Chapter 23
Recap:
"Will you stop?" he asked laughing. "I am making it my job to take care of you and wait on you hand and foot." He laid Brooke down on his bed. He turned his desk lamp on low and made sure it wasn't causing Brooke any discomfort.
"You are too good to me Lucas Scott," Brooke said grinning. She could get used to this.
END PART 21
+23
Brooke was lying down on his bed, finally asleep. Now that Luke felt safe enough letting her sleep. He just sat in the chair watching her sleep peacefully.
'Will you stop!' Lucas silently yelled at his phone. Every minute or so it would vibrate with a missed message. Now that he didn't have to worry about Brooke, he'd check his messages. Maybe it was even Peyton wondering how her best friend was doing. Lucas dialed his number and put in his pass code. He pressed one to listen to his only new message.
"Luke, it's me Nathan. This call is about Haley. She's upset and I figured you would want to know. I haven't been able to get out of her what's bothering her but call my cell phone when you get this."
'Oh my god,' Lucas yelled at himself. He forgot all about Haley. She's upset? More strangely...Nathan called him?
Just then Lucas heard a beep. He had an incoming call.
"Hello?"
"Hey Luke," Haley's voice answered, soft and somber. She was trying her best to not sound like she was crying.
"Hey buddy," Luke said, bringing an instant smile to his face. "I just got Nathan's message. And was just going to call you."
"Beat you to it."
"So I see. What's the matter Hales? You don't sound too good; you've been crying," he told her, anxious to find out what's got his best friends so worked up. It obviously wasn't Nathan. Eh, eventually he'll get his chance to kick that kid's @$$. Not now, sometime soon he was sure.
"Jeez thanks Lucas. Way to pick up a girl's spirits," Haley quipped. "I'm fine..."
Lucas shook his head. 'Women,' he thought to himself. "Haley James. You most certainly do not sound fine. Be honest with me. You can tell me anything."
Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to break down and cry yet again. But somehow she had the feeling it would be inevitable. "Remember those summer days we'd spend with Grandma?" Haley asked remembering them fondly. When her parents would travel she would spend much time at her grandmother's house, or Karen's. Luke was always with her. They were inseparable when they were younger. "Remember how she'd make us lemonade and brownies and play candy land?" she continued, her voice breaking a bit.
Lucas smiled. "I do Hales. Those were some of the best times we had. Is everything ok Haley?"
"Luke...she...she...she passed away last night in her sleep," Haley said breaking down and sobbing.
Lucas could feel his eyes tearing up a bit. He loved that woman probably as much as Haley did. When his mom would be working, and Haley's parents they would spend the day with her. "I'm so sorry Haley. I am so sorry." He took a quick sharp breath. He couldn't believe it.
"The...funeral is this Wednesday. Please tell me you'll be there Luke. You're going to be with me?"
Lucas' heart was breaking. She sounded like a little lost child. "Of course I will Haley. You shouldn't have even had to ask. I'd do anything for you kid. I love you. Is there anything else I can do for you Haley?"
She shook her head but realized this was an action Lucas couldn't see. "No," Haley answered.
Lucas wanted to go to her right now. To be with her and hold her. Comfort her and tell her everything would be ok. Everything would get better. But he was with Brooke. And she was with Nathan.
"Can I take you out tomorrow Hales?" he asked her. "Spend a day together me and you?"
"Really?" Haley asked.
"Definitely. From first thing in the morning until night. I am at your disposal tomorrow."
Haley laughed. "That could be a dangerous offer," she warned him.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take for you," he smoothly replied. "So I'll pick you up tomorrow around eight-ish?"
"Eight it is. But Luke can you pick me up at Nathan's beach house? I'm staying there tonight. Aunt Kara and Brianna are coming in tonight and staying at my house..." Haley trailed off in an explanation.
'Oh no,' Lucas thought to himself. "You have got to be kidding me. Brianna?" Luke didn't like her either. She had hurt Haley to many times to allow her to be likable by him. "Beach house it is.
'She better know how much she means to me,' Lucas thought. He was going to go over to Nathan's house to pick Haley up. She was lucky he loved her.
"Any ways I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner," Lucas apologized. "I didn't even have time to check my messages. We got the guys, Brooke, and Peyton to play a three on three basketball game down at the River Court."
"And?"
"Peyton bumped into Brooke, who fell backwards and knocked her head hard on the concrete. I took her to the doctors and everything," he informed Haley. "So now I'm watching her over night to keep an eye out for signs the doctor told me."
"Wow. Oh my god Lucas is she ok? How's she doing?"
Lucas smiled. No matter what Haley was going through, she still found space to worry about someone else.
"She's sleeping right now. But she'll be fine. Her parents went away for the weekend so I volunteered to keep an eye on her for the weekend."
"I'm sorry Lucas. Tell Brooke I hope she feels better. Hey, what is Brooke gonna do tomorrow? Or are you bringing her along?" Haley asked him.
Luke hadn't actually thought of that. "Well she can probably hang out with my mom at the café. And I know my mom will keep a good eye on her."
"That's cool. If you change your mind...its ok with me to bring her along," Haley mentioned to him.
"Nope. Sorry. Tomorrow is reserved for you and me. You can't get rid of me that easily Hales."
"Damn," she said jokingly.
He brought his hand up to his chest, an action he knew she couldn't see. "I'm hurt Ms. James."
"Thank you Lucas."
"You're welcome Haley," he told her. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do," Haley agreed.
"Bye Hales."
"Bye Lucas."
Lucas hung up the phone. He still couldn't believe it. Grandma James had passed away. He was thinking about what a great woman she was. And what a great woman Haley is. No wonder Haley turned out so great.
END PART 23
Recap:
"Will you stop?" he asked laughing. "I am making it my job to take care of you and wait on you hand and foot." He laid Brooke down on his bed. He turned his desk lamp on low and made sure it wasn't causing Brooke any discomfort.
"You are too good to me Lucas Scott," Brooke said grinning. She could get used to this.
END PART 21
+23
Brooke was lying down on his bed, finally asleep. Now that Luke felt safe enough letting her sleep. He just sat in the chair watching her sleep peacefully.
'Will you stop!' Lucas silently yelled at his phone. Every minute or so it would vibrate with a missed message. Now that he didn't have to worry about Brooke, he'd check his messages. Maybe it was even Peyton wondering how her best friend was doing. Lucas dialed his number and put in his pass code. He pressed one to listen to his only new message.
"Luke, it's me Nathan. This call is about Haley. She's upset and I figured you would want to know. I haven't been able to get out of her what's bothering her but call my cell phone when you get this."
'Oh my god,' Lucas yelled at himself. He forgot all about Haley. She's upset? More strangely...Nathan called him?
Just then Lucas heard a beep. He had an incoming call.
"Hello?"
"Hey Luke," Haley's voice answered, soft and somber. She was trying her best to not sound like she was crying.
"Hey buddy," Luke said, bringing an instant smile to his face. "I just got Nathan's message. And was just going to call you."
"Beat you to it."
"So I see. What's the matter Hales? You don't sound too good; you've been crying," he told her, anxious to find out what's got his best friends so worked up. It obviously wasn't Nathan. Eh, eventually he'll get his chance to kick that kid's @$$. Not now, sometime soon he was sure.
"Jeez thanks Lucas. Way to pick up a girl's spirits," Haley quipped. "I'm fine..."
Lucas shook his head. 'Women,' he thought to himself. "Haley James. You most certainly do not sound fine. Be honest with me. You can tell me anything."
Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't want to break down and cry yet again. But somehow she had the feeling it would be inevitable. "Remember those summer days we'd spend with Grandma?" Haley asked remembering them fondly. When her parents would travel she would spend much time at her grandmother's house, or Karen's. Luke was always with her. They were inseparable when they were younger. "Remember how she'd make us lemonade and brownies and play candy land?" she continued, her voice breaking a bit.
Lucas smiled. "I do Hales. Those were some of the best times we had. Is everything ok Haley?"
"Luke...she...she...she passed away last night in her sleep," Haley said breaking down and sobbing.
Lucas could feel his eyes tearing up a bit. He loved that woman probably as much as Haley did. When his mom would be working, and Haley's parents they would spend the day with her. "I'm so sorry Haley. I am so sorry." He took a quick sharp breath. He couldn't believe it.
"The...funeral is this Wednesday. Please tell me you'll be there Luke. You're going to be with me?"
Lucas' heart was breaking. She sounded like a little lost child. "Of course I will Haley. You shouldn't have even had to ask. I'd do anything for you kid. I love you. Is there anything else I can do for you Haley?"
She shook her head but realized this was an action Lucas couldn't see. "No," Haley answered.
Lucas wanted to go to her right now. To be with her and hold her. Comfort her and tell her everything would be ok. Everything would get better. But he was with Brooke. And she was with Nathan.
"Can I take you out tomorrow Hales?" he asked her. "Spend a day together me and you?"
"Really?" Haley asked.
"Definitely. From first thing in the morning until night. I am at your disposal tomorrow."
Haley laughed. "That could be a dangerous offer," she warned him.
"That's a chance I'm willing to take for you," he smoothly replied. "So I'll pick you up tomorrow around eight-ish?"
"Eight it is. But Luke can you pick me up at Nathan's beach house? I'm staying there tonight. Aunt Kara and Brianna are coming in tonight and staying at my house..." Haley trailed off in an explanation.
'Oh no,' Lucas thought to himself. "You have got to be kidding me. Brianna?" Luke didn't like her either. She had hurt Haley to many times to allow her to be likable by him. "Beach house it is.
'She better know how much she means to me,' Lucas thought. He was going to go over to Nathan's house to pick Haley up. She was lucky he loved her.
"Any ways I'm sorry I didn't get back to you sooner," Lucas apologized. "I didn't even have time to check my messages. We got the guys, Brooke, and Peyton to play a three on three basketball game down at the River Court."
"And?"
"Peyton bumped into Brooke, who fell backwards and knocked her head hard on the concrete. I took her to the doctors and everything," he informed Haley. "So now I'm watching her over night to keep an eye out for signs the doctor told me."
"Wow. Oh my god Lucas is she ok? How's she doing?"
Lucas smiled. No matter what Haley was going through, she still found space to worry about someone else.
"She's sleeping right now. But she'll be fine. Her parents went away for the weekend so I volunteered to keep an eye on her for the weekend."
"I'm sorry Lucas. Tell Brooke I hope she feels better. Hey, what is Brooke gonna do tomorrow? Or are you bringing her along?" Haley asked him.
Luke hadn't actually thought of that. "Well she can probably hang out with my mom at the café. And I know my mom will keep a good eye on her."
"That's cool. If you change your mind...its ok with me to bring her along," Haley mentioned to him.
"Nope. Sorry. Tomorrow is reserved for you and me. You can't get rid of me that easily Hales."
"Damn," she said jokingly.
He brought his hand up to his chest, an action he knew she couldn't see. "I'm hurt Ms. James."
"Thank you Lucas."
"You're welcome Haley," he told her. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do," Haley agreed.
"Bye Hales."
"Bye Lucas."
Lucas hung up the phone. He still couldn't believe it. Grandma James had passed away. He was thinking about what a great woman she was. And what a great woman Haley is. No wonder Haley turned out so great.
END PART 23
