Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or the Twilight Saga...

Chapter 14:

Masochistic

All night long, Brooke couldn't sleep. She was constantly haunted by dreams of when she met seventeen year-old Edward Cullen for the first time. Only this time, the six year-old Brooke Davis had been replaced by the seventeen year-old version. Everything started coming back to her more and more vividly. She could see the thick greenery that seemed to form a barrier around her and the outside world. She could smell the scent of the rain that hung in the huge old trees that stood taller than every building in Tree Hill. But mostly, she could see the hunger in Edward's eyes the first time he looked at her.

And that's when she woke up. Her heart would be racing from the terror and excitement she felt from the animalistic way he looked at her. It was as if he was a lion and she was some poor zebra that had been too slow to escape with the others. And she was face to face with her own worst enemy, but for some reason, she kind of enjoyed it. And that was exactly what scared her.

Each time she woke up, she bolted upright in her circular bed. She would scan the room for Haley, hoping she hadn't woken her roommate with her silly dreams. The first few times Haley hadn't been there with her, making Brooke's heart race even faster, because for some reason she was sure she hadn't been alone.

The final time she had allowed herself to fall asleep; the dream had proceeded further than any of the others before it. Instead of Edward stopping when he first locked eyes at her, he had continued towards her, pouncing upon the brunette and knocking her to the ground like a ragdoll. Then he loomed over her, his dark eyes twinkling in a way she had never seen. Then he plunged his face down upon her, kissing her in the crook of her neck before she felt him bite down into her.

"Edward, no!" She screamed, kicking her legs frantically until she thrashed her covers completely off.

"Brooke, are you okay?" Haley mumbled groggily, reaching to turn on the lamp beside her bed.

"Vampire," Brooke breathed out almost inaudible as she grabbed at her throat with both hands.

"What?" Haley asked her, clearly she hadn't heard Brooke's revelation and still awaited an answer to her own question.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Brooke lied, now rubbing the side of her neck to check for the bite marks from her dream. She looked at the clock, it was 3:27, not the time she had originally planned to get up, but it seemed like her mind was not going to allow her to get anymore rest. "I'm just going to get a glass of water," she explained to her friend. "You go back to sleep."

"Mmmkay," Haley mumbled, already rolling back over and pulling her blue blanket over her head.

Brooke waited until she was sure Haley had fallen asleep before she dared to make a move out of her bed. She grabbed her laptop and headed to the living room to see if she could put any meaning to her strange night and even stranger dreams.

Brooke walked into the kitchen and sat her laptop down on the counter. She decided to get an actual glass of water for herself before she got comfy on the couch. She flicked on the light by the refrigerator and was met by a fuss of moans.

"Ugh, is it morning already?" Jacob grumbled from where he was lying on the couch and slammed a pillow into his face, shielding his eyes.

"Jake, I'm so sorry," Brooke quickly apologized, flicking the light back off. Her earlier fight with Jacob had been long forgotten. "I totally forgot you were crashing here," she said, grabbing up a bottled water and her laptop.

"No, no, it's fine," he assured her. "Why are you up at…" he began and then glanced at his cell phone, "…3:34 anyways?" He finished asking her. "That's earlier than most rockstars," he added, turning on a lamp above his head.

Brooke smiled; even when he was half-asleep he was still her good-natured Jacob. "I guess I couldn't sleep," she admitted, making her way into the living room and climbing onto the sofa by Jake's feet.

"What's got you up in the middle of the night?" He asked her, moving over more to make room for her to sit down. "Still having nightmares about Shredder from Ninja Turtles?" He asked with a wide smile.

Brooke cocked an eyebrow at him as she narrowed her eyes. "Ha, ha," she said sarcastically. "Shredder was totally scary back in the day, thank you very much," she said with as much attitude as ever. "See if I ever tell you anything again," she challenged, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Awwww, Brookie, don't be that way," Jacob encouraged her, wrapping his arms around her in a big hug. "You know I only pick at you because I love you," he said, rocking her back and forth in his strong arms.

"I know," Brooke mumbled, rolling her eyes even though she knew Jacob couldn't see her defiant action.

"So what is it that has you waking up with the cold sweats?" He asked, releasing her and leaning back on one of the arms of the couch.

"Well," Brooke bit her bottom lip, debating whether or not to tell Jacob about her dream and what had come out of it. It wasn't any secret he wasn't a big fan of the Cullen's, especially Edward. "No, never mind," she quickly decided, jumping up from the sofa, and shaking her arms across her body.

"It's Cullen, isn't it?" He asked her, moving off the sofa to block the brunette's path. "You're starting to remember, aren't you?" He questioned her, grabbing Brooke's arms and looking into her face.

"Yes," Brooke reluctantly admitted. "I mean no," she then corrected herself. "I don't know," she finally settled with, hanging her head.

"You do know," Jacob told her, raising her chin so she was looking up at the much taller boy once more. "After what happened with you, and you left, do you know they quit telling all the old stories? The ones we used to love to listen to, but we never thought there was any truth to them," he said, his voice deep and serious.

Brooke just nodded her head at him. She didn't know they had stopped telling the old Quileute stories. But she did remember her grandfather telling them to her every time he tucked her into bed. She used to beg for the scariest story, and he always told her the one about "The Cold Ones".

"But they are true, Brooke," He continued talking to the brunette while swirls of different thoughts raced through her head. "You know what Edward and the rest of the Cullen's are. And you know they're not like us," he said, speaking sternly to Brooke as if trying to force her to buy this information.

"You're wrong Jake," she said, shaking her head from side to side as if to keep his words from entering her brain. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn't allow it. "He's not like the ones from the story. He would never hurt me. And neither would Alice. They're my friends."

"But they're not Brooke," he started, almost yelling before he checked his voice remembering Haley was in the next room asleep. "Me and Haley, we're your friends," he said gesturing between himself and the room where Haley slept. "We would never put you in any kind of danger. Or try to end your life," he finished, his voice somber, as he grabbed back onto Brooke's shoulders.

"And neither would they," She fought back with him, trying to wiggle out of his grasp. "I can see it in his eyes when he looks at me. He doesn't mean any harm, Jake. Trust me."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," he said coldly. "Brooke you are my friend, I've always thought of you as part of my family, and I will not sit by while you throw your life away for what? You think you'll finally find the love you always craved? Well you won't with him. All you'll end up with is another broken heart, and that's if you're lucky. You could end up with nothing," he finished.

Brooke finally jerked away from him. "Jacob, you're supposed to be my friend. You think this is how friends act? Friends are supposed to support one another—" she said, tears now falling down her porcelain face.

"Yes, Brooke," He interrupted. "And friends are supposed to keep each other safe. And that is exactly what I am doing for you. I am trying to keep you away from him. Only bad can come of you being with him. Can't you see that?" He asked her, not seeing how she wasn't getting this. His voice was getting louder and stronger with each moment that passed.

But Jacob would never understand. Brooke's pull to Edward was almost magnetic. Even now with her mind knowing what Edward really was, a vampire, though her heart wouldn't allow her to admit it, she couldn't be turned away from him. She truly was too captivated for her own good.

"Jake, I see that you are trying to help," Brooke told him, trying to be rational, and keep the situation calm. "But if you want to be my friend right now, you will stand by me. You will stop trying to force me to be a certain way. You're not my father. And if he doesn't care enough to even check in on me then what gives you the right to?" She said, starting to get worked up again as a fresh batch of tears poured from her hazel eyes.

"Because I've always loved the little girl with the dimpled smile that could melt all of Antarctica, and I won't sit back and watch him take her away from me. I won't be an idle bystander while she's destroyed," he said, taking a step back from the brunette, while he let his anger and frustration with her, with Edward, with the whole screwed up situation buildup inside him. He could feel his temperature rising along with his blood pressure and he knew he had to get some air.

"Jake, I—" Brooke started and took a step towards him, her face sympathetic somehow.

"Brooke, not now," he practically growled at her, holding up a hand that hold her not to come any further as he turned and bolted out of her front door.

Brooke stood, her jaw hanging open as she watched her childhood friend retreat faster than she had seen anyone move in a long time. It was nearly 4 in the morning, and he had no business going anywhere at this hour. But she couldn't worry about that now. She knew Jacob was a big boy and he would take care of himself. And she had to do the same thing, figure out of to take care of herself while getting to the bottom of this situation. Maybe it was time she went to find Edward.

It was getting closer to five o'clock when Brooke finally worked up the nerve to leave her house. She had debated and debated about what she should do. She wanted to talk to Edward, but she really didn't know how that would work out. Even though she felt she was safe with him, what if Jake was right and it was all in her head. What if she was just too broken to see what was good for her anymore? Plus, Jacob still hadn't come back, and that was just adding to the knotting that was going on inside her stomach.

Brooke wrapped a brown sweater around her pink pajama tank top, and slipped on a pair of green Tory Burch flats. Then she threw her hair up into a messy bun, and grabbed her purse from the countertop. She didn't even bother to leave Haley a note before she bolted out the door. She only hoped that she wouldn't wake up to find both Brooke and Jacob gone before one of the two returned.

She waded through the dark down to her car. But once she was inside and had cranked it up, she realized that she had no idea as to where to find Edward. She flicked on the overhead light and rummaged through her bag for her cell phone.

"Aha," she said to herself when she finally retrieved the device she craved.

She scrolled through her address book and stopped when she reached the one person she wanted to talk to. Quickly she clicked Edward's name and pressed the phone up to her ear while she waited for it to ring.

It had barely made it through the first ring when she heard his voice come through the line. "You couldn't even give yourself one night to rest?" He asked her, sounding much more awake than Brooke had expected for this time of the morning.

"Rest was the last thing I was doing tonight," she informed him, leaning over onto her steering wheel. "I was actually wondering if I could meet you somewhere." She said, hoping Edward would oblige her.

Edward was silent for a moment before he answered her. "I take it you've found out the answer to your own question?" He asked her, his voice even.

"I'm not sure," Brooke answered him, her voice uncertain. "Can we just talk about this face to face?" She asked him.

"I think I would prefer that," He admitted to her. "That is if you are sure that is what you want," he said, hoping she would change her mind, that Brooke was stronger than he was.

"That's what I just said, isn't it?" She spat, growing a little agitated with his evasion techniques. They were going to talk about this whether he wanted to or not. She was in too deep not to.

Edward stifled a laugh. "I guess it is," he told her. "Well should I meet you at your house?" He asked, already exiting his home and heading her way.

"No, I don't think that would be the best idea," she told him and Edward stopped in his tracks. "Jacob is staying here, well he was. He was mad and he left. He could come back at any minute though and I really don't want him to do anything that might wake Haley because you're there," she explained to him.

"I understand," Edward nodded to himself as he answered her. "How about I meet you down at the park down town," he suggested to her.

"Alright," Brooke agreed, thinking that the neutral territory would probably be best. "I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

"Be careful," Edward told her before he hung up the phone, knowing he wouldn't be waiting for her at the park for very long.

"You're already here?" Brooke asked as she approached where Edward was seated on a bench inside of the gazebo in the center of the park.

"You seem surprised?" He asked, observing her tone and features as he stood up and approached her.

Brooke shook her head from side to side and wrapped her sweater tighter around herself. "I guess I should have figured as much," she said, trying to get a smile to form on her face.

Edward smiled back at Brooke, only his smile was much more convincing. "Why don't we sit down," he suggested, offering Brooke his hand. She took it and he lead her back to the bench he had been waiting for her own.

Being here, this close to Edward just made Brooke all the more confused. She knew what all her instincts were screaming at her, but somehow he made her feel as if they were all wrong. She didn't see how someone who fed off humans could be here with her, holding her hand, and looking at her with eyes that seemed more adoring than any she had seen in some time.

"Something's wrong," Edward concluded as he studied Brooke's face, noting how her expression seemed to flinch as all her thoughts raced through her head.

"I just don't understand," Brooke said to him, her face falling as she let out a sigh.

"Well let me try to help you," Edward encouraged her, rubbing his free hand across her cheek gently, the other hand still keeping Brooke's captive.

Brooke nodded her head slowly and took a deep breath. "That's just it," she began. "You always seem to be looking out for me and earlier you kissed me. And why are you being so nice to me now? Shouldn't you want to kill me or something?" She questioned him, on her last question trying to force a smile as to not make things too deep.

Edward's jaw locked as he looked into her hazel eyes. He was seriously debating on what he should tell her because honestly, he was confused too. The way he was attracted to her didn't make sense.

"Or maybe that's just it," Brooke began, noticing the way Edward's expression seemed to be torn. She let all Jacob's word's raced through her mind. But she especially focused on…

"I won't sit back and watch him take her away from me. I won't be an idle bystander while she's destroyed."

"Please tell me everything between us hasn't been some elaborate plot to get me to trust you so that you could take advantage of me?" She asked him, her voice was almost trembling. It was the first time since she had actually known him that she felt scared in his presence. And it wasn't so much by what she thought might transpire between Edward and herself, it was more the realization that he might have betrayed her.

"Brooke," he began, his voice as velvety smooth as it always was. "You can't actually believe that. I know it is hard to understand. And I'm not going to lie; I have had to fight to suppress the less than human urges that you have aroused in me at times. But I haven't harmed you. And I won't harm you. You were right at the beach, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago," he explained, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb as he spoke to her.

Brooke simply nodded her head at his words. "So it's true then, you're a vampire, and y-you do k-kill people, that's what you eat?" She asked, her eyes seemed to be frantic as she spoke, stumbling over her last few words. All the while she was hoping Edward would deny her questions.

"Yes, I am a vampire," he answered, pleased that she had come to the conclusion on her own. "And no, I don't kill people, at least not anymore," he told her, wanting to be honest, but hoping it wasn't the wrong tactic to take with the clearly emotionally-fragile brunette.

Brooke gasped lightly and her eyes grew wide. "What made you stop?" She asked him, wanting to know what had caused such a drastic change.

Edward took his free hand and ran it through his hair. "I guess I didn't want what I had become to control me. I wanted to be more than the monster my instincts were begging me to be," he told her, looking down before he looked into her eyes.

"You're not a monster," Brooke quickly corrected him. She could see this was the part of himself Edward was the least comfortable with, and she didn't want him to feel as if he had to explain himself to her.

"Yes, I am, Brooke," He said, his voice more authoritative now as he emphasized his point. "But Carlisle has helped me to try and harness that part of myself. With him, my family and I, we try to be better than the others. We're very unique," he explained to her, his voice getting somewhat softer.

Brooke nodded her head, glad that he seemed to be calming down a bit. "I can see that already. I knew you couldn't be like the ones from the stories," she told him, forcing him to look at her.

"Well you were right. Our style of vampirism is much different from others of our kind. We only feed off the blood of animals," he told her. "But that doesn't mean that we don't still hunger for something more."

Brooke nodded her head slowly at him. It was so much more real now that he had actually said it aloud, and in truth that was probably the one thing she had been avoiding, it becoming more real. Edward was a vampire, there was no more trying to deny it.

"So being around me…" she began, but she left her voice trail off.

Edward picked up her sentence where she had left off. "Being around you is challenging, to say the least," he told her, chuckling lightly.

Brooke nodded her head once more. Of course it was. Here was the one thing his being asked for above all other, so close to him, yet he had to try to restrain himself from it. "Then why would you put yourself through that?" She asked him, wanting to understand his reasoning.

"Masochistic I guess," he replied with a shrug. "But whatever the reason behind my draw to you, I can't break it. I feel as though something bigger than me is pushing me towards you," he said, shaking his head.

"I feel that way too," Brooke encouraged him, squeezing his hand. "It is like no matter how loudly my instincts were screaming at me that I should run the other way. There was something else, something stronger, pulling me back towards you."

"Well than I guess there's no turning back now," Edward told her, locking into her eyes, his stare so piercing Brooke was sure he could see straight to her soul. "At least not for me, you know my darkest secret. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect you Brooke Davis," he vowed to her, leaning over and kissing her forehead.

"Well I can't go back either," Brooke confirmed to him. She was in too deep to turn back now. There was no other path for her.

So I waited a little longer than I intended to get this posted for you all, but here it is now! I hope you all enjoyed it!! So yay, Brooke knows! No more secrets there anyway...But there are other issues to come now! Anyways, let me know what you all thought about it!! Your reviews for last chapter were so sweet...I am glad you are all enjoying the story so much!! I love to hear that you are!! :)