Author's note: I hope this one kind of makes up for the last chapter. I didn't intend on posting this tonight, but I guess writer's block didn't last that long. hope you guys like it.

PLEASE READ: I accidentally put "teenage wives" in the previous chapter, making it seem like Naley was married. But they were not married. I lost the document for the chapter and was too lazy to edit it. So there you go.

That evening, Brooke replayed the conversation she shared with Nathan.

Forgiveness was the only way for her to really move on. Otherwise, she could spend the rest of her life--ok, not so dramatic…maybe the summer--hiding out and feeling miserable. Maybe forgiveness was what she needed to lift this huge weight of anger off her shoulders. Anger that, truthfully, wasn't really as much as it used to be.

She sat in front of her vanity, brushing her hair right before she prepared for bed when a knock came on her door. She furrowed her brows in curiosity, but called out anyway, "Come in."

Peyton Sawyer appeared through the doorway, in tears. Brooke's instinct was to reach for her friend…or whatever she was. Peyton walked towards her bed and sat down, "I'm sorry, Brooke. I'm so sorry…"

Brooke placed herself next to her and embraced her, "Peyton, what's wrong?"

In between tears, Peyton spoke, "I told Lucas it wasn't gonna work out. It's just--I'm so sorry, Brooke. I'm so sorry I ruined our friendship over--some guy. God, I feel like such an idiot!"

"Peyton," Brooke's voice was soft and comforting, to both their surprise, "What happened?"

"It's Jake," Peyton confessed, even though Brooke already knew, "It just happened, you know? I didn't mean for it to, but it did…"

"Wow, Peyton, you have a knack for breaking people's hearts, don't you?" Brooke had to admit, she'd heard that excuse before.

Peyton tried to compose herself, "I said I was sorry! Brooke, I don't know what to do."

"Do you love him?" Brooke felt compelled to ask her.

"I…I dunno. I think so…" Peyton trailed off, trying to figure out what her answer was.

"It's simple, Peyton," Brooke held her friend's hand, "If you love Jake, like truly love him--then nothing else matters."

Peyton became confused, "What? What do you mean? Even if it breaks someone else's heart?"

"I think it's safe to say that you've already done that." Peyton nodded in agreement and shame knowing Brooke was referring to herself, "What am I supposed to tell him?"

"You tell him," Brooke explained, "That it wasn't meant to be. That you care about him and that you'll always be his friend."

Peyton wasn't convinced that that was the right way to tell Lucas. But Brooke persisted, "You can tell him that, or you can tell him what's in your heart, Peyton. But I have a feeling he already knows."

Peyton sighed, and wiped the last of her tears, "So much for hos over bros, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, Lucas…he cheated on you…with me, for crying out loud. And THAT didn't even last. But look at where we ended up."

Brooke sighed, "It's still hos over bros," she placed an arm around her friend's shoulder, "Because trust me, there's no way I'm going after Jake now that you're together. It's way too Jerry Springer for my liking."

Peyton laughed, "Thanks, Brooke."

"For what?"

"For…trying to be a friend to me tonight. I really needed it. I didn't know who else to turn to."

Brooke smiled, "I wasn't trying to be a friend, Peyton. I just am."

Not long ago, Peyton left and headed to Lucas's house. Brooke laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling, partly proud of herself for being able to forgive Peyton for what she'd done to her. And it all seemed too easy. But Brooke knew it was because that she really was getting tired of holding a grudge against her or even Lucas because, frankly, it didn't get them anywhere.

But tonight, she finally did it. Looking into her childhood friend's eyes, she forgave her. And they spent the next hour talking about the early part of their summer…she needed to tell someone how she felt.

"Oh, I missed you, Brooke Penelope Davis." Peyton embraced her brunette friend.

"I missed you too, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." She grunted as she hugged her back, impressed at how their friendship suddenly came back together.

"Tree Hill was definitely … lame without you."

Brooke shrugged, "I figured."

"Seriously!" Peyton nudged her side, "What's this I hear about you running off to L.A. with Nathan? That just sounded so unlikely."

"Wow, news travels fast," Brooke rolled her eyes, but continued, "We just wanted to leave Tree Hill. Get away from it all."

"But with Nathan? Didn't you call him Lucifer's son one time?"

"Eh," Brooke was starting to become transparent, "He's not so bad. I mean, at one point in our lives we used to be best friends. It was just a friend trying to help another friend get over heartache."

"Mmhmm," Peyton was insinuating otherwise, "And did that involve…anything…not normally done with friends?"

"Peyton!" Brooke was borderline embarrassed and annoyed, "Why would you assume that something not-normally-done-with-friends happened? God, Peyton, that's so ridiculous!"

"Brooke, you're rambling."

"Whatever!" Brooke stood up and paced the room, "Nothing happened, okay? We're just friends and nothing more. He's with Haley, for crying out loud!"

"Brooke!"

Brooke threw her hands up in the air, "What?!"

"I'm only asking because--"

"Because what, Peyton?"

"Because Nathan told me what happened."

Brooke stared at her friend in shock. No, she didn't just hear that. There's no way. "What did you just say?"

Peyton stood up to her eye level, "Nathan told me that…you guys had sex."

"Wha-!" Brooke wanted to punch a wall, and almost punched Peyton's face in return, "What the hell, Peyton! Why--"

"He told me the night you guys came back and we'd just left the hospital to take Lucas home. I dropped him off at his place and he just…kinda blurted it out on the spot. Trust me, Brooke, I'd already had a tough day and to add that to my list…it wasn't making it any easier."

"Why would he tell you?"

Peyton shrugged, "I guess he figured I wouldn't judge him."

Brooke stood there, arms crossed, clueless about her next words.

"He looked so…different. He told it wasn't supposed to mean anything, but he looked miserable. And I just listened to him. He was so torn, but he had Haley and--"

"He loves her, I know." Brooke shook her head in disappointment, remaining to keep her arms crossed as if to protect herself.

"You need to talk to him, Brooke."

"Why?"

"Because you two need to figure out what you want."

"He already chose who he wanted. He wants to be with Haley. And besides, how do you even know that we want to be together?"

Peyton placed a hand on Brooke's shoulder, "I don't. But I think you guys do."

Holding hand in hand, Lucas and Haley made their way out of Karen's Café. The night hadn't been going well for the two, considering their situations. An hour ago, Lucas and Peyton were face to face, ending their relationship. Haley refused to talk to Nathan after his run and retreated to the café for the rest of the day to bury herself in work.

"Are you gonna be okay?"

Lucas grasped her hand tightly, "I think so. But it didn't hurt as much as I thought it would."

"I guess our summer didn't turn out as we hoped, huh? Or at least, this past year. God, last year it was just you and me. And life was so simple back then. There are time I wish we could go back to that and forget Nathan, Brooke, and all this mess." Haley let out a sigh of wishful thinking, knowing full well the reality of it all.

"Have you talked to Nathan since this morning?"

"He tried, but I couldn't face him. I don't know who I was more mad at though. Me, for leaving in the first place and causing all this trouble. Or at him, for doing what he did."

"Hales," He didn't want her to feel guilty for what she'd done--chasing her dream, "What he isn't your fault. Sure, he was broken-hearted and just left to be away from it all, but he knew what he was doing. He didn't have to do what he did."

"I guess…it just doesn't feel like he's telling me everything. He's hiding something Lucas, I can feel it. And I don't want to admit it, but it's there in his eyes when he talks to me. He's holding something back and I want to ask, I want to know, but at the same time…"

Lucas cut her off, "It's like you already know the answer." She fought with herself to shed any tears, but in the comforting arms of her best friend, it was inevitable. Lucas held her in his arms as she sobbed in his chest, still trying to fight breaking down. He stroked her hair as his mind drifted off to Brooke Davis.

"Thanks for coming." She stepped on the concrete and greeted him as he turned to face her.

"Well, it got me out of the house." He replied, referring to his controlling father. "It was either this or analyzing last season's games to improve my stats. Guess what I chose."

Brooke had been nervous the entire drive here. She even turned back to her house, but deemed it unfair to stand him up after she left him a text message that practically screamed desperation to meet her at the River Court.

"So," she began, "I'm 1 for 2, tonight." Nathan wrinkled his brows at her statement. "Peyton and I are back to speaking terms. Well, friendly terms for that matter."

"Oh," he was a little surprised considering she didn't seem like she was gonna budge earlier in the day, "That's good, I guess. But you need to make it 2 for 2 for me to fulfill mine."

Brooke smiled at his attempt to keep the mood light, but she knew it wouldn't last long. She shifted from where she was standing and couldn't help but take her eyes off his, "Nathan, I think we need to talk."

It was the words Nathan dreaded and looked forward to at the same time. On his way here, he imagined how the conversation would go. Everything would be sorted out and they would go their own way. That was the plan. That was the plan that wouldn't cause any more hurt to others.

"Brooke--"

"Do you remember the last time we were on this court together?" She asked him, and right before his reply, she continued, "Not counting this morning."

Nathan looked to the ground, trying to remember what she asked him, "Umm…"

"We were eight-years-old. And you were playing basketball with some other kids and I was sitting right there," she pointed to the bench, "watching you like I always did."

Nathan remembered.

"You thought you were so cool," Brooke let out a husky chuckle, "and everyone thought you were really good."

He shut his eyes at the memory.

"And that was probably the third time that week that I watched you play. And each time, you got better, and more kids started to really like you. But each time that happened, and the more you became popular," Brooke's voice began to quiver and grow softer, "you started to forget about me."

Nathan weakened at the sound of her voice, yet she refused to let him near her, "The last time we were on this court together--after your game, I asked you if wanted to come over and I'd make Pop tarts and we'd just hang out at my house. Do you remember what you said to me?"

Nathan shook his head and tore his eyes away from her gaze. He knew exactly what she was saying, and he couldn't even open his mouth to reply.

"You said, hanging out with girls was stupid. And you picked up your basketball, that I gave you, and you walked away."

"Brooke--"

"You became popular, Nathan. You forgot about me. Do you know how much that hurt? I was eight-years-old and that was my first real heartbreak! I carried this with me since you walked away from me that day. I was a little girl and little girls shouldn't be going through that kind of pain. And you were supposed to be my best friend. And from then on, all the kids thought you were the coolest guy ever--and what about me? Nobody cared about me, Nathan. Every day after school, I would walk by the River Court and see you play and a big part of me wished so badly that you would walk over to me and we'd be friends again. But you did nothing--you never once even acknowledged me around your friends."

Nathan could see Brooke slowly falling apart, but he couldn't move his feet from the ground.

"Then I met Peyton. And she liked cheerleading. She wanted to be a cheerleader, because her mom was a cheerleader. And I promised her that I'd cheer with her, because she was my friend. And because a big part of me wanted to see you play, Nate. I always loved watching you play. You had that confidence, that determination and passion…and I always admired that in you."

Her eyes had welled up with tears and she blinked them away, "So I became a cheerleader. Every year that I knew you would be playing basketball, I tried out for cheer. And I fell in love with it--even the popularity that came with it. For a while I understood how much status can run a person's life and I admit, I got caught up in it. But I let all the popularity consume me because sometimes, it made me feel like I was wanted. And throughout the day, I'd forget about my problems. But at the end of the night, I'd cry myself to sleep because I felt so alone, Nathan. Even when I had Peyton, I still felt so alone. You were my best friend and you chose basketball over me."

Even with tears slowly flowing down her face, Brooke stood still. Everything she'd held back was being revealed, and her feet planted her firmly on the concrete to prevent herself from losing control.

"So forgive me if I felt a little happy when Haley chose music over you, Nate."

Nathan drew back his eyes from her and stared out onto the dark river.

"But when I saw you, I was reminded of myself. The feeling of loving someone that just walked away without a second thought; it's the worst thing I can imagine. " Her hand flew to her chest as a gesture of her heart aching, "And it broke my heart when she came home, because I knew she came home for you, Nathan. And sometimes, I just wished you'd come home for me."

Nathan tightened his lips as he watched her finally breakdown. He instinctively reached for her and wrapped her up in his arms, holding her in silence as he listened to her finally give way. He cursed himself for everything he did--he never knew how much he'd truly hurt her. Through the years, she'd put up a brave face, consumed herself in cheerleading, and even involved herself with many guys; Nathan never knew it was her way of hiding her pain.

He held her tighter even when she finally began to compose herself. She released herself from his embrace and looked up into his eyes, begging for any words to come out of his mouth, "I wasn't drunk."

Nathan stepped back slightly, "What?"

Catching her breath, she confessed, "When we were in Vegas, I wasn't drunk. I've grown a high tolerance for alcohol through the years, so I wasn't drunk."

"What," Nathan let go of her, "what are you saying?"

"I lied when I said it didn't mean anything. Because it meant everything. Even if it was for a few hours, you were mine. And…I didn't wanna let that go."

He chuckled in relief, "Wow," she wrinkled her brows in confusion, "I wasn't drunk either."

Brooke almost fell back from his words, "So…we were two…secretly consenting people…" She looked as if she was trying to do long division in her head when Nathan spoke, "I'm sorry, Brooke."

"For what?"

"For everything. For what I did when we were little, for lying to you about sleeping together, for everything. I just wish you could see how much you've always meant to me, Brooke. I was a stupid kid. I grew up with a father who taught me wrong from wrong, and at the time, I didn't know any better. But I wished every night that I could take that day back. But I know I can't take back all the hurt it caused you…"

She took a deep inhale as if to prepare herself for the worst.

"But there's Haley. And she's such a good person, despite what she did. And this would kill her--"

"You have to choose, Nathan."

"What?"

"You have to choose between me and Haley."

"It's not that simple."

"It is that simple."

"Brooke, she's my girlfriend--"

"Who do you want to be with, Nathan? 'Cause I know who I want to be with. I've always known. He's standing right in front of me."

"I don't know who I want to be with!"

"How can you not know, Nathan?!"

"This is," he threw his hands up in frustration and began pacing the court, "Haley's my girlfriend, Brooke. And she loves me. And I love her--"

"So, there, you're choosing Haley."

"No, I'm--"

Brooke stepped in his way, "Then, WHAT, Nathan! What do you want! You have to choose between me and Haley, it's that simple!"

Nathan's voice lowered, "You can't just ask me that right here."

Brooke stepped back, "I've been in love with you for as long as I can remember, Nathan Scott. If you're gonna break my heart again, you do it, right here…right now. Just like last time."

Nathan took a step towards her and reached for her hand, "It's just…I really need to figure all this out." Brooke released his hand from hers and for the second (or third, or fourth, maybe fifth) time that evening, she was back to trying to compose herself.

"I can't just forget everything with Haley. It's not that easy." Brooke sensed the sadness in his voice and in her heart, "But it's so easy to forget about me?"

Nathan threw his head back briefly, as if cursing whoever was up there for putting him in this situation, "That's not what I meant, Brooke."

"Then what, Nathan. For once, make up your mind." Her voice became soft again, as if expecting defeat.

"Nathan, what's going on?"

The familiar voice sent shock through both their spines as they whirled around to face the familiar voice.

Haley James stood on the grass of the river court, with Lucas standing right beside her.