Author's Note: Ok, so I thought I'd kick Chapter 38 off with a confession. Originally, when I thought of this story, it was going to be Nathan and Haley. However, I have found that the more I writeBrooke and Lucas—they are just way too fun to keep in the background. So they've sort of moved to the front burner, next to Nathan and Haley. And sometimes, they have a tendency to boil over. Anyway, end of confession. I also just want to say thanks again so much for all of your wonderful reviews and taking the time to read my story!

"But Haley, five weeks and one day?!" Brooke exclaimed as she was stretched out on the couch with her feet in Mouth's lap.

"Brooke, when you yell, your whole body moves and I mess up your toenails," he told her.

"Sorry," she said, although he could tell it was just to pacify him. She immediately turned back to Haley."I am horny as hell!"

Mouth was so surprised at her admission that he accidentally kept the stroke on her big toe going and painted right on through to the tip of her toe. She threw him a dirty look. "Mouth! Watch what you're doing!" she told him.

"Sorry," he said, blushing.

"I need to have some sex!" Brooke continued.

Haley, who was sitting on the floor at the coffee table trying to study, dropped her head on it. "Brooke," she said, close to a whine, "I cannot do this! We have a game tonight, I have a date with Nathan after, and then a test on Monday!"

"But Haley!" Brooke whined.

"Oh, for God's sake, Brooke, I'm almost ready to have sex with you!" she snapped.

"Yeah, well I'm almost ready to let you!" Brooke said, sighing irritably.

Haley stood up. "Where are you going?" Brooke asked.

"To the library," Haley told her, heading for her bedroom.

Brooke pulled her feet from Mouth's lap, and jumped up hobbling after Haley with the cotton balls that Mouth had placed there still between her toes. "Haley, I'm sorry," Brooke said.

"So am I!" Haley said. "Because of this stupid bet, my grades are the lowest they've ever been! You make it impossible for me to do anything except listen to you!" she said in frustration.

"Haley—"

"I have to go!" Haley said, throwing her bag over her shoulder and leaving.

Beyond frustrated, Brooke went into the bathroom and put one of her feet up on the toilet seat, blow drying the nails. When that was done, she did the same to the other. After removing the cotton from her toes, she went into her bedroom and flopped down on the bed, deviously plotting her next course of action. Lucas was going down.

777

"Brooke!" Lucas yelled, walking into the dark gymnasium. He stopped just inside the doors. "Brooke!" he yelled again, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden darkness.

Suddenly, the lights snapped on, and Lucas had to once again adjust his eyes. He put a hand up to block out the light. When they finally readjusted, he pulled it away and saw Brooke standing at center court, her pom-poms in front of her. He looked around for the rest of the squad.

"Brooke, I thought you needed me to move something for you," he told her, puzzled.

"I do, Lucas," she said softly, seductively.

"What do you need moved?"

"You," she said, tilting her head to the right. "I need you moving inside of me. Lucas—enough is enough," she told him, pulling her pom-poms away from her body, revealing the skimpiest pair of panties he'd ever seen. He took in the rest of her—bare skin and bright red toe nail polish.

He swallowed, suddenly overheated and unable to breathe. He tugged at the neck of his shirt. "Brooke—" he said, hoarsely.

She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. That innocent look was nearly Lucas' undoing. As she started walking towards him, he swallowed past the lump of desire in his throat and took a step back. He couldn't tear his gaze away from her chest, swaying just a little with each deliberate step she took towards him. He tried to shake his head to ward her off, but it was no use. He was frozen in place. Suddenly, she was standing in front of him, and he had to look down at her. "What are you doing?" he whispered huskily.

She grinned up at him. Pure temptation, he thought. "I'm combining your two favorite things," she informed him, pushing his jacket off his shoulders. "Center court…and sex," she told him. He looked down as it fell to the floor, and she put her hand beneath his chin, adjusting his face so he was looking at her and not the jacket.

"Brooke—" he took a deep breath as he she put her hand up underneath his t-shirt and ran her fingernails lightly down his belly. He could only watch as she unbuttoned and then unzipped his jeans. Just as she was moving her hand down into the waistband of his boxers, he grabbed her upper arms. He heard her gasp in surprise, and when she looked up at him, raw hunger in her eyes—he knew it was over. He lifted the hem of his t-shirt and clumsily pulled it off over his head, chucking it. He didn't know where it landed, and he didn't care. All he could think about as he pulled Brooke to him was skin on skin. He pulled her in so close he crushed her chest against his. When he felt her nipples harden, he groaned, then tightened his grip around her waist and cupped the back of her head to hold her in place. His tongue forced its way hastily into her mouth, and he felt her nails digging into his shoulders, telling him she liked it. He pulled away from her, and then gently but swiftly pushed her down onto the floor, covering her body with his own.

"Why not the black lace?" he asked hurriedly in between kisses, removing her lavender silk panties in one swift pull. Instead of tossing them, he put them in his jeans pocket. Another pair of panties gone to hell, Brooke thought.

"Because you have them," she reminded him.

"Don't let me forget to get us another pair," he said.

"Us?" she questioned breathily.

She felt his grin against her shoulder, where he was kissing her. "They're just as much fun for me as they are for you," he told her, running a thumb over each of her nipples.

She laughed and then, pushing him away, sat up. He looked at her puzzled, and then groaned, leaning his head on her shoulder. "Not again!" he protested, thinking he'd been had.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "No, definitely not again," she said, moving to her knees and bringing him with her. "Never again!" She pushed his jeans and boxers down past his thighs in one move, and then pushed him down onto his back. She grinned wickedly at him and threw one of her legs over his waist, straddling him. "Lucas—I have been waiting for this for five weeks. I want to make sure it's perfect! I get to be on top."

He reached down to push his jeans the rest of the way off. "No, Lucas! There's no time for that!" Brooke said, almost in a panic. He stiffened at her reaction, surprised by the intensity of it. Clearly he'd underestimated his fiancé. He relaxed again and then grinned up at her, meeting her eyes. She looked down into his face as he gripped her thighs. He could already feel her quivering as he slowly pulled her down onto him.

And just like that—Lucas Scott was out two hundred and fifty bucks.

777

Nathan and Maddie sat down for a late lunch, and then Nathan's mom came to pick her up for the night. The guys had a game and then he had his 'alone' date with Haley tonight. He grinned just thinking about it. He couldn't wait to be alone with her. He made his way up the stairs and into his bedroom, dropping his school bag by the door. He walked over to his bed and was just about to sit down to take his sneakers off when something on his pillow caught his eye. He looked closer and saw five crisp fifty dollar bills sitting there. He grinned, picking up the money. It was the easiest two hundred and fifty dollars he'd ever made.

777

"Go, Lucas!" Brooke yelled as he shot another three pointer. Nothing but net.

"What is going on with him tonight?" Haley heard Lexi, one of the girls on their squad ask.

The girl standing next to her grinned knowingly. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. The boy got laid. And not just any kind of laid. That is definitely the 'haven't had it in nearly a month but now I've had it and I'm on fire' kind of laid," she said.

Haley's eyes flew to Brooke's as she shook her pom-poms, but Brooke didn't look at her. It appeared that she hadn't even heard the other girls' conversation. Thank goodness, Haley thought. All I need is for her to start in again on how she's not getting any! Haley had spent the entire afternoon at the library studying. She'd even brought her cheerleading uniform with her so she wouldn't have to see Brooke until the game tonight. She felt a little guilty about avoiding her friend, but really, there was only so much she could take.

777

Haley had driven home after the game to shower and get ready for her date with Nathan. Luckily, Brooke was nowhere to be found. As Haley, was putting the finishing touches on her make-up, she heard the doorbell ring. Reaching down for her earrings, she quickly put one in each ear on her way to the door. She put a smile on her face then opened it. Nathan was standing on the other side of it, hands in his pockets, wearing a gray dress shirt with a salmon colored tie, and a pair of charcoal colored dress pants.

Haley stood there for a minute staring at his chest, and Nathan suddenly shuffled his feet. "Hales?" he asked apprehensively. "Is everything OK?" he asked.

Haley looked up at his face, noting the concern in his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.

"What were you thinking just then?" he asked.

Haley laughed. "Honestly?"

He nodded.

"I was thinking that—pink is hot," she told him.

He looked down at his tie and picked it up in one of his hands. "It's not pink," he said, defending himself. "It's called salmon."

She giggled. "And there's a difference?" she asked.

"Yes," he said firmly.

"And that would be…" she prompted him.

She watched him as his lips start to twitch. "One syllable."

Haley laughed and grabbing his tie, pulled him closer. "Well, I like your two-syllabled tie," she told him.

He grinned down at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Thanks," he said, leaning down to give her a light kiss.

She pulled away. "So, where are we off to?" she asked.

Nathan grinned at her. "It's a surprise," he told her.

"Really?" she said. "I don't like surprises."

"You'll love this one," he promised.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Because I'm going to be there," he told her confidently.

Now, that was a plus. She put an arm around his waist, pulling him into her apartment. "I'm sold already," she told him.

"Speaking of sold…"

"Yeah?"

"I made two hundred and fifty dollars today," he told her, grinning.

"How did you do that?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. "Let's just say that Brooke shouldn't be driving you crazy anymore," he said. "Lucas lost the bet."

Haley gave a huge sigh of relief. "They had sex? Oh, praise God! I don't think I could be any happier!" she told him.

"That's because you haven't had me yet," he teased.

She smiled at him, a hint of daring in her eyes. "The night is still young."

Suddenly, Nathan's two syllabled tie felt too constricting.