Hey guys! Hope everyone has been doing well. School has gotten extremely hectic for me but I have not forgotten about the story, don't worry. Only a few more chapters left before it's done! I feel kind of sad. Thanks for all your lovely reviews!! Anyway, Here's Chapter 19. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy!

Oh, btw, my other new story, How to Love a Guy in 10 Days is a Brucas. A friend of mine wanted me to change it up a little bit b/c I was originally going to write it as a Brathan but I decided to differ it up for her. So if you guys like Brooke and Lucas I suggest you try it out. Thanks: )

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"I can't control my destiny, I trust my soul, my only goal is just to be. There's only now, there's only here. Give in to love or live in fear. No other path, no other way. No day but today" –RENT

Surprise. A State of Amazement. Realization. The Act of Comprehending Something Completely and Correctly. Remorse. Moral Anguish Arising from Repentance for Past Deeds. Fury. Great Anger. Love. A Deep, Tender, Ineffable Feeling of Affection and Solicitude Toward a Person. Scare. A Condition or Sensation of Sudden Fear.

This was what Brooke Davis was feeling as she sat on a kitchen bar stool, staring at the man before her as he spilled out every detail from that night three days ago. His every word threatened to break down the walls she had started building up again after arriving in New York. The truth was a powerful thing. It could either make you or break you. As he continued to explain what had happened, she closed her eyes and inhaled slowly, taking it all in.

Flashback Start

She stared at him. His hands were in his pockets and he was rocking back and forth on his feet, obviously nervous. His blue eyes stared into hers, silently asking her to respond. She looked up at the guy she knew so well and finally spoke up.

"What are you doing here?"

"Brooke…I came here for you."

She laughed hoarsely. She couldn't believe him. Was he that dense? After everything he did, did he really think that she would come running back into his arms?

"For me? You sure you're not looking for you ex-wife?"

He started up at her, hurt evident in her eyes but also understanding.

"No, I came here for you. What you saw wasn't what you think it is, Brooke. I wasn't cheating on you! I would never do that! Just give me five minutes so I can explain. Please."

She laughed sardonically in his face. "And why the hell should I? After what you did you should be glad I'm even talking to you for this long. What makes you think that I should listen to you?"

He looked up into her eyes, staring deeply as if in search of something. She diverted her gaze, his blue eyes so intense that she had to look away.

"Because I love you. And I know that you still love me."

This one statement made her jerk her head up. Of all things he could have said, she would have never imagined him to pick that one. The scary thing was that it was true. She still loved him.

"You have five minutes, Nathan."

End of Flashback

She had told Aaron to go play with his toys in his room, while she sorted thing out with Nathan. She had definitely not regretted her decision. She finally realized the truth: she was a complete idiot. He had nothing wrong and she had just snapped to worse conclusion and ran away. Ran away without any sort of explanation or confrontation.

Why was it that she always assumed the worst? Why hadn't she trusted him? A voice in the back of her head replied, He cheated on Haley once before. You cheated on Lucas many times before. What makes you think that Nathan would be faithful to someone like you? A mom of two kids, each one having a different dad. A scared, insecure person who has no clue what is in store for her in the future.

She quickly made her inner thoughts die as she re-opened her eyes to stare up at him.

"…and what I'm pretty much trying to say, Brooke, is that I love you. I love you so much and I would never ever hurt you or the kids in anyway. I'm sorry about Haley, but I swear that nothing happened. It was purely platonic and we just fell asleep. The roses and candles weren't for her; they were for you. I wanted us to have a night together, a night to celebrate finally being a couple…."

Nathan continued to ramble on, so desperately trying to convince her of what really happened. She knew he was telling the truth. The look on his face proved everything.

"…Brooke, I love you. I think that ever since that day three years ago a part of me has started to fall for you. And now I stand before you with you, Brooke Penelope Davis, as the only person in my heart. I love you so much. Please believe me."

She did believe him. As she started at the guy who held her heart, all she wanted to do was jump into his arms and give him the deepest, most passionate kiss ever. She wanted to feel those lips which she had missed so much and make love there and then in the kitchen. She wanted to tell him that she love him, too. She wanted to tell him that he was the one. The one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, living happily together as a family with Aaron and Shelly. But she didn't.

Although he had done nothing wrong, there was still a part of her that didn't want to trust him again because truthfully she was scared as hell. She knew how much seeing Nathan and Haley on that couch broke her. It was as if someone had died. She never wanted to be put in that position again, to feel that vulnerable and lost. To her, the only way to prevent that was to avoid any possible situation where she could get hurt. That meant avoiding Nathan, the one true love that held her heart in his palm.

She took a deep breath and started, knowing that she was going to be breaking two hearts in the process: hers and his. "Nathan, I do believe you." Hope filled up his eyes, smiling as he took a step forward. But as she continued, he halted. "I do believe you, but I can't do this. We can't do this. I'm sorry."

His smiled instantly faded. He started walking backwards, trying to get away from her as if she was some sort of lethal bacteria, until his back connected with the refrigerator door. His eyes showed so much hurt and confusion and coldness. She offered no explanation. No reason for why she had rejected him. But inside he knew. He could always read her like a book. They were alike, the two of them. Both of them usually needing a push in the right direction. Nathan already got his from Peyton. Brooke was still hiding and he knew it.

He stared at her, even though she was purposefully staring at her feet, taking any chance to avoid his gaze. He gave a short sigh and then turned around, making his way back to the door, out of her life.

She knew he was walking away and all she wanted to do was scream to stop! To not leave her because she loved him and she was sorry. But although her mouth opened, the stubborn words just wouldn't come out. That one piece of the wall would not shatter.

As he reached the door, he turned back around and caught her gaze. He could tell she was surprised that he hadn't just left. He wouldn't do that because he had something to say and he wasn't leaving until she heard him.

"I know what you're doing, Brooke. I know that you're probably scared, and I know how much you hate when your heart is exposed out in the open because you're afraid that you're going to get hurt. But listen to me when I say this. I know you love me and I sure as hell love you, but you need to stop running. Stop running away from me Brooke because one day when you may realize that running will get you nowhere, I may not be there. I'll wait for you, Brooke, but know that I won't wait forever."

On that note, he left, leaving a broken girl to cry to herself.

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She sat there, curled up against a kitchen cabinet, with tears flowing down her face, his words echoing inside her head over and over and over again. Stop running away from me Brooke because one day when you may realize that running will get you nowhere, I may not be there. She had to stop running. She had to. But before she could, she had to deal with some stuff. Things that were keeping her away, the unfinished business.

Quickly wiping her tears, Brooke realized what she had to do right then. Grabbing the phone book, she searched for a particular number, her fingers brushing page after page. Finding the one in mind, she picked up the phone and dialed, patiently waiting for someone on the other line to answer.

"Hello, you have reached Delta Airlines. This is Jane. How may I help you?"

"Hi, I need one ticket to San Francisco as soon as possible…"

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End of Chapter 19! Hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R!!! Thanks: )