Chapter 21

Lucas let himself into Haley and Nathan's house quietly. He didn't know if Haley and Nathan were still there but she had promised they would be gone. It took a couple minutes to check the house but they were gone. He stood in the living room and took a deep breath. He had just under an hour to get everything ready and he was feeling the pressure but he was also feeling strangely excited.

And he hadn't felt this excited since high school. When he had finally became Brooke Davis's boyfriend. And then he had stupidly wrecked it by going after Peyton instead of holding onto the one girl who knew him best. And now he was going to get her back.

He went back to the hallway and picked up the first bag and went back to the guest room. He could already smell the sweet scent of the rose petals and felt his excitement kick up another notch. Some people might find the thought of a room full of rose petals kind of cheesy or tacky but he knew Brooke thought it was romantic. He could still remember their conversation that night, word for word.

"So what's your ideal romantic night?" Brooke asked slowly rubbing her hand up and down Lucas's chest. They were laying on his bed listening to some music and talking about anything and everything that came to mind. It was just a night for relaxing and cuddling. Something they both loved very much.

"My ideal romantic night," Lucas repeated thoughtfully. They were both coming up with questions and taking turns answering them. It was a great way to get to know each other and it was fun making fun of the other person.

"Let me guess," Brooke said smiling. "Basketball on the TV, pizza on the coffee table, and the little woman doing the dishes in the kitchen," she teased laughing when he started tickling her.

"And you as the little woman," Lucas said before he settled back down. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair before he decided to answer truthfully. "No, seriously, my idea of a romantic night is any night spent with you."

Brooke hid a smile before she turned her head to look at him. "Now Broody, that was such a line. Don't think you are getting into my pants using lines like that. I'm a real classy girl," she said sticking her tongue out and crossing her eyes. They both laughed for a while but soon were back to relaxing.

"So what's yours?" Lucas asked curiously.

"My ideal romantic night," Brooke said smiling. "Well, I'm a girl so I've been planning this since I realized boys don't have cooties." Lucas smiled but was quiet. He really wanted to hear what she had to say. "Soft music on the stereo, something romantic but not country, too depressing. With dinner waiting on the table; grilled cheese, tomato soup and strawberry cheesecake for dessert."

"Grilled cheese? Tomato Soup? The cheesecake I can understand," Lucas said chuckling.

"Shh, this is my romantic night," Brooke said pretending to smack his shoulder. "Candles everywhere, vanilla scented, big ones, small ones, floating ones. Just everywhere. And in one special room, the room where you will spend the rest of the night, roses. Not the flowers but petals, everywhere. I love the smell of roses. There isn't any better scent."

"And that's it," Lucas said softly.

"No," Brooke said turning her head to stare at him. "The best part of the night will be dancing in your arms until dawn." She leaned forward and placed the most tender of kisses on his lips.

He started tossing out handfuls of petals. He didn't think there was suppose to be any rhyme or reason to it so he just threw the petals out until the whole room looked evenly covered. He started setting up candles on every even surface in the room. He had spent over a three hundred dollars on candles and rose petals for this night. But hopefully when he saw the look on her face it would all be worth it.

As soon as the living room looked perfect he went to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner. Haley had already laid everything out, so it was a snap to put it all together. He was still shaking his head at Brooke's idea of a romantic dinner. Grilled Cheese? Tomato Soup? It was probably the only food she could make at the time. He was just finishing setting the table when he heard the front door opening. He hit the kitchen lights before she saw them on. He took one final deep breath before she walked into the kitchen and froze.

"Lucas? What?" Brooke asked confused looking around.

"I'm a jerk Brooke," Lucas started. He had planned on not giving her even a chance to walk out on him. If he opened up with something that would catch her attention then she would want to stay. If only to see how the night went. "I have been letting you down since we met 6 years ago. And I keep trying to re-enter your life and have a relationship and I keep letting my damn fears get in the way."

"Lucas…" Brooke said softly but she didn't know what to even say.

"But I am here to say I am not going to be afraid to tell you," Lucas said but paused when his heart literally jumped into his throat. He was going to take that step that had been five years in the making and he just wished it was already over with. "To tell you that you are amazing. You are beautiful, wonderful, kind-hearted, and my best friend. I could go to you any day of the week and know that you would be there. You always have been. Even when I made that damn mistake back in high school, you were still my friend. But that mistake has been between the two of us ever since. It puts the shadow in your eyes every time we are alone and I think something is about to happen. And I can't change that. It was in the past, and I wouldn't change that. Because it taught me something. I learned that you are the only girl for me."

Brooke could feel the tears fall down her face and she was telling herself to wipe them away but she couldn't, she was paralyzed in this moment of fear. She wanted to go to Lucas and make him be quiet, he was about to change everything and she wasn't sure she was ready for it.

"I need you to come with me," Lucas said holding out his hand. This was a crucial moment; if she couldn't even take his hand then he didn't know what he would do. As the seconds ticked by Lucas could feel himself tense up. She was staring at his hand like it was going to bite her or something and he was about to drop it when she tentatively laid one of her hands in his. He turned his head away, not wanting her to see the tears that had flooded his eyes.

Brooke followed Lucas as he led her out of the kitchen and towards Haley and Nathan's guest room where she was staying. She opened her mouth but ended up freezing when she saw the her room. It was her fantasy come to life. She was swept away with memories. She'd been imagining this moment since she was ten years old and to have Lucas give this moment to her was simply perfect. She walked into the middle of the room smiling at the scent of roses and vanilla mixing together. "Lucas," she whispered afraid to speak to loudly. She didn't want to wreck the moment.

"The night you described your ideal romantic night was one of the best nights of my life. But I'm ready to live your fantasy," Lucas said walking towards her. Brooke took a deep breath before she looked into his eyes. She could always read Lucas's emotions in his eyes. And what she saw made her start to cry harder.

Lucas smiled as he wiped away her tears. "I am completely, totally, one hundred percent in love with you Brooke Davis," he said kissing each one of her eyes. He leaned down and grabbed the CD player remote and hit play. When the opening music of The One started playing she looked up at him in shock. "I didn't understand until today that this was your song about us. I assumed, like pretty much everybody else in America, that you had feelings for that movie star. But I know better now and I thought it would only be fitting for our first dance of the night be to your song."

Brooke couldn't form a sentence but she did put her arms around his neck and lean up to give him a soft kiss on the lips. She laid her head down on his chest and they slowly started swaying to the music both lost in their own thoughts.