Thank ya very much for the reviews! I've decided not to end this fanfic because I enjoy writing it so much…and I have so many ideas for it! There may be a love triangle or love square…try to guess who it is and tell me in the review! Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Vindicated

The Secret is in the Telling

Chapter 11:

Hope dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption
Winding in and winding out
The shine of it has caught my eye

"Brooke what's wrong?" Peyton asked Brooke as Brooke burst through her bedroom door.

"Nothing and everything at the same time." Brooke said with tears streaming out of her eyes. "I know I did the right thing but it hurts so much."

"What does, Brooke, tell me what's going on." Peyton said as Brooke sat down next to Peyton on her bed.

"I broke up with Nathan." Brooke said sniffling up a storm.

"You WHAT?!" Peyton shrieked.

"I realized we weren't meant to be, and it is so hard to be in a relationship when the two people feel differently for each other. I love him and he just likes me. And like is not enough." Brooke said wiping her eyes and taking a deep breath of air.

"Brooke, I know it's not my decision but I think you made a mistake." Peyton said rubbing Brooke's back in a circular motion.

"He doesn't love me Peyton, it's so obvious that he doesn't and I want to be loved, I can't live a lie."

"Brooke, calm down, I really think he loves you. Maybe, you should just confront him and tell him how you feel." Peyton said. Brooke stood up suddenly with a look of anger and disgust.

"Don't tell me to calm down, he doesn't love me and he was using me this whole time and I came to you for comfort but you just sat there and tried to convince me otherwise." Brooke said with a huff, "Shows me how good of a best friend you are."

"Brooke…" Peyton said getting cut off from the slam of her door. Brooke got into her Range Rover and drove to her house, slammed the red door and grabbed a bottle of vodka and went upstairs to her balcony over looking her pool. Her phone was vibrating like crazy inside her pocket so she eventually turned it off.

So clear
Like the diamond in your ring
Cut to mirror your intention
Oversized and overwhelmed
The shine of which has caught my eye
And rendered me
So isolated, so motivated
I am certain now that I am

"Nathan, what are you doing here?" Peyton asked as she answered her door to find Nathan standing there.

"I'm looking for Brooke and she isn't answering her phone, is she here?" Nathan asked

"She just left Nate, I wouldn't try to find her, she is in a really dark place right now, and I don't know why. She said she doesn't think that you love her, is that true?"

"Do you even have to ask that? Of course I love her; I love her so much it scares me." Nathan said

"I think you should just let her calm down and talk to her tomorrow before the big game."

"That's the problem if we don't make up before the game, I will play like crap." Nathan said raking a hand through his hair.

"Well, I don't know where she went but I'm sure everything will be fine." Peyton said giving Nate one last smile before shutting the door on him. Nate ran all the way to Brooke's house and rang the doorbell, he knocked until his knuckles hurt, and he rang the doorbell again.

Brooke put the unopened bottle down and listened to the annoying sound of someone at her house. She walked into her room and looked out the bay window to see Nathan down there. She opened the window and called his name.

"Nathan, I think it is time for you to leave. We're done just accept it." Brooke said wrapping her robe around her tighter.

"Brooke, listen to me. I want to be with you. I need to be with you." Nathan said but Brooke closed the window. She turned out the lights and curled up in her bed. She felt tears slowly coming out of her eyes.

Nathan grabbed a small rock from the side of Brooke's house and threw it up at Brooke's window. She didn't come to the window so he threw another rock. He kept on throwing them and throwing them until it was past 11:30 at night.

Brooke could hear the ping of rocks against her window and she knew who it was but she did not want to talk to him. She fell asleep to the ping noise. When she woke up rocks weren't being thrown at her window and she realized that it was a good thing. She jumped into the shower and when she came out her skin was raw from how hot it was. She changed into her cheerleading outfit and put on a baggy pair of sweats over top. She did her make up and her hair before getting into her Range Rover and driving to the high school. When she arrived almost everybody was there except Nathan. She walked up to where Peyton was standing.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry about last night. I was just kind of messed up but I'm better now. So, do you forgive me?" Brooke asked with her thousand watt smile glowing.

"Of course I do, you're my best friend." Peyton said pulling Brooke into a hug.

They were still embracing when Nathan showed up looking angrier than angry. He walked over to Whitey and checked himself in. He walked onto the bus without saying a word to anyone. He grabbed a seat in the back and blasted his music.

"People are going to start getting you mixed up for Lucas if you keep on brooding like that." Coach Whitey said as he walked back to Nathan.

"Ha, very funny."

"I'm not joking. What's wrong Scott, today should be the happiest day of your life, you are going to State." Whitey said with a look of concern on his face.

"This doesn't mean anything if there isn't anyone there for you to share it with." Nathan said with nothing but anger and meanness in his voice.

"What happened between you and Ms. Davis?" Whitey asked

"She broke up with me yesterday. And it hurts so much." Nathan said with a few tears seeping out of his eyes. He shoved the tears away.

"Nathan, if you two are meant to be together you will end up together. But you can't let this ruin your game."

"I'll try not to Coach." Nathan said as Whitey walked back up to the bus. The kids were starting to load the bus now and everyone was filling in the seats. He noticed that Brooke sat near the front with Peyton.

So turn
up the corners of your lips
Part them and feel my finger tips
Trace the moment for forever
Defense is paper thin
Just one touch and I'll be in
Too deep now to ever swim against the current
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip away
So let me slip against the current

"You really need to tell her how you feel." Lucas said as he sat down next to Nathan.

"I've tried; it's really hard to do considering she broke up with me yesterday." Nathan said scooting closer to the window.

"I'm sorry. She does love you; she just needs to know you love her back." Lucas said before slipping his headphones into his ears. Nathan thought about it for a while. They arrived at the gym and went into the locker room to get ready.

The cheer squad got ready in the cafeteria and went over their cheers. They all checked their hair and make up one more time before going into the gym. The boys were finishing up their warm ups when the girls arrived. Five minutes until game time. Everyone was getting anxious. Almost everyone in Tree Hill was there. They were all making noise in the stands cheering and showing their love for the Ravens. At the same time there were a lot of people for the opposing team there too. They were all cheering and showing their love too. The buzzer went off to show it was time to start the game. The announcer came on and announced all of the starting boys. And pretty soon it was tip-off. The Raven's got the ball and missed their first shot. The Bear Creek Warriors were leading by ten at half time. Nathan knew it was his fault; he wasn't playing as good as he should have been. Nathan got back into the zone and the boys went back onto the floor.

Brooke looked at the score and knew it was her fault they were losing. She wondered if she hadn't broken up with him maybe they would be winning right now. She punched herself in the thigh for being so stupid. She could have waited one more day. The boys were back on the court for the second tip-off. The Raven's scored a three pointer; they were now only losing by seven points.

Nathan got back into the game and started to score more and more points. Eventually the score was tied with a minute left. The Warriors scored a three pointer and fouled Lucas. Lucas shot his free throws and only made one of them. They were only down by two now. With only twenty seconds left the Warriors had the ball and they were bringing it up the court. The Warriors point guard went for the three pointer but Nathan blocked the shot and stole the ball. He ran up the court and shot the three pointer with half a second left and it went in. The Ravens won. Everyone ran onto the court. The cheerleaders dropped their pom-poms and ran onto the court. Nathan found Brooke instantly.

"Brooke, I love you and I want to be with you. I'm sorry I never said it before but I love you I do." Nathan said as Brooke jumped into his arms and kissed him with confetti going everywhere. In that one instant everything was perfect. The Raven's won the title of State Champs, Coach K saw Nathan and loved him, Brooke and Nathan made up, and Nathan had finally said those three little but yet so powerful and beautiful words: I Love You. Who knew that three words could mean so much? And then Brooke remembered she was leaving for New York that night and then in that instant nothing was perfect.

Vindicated
I am selfish
I am wrong
I am right
I swear I'm right
Swear I knew it all along
And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

Like hope
dangles on a string
Like slow spinning redemption...

Please Review! Sorry if it wasn't long enough but I have decided not to end this fanfic. The more reviews I get the faster the update. Tell me what love triangle you want to happen. BLN, BNP, BNLP…just tell me what you want. The song was Vindicated by Dashboard Confessional.

xoxo