"Hey Lucas," Brooke said, she was walking by the café and saw him sitting at the counter reading.
He turned his head towards her, "Hey." And then turned his head back to his book. She clasped her hands together, she felt nervous but didn't know why. Peyton's words must have gotten to her.
She gulped, trying to rid her throat of the lump that had wedged itself there, "Um…do you think we could talk?" He spun the stool around, so his back was to the counter, he propped his elbows on top of it. He looked at her expectantly with his eyebrows raised. She glanced around, the café was crowded, "Can we go upstairs?" She asked him. He still didn't speak to her, but led her threw the back of the café and then outside, the two walked up the winding staircase and ended at their destination. Lucas sat on the wooden picnic bench while Brooke nervously paced, she didn't know where to start, what to say to talk about what happened for the last few years. "Look, I know I'm not your favorite person, but…"
"That's an understatement." He said knitting his eyebrows.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I guess I deserve that."
"You deserve worse, but not from me." He told her.
She stopped pacing in front of him and looked directly in his eyes, "How did we get like this?" She asked him honestly, she leaned on the brick wall.
"I don't know, but I think you do." He still didn't understand where this conversation was going. He expected a conversation like this there freshman year, when they all met up again, but after everything that happened, he just didn't know.
Brooke closed her eyes, listening to her even breathing, she felt a calm fall over her, this was where she always felt safe and happy, the three would always meet here when one was upset, and this place would calm them down, "Did you two even miss me?" Her eyes popped open so she could see his expression.
"Of course," He said quietly.
She bit her lower lip and looked into his eyes once again, "Why do you hate me so much? I kind of get Haley's anger, but why do I deserve yours?"
He gulped hard, "I couldn't be friends with you," He shook his head, "It would have hurt Haley too much."
"I get that you two are best friends, but so were we." She looked down, "I don't want to be selfish but why is it always about upsetting her? What about our friendship?"
"Your unbelievable," His lips curled as he was shaking his head.
"What?" She said more shocked by his response then an actual question.
"How can you come over here and ask something like that?"
"I have my reasons."
"I'm not saying that everything that happened was your fault, but you abandoned her when her mother died."
"I didn't know!" She screamed frustrated, if she could go back she would have, "I was already hurt and I didn't know that was why she was upset." Brooke couldn't have said that enough, it was her worst mistake.
"What would she have done to hurt you enough to make you hang up on her?"
"My best friend and biggest crush betraying me." He looked down, ashamed.
"I can not believe that I've had 6 of these things." Haley told Nathan slurring her words. They were on their way back to their hotel room, and they were supposed to meet their parents within and hour. He laughed good naturedly, because he knew he was just as drunk. She shook her cup both silently listening to the ice while in the elevator. "Do you hear that?" She asked his suspiciously.
Knitting his eyebrows, "That's your ice." He laughed, she was hilarious like this.
"No listen, it's telling us something."
"Right," He said sarcastically, "I think your nuts."
"No for real." She paused for effect, "It's saying 'get more liquor'." They both laughed and got off the elevator.
"I don't think we need anymore," They each had 6 drinks and 3 shots.
"Dad's gonna be mad when he sees your bill." She slurred in a singsong voice.
"Our bill," He corrected.
"No way, my drinks were free." She bragged.
"That's right, that Greek God loved you." He teased her.
"I liked him too." She tried to act nonchalant, but her giggling came out without warning. She couldn't stop herself. He opened the door, and gave her a slight push.
"How's your dad gonna like it when he hears that the guy who got you drunk is the guy that asked you out." She spun around and faced him with her eyes wide, and a serious expression.
"You can not tell him." She said scared, "Seriously, he can't know, you have to cover for me."
"He already knows you drink."
"No not that, about the date." Nathan's face twisted in amusement.
"Your too young to date?" She scrunched her eyes warning him.
"No, it's just that he's overly protective and will want to meet him, and it just won't be good." She paused, as he shook his head understanding, "Please."
"Fine, but I don't do favors for nothing." She smiled and ran into her room.
Before closing the door she turned around and flashed him her sweetest smile, "Thanks!" She called and shut the door.
"Come on in and sit down," Her dad said loudly ushering them into the honeymoon suit. "Debra is still getting dressed, I'll go see if I can get her to hurry a little." He left them alone in the living room. Haley frowned obviously to him and sighed collapsing on the sofa. He sorta smiled and sat next to her.
"Here drink this." He told her handing her the cup he carried from their hotel room. She glanced down and curled her lip, not taking the cup. "The hangover is starting isn't it?" He placed the cup in her hands.
She smelled the cup, and glanced up at him, "What's this?"
"It'll get you threw dinner, but drink up." He pushed her hand towards her mouth, "If your dad sees you drinking this he might get angry." Nathan said grinning. She took a deep breath and threw the rest of the golden liquid down her throat. She gagged, not realizing that it was scotch, and it made her want to throw up. Nathan laughed at her expression, "I didn't mean drink the whole cup. Scotch is something you savor not chug." She narrowed her eyes and shoved the cup at him.
"You coulda warned me." She accused. He took the cup and warmly put his arm over her shoulder, still laughing. Before she could say anything else their parents stepped into the room, laughing about something they said in their bedroom.
"Mom, you look great." Nathan said standing and forgetting what just happened. She grinned up at her son and gave him a hug.
Smiling over at Haley, "I hope you two didn't get into too much trouble earlier."
"No not too much." Nathan said winking over at Haley.
"What did you two do?" Deb asked the two of them.
"Nothing like what you two did." Nathan said pointing between the two adults. Deb laughed.
"Well I hope not." She responded, Haley felt like she was going to throw up. She stood and left the hotel room, with everyone following her.
The four walked into a family style Greek restaurant, not too far away from the hotel. It was quiet and cozy, only 4 other people inside eating. The young hostess led them to a table that overlooked the ocean. Haley's dad pulled out the chair for Deb and then for Haley. They all looked down at the menu, the words danced around Haley's menu, she closed her eyes and tried to focus, but the Scotch was starting to get to her. Nathan noticed that Jeff was looking at Haley curiously, so he nudged her with his elbow. Startled she looked up and smiled at him, he smiled back.
"So you guys never did share your day with us." Jeff said drawing them away from their smiles.
"We went swimming," Haley, told him, hoping she wasn't slurring her words.
"It was a gorgeous day, I bet the water felt great." Deb said, Haley let out a sigh of relief they didn't notice a change.
"Did you meet anyone?" Jeff asked.
"Um…not really." Haley replied.
"You forgot…" Nathan began, but the server showed up and interrupted him.
"Can I get you something to drink?" She asked, Haley could hardly understand her because of the accent. Nathan looked at her obviously taken back by her beauty; Haley felt a pang of irritation.
"We'll take a bottle of your finest wine," Her dad told the waitress. She smiled and nodded and turned towards Nathan.
"I'll take a glass of the wine." He told her confidently.
"That's funny, no you won't." Deb spoke up, only slightly amused.
"The drinking age is 16 here." He told her, embarrassed that his mommy was telling him what to do. Haley silently cheered.
"Well the drinking age for this family is 21." She told him. "They will both have sodas." She told the waitress, who nodded.
"No I won't. Don't order for me." Haley said annoyed by her stepmother, "I want a water." The waitress left the table and Haley looked directly at her dad, "Before we set limits for this 'family'," she said putting quotations over family, "We should at least wait and see if we are going to make it as a family."
"Let's not start with that," Deb began.
Haley angrily spun her head towards the woman, "Why not? I mean nothing was ever really resolved." Haley finished.
"Haley." Her dad warned not hiding his anger.
"No dad, I'm tired of pretending. We are not a family, and we never will be a family." She told him. She stood up and left the table, she didn't want them to see her tears falling, and she couldn't stop them any longer. She sat on a bench they had outside the house and wiped her eyes. She knew he came out and sat next to her, but she didn't look at him until he put his arm around her. He kissed the top of her head when she pulled him closer to her. "You must think I'm such a cry baby." She said once she knew her voice was stable enough.
"No, but would it matter if I did?" He had his face buried in her hair, so she could feel him smile.
"No, I don't care what you think." He laughed, "I'm not usually like this."
"They don't call it liquid courage for nothing." The both laughed briefly, he pulled his face away, and she looked up into his eyes. His blue eyes filled with concern for her, and her brown eyes glazed over with tears. A tear fell from her eye, and he reached up and wiped it away with a soft finger. He gently placed that hand under her chin and lent down close to her. She felt his hot breath on her mouth, she could take her eyes off of him, instead she felt a magnetic pull towards him, so she followed it and leaned in a little closer. She closed her eyes and allowed him to kiss her, it was soft and sweet. He pulled away and her eyes fluttered open, she stared back at him, noticing his eyes were looking at her intently.
"Oh Nathan, you should have done that." She whispered.
"Why…" Before he could finish she pulled him back towards her and kissed him with a sense of urgency, and he kissed her back with the same emotions.