Lying Helpless in Her Arms

Chapter 24 - No Brookie

Isabella had taken Brooke to the airport and that's when she finally understood what happened when she questioned why Brooke wanted to go to New York instead of Tree Hill.

"I don't live there. I have never left New York but I was afraid to say it to Julian. I knew he would give me as much time and space I needed but I couldn't trust myself in this situation. I had everything prepared to move away. I was going to live in the house next door's to my godson and I was going to adopt my baby girl but two days before my departure my best friend called me saying that they were moving to the Hamptons because her husband had signed with Knicks. How would I move to be with them if they were moving to New York?" Brooke explained as they sat in a cafe. Brooke had totally calmed down in the way to the airport but the pain in her features was still very evident.

"Is that the reason of all the heartbreak?" Isabella asked surprised by how simple things were and how they could be handled easily given that both brunettes were so in love with each other.

"Julian hates lies. I should have said him I changed my mind. He didn't even find out by me. Someone probably told him I didn't live in Tree Hill for almost five years" Brooke sniffled trying hard to control her tears before they fell down again.

"He didn't even listen to you?" an even more shocked Isabella asked. That was so unlike of Julian. He had always let people tell their side of the stories. He had never been judgmental or fast to jump to conclusions. Something seemed off still.

"I wouldn't either if I were him. He is probably thinking I never really planned to move to Tree Hill. But I still have my offer approved to buy the house. I still have the tickets I bought. I swear I was leaving but then I couldn't. My friends wouldn't be there anymore and neither my dreams." She confessed and this time a few tears rolled down her face. She lifted her head and blinked them away, wiping the ones she couldn't hold and offering a small and resigned smile as she looked up to Isabella again.

"You are so not going to a hotel. The kids adored you and I am sure I will be in a ticklish position to explain them why you left all of sudden when you promised them to have dinner with us" Isabella demanded. She knew it was horrible to use the guilt trip on Brooke when she was already so broken but she wouldn't let her brother and the woman that loved him to be apart because of something that stupid.

"I can't Isabella. I am sure I will find somewhere to stay" Brooke disagreed immediately.

"Brooke, I know you are feeling bad now but don't let the kids down, I beg you. Julian is a mess, Nat is a mess, you are a mess, I will be a mess with all this mess. If you don't come tonight this dinner will be like a funeral. I know I have no right to ask you this but please come. I am sure Julian won't talk to you if you don't want and I won't let him treat you bad, I promise" Isabella used the best of her pleading faces and looks to convince Brooke "For the kids" she completed and Brooke only nodded after giving it some thought. Maybe Julian would give her a chance to explain. Maybe they could have a civil conversation. For the kids she was sure he would at least treat her politely.

"So let's go, I need to start cooking otherwise we won't eat anything. Nat is as useless in a kitchen as she is piloting an air plane. She can only stir pots and peel vegetables" Isabella chuckled lightly to which Brooke answered with a small smile.

In their way to the car Isabella called out the shorter brunette "Brooke. Trust me, you will get over it. It was just a big misunderstanding and a small lie. I am sure Julls will reconsider" she assured Brooke.

"The problem is I don't know if I can. I had to fight who I am to come here. I had to convince myself that everything would work out. I had to face and ignore all my fears and now everything blew off in my face and I don't know if I can keep doing it. I hurt him a lot and regardless if was a small mistake or not, I am not sure if I can live with it"

"Honey things are never this hard or black and white. Julian said that you don't do love and relationships. I don't know why you are like this and I certainly don't know your past but you and Julian are still babies when it comes to love. Love is stronger, love is more patient and forgiving than you imagine" the older brunette offered wisely.

"But babies can't behave like adults. No matter how much I want to believe in you and Haley and in your words, I just can't" Brooke vaguely muttered looking down at the sidewalk they were. She had agreed with both women. She and Julian were probably too inexperienced at love to know how to handle it but just because she acknowledged the problem it didn't mean she was already yet to handle it.

"Yes, you are right. But I will be here for you and for him and I will help you and love will guide you the rest of the way. Just believe me when I say that it is not over. It is far from over and what you have is special" Isabella softly added as they reached for Brooke's car.

"I guess I can drive now" Brooke offered. She wanted anything to distract her head and Isabella knew it. She preferred to give the directions to the young woman instead of driving herself to give her this time to younger brunette think about what they talked.

No longer than twenty minutes later they arrived at Isabella's. The older woman concluded Julian was still in the house because Dylan's car was parked in the same place by the time they left.

"I don't want to surprise him again. I will wait in the porch for you to prepare him to deal with me" Brooke offered. She didn't want to shock him like she did the first time around.

"It sounds like a good idea" Isabella nodded but her heart fluttered. Even hurt and broken Brooke was just caring and passionate to think about Julian above everything else.

Isabella quietly entered the house but Julian was nowhere to be seen. She walked to the kitchen where Nat was cursing and throwing her hands in the air trying to make something.

"Don't worry the lifesaver is back" Isabella chuckled and Nat sighed relieved.

"Where did you take Brooke?" Nat asked concerned about the brunette she had just met.

"She is in the porch. She is staying for the dinner. It was all about a huge misunderstanding and a small lie and too much overreaction. They need to sleep on it" a confident Isabella smiled to her sister.

"I am not sure. He is devastated. The kids are with him in his bedroom you should talk to him" Nat showed her concerns to her sister. She had been worrying sick about Julian ever since Brooke left the house. He was absolutely lost and broken.

"Julls" Isabella said above a whisper as she entered his room. Her two youngest kids were sleeping. Logan at Julian's chest and Jayden in the bed just by his Uncle's side. Julia and Austin were playing some game in the floor and Julian had a blank expression and seemed to be far away from there as he didn't hear or see his sister getting inside the bedroom.

"I'll take the boys to their bedroom" she softly said taking Jayden first. In a couple of minutes she had come back to take Logan and had asked Julia and Austin to go elsewhere because she wanted to talk to Julian.

While he had realized it when she took both sleeping boys from his bed, he didn't show any reaction.

As soon as she was back in the room for the third time in a row she got his attention with only three words "She is here".

Julian jumped as he heard his sister's words but he couldn't elaborate anything to say. She had come back and he didn't know how to handle it.

"She told me the whole story, Julls. You should listen to her. It is not exactly what you think it is" she explained as she brought his upper body to her chest, rubbing his hair. Julian didn't object at all to his sister caress. She had made it many times before, when he was a child and a teenager after some of the fights his father had with him.

"If you are not ready to talk to her, it is okay. I just wanted for you to know she is staying for dinner. She wanted to give you time to prepare yourself. She loves you, Julls. She may not be ready to live this love the same way you weren't until now, but she ultimately loves you" Isabella concluded kissing his head and leaving to cook dinner.

Nathalie had left the kitchen, relieved that her sister was back to control it but especially for knowing that Brooke was there. She had been affected by the brunette's pain even more because she immediately liked the fashion designer. Julian was right about Brooke's effect on people, the younger woman was captivating.

She went outside to meet Brooke and wasn't surprised when she saw Brooke crying silently. It wasn't that Nat was against Julian but Brooke looked just so miserable and hurt that she couldn't help but feel for the female brunette more than for her brother though she admitted he was really bad as well.

"I am glad you stayed" she offered sitting by Brooke's side.

"I don't want to disappoint the kids. I already made enough damage with their Uncle" Brooke justified as she wiped the tears that were rolling down her face.

"Talk to him. I am sure you guys will work it out. It is pretty obvious you love each other" Nathalie said taking Brooke's hand. Normally she wasn't this touching when people needed comfort. Nat didn't know how to handle such situations but she felt compelled to show Brooke she was there for her. Just because Julian was family it didn't mean she wasn't welcomed and appreciated by them, even if they had just met her.

"I don't even know if I can look at his face now. I can only imagine how hurt he is and it is my entire fault. I broke him" Brooke sniffled. She was actually thankful for Isabella and Nat's support. She didn't know what she would have done if the siblings had given her the cold shoulder and ignored her pain. She had seen a lot of Julian in the two sisters and she was happy that he had such great people around him. And it only made her want to be part of their family even more.

"Just don't give up. I don't know how he is going to react because the truth is Julian never opened his heart to anyone. He never had a girlfriend and those women he had flings or whatever he calls it were just an act. I know you are both hurt but just don't give up, okay?" she pleaded squeezing Brooke's hands hard. She also wanted Brooke to be part of the family. She thought the New Yorker was the perfect woman for her brother

Brooke didn't answer. She only nodded. She wouldn't give up but she didn't know how to fight for Julian either. She would just breathe and try to make it to the next day and if time did its part, sooner or later she would find the right words, in the right time, to fix what she destroyed. All while she had been alone in the porch she had thought about the words Isabella told her, about all it took for her to finally make it to Wilmington. But mainly she thought about the feelings she had inside of her.

She thought about the way her heart beat faster when she saw him from that same porch earlier that day. The way her body craved for his touch. The way her whole body erupted in goose bumps as they kissed. The way she felt her body being carried away as they made love. And finally the love she nurtured for the guy that changed her life forever. She couldn't give up on this. She wouldn't give this up. If only she knew what to do next.

"Come with me. I wanted to show you some pictures ever since you arrived here" Nat offered with a smile.

"Sure" Brooke agreed and plastered a small smile herself.

Natalie took Brooke to her bedroom. Isabella's house was huge. It had seven bedrooms and she had always kept two of these to her siblings. Dylan's sisters didn't travel to North Carolina too much. Actually his family was the opposite of Isabella's and in the rare occasions anyone from his side came, they stood in hotels even though there was one more spare room in the house.

Nathalie's room for obvious reasons was just by Julian's side. As brother and sister spent most time of the year away, their bedrooms were the farthest ones. But even if it was in the opposite side of the long hallway, Julian would still feel Brooke's presence and scent wherever she went.

He had listened to his sister's giggles and loud voice many times but he was yet to listen to Brooke's voice. As much as the blond was trying to cheer up the designer, he knew nothing would change her spirits, maybe not even him.

"The kids were even more cute and adorable when they were younger" Brooke's voice was just above a whisper. Seeing the baby books wasn't helping her situation. She understood why Nat showed them. It would help anyone's mood but it only made it harder for Brooke. She had already given the adoption up but it was still a touchy subject. She definitely had no condition to have a baby now. She was emotionally unstable. She had mixed feelings and the fight she had to endure to ensure she wouldn't let her head ride her heart was wearing. Bringing up a baby in this scenario would be a disaster. Not only she wouldn't be able to give it a father like Julian but she wouldn't even be able to give it a mother either.

"Want to meet the Norris?" Nat offered unsure. She had showed all baby books and photo books and Brooke still held a miserable and melancholic expression. Truth to be told the blond had no idea of the conflicts Brooke had going on and she didn't actually remember that Julian had mentioned Brooke wanted to adopt.

"Sure" Brooke muttered. Anything was better than look at the beautiful and perfect babies and she had always been curious to see how Julian looked when he was younger.

"Don't be too scared of what you are about to see. Julls will kill me when he finds out I showed you this" Nathalie smirked as she opened a thick photo album.

They had seen the three siblings ever since babies to college graduation. It actually lightened Brooke's mood a bit. Julian had been an adorable and beautiful child but teenage definitely didn't suit him. But what got the brunette's attention wasn't the pimples and the wild hair but the sadness he held in every picture.

His eyes could be physically the same as now but other than the color, format and size, they were nothing like the eyes she had grew to love. Except for today. Today they looked even sadder than in the pictures and the small smile she forcefully held slowly faded.

"I guess I am going to take a shower" her voice cracked and she knew she was about to cry again.

"Sure, I can only imagine how tired you are. You are going to stay in the bedroom across the hallway. The second door to the left is a bathroom" Nathalie explained and Brooke only nodded. She thanked the blond for the support and left her bedroom.

"Aunt Brooke?" Julia asked dumbfounded as soon as Brooke stepped out the room.

"Hi Priss" Brooke plastered the best smile she could at that moment to the lovely mini-brunette.

"Uncle Jully said you weren't coming back" the girl asked confused.

"Yeah but I changed my mind. I promised you and your brothers I would be here for dinner, didn't I?" Brooke stretched her hand for Julia to take and led both to her bedroom for the night.

"Uncle Julls always keeps his promises to us" she added as they entered the room

"It is because he loves you a lot" Brooke offered with a smile and this time it was genuine. His love to his nephews had always touched her heart.

"Why was he rude to you?" Julia queried.

"Because I lied to him. I came to apologize and to fix it but he was hurt. That's why we should never lie" Brooke added running her fingers in the little girl's beautiful and soft hair.

"When I do something wrong and I say I am sorry and my mom forgives me. Why can't Uncle Jully forgive you?" the girl insisted and Brooke didn't know how to answer. She surely didn't want to bring the innocent child to the mess she and Julian created. She didn't want Julia to see how much hurt she and Julian were.

"He is sad now but I am sure he will forgive me, don't worry, okay?" was the best the brunette could come up with and she wanted to believe that it was the case. That sooner or later he would be able to forgive her.

"I like you, Aunt Brooke. I'll ask Uncle Jully to forgive you. You are so pretty and you are nice to us and you brought gifts to us and you played with us. I'll talk to Uncle Jully" the girl offered as she rubbed her small hand in Brooke's cheek making the tears she had been holding ever since her conversation with Nat to finally fall. "Don't cry, Aunt Brooke, Uncle Jully is the bestest person I know. He takes care of us and comes to visit a lot of times. My mom says he has a big heart. He won't be bad to you again, okay?"

Brooke was touched by the girl's concern and threatening tears because of her own"Thank you, honey. You are an angel" Brooke smiled as she tried to wipe her tears but they didn't stop to roll down her face.

Austin had come upstairs to call Nat for his mother but when he passed by Brooke's room and saw her and Julia sat in the bed he forgot about his mission upstairs and ran to meet both brunettes.

"Auntie Brooke!" he yelled.

"Hey Mini-Jully" Brooke greeted opening her arms to receive the little boy in her arms.

"Why you are crying?" the boy asked concerned too and Brooke could only imagine if all kids were like that. Jamie had had the same reaction earlier that week and though she was his godmother, visiting Tree Hill twice ever since he was born didn't really give them a close relationship. She thought that children were just this pure and that love came natural to them.

"She made Uncle Jully sad and he was bad to her and she said she is sorry but he didn't forgive her" Julia explained her younger brother.

"Why you make Uncle Jully sad?" Austin asked protectively and Brooke could see he was looking after his uncle and she thought it was the cutest thing ever.

"It is complicated Mini-J. I had a plan and I changed my mind and didn't tell him and he was sad. I promise you I won't hurt him again, okay?" she cried out and even the four year could see that she regretted it.

"You promise?" he ensured but his eyes still held a loving gaze.

"I do" Brooke confirmed offering her pinky finger which the boy accepted and smiled.

"Sweet. I have call Auntie Nat because mom needs help. Then I come back. You want I call Lo-Dy and Jay?" he explained using the nicknames she had given to his brothers. Brooke wanted to bite his cheek. He was so cute trying to explain everything he had to do.

"Sure, Mini-J, let me take a shower and I will meet you downstairs, okey?" Brooke smiled and Julia left to help her brother with the smaller ones.

Brooke had taken the not so small handbag where her clothes were to prepare herself to take a shower.

"Hi" his deep voice echoed behind her. She stopped her motions immediately and her heart nearly stopped as well.

She slowly turned her upper body around to see the man she loved standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She didn't know how to react. She hadn't been waiting for him to look for her. Actually she thought he would avoid her as the best as he could and for that she was now frozen in front of him.

Julian could see right through her eyes she was shocked. He had heard to her conversation to the kids when he was leaving his bedroom to take a shower himself. He had been touched by how Julia and Austin loved her within only a few hours. And like Brooke had wondered he also thought that love was just natural to his nephews and maybe to any kid. They had told him that she played with them for a long time. That she got them nicknames and gifts and that she was going to take them to have ice-cream and to visit the zoo. He could only imagine how beautiful Brooke was surrounded by the most important people in his life. He could only imagine how lovely and careful she was with his kids and it made his heart race in his chest. He still wanted her to be a part of his life. The most important part.

"Can we talk?" he offered seeing her lack of reaction.

"Sure, come in" she quickly made space for him to sit where Julia and Austin were sitting just minutes ago before she threw her clothes all around the bed.

Julian closed the door behind him and sat where she showed him and the two of them stood there, sat in her bed for some minutes, looking down to their hands, waiting for the other to start the conversation that maybe would change their lives. They were anxious and nervous about it. They knew how hurt the other was and both wanted to spare any additional pain to their loved ones. They loved each other too much to put one another in further misery. But they simply didn't know what to do to fix it.

"I am sorry" her voice was low and cracking. "I am so sorry" she continued looking up to him and the pain in her eyes made his own teary and he had to look away from her hurt face.

"Why are you here, Brooke?" he asked still looking to the wall by their side. His voice was quiet and low.

"Because I lied to you. Because I wanted you to know the truth" her voice was muffled by her crying that was about to start.

"Which is?" his voice also embargoed. He wanted to know why but he wasn't sure if it would be something he could handle. What if she didn't love him?

"I was going to move to Tree Hill but that morning that Haley called me, the day before, she told me she was moving to New York. It was the last push I needed to stay. I didn't want to leave anymore and when she said she was moving there I could finally stay" she gulped her tears and told him part of the story.

"But you were so decided, why didn't you want to move away anymore? She was the last push to what? You told me countless times that you were going to leave, that you needed to leave, that you couldn't stay, that your life wasn't in New York anymore" he finally looked up to her with his eyes red and puff of all the crying he had done in the last hours.

"But then my life wasn't in Tree Hill anymore" she confessed weakly.

"Can you just for once tell me the whole story? Can you just for once be totally honest with me?" he pleaded seeing that like in the many other times that they tried to talk about her life she was being reticent and vague.

"I didn't move away because I didn't want to adopt the baby anymore, not like that anyway. I didn't want to pursue my plans anymore and I tried my best to avoid changing my plans. I tried to avoid changing my mind about Tree Hill but then Haley moved to the Hamptons and I had no reason left to move away. I didn't want to leave New York for many reasons but I couldn't leave it after all because you were there and I wanted to be where you were" her voice was getting more and more muffled and cracking.

"Why didn't you tell me? I told I was there for you. I told you could count on me. I told you I would get your back. Why? Why did you lie to me?" he asked annoyed. He had showed her in every possible way that he was there for her and it enraged him to know that she ignored it as if it was nothing. As if he meant nothing to her.

"What did you expect me to do, Julian? Put my heart in the line for you to run over it? For you to break it into a million of pieces? You said many times you didn't do love, that you would never fall in love" she cried also getting annoyed by his tone.

"You said just after we got together in the beach that we were getting too serious. That you wanted things to be light heartened between us. You were the one that showed in every way you could that what we had was nothing" he retorted with a brokenhearted voice.

"It didn't matter how much I wanted it to be nothing because in the end I fell in love with you the same way" she finally confessed looking away and wiping the tears that fell.

"You knew I loved you Brooke. I had told I loved you in the last time we've been together" he muttered. The guilt and the pain were so overwhelming that her admission of love had almost been unnoticed by him. Still his heart skipped a beat as she said it.

"I am sorry I hurt you, Julian. I came here to tell you I am sorry and that I love you. I never planned to hurt you and I know it doesn't really help. I don't want to keep torturing you. I promised the kids I was going to stay and that's why I stayed. I'll be gone before you open your eyes tomorrow. I'll take you out of your misery" her failing voice told him as she stood up and started to get her clothes back into her handbag.

"Don't you understand that being away from you is what makes me miserable?" he reached for her arm and turning to look at him their eyes locked for the first time in so many days. "Don't you understand that I couldn't open that door and stop you from vomiting and crying because I couldn't face the damage I did to you? Don't you understand that I will never forgive myself for breaking you like that? Don't you understand that loving you is what made my life worthy for the first time?"

"And how do you think it is to me? I don't how to move from here, Julls. I don't know how to look at your face and see how hard I broke you" she admitted and a new batch of tears left her eyes.

He wiped them as his own rolled down "All I wish now is that I could turn back in time and hug and kiss you when I saw you walking to me because now I can't do it anymore. Because now I feel rooted again just like I was while you cried because Ijust can't look at you and see what I've done"

She pulled him against her, leading him to stand up and folded her arms around him.

"I am so sooorry. I-I broke you. I bro…oke us" he could feel her body trembling as she cried apologizing in his chest. "Please forgive me Julian. Pleee-a-see. This is all my fault" she barely voiced between many sobs as he held her in his arms and his own tears soaked her hair. He couldn't see her hurting like that.

"Don't cry, Brooklyn, please don't cry" he increased his grip in her shaking body "Shhhh, I am here now, Brooklyn, I am here. I am so sorry that I did it to you" he soothed in her hair.

"I don't know if I can fix it, Julls. I want to but I don't know how" she muffled in his chest.

"I don't know either but everything will be okay, I promise you" he said as he moved her chin up to him and kissed her. The kisses that were so sweet and intense were now painful and tasted as the salt of their tears. They broke the kiss and holding each other they cried because they didn't know how to go from all the profound pain to the immense love they had for each other.

"Dinner will be ready in forty minutes" Nat announced outside the closed door. As much as they were worried about the couple inside the spare bedroom they were also relieved to know they were talking. Even though Brooke's sobs could be heard from the corridor.

Nathalie had taken the youngest boys to take shower. Julia and Austin were kept busy in the kitchen helping their parents and after they were done, they also got their showers. They didn't want the children to listen to the painful battle of feelings Brooke and Julian were going through.

They got over her lie and his strong reaction. They were over it even before they talked but they couldn't find a way to get over all the pain they caused to each other. Their broken faces were in one another's minds all the time and guilt was eating them from inside.

"I need to take a shower" he whispered in her hair. They hadn't broken their embrace for almost one hour though they had moved to the bed when their legs started hurting for the lack of motion but still her head was in his chest and his arms were folding her. No words were exchanged; they just needed to feel themselves in each other's arms. They needed to get the lost feeling back but it wasn't the same as much as the kisses weren't.

"Me too. I was heading there when you came" she muffled in his chest.

"Did you pick your clothes already?" he asked as he brushed her hair.

"Yeah…" she breathed out.

"Let's go, I'll help you" he offered kissing her head before he broke apart.

She collected her clothes from the bed and her make-up bag and followed him to the guests' bathroom.

"Shower or tub?" he asked as soon as they stepped in the bathroom. His clothes and tower in his hand as well.

"Shower. I need to try to rinse the tears and pain for the kids" she explained and he only nodded helping her to take her clothes off.

As soon as she was completely naked he started to get rid of his own clothes and in no time they were naked in front of each other.

He reached for the tap behind her and the water started to fall by her side. He waited until it was very hot and taking her by the hand he moved her to the jet of water. He carefully rubbed her wet hair away from her face and let the water run over her body for some minutes. When he felt that her muscles were finally relaxing he took the sponge and the soap and started to scrub her softly. He started by her shoulders and neck and went down to her back, chest and stomach. When he was going to move to her thighs she wrapped her arms around his wet body and brought him to the water with her.

After holding each other a little while he pulled her for a kiss. It was still bitter and the moment their lips broke, he broke as well. All while they stood in her bedroom he cried but his tears were silent. Now he collapsed. His body shook and his sobs were like moans of pain. Brooke didn't know what to do with the man in her arms. Julian had always showed to be so strong and tough. It seemed like nothing could ever break him down and even though she knew he was hurt and devastated she didn't expect him to break down like that. And her guilt only grew bigger because she was the one that did it to him.

"I thought… I thought all I had dreamed was destroyed by me, again. I thought I had lost you for the rest of my life because I had broken you. I am so sorry. I am sorry for the words I said, I am sorry I didn't listen to you, I am sorry I was so cold and mean. I am sorry I hurt you so much with my words" he pleaded as soon as he recovered his breath enough to formulate words.

"I hurt myself, Julian. I was the one that lied, I was the one that led you to react the way you did. It doesn't matter what you said. I don't even remember the words to be honest. But I can't forget your eyes. I can't forget the way your face just dropped. None of this is your fault" she hugged him tight and the water that fall over their bodies mixed the foam and the tears of their united frames. But it didn't take the pain and the guilt away that both felt.

"All I remember is your screams, I remember you calling out my name as if someone was ripping your body and this is my fault. I am so sorry, please forgive me, Brooklyn, I broke you, I hurt you and I promised you I would never do it but I still did and I couldn't move to rescue and stop the pain. My guilt, my pain, my cowardice it all held me back from saving you and I am sorry. I am the one that need to ask for forgiveness" he explained and in that moment he couldn't look at her face. He knew that her screams would haunt him for a long time.

"Of course I forgive you Julian.I love you, Julian. Even if right now I can't love you, even if right now you can't be loved and you can't love me back, I just want you to know that I love you" she looked intensely to his eyes and for one moment his heart was warmed. She loved him. Though she had said it before in the bedroom it wasn't like now. She had mentioned her love before but now she was confessing it looking straight to him and it made his knees weak.

"I love you too, Brooklyn" he looked to her before pulling her to another embrace.

"I'll find a way to heal us" she nodded her head slowly and her eyes pleaded him to give her the chance to fix what they had. To give their love a chance. He remembered of Karen's words. The brunette explained him how hard it was for Brooke open up and here she was holding him and promising that she would find a way to make them work.

"I'll help you" he steadily offered looking to her and she nodded once more.

The tiny spark she had seen in his eyes when they confessed their mutual love was enough for her now. It was enough for her to finally start understanding what Haley and Isabella had told her about love.

AN: Well why should I wait until Monday or Tuesday when you guys were so great to me and gave me so many reviews and I could give you a little of hope? I see most of you is really mad on Julian but I hope I had clarified with this chapter that 1) when he saw her he burst what he had in his chest for two hours. He didn't plan to act like that but he was too hurt. 2) When he stayed in the living room while she cried her life out wasn't because he is heartless but because he felt ashamed, guilty and broken by her pain. It was like it was too much for him to see with his own eyes what he had done to her because of a lie that probably didn't mean that much as she was there in that moment looking for him.

I guess when I made her reaction so heartbreaking all us - Brooke fans - probably got too much because Mark already makes a good job doing it season after season but I do things with a purpose and while in the show her pain always makes her more insecure and running faster from everyone here it will work in the opposite way. She will see through the pain that he is worthy fighting for and he will eventually be able to handle the guilt and fight for her too.

They both did two stupid things and they regretted it and their actions caused both of them a lot of pain and now they will handle this pain.

Thanks to Love me some Julian; Kayla; Sab; sb1218; kaos2405; Syrine; Artemi; MaryOTH; SouthernBellBrooke; haleydavisbaker; Elilo; Y0uNMcK33 and CheeryGirl. This update is for you guys. I love your reviews, even if you are frustrated because of Julian.

But before I leave, I only have one more chapter written and I didn't write a new one for A LOVE TO REMEMBER because I am with conjunctivitis and I am avoiding to spend long times and I don't have a word written to ALTR and only one chapter for this story.

I have the outline for the upcoming chapters of both stories but I want your opinion about where I should lead them. I know where I want them to be by Christmas and New Year's time but I am out of ideas on how to lead them there. I do have some but they are still to rough. Anyway, if you want to give your opinion, go ahead.

Talk to you soon - and this time it will take a few days as I only have this one chapter written.

xoxo

Babi