Chapter 3

"Brooke, come on. You've gotta come out of there." Jake rapped on the door hoping that she would come out of the airplane lavatory. He had noticed that she was gone twenty minutes earlier when he woke from his cat nap. Knocking once more on the sliding door he said, "Brooke, there is a Bloody Mary waiting at your seat with your name all over it."

She emerged from the bathroom and casually pushed her dark hair off of her face. She stood directly in front of him, standing so close that their chests were touching. "You better not be lying to my about that damn drink, Jake." She rounded the corner and sat down at her seat. She looked at Jake, "Where it is?"

He sat down and signaled for the flight attendant to come over toward them. "How can I help you?" Asked the tall, red headed stuartess who carried a large drink tray behind her.

"My friend here would like a drink." Jake said putting his CD player back into his backpack.

"Well I need to see your friend's ID first." The stuartess watched Brooke reach into her carry on bag and pull out her driver's license. She checked the birthdate and then nodded, "Sorry about that Miss Davis but I have to check anyone who looks like they might be underage."

"That's quite alright." She put her wallet back into her bag and looked up at the woman, "I've had to show my ID enough times to people like you to know the routine. But before you politely ask me what I would like to drink because you feel for bad for thinking that you could bust me I'll answer your unasked question." She paused and smiled at the woman, "It's still early. I just have a scotch."

The stuartess smiled at her and looked to Jake, "And for you sir."

"I'll just have water. Thanks" She nodded and left the pair alone.

"So," Jake said turning to Brooke, "What have you been up to for the past four years?"

It was obvious that Brooke did not want to talk about her life in Charlotte. She quickly changed the subject, "Hey. Where's Jenny?" She reached for her drink from the flight attendant. "Thanks so much." She narrowed her eyes at the woman and gave her a half hearted smile. Taking a long sip from her drink, she looked back to Jake.

"Oh, well she has been staying with my parents in Tree Hill." He chewed on a piece of ice from his water and continued, "I just didn't think that a college dorm was the right place for a child to grow up. I would have bought a house or rented an apartment so that she could stay with me but I wasn't financially stable... at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Brooke pushed her hair off he shoulders and leaned forward, chewing on the edge of her cup, "Damnit Jake, I am so nervous."

"I am too." He leaned over her and looked out the window, "Do you ever think about what things would have been like if you had stayed?"

Although she didn't want to talk about leaving, she knew that eventually she was going to have to. Now was the time. "Yeah, right after I left I wondered if what I had done was right." She studied her fingers, looking for any little chip in her manicured nails. He leaned back to his seat and looked at her. "I mean, I used to think about what it would have been like all the time. But I finally just came to the conclusion that, it didn't matter. I was 'what if-ing" my life away, ya know?"

Jake nodded and placed his hand over hers. "Yeah, I used to do that. Especially when I left Jenny, I was so scared that when I came back to get her she would forget who I was."

"She could never forget you. You played such a major role in her life up until now," She looked out the window and placed her left hand on it. "I think that you knew she wouldn't forget you, it's just that sometimes life is easier when there is something to worry about."

"I don't think we are talking about me anymore." Jake said, adjusting the hat that was atop his head.

She moved her eyes from the window to him and shook her head, "I don't think we are either." She ran her fingers through her hair and felt the plane start to land. She squeezed his hand as hard as she could. When it finally landed she said, "Sorry."

"For what?" He asked standing to get his things out of the overhead compartment.

She stood and put her bag over her shoulder, "Oh, well, for changing the subject from you to me within," She looked at her watch, "five seconds."

Laughing he said, "Don't worry about it." He patted her on the back and followed her off the plane.

Brooke looked around and dug through her bag searching for her cell phone. Once she found it, it read 'one missed call'. She called her voice mail. It was her mother.

"Honey, it's your mom. I am so sorry, but I can't come pick you up. Your father is having some of his colleagues over for brunch and I just can't get away. Maybe you could call Peyton or someone to come get you. I am sure they wouldn't mind. Talk to you soon dear. Kisses."

Unbelieveable, Brooke thought, does she not think it would be a little odd calling someone to pick me up who I hadn't talked to in four years. Whatever. She looked toward Jake who was picking up his luggage. "Hey Jake."

"Yup." He turned around.

"Who is picking you up?" Brooke asked, reaching for her luggage and carefully watching for the final piece.

"Um, I am actually not sure. I think... um, nevermind."

"No, cause I need a ride to my house."

"Trust me you don't want to ride with me."

"Why?"

She quickly turned around. There he was walking in through the automatic doors. His hair was longer, his body more muscular, and his face hairier than he could have ever wished it to be four years ago. He ran his long fingers through his messy brown hair. He didn't see her and she was glad.

As he reached down to pick up Jake's bags his arms, which were hanging out of a sleeveless shirt, flexed. His legs were covered with designer jeans. Diesel, Brooke thought. They were obviously his favorite and most warn in, the ripped knees and warn out pockets showed that.

He looked up and saw her. Nervousness took over. He couldn't even say her name. She was so scared she could hardly breathe. Everything she had thought about for the past years, lead up to this point and all they could do was staring at each other.

"Nathan." She said. There was bubble in her throat so it sounded like a whisper. She couldn't believe he was right there. All the feelings that she had pushed away over the past four years came back in less that four minutes. She tried to speak again, but couldn't. Her hands managed to find her the pockets of her cargo pants and she nervously jangled the change in her pockets.

She chewed on her bottom lip and knew she should stop, everyone had told her it was bad habit. She looked back at him and without thinking, said aloud, "Old habits die hard."