The Truth Shall Set You Free

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."

Buddha

Chapter 10: Give All Our Secrets Away

~x-X-x~

"When someone tells you that they somehow stopped missing you, you're pretty much screwed no matter what you say. See, but there had to be something right? Something that no one had ever said in the history of the world, something that could change this."

Lucas Scott

~x-X-x~

"Hey, it's me. We need to talk."

How was it that a simple sentence made up of seven even more simple words had the ability to make a heart skip a beat when they were heard? How was it that the tone of his voice could send a shiver down a usually strong spine? How did a simple request cause blood to course through veins at an exponential rate? Where did the sudden fear come from? She didn't even know. But hearing Lucas' voice down the other end of her receiver was enough to make Brooke Davis nervous.

What could they possibly need to discuss and why did he sound so dire when he spoke?

Biting her lower lip, the usually vibrant brunette had sunk so low it was like witnessing a sugar crash. Dainty hands clenched onto the silky material and squeezed hard. Usually dainty fingers were now turning white at the knuckles from the sheer intensity of her hold. Falling onto the wooden stool behind the counter, emerald orbs gazed out over the empty store in confusion, unblinking as a busy store assistant bustled behind her. Witnessing the lost expression on her employer, Millicent stood in front of Brooke and tilted her head to the side, the fashionista remaining completely unaware of her presence.

"Are you okay, Brooke?"

The crisp voice burst through the brunette's thoughts like a freight train verging in on a station. Turning her gaze upwards, she let out a long sigh and began fidgeting with the material in her hands. Knowing the tell-tale signs of a nervous Brooke, Millicent reached out and placed a gentle hand over the quivering girl before her.

"Brooke?"

"Yeah..." came the slow reply, eyes glancing back and forth across the store as if thinking. "That was Lucas on the phone. He says he needs to talk."

Eyes widened in panic as the wavy-haired assistant glanced around the store. Landing on the pile of unfinished movie costumes, a short gasp of horror escaped shocked lips.

"Oh my god, is he coming by to look at the designs?" Dropping Brooke's hands from her own, Millicent darted towards the muddled clothing that dangled precariously from their hangers. "What have I done? They're not even half ready... I'm such a failure..."

"Relax Millie," Brooke whispered, sliding down from the stool and making her way over to the frazzled girl before her. "You've done a wonderful job."

"But surely he must be coming to discuss the designs," Millicent continued, pushing her glasses up to the top of her nose once more. "Right?"

"I assume so," Brooke murmured, the tone of Lucas' voice ringing through her ears once more. Suddenly, she began to feel a slight pang of the panic Millicent was feeling just seconds before. "I can't imagine it would be about anything else."

"Do you want me to hang around?" Millicent offered, sending a reassuring smile Brooke's way. "I really don't mind if you need the moral support."

"No..." the designer replied, changing her mind immediately when she saw Millicent begin to walk away. "I mean, yes! I think moral support would be great... but, maybe you could hide out the back?" She twisted her face in embarrassment, hoping her friend wouldn't be too offended by her request. "You know, hidden moral support! If he's going to annihilate my designs better not to have an audience, but it would be good to have an extra pair of ears picking up what he says about improvements in case I miss something… know what I mean?"

Chuckling at Brooke's obvious embarrassment, Millicent nodded her head in understanding. "I'll be completely incognito. I'll even take a pen and paper out the back with me in case I need to take notes!"

Nodding slightly, the nervous brunette watched as wavy tendrils disappeared into the back room of the store. Faced with the eery silence, the young designer couldn't help but let her mind wander over the possible reason for Lucas' urgent call. Emerald eyes turned to the right and glanced over the designs in confusion. Although perhaps a tad less prepared than she intended them to be, she saw no real problems with the costumes at all. Every piece felt like an exact replica of what they were supposed to be embodying, and even more importantly, they were exactly what Julian had said was needed. Lucas had even approved the designs himself.

"What could be wrong with you?" Flipping through the designs, soft mumbles resonated throughout the store. "You're perfect. Okay, maybe not perfect but definitely costume worthy, no, movie worthy!"

Letting out a huff of air, Brooke scanned the clothes more closely and continued her monologue on the validity of her designs. So consumed with her defensive rant, she didn't notice when the door of the store opened and Lucas entered, smiling to himself as he watched her. This was the Brooke he had always known – the woman who strived for greatness. He had meant every word when he said she was going to change the world someday- he just hadn't realized just how much she was still able to change his.

"Definitely movie worthy Brooke, definitely..."

Hearing her speak to herself in the store made the brooding blonde laugh. This was how he loved to see her- frazzled and beautiful. She spun around when she heard his laughter however and immediately jumped from the couch, a look of shock quickly turning into that of suspicion when she sees him standing before her, arms folded and head tilted to the side.

"You know, they say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness Miss Davis."

Gathering herself, Brooke smiled and rolled her eyes at his teasing greeting, motioning for him to come and take a seat on the couch. As footsteps proceeded behind her, gentle hands took hold of the nearest deigns and wrapped around the soft fabric. Thrusting it forward, it landed in the open palms of their newest owner. Baby blues dart across in confusion. Sturdy lips begin to open but are immediately silenced by the tender hand that reaches up into the airy space between them, cutting off any chance of a reply.

"Before you say anything, just know that I worked my butt off to get these designs perfect… a hurried response, her voice broke through the air with an urgent need. "And I don't know what the problem is, but if you would just look at them again.."

Shaking his head from side to side, Brooke sank into the chair in an obvious state of unhappiness. She'd never expected him to say "no", and her stomach began to churn with the undeniable sick feeling that came with rejection. Reaching out, she took hold of the fabric that lay in Lucas' hands and took it back, green eyes landing on the writer and demanding an explanation.

"I didn't come here to talk about the designs, Brooke. They're fantastic, you know that."

It was always enjoyable watching Brooke Davis when her emotions changed. She wore them so openly on her sleeves that Lucas had enjoyed the pleasure of being able to see when he had said something that pleased her. Now was one of those moments. As a huge smile broke out across her face, cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink. In a swift movement she stood and began to hang the design back on the rack. Metal hangers clinked a she fluttered about, yet they sounded like a happy chorus to her in that moment. It was in that instant that her mood shifted once again, the smile dropping from her face as she spun around to face Lucas.

"What's wrong then?" Worry laced a usually cheery tone. "Is it Peyton?"

"Sort of." The reply came out slowly, uncertain in many ways. Panicked, Brooke ran forward and took Lucas' hands in her own, her eyes wild as she looked at him.

"Oh my god," frenzied words bashed the once calm air. "Oh my god, what's happened?"

Realizing her immediate assumption, Lucas pulled her hands closer to his chest and spoke with a soothing tone. "Nothing." Panic turned to confusion in the blink of an eye. "She's okay physically, but I needed to talk to you about something."

"You needed to talk about something?" Suddenly, she could feel the pressure of his hands around her own.

"Yes."

"But Peyton is okay?" Slowly, the words spilled from her lips and sought clarification.

"Yes."

And here came the mood shift. Anger filtered into apple-colored orbs instantaneously. Pulling from his grip, a hand reached out and balled into a fist, punching Lucas' squarely in the arm. A slight scoff escaped his lips and he reached out, rubbing where she had hit.

"Ow, what the hell was that for?"

Hysteria ensued. Stepping forward, an accusatory finger protruded outward and pointed in his direction. "Your fiancé, who happens to be my best friend, is pregnant, and you come in here and tell me we need to talk and it's about her… and you think I'm not going to assume something's wrong?"

Her words circled his brain with their obviousness. Eyes disappeared behind closed lids briefly as a whoosh of air expelled from his lips. Returning his gaze to her, his eyes displayed nothing but an apologetic stare. "I'm sorry Brooke, I should have realized." Reaching out, a warn hand wrapped itself around her pointing finger. She could feel the heat in his touch, soothing with its familiarity. "Peyton's fine."

"Okay good," came the relieved reply, Brooke nodding her head as she looked at Lucas. "Apology accepted as long as you never do anything like that to me again!"

"Done." He watched as she smiled at him, feeling his chest ache a little. He knew this conversation was going to be hard, but the way she looked at him made it harder still. No matter how many years had gone past, Lucas had always seen Brooke the same way. Brilliant and beautiful. And brave. It was in this moment that he began to question whether he himself possessed the bravery he knew was needed to have this talk. In spite of everything that embodied good sense telling him to forget it and let it go, the ache in his heart proved only that he needed to get the words out.

To ask the question.

To get the answer.

Gathering himself, he looked into the warmest of eyes and spoke. "Okay, so this is going to sound a little odd being that so many years have passed, but I thought throughout everything you and I had reached a point where we had become friends."

"We are friends," came the confused reply, eyebrows arching north.

"Well friends are honest with each other, and I thought you were always honest with me..."

"You thought I was?" Interrupting, her words cut through the tension-filled air. "Luke, I am honest with you. Ask me anything and I swear I will tell you the truth!"

"Okay." breathing slowly, Lucas tried with all his might to push out the words. To ask the question. He never imagined it would have been so hard to do.

"Oh Luke, spit it out. Whatever it is, it can't be that bad..." soothing words, yet the young fashionista knew not what they provoked.

"Peyton told you she loved me."

The words were out before he'd even processed them fully himself. It was amazing how one moment can change the course of your life. He'd always known, especially as a writer, that words could have a great impact on one's emotions. They could cause you immense happiness yet cut through your soul like the sharpest of daggers. Yet staring down at Brooke, watching as her lips curled up into the unmistakable smile owned only by her, frustration was the only feeling he was able to muster.

"I know that, Broody, she tells me she loves you like every single day. Twice on weekends."

"Gah." Standing from the couch, he couldn't help the discouraged tone that escaped from his lips. Pacing the room, his shows danced on the hardwood floor in a steady beat, matching that of his heart. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Shaking hands traveled south and landed on tense hips, the designer now faced with the back of her friend as he gazed out of the store's windows. She didn't like the way he was behaving. It confused her, how tense he seemed to be.

"Luke, what's going on here?"

He closed his eyes at the sound of her voice, so uncertain and vulnerable. He doubted he would ever be able to stop the reaction his heart felt when he heard her that way. Taking a deep breath, he slowly turned around and faced her, his heart no longer willing to be denied.

It was now or never.

"Peyton told you she loved me... while you and I were together."

Narrowing her eyes, Brooke didn't no what to say. She could feel her mouth slowly open, but nothing came out. There were no words for this moment. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought she would ever have to have this conversation with the boy standing before her. It had always been easier to play the angered girlfriend who couldn't fathom a kiss. A kiss that to her, had spoken volumes. Whether Lucas knew it or not, she herself felt that eventually he would figure it out. That his heart belonged to Peyton, that his destiny was her. He had ended up with her, so she had always told herself that what she had done, how she had ended things, was right. Yet looking into his eyes now, she saw the look she'd been avoiding the day she told him she stopped missing him. The day she lied through her teeth. Unable to look at him, her eyes sank to the floor.

"So it's true then?" Nodding to himself, the brooder confirmed what Nathan had let slip.

"Does it matter?" Raising her head, her eyes shone in disbelief. "I can't believe Peyton told you. I never thought in a million years..."

"She didn't tell me." Angered words cut off the brunette's sentence as the fuming blonde took a step forward. "she doesn't even know that I am aware of this. But Brooke... how could you not tell me?"

Although her heart raged beneath her chest, the designer decided to shrug it off. It was for his own good. "It wouldn't have made any difference."

"It wouldn't have made any difference?" He repeated her words in astonishment. Like a stab to the heart, they cut like a knife. "Brooke, do you realize my world fell apart when you left me? For no reason..." he choked on the words as he realized all this time that statement wasn't exactly true. "Well, not for no reason, but for a reason that could have been easily fixed."

"No Lucas, what happened between us couldn't have been fixed." Adamant, Brooke took a step closer to Lucas, imploring him to see reason. "We were treading water, you and I, holding onto each other for the wrong reasons. That's why you let me walk away..."

"I didn't say anything at the time but I should have…" Closing the gap, desperate hands grabbed hold of slim shoulders and drew her near. "I should have grabbed you and screamed at you that you were wrong... that I needed you then more than ever... that for months after that I wanted you… longed for you… looked at you from miles away…"

"You were always with Peyton!" Stern words pushed forth her point of view. He was wrong, and she was going to make him see that. "It was always going to be Peyton for you, Luke, and once I realized that I knew I couldn't go through all that again."

Throwing his hands in the air, Lucas stepped backwards and pointed at her with the same questioning look she had shown him earlier. "How could you just give up?"

"Me give up?" Angered filtered her tone, spewing over him and saturating the tension-filled store.

"Yes, you!" Her anger was met head on with his own. He would not give this up without a fight. "You told me once you wanted me to fight for you, but did you ever think that maybe I wanted the same? To feel like you wanted me as much as I wanted you?"

"But you were always with Peyton! You never stopped to think how that would affect me, did you? You knew we weren't talking after Nathan and Haley's wedding!" She spat her accusation at him, years of anger finally bubbling to the surface. "And the day I decide to talk to you about us, I go over there and she's there. I knew it then Luke. There is no getting between you and Peyton and I was banging my head against a brick wall just trying to be the one the one that you let in. But I was never going to be, not with Peyton in the picture, so it had to be over…"

Shaking his head from side to side, the blonde refuted her statements. "I wasn't even thinking of Peyton like that! I never thought about her like that until you told me at the game…"

And then the frustration boiled over. Shouting, Brooke angrily pointed her finger once more at Lucas, this time the ability to remain calm long since gone. "I told you what was obvious Luke. And you went to her just like I thought you would. Besides, why does it matter now? You and Peyton are getting married, you're starting a family…. Why does any of this matter now?"

"Because it does Brooke!" Shouting, the two faced off in what could only be described as a heated, screaming match. "You were supposed to be honest with me…"

"I am honest with you… I was honest with you..." Tiny hands reached out and connected with his chest, pushing him backward. "You kissed Peyton!" Thmmmp. Open palms hit his chest again, sending the brooding writer stumbling. "You kissed her!" She repeated the accusation, the pain just as raw as it had been many years ago. "And fine, she was hurt and bleeding.. but you KISSED her Lucas!" Tears sprang to her eyes, illuminating her emerald brilliance. "Of all the things to do to comfort a friend… why kiss her? I should have known it then. It will always be you and Peyton! LUCAS and PEYTON! Why are you fighting this so much?"

Venomous, his words roared throughout the tiny store like the roar of a lion. "Because it should have been ME AND YOU!"

Deathly silence. It fell around them as they gazed at one-another, the anger of five years of secrets finally released into the air. There were no more words. In all the time he had felt uncertain, lost and confused about why she had suddenly left his life, Lucas never imagined a moment like this would come to pass. When he'd lost her, he'd lost everything. Picking up the pieces with Peyton had breathed new life into his tired body, but standing here in the small store owned by the brilliant designer before him, the new life he had with Peyton suddenly didn't compare to the burning passion that he had felt for Brooke.

That he still felt for her.

Watching his pained expression, she couldn't find the right words to say. What could she say? How do you respond to something like that? She knew she had to try, but as she opened her mouth he charged toward her with determination. Placing his hands on either side of her delicate face, Lucas drew her onto his lips. Her familiar taste burst on his tongue, feeling like home. Shock surged through her like a bolt of electricity, the familiar scent of her Broody engulfing her. Any weaker woman would have succumbed right then and there. But Brooke Davis was no ordinary woman. Pulling back, she pushed him away from her and brought her hand to her lips. Staring at him, heavy breaths floated between the two.

"Brooke…"

"No… Luke… I..." She couldn't even string a complete sentence together. She turned her back to him, chest rising and falling with each labored breath. If she was honest with herself, she could have fallen into his arms right then and there, but this wasn't how it was supposed to be. There were people depending on her, and what was in the past was there for a reason. Although his soft eyes were just as inviting as they were six years ago, this wasn't the kind of person she was.

"Brooke..."

Turning around to meet his gaze, she gasped at the sight. Eyes widened in shock, short bursts of air escaping her lips. Turning to follow her gaze, Lucas comes face to face with an angry pair of eyes. Without so much as a word, a hard, clenched fist connected with the brooder's jaw and sent him stumbling backwards.

"Guess now it's my turn to throw the punches."

Standing above him, Julian growled at Lucas with disdain. Lifting his head, the eldest Scott glared at Julian as he felt the unmistakable oozing of blood in the corner of his mouth. Glaring, the two men converged on one-another in anger.

"I think you should leave."

Her voice touched them both, Lucas and Julian turning to watch as Brooke made her way towards them. Taking Julian's hand in her own, she positioned herself by his side and glanced at Lucas with pained eyes. "I think you should leave now, Lucas."

Looking at Julian, his eyes traveled down and landed on the pair's enclosed hands. He glanced up at Brooke and scoffed in anger, reaching behind him and grabbing his coat before charging from the store. Unsure what to expect, Brooke turned and looked at Julian with uncertainty. He glanced at her for a minute in silence before turning and walking towards the door, the fashion designer chasing after him in desperation.

"Julian, please..."

Feeling her tiny hands encircling his arms, Julian felt his heart ache a little. He turned and stared into her dazzling green eyes, but nothing could erase the image of Lucas taking her in his hands and kissing her. What hurt more however, was how long it took for her to push him away. Reaching up, the producer took her hand in his and gently removed it from his arm.

"I just need time to cool off, okay? I'll call you."

Brooke knew how he felt. She herself had been witness to the person she loved with someone else. She desperately wanted to make him see that it wasn't what he thought, but saying those words would only sound contrived and unbelievable in this moment. So she nodded her head, resigned to the moment, and let him leave. As the bell chimed out above her, she closed her eyes in pain. It took a while before she felt tiny hands wrap around her frame, the soothing voice of Millicent breaking through the silence.

"Are you okay?"

Turning, Brooke buried her head into the soft fabric of her assistant's blouse and began to cry. Soaking the fabric with her tears, Millicent held Brooke close and let her fall apart, reaching out only to turn the sign on the front door.

Closed.

~x~X~x~

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Heavy steps beat down the cemented path with fury.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

Matching his stride, anger coursed through Julian's veins, pumped by his broken heart. He felt like it would beat right out of his chest. Consumed with anger, he could barely catch his breath. That image. His designer. His partner's lips all over hers. It was enough to make him sick to his stomach. Rage unlike anything he had ever felt, threatened to take over his entire being. But it was in this moment that he realized he had felt this rage before. Coming to a halt, his memory replayed the exact moment this familiar rage had taken shape in the past.

"I love you." Julian knew the moment he spoke the words they were the absolute truth. Staring into her hazel eyes, he waited nervously to see how she would react. Straddled on top of him in their tiny bedroom, the honey-blonde goddess before him was fragile to say the least. Wounded by her past, the budding producer was unsure how she would handle his intense confession.

"I love you too." As she spoke the words, Peyton's voice sang like a symphony just for him. The fear he expected to see in her eyes was noticeably absent. Smiling instead, she let out an elated sigh and slammed her lips onto his, pushing him backwards onto the soft bed. They tussled around amidst her giggles, her soft lips finding the sensitive part of his neck that always drove him wild. If he could, he would have stayed in that little haven of theirs forever, but Sundance was calling him and there was a flight with their names on it waiting to be caught. Pulling up from their tangled embrace, Peyton moaned unhappily as she brushed her hand through his soft, short hair.

"Gotta go."

"Okay," she dragged out the word as she got to her feet. Making her way over to her suitcase in the adjoining room, she turned and looked at her handsome boyfriend. "But I can't get my bag zipped up."

Pulling his bag into his left hand, the producer turned and gave Peyton a look if disbelief. "It's three days in Sundance, how full could your bag possibly be?"

Answering his question visually, the blonde reappeared dragging the overly full suitcase with her. Boots clicked along the floor as she pulled it out, dropping the heavy luggage and gazing up at her boyfriend with an embarrassed smile.

"Like this full!"

Tilting his head to the right, a small smile graced Julian's lips. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Awe, maybe my big strong boyfriend can use his muscles to zip it up for me?" She raised her hands in the air, Julian chuckling a little at her request.

"Mmmm-hmmm." Dumping his own bag to the floor, he walked towards Peyton, giving her a look of humored disapproval. "We are so gonna miss our plane."

Walking across the room, Peyton briefly held Julian's arm as they crossed paths. "Thank you."

Pushing down the protruding items, Julian buried his hands into the suitcase to try and make things fit better. Turning to the side pocket, his hands graced the familiar feeling of a book. Diving inside, he pulled the novel from its hiding place and brought it to the surface. Staring back at him, a novel he'd come to despise was now in his possession.

"Well, I think I've found the problem."

Turning around from her position in the room, Peyton hummed in response. "Hmmm?" Immediately, her eyes landed on her unhappy boyfriend. Shaking his head, her didn't even look at her. Struggling to find an excuse, she came up with the worst one possible. "I was just gonna read it on the plane."

Her casual response only served to infuriate him more. Standing as she approached him, he sighed angrily. "What, for the thousandth time?"

"It's not a big deal." She sighed as if slightly annoyed by his reaction, positioning herself before him.

"No, it is a big deal." He couldn't understand how it was possible for her to pretend that it meant nothing. That this book wasn't symbolic in some way.

"It's just a book." Even as she spoke the words, Julian doubted whether she believed them. Was she trying to convince him, or herself?

"Come on." He rolled his eyes upward, refuting her denial. "You buy copies of this thing every time you see it." She lowered her eyes and then looked to her left, avoiding his gaze. "You carry one around in your purse half the time." She returned her eyes to him then, hazel orbs unable to hide that she knew he was speaking the truth. "You think it's lost on me that it was written by your ex-boyfriend?"

Honey tendrils shook from side to side as she tried to play off his words. "So it's important to me." She shook her head slightly, the way she always did when she was trying to think straight. "I mean, do you think it's lost on me that you've never bothered to read it?" A slight smile etched at her lips then, wanting an answer. "Are you curious at all?"

"Yeah," came the stoic reply, his eyes never losing their obvious upset. "I'm curious. I'm curious as to whether there will ever come a day when I'm not sharing you with Lucas Scott."

Her mouth remained open, and although she breathed a lot like she wanted to respond, her fallen eyes showed him there was no answer she could muster that would refute his claim. Not without lying. He was tired of it, the way she never gave him her whole heart. The way. No matter how wonderful they were or the possibility that she could be loved by him so unconditionally she might burst from happiness, Peyton Sawyer was always going to be drawn to Lucas Scott. He was always going to hold that piece of her heart that Julian could never acquire. In the stillness of their room, Julian knew then that trying to rid his girlfriend from the ghost of her past was futile.

He was always going to share the woman he loved with Lucas Scott.

Well not anymore!

Dragging himself from the memory, Julian slid his hand into the pocket of his denim jeans and pulled out his cell. Dialing a number, the ring tone rang out in his ears. Silenced by the click of an answered call, a familiar voice spoke.

"This is Dan Scott."

"Hey, it's me." Plagued by the images burned in his brain, Julian sold his soul to the devil. "About your request, I'm in."

~x~X~x~

AN: Hello everyone. Chapter ten is here and what a fun chapter it was to write! You know how much I love my Brucas, so I hope this chapter did them justice.

I also wanted to say a big THANK YOU to the people who have messaged me with their support over a certain plagiarism situation. Your support has been amazing and you are all right in your advice. I know I didn't name names, but I am thankful that you could all see past that and support me in this matter. I do not read this fic and nor do I intend to. I was alerted to the situation by a friend. I feel if people need to base their entire fic on an RP created by a multitude of people and not give any acknowledgment to the elements created by others that they used for their story, then they simply have to live with their dishonorable actions. They have to live with their lack of creativity and talent.

I, on the other hand, am more than proud of the fact that all my stories, although based on characters created by others, are one hundred per cent original. They are written completely and solely by me. So thank you to those who pointed this fact out to me. So yes, I meant what I said when I claimed I would not be pointing out this "theft fic" (thank you to my dear friend who pointed out this label lol) to anyone as I am over the sort of drama that comes from this type of immature behavior. I know, no doubt, these people will probably troll my page and see what I have written anyway and thus will know my opinion on their deplorable actions. May god have mercy on them and perhaps one day bless them with some talent and humility.

So, thanks again everyone for your support. You all mean the world to me and I hope I can continue writing fics that are enjoyable for all of you for years to come!

Please review. It makes my day to see all the support that is out there for people like me.

God bless and Happy Easter.

Chrissy

xox