Chapter Ten

Tell It Like It Is

"Peyton."called out Lucas as he made his way up the stairs."Peyton, you here?"

"No, she's not here."said Jake as Lucas walked through the door. It was a bit weird seeing Lucas now that he knew he'd been with Peyton, but at the same time he knew they did nothing wrong.

"Jake? I didn't know you were back. It's good to see you man."he went in to give him a hug."How've you been?"

"Good, just really glad to be back here with Peyton."

"I bet. She must be thrilled that you're here."

"Yeah, but she wasn't at first."

"She wasn't, why not?"

"Because she had this huge secret that was eating away at her. She was afraid to tell me because she thought I'd hate her."he watched as Lucas swallowed and began to look nervous. He decided there wasn't any time for games."I know about you two being together Lucas. She told me everything."

Lucas shook his head. This was the last thing he wanted. If it were up to him nobody would ever find out about it."Look man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did. I was upset because Brooke had just left and Peyton because you were gone. It was only one time and there is nothing between us."

"I know. Peyton already told me everything and it's okay."

"Wait, you're not angry with me?"

"Look I'm not gonna lie and say I like that fact that it happened, but it did. Peyton and I weren't together. I told her to find happiness. I love her enough to get over this. She means everything to me."

Lucas nodded."You're a good guy. Peyton's lucky to have you. So what does this mean for us? I mean I know you forgave Peyton, but what about our friendship?"

"It's not going to change. Lucas you're a good guy and I respect you. Peyton was having a rough night and as lousy as it was you helped her though it."

"So we're good?"he asked still a bit confused.

"Yeah, we're good."

Lucas nodded."So, uh, I guess tell Peyton I stopped by. I really need to talk to her about Brooke."

"Yeah, I think she said she needed to talk to you too."

"Do you know what about?"

"I'm not sure, but you should stick around. She should be back soon."

"Oh, okay I can do that."Lucas went to sit on the couch to the left of the room.

"So I got enough food to feed an army."laughed Peyton as she walked into her room. She immediately spotted Lucas and looked back too Jake."What's going on here?"

"Nothing. Lucas just stopped by to talk to you."

"Okay."said Peyton looking between both boys.

"He knows I know about everything."added Jake.

"Yeah, it's cool that you told him. I know this must have been hard on you."

Peyton nodded."Yeah, it was."she wasn't sure she should tell him that Brooke also knew."So what's going on Luke?"

"Nothing really, I've just been trying to get a hold of Brooke for two days and she isn't returning my calls. Have you heard from here? I'm beginning to get worried."

Peyton looked down."No, she hasn't called me either, but I don't expect her to."

"Why? What's going on?"

Peyton looked up at him."I told her about us Lucas."

Lucas' mouth opened slightly."You what? How could you do that? I mean telling Jake is on thing, but you should have stayed out of my relationship with Brooke. It was non of your business Peyton. This should have been my call, not yours."

"How can you say this was none of my business? I am in this just as much as you are and Brooke is my best friend. I couldn't keep it from her any longer. I'm sorry if you think I crossed some line, but I don't think I did. She deserved to know."

"Then you should have let me tell her. I should have been the one to make the call, just like you did with Jake. You keep making these decisions without even asking my input. You should have waited Peyton. This wasn't something that Brooke should have had to hear over the phone thousands of miles away from her friends. She should have been told in person so that I could make sure she understood everything as it was. She shouldn't have to go through knowing this all alone over there."

Peyton looked down. She tried to blink back the tears that were threatening to spill. Lucas was right. She should have waited to tell Brooke. This was definitely something that should have been said in person. How stupid was she to have told her over the phone? What had it accomplished? It was simply a selfish move on her part and she now knew it. She told her so that she wouldn't feel guilty anymore. She did it to clear her conscience."You're right Lucas. I'm sorry. I should have waited for her to come home, but I didn't and I can't take it back."she cried."I wish that night never happened. I wish I had never betrayed my best friend."she wiped at her tears.

Jake quickly made his way to her and wrapped his arms around her."Shh, Peyt. It's okay. We'll all get through this. Everything is going to be okay."

"No it's not. Nothing is ever going to be okay Jake. Brooke hates us both right now. She is avoiding both of us."

Lucas watched as the girl in front of him broke down at the loss of her best friend. It broke his heart to see her this way. He may not have any romantic feelings for her, but she was still his friend. He wanted to be angry with her for going behind his back and telling Brooke, but he couldn't. She was already so broken. The last thing she needed was to have another friend angry with her."He's right Peyton. It will be okay. We'll both go and talk to her once she gets home. We'll make her understand that it was a mistake and it won't happen again. You'll have your best friend back and I'll have my girlfriend back. She'll understand Peyton, you'll see."

Peyton looked up at him."Do you really believe that Lucas?"

Lucas nodded."Yeah I really believe it. We'll both have Brooke back, you'll see."he said with a smile hoping to god what he was saying was true.

"Hey hoe."said Sasha she walked through Brooke's bedroom door.

Brooke looked up from her magazine."Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you had plans with Josh tonight."

"I did, but things change and you'd know that if you plugged this thing back in."she said holding up the phone."Don't you think it's time? It's been four days. I mean it really gets annoying getting your voice mail on both your phones. Plug this one up and turn your cell on."

Brooke rolled her eyes."You know why it's off."

"Yeah, yeah I know, because Lucas keeps on calling."

"Exactly."

"And do you know why Lucas keeps on calling?"she asked. Brooke gave her a look."Okay I'll tell you. It's because you just dropped off the face of the earth. One day you leave him a message to call you back and then the next you stop answering his calls. He doesn't know you are avoiding him because he doesn't know you know anything."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Call him and tell his sorry ass you know about him and that whore then tell him if he continues to call you you're gonna send your big, hot, strong boyfriend to kick his ass. Sound like a plan?"

Brooke shook her head."I can't say that. Nobody knows about me and Nathan."

"Okay, then leave that last part out, but seriously Brooke call him and tell him to leave you alone because not being able to call you is getting real annoying."

"Fine. Plug in the damn phone."

"Thank you."

"But I think I'll wait for him to call me."

"Chicken."

"No, I just don't want to talk to him right now. I'm in a good place right now. I'm not hiding out in my room anymore and I'm not crying anymore, I know the second I hear his voice he's gonna suck me back into that place."

"Then don't let him. Don't even let him get a word in, just tell him you hate him and Peyton and hang up. You're with Nathan now you don't have to hear what he has to say. Hang up."

"It's not that easy."

"Yes it is."she looked at Brooke."Unless you still have feelings for him. Do you?"

"No, of course not. I just know he's gonna try and explain and I'm gonna end up feeling bad again."

"Quit your whining Brooke. They did what they did and it's done. There is no time to feel bad. Suck it up and move on."

Brooke rolled her eyes."Why am I friends with you again?"

"Because I tell it like it is."

"Exactly why I'm asking why I'm friends with you. You're mean."

"No, I'm not. You know I only want the best for you and sometimes it takes a little kick in the ass to achieve that."

"And we all know you're good at ass kicking."laughed Brooke.

"Yeah, which is why I better never see that asshole or his whore."

Brooke smiled."I'll have to remember that."she said as the phone rang. Her eyes darted to Sasha's.

"You gonna get that?"she asked. Brooke quickly shook her head. Sasha let out an exasperated sigh."You're hopeless, you know that?"she asked as she reached for the phone and answered it."Listen you asshole, Brooke hates your guts so quit calling her. She's not into guys who sleep with whores."she was about to hang up when she heard a familiar voice.

"Sasha?"called out Nathan.

"Nathan? Is that you? Oh I thought you were Lucas calling to bug Brooke."

"Clearly. Can I talk to her please?"

"Sure."she held out the phone."Here it's the boyfriend."

Brooke took the phone and smiled."Hey you."

"Hey babe. I see you plugged the phone back in. I'm glad I decided to try again."

"Yeah, it was all Sash's doing, which is why she answered the way she did."

"Yeah, that was the last thing I expected to hear when I called."

"Sorry. She was just being the protective friend I've grown to love."

"Good for her. So the reason I called was to see if I could come over later. I'll bring food from Stella's."he said with a laugh.

"Ahh, food from my favorite restaurant. How could I ever turn you down when you promise goodies."she laughed.

"So then it's a date?"

"No, I wouldn't call it a date exactly, but if you're a good boy I might let you kiss me goodnight."

"I'm looking forward to that. I'll see you in a while babe."

"I can't wait."she said as she hung up the phone and smiled.

"Oh god, you're so disgustingly in love with him."said Sasha.

Brooke rolled her eyes."Shut up."

"I like seeing you like this Brooke. All you need to do is let Lucas know you know and it will all be over and you can focus on you and Nathan."

"I am focusing on us."

"Yes, but you still have this Lucas thing looming over your head."

"There is no Lucas thing. I hate him and that's all to it."

"Then tell him that."

"I will…when I'm ready. Now can we drop all this Lucas talk. I don't want to keep talking about him all the time."

"Okay, I'm done. I said what I needed to and you'll do what you do."

"Yeah, and right now I need to get ready because Nathan is on his way."

"So are you kicking me out?"

"No, you can stay, but I'll be in the shower."

"Yeah, in that case I think I'll just go."

"Okay, but only if you're sure."

"I am. I'll see you."she went to the door and turned back."Now you two be safe. Use condoms."she laughed as she walked out of the room.

"That was so good."said Brooke as she plopped herself on the couch in her living room. She reached out her hand and pulled Nathan down with her. She wrapped her arm around his waist and rested her head against his chest."Ooh, this feels so good."

"What feels good?"asked Nathan as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"This. Being here with you like this. I love spending time with you Nate."

"Good because I feel the same way."he leaned over and placed a kiss on the side of her head.

"When we were in Tree Hill did you ever think that we would be here like this? That we would ever be together?"

Nathan thought about it."Do you want the truth or a really cute answer?"he said with a laugh.

"The truth."

"Then no. I honestly never thought that we would be together, but that's because we never really spent time together. I was always in a relationship and so were you."

"That's true."

"But if you ask me about us now I could tell you that it's all I thought about, even before I said anything to you. You have been on my mind constantly."

Brooke pulled him to her tighter."Do you think that's it?"

"Do I think that what is it?"

"The fact that we're here. Do you think that we're together because we're all each other really has here? We're comfortable around each other because we've known each other forever? Do you think we will work even after we go home and are around all our friends?"she knew she was asking him a lot and he probably didn't have any answers, but those were questions that had been bugging her.

Nathan turned himself around so that he and Brooke were looking at each other."I don't really know how to answer that. I know I'm with you because I want to be. I know I'm with you because I can't stop thinking about you. Was it the change of scenery that helped? I don't know, maybe. Maybe this was what we needed to finally realize we wanted to be together. I know I'm not with you by default, because there isn't anyone else. Now do I know if we're gonna make it once we go home. I think so. I want to be with you no matter where we are or who we're around. You're in here right now."he said pointing to his heart."And I don't see you going anywhere anytime soon."

Brooke closed her eyes and smiled."You always know exactly what to say. I never knew you could be this sweet. I really missed out on a lot not getting to know you better all those years, but I'm not about to make that mistake again."

"Good I feel the same way."

"What would you say if I said I thought I was falling in love with you?"she asked looking him in the eyes.

Nathan's eyes widened a bit. He didn't expect to hear that from her yet, not after the way she reacted to Peyton's news last week."I'd say that it was a good thing because I'm feeling the same way about you. There's something about you Brooke that I can't get enough of. I don't know what it is, but I know that I want to find out. I'm in this for the long haul."he lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked it softly.

Brooke turned into his touch."So am I. You have been a god send these past couple of weeks and I can't picture you not being here with me. I can't picture you not being there for me."

"Good because I'm always gonna be here."

"Good."said Brooke as she leaned forward and captured his lips with her own. She moved her hand behind his neck and brought him closer to her. There was something about Nathan that made her feel safe. She knew that he would never hurt her. Maybe it was because he too had been hurt. What ever it was she was glad she felt that way with him. She hadn't felt safe in a long time so this was a welcomed change.

Nathan placed his hands on her lower back and brought her further into him. He traced her bottom lip with his tongue wanting to deepen the kiss. He slowly dipped his tongue between her lips and smiled at her moan of satisfaction. He loved hearing her this way. He fell forward as Brooke lowered herself back on the couch. He positioned himself above her and continued to kiss her. She tasted so good. He began to let his hands roam as the house phone began to ring.

"The machine will get it."said Brooke between kisses.

Nathan nodded as he removed his lips from her and placed them on her neck. He kissed her hard and sucked a little as the machine went on. He couldn't believe who's voice he heard. Lucas. This guy really had perfect timing. This was twice that he'd called and interrupted them. Nathan stopped his actions as he felt Brooke tense under his touch.

Brooke felt her breath catch as he heard Lucas' voice. She should have known it would be him, but with Nathan kissing her the way he had all thoughts went out the door. She listened.

"Brooke are you there? Please answer if you are. I really need to talk to you. I know you know about what happened with Peyton. I need to explain so please pick up if you're there. Brooke please. It was a mistake. It was a stupid mistake. I was drunk and you had just left me. I don't even know how it happened. It won't happen again. I love you Brooke. I love you so much."

Brooke quickly pushed Nathan off of her. This was too much. She couldn't do this anymore. She got off the couch in a hurry and didn't miss the hurt look on Nathan's face. She hated that she was hurting him. She went and unplugged the phone. She couldn't stand to hear his lies any longer. That's all he did now and it made her skin crawl.

She made her way back to Nathan and this time she was happy to see the smile on his face. He knew she wasn't pushing him away to run back to Lucas because he said he loved her. She just needed to get up and unplug it so that she wouldn't have to hear his voice any longer."I'm sorry about that."she said as she took her seat on the couch. I just couldn't bare to hear his lies any longer."

Nathan nodded as he once again took her in his arms."Lets not talk about him. You wanna watch a movie?"he asked.

"Only if I get to choose which one."she said as she grabbed the remote and made herself comfortable next to Nathan. She knew she'd get her way and he knew it too.