"What the hell is going on?" Lucas exclaimed, confusion masking his face, his forehead wrinkling up, his eyes squinting slightly.

Brooke would've found it extremely cute, had it not been under such circumstances.

"Nothing, butt out of my life okay," Brooke whispered, mustering up all the courage she could manage.

Lucas shook his head.

He knew something was wrong, he could tell. Her appearance change, her attitude, she isn't that strong girl that could take anyone anymore… she looked scared and vulnerable. He hated seeing her look so alone, he wanted nothing less then to grab her and force her to share her worries with him. He wanted the old Brooke back; he wanted to see her confident smile, that made everything seem alright.

"Is it something with Max –actually dumb question, I know its something to do with him. Just tell me what it is." He asked uncertainly, still not able to get over the way she was hugging herself. He hadn't grabbed her that hard, he had just stopped her, why did she react so strongly.

He took a step towards her, but she backed away quickly.

"Honestly, I don't know what you're talking about, I have to go," she whispered, turning away from him and attempting to open her driver side door.

Lucas placed his hand on the door, pushing it closed, forcing her to turn to him again.

"Brooke, just cause we're not together anymore-…"

"You know what Lucas, it's not because we're not together anymore, it's because we're not together anymore because you couldn't keep your hands off my best friend." Brooke snapped, throwing her door open, and paused, challenging him to try anything, when he didn't she sat in, and drove out of the parking lot, heading back home.

She didn't want to, she really didn't, but she could feel tears falling from her eyes uncaringly. Her vision blurred, she brushed them away angrily.

She wasn't the same anymore.

She would never be the same.

She felt sad, violated, and very alone, and yet the one person she needed most right now, was the one person she won't allow to be there. She felt anger and hatred towards him still.

Her old bruises were still raw. Her new bruises hurt just as much. She didn't know what to do, yet she wouldn't allow anyone to help her.

She couldn't.

This was her fault. Lucas told her, he warned her to not get involved with Max. Yet she did. She did everything to make Max crazy over her. And she exceeded alright. But not the way she had intended.

Nothing turned out the way she had planned. Nothing ever turned out the way she wanted.

She and Lucas didn't last. Her friendship with Peyton didn't last. Her new found feelings for Max certainly didn't last.

She knew she wanted Lucas with her; she needed him to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. But she sure as hell would not let him touch her when he's just come back from doing whatever he does with Peyton.

She wouldn't.

She deserved better then someone who wasn't fully committed to her, but flip flopped between her best friend and her.

Why was she even thinking about him? He didn't matter anymore. He could just take his sympathy and shove it. She didn't need him. She didn't need him to want to play hero for her.

Brooke knew Lucas; he always wanted to be hero. Just cause this time she seemed to be the damsel in distress, she will not let Lucas be her shoulder to cry on.

She will not.

Brooke parked her car in the driveway, but just sat there. She couldn't go back into that house. She couldn't handle it anymore. Looking at that place was too much for her. She didn't want to do that anymore.

She couldn't live here anymore.

Brooke didn't want to live here anymore. She loved Rachel, but she couldn't handle living in that house. She had been raped in that house. How could she continue living there? She will never get over it if she had to live in the place, where everywhere she looked she saw Max attacking her.

She couldn't handle. She didn't want to be here.

Brooke wrapped her arms around herself, not caring about the pain she felt touching her bruises. It didn't matter anymore.

Brooke didn't know when it started. But all of a sudden, she was sobbing her heart out. She was screaming in tears, and just bawling uncontrollably.

She didn't want to deal with her life anymore. She couldn't take it. She can't – she can not wake up every morning to come to school and deal with Max being there, or Lucas being there. She didn't want to be in the same breathing space as them. She didn't want to see either of them for the rest of her life. They hurt her so much… so damn much, that they'd never even know. They wouldn't know how much she's cried. They wouldn't know how she feels, how shit she feels. She wants to crawl up in a whole and fucking die, and they'd never know.

Brooke wiped her swollen eyes.

She thought she could handle it, but she really couldn't anymore.

She seriously could not.

But where could she go.

She had no where else to go.

She didn't know where her parents were. They hadn't called her ever since she decided to stay in Tree Hill, instead of moving with them.

Brooke stepped out of the car, and stumbled a bit in weakness, but was quickly balanced by a pair of gentle hands. Brooke looked up to find Karen staring back at her, her eyes filled with concern.

Brooke wanted to be strong, but she couldn't. She burst into tears the second she saw her. Karen's eyes softened, and brought her into a hug.

Brooke winced when she put her arms around her.

"Brooke?" she muttered worried, "What happened?"

Brooke shook her head, not able to form words. She was tired; she didn't want to fight it anymore.

Karen took her arms, which caused Brooke to flinch and pull herself away from her. Karen frowned, and started to fumble with Brooke's sleeves, to roll them up.

Brooke just stood there. She didn't fight it. She couldn't anymore. She let Karen roll up her sleeves.

She shut her eyes tight, when she heard Karen gasp in horror.

"Brooke, what happened, oh my god Brooke," she stuttered.

Brooke shrugged, not wanting to lie. She wanted Karen to know. Karen was more of a mom then her own; she wanted Karen's motherly touch, her motherly care.

Without thinking, the whole story spilled out of Brooke's trembling lips…

A/n tell me what you think! R&R

Somethiiiiiiiings to come!