When Brooke woke up in the morning she was greeted by the sun streaming in from the window and an empty space next to her. It didn't affect her; she had grown used to it, but still was slightly surprised, after everything that happened yesterday and last night she had thought he would have stayed.
She sat up to look around the large room and groaned. Her head throbbed; it felt like someone was drilling into it.
She lay back down, turning face down into her pillow and covered her head with the other; blocking out the light and noise; slowly falling back to sleep.

When she woke up again, the headache was far from gone but was now bearable. She rolled over and this time was surprised. The reason she had woke up was because Luke had sat down on the bed next to her, watching her sleep.
"Good morning." He whispered, reservation evident his voice.
"Morning." She whispered back as she struggled to sit up. For the first time that morning she noticed her dress crumpled on the floor, she had fallen asleep in a singlet that had been in her overnight bag which had been delivered to the hotel.
"Yesterday really happened." Brooke whispered, unsure herself if it was a question or merely a statement. The garden; the ceremony; the party, it all felt like a dream. Luke nodded.
"What happens now?" Brooke pulled the bed cover up and tighter around her chest.
"All our furniture is being moved into our new apartment. We move in later today."
There was no honeymoon. It had been decided their belated honeymoon would be in three months. A private holiday in Madrid just after the family's Christmas celebration.

"Peyton's still missing." Luke's seemingly nonchalant comment didn't fool Brooke; he was worried about his sister. "She didn't turn up at the police station, or hospital, and no nightclub saw her."
"Peyton's fine." Brooke promised. She had to hand it to her, she new how to ruin something. "She's probably letting of steam over the fact she couldn't stop the wedding."
Luke opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it and closed it again.
The phone rang then & Luke picked up.
"Come on; my parents are downstairs to meet us for lunch."

.:.:.:.:.

Once Brooke was dressed and looking refreshed they headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant. The scene that met them in the restaurant was a far cry to the carefree attitude everyone had yesterday.
In addition to Dan and Karen, Lily, Haley and Katie were there, as was Skills, Nathan, Jamie and Tim. Victoria and Edward were there and so was Uncle Keith; with his date for the wedding – the real estate agent that had sold Luke his apartment, Deb.
"Good morning." Brooke smiled; being as cheerful as she could muster in her hangover.
There were scattered responses as Brooke and Luke took their seats. A waiter hurried over to give the tables menus and then disappeared again.

The tension was there and it was evident. Nobody was talking, not even Jamie who usually couldn't stop. Dan was reading a paper and Karen was busy on her blackberry. Haley and Nathan kept up a silent conversation and everyone else just looked everywhere at each other.
Brooke tried several times to start a conversation but no one was keeping up the conversation; so their family brunch was eaten in a strained silence before everyone disappeared back to their rooms.

Once again in the hotel room, Luke was the tensed and reserved person Brooke knew. The room had been cleaned while they were eating and their clothes were all packed up with her dress hanging up.
"Are you ready to go?" He posed it as a question but it was really a statement. He wanted to leave the hotel now. She nodded and together they walked downstairs to his car that was already waiting by the front door.

Once in the car, his personality changed again and Brooke was finding it difficult to distinguish between the two. With the music going and him driving through the busy streets he was carefree and happy again.
"You are going to love this apartment." He spoke loudly over the music. She had seen it once but it had been only a quick glance through. "It's so big."
"No Dan either." Brooke smiled. One thing that she was glad of; she was no longer under the same roof as Dan Scott.
Luke laughed and sharply turned a corner. Luke's driving was a lot like Peyton's; it was going to take a lot of getting used to.

.:.:.:.:.

The doorman and security guard who occupied the silent lobby of the apartment building were surprised when the new owners of the penthouse walked through the doors. Lucas Scott and his new wife Brooke. Luke was loud and boisterous and they knew the stories of the parties Luke Scott liked to throw. Brooke was the complete opposite; she came in five steps behind Luke and quietly introduced herself to the two men. When she followed him into the elevator and the doors slid closed, the two men shared a glance. They had seen a lot working in this building and all they could do was imagine what would happen now.

"Have you been drinking today?" Brooke asked in the quiet elevator. She was coming into a theory. He was more relaxed and open with her if he had alcohol in his system.
"Maybe."
"It's one in the afternoon." Brooke exclaimed as the light above the door showed they were nearing the top floor. "How much could you have possibly drunk?"
Luke counted in his head for a second but when the door opened and he was still counting Brooke gave up and stormed out. She had married an alcoholic.
"I was thinking; I've only had a bottle or two." He called out, following after her.
When he reached her standing next to the door, without saying anything he picked her up in his arms. Identical to what he had done last night.
"What are you doing?" Except this time Brooke wasn't drunk.
"Carrying you in. Like I'm meant to." He struggled to fit the key into the door. When he managed to get it open and get Brooke through the door he released her again and she stumbled as she caught her footing.

Brooke spent the afternoon unpacking boxes, while Luke pretended to unpack as well. So when she crawled under the covers that night and closed her eyes, ready for sleep and Luke cuddled up to her back she got really frustrated with what was going through his head.
"What are you doing?" She whispered as he started to kiss the back of her neck.
"Don't you like it?" He didn't stop. She couldn't bring herself to reply. Last night had been nice, and as much as she hated the situation she was in, she didn't necessarily want him to stop. So, instead she rolled over and started to kiss him back.
"We are married." She justified as Luke's mouth moved away from hers and down to her neck and collarbone. Why she had to justify their actions, though she didn't know.

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