IM BACK:)

Kinda short... but just to get started off again... :) here ya go!

Chapter Nine: Brief Interaction

Brooke grabbed Calum from Haley arms and kissed his cheek. The baby just stared a Brooke with a small grin on his face. She kissed him again and hugged him tightly. Haley was sitting there with her arm extended with a bottle as if she were still feeding him. She looked tired, with heavy eyes and no make up. Brooke noticed that she seemed to be falling asleep right at the table. Nathan was sitting on the couch, putting on his work boots and coveralls, almost falling asleep himself. There were no jokes and no sappy married couple goodbyes as he walked out the door, just a grunt and a kiss on the baby's head and away he went.

Sitting on a chair next to Haley and fed the baby for her. "You haven't been at school in awhile." Brooke noted. Haley nodded and leaned back. She smiled at Calum feeding quietly.

"Nathan's working a lot, and so is Karen so she can't really help out. I mean she'd take him at the café with her but I really don't want to make her do that." She played with her thumbs in her lap and sighed.

"What happened?" Brooke asked, knowing that something was up.

"Hmm?" Haley asked, seeming like she has just fallen asleep there in the chair.

"With you and Nathan."

"That obvious huh?" Haley snickered a little. She leaned forward with her head in her hands. "We've been fighting a lot. Over everything." She looked at Brooke, searching for something that would tell her everything would be fine. But Brooke just avoided eye contact with her. She felt guilty, even as Haley spilled about her and Nathan, Brooke's mind was wondering to Chase. Where he was, who he was with, was it Amanda? She walked over and laid Calum in his carrier and stroked the small hair on his head. His hair was dark, reminding her of Nathan. And Chase. Everything reminded her of him.

"I thought you guys came to an agreement Brooke?" Haley cut in. Brooke turned to look at her, "You guys didn't have your feelings for other people straightened out, so you'd wait until you did. Right?" She walked over and then laid down on the couch.

"Yeah, but I still miss him." Her chin quivered. "Hales.. Go get some sleep, I don't have any important classes today so..."

"No way! Brooke!" Haley gasped, "You're not cutting class to sit for me!"

"Haley! I have PE and Art! ART!" Brooke laughed. "I wouldn't be there anyways... Chase and I always used to cut out and..." She stopped.

"Aww... Brooke.. If you really miss him, it's okay to talk to him!" Haley encouraged her.

"No... I can't, Amanda's always there..." She sighed.

"Seriously... ouch."

"I'm gonna take a walk with him okay? You just get some sleep..." Haley nodded and hugged her, than yawned and walked into the bedroom. "It's just you and me baby." Brooke whispered down at Calum. He just laughed and reached up for her.

"And that's the beach where your mommy and daddy got married. You would have loved to be able to see them. They were crazy for each other. Of course, they still are..." Brooke whispered to the little boy in the stroller, even though he was fast asleep. "I hope anyways..." She sighed.

"I'm sure they are." A voice whispered. Brooke stood still for a second. A lump formed in her throat as the excitement bubbled up. And she finally turned around to see his eyes beaming at her. She wanted to hug him and just be there with him, as close as possible. But they both just shifted around, afraid to touch each other, it would be too much too soon.

"Chase..." Brooke said in a pleading voice. She was standing so close to him, but not nearly close enough, and it hurt to not be able to reach out and touch him. "What are you doing here?"

He walked closer with his hands in his pockets, "Amanda and I were just up at the café and..."

Brooke's heart sank, "Amanda... I see..." She turned around and bent down to pull the blankets more tightly over Calum. He laughed and reached up at her face. She tried to keep paying attention to the baby, afraid that if she paid any more attention to Chase her heart would completely break.

"Brooke..." Chase sighed. He bent down next to her as her chin quivered, "It isn't like that."

"Then what is it like?" She snapped, she didn't mean to. This was supposed to be mutual, both of them agreeing to take time apart in order to sort out their feelings for other people. But right now Brooke only had feelings for one person, and he was breaking her heart.

"We're trying to sort things out, you know like you and I had talked about, get closure." He ran his fingers through her hair and it made her whole body weaken.

"You seem to be doing so great, ya know?" Brooke whispered. Calum's eyes got heavy and he gradually let them close.

"What do you mean?" Chase almost seemed offended but Brooke really didn't think he had a right to.

"What I mean is, I'm miserable without you. And you're up there having coffee with your ex." She pointed up towards the café, where Amanda was coming out the door and heading towards them.

"I miss you too Brooke..."

"You don't see me having any interactions with Luke at all." She fought back the tears but they were getting stronger and violent in her eyes.

"Exactly!" Chase threw his arms in the air. "Go with him! Figure out what it is that you want! And if it's me, I'll be here."

"First of all, I don't want Lucas. I know that already. But if I have to go and be with him to make you see how miserable I'll be, fine. And second of all, you may be there afterwards, but I won't be coming around if she's going to be next to you." Brooke gestured towards Amanda.

"You said you were only going to be gone for a second..." Amanda smiled at him. Brooke watched as she reached out and entwined her fingers with Chase's. She seemed nice. Really sweet and innocent, everything that Brooke knew she wasn't. Chase moved and let go of her hand, stepping towards Brooke who was just staring at their hands together. The tears finally broke free and fell off of her chin.

Chase seemed to want to explain, as he reached out for Brooke, but Brooke turned and pushed the stroller quickly, away from him.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Lucas's voice called at her. Brooke stopped and looked at Lucas, running towards her from across the street. He stopped next to her and smiled, but then bit his lip as he saw the tears on her face. She looked back at Chase, watching them, and smiled at Lucas.

"Want to get some lunch?" She offered. Lucas's face lit up and he nodded, pushing the stroller for her. Once more, she glanced back at Chase who looked confused. This was what he wanted, her to get together with Lucas and see what happened, so she didn't understand why he seemed so hurt.

Review! As Always,

Michelley P.