Author Note: Okay this chapter goes out to... Lisa2302, Sarah, Mac, ChadandJames (that sounds funny), Agel15, Christine, LucasnHaley (also sound funny), Em, Ababy99, and Storywise-don't worry, loads more B/N

Chapter 8

Brooke was alone in her house. She felt like she was ten years old again. Her parents were never home then and nothing had changed. She crawled onto her bed and threw the covers over her, enveloping her whole body, head included. She closed her eyes and wished that she was back in Charlotte. No one knew anything about her past there. She was who ever she wanted to be.

She covered her face with her hands with her face. She didn't want to feel the sun anywhere on her. Knowing that the blanket was covering her didn't matter, the sun was still there and she didn't want it to be.

Chewing on her lip, Brooke peaked out from under the covers to look at the clock. 11:15. The funeral was in fifteen minutes. She couldn't go. There was no way she could show her face after the previous night, nor did she want to show her face. As if on cue there was a knock at the door. Brooke looked at them with one eye. It was Lauren.

She looked perfect, as always. Even when she was going to a funeral, possibly the most depressing time in anyone's life, she still had this glow about her. Brooke almost cringed; remember the glow that she used to obtain. She wondered if she still had it.

"Surprised to see you here." Brooke said, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and dangling them close to the floor.

Lauren shrugged her petite shoulders, "I don't hate you Brooke. Hating you would be like hating myself." Both girls smirked. "You are the only person I have ever met that I understand and that I feel like understands me."

Brooke nodded, "I know but you and Nathan, I just don't want to ruin what you all have because I screwed up four years ago. That would be so selfish of me."

"Listen," Lauren sat next to Brooke on the bed and smoothed out her skirt, "Nathan and I..." She smiled, "The way he looked at you last night, and the way you looked at him made me realize that you need each other." She sighed, knowing that this was the best and hardest thing she had ever done, "It would be selfish of me to stand in the way of that."

"What are you saying?" Brooke asked, confused. She began to chew on her lip again and then ran her fingers through her stringy brown hair.

"I am saying that last night... after you ran out, Nathan and I... we broke up last night."

Nathan sat in pew awaiting the arrival of someone, anyone to sit with. He looked up and down the aisle hoping that someone would come soon. He anxiously tapped his foot. After what had happened the night before, he hoped that Jake would be the first one there. They had some things to talk about.

Lucas and Haley entered, looking around for Nathan. He put his hand up, waving for them to come in his direction. Haley crossed her arms across her chest as Lucas put his hand on her back, "Don't worry." He whispered into her.

"I know." She whispered back, "I just don't like funerals." Lucas smiled at her and so desperately wanted to give her a consoling kiss on the cheek. She knew what he was thinking. She was so in tune with him. "No now." She said with a smile.

The pair sat next to Nathan in the pew. Nathan put his hand down on the opposite side, "I need for Jake to sit here. We need to talk."

Lucas nodded, understanding. Into Haley's ear he whispered, "Nate and Lauren broke up last night."

She whispered back, "Glad I didn't ask where she was."

The two smiled at each other. They had become so happy with one another. Being friends throughout their whole lives definitely helped their situation. The fact that they were both in Atlanta didn't hurt any, Lucas at Georgia Tech and Haley at Emory.

Jake came down the aisle and Peyton followed him. Peyton spotted Lucas and tapped Jake on the shoulder. He walked over and sat in his reserved seat next to Nathan.

"Hey man sorry about last night?" Nathan said, putting his hand on Jake's shoulder.

Jake shook his head, "Don't worry about it."

"Lauren and I broke up."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I think it was for the best though."

"I have to tell you something." Jake said, very serious.

"What?" Nathan turned to Jake. "Come on man."

"Brooke and I..."

"Just tell me."

"We weren't..."

Before Jake could finish Lauren weaved her way into the pew and sat down next to Nathan. "She isn't coming."

"What?" Nathan asked turning to Lauren. He leaned forward and put his hands on his knees, "Why?"

"Who?" Jake asked them.

"Brooke." They said in unison.

"She couldn't, I mean, she wouldn't." Lauren said.

"Why?" Nathan asked desperate to see her.

"She is going back to Charlotte."

Nathan quickly stood up. "Where are you going?" Jake asked him trying to pull him to sit back down.

"No, I have to talk to her before she leaves. She has already done this once, she can't do it again." Nathan looked to Lauren, "Where is she?"

Lauren shrugged her shoulders, "She told me you would know where to find her."

Deb Scott watched her son race out of the church. She knew where he was going. She knew that he had to find her and she knew that they were meant to be together. She knew what it was like to be unhappy and that was the last thing she wanted for her son.
Brooke stood behind the tree where she seemed to have spent most of her nights. She ran her fingers over the letters carved into the tree and smiled. She looked out from behind the tree and her smile faded. Maybe he wasn't coming, maybe she was just fooling herself, and maybe he didn't love her anymore.

But why would they have broken up then? She asked herself. She sat down and waited. She had never been behind the tree during the day, nothing looked the same. That might have been because she hadn't been in this place for four years.

She looked at her watch and thought, Five more minutes, I'll give him five more minutes.

Nathan stared at the clock in his SUV. "Damnit", he said to himself. He stepped on the accelerator a little harder, knowing that if he didn't he would miss her and he had missed her enough the past four years.

Finally, he pulled into the park and jumped out of the car. He forgot to take the keys out he was in such a hurry. That didn't matter, the only thing that mattered what him getting to see her.
"Please, God, if you just let him come, I swear I won't drink anymore." Brooke closed her eyes and leaned over. She ran her hands over the warm grass and crossed her fingers. "Please just come, please."

She bit her lip and looked up. There he was. She felt like crying, yelling, jumping all at once. So many emotions were flowing through her body she could hardly speak. She stood up, "I was hoping you would come."

He smiled saying, "I was hoping you would be here."

"You knew I would be."

"I had a feeling."

Brooke covered her face with her hands, "I'm so sorry Nathan."

He came closer to her and pulled her hands away. Her eyes were filled with tears, "No, no, no. Please Brooke, don't cry. I didn't come here to make you upset."

She nodded and tried to stop crying, "I'm sorry about the whole Jake thing..."

He almost laughed, but then realized she was serious. "Why did you do that?"

"For you." She said, now looked up at him, "When I saw Lauren I was so jealous and she was gorgeous and I was sure your parents loved her and I knew that you all were happy..."

"How did you know that?"

She shook her head, "I could just tell." She looked down at the grass, "What happened?"

"She saw the way I looked at you..."

"No, Nathan, we can't..."

He put his hands on her hips and pulled her close to him. "We can." With that he kissed her. It was the most passionate kiss she had felt since the last time she had seen him four years previous.

"But our parents..."

"Screw out parents."

"Come on, Nate, get real..."

He kissed her again, "Brooke you can't stand her and tell me that this doesn't feel good."

"I know I can't and that's why I'm scared."

"Can't you just not be scared for once and just let everything happen?" Brooke was silent and Nathan was desperate for an answer, "Huh?"

"I guess..." She kissed him and said, "I will try." She wrapped her arms around his neck and very seriously said, "You better not hurt me Nathan Scott."

He shook his head, "I'm not the one we have to worry about."

Author Note: Now seriously, what do you think? Lauren is a good person everyone, see. lol Okay, now I know some of you are upset that Brooke and Jake aren't together but this IS a Nathan Brooke story so I had to stick with that or I would be kicking myself.

I am going to be gone until Tuesday so everyone wait patiently for a next chapter. It will be good I promise!