Disclaimer: I own nothing except the newly fixed Mac in which I wrote this on…
AN: So...a lot of really strong opinions from all of the reviewers. Nice to know that you guys are so invested. Also, I thought I'd written that in for the last chapter, but I guess I hadn't. When Lucas says he slept with Brooke he literally means he slept with her. Not we-had-sex-slept-together, but we-fell-asleep-together-slept-together. It was not a euphemism for sex.
The Bonfire of the Vanities
-xx-
My Depth Perception Must Be Off Again
"If I could do it again, I would do it differently. But you can't do it again."
—Jonathan Safran Foer
-xx-
Clay walks out of the little shop, Logan walking next to him, clutching his hand tightly. "I told you they have this insane chocolate ice-cream here, Loge," he tells his son, "Don't tell your mom I gave you sweets before dinner, though."
It's also conveniently walking distance from the playground. They've had a pretty kick-ass day so far, walk through town, catching a showing of The Avengers, and eating their weight in sweets.
"Our secret," Logan replies, his face already covered in chocolate, and then he links pinkies with his father. "I missed ya, Daddy."
Clay grins, boosts Logan up onto one of the picnic table in the playground, "Yeah, I miss ya, too, buddy," he tells him, "But it wasn't so long since I last saw you. And you know I call you every day. 'Sides, I was totally coming down to Chicago for your birthday. I've never missed a single one, have I?"
Logan nods, but doesn't grin. "It's not enough."
"No, kiddo," Clay sighs, "It really isn't." He tickles his sides playfully, "But we make do pretty good, don't we?"
Logan laughs, "We're awesome, Daddy." he concludes.
"Yeah!" Clay grins right back at him, "High-five!" God, he really does miss seeing the kid. "Hey, how about after this we go check out my new place? It's huge and it's really cool. I know you'll love it."
Logan nods, "I guess. I still think living at the beach is cooler."
The answer prompts a chuckle from Clay, who then freezes at the sound of his name being called out—"Clay!"
It's a voice he immediately recognizes.
"Don't act like you can't hear me, dipshit!" The voice belongs to Rachel Gatina.
Clay turns to face her, "Rachel." he says, "What're you doing here?"
"On my way to the store, I'm supposed to cover for Brooke. Thought it'd be nice to cut through the park." Rachel answers offhand, cuts her eyes to Logan, "Who's the kid?"
Before Clay can answers, Logan jumps to his feet, "I'm Logan Oliver Evans." he declares proudly, extends a hand out for Rachel to shake.
Rachel shakes the kid's hand, "Evans as in..."
Clay licks his lips, "As in my son, Logan Evans." he finishes, "Loge, this Rachel. She's a friend of mine. Rae, this is Wolverine. Also known as Logan."
"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Wolverine—also known as Logan Oliver Evans." Rachel does her best to put on a good showface, flashes him a playful smile. "Y'know, I got a son, too. A little boy a few years younger than you. His name's Jackson. Maybe you guys can have a play date together."
Logan grins, "Sweet." He turns to his father, "Dad, can I go check out the swings?"
"Knock yourself out, Wolve," Clay nods, "Stay where I can watch you. I'll catch up in a sec."
Rachel watches him run towards the swings, "That's..."
"Yep."
"And Brooke doesn't..."
"Nope."
"But you'll..."
"Yeah." Clay nods, rubs his eyes, "I'll tell her. I just need to find the right time."
Rachel watches Logan in a kind of trance, still trying to process what's happening, "This is heavy, Clay." She says, "How come you never said anything?"
Clay sighs, "It's complicated."
"Kids usually are," Rachel shrugs, "I gotta go. I'm late as it is."
"What, that's it?" Clay asks surprised.
Rachel raises an eyebrow, "What's it?"
"No anger, no death threats, no judgment or smart-ass remarks to make on the subject?"
"Hey, people in glass houses, baby." Rachel's been hiding Jackson from his father for almost two years. She really has no judgment. In fact, she doesn't even wanna ask too many questions. "Besides, kid looks happy and healthy. Cute, too. Finally something you did right. He actually looks too perfect to be yours."
Clay grins, "There's the redhead I know and love."
"Just tell Brooke, C." Rachel says, "I won't rat you out, but I don't wanna lie to her."
Clay nods, "I know. I'll tell her today." With that, Rachel's off to work and Clay's off to the swings, "C'mon, Loge! Lets see how high you can swing!"
All in all, he's happy to have his son in town. He's missed him far too much.
-xx-
Nathan sits at a booth, waiting for his brother to show up. His fingers tap the table anxiously as his mind tries to process the new information.
Clayton Evans has a son—a four-year-old-soon-to-be-five kid. Clayton Evans is a father. It feels surreal.
"Nate," Lucas greets, slides into the booth across from his brother, "Sorry I'm late. Meeting with the insurance people took forever."
Nathan snaps out of it, tries to appear cool. "Uh, yeah...sure. No problem. I still got a little while before I have to pick up Jamie." he chuckles awkwardly, "How's all that goin', by the way?"
"Pain in the ass." Lucas shrugs, "They're willing to pay up, but it's not enough to get TRIC open again. I'm trying to settle it without having to call my Mom in to deal with it—y'know her name is still on all the papers. And then it's another pain in the ass 'cause Red Bedroom's there, too." the brooder waves a hand dismissively, "Anyway, enough about that. How're you feeling? You doing all right?"
Nathan smirks, "Yeah. Everything's good." he says, "Jeez, one little hospitalization for a some smoke inhalation and a minor contusion, and suddenly everyone's worried about my health."
"Funny, Chuckles," Lucas rolls his eyes, "I'm your big brother. I worry about you. It's part of the job."
Nathan shrugs, "Well, I'm all good now, big brother. No need to worry. Um...so, insurance's a bitch, huh?" The raven-haired Scott asks in an attempt to change the subject away from his health.
Lucas nods, sips his coffee, "Yeah. Apparently our policy doesn't even cover all of the structural damage, let alone all the other repairs."
"Hales was talking about that yesterday. I think she, Peyton and Chris are working up some fundraiser or something." Nathan offers, "And speaking of everything, how're things with Brooke? Pretty bold gesture you pulled off the night of the fire. That score you any points?"
Lucas runs his fingers through his hair, "A few, though she's awkwardly avoiding me right now,"
"Very good," Nathan smirks.
"Hmm, speaking of the party, check this out," Lucas slides his iPhone towards Nathan, a digital copy of the invitation on the screen, "They do work fast."
Please come to the first annual
Masquerade Ball and Fundraiser
Thursday, the fifth of September
8 o'clock in the evening
The Camelot Hotel
4804 8th Avenue
Tree Hill, North Carolina
All proceeds will fund
the re-opening of TRIC Nightclub
& Red Bedroom Records
Black tie attire
Mask is a must
Nathan raises a skeptical eyebrow, "A Masquerade?" Lucas merely shrugs, "That seems like a bad idea. Hales sent this?"
"Actually, this is from Chris Keller. And why is it a bad idea?" Lucas asks, "I mean, you never know. It might be fun."
"Sure. 'Cause tuxes, alcohol and masks to hide who we really are usually conductive to good things." Nathan replies sarcastically, "I just got a bad feeling about the whole thing." he says, glances at his watch.
Lucas chuckles, "I think I kind of like the mystery of it all." he says, "Put on a mask, be someone else for the night. Or at least pretend to be."
"You really should be careful about that." Nathan advises as he gets out of the booth.
"And why's that, little brother?"
"Because someone else might be pretending, too." Nathan concludes, "And it's been my experience that adults playing pretend is a dangerous game."
Lucas furrows his brow, "When did you become the smart one?" he asks, places a few bucks on the table for the coffee.
"All that time with Haley." Nathan shrugs, "Some of it finally rubbed off on me."
"About time, too." Lucas jokes, "Give James a hug for me, will you."
Nathan nods, "Will do." he says, "Where you headed?"
"Something I gotta check out," Lucas answers in a non-committal matter.
"Okay, Mystery Man," Nathan answers, "See you later."
They proceed to do the guy-fist-bump thing, and then they're gone their separate ways.
-xx-
Brooke groans at the sound of the doorbell. The brunette is in serious design mode: still in her PJs, hair tied up in a messy bun and her glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose. Who dares interrupt her creative process?
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she mutters as she makes her way towards the door. She doesn't know if she's happy or sad to find Lucas Scott standing there. "Lucas..."
Lucas flashes her a smile, "Hey, am I interrupting?"
"Kinda. I'm running behind on the new line and today's design-cram day." Brooke answers, steps aside, "But come on in anyways, my brain could probably use the break."
Lucas waves a paper bag, "Well, I brought you some fuel—cherry danish, mocha double latte extra foam,"
Brooke's dainty hands practically rip the bag from his hands. "You are kinda my hero right now."
"I aim to please."
"Yeah," Brooke eyes him curiously, "But something tells me you're not really here bring me grub and caffeine..."
Lucas grins, "Well, not just for that," he starts, "but I do like to take care of you." The declaration makes her blush and look away. Lucas likes that he can still do that to her. "Uh, my other reason for being here: see, as of late, things have been feeling a little too final. With everything going on, things just feel too...heavy. So I'm taking it down a notch. It's not forever, not a big romantic gesture. It's just a date—dinner, maybe drinks afterwards. Nothing too fancy, keep it casual. I'll pick you up at eight?"
"Lucas..."
"Don't say no, Brooke. C'mon. One date." He raises his index finger, "Just one date."
Brooke cracks a smile at his insistence, "Fine." she sighs, "I could probably use the distraction—one date."
"That's all I'm askin'," Lucas says, presses a kiss to the brunette's cheek, "I will pick you up at eight, Pretty Girl."
Brooke winces slightly at the nickname, still not ready to once again attach who they used to be in high school to her name. "Not really ready for that to make a comeback, Luke."
Lucas nods in understanding. "I'm sorry."
"Just...I'll see you at eight."
Lucas smiles, doesn't want to press his luck. "Eight it is."
-xx-
With no TRIC to use as a meeting place, the James-Scott house is now central command for running RBR. The kitchen table is littered with documents and contracts and sheet music, a new coffee pot being brewed almost hourly now.
Haley is barefoot and currently pacing back and forth behind the kitchen counter. A yellow legal pad in one hand, pen in the other, and her cell phone pinned between her cheek and shoulder blade while she scribbles notes. "YES!" she exclaims, "Yes, that would be fantastic! Thank you so much." she hangs up, raises her arms in victory, "We've already lined up four sponsors for the benefit." she announces to her partner.
"That is great!" replies Peyton with a smile, "Thank god we're pulling this together so quickly. Okay, so I got the hotel to give us the grand hall for free, and talked the caterer down to a pretty decent discount."
Chris Keller walks into the kitchen now, carrying Sawyer Scott against his hip. (She's basically the only female who doesn't cringe at the sight of him.) "I just got off the line with Ryan, and he's in. He'll fly in with the band on the 21st. Now, who's the man?" he asks, raising his free hand for high-five. As per usual, he's left hanging.
"You'll five it, right, Peewee?" Chris asks Sawyer hopefully. The two-year-old doesn't disappoint and high-fives his hand giddily.
Peyton frowns, "Don't call my daughter Peewee."
"Brooke calls her Peewee." Chris Keller mutters only to get a notebook slammed against his head.
Peyton rolls her eyes, "Just go put her in the living room again. We're supposed to be working."
"Fine. Cranky, cranky!"
Jake's voice booms in, "Haley! Chris!" he calls out, "I'm sorry I'm late. Rae had to work so I had to get Jax—" The words halt at the sight of the curly-haired blonde he hadn't really spoken to in years. Jake sits Jax down on the counter, he sighs, "Peyton..."
A smile tugs at Peyton's lips, "Hi, Jake," she greets.
"Oh, this is a total Katy Perry soundtrack moment." Chris Keller whispers. Haley merely offers him a confused look. "Do I have to explain everything? It's clear that Jake and Peyton have a the-one-that-got-away situation goin' on here."
Haley rolls her eyes, "You're such an idiot, Chris," she mutters, "Um, I'll take Jax. Sawyer's in the living room watching cartoons." she picks up the blonde boy and pulls Chris with her to give the ex-flames a second to catch up.
"How've you been?" asks Peyton, "I heard you're shacking up with Rachel now."
Jake opts for ignoring the subtle dig in her tone, "Things are good. Rachel and I are getting pretty serious, and we are in fact living together."
"And Jenny?"
"Jen's good, perfect. Gotten really big since the last time you saw her." Jake grins with paternal pride, "Nikki's got her in LA till the end of the month. I'm picking her up next week."
Peyton furrows her brow, "You and Nikki finally made peace?" she asks surprised.
"Had to." Jake says, scratches the back of his head, "Um...so, uh, how's the benefit idea coming along?"
"Really good. C'mon, I'll catch you up on what you've missed."
-xx-
After a fast paced day, Logan's out easy. Kid loves the idea of living in a firehouse, particularly the fire pole. His new bedroom isn't all set up yet, but it's his bunk bed's all set up complete with X-Men sheets so he's a more than happy camper.
Clay on the other hand hasn't been able to turn his brain off. He continues to pace around his apartment, Blackberry in hand as he tries to figure out how to tell Brooke about Logan. And Sara.
A knock on the door pulls him from his thoughts. Clay slides down the pole and opens up. "Hey, Sara,"
Sara glances around, "Nice place." She comments, "It suits you."
"Yeah. Logan likes it, too." Clay comments, "He's asleep upstairs."
Sara nods, "How've you been, Clay?"
"Great. Everything's good." Clay runs his fingers through his hair, "Why're you really here, Sara? Don't say work. I know it can't be just work. And don't say because Logan wanted to see me, 'cause I know that's not enough for you to come around."
Sara shrugs, "Maybe I wanted to see you, too."
"Don't go there."
"Why not?" Sara asks, "I think I'm allowed to broach the subject. You're the one who walked away, Clay."
Clay's eyes widen in surprise at the accusation, "I asked you to marry me!"
"Yes. As I recall it went something like this: Shit! Um, uh...should we, like, get married now?" Sara mocks his voice and rolls her eyes, "With a proposal like that, how can a girl say no?"
Clay rolls his eyes now, "Oh, c'mon, you'd just told me you were knocked up! I was scared, but then I stepped up. I told you I'd be there for you, and you walked away. You don't get to play the victim, Sara. There were no wounded parties in our relationship."
"No, there weren't." Sara comments with a smile. All in all, they'd parted mostly amicably. "We burned out pretty brightly together,"
Clay can't help the grin, "Key word being out, Sara," he says, "We're in the past."
"You know, there was a time when you thought of me as the love of your life—"
Clay chuckles, cuts her off, "We were nineteen!" he says, "Things change. And I believe the most we ever said was 'I love you', no one ever talked about forever."
It's Sara's turn to chuckle, "You asked me to marry you!" Their arguing has always been playful, a battle of wits rather than an all-out fight.
"And you said no so you don't get to use it against me five years later!" Clay shoots back with a grin, "You said no. And that was the right decision. We weren't the right fit, Sara."
"Well, we've both done a lot of growing up." Sara reaches for his hand, "I've missed you, Clay."
Clay shakes his head, pulls his hand away. "Don't go there, Sara."
"You know, if Loge's asleep, I don't want to wake him." Sara replies, "I'm staying at a hotel in town, how about I pick him up tomorrow. I get out earlier so I should be here around four, five at the latest."
Clay nods, "That's fine. You know I love having him around."
"I know." Sara smiles, presses a kiss to his cheek, "I'll see you tomorrow, Clay."
-xx-
Clay is splayed on his living room couch, feet propped up on the coffee table and glass of Scotch in hand. He's kind of regretting not being able to get wasted right about now because alcohol seems like the perfect way to cope with his current situation.
What is going on with Sara?
Once more a knock on the door pulls him from his thoughts.
Clay heads downstairs and opens the door, only half surprised to find Nathan Scott standing there. "I'm not in the mood, Nathan," he warns, his tone making it clear that he does not want to talk about it right now.
Nathan rolls his eyes, "Dude, you're a father!" he exclaims, "You kid just showed up! Here," he tosses the agent a Bobcats jersey, "I signed that for him." he sighs, "I'm your best friend. Just talk to me, man."
Clay eyes the jersey, knows Logan will love to add it to his growing collection. "It was college." he starts, "Sara and I, we were the golden couple. For a while. On our senior year we were officially off and ready to go our separate ways. But...there was that last we-were-drunk-and-horny-and-nostalgic hook-up. I found out she was pregnant graduation day."
"And you what, walked away?" Nathan can't help a certain trace of disdain in his voice—father who walks away from his son, it's a little too much like Dan for his tastes.
"I didn't walk away!" Clay clarifies, clearly upset by the accusation, "Sara told me she was pregnant and that she was keeping the baby, and I did the right thing—I asked her to marry me. She turned me down. Custody issues are kind of a bitch to solve when you never married the mother. But I've never walked away from my son."
Nathan blinks, "Why didn't you tell anyone about this?"
"Asides from this particular disapproval I'm getting from you right now, why would I tell you that I have a son that I can barely see? I've no interest in anyone's judgment or pity. It is what it is."
Nathan shakes his head, "It's not pity, Clay. Look, you're...you're my agent and my friend—I trust you with my career and with my family. I just thought that went both ways."
Great. Now Clay also feels like a shitty friend, too. "It does, Nathan." He sighs, "Look, it's complicated. And I'm not exactly proud that I can't be a full-time, super-hero dad like you are."
"Clay. Just because you can't see your kid every day doesn't mean you're not his super-hero dad." Nathan says warmly, "I saw my dad every day when I was growing up and he was still a shitty father. I only met him for, like, five minutes, but it's clear that Logan loves you."
Clay rubs the back of his head, "It's just...complicated."
"Right. I get that. But you're part of the family, Clay. Don't shut me out, all right?"
Clay nods, "Thanks, dude. I won't." he raises the jersey a little, "Thanks for this, too. Logan's gonna love it."
"It's no problem. You should bring the kid around the house sometime. I'm sure Jamie would love to hang out with him."
"Yeah, that'd be a pretty kick-ass duo." Clay grins, "Uh, you already told Haley about Logan, didn't you?"
Nathan shrugs a shoulder, "She's my wife, man. If I don't tell her things she can withhold sex." He says matter-of-factly.
"The Bro Code doesn't apply there, huh?"
Nathan smirks, shakes his head, "Not at all."
"Fair enough," Clay chuckles, "All right, how about a beer then?"
Nathan nods, "Sure. A beer sounds great, man."
-xx-
The dark bar isn't particularly crowded. It hasn't much changed in the last eight years since the couple last visited together. Same stools, same pool tables, even the same old bartender.
"I can't believe you brought me here!" exclaims Brooke with a thousand-watt smile, her dimples poking out fully.
Lucas grins at her enthusiasm, "I told you I'd keep it casual." he says, "Wanna a beer?"
"Really pushing the walk down memory lane, huh?" Brooke teases.
Lucas shrugs, "Gotta stick to my strengths,"
Brooke smiles, "I'm making this pretty easy for you. If I remember correctly, you made me read that Steinbeck book in exchange for this excursion." She purses her lips in thought, "The Winter of Our Discontent." she says, pauses and licks her lips: "I wonder how many people I've looked at all my life and never seen." she recites.
Lucas grins, clearly surprised, "That's from the book!" he exclaims, "You remember that? After all this time?"
"Hey! You're not the only one who can memorize a quote, Scott."
Lucas' blue eyes focus on Brooke's, "You're amazing, you know that? After all this time, you still never cease to surprise me."
And it's nice to have him look at her like that, Brooke realizes, like she's breathtaking.
Brooke shakes her head, "Um, so, what are you reading?"
"Well, how do you know I'm reading something?" Lucas teases.
"I know that you have a paperback in one of your back pockets," Brooke says knowingly, "We've all changed, but not that much. We still are who we are. So, c'mon, what're you reading tonight?"
"All right," Lucas caves, "Milan Kundera. The Unbearable Lightness of Being."
Brooke does the frowny-pouty thing that both Lucas and Clay find charming. "Sounds deep." She chuckles, "Read me something."
"What?" Lucas asks, confused.
"Read me something." Brooke repeats, "You always used to read me something from whatever book you were reading. It was nice."
"All right," Lucas licks his lips, thinks up of a quote he particularly enjoyed from the book: "When the heart speaks, the mind finds it indecent to object."
Brooke raises an eyebrow skeptically, "Well, isn't that the perpetual conflict of every great story?"
Lucas asks, "What is?"
Brooke shrugs, answers as if it were obvious, "The war between what your head knows is right and what your heart believes to be true."
Lucas leans closer to her, "I don't know. I think my head and my heart are in pretty good accordance of what they want now."
"Yeah?" Brooke can now feel his breath across her lips.
"Yes." Lucas presses his lips against hers softly.
Brooke pulls back, a lazy smile across her red lips, "Um, I should probably get home."
"All right." Lucas nods, "Let's go."
-xx-
Clay walks into the store, Logan riding piggyback, "Hello!" he calls out.
To his surprise it's Rachel who pops in from the back, "Hey," she greets, "Hi, Logan!" Clay's look indicates he wants to talk. "Uh, handsome, can you watch the counter for me? I need to borrow your dad for a second."
"Sure!" Logan answers easily, "I can handle it."
Clay sets Logan down on the store's counter and follows Rachel towards the back, "What gives, Red?"
Rachel crosses her arms over her chest, "This is how you're gonna tell Brooke you're a father. Just bring the kid here and introduce them?"
"What?" Clay smirks, "Logan's cute—and not just because he's my kid. The cuteness factor overrides the surprise factor. So maybe Brooke won't freak out that much."
It's then that Brooke walks into the store, coffee cup in hand. "Hey, cutie, who do you belong to?" she asks upon spotting the boy sitting on her store counter.
"I'm Logan Oliver Evans." Logan introduces himself proudly. "Who're you?"
Brooke smiles at the kid's tone, "I'm Brooke." she answers, "And you're Logan Evans." she repeats, "Evans as in..."
And then that Clay pops out from the back with Rachel, "Dimples..." his voice trails off.
"Hey, Daddy," Logan grins, "I like Brooke. She's pretty."
"Yep." Rachel furrows her brow, "Definitely your kid. C'mon Logan. Lets give daddy and the pretty girl a minute." she says, picks the kid off the counter and disappears into the back room once more.
Brooke's eyes are wide, "You're a father?" she asks, "You have a kid? And you never thought to tell me that?"
"Look, it's complicated. I—"
"No shit it's complicated! You still should've told me!" Brooke cuts him off, "I-I share everything with you! I had sex with you! I was..."
Brooke was vulnerable with Clay. He had seen her at her highest and at her lowest. They shared everything.
Or at least she thought they did.
"Brooke, I'm sorry."
Brooke shakes her head, "Don't." she says, "Don't do the charming thing and don't use that gorgeous little boy to con me into letting this go. Just leave. I'll talk to you later."
"Brooke, just—"
"Clay." Brooke hisses, "Go."
-xx-
Clay walks into the diner, Logan in his arms, and immediately spots Brooke. The brunette is at one of the family tables, a chestnut-haired girl in her lap as they devour a stack of pancakes. Across from her sits Nathan with Jamie. Lucas is nowhere in sight, but Clay guesses he'll show up eventually.
"Hey!" Rachel walks up to him, flashes him a smile, "And hello, Logan!" she high-fives the toddler, "Jackson's over there with Jamie, you can go play with 'em if you want."
Logan grins at the suggestion, "Can I, Daddy?"
"Um, yeah, go right ahead, buddy," Clay mutters absentmindedly.
Rachel punches his shoulder, "C'mon, Jay and I got a table over there." She immediately notices what's got Clay's attention. "He's not coming. Haley and Nathan are babysitting for him, he and Peyton are stuck in meetings with the insurance people all day."
Clay shakes his head, "Y'know what, I think I'll just go."
"You just got here."
"Brooke won't want to see me. She's still a little too pissed off."
Rachel rolls her eyes, "So what? Five minutes with Logan and she'll fall in love and forgive you. Yes, your son is that charming."
"Okay, this boy is way too smart and cute to be related to you." comments Haley teasingly when she approaches the pair with Logan.
"Thanks, Hales," Clays says sarcastically, "Ready to go, bud?"
"What, you're leaving?" Haley asks surprised.
Rachel says, "He doesn't want to face Brooke."
"Clay!" admonishes Haley.
"That's not it!" Clay sighs, "She's happy. I can't take that version of her perfect future away. Brooke deserves to have the life she's always wanted—complete with a family and broody blonde kids." he cracks quite possibly the saddest smile Haley's ever seen, but his words are sincere. "And I'd never begrudge her what she wants. I want her to be happy. She deserves to have someone who loves her."
Rachel shakes her head, furrows her brow, "Clay," she says firmly, "you love her, too."
"But I'm no good for her." Clay says, picking up his jacket and grabbing Logan's hand. "I'll see you guys later." And with that he's gone.
Haley and Rachel stand side by side and watch the father and son go. "This is getting a little too complicated." The copper-haired mother mutters. "Lucas is my best friend, and I love him. But I really don't want to see Clay get hurt, either."
"Well, I don't care about Lucas." Says Rachel curtly. "I care about Brooke and I care about Clay. And I think they're good together."
Haley sighs, "No one can deny that Brooke brings out the best in Clay."
Rachel shakes her head, "It's not just that she makes him decent. And she does." She says, "But he changes her too. Clay challenges her—he can match her. Lucas is different."
"Don't belittle Luke." Haley says, defensive of her best friend, "He's good for Brooke. They've always been good together."
"I'm not saying he isn't." Rachel replies, "Not exactly. I mean, he'll always be good for her in that first-love kind of way. But I don't trust him."
Haley purses her lips, "You really need to stop the whole overprotective big sister thing you got going with Brooke. Trust me, I know from experience she doesn't like that."
"Brooke is the only family I have, Haley. Besides Jax that is." Rachel says seriously, "I'll protect her with everything I've got."
