Finding Herself
Chapter Thirteen
Be Strong for Me
Nathan walked into Brooke's room and saw the brunette lying there looking at him, "Hey you," she said softly giving him a weak smile. Nathan could see the cut on her lip and the bruising on her face it almost made him want to barf. He didn't understand how any man could treat a woman like that. Nathan walked over to Brooke bed and sat on the chair next to it and put his head on her lap and cried like he was a child. Watching Nathan in so much pain made Brooke tear up a bit, "Come on Nathan don't cry, you're making me cry," she said running her hand along the top of his head, "Be strong for me."
Nathan looked up at Brooke and Brooke could see how much different he looked when he was sad. His eyes weren't lit up like they usually were and he didn't have that gorgeous grin on his face that Brooke loved. Nathan took Brooke's hands in his, "Brooke I love you from the bottom of my heart," he started as his voice cracked mid sentence, "I promised you I would never hurt you and look what happened.
Brooke wiped away Nathan's tears with her hand, "This wasn't your fault Nathan," she said softly, "You had nothing to do with what happened to me."
Nathan's hands were trembling, "I have a feeling that I could've stopped it or something."
"There was no way you could've known what was going to happen," Brooke said holding on tighter to Nathan's hands to try and get him to calm down, "Baby, you were there for me through everything and I love you for that."
"I don't want anybody else to hurt you anymore, I don't see why Tim would do this to you," Nathan said looking up at Brooke. He thought of all the times he had trusted Tim; they were best friends when Nathan first moved to Tree Hill. Nathan never would've thought Tim would pull something like this. Nathan kissed Brooke on the lips softly so that he didn't hurt the cut on her lip, "I love you."
Brooke gave him a tired smile, "I love you too," she said genuinely as she desperately tried not to cry. As they were both crying in each other's arms Peyton walked into the room.
"Guys, be quiet because I just snuck back here," Peyton said looking down the hall to see if anybody was down there, "Lucas just got a call from Tim."
Nathan got up from his chair causing it to fall, "That god damn bastard better not step foot in this hospital or I'll put the bastard in body cast!"
Peyton put her hands on Nathan's shoulders in order to calm him down, "Breath Nathan, we're all upset. Tim called and felt horrible about what happened and he called and told Luke that Haley planned it all and just wanted Tim to have sex with Brooke so that you would dump her," Peyton said to Nathan looking down at the floor, "And to think, this girl was my best friend."
Peyton gave Brooke a kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you in a couple minutes babe."
Nathan looked at Brooke and he could see a look of horror on her face, "Baby, I never would've thought she would do this."
Brooke swallowed to keep herself from crying, "I didn't either," she looked at Nathan and saw what a mess he was, "Sweetie, I can't put myself through anymore of this pain."
Nathan kneeled down beside Brooke and kissed her hands, "Don't say it Brooke, don't say it." he said shaking his head.
Brooke pick his chin up, "I don't want you to be the one that gets hurt next," she said as the tears came pouring down her face, "I love you and I always will, but we need time."
"We need each other," Nathan said shaking.
Brooke kissed Nathan and then stroked his cheek with her hand, "Please don't make this worse Nathan. I couldn't stand to see you getting hurt in the process."
Nathan shook his head, "No Brooke, this will just tell Haley that she's won."
"Look at me Nathan;" Brooke said sternly, "She has won." Nathan gave Brooke one final kiss and left the room. Nathan passed Peyton and Lucas and the hall and got into his car. He was going to Haley's. Peyton made her way to Brooke's room and sat down next to her good friend.
Peyton leaned up in the chair and folded her hands, "Brooke I don't know what to say," she started.
Brooke smiled at her, "Don't say anything. Just make me laugh or something; I've had enough emotional shit for today."
Peyton laughed, "I saw Nathan haul ass out of here. What happened?"
Brooke sighed, "I told him we needed to take a break."
Peyton nodded her head, "I see where you're coming from," she said looking up at Brooke.
"I never thought people could be this psycho over a guy," Brooke said rolling her eyes.
"Do you mean people or Haley?" Peyton asked smiling.
"Haley."
Nathan walked into Haley's house and walked into her room without even knocking. He saw Haley doing homework on her bed, "Hey Nathan," she said smiling up at him.
Nathan threw Haley's books off her bed, "You fucking bitch!"
Haley got up from her bed, "What the hell Nathan?" she exclaimed picking up her books from the floor.
"I know your little scheme that you planned with Tim," he said trying to hold back the tears, "Just be glad you're a girl because if you weren't I would beat the shit out of you."
"I didn't know he was going to hurt he so bad she was going to go to the hospital," Haley stated.
Nathan took Haley's computer chair and threw it across the room, "Leave Tree Hill now! Get your psycho ass out of here or I will get the best god damn lawyer in town and I will get your ass in jail for this." And with that Nathan left the room slamming the door behind him.
Haley flinched at the sound of the slam. She looked around the room and thought about what a destruction she had caused, so she got out her suitcase and did one thing: Started packing.
Three days later Brooke had gotten out of the hospital and she was healthy as ever, there was still some bruising on her hips, but they would go away eventually. Peyton had told her to stay in bed and rest, but Brooke wasn't the type to take things lying down. It was during school so Brooke thought she should walk up the lake and get some piece and quiet. She was kind of nervous going by herself because since the whole almost rape incident she had been kind of nervous when she was by herself. As she made her way down the road a car pulled up beside her and when the window rolled down she saw Haley. Brooke glared at the girl and kept walking.
"Brooke," Haley said as she got out of the car. She ran towards her and stopped in front of her, "Look I know there isn't much I can say because you should never be able to trust me again, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm moving."
"Good," Brooke said coldly, "I hope you fucking burn."
"Okay I deserved that, but I just wanted you to be the first one to know something," she started, "I've loved Nathan since the day I met him and I was always so afraid to ask him out because of my fear of rejection."
"Why are you telling me this?" Brooke asked.
Haley sighed, "Okay, Nathan loves you and I was jealous because he did. I never loved Tim; it was all just a sick joke. I have problems Brooke..."
Brooke scoffed, "You got someone to rape me. I think I know you have problems."
"No you don't understand," Haley said holding back the tears, "When I was younger my dad left, but he came back because my mom begged him to come back even though he beat the shit out of her every time he was drunk, he even beat her up when he was sober. And when she left to get away from him it left me alone with him and he used to hit me," she said. Brooke could see the tears swelling up in her eyes, "That's why I never want to be alone because I'm so afraid that somebody is just going to hurt me like my dad did," she said her voice becoming more raspy because she was crying so hard, "That's why I wanted Nathan, I felt safe around him and when you got him first I thought all I had to do was hurt you and you'd leave. Just like my mom did."
Brooke stared at Haley she didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or slap her in the face, "Why did you tell me this? I don't trust you and we hardly even know each other."
Haley walked towards her car, "Maybe that's the point."
Brooke crossed her arms and looked at Haley in her eyes, "Haley," she said calling for her, Haley turned around, "I still don't trust you."
Haley nodded, "I didn't expect you to. I just wanted you to know where I was coming from. I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I just wanted you to know that I'm just some sick bitch."
Brooke and Haley looked at each other in silence for a moment, finally coming to some sort of understanding. True, Brooke didn't trust the girl as far as she could throw her, but she knew Haley had come from a screwed up child hood and Brooke thought that she needed some serious therapy. Brooke nodded in an understanding way; Haley got into her car and drove away. That would be the last the either of them would ever see of each other again. Brooke walked to the bench and saw Nathan sitting on them she ran over to him and jumped into his arms, "Baby I want to be with you," she said smiling and crying.
Nathan kissed her, "Haley's leaving."
Brooke nodded, "I know," she said. Brooke decided to keep the conversation between her and Haley to herself, "She's never going to hurt us again, baby."
Nathan looked up at Brooke and smiled at her, "I love you so much."
Brooke kissed him and smiled, "I love you."
Read and Review.
Chapter Fourteen is going to be the last chapter. I've had a great time with this story and I'm glad that you all liked it, I'm sad to let this story go but I think that it's a good time to end it. I'm going to start updating more of my other stories so look forward to that.
Chapter Thirteen
Be Strong for Me
Nathan walked into Brooke's room and saw the brunette lying there looking at him, "Hey you," she said softly giving him a weak smile. Nathan could see the cut on her lip and the bruising on her face it almost made him want to barf. He didn't understand how any man could treat a woman like that. Nathan walked over to Brooke bed and sat on the chair next to it and put his head on her lap and cried like he was a child. Watching Nathan in so much pain made Brooke tear up a bit, "Come on Nathan don't cry, you're making me cry," she said running her hand along the top of his head, "Be strong for me."
Nathan looked up at Brooke and Brooke could see how much different he looked when he was sad. His eyes weren't lit up like they usually were and he didn't have that gorgeous grin on his face that Brooke loved. Nathan took Brooke's hands in his, "Brooke I love you from the bottom of my heart," he started as his voice cracked mid sentence, "I promised you I would never hurt you and look what happened.
Brooke wiped away Nathan's tears with her hand, "This wasn't your fault Nathan," she said softly, "You had nothing to do with what happened to me."
Nathan's hands were trembling, "I have a feeling that I could've stopped it or something."
"There was no way you could've known what was going to happen," Brooke said holding on tighter to Nathan's hands to try and get him to calm down, "Baby, you were there for me through everything and I love you for that."
"I don't want anybody else to hurt you anymore, I don't see why Tim would do this to you," Nathan said looking up at Brooke. He thought of all the times he had trusted Tim; they were best friends when Nathan first moved to Tree Hill. Nathan never would've thought Tim would pull something like this. Nathan kissed Brooke on the lips softly so that he didn't hurt the cut on her lip, "I love you."
Brooke gave him a tired smile, "I love you too," she said genuinely as she desperately tried not to cry. As they were both crying in each other's arms Peyton walked into the room.
"Guys, be quiet because I just snuck back here," Peyton said looking down the hall to see if anybody was down there, "Lucas just got a call from Tim."
Nathan got up from his chair causing it to fall, "That god damn bastard better not step foot in this hospital or I'll put the bastard in body cast!"
Peyton put her hands on Nathan's shoulders in order to calm him down, "Breath Nathan, we're all upset. Tim called and felt horrible about what happened and he called and told Luke that Haley planned it all and just wanted Tim to have sex with Brooke so that you would dump her," Peyton said to Nathan looking down at the floor, "And to think, this girl was my best friend."
Peyton gave Brooke a kiss on the cheek, "I'll see you in a couple minutes babe."
Nathan looked at Brooke and he could see a look of horror on her face, "Baby, I never would've thought she would do this."
Brooke swallowed to keep herself from crying, "I didn't either," she looked at Nathan and saw what a mess he was, "Sweetie, I can't put myself through anymore of this pain."
Nathan kneeled down beside Brooke and kissed her hands, "Don't say it Brooke, don't say it." he said shaking his head.
Brooke pick his chin up, "I don't want you to be the one that gets hurt next," she said as the tears came pouring down her face, "I love you and I always will, but we need time."
"We need each other," Nathan said shaking.
Brooke kissed Nathan and then stroked his cheek with her hand, "Please don't make this worse Nathan. I couldn't stand to see you getting hurt in the process."
Nathan shook his head, "No Brooke, this will just tell Haley that she's won."
"Look at me Nathan;" Brooke said sternly, "She has won." Nathan gave Brooke one final kiss and left the room. Nathan passed Peyton and Lucas and the hall and got into his car. He was going to Haley's. Peyton made her way to Brooke's room and sat down next to her good friend.
Peyton leaned up in the chair and folded her hands, "Brooke I don't know what to say," she started.
Brooke smiled at her, "Don't say anything. Just make me laugh or something; I've had enough emotional shit for today."
Peyton laughed, "I saw Nathan haul ass out of here. What happened?"
Brooke sighed, "I told him we needed to take a break."
Peyton nodded her head, "I see where you're coming from," she said looking up at Brooke.
"I never thought people could be this psycho over a guy," Brooke said rolling her eyes.
"Do you mean people or Haley?" Peyton asked smiling.
"Haley."
Nathan walked into Haley's house and walked into her room without even knocking. He saw Haley doing homework on her bed, "Hey Nathan," she said smiling up at him.
Nathan threw Haley's books off her bed, "You fucking bitch!"
Haley got up from her bed, "What the hell Nathan?" she exclaimed picking up her books from the floor.
"I know your little scheme that you planned with Tim," he said trying to hold back the tears, "Just be glad you're a girl because if you weren't I would beat the shit out of you."
"I didn't know he was going to hurt he so bad she was going to go to the hospital," Haley stated.
Nathan took Haley's computer chair and threw it across the room, "Leave Tree Hill now! Get your psycho ass out of here or I will get the best god damn lawyer in town and I will get your ass in jail for this." And with that Nathan left the room slamming the door behind him.
Haley flinched at the sound of the slam. She looked around the room and thought about what a destruction she had caused, so she got out her suitcase and did one thing: Started packing.
Three days later Brooke had gotten out of the hospital and she was healthy as ever, there was still some bruising on her hips, but they would go away eventually. Peyton had told her to stay in bed and rest, but Brooke wasn't the type to take things lying down. It was during school so Brooke thought she should walk up the lake and get some piece and quiet. She was kind of nervous going by herself because since the whole almost rape incident she had been kind of nervous when she was by herself. As she made her way down the road a car pulled up beside her and when the window rolled down she saw Haley. Brooke glared at the girl and kept walking.
"Brooke," Haley said as she got out of the car. She ran towards her and stopped in front of her, "Look I know there isn't much I can say because you should never be able to trust me again, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm moving."
"Good," Brooke said coldly, "I hope you fucking burn."
"Okay I deserved that, but I just wanted you to be the first one to know something," she started, "I've loved Nathan since the day I met him and I was always so afraid to ask him out because of my fear of rejection."
"Why are you telling me this?" Brooke asked.
Haley sighed, "Okay, Nathan loves you and I was jealous because he did. I never loved Tim; it was all just a sick joke. I have problems Brooke..."
Brooke scoffed, "You got someone to rape me. I think I know you have problems."
"No you don't understand," Haley said holding back the tears, "When I was younger my dad left, but he came back because my mom begged him to come back even though he beat the shit out of her every time he was drunk, he even beat her up when he was sober. And when she left to get away from him it left me alone with him and he used to hit me," she said. Brooke could see the tears swelling up in her eyes, "That's why I never want to be alone because I'm so afraid that somebody is just going to hurt me like my dad did," she said her voice becoming more raspy because she was crying so hard, "That's why I wanted Nathan, I felt safe around him and when you got him first I thought all I had to do was hurt you and you'd leave. Just like my mom did."
Brooke stared at Haley she didn't know whether to feel sorry for her or slap her in the face, "Why did you tell me this? I don't trust you and we hardly even know each other."
Haley walked towards her car, "Maybe that's the point."
Brooke crossed her arms and looked at Haley in her eyes, "Haley," she said calling for her, Haley turned around, "I still don't trust you."
Haley nodded, "I didn't expect you to. I just wanted you to know where I was coming from. I know it doesn't make up for what I did, but I just wanted you to know that I'm just some sick bitch."
Brooke and Haley looked at each other in silence for a moment, finally coming to some sort of understanding. True, Brooke didn't trust the girl as far as she could throw her, but she knew Haley had come from a screwed up child hood and Brooke thought that she needed some serious therapy. Brooke nodded in an understanding way; Haley got into her car and drove away. That would be the last the either of them would ever see of each other again. Brooke walked to the bench and saw Nathan sitting on them she ran over to him and jumped into his arms, "Baby I want to be with you," she said smiling and crying.
Nathan kissed her, "Haley's leaving."
Brooke nodded, "I know," she said. Brooke decided to keep the conversation between her and Haley to herself, "She's never going to hurt us again, baby."
Nathan looked up at Brooke and smiled at her, "I love you so much."
Brooke kissed him and smiled, "I love you."
Read and Review.
Chapter Fourteen is going to be the last chapter. I've had a great time with this story and I'm glad that you all liked it, I'm sad to let this story go but I think that it's a good time to end it. I'm going to start updating more of my other stories so look forward to that.