Author's Note: So sorry for the lack of updates but I was going through a period where I simply wasn't inspired to write anything. Now everything is back on track so here is another chapter in this Brooke/Lucas "saga". Once again, thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming. A big thank you to tardychick06 who reads everything I write and always takes the time to comment after every chapter. I hope you guys continue to enjoy this story.

I'd like to take a minute and address recent criticisms to this story. First of all, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I welcome you to share it with me and other readers. But I would like to explain that before I write, I always draft a complete chapter outline that sort of guides me where I want to go with the story. It may become slow or drag on at parts, but everything happens for a reason and I'm only trying to build up for the big climax. So I apologize if it feels like I am stalling. I like to have a good plot in my fics with plenty of drama and angst...this one is no different. So don't be upset if Brooke and Lucas don't find "happily ever after" right away. Whether you're reading fan fiction on this site or watching the actual show on the WB, think how boring it would actually be if there were no drama and problems and the characters were just happy and "perfect" all the time...

She had heard that he had built a lavish mansion somewhere on the outskirts of Charlotte, not far from his little brother's equally sprawling estate but when Lucas was in Tree Hill, he still called the house his mother, Karen, lived in, home. As she approached the road, Brooke's heart pounded loudly. She couldn't remember a time when she was so nervous as she climbed out of the car and approached the front door to ring the bell. After a few seconds, a petite and pretty brown haired woman who wasn't Karen, answered .

"Hi, is Luke here?"

The woman smiled but looked skeptical and Brooke laughed realizing the poor girl probably thought she was some fan or stalker.

"I'm sorry. My name is Brooke Davis and I'm a friend of Lucas and Nathan. Is he in, please?"

"Ashley, babe..."

Brooke's blood curled as she saw Lucas walk up to the doorway and slip his arms around the woman's thin waist. Tears of anguish and humiliation were fast approaching the corners of her eyes as she spun around on her heels and made a beeline back towards her car.

"Brooke, wait!" Lucas yelled after her as he was hot on her trail to the driveway.

"You son of a bitch!" she screamed as loud as her voice would carry. "Don't touch me, don't you ever touch me again!"

"Jesus, Brooke, calm down. Lower your voice."

"Who is that woman?"

Lucas sheepishly stared at his feet.

"Answer me, motherfucker!"

"Ashley."

"Oh and is Ashley your girlfriend?"

Lucas hesitated for a moment as Brooke's angry eyes bore a hole through him.

"Yes", he said in a whisper.

Brooke punched him square in the chest.

"I hate you! How could you do this to me? You think cause you're Mr. Hot Shot NBA superstar that you can shit all over people and get away with it!"

"Calm down, Brooke."

"I will not calm down, damn you! I am not one of your little fans, Lucas. I don't worship you! I will stand here and be angry and yell at you, goddammitt, because you deserve it!"

"Brooke, please..."

The person identified as Ashley watched on with concern a few feet away.

"Luke, honey, is everything okay?"

"Everything's cool, babe, just go back inside", Lucas told her which only infuriated Brooke even more.

"Oh it's cool, huh? You think it's cool? There is nothing fucking cool about this! How about the truth for once? Why don't you go tell Ashley or whatever her name is that her perfect, wonderful boyfriend Lucas Scott was fucking my brains out less than 72 hours ago. Tell her that and see if she thinks it's cool."

"Brooke..."

"I see what you're doing. This is all about revenge, isn't it? You fucked me over just to get back at me for how I hurt you that day on the ferry with Dan Ferguson", she cried.

"What?" Lucas yelled, his eyes narrowing with anger. "What are you talking about? Me getting revenge on you? Brooke, that's just stupid! You are crazy. You are crazy and selfish. Me, me, me! That's all I ever hear about. Why does everything always have to be about you?"

"Oh no you don't! Don't turn this shit around on me! You're the one who showed up unexpected and uninvited at my door. You weasel your way back into my bed, tell me you love me, and I drive all this way to make amends with you only to have your unsuspecting girlfriend answer the door."

"Oh, you want to talk showing up unexpectedly? Uh, I'm sorry but I don't recall inviting you here today, Brooke."

His face was stone cold, void of all emotion except pure unadulterated anger.

"I wish I had never seen you again, Lucas Scott", Brooke sobbed.

He nodded slowly and avoided her gaze.

"Well, I'm beginning to wish the same thing", he replied quietly.

A million tears flooded from the gates of her eyes.

"I hate you", she whispered as she hopped in her car, screeching out of the driveway.

She was devastated and felt utterly destroyed and defeated. Not only was she humiliated, she had just lost the only man she had ever loved.

Karen Rowe pulled her station wagon in the carport next to her son's black Chevy Tahoe. Luke's truck was parked but the lights in the house were all turned off. She immediately noticed that Ashley's car was missing so she assumed the two were together. Karen let herself in and was surprised to see his only son sitting alone on the living room sofa.

"Lucas, what are you doing in the dark, honey? Where is Ashley?"

Lucas shrugged and looked downwards, too ashamed to look his mother in the eye.

"She's gone, Mom."

"Gone?"

"Just gone. It's over between us."

Karen did a double take. Lucas and Ashley made such a cute couple and the two seemed to really care about one another and have a solid, loving relationship. She couldn't imagine what could have gone so wrong in such a short period of time. The woman rested a sympathetic hand on her boy's shoulder.

"Couples break up and make up all the time, Luke. I'm sure whatever it is you're going through, you and Ashley will find a way to work it out."

"You don't understand, Mom. It's not just some petty lovers' quarrel. I really screwed up this time."

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

"I cheated on her."

Karen closed his eyes.

"You what?"

"I cheated on Ashley."

"Luke, why in God's name would you do that? I can't believe you, you know better than that. I raised you better than that. And how many times have I warned you about those groupies that hang outside all the arenas and hotels. They're up to no good."

"Come on, Mom. You know me better than that. You did raise me better than that. I just didn't pick some pretty stranger out of a crowd...it was with Brooke."

"Brooke?"

"Yes", he nodded for emphasis.

"Now Lucas you know I love Brooke like a daughter, I always have. It's no secret she was the girl I hoped you would end up marrying but you two broke things off a long time ago. You've been seeing Ashley for a while now and I think she's a lovely girl. Now if you feel like you and Brooke can work it out, that's fine but the proper thing to do is to be honest with Ashley. You know it's not right to do what you did."

"I know. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt Ashley. She doesn't deserve that."

Karen shook her head.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do with you...what did you do, start feeling guilty and confess?"

"No. I should have and I wanted to but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I thought if I somehow could forget about it, I could pretend it never happened. That's when Brooke just showed up here this afternoon."

"Brooke drove all the way up here from Florida?"

Lucas sighed.

"She came to the show a few days ago and Nathan invited her to the bar with us afterwards. Seeing her again really messed me up. All these old feelings started stirring and I didn't know how to react. As much as I wanted to shut her out of my life completely, I just had to talk to her one last time for closure. It got pretty tense and emotional and one thing led to another. Afterwards, she told me that she still loved me. I admitted it, too."

"Oh Lucas..."

"I felt really horrible about everything so I just flew back here and hoped I could resume my life with Ashley and everything would be fine again just like it was a few weeks ago. It wasn't working, though. I swear if Brooke hadn't shown up here today, I would have cracked up by now."

"What happened?" Karen asked.

"When Brooke found out I had a girlfriend, she flipped. It was an awful scene out here in your driveway earlier. She was screaming and crying and accused me of trying to hurt her on purpose and that I was just using her for sex. She ended by saying how much she hated me and left me there with Ashley who wanted to know what the hell was going on. I didn't know what to do and Ash kept pressing for the truth so when she asked me who Brooke was, I told her. I ended up telling her everything...including what happened when I showed up at Brooke's place the other night."

"What did she say?"

"She cried. And that killed me because I know she how much she trusts me and I violated that trust. Mom, you know Ashely is a great girl. I do care about her and I thought she was all I ever wanted...beautiful, sweet, smart, funny, loyal. She's always there for me and she takes care of me and she believes in me and she's proud of me. Ashley is dependable, a sure thing who gives me everything I need and for one night I put that all on the line for sex with someone who doesn't support me, doesn't share my dreams and who walked out on me years ago without explanation."

"Wow. I guess Ashley must have been pretty upset but Lucas, sweetie, can you really blame her for leaving?"

"See that's the thing, Mom. She didn't leave. She should have. Ashley should have slapped me, spit in my face, told me what a horrible lying, cheating bastard I am and then she should have left...but she didn't. She didn't because she loves me. She forgave me and all she asked is that I commit to her a hundred percent...that means quit flirting with the girls in the club after the games and she wanted me to end things with Brooke. I didn't know if I was ready to agree to all that then she asked me if I still love Brooke and...well, I couldn't answer. I didn't have the balls to man up and be honest with her."

"You just didn't have the heart to hurt her, Luke", Karen sighed as she rubbed her son's shoulder.

"Too late for that. You know, I always tried to make Ashley happy. I'd do little things for her, give her stuff I knew she wanted. That was just my way of trying to give back for all the wonderful stuff she gave me. I guess I did a good job, didn't I? I gave her heartbreak."

"Lucas..."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I know I disappointed you..."

"Luke..."

"Brooke hurt me, I hurt her and we both hurt Ashley. I just didn't...well, I just don't want to end up like him."

Him. Karen knew who "him" was without a name ever being spoken. She fought back tears as she hugged her son.

"You're human, son. You were confused and you made a mistake. Sometimes we all make bad choices in our lives but you are not and you never will be like Dan Scott."

With those words, Lucas himself began to cry softly. How had everything come to be so screwed up? All of a sudden the money and the fame and the cars and the endorsements meant nothing. His heart had been ripped into a million pieces. The big star, the immortal protégé was a human being again...a boy once again broken, with only his mom for comfort.