Authors Note: Big, huge, hug and lots of love to my friend Miranda who stayed up till 2 am betaing this for me, thank you. As for the last chapter I will tell you all this Lucas was acting like a hard ass he barely made any mention of Brooke but when he was alone away from it all what song was he listing too? Could it mean he had Brooke on the Brain. Now here is the chapter I worked my butt off on it! It's long but its one of those chapters that so important you can't cut it make sure you take your time reading it lots of info in it. Please review and CATHY hello LMAO I updated again I'm halfway there. Btw like usual there a bits of hints in this chapter it's what makes writing so much more fun let me know if you catch them. Also for the people who ask the drama is about to start!
Chapter 20
Long line of pain
Peyton could barely keep her eyes open as she strolled into the spacious blue and white kitchen of the Gatina's beach house. She'd had had a long restless night, the three girls had arrived in Tree Hill some time after midnight and had immediately crashed in their respective bedrooms. All of them expect for Peyton. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to fall asleep. She had laid there all night staring at the ceiling, her heart beating rapidly over the fact that a mere few miles away Jake was sleeping and she couldn't be with him. All night long his image at the hotel, with that look in his eyes was branded in her head. The serious look, the one she dreaded and no matter how hard she tried she couldn't escape it. They'd had no contact since that fateful night, not that she had expected it. She was too proud and he wanted something she couldn't give him.
Letting out a small sigh she walked over to the counter where Rachel was standing dressed in a pair of Juicy cropped velour burgundy pants with the matching hoodie. Her red hair was on top of her head in a loose knot and she was pouring coffee into two mugs.
"Morning sunshine!" she said cheerfully to the blonde who gave her a scowl, but took the mug from her.
"This place gives me the creeps. Being back here is just so wrong."
"Well I see someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"Actually there was no waking up. There was just me lying awake all night."
"Aww poor baby. Were you having terrible nightmares about walking around town in nothing but a sheet? O wait," Rachel said as she broke out in a big, walking over to the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of creamer. "That already happened."
Peyton couldn't help, but give Rachel an evil glare as she sat down on a stool and put her head on the counter. She didn't dare say anything about that night. "I can't believe I agreed to come back here. What the hell was I thinking? What the hell were you thinking? She's nuts. This is just bad, bad, bad. We should know better than to listen to Brooke."
"Oh God Peyton! Quit your bitching. You've been bitching for the last three days. No one forced you to come. You're acting like we chained you to the plane and it's getting old. We both told you to stay in New York, but you had to tag along. I could have handled this on my own"
"Oh thanks a lot! I feel so loved."
Ignoring her Rachel sat down next to her, humming softly to herself.
"Can you stop being so damn happy? Since when are you a morning person?"
"Since I talked to my son this morning and he sounds fantastic. And Espie stocked up the fridge with all our favorites. I told her to pack up Tucker and we should be on our way home in a few days, hopefully sooner. I can't wait to see him. It's been a long month."
"You told Espie we were here?' Peyton asked, sounding surprise.
"I'm a mother. Of course I did, but remember it is Espie. She'd rather die than spill my secrets, especially to my mother."
"Of course she would never tell anyone, that woman is one of a kind. You could stone her, set her on fire, beat her to a bloody pulp and she would take your secrets to the grave. She is so devoted to you."
"Yes she is," Rachel stated, letting out a happy sigh. "Espie is like my mother in many ways. She is the only mother I know. I love how full of life she is and how much Tucker loves her and she has made it very clear she isn't retiring any time soon. Anyway it's a beautiful day. What are you going to do today? It's still warm out. Want to hit the beach?"
"Nope. I'm going back to my room, hide under the bed or in a closet and drink myself into a stupor. I told you this place gives me the creeps."
Rachel said nothing as she took a long look at her friend. Her eyes were clearly swollen from crying, her hair was a mess and wearing a long black t shirt and white socks, she look like death.
"How could this place give you the creeps? Look at the view. How can you not love that view? It's so calming," she said as she opened the French doors and pointed to the view of the ocean inhaling the salty air . "This is an amazing house. I mean don't you remember the parties we used to have here? The wild sex we had with all those hotties, not to mention the days we would just sit out on the deck drinking wine and talking about everything and everyone."
"Yes I do! But you seem to have forgotten that down the beach is Nathan's beach house, you know the one that Brooke was suppose to live as his wife. The one she decorated, the one that Lucas is now occupying with Nathan's illegitimate son. What do you want us to do? Throw a barbeque for them? That would just go over so well."
"Peyton, chill out. She is fine with it, I ask her. She wanted to come here. She asked us to come with her, its plain and simple. Besides where the hell did you want to stay? If we check into a hotel everyone would know within seconds, including our mothers. I told you to call Ellie, she's living in a nice big spacious house with maids…"
"Nope!' Peyton exclaimed, giving Rachel a disgusted look. "That's not an option. Ellie would have us meditating or doing something nutty. I need to prepare myself mentally and emotionally when I deal with that woman. And right now she is the last person I want to deal with."
"And my mother would have run to Mary and told her that we were back so fast that our heads and panties would spin. So it's the beach house, deal with it. Thank God my mother never comes here. The sun is bad for her skin. Besides I had to come back here next week to pick up Tucker and sign the papers finally. I'm killing two birds with one stone. We'll be back in New York before you know it."
Peyton bit her lip to keep herself from saying what she wanted to say. She and Brooke both knew that the collapse of Rachel's marriage and her impending divorce were two topics that they rarely talked about. Whenever it came up in a conversation, which was rare, she always made light of it and the girls just played along. They understood how hard it was for her to discuss so they never pushed. Peyton had always liked Cooper. He was good looking, fun, smart and the two of them made a good match. But despite that they hadn't worked. Peyton, who didn't believe in marriage, wasn't surprised when Rachel had announced their separation. She had been saddened, but not surprised.
"What about your dad? After all it is his beach house. What if he decides to come here and he tells your mother?"
"If dad does, he won't say a word. I have too much to hold over his head and he knows it. He would probably say hi and walk out, if that."
Letting out a chuckle Peyton couldn't help, but ask. 'What?"
"What, what?"
"What do you have over your father that you have him wrapped around your finger?"
"Aw that, well last year when I was in town picking up Tucker Cooper and I decided to have a little you know what…"
"Ew gross! It better not have been in my room!"
"Anyway," Rachel continued as she picked up her Blackberry and started reading her texts. "I came in with Cooper and we found my father going at it with one of my mother's so called snobby friends. You know her, Summer Keller. She's Chris Keller's mother."
"Ew!" Peyton exclaimed as she brought the brown mug up to her lips. "I think my dad may have fuck her too, talk about use goods she's open her legs to every male in town."
"I think she has opened up her legs to every rich man in this state," Rachel stated in a matter of fact voice as she nodded her head in agreement. "And you know my mother's rule. He can fuck whoever he wants as long as it never touches her. She doesn't do humiliations and him fucking one of her so call friends is humiliating. So that's the hold I have on daddy dearest and how I got him to pay all my bills so I don't have to touch my trust."
" God you are a conniving bitch. It amazes how our parents don't realize how dysfunctional they truly are and they wonder how we turned out the way we have."
"It's Tree Hill, Peyton. Dysfunctional is everywhere, it's in the air, the water, the sand. Look at my mother, appearances are everything to her. She is married to the world's biggest cheat, but she won't divorce him because she doesn't want to share their money with anyone. Her big thing is that she earned every million he has ever made by being the perfect society wife and no one but her is going to enjoy it. So they live in the same house, he fucks everyone in sight and she fucks the golf pro, tennis pro. Really it's anyone who is young and hot. Then they go out and pretend to be the perfect couple when everyone knows that they aren't, but whatever."
"And my dad fucks around and my mother looks the other way. She married him, he used her money to become who he is and he repays her by having affairs. At least your mother hits him right back. My mother ignores it and spends her days doing yoga, running the gallery and waiting for him to realize how much she loves him. Yep, dysfunctional out the ass. She would have been better off leaving him. I certainly would have respected her more. This is wrong Rachel. We shouldn't be here. Look at me, I feel a panic attack coming on."
"Ugh let it go already. We're here and that's it. And you're not having a panic, attack chill out."
"I'm staying no more than two days," she told Rachel. "And God help you two if I see Jake. You know what I was thinking? What if we took Tucker somewhere fantastic after we get out of here? Maybe we could meet up with Glamma in Orlando. Can you imagine Glamma at Disney world? Brooke would love it."
"That would be fun, but he has to start school. You have no idea what I had to do to get him into this preschool, which is the best in NY. The big check I wrote, they already cashed by the way, was no joke. Cooper almost died when I told him I hadn't registered him into school yet, like I was slacking, if he knew what I had to do to get him in."
"Who did you sleep with?" A smug Peyton asked.
"Fuck you. And by the way at some point you are going to have to see Jake. It's inevitable," Rachel replied in an annoyed voice as she listened to her messages.
"Shit my lawyer wants to see me. Well he's going to have to come here to do it, I'm not going into town. He's the same lawyer the Davis's use. I should call Brooke."
"No I'm not! Not if I can help it," Peyton replied, not meeting Rachel's eyes. "And what do you mean call Brooke? Where is she?"
Ignoring the question, Rachel sat back down next to Peyton and took her hand.
"Sometimes you can't help it! You know we've never discuss sheet night. It may help to talk about it," Rachel said, her eyes dancing with delight as she thought back to the night Peyton had returned wearing nothing but a sheet. "We can do it now or at your next birthday party. I took pictures you know. I'm going to blow them up and put them up on a billboard. Its going to be the highlight of my year."
"There's nothing to discuss. It's over, we broke up," Peyton blurted out as she nervously bit her nails, the hurt evident in her demeanor. "He wants something I can't give him and I don't do ultimatums."
"What exactly was the ultimatum?'
"He fucked me Rach. He fucked me until I could barely walk, giving me orgasm after orgasm until I was speechless and then the son of a bitch had the nerve to tell me it would be the last time he would fucked me unless I married him."
"That's a bit harsh," Rachel said in a shock voice. She would have never thought Jake would have had it in him to issue something like that to her friend. Jake Jagelski who was easy going, patient and loving had become a hard ass.
"I don't do marriage, the kids, the fucking golden retriever and the house with the white picket fence. I'm an artist. I'm selfish. I value my self and my independence way too much to ever be held back by a man. Besides look at everyone around me, marriage sucks. My parents, your parents, your marriage and now Brooke. No way. I like my life just the way it is."
"Do you love him Peyton?"
Ignoring the question, Peyton began to sketch on her sketch pad in front of her.
"Peyton…" Rachel said in a soft, soothing voice as she patted her friend's back. "If you do don't let him get away because someday you are going to kick yourself in the ass for letting him go."
"Is that how you feel about Cooper?" Peyton bravely asked.
It was Rachel's turn to be quiet as she thought about her ex. Cooper Lee was the one great love of her life, but somehow she couldn't admit that, not even to her best friend. The divorce was killing her, but she was too proud to admit it to anyone.
"We make decisions sometimes without thinking them through and then we realize we may have been wrong. Cooper and I tried to make it work, but we couldn't do it. He wanted something I wasn't prepare to give him, but we made an amazing child that we both love. I know people think that I'm crazy for letting him go and maybe I am, all I know is that I spent my childhood watching my parents fight every time they were in the same room. I didn't want that for my son…"
"But you and Cooper are nothing like your parents…why would you think that?"
Rachel pause for a minute before she answer. "There are no guarantees in life, I think Brooke is the perfect example of that. The truth is I ran and when I realized how much I had lost it was too late. Besides you know how I am about admitting I'm ever wrong. Now that's enough. Let's talk about something else. I wonder what time Brooke is going to come back?"
"That's right, where did she go?" Peyton asked as she stood up from the chair.
"I don't know. She came into my room and said she was going to town and that she would be back soon."
"Shit Rachel you shouldn't have let her go alone. Are you insane?"
"She's a big girl you need to stop trying to protect her from everything. She'll be fine and if you're worried about her going to see Lucas, stop. She despises him more than ever."
"I hate that guy. He isn't right for her. I cant believe he had the nerve to kiss her in front of your house. That fucking bastard."
"Honey you need to chill out. It was just a kiss and personally I think there is no better pay back than Brooke fucking the other Scott. And I don't care what either of you say I saw the kiss and the look on both their faces. Something is there and it's going to come out when both of them least expect it."
Giving her a scowl Peyton walked over to the counter and grabbed her cell phone. "I don't think so. Lucas Scott is not Brooke's type. She still loves Nathan after all. When you have a love like that, you cant forget about it that easily."
"Hmm, so is it warm on the land of denial? Do you have a margarita there? Can I sit next to you in your happy place?"
"Land of denial?" asked a confused Peyton.
"Yeah. You know the place where everything is perfect and Jake comes over, fucks you and leaves you alone to do what you want, that land. The one where Brooke and Nathan are living their happily ever after."
"What are you talking about ?"
"Im talking about your statement. Brooke and Nathan had a great love? That's bull. You know it and I know it. Look Peyton, I know you are having a hard time grasping this whole thing, but you better do it soon. Brooke and Nathan are nothing and they were nothing. He was your best friend who pulled the wool over your eyes just like he did everyone else. We're here to support Brooke. To get her through whatever she needs. She needs our strength and love. She came back home to deal with her demons. Maybe you need to take a page out of her book and do the same."
Silence filled the room as Peyton stood, eyeing Rachel before she finally spoke. "You know what Rachel? Bite me! I don't have to do anything. Maybe you should though."
"Or maybe we should just shut the fuck up and just help Brooke out no matter what. Even if it involves supporting her decision to be with Lucas…"
"Never!"
"Peyton!"
"No Rachel. I'll support her, but I cant sit back and watch her get hurt by that asshole. He may have taken over's Nathan's life, but I'll be damn if I let him worm his way into Brooke's heart. I'm going to take a long, hot shower. Just the mere mention of Lucas Scott makes me feel dirty."
Tree Hill Cemetery, Tree Hill
Brooke struggled to get her breathing under control as she took in the sight before her. As she read the words on the grave stone that stood next to Nathan's, the flowers that she had been holding onto fell to the ground.
"Haley James Scott, beloved wife and mother," she said softly as her eyes filled up with tears. It was like a slap in the face seeing it, standing in front of it as she tried to process the situation. She had known it would be hard to see the final resting place of the man who had hurt her, but it was what she thought she needed to do. But now all she could think of was running back to the taxi that was waiting for her, but she couldn't feel her legs.
"Hello Brooke," she heard a soft, warm voice say to her as she felt a hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing here my dear? You shouldn't have come here by yourself. Are you okay?"
"I don't know?" Brooke answered sincerely, her eyes locked on the grave stone in front of her. "I thought I could do it. I needed to see it, to talk to him. But this…I didn't expect this."
"Well my grandson was never one to listen or to do what I asked. When Lucas was a little boy no matter how many times I asked him to do something he never did it. Sweetheart here, take my arm. You look so pale," Mae said as she extended her arm. "Come on let's get out of here. This is too much for you."
Feeling lost, Brooke took Mae's arm and let her lead her out of the cemetery and into the awaiting silver Rolls Royce that was parked on the curb. She wasn't sure why she was going, maybe it was the shock of seeing the woman who had taken her place in Nathan's heart buried next to him.
"Robert" Mae said to the chauffer who opened the door to the car. "Please pay the cab and drive us around. I'll let you know where we are going to go in just a bit. Ms. Davis is not feeling very well."
"Yes Mrs. Scott," Robert dutifully answered as he gave Brooke a small smile. "Nice to see you again Miss Davis."
"Thank you Robert likewise," Brooke answered as Mae helped her into the car.
"Well my dear should we take you home? I can call your mother."
"No!" Brooke responded sharply. "She doesn't know I'm here. No one does. I should never have come back. It was a mistake."
"Well," Mae said as she took the young woman's hand. "There is a reason that you did I for one am delight my darling girl I miss you. Why don't we go back to my house and have some tea. There is no one there except for Renee who's visiting and would love to see you."
Brooke said nothing as Robert began to drive away. Her whole body was shaking and all she could do was close her eyes. She felt like she had the day she had buried Nathan. In a daze, just going through the motions and it occurred to her that she hadn't felt like that in months while she was in New York.
"Good my house it is. Don't worry sweetheart, it will be okay. I promise you it will be okay."
Before they both knew it Robert delivered them to the front of a large stone house that Brooke knew so well. She felt her stomach do a swift flip flop. The Scott mansion had been her playground. Visions of herself along with Nathan and Peyton as children running around the grounds filled her head. She could remember the carefree days of her childhood spent at the massive estate, exploring every nook and cranny. A large lump filled her throat and she took a deep breath, hoping to keep the tears that were threatening to fall at bay.
"Well here we are," Mae said cheerfully as Robert helped them both out of the car. "Come on my dear, let's go inside and have a nice visit," she continued as she ushered Brooke inside the house. Before she could protest Brooke found herself sitting in Mae's green sitting room being fussed over by Renee, Mae' younger sister. Renee St Laurent was the opposite of Mae. She was fun, adventurous, married four times. She had never had any children so she had spoiled the Scott children along with Brooke, Peyton and Rachel immensely. She reminded Brooke of Glamma and the two women were good friends.
"Darling, sweet child you are so skinny. Where have you been and what have you not been eating? Mae she is practically skin and bones. I'm going to make you some lunch, well order it from cook and bring you some tea. I don't care if skinny is in, you look sick. Has Olivia seen you lately? But of course she has, you have her stamp of fashion all over you."
"Renee," Mae said in calm, gentle voice. "Let her breath. Please bring us some tea. Brooke and I are going to have a long chat, maybe you can scrounge up some of those Madeline's she loves so much. Wouldn't you like that love?'
Brooke couldn't help, but smile at the elegantly dress matron in front of her. Mae Scott had always been like another grandmother to her. She couldn't remember a time that she hadn't been a part of her life. There had been teas, family dinners, play dates. She knew that most of the town was terrified of the woman, but Brooke wasn't. She was elegant, sweet, caring but at the same time a stellar business woman. Dressed in a demure grey dress with her signature pearls on her throat she was the exact opposite of Glamma and Renee. She was the tyrant with a heart of gold that she rarely let anyone see.
"So you came home," she began to say as Renee walked back into the room with a silver tea set and a small Limoge plate filled with Madeline's. "Thank you Renee. Go ahead and make those calls you wanted to make. We have a lot to discuss."
"Of course you two must have a lot of catching up to do. Brookie find me before you go and remember - eat."
"Of course I will Aunt Renee. And yes I came home though I still don't know why," Brooke answered softly as she brought the delicate tea cup up to her lips and drank the warm liquid which offer her some sort of comfort.
"Do you remember when you were little and we would have tea parties in the Scott board room when your mother would come see me?" Mae ask asked she took in the young woman in front of her. She had known Brooke since she was a small and despite the sadness in her eyes she couldn't help, but be pleasantly surprised by the change in her appearance. She had changed and it was for the better. Dressed in a simple yellow sundress which set off her tan she looked like a different person. Her hair was pulled back into a pony tail and the only jewelry she wore was a pair of small diamond studs that Mae had given her when she turned 16. She wore very little make up, but she still looked beautiful. This wasn't the Brooke she knew. This wasn't the same girl that had looked like she was going to faint at her grandson's funeral. She was stronger, but still filled with the scars of the betrayal she had encountered.
"Of course I do, I remember sitting there and you would tell me stories of the places you had been too."
"Yes," Mae answered, grinning. "You were so cute with your big bows, dresses and Mary Jane's. Even at five you had impeccable manners. I will never forget the first time I took you, Nathan, Peyton and Rachel to the club for tea. Rachel spilled her tea all over you, you looked like you were going to cry but you didn't. You sat there quietly, sipping your tea. I always knew that some day you would become an enchanting young woman. I'm glad to see I wasn't wrong. This too shall pass."
There was a brief silence as the two women were consumed with their own thoughts. Finally Mae spoke again. "When you get to be my age you start to realize the little things in life that are important, among them is your loved one's well being. Nathan is dead and I can't help him, but you are a different story. You have no idea how sorry I am about the grave site. That terrible woman should not have my last name on her grave or be in the Scott family plot, but there is nothing I can do about it. Lucas, like I said, got his way."
"It's okay. She is after all the mother of Nathan's son," Brooke said bitterly. Haley James was still a bitter pill she couldn't yet and maybe never could swallow.
"True," Mae said, her eyes filling up with tears. "But enough about her. She isn't worth our breath. I'm so glad you are here. You have no idea how long I wanted to talk to you. I wanted to say I'm so sorry… I am so sorry about what Nathan did. I feel so ashamed."
Brooke gently picked up the older woman's hand. "Mae you have nothing to be sorry for. None of it was your fault."
"It was Brooke. I feel responsible. I wanted you to be Nathan's wife. I wanted you to be part of my family. I feel like I pushed you two together. And now, well Nathan's gone and you are heartbroken. I just don't know what to say."
"You did nothing wrong Mae. I loved Nathan and he is responsible for everything he did, not you. Please stop crying. Let's have tea and a nice chat. We can't change the past."
Mae stared at Brooke. What had Nathan been thinking? Brooke was a godsend. Ever since she was a little girl she had always thought of others before herself. She was sweet, beautiful, elegant. She loved her unconditionally and she knew she would be the perfect mate for her beloved Lucas. All they needed was tiny little pushes in the right direction.
"How are you really Brooke? Please be sincere I want you to tell me how you are."
Brooke paused a second before she answered. It was a question that had been asked many times before by Glamma, Peyton and Rachel and she usually shrugged it off, telling them she was fine. But she knew that wouldn't fly with Mae Scott.
"Some days are better than others. I…I think about him every day. It's hard not to. He was such a big part of my life and not only romantically. He was my best friend. I'm angry at him and at myself. Some days I wonder what I'm going to do with my life. Other days I wonder how I could have been so blind. It comes and goes. I don't think anyone can really understand what I'm going through unless they went through something similar. I sometimes wish that this whole ordeal was a nightmare. I want to wake up and for Nathan to still be alive. I wished the other night that I never found out about Haley, but I don't think that the pain would have lessened. But I'll be okay. At least I hope I will." Brooke and Mae both grew quiet as they sip their tea.
"At some point it does get better," Mae stated in a matter of fact voice. " I know that for a fact, it did for me. But it does take time. If you're miserable it's okay to admit it, at least to me. Like when you were a little girl and you would tell me your secrets. It drove Olivia crazy."
Brooke couldn't help, but laugh at the remark. Glamma and Mae had a long standing rivalry over Brooke's affections which usually led to them both trying to top the other for her attention.
"I'm going to tell you something that not many people know. I'm going to tell you this not as Mae Scott, not as Nathan's grandmother, but a s a woman who knows better than anyone the pain and suffering you are going through. I was younger than you are now when I got married. Royal was dashing and handsome. I had known him all my life and it was no secret that my parents and his parents wanted us to get married. He and I had a lovely courtship. When we got married I thought life was perfect. He was very attentive and understanding. I was raised the old school way. Women took care of the home and children. I was also educated by nuns and well they basically told us that sex was bad, but it was a wife's duty to surrender to her husband. Needless to say on our wedding night, well things didn't click in that department immediately."
Brooke smiled as she listened to Mae's story. It was very rare for Mae to discuss her husband. He was someone that Brooke remember as being strict, untouchable. People talked about him like he was some type of God and Mae never really mentioned him at all.
"Anyway once we got over a few hurdles and Royal taught me a few things, well that department started clicking. We had Dan and I thought life was good. I got pregnant with our second child and that's when our marriage changed. Royal traveled a great deal and well with a small toddler and a big belly it was hard for me to go with him. It was an easy pregnancy and we were hoping for a little girl. I was at the club with Dan one day when a so call friend came up to me and asked how Royal was. Then she proceeded to tell me that she had seen Royal in New York kissing another woman. I was mortified. At first I didn't believe it. "
Mae paused for a moment, looking away briefly before she kept going with her story.
"I found it unfathomable that he would cheat on me. We had a happy home, a wonderful son. I was a good wife to him so for a while I tried not to think about it. But it ate at me, every day little by little. I started to see him in a different light, the late night phone calls, the trips, the presents. So I started investigating. I hired a private investigator to tail him and he gave me the proof that he was being unfaithful. He was staying at a hotel and I showed up. It must have been luck or fate, but my question was answered when a blonde answered the door and told me he was in the shower. Brooke my whole world came crumbling down that day. I was a mess"
"Mae, wow. I'm sorry. Hey you don't have to keep going," Brooke said softly as she tried to process Mae's story. In a million years she never would have thought that Mae Scott had lived something similar to what she had.
"No I have to tell you this, it's important. Royal came out of the room and well it wasn't pretty. We fought and at first he denied it. With her standing right there he said he didn't know who she was. Finally he admitted it. I was horrified. I thought my whole marriage was a scam. I couldn't move. Then I snapped out of it and went home. I packed up my things and grabbed my son. Royal came home, he kept telling me it was the way things were done. That it was normal for men like him to have affairs. That I was his wife, that's what mattered. He had given me his name. I should be proud to be a Scott. I went home to my parents. My mother let me cry on her shoulder that night. The next day I went down to the dining room and well she told me I had to go back."
Brooke was shocked. She could never imagine her mother doing that to her, but then she remember what her mother had kept from her and anger filled her.
"She informed me that it was a normal in a marriage for men to have affairs. My father did. That I had to look the other way. The whole ordeal was more than I could bear. I went into premature labor that night. I gave birth three months early to a little girl, Megan. She died that night." Mae took another deep breath. "I blamed Royal. He came to the hospital and I blamed him. I told him we were over. He had managed to not only destroy my life, but he was the reason I had lost my child. I remember screaming at him, 'You have your heir. Get out! You don't need me anymore.' I left the hospital a few days later. I took Dan and rented a beach house. I spent the whole summer there. It was peaceful and I mourned Megan. Royal saw Dan and begged me to go back home, but I couldn't. My mother and I, well our relationship was strained after that and she passed away shortly after that."
"Mae what did you do?" Brooke asked, staring at the woman who she realized she could have very well become if Nathan hadn't left her.
"I felt sorry for myself. I had no idea what to do. I was raised to be a wife. I thought it was my fault he'd had the affair because I was so inexperienced in the sex department. I never went to college or learned a trade so I didn't have a lot of options. I did have my trust fund, but my father controlled it and he wasn't going to give me a penny if I didn't go back to Royale. Then one day I was walking the beach and I found this perfect piece of land. I fell in love with it. I had a small inheritance that my grandmother had left me and well I did something impulsive. I bought it. I went home, back to my house with Royal that fall. Dan missed him terribly and he had to go to school and I knew I couldn't run away from all my problems. Royal and I had a long talk. He wanted to start over fresh and he promised me that there would be no other women. I said no. I gave him an ultimatum. We would be married, for our son's sake, in name only. There would never ever be any intimacy between us. So we played parts in a charade for almost twenty years. Everyone thought we were this perfect couple, but in reality we never shared a bed again."
"Mae I had no idea."
"It was difficult at times. Royal and I became friends and I did stop blaming him for Megan's death. I also found things to occupy my time besides Danny. The land I bought, well I sold it and made a huge profit. I started buying land, buying property and selling them. I started my own business. Royal was shocked but never said anything about it. I became successful. Eventually I even worked with Royal and we did some pretty big deals. I also started the foundation and life was alright for a while. But then Dan and Karen died. We were devastated. To lose a child at birth is different than to lose one that you raised for 20 something years. Royal was inconsolable and so was I. Then the boys came to live with us. Our lives change and so did our marriage. We raised the Lucas and Nathan and they helped us grow closer. Eventually we got to a good place in our marriage. I can honestly tell you Brooke that I forgave him."
Both women stared at each other. "Mae I don't know what to say. How were you able to get past it?"
"Oh sweetheart, it wasn't easy. I hated him and sometimes I loved him. I was confused. When he died, I mourned him. I mourned the man that he'd became after Dan died and I mourned the man he was when we got married. Trusting again, it took me a long time. But it came back to me. Not fully, but it's there or so Whitey says."
Brooke was surprised "You did, who? Wait Mr. Durham? He accompanies you to the parties sometimes."
"Yes Whitey, he is a wonderful man. He taught me to trust and to love again. Someday I'll tell you about how we met. That's a long story too, but he is now someone I share my life with, someone who I love very much."
"Why don't you marry him?"
Mae began to chuckle. "Oh sweetheart we're to old. Anyway that's why I feel so guilty about pushing you with Nathan. I told you this story because I wanted you to understand that I know what it's like to have your heart broken. I love Nathan and I always will, but I will never get over what he did to you. I also know how it is to be humiliated. Royale told me he would be faithful, but he wasn't. He was discreet though, but stories still circulated around. But I held my head up high because no matter what, Royale was right. I was Mrs. Scott and no one would ever be able to take that from me."
"My situation is a bit different though…"
"Not really, yes you weren't married. Yes you two didn't have a child together, but you were like me. Humiliated, lied too. You had your whole life pulled out from under you too."
"I guess…"
"Anyway now you know. Now the other reason that I wanted us to talk is because of a tiny matter. I'm getting old. Whitey wants us to do a little traveling. So I have decided to step away from the foundation. I will still run it and raise money for it. But I have a proposition for you. How would you feel about taking over the Foundation?"
"Me?"
"Yes you. I trust you and you have been doing charity work for years. You've worked side by side with your mother, raising money for various charities. It's a job Brooke. You'll have your own staff that you can choose. You will have to do some traveling and you'll even have a salary and an expense account."
"Me? Thank you but there's got to be someone more qualified."
"Brooke I want you. Lucas is reorganizing Scott Corp and the foundation is part of it. He wants to take it apart, let some company run it and I can't let that happen. I know how much you care about the children and the research that the money we raise funds. This is my baby and I can't think of someone who is more qualified than you."
"Mae I can't. I mean I don't even live here anymore."
Mae grabbed Brooke's hand. "Of course you do. Tree Hill is your home, it's in your blood. That's why you came home. I know that people are talking about you, the rumors are vicious and I know that you are humiliated. But you need to come home and take your rightful place. You need to show all these busy bodies who you are, that no matter what happened, no one broke you. You are Brooke Davis, and you are not to blame for any of this my darling. Don't let anyone get you down. Enough is enough."
"I don't know if I can do that. I don't have the strength I feel so alone, so empty like my life doesn't have a purpose."
"Because of Nathan. Just like his grandfather. Those Scott men certainly turned our lives upside down which is why you need to stay and why I'm giving you this chance. Just like the beach property which is what saved me. Brooke do it. It will help and I would be honored if you took over. Please say yes. With me you don't have to act like you're strong. Take my help, trust me. I want to be that lifeline I never had when I was in your shoes."
Brooke looked at the woman in front of her and thought about everything she had said. She also thought about her life. She had no idea what to do with it. She thought about the children who she had met at the hospital last Christmas, the ones that the Scott Foundation raise money for. Their little faces who were desperately hoping for a cure for their ailments. Then she thought about what Mae had said about the impulse she had felt and how she had bought the property. It was what she felt at that moment, that impulse. She wanted to take the job. She had known the moment she had step off the plane that she wasn't going back to New York. Her life was in Tree Hill and it was time she took it back. Nathan had taken enough from her, but there was so much left to deal with if she stayed, her mother being on top of that list. Could she handle it?
"Okay I'll do it," she said to an elated Mae who clapped her hands.
"Yes. Good girl. This is great. I'm going to make a big announcement that will leave all those vipers with their tongues wagging. I'm so happy…"
"Wait!" Brooke exclaimed. "Hold on I do have a stipulation though…"
"Anything it's yours."
"I want time. I need time to put some things in order before I step in. Just a week or two. Can I have that? Can you not make the announcement until then?"
"Of course darling. I won't say a word. This is going to work out perfectly for both of us. A toast," Mae said happily as she lifted her cup up towards Brooke. "To you, my darling and to the success of the foundation."
"Thank you Mae," she answered, hoping to God that the foundation could fill up that void Nathan had left and the passion that his brother had sparked that she was trying to avoid dealing with.
Half an hour later Brooke was on her way back to the beach house, driven by Mae's chauffeur while Mae sat back in her chair, not able to suppress the huge smile on her face.
"You do realize that the story you told Brooke was filled with more holes and lies than the lines on your face."
"Oh Renee shut up!" Mae exclaimed. "Don't take this away from me, let me enjoy it."
"Enjoy it Mae. My god if Olivia finds out what you're planning… you cannot force two people together. Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?"
"I'm not doing anything and the story was not full of lies. Royale was an unfaithful bastard…"
"Yes he was, but you forgot to mention that you married him because Whitey was nothing back then and our family was in ruins, and you were defiantly not a virgin as I seem to recall it was also another reason you got married daddy went through the roof when he found out you were sleeping with the mail boy. Um that you blackmailed Royale into buying you that piece of land. I seem to recall you telling him you would leave him and he would never see Dan again. Or Meghan…"
"Hey that wasn't a lie!"
"No it wasn't. You just forgot to mention she wasn't Royale's, but Whitey's the mail boy who you kept wrapping around your twisted little finger. Mae be careful, that girl loves you. She has had her heart broken already."
"And I love her like she was my own. She is Mary's child for God's sake. I practically raised that girl after her mother died. Renee think about it. She is perfect for Lucas. I know you see it she has class, elegance, she is sweet natured with just enough of guts to put Luke in his place."
"And I'm not saying she isn't, nothing would make me happier than to see Lucas settle down with someone like Brooke. But if it's meant to be it will happen on its own. Just leave it alone, all those two need time."
"Time is something I don't have I think we both know it's very limited and all I'm planning is to give a little push here and there, that's it I swear. Now did you get them?"
"Yes I did! And honestly I just don't understand why you don't tell Lucas that you want to see him…"
"Shhh give them to me, let me see."
Renee took a deep breath as she handed her sister the pictures she had taken that morning of Drew Scott, her great nephew.
"Oh look at him. He has gotten so big and those eyes he is a true Scott. Oh he is precious, so is Lucas going to let you take him?"
"Yes he is. I am after all his favorite aunt. I still don't get why you just can't tell him you want to be part of Drew's life. I know he won't object…"
"Because my dear I have a plan and I need for Lucas to think I want nothing to do with the baby a little while longer. You know I just had a thought. If Brooke and Lucas get married Drew will have a mother! I mean Brooke has maternal instinct pouring out of her. It would be fantastic. After all we cannot forget that this little angel has one side of his family tree tainted with scandal and the blood of that slut running through his veins. Having Brooke Davis as a mother would be perfect for his future society is tough especially in Tree Hill the Davis and Scott combination would ensure him respectability."
"Mae…" Renee said in a warning tone. "Drew is Haley and Nathan's son I think Brooke would have a little problem with that."
"What it's just wishful thinking, relax."
"Darling with you it's never wishful thinking. Let's just hope this doesn't bite you in the ass and Lucas never realizes the extent to which you are going to control his life yet again do I need to remind you of that little incident in Spain."
"Renee chill out I know what I'm doing Lucas wont even know what hit him."