you-" Haley stopped talking when Brooke nodded.
Haley opened the door quickly, as if pulling of a band-aid. "Hey Haley! I brought some movies-" Peyton stopped talking as she caught the sight of Brooke.
"Brooke?" She wasn't sure what was going on.
Brooke wanted to cry again as Peyton stepped into the room. Peyton, her best friend. She missed her so much.
"Peyton…I'm sorry that I shut you out I was just hurting so bad and I know that you made a mistake but tutor-girl gave me the definition of mistakes and I know that you are sorry and I really need you right now-" Brooke pulled a shocked Peyton into her arms as all of her words jumbled together.
"Brooke, I'm so sorry! I really am! I just want my best-friend back and I will do anything-"
"It's okay Peyton. I forgive you. Can you forgive me for all of the things that-"
"Of course I can! You are my Brooke!" The girls hugged again and Haley smiled, she was glad that something good was happening for Brooke.
Awkwardly, she glanced at her watch. "So I think that I am just going to go hang out at Nathan's so you two can catch up." She grabbed her jacket and tried to leave but Brooke grabbed her arm.
"No way tutor-girl! You are staying here!" She smiled at Haley, showing her that just because Peyton was back it didn't mean that she was going to forget about her.
After Haley agreed to stay, Brooke turned back to Peyton. "So there are some things that you should know…"
"I don't think that I am ever going to eat again!" Haley mumbled as she placed her ice-cream bowl in the sink.
"Me neither…" Peyton added as she patted her stomach.
"Speak for yourselves, I'm going to be hungry again in another couple of hours." She groaned as she rested her head on Peyton's shoulder.
The girls had talked for hours. Brooke told Peyton everything and filled Haley in on the doctor's visit and her run in with her parents. Peyton and Brooke had cried some more, and Peyton had apologized over and over again for not being there for Brooke.
"Is anyone going to school tomorrow?" Haley questioned, knowing that she was going no matter what. She had a Calculus test.
"Have to. There is a game tomorrow and I have to cheer or the captain will go psycho." Peyton said as Brooke's jaw dropped.
"That's right P. Sawyer. Just because you are my friend again doesn't mean that I'm going to go easy on you!" She giggled as Peyton slapped her arm.
"Okay, well I suggest we get some sleep before school!" Haley pulled out some extra blankets for Peyton and Brooke.
Exhausted, the girls collapsed on their backs and Haley turned the lights off.
"Peyton?" Brooke whispered about twenty minutes later.
"Yeah?" She answered back immediately.
"Does it hurt you that Lucas said he loved me?" Brooke whispered, shifting on her side.
"Not really. I mean, I guess it might hurt a little that his feelings are gone so quickly, but I can't really blame him. I mean, my feelings aren't really there anymore either?"
"But how can your feelings for each other just go away so quickly?" This was the question that Brooke wanted answered more than anything.
Peyton was quiet for a second before grabbing Brooke's hand and giving it a squeeze, "Because we both realized that we love you more than we love each other."
Brooke smiled in the darkness. That was what she wanted to believe.
So now the question was, what if Lucas had been telling the truth when he had told her all of those things?
"Brooke?" Peyton interrupted her thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Remember the night when I came over and said I was returning a CD?"
Brooke nodded, but then remembered it was too dark to see anything. "Yeah."
"I wasn't borrowing a CD." The regret in Peyton's voice was obvious.
"I know."
"I think there is a reason that he picked you that night Brooke. I really believe that."
Brooke took a deep breath and closed her eyes and asked herself one question that seemed to sum up all of her questions about Lucas.
"What if?"
A/N: Phew! There it is! I know some of you want to kill me because Lucas and Brooke aren't together, but I don't think it's time yet. Soon, but not yet. They both need time to sort out there feelings! Please let me know what you think!