"Ugh," I roll my head back feeling my neck pop. "I'm tired."

"Long day?" Clay questions as he finishes up our dinner for the night.

"You could say that," I trap my tongue between my teeth grinning about my daily events. "How was practice?"

"Exhausting. I would prefer spending an extra hour on the court then workout in the gym. Coach Whitey can be a bastard when he wants to be," he tosses some peppers on the pan making it sizzle.

"I bet. I've seen some of the stuff you do and I couldn't do any of it."

"That's because you have little baby arms," he pinches my arm and I jerk away giving his hand a slap.

"Be nice to me."

"Oh I'm always nice Sissy," he teases moving back over to the stove. "So Brooke…"

"So Clay," I mock going back to my history homework.

"I need to talk to you about something," he tells me and I nod for him to continue. "Well…" he awkwardly clears his throat and big brother suddenly turns very serious and I grow a little nervous. I hate when he becomes serious because I'm nervous he might say something about Lucas.

"Well what?" I watch him and he turns to look at me and my heart races. "Clay are you ok? I mean I know you went to the doctor the other day but you said it was just a check-up. You said that Coach was worried your physical from last year was running out and just had to redo it. Is something wrong?" my lip trembles something might be wrong with him. There can't be anything wrong with him; he is all I really have.

"Brooke, I'm fine," he shakes his head walking over to me. "It was just a check-up, I'm good," he smiles and I relax a little.

"God don't scare me like that!" I slap his arm. That is such a mean thing to do. Don't just say you have to say something then go all quiet on me. He knows how I worry.

"I'm sorry, I forgot how dramatic you were," he laughs, taking his thumb and knocking the little bit of liquid that was in the corner of my eye. "I should recall you always go to worst case scenario."

"I can't help it. My mind is just stupid," I flip my hand around and he chuckles.

"But I do need to talk to you and it… I mean I guess it could be kinda serious. Really depends how you look at it."

"Well as long as you're healthy, I will talk about whatever you want," I lean back in the chair giving him my full attention.

"Ok Brooke, you are my baby sister," he says and I want to remind him barely because we are just a few months separated in age but that point doesn't need to be argued now. "And I would never do something that bothered you because you come first. You know it's always us above everyone else."

"Yeah I know," I place my hands in my lap feeling guilty about the Lucas thing again. Clay and I really don't have secrets, when it comes to us it's normally an open book but lately I've been anything but honest with him.

"Well there is this girl," he lights up just a bit and I smile knowing where this is going. "And we've been hanging out some lately and nothing has happened," he rushes to say. "I just like spending time with her."

"Ok? Do you need advice on what to do about it?"

"No, I mean I know what to do. We've actually talked about it but just promised we wouldn't do anything until we were sure it was ok with you."

"Why wouldn't it be ok with me?" I look at him confused. "I mean I want big brother happy and I want my best friend happy so I don't care," I shrug and his eyes widen.

"You know?"

"Of course I know. As a girl we pay attention to things and I'm not stupid," I shake my head with a laugh. "I mean I love you both for worrying about me and what I think but I know you're a great guy Clay; probably the best out there and you are very level headed. I know you wouldn't do something unless you've thought about it completely and Quinn would be lucky to have someone like you."

"So you're ok with it?"

"Clay…" I stand up walking over to him and placing my hands on his shoulder, looking him dead in the eyes. "I am more than ok with it. But she hurts ya, she has to deal with me," I tease and he chuckles.

"Alright Brooke," he pulls me into a hug. "You're the best."

"This I know."

"But hey, we were actually talking going to dinner tomorrow night," he pulls back to tell me. "Nothing special, just like a small date but we were thinking you could come with."

"You want me to be the third wheel on a date with my brother and best friend?"

"No, I mean yes I guess but no. Ok, so someone has been annoying me to ask you out and I thought maybe if you just went one time he would leave it alone, you know?"

"Someone has been asking about me?" I nervously scratch my neck. "Not Felix, right?" I wonder because he has been acting weird around me lately.

"What? No! Definitely not," he tells me quickly. "It's Lee…"

"Lee?" my brows scrunch together confused. "Lee wants to go out with me?" I feel completely lost on that. I think the only time I've talked to the guy was that night we went to Tony's. Yeah he is cute and he is really funny but he just isn't really my type. Plus I mean what about Lucas?

"Yes and he has been annoying the hell out of me. I figured I would be there so he wouldn't do anything and then when it's done you can tell him you had fun but nothing more and he drop it."

"I don't know Clay; that seems kinda mean. I don't want to give him like false hope or something."

"You're the new cute girl, Brooke. No one has asked you out yet and I'm sure he just wants to be able to say he got to or something."

"Wow make me feel special."

"Not like that Brooke," his eyes rolled at me. "Just please do me this favor? He is seriously driving me insane. I don't really know what his interest is but he has one."

"Can I think about it and let you know sometime tomorrow?" I offered and he nodded finishing up the meal. I try to go back to my homework but I'm having trouble concentrating. Am I even allowed to go out with someone else? I mean, I'm allowed because I'm my own person but I don't know. I mean there is Lucas and I know what we are but still.

"Ok," Clay pulls me from my thoughts placing a plate of delicious food in front of me. "Enjoy," he ruffles my hair going to make his own plate and I just decide not to stress of the Lee, Lucas date thing and talk to him tomorrow when I go over.

"Uhh…" my body arches as he smashes his mouth back into mine. A feeling erupting in me as he thrusts hard into me, a few more times before his body draining with energy. "Glad we promised to do homework," my heart races in my chest as my breath races in and out of me.

"I have Human A&P third period," he murmurs against my mouth, his hand still gripping onto my thigh.

"Point being?"

"I'm studying the human body," he shrugs and I laugh, him clearly thinking that evens out.

"You're stupid," I roll my eyes, his mouth finding its new home below my ear. "Lucas…" I stroke the back of his neck wondering if now is a bad time to talk.

"What?" he pulls back to look at me, pushing my hair back from my face. "What's wrong? Why you look so…weird?"

"Weird?"

"Not weird but like thinking…what are you thinking?"

"Clay finally told me him and Quinn have a thing," I admit and not really surprised when I see him not surprised by that. "But he asked me to do a favor for him."

"Which is what?"

"He wants me to go out on a date with Lee…" I tell him, my fingers still massaging his neck as he looks down at me.

"Seriously?" something flickers through him before returning to just a blank stare at me.

"Yeah, apparently he has been bugging him about it and thought if I went one time it would make him drop it," I shrug, hating I can't get a read off his face. Normally I can read people but Lucas at this moment really has just a blank expression and that makes me nervous.

"Well…" he rolls off me and stares up at the ceiling. "You should go," he concedes. "Lee is a fun guy, you'll have fun," he shrugs rolling out of the bed and grabbing his boxers off the floor, pulling them on.

"You want me to go out with one of your friends?" I sit up on the bed clinging the sheet around me as I watch him shuffle around his room, picking up some clothes and tossing them in the closet.

"I mean if you want to, yeah," he doesn't look at me as he walks into the bathroom.

"Lucas…" I climb from his bed, bringing the black sheet with me. "I don't want to go if you don't want me too. Just say you don't want me to and I won't," I tell him like it's the simplest thing in the world.

"Look Brooke we have a deal," he turns to look at me and I can almost feel the chill run down my spine at how he almost seems cold towards me. "We promised if we start feeling something for someone else that would be it. I don't own you; if you want to go out with Lee go out with him."

"I…" my mouth open but slams shut not really knowing what I want to say to him. I don't like this Lucas, he is cold and snippy and I want the one back from a few moments ago who I was in bed with, I could care about that one.

"Hey, you might go out and realize you really like the guy or you don't and then just come back. But I'm not going to tell you that you can't date people because we are having fun. I know that's not fair of me to ask."

"Yeah, well maybe I'll go and see what happens," I run my hand tiredly through my hair, seeing that thing flicker through him again before returning back to his cold stare. I wish I knew what that was!

"Cool," he nods, pausing a moment looking at me before side stepping out of the bathroom and back to his bed. "You want something to eat?" he calls from what I can tell is heading out of his room.

"Sure," I call back, leaning against the counter thinking for a moment. Maybe I'm making this slightly more than it is, I mean just because I thought I might have been feeling something doesn't mean I actually am. Just like a fleeting moment that quickly passed. Plus just because I again thought it doesn't mean that Lucas did, or ever would.

"Brooke!" he yells from downstairs and I snap out of my stupid thoughts.

"I'm coming!" I call back; walking into his room, grabbing my underwear and pulling it back on along with his shirt. I love wearing his shirt; it's so big on me and smells so good. Running my brush through the tangle mess Lucas made my hair, I move back down the stairs to locate him in the kitchen.

"I think you only sleep with me so you can steal my clothes," he cracks an egg and I laugh, trying to relax back into the comfort that we normally share and not the tension from just a few moments ago.

"Maybe I just steal it because I like to see you shirtless," I shrug, swaying over to the counter and sliding up beside him. "You mock me and now cook it?" I glance down at the pan and he shrugs.

"It's good."

"I know it is, hence why I make it all the time," I smile and he again just shrugs. "Where did you get that?" I reach over strumming my finger over a scar I notice the other day on the side of him.

"What?" he lifts his arm to see what I'm talking about. "Oh, I was in a car accident. The steering wheel got jammed into my chest and broke a rib, making it break through the skin on the side."

"Oh my god," I freak, grabbing his arm and jerking him closer to look at it. "Are you ok?" I worry and he chuckles.

"I'm standing here aren't I?"

"Yeah, that's true," I release my grip. "Just to know how you got it…"

"What about you?" he flips the bread and I look at him confused. "I'm not the only one with scars Brooke," he points out and I shrink down and drop my eyes to the tile.

"I told you how I got that," I reach up rubbing my hand along the scar on my chest.

"Yeah that one," he takes my hair and moves it to my shoulder, my body shaking a bit as he strokes his finger over the back of my neck. "What about this one?"

"I fell," I mumble avoiding his gaze."I'm klutzy," I shrug, reaching over for the glass he was drinking from and taking a sip.

"This one," he takes my hand and slides up my sleeve, stroking over a round scar on my wrist.

"I burned myself."

"With what?"

"A pan," I answer automatically, always so good at explaining my cuts and bruises.

"And its round?" he glances down at it and I nod. "You're the one who said you want us to be honest Brooke."

"I am being honest."

"Then explain this one," he grips my thigh and steps in front of me. "Because this one can't be a burn or the cause of your falling," he twists it up to reveal a scar.

"How do you even see that? I don't even see it half the time," I look at the small mark, well it's not small but it's still not the easiest to see. Honestly unless I'm tan I forget the things even there.

"My mouth has become a very good friend of the lower half of your body," he explains. "Soon I will be able to know how to work things down there better then you."

"Promise?" I smirk and his eyes harden in a way I don't like.

"I'm being serious Brooke."

"I got this one straightening my hair," I tilt my head to the side to show the scar he pointed out. "Ask any girl I can promise you they've done it."

"The others?"

"Cigarettes," I tell him honestly. "This one because I smiled at a friend," I point at the one on my wrist. "And this one," I nod my head down, clearing the lump in my throat, "well this one was because I said no and I don't say no," I shrug and he strokes his thumb back and forth along it. "Many little scars, many stupid reasons, many things I won't forget."

"He hurt you often?" he looks up at me.

"Not at first, at first I was like his world. He treated me better than anyone but then I don't know…he changed, but not for anyone else just me. And all of a sudden I wasn't good enough. Not smart, or pretty or good enough. Nothing I did was right and he let me know it."

"Why didn't you just leave him then?"

"I did, a couple times actually," I tell him. "The first time he hit me I told him it was over and to never speak to me again."

"What happened?"

"He said sorry, he would never do it again. He was just drunk and it happened. And it was true, at first he never hit me unless he was drunk but suddenly it was like he was always drunk. So after that I left him again."

"And?"

"Well," I lift Lucas's shirt to reveal a scar across my back. "I tell people it was a car accident, it's easier," I shrug. "Then I don't know after awhile I was scared to leave him and honestly I was embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? What on earth would you have to be embarrassed of?"

"I can't explain it. I really don't know how but I just was."

"What made you leave him for good?"

"Clay," I tell him. "Back home we shared a bathroom and after one night I had come home and this," I point to the bite mark. "Had happened and I was trying to clean it up. Most the time it was easy because they were little or be under clothes but this one was harder. He walked in; saw it and I just broke down. I told him everything and he put me too bed, promised it would be ok and next thing I knew Jack was sporting a new black eye, a casted wrist and some really bad looking marks all over him. And big brother and his best friend Michael were walking around with some cut up knuckles."

"And he left you alone after that? I mean for good?"

"No, not at first. When he drank I would get a drunken call about me being a bitch and a whore and I would never find anyone better than him and no one would ever want me," I tell him and his eyes darken. "But after he went off to college it all stopped and I haven't heard from him since," I shrug and see about a million things race through those gray eyes. Caught a little off guard when his mouth is suddenly smashed into mine, him giving me probably one of the best kisses I've ever experienced in my life before pulling back, his forehead resting against mine as he breathes heavy, his eyes looking back into mine.

"You're amazing," he says and I go to shake my head and he cups my face to stop me. "No you are, you're a strong, gorgeous person who has dealt with a lot of shit, but you are still standing. He doesn't know what he was talking about when he said you weren't enough because honestly…well honestly I don't think there is anyone around this damn place who is enough for you," he tells me and a tear drops down my cheek. "And you're also super cute," he jokes with a smile and I let out a small laugh.

"Had to ruin that sweet speech with that huh?" I whip my cheek and he shrugs.

"I do have a rep to keep up with," he smirks and I smile.

"Maybe you should let people see this you more," I suggest and he shakes his head.

"This me doesn't come around often so take it when it does," he winks, knocking off my final tear.

"I'll take it," I lean up giving him a sweet kiss.

"But just because it doesn't come around doesn't mean what I said wasn't true," he makes more than sure I know and I nod.

"Ok," I agree, him giving me a smile and a 'good' before going back to cooking. Keeping his hand on my thigh and stroking that spot. "Where's Lily?" I try to lighten the mood, not wanting to be so serious at this moment.

"She went over to Leah's, Leah was planting a garden and she wanted to help," he explains and I nod, watching his hand as it moves on my leg.

"Want to go upstairs one more time before she gets home?" I test a little thought in my head and see him shake his head.

"Why don't we watch a movie?" he flips the bread onto each of ours plate.

"Sure," I lace my fingers through his and jump off the counter. "Let's do that," I lean up on my toes kissing his cheek. "Let's go Lukie," I tease, taking my plate and spinning on my feet.

"You're lucky you look so good right now," he waves his fork around me as I head out of the kitchen. "Because I don't let anyone but Lily call me that."

"But it's so cute," I tease and his eyes playfully slant into a glare, dropping his plate on the counter and taking a slow step towards me. "Lucas no!" I squeal, running away from him and towards the living room, quickly placing my plate on the coffee table so I don't drop it. "Lucas!" I giggle when his arms circle around my waist and suddenly we fly over the back of the couch. "No!" I struggle to breathe when he starts tickling me. "Lucas!" I laugh wiggling under him.

"What's my name?"

"Lucas, it's Lucas," I get a hold of his hands but he just flips my hands quickly and pinning them above my head.

"It's what?" he leans down, kissing the corner of my mouth.

"Lucas," I mumble before feeling his lips on mine, sliding my arms around his neck and pulling him closer. "Mmm...You taste yummy…like tangy orange juice," I giggle and he rolls his eyes.

"You're stupid," he climbs off me, grabbing his plate and the remote and dropping back down on the couch. "Now eat," he places my food on my lap, clicking on the TV and sinking down on the couch.

"Ok," I carefully snuggle myself a little closer to him, not at all missing when his hand drops to my thigh and again he starts to stroke that spot.

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