All night he had to endure watching Brooke laughter aimed at someone else, had to watch her eyes sparkle with interest as the couple flirted back and forth endlessly. Had to watch her caress the side of Owen's face before they leaned in for another kiss. And each action about killed him.
"Hey bro what are you doing here?" Nathan said as he sat beside him at the bar.
"I got ditched by Brooke who is getting pretty friendly with that Owen guy."
Nathan nodded, "Owen…he's a good guy. Respects women. She could've done worse."
Lucas looked at his brother, "Can't you just call him a douche bag like a good little brother."
"What're you jealous? Please don't tell me—" he exhaled, "Unbelievable. Lucas you signed up to be her friend so be that!"
"I am not jealous!" he denied unconvincingly, "And trust me nothing has been going on between us since we had our heart to heart awhile back. But I can't help but think she's making a mistake by getting close to this guy."
"That guy is a good friend of mine. Like I said she could do a lot worse than Owen."
"Really? Like who?"
"Like you."
Lucas looked at his brother sourly and asked, "Out of 100,000 sperm, you were the fastest?"
Nathan laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "I'm going to find Haley. You'll be alright here?"
"I'm a grown man of course I'll be alright here. Have fun." he said sourly, his eyes back on his Pretty Girl—only she wasn't his now.
-x-
"I grew up a misfit. I never fit in. I had all of these parts that were in direct conflict with each other. I was an athlete, but I was extremely artistic. I was a big strong kid who was also very sensitive and empathetic. I was a jock who was good at math and chess and loved to read. I didn't know what group to hang out with in school."
Owen had a horrible childhood and got addicted to heroin early on, but Owen turned his life around and became sober for 8 years which Chase Adams helped him with. Owen and Chase had a close friendship and moved in together after high school.
Brooke smiled forlornly, "It's amazing that I always knew where I fit in the food chain. I was destined to be the Queen Bee of Tree Hill High. It was like a roadmap was laid out for me. I didn't have to guess where I fit in. But to be honest even though I knew where I fit in I was still a bit lonely. Everything had an empty feeling to it. That is until Lucas Scott entered my life."
"Yeah Chase told me about your complex history. I'm sorry that you were hurt like that."
"Yeah it was a long time ago."
Meanwhile at Naley's Lucas was leaving his fourth message on Brooke's phone. "Hi it's Brooke Davis you know what to do at the sound of the beep." Beep.
"Hey, Brooke. It's Lucas, um, how's it going?" He starts to pace while running his hand through his hair. "Uh, just wondering how you're doing. I haven't talked to you in a little while and, uh, just wondering how you're doing."
He sits down on the couch praying at any moment that she would miraculously pick up. Lucas didn't know why he was feeling so tied up in knots knowing that she was on yet another date with someone he'd dubbed as The Douche but he did. "So... I was hoping to talk to you... obviously. But you're out, I guess. So, just call me sometime. Or tonight, uh, in around... uh, I'll be in around... that's, that's... not... now. It's Lucas. Okay."
He hangs up the phone with a longsuffering sigh.
Nathan looked at him and shook his head, "Dude."
Lucas looks down, knowing he sounded like a fool. "Yeah I know."
"What's going on here?" Haley asked as she and Jamie who made a beeline for Lucas walked into the room.
Nathan clapped Lucas on the back then said, "Our Luke here is an idiot."
Lucas hugged his nephew while actively ignoring his brother.
Haley sighed, "What now?"
"He's in denial of his feelings for Brooke."
Lucas exhaled, "I'm not in denial about anything."
Haley shook her head and grabbed Jamie's hand, "Go ahead and play on the PlayStation buddy."
"Thanks Mom! Bye Uncle Lucas!"
"Later J-Luke!" he then kissed the smaller version of himself on his forehead before the little guy scurried off. They then heard the pitter patter of his small feet rushing up the stairs.
"Now what's going on?"
"Brooke's dating Owen and Lucas doesn't know how to take it."
Haley sighed as she sat down beside him, "BIL what did you expect? For her to wait around for you forever?"
"I just thought that once we became friends that we could slowly but surely get over the whole Peyton hurdle and then we can finally be together. Only now she only sees me as a friend instead of a love interest. And this guy just isn't going away—"
"He won't. He seriously likes her. So you might have your work cut out for you."
That's what he was afraid of. Although he shouldn't be surprised. Brooke is a fantastic woman that anyone would be lucky to have. He kicked himself everyday for screwing up with her not once but twice.
-x-
Brooke went to the living room and turned on her CD player, playing her favorite track on her mixed disc. She swayed to the song Love Song by 311 and hummed along with it as she danced her way back to the kitchen. 'Whenever I'm alone with you…You make me feel like I'm home again…Whenever I'm alone with you…You make me feel like I'm whole again…'
She grabbed a plate, chopping board, bowls and skillet. She opened her refrigerator door and pulled out a carton of eggs, shredded Italian cheese blend, baby spinach and some cubed ham. Brooke prepped her ham and veggies on the cutting board she seasoned and mixed two eggs in her favorite glass mixing bowl.
Once that was done she brought out her skillet and preheated the pan. As soon as it got hot enough she sprayed the pan with buttered Pam and poured the mixture in the skillet. She turned around and grabbed the smaller bowls of spinach, cheese and ham.
Five minutes later her omelet was ready and she slid the dish onto her awaiting plate. She placed her breakfast on the table and placed the skillet and bowls in the sink. Grabbing a glass from the cabinet she then went to the fridge and took out her Tropicana orange juice and poured herself a glass. She found herself drinking all of it and had to pour another glass.
"Ooh!" Brooke exclaimed as her favorite classic song blasted on the CD track. She got up from the table and danced like the dork she was in her blue silk pajamas, lip-syncing to Bon Jovi's Livin on a prayer, not caring who saw her through the floor to ceiling windows even though they were covered by sheer peach curtains.
"You live for the fight when it's all that you've got! Whoa we're halfway there…whoa livin on a prayer, take my hand and we'll make it I swear, whoa livin on a prayer!" Brooke belted out, no longer singing silently.
"So this is what you do when you're off? Sing 80's ballads and stay in your cute jammies all day?" A masculine voice asked behind her.
Startled Brooke turned to find Lucas standing behind her laughing hysterically.
"Oh my God Luke! What the hell?!" Brooke snapped irritably, her hazel eyes sparkling with indignation. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?!"
"I'm on my lunch break." He said as he made himself at home on her plush sofa. "Besides it's not like you had anything better to do."
Purposely ignoring that statement Brooke placed her hand on her hip then demanded, "How did you get in?"
"Key under the garden gnome." he answered without hesitation. "Where's Maria?"
"She's actually spending some time with Skills. They've been getting a lot closer lately. And then there's Mouth…"
"Ah."
Brooke eyes him and asked, "Why aren't you taking your lunch in some posh cosmopolitan restaurant like you usually do?"
Lucas gave her a smart-ass smirk, "It doesn't get more cosmopolitan than Brooke Davis Bed Breakfast. I mean you even have the best new music playing in the background of this iconic place."
"Your sarcasm is award worthy." She said as she turned off her music.
Lucas gave her a frowny look and replied honestly, "I missed you."
"I know we haven't had our Broody/Cheery time and I'm sorry for that but Owen's been very demanding of my time."
Lucas rolled his eyes, "How's the meathead?"
Brooke frowned, "Why don't you like him Lucas? He's not a player—"
"That you know of—" he pointed out.
"Are you seriously going to go there? Because if I recall correctly it was you that had two girls at one time. Twice."
Lucas knew she had him there. "Touché. But cmon I just want to—"
"Be happy for me. As my friend you have to be happy for me. Like I would be for you." A solid knock interrupted the tense moment. Sighing Brooke hurried to the door and saw Owen holding a bouquet of beautiful vibrant lilies in his hand. She smiled brightly then asked, "Who told you I like lilies?"
He smirked, "Sometimes a man gets lucky."
Brooke grabbed his hand and led him inside. "What brings you here?"
"I missed you and I wanted to see if you wanted to accompany me to a breakfast date." he then noticed Lucas sitting on the couch and he smirked, "Hey Luke."
He smiled tightly, "It's Lucas."
Brooke rolled her eyes, "Be nice while I go get dressed." she then kissed Owen's cheek and skipped to her room.
Lucas tried to remember the last time Brooke skipped anywhere.
"What are you doing here so early Scott?" Owen asked as he sat on the couch beside him.
"I could ask you the same thing."
He looked at him with amused confusion. "Do I need a reason to see my girlfriend?"
He pulled the G card. And Lucas hated him even more for it.
Brooke came out wearing a stylish burgundy wrap dress and smelt amazing, a mix of floral and some warm fragrance that drove him nuts.
"Can we do a raincheck Owen? I just got off the phone with one of my managers at the store and apparently there's an emergency and I have to go handle it."
He looked disappointed but nodded as he got up to his feet, "Sure. How about tomorrow?"
Brooke nodded just before he kissed her forehead tenderly. "Okay see you later."
Once he was gone she turned and faced Lucas who was about to vacate her presence also until she stopped him. "I need you to call in and make whatever excuses you can to get the rest of the day off."
"Why?"
She smiled at him and took his hand in hers, "Because we are overdue for some Broody/Cheery time."
Lucas grinned then called into the shop and made his excuses. Deb understood and had closed down shop for the day. "Okay I'm free."