A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews again, everyone! There was one that I'm taking into consideration, depending on how it would fit into my story. With that, I'm encouraging you all to give me feedback, because I really take them to heart and it helps me with the writing and finding inspiration so I don't have a dead end chapter. So I hope this one makes sense.
CHAPTER TEN: MOVING ON, LETTING GO
Orange juice, pancakes, and bacon were the only things she could come up with for breakfast that Saturday morning. She didn't even have any syrup. It was then she realized how much she'd managed to neglect her own home by having a stack of bills yet to be paid for, and the lack of food in her refrigerator. Luckily, she found the pancake mix in the back of the pantry and prayed the bacon was close to edible.
Wrapping her robe around her to completely conceal the nightgown she was donning, she took a seat at her dining table, noting the silence that overwhelmed her house. It used to be that she'd scream at Peyton to turn down her music on Saturday mornings and the blonde would readily have breakfast on the table to make peace. Strangely enough, she didn't know which she missed more: the friend or the food.
The knock on the door snapped her out of her trance and she quickly placed the half eaten bacon strip on her plate as she stood up, making sure the robe was still in place. She heard a familiar voice behind the door and a smile crept on her face as she opened it.
"I thought I heard my favorite man," Brooke greeted her godson, whose face was lit up from seeing her. She crouched down to give him a hug and the little boy wrapped his arms around her neck, "Morning, handsome."
"Morning, Aunt Brooke," He replied, releasing himself from her grasp.
"Favorite man, huh?" She heard Nathan's voice from above her.
Brooke looked up and put her dimples on display as she stood up, "That's right." She tousled the little boy's hair before he excitedly ran into her house, "What are you guys doing here?"
Nathan, who has holding Gracie in his arms, replied with a shrug, "Thought we could all have breakfast together. Jamie's been getting used to Saturday mornings with his Aunt Brooke so I figured we'd thank you by taking you out to eat." He took a quick glance in her house, catching a glimpse of the glass filled with orange juice and a plate of bacon and pancakes, "Unless…you've already had breakfast."
"Well," She answered, putting one hand on the door and one on her hip, "I'm pretty sure anything's better than the cardboard I'm tasting on my tongue right now from all that," She waved her hand towards the dining table, and Nathan laughed as Gracie wriggled in his grasp.
"Give me a few minutes to get ready?" Brooke asked, stepping aside to allow him to enter her house.
"Is that girl code for one hour?" He joked, although mentally preparing himself.
"Maybe more, maybe less," She answered him with a wink before closing the front door, leading him to the living room where Jamie had taken it upon himself to watch cartoons. "I'll try and hurry."
"Cool, we'll be waiting." He took a seat on the couch beside his son, cradling the little girl in his arms while he watched the Disney channel as Brooke smiled to herself before retreating upstairs to her bedroom.
Brooke and Nathan watched Jamie devour his waffles, whipped cream and strawberry sauce surrounding his lips. She chuckled at the sight while Nathan offered to wipe up his face, shaking his head at the little boy. Beside Brooke sat Gracie's car seat, and she faced her father with a smile on her face, cooing as Brooke tickled her tummy.
"How's basketball going, Nate?" Brooke asked, her eyes switching from his and to the baby beside her.
"I'm getting there," He answered her, smiling both at the woman and the girl in front of him, "It's helped me heal, that's for sure."
Brooke nodded as she turned her full attention to him, tilting her head to the side slightly, "It's about time you get back out there, Scott. I just can't see you without basketball for so long."
"Well, what about you? How's your company doing?"
She groaned, half-jokingly, as she leaned back into her seat, "The store could do better, but taking into consideration the big picture? It's doing really well. The L.A. and New York stores are my biggest successes so I can't complain."
"Then why open up a store here in Tree Hill? I think aside from you and my families, no one else can really afford it."
She scoffed at his honesty, tossing her napkin at him, "My stuff is not that expensive, thank you very much. But I guess couture doesn't really fit in the same place as Tree Hill. I guess I just wanted to bring something home…"
"Did you ever regret leaving Tree Hill?" He asked with curiosity, taking the napkin she threw at him and placing it on the table neatly.
"Nah, I wouldn't have seen or done the things I did if I stayed. But I regret not keeping in touch often," She admitted, "Especially missing out on the first four years of my god on's life."
Jamie shot her a proud smile, his mouth full of waffles as he fidgeted in his seat, strangely happy this early in the morning.
"Well I'm glad you came back," Nathan confessed, "this town is just not the same without Brooke Davis."
"Brooke Davis the devil cheerleader or –"
"Just Brooke Davis," He cut her off, and she caught herself beginning to blush as he put her in her place with a grin. She managed to push down the redness that would've easily taken over her face and gave him a thankful smile.
"Daddy," Jamie spoke up, swallowing the waffles in his mouth. Nathan and Brooke's eyes both shifted to Jamie, who seemed eager to tell his father something. "When are you gonna ask Aunt Brooke to move in with us?"
Nathan gave his son a pointed look, shocked that he even had the idea in his head. Brooke felt the redness creeping up again, but caught herself just in time as Nathan quickly looked at her, offering an apologetic look for his son.
"What?" Jamie asked, as if there was no problem with the question he asked his father, "You told me you like having Aunt Brooke at home—"
"Jamie," Brooke cut him off, looking into his eyes as she reached for his little hand, "Why don't we go see your mom after breakfast? We can show her that cool new sweater you're wearing."
As if he'd completely forgotten about his sudden outburst, Jamie nodded his head as Brooke turned her eyes over to Nathan's, hoping the awkwardness had surpassed them. Nathan gave her an embarrassed chuckle, while Brooke wondered to herself if Jamie's question had any truth to it at all.
"…I'm not giving up on us, Lucas. I just need this for myself." *beep*
He stared at the answering machine, as if it was a crystal ball ready to give him any answer he was seeking. Her words clouded his mind as he stood in the dark living room, with boxes yet to be unpacked and the lack of decorations they'd planned to put on the walls.
*Flashback*
"Please don't give up on us, Peyton," He begged her as he held her hand in between them, grasping it tightly with every word, "We've been through a lot…"
"I'm not giving up, Lucas," She admitted, although it pained her to feel his touch on her skin, "I'm just…I need some time to think."
He nodded his head, knowing no matter how hard he tried, he was bound to lose this battle, "I want you to talk to me."
"That's not really the issue here, is it, Luke?" She turned to look at him, her eyes glazed over with tears.
"Look, I'm sorry I kept the letters. If that makes you feel insecure—"
Peyton groaned in frustration, releasing her hand from his as she stepped back, "God, Lucas. You don't get it, do you? I don't really care if you keep the letters, what I care about is that you have the nerve to even bring them out and show her! What did you think that was gonna do?"
"I wasn't really thinking, okay? I mean, it's Brooke…she and I have been through so much and it was the one thing we'd always have—"
"You know what, Lucas? I can't do this. I can't compete with your ex-girlfriend through letters—"
"What are you talking about? That's now what I'm saying…" He defended himself, turning to fully face her.
"Then what, Luke? Tell me. Tell me that you're not saying you'll always feel connected to her, you'll always love her, that you can't stand not having her be a part of your life!"
*End flashback*
Lucas sighed, aware that at that moment, he'd officially been slain and fallen to the ground. Her words held so much truth to it that he couldn't understand how it was possible he'd felt this all these years. Even when he was with Lindsey, the woman he claimed he loved with all his heart. And now with Peyton, the wife he promised to share his life with. The wife who knew he never completely let go of Brooke Davis. The wife who packed up her things that evening and left for the airport.
The following morning, Brooke held Jamie's hand as she unlocked the door and walked into Clothes Over Bros, noting the emptiness of the boutique. She looked around for any sign of life, particularly the woman who should be running the place. "Rae?" She called out as Jamie took his usual place on the chaise and turned on the television. Brooke placed her belongings onto the counter, walking to the back in search of her assistant.
"Uncle Dean!" She heard Jamie's voice call out from the front, and she returned to see Dean and Rae walk into the store.
"Hey, where were you?" Brooke asked, the image of a happy couple before her flying over her head, "I thought you were gonna open and I show up and the store's still clo—wait."
Rae had a smile plastered on her face and she held up her left hand to reveal the engagement ring resting perfectly on her finger. Brooke practically jumped out of her skin as she rushed to her friend and engulfed her in an embrace, "Oh my god!"
Dean and Jamie watched the two women squeal like children and the little boy didn't hesitate to ask, "What's wrong with them, Uncle Dean?"
"Uh, girls do that when guys give them something to show how much they love them." Dean explained, shaking his head at the sight of the giggling women before him.
Brooke released the woman from her embrace and immediately took a hold of her hand to admire the ring, "It's so gorgeous! I knew it would—"
Dean cleared his throat, almost exaggeratingly and Brooke caught herself just as Rae became curious, "I mean…congratulations!" Brooke finished, turning to Dean and giving him a high-five and a wink for a job well done.
"You have to give me the details," Brooke chirped, as Rae nodded thrillingly. Brooke smiled with excitement and her eyes quickly shifted to Dean's, hinting for him to leave so she could hear the details of the proposal. Getting the hint after a few moments, Dean excused himself, mumbling about meeting with Nathan for something, and the two women watched him exit the store and get inside his car, waiting for him to drive away before they joined hands and jumped up and down like juveniles. Jamie, clearly not amused at the image before him, turned his attention back to the television and made sure to turn up the volume to drown out the squeals.
Rae took Brooke's hand and led her behind the counter, both women still not able to keep their eyes off the engagement ring.
"How did he do it?" Brooke wriggled her eyebrows, anxious for the story.
Rae laughed, lovingly remembering the way Dean proposed to her, "We had breakfast in bed, actually. I woke up and he was holding this tray of breakfast and I didn't think anything of it until afterwards, when he gave this speech and just pulled out a box with this ring inside."
Brooke tried to imagine the scenario in her head as Rae's face went from pure joy to sudden worry, "You don't think I'm crazy, do you?"
"What?" Brooke answered, "Of course not, honey. I think it's great! Did you guys set a date yet or…?"
"Actually," Rae smiled once again, reaching for Brooke's hand and holding it up between them as she clasped it in hers, "first, I wanted to ask if you'd like to be my maid of honor."
It was as if Brooke was transferred to her past—twice. The first time, Haley was her bride; the second time, it was Peyton. She almost found it bittersweet when asked for the third time, but was still honored to be considered for such an important role in her friend's life.
Brooke simply nodded her head, "Of course, Rae." The two women shared another hug, Brooke thinking to herself if the Gods had something against her.
"Big, bad Dean Winchester is settling down," Nathan teased him as Dean made himself comfortable on the couch in the nursery.
Nathan had Gracie on a changing table, shifting his attention between his daughter and best friend, pausing momentarily to poke fun at the newly engaged man. "So you guys gonna have a big fancy wedding or keep it small and simple?"
"For your information, Martha Stewart," Dean started, "We haven't even talked about that part. I'm thinking this is the time we could get to know each other better."
Nathan raised his eyebrow, "So…you're doing it backwards?"
"Don't judge me." Dean retorted, spreading his arms out to the side and resting them on top of the couch, "Because I don't wanna have to kick your ass before I even get a chance to ask you to be my best man."
Nathan finished clipping closed the baby's onesie before turning to Dean with a surprised look on his face, "You serious?"
"Nah, I'm messin' with you. I was actually gonna ask that guy Skills…" He joked in reply, laughing at the annoyed face Nathan gave him.
"I'm honored, Dean," Nathan answered, carrying the baby and placing her back in her crib, "That means a lot." The two shared an awkward smile, not knowing whether to give each other a hug or bump knuckles. Nathan chose to extend his right hand and Dean quickly made a disgusted face.
"You're kidding, right? Gracie just pooped."
Nathan laughed, obviously forgetting he hadn't washed his hands and laughed as he walked out of the nursery, Dean following him down the hallway. "By the way, can I just say, we just had a really gay moment in there?"
"You're the one who couldn't wait to tell me and followed me into the nursery," Nathan returned, wiping his hands clean after washing them.
"I was antsy, come on. I'm engaged! I never thought I'd say those words in this lifetime," Dean proudly admitted, sticking both his hands in his pockets.
"And in the other lifetime?" Nathan wondered.
"I'm married to Gisele Bundchen," He answered matter-of-factly, as if the whole universe should've been aware of it.
Nathan chuckled, patting him on the shoulder as he moved past him, heading downstairs after giving a quick glance in the nursery to check on the baby. Dean followed him down the stairs, eventually ending up at the kitchen where he slipped onto the stool behind with counter with ease. Nathan handed him a water bottle before leaning against the counter to face him.
"Jamie blurted to Brooke about having her move in."
Dean, almost choking on the water he drank, set the water bottle down on the countertop and snickered before giving a full laugh, "My man. I see where your balls have gone."
"That's…disgusting," Nathan shook his head.
"So what happened? Did you ask her?"
"No," Nathan replied, eliciting an eye roll from the other man, "I just don't think it's appropriate."
"Why not?" Dean asked, getting seemingly impatient with the situation.
"Because of Haley—'
"Okay, Nate, news flash," Dean cut him off, "Haley's gone. And I'm not trying to be mean; I loved her and all, okay? But seriously, I think she'd be totally fine with Brooke moving in to", pausing for a second and using his fingers to make quotation marks, "help you out with the kids."
Nathan shook his head, aware that Dean thought it was redundant of him to say that it was the reason he really enjoyed having Brooke around. Truthfully, he knew there was much more to it than just helping him with the kids. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Besides," Dean continued, "if she was just a friend and nothing was ever gonna come out of this whole wannabe platonic relationship you claim to have, then having her move in should be harmless…right?" He smirked at the younger Scott.
Nathan stared back at him, knowing he'd been defeated before he even got a chance to defend himself. Maybe Dean's right; maybe having Brooke around at home wouldn't necessarily harm their relationship. Or friendship. One of those. He did enjoy her company more than he thought he would. Jamie and Gracie adore her, and she adored them. Maybe it'll help both of them in the long run. His mind tried to come up with as many reasons to ask her to move in the house, but Dean cleared his throat, breaking his train of thoughts and the silence between them.
"You're seriously gonna ask her, aren't you?"
Brooke sat on the chaise next to her godson, who was completely occupied with an episode of Spongebob Squarepants on the television. Rae had managed to turn down her excitement enough to be able to work, occasionally shooting Brooke a smile at the thought of being engaged.
"So Rae and Uncle Dean are getting married, right?" Jamie asked, his eyes not once leaving the TV screen.
"That's right," Brooke nodded.
"And that's what happens when two people love each other, right?" He continued, and Brooke furrowed her brows in curiosity to his questions.
"Yeah…" She replied, wondering where he was going with this, "Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering," Jamie shrugged, reaching for the remote control and turning up the volume with no shame, causing an exchange of confused looks between the two women.
"Uncle Lucas!" The little boy exclaimed, and Brooke looked at him, more confused than ever. Her eyes suddenly turned to the man entering the store as Jamie ran to him, being swept quickly off his feet for a hug from his godfather. "What are you doing here?"
"To see you, bud," He answered cheerfully, putting the kid back down and turning his attention to the brunette who was slowly standing up from the chaise, "And to talk to Aunt Brooke."
Jamie, sensing the tension between his godparents, excitedly ran to Rae and reached for her hand, "Come on, I think I have more coloring books in the back." Rae happily obliged, following the little boy as he tugged her hand to lead them to the back room, leaving Brooke and Lucas in the middle of the empty boutique.
"Hey," She greeted him, half-heartedly.
"Hey," He gave her a grin, noting the way she'd expressed herself with a lack of enthusiasm, "How've you been?"
"Better," She abruptly replied, as firm as she could.
"That's good," He nodded his head and sighed, "I need to talk to you about something."
Nathan sat in the living room by himself; television turned off, baby monitor on. In the last hour since Dean left, he ran off a list of reasons in his head as to why Brooke moving in would be a good idea, but he was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
Lucas stood on the other side, greeting his younger brother with a nod before being invited in. "You're not gonna kick my ass, right?"
Nathan shrugged, remembering the last time they'd seen each other, "Depends what you did this time."
"I come in peace," Lucas offered, momentarily raising both hands in the air to claim innocence, "I just need a favor."
Nathan remained tight-lipped, but offered an expression that let his brother know there won't be any physical damage between them anytime soon. Nathan led him to the living room, sitting down on couch as his brother sat on the other chair.
"What's up, Luke?"
Lucas sighed as he made himself comfortable, leaning forward to place both elbows on his knees, "Peyton left."
Nathan wrinkled his brows and leaned closer, positioning himself the same way as his brother, "She left?"
"We…tried to talk about things and she said she needed time for herself," Lucas explained, recalling the night of the fight, "So she packed up her things and left for L.A."
Shocked by his sister-in-law's drastic action, all Nathan could offer was sympathy for his heartbroken brother, "I'm sorry, man. What are you gonna do?"
"This is where that favor comes in," Lucas started, "I need you to take care of Brooke."
"What?" Nathan asked, wondering if he heard him correctly.
"I'm going after Peyton, Nate." Lucas stated with determination, "She's my wife. I love her. And I need to make this marriage better."
"So…both of you leaving is gonna make it better?" Nathan tried to understand the situation, but as soon as he pieced it together, he shook his head in disappointment, "I guess no Brooke equals a happy marriage, right?"
"That's not what it is, Nate," Lucas tried to defend himself, "I care about Brooke, I do. But Peyton's my wife and I need to make things right. I can't do that—"
"If Brooke's around to remind you of how you really feel," Nathan interrupted him, coldness surrounding his words.
"Nathan," Lucas sighed, hoping the younger man would understand better, "Just do me that favor?"
"Have you told her you're leaving?"
Lucas nodded, "Yeah, I went to see her earlier. I don't know who she's more angry at, me or Peyton."
"If you were her, how would you feel?" Nathan shot back.
Lucas stared back at him, knowing his brother made a point. Nathan shook his head, trying his best to find the upside of the situation. "I hope you know she's gonna be torn apart by this."
"I know," Lucas agreed, "so I'm hoping you can take care of her."
She always said this was her world away from the real world. The serene lake in front of her provided her the peace of mind she couldn't achieve when she was at home. She'd been sitting here for the last couple of hours, wondering to herself how everything had suddenly changed ever since she returned to Tree Hill. She wondered when it was that she fell for Lucas Scott again; or better yet, if she ever stopped loving him in the first place. All she knew was after today, she needed to let him go.
"I thought I'd find you here."
She recognized the voice behind her and she shrugged at the question, "Didn't think anyone cared."
Nathan took a seat beside her on the grass, amazed at the beauty of the lake before them. "Hope you don't mind me showing up to your world away from the real world."
"I take it Dean ratted me out," Brooke said, remembering the time she suggested this place for Rae and Dean to go on their first date.
"He did," Nathan replied in all honesty, "But he's never been here."
Leave it to Dean Winchester to be full of surprises: even he had the audacity of respecting something that was sacred to her. She sat on the grass with her legs crossed, her eyes not once leaving the view before her.
"He's leaving, you know," Brooke spoke in a soft voice that matched the stillness of her surroundings.
"I know," He answered, sighing as he did so.
They both stared out onto the lake, seemingly aware of the circumstances that unfolded earlier that day. If you listened closely, you could hear her heart slowly shatter and it pained him to know he had little power to heal it. "Brooke, what happened before the wedding?"
She hadn't had the nerve to tell him about the fight before the wedding, and it took all of the strength in her to finally confess to him, "He got cold feet before the wedding. He called me…and he told me to meet up with him at the airport. And he told me it was all a big mistake and that … he loved me." She wiped a single tear from her cheek as she continued, "Then he asked me to leave with him. He had the nerve to ask me to get on a plane and fly with him to New York…and leave Peyton behind."
Nathan, shocked at her confession, finally spoke, "And Peyton knows about this?"
She shook her head, "No. She can't know. No one knows. I begged him to come back with me to the church and with luck on my side, Haley just happened to see us arguing as we pulled up in the parking lot. Needless to say, he made up this story about getting cold feet and he called me to help him snap out of it."
Nathan almost wished he didn't ask about what happened, but felt hurt knowing how much weight she'd been carrying on her shoulders since then, "I never told anyone that. Peyton can't know about that. And this is why Lucas and I have had a hard time together since then…"
Her eyes were glazed with tears as she recalled the moment he'd ask her to leave with him. A big part of her wanted to take his hand and hop on that plane, leave everything behind and begin a whole new life together. But that wasn't her.
"I couldn't object at the wedding, Nate. I couldn't. No matter how much my heart ached as I watched them stand there together. No matter how much it hurt when his eyes looked into mine for a moment when he slipped her wedding band on. I'm supposed to be the maid of honor. I couldn't object…" She trailed off, wiping a single tear from her cheek.
"I'm a horrible person, right?"
Nathan lightly scoffed, putting his arm around her as he did so, "That's called bravery, Brooke Davis."
"Yeah, right. If I was so brave, why do I crumble every time he's around?" She asked, the very question coming into his mind at the same time.
"Because he was your first love."
She sighed at the truth of his words, "He was. But I'm not in love with him anymore. So why is it so hard to let it go?"
"He was a big part of your life, Brooke. And you don't have to be in love with somebody to be weak around them. I don't doubt that someone who had such an impact in your life would be difficult to let go of."
"I guess it's a good thing he's leaving then, huh? Not having him around might make it easier." She acknowledged, finally finding some kind of closure if she hadn't already done so.
"Come here," He gestured for her to stand up as he did so, and she complied as she reached for his hand that he'd extended, "You're a strong woman, Brooke Davis. And I, of all people, know how strong you are," He looked into her hazel eyes as he kept hold of her hand, "If you ever doubt that about yourself, take a good look at how you've helped me and the kids move on from Haley being gone. Without you, I can't even imagine how bad of a shape we would be in. But with time and you by our side, we're getting better. And trust me when I say this, you'll do the same. 'Cause you've got me and I've got all the time in the world to be there for you through anything."
She barely let out a smile before Nathan pulled her in an embrace, placing a kiss on her forehead as she nestled her head against his chest, slowly letting go of the man she loved for a long time. She'd never imagined in a million years that Nathan Scott would be the one to get her through one of her hardships, but as he held her closer to him, she could swear their hearts began to beat all the same.