Chapter Six

Better Left Unsaid

The house was silent. Lucas sat cross armed in the middle of the couch, sandwiched in between a hostile Brooke, who was wrapped in a fleece blanket, and a distressed Peyton, leaning away from Lucas scared of what Brooke might say if she saw Peyton's leg touch his. Lucas closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the top of the couch. Peyton flipped through the channels, while Brooke scanned through her new Vogue magazine.

She threw the magazine onto the coffee table, looked at Peyton and then to Lucas, and said, "I'm going to sleep."

Lucas stood up to follow her into the bedroom, "Then I guess I will too." He folded the blanket that Brooke had been using and put it away.

"No," Brooke quickly whipped her head around as she reached the end of the hallway, "Not tonight." She opened the door and walked into the room. He watched the maple door slam shut.

He looked back at Peyton and sat next to her. "Damnit." He put his elbows on his knees and then put his hands in his head.

Peyton stopped on The Breakfast Club and turned her head toward Lucas, "She do this a lot?"

He shook his head and slowly looked up at her, "No, she has been fine."

"Oh," Peyton said as she stood up and walked into the kitchen. She put her hand into the cookie jar and pulled out one oatmeal rasin and one chocolate chip. Talking one bite from the chocolate chip cookie she said, "Sorry."

"No, Peyton, I didn't mean it like that." She handed him the other cookie. "How did you know?" He asked her, referring to his favorite cookie.

She shrugged her shoulders and sat down next to him on the couch, "I'm just good I guess." She finished the cookie and said, "You know, that when we did what we did, I never expected it to have the consequences that it did. I never thought that my best friend would hate me for two years. But then again, the fact that she was pregnant didn't help any, but no one knew..."

"I know," He reached for the remote and turned off the television, "I didn't either. But, I mean, I'm over it." He threw the last piece of cookie into his mouth, "I just wish she could get over it too."

"Yeah, well, we screwed up." She looked around the room, remembering so many things that happened in this house. "Remember when we watched every single cult scary movie in here that one night."

"Yeah. We had fun together."

"Yeah, you know, I wish that we weren't under these circumstances."

"What do you mean?"

She pulled her legs in close to her chest. "Come on Lucas, you know what I mean. You and Brooke, the baby, me and you. Sometimes I wonder if we could have had something." She crossed her arms over her chest, "Do you ever think about that?"

"Peyton, I wish that I could sit here right now and tell you that I didn't. That would make everything so much easier. If I could, then maybe Brooke would have an easier time forgiving me, but she knows that I did have feelings for you. And she knows that I will, more than likely, always have feelings for you."

"Then what are we doing."

"All I know is what I am doing..."

"And what is that Lucas?" She said anxiously, watching his every move.

"I am being happy." He stood up and put his hands in his pocket, "I am in love with Brooke. She makes me happier than anything ever has. I am so crazy about her I can barely stand it. And I have a daughter with her and when ever I look at Lilia I am just amazed. Sometimes I wonder if I love Lilia so much because she is my daughter or if it is because she is Brooke's daughter."

He walked down the hallway to see Brooke standing in the open door. She had on his boxers and an oversized Tree Hill basketball tee shirt. She was chewing on her lip, as she always did when she was deep in though. She flipped her dark ponytail over her shoulder and crossed her arms, "Did you mean that? I mean everything?"

Lucas nodded his head and put his hands on her hips, kissed her on the lips and said, "I love you more than anything."

She smiled and watched Lucas walk over to his suitcase, pulling out another tee shirt. He undressed, down to his boxers, put on the tee shirt, and crawled into the turned down bed. Brooke walked back out into the living room, to see Peyton lying on the couch.

"Hey." She said walking toward the couch and sitting in a chair next to Peyton.

She looked up at Brooke, "Oh, hey."

Brooke bit her lip, nervous again. "Okay, Peyton, I know I have been a real bitch for the past..."

"Eighteen years of your life?"

She smiled at her and said, "Yeah, but, the past two years to you especially..."

"Look Brooke I didn't come here to have you apologize to me."

"I know, but I figured while you and I were in at least a one mile radius of one another, I might as well." Peyton looked at her, waiting for the apology. Brooke laughed at her and said, "Guess you are waiting?"

"If you are willing, then go right ahead."

Brooke took a deep breath and mumbled, "I am sorry for being a bitch to you for so long."

"Well I guess that is better than nothing." Brooke looked at her, waiting for the apology from Peyton in return. "Okay, fine, I'm sorry for everything that I have done to hurt you in the past few years."

Brooke jumped onto the couch and wrapped her arms around Peyton. She could see down the hall, Lucas was standing in the door opening watching everything. She pulled away and pointed toward him, "I guess I better get back in there."

Peyton laughed, "Yeah. Just be careful." Brooke looked back at her. Lucas put his hand on her back. Peyton said, "We really don't need another baby from you all."

Lucas and Brooke looked at each other with affectionate eyes and laughed, "Don't worry; we don't need another one either." She took his hand and led him back toward the bed. She kissed him on the forehead and said, "But maybe someday."

"What?" A clueless Lucas said.

She pulled the covers over their bodies and snuggled in close to him, "You know, someday we can have another one."

"Right, just not right now."

Hitting him on the arm, "Lucas I am not insinuating anything." She turned away from him and said, "Damn you ruined the moment."

He wrapped his arms around her waste, "Come on B." He felt he push him away and he sat up, turning the side lamp on, "You know what I meant."

She sighed, sat up next to him, and said, "I know Luke, listen I am just tired. I'm sorry I snapped at you."

He watched her bite her lip, something was going on. He knew it. She didn't do that when nothing was wrong. She had already lain back down, but he leaned over her, saying, "Hey B, what's wrong? You got something on your mind?"

"No," She quickly snapped, "I just want to go to sleep. I never get any sleep and the one night I don't have Lilia waking me up; I have everything else under the moon keeping me awake."

"Okay," He turned the light off, "Love you."

"I love you too, babe."

Something was wrong with her, he knew there was. She hadn't acted like this in a long time. The fact that she had just made up with her best friend was supposed to make her happy, but I guess sometimes there are just other things on her mind sometimes. He felt sick not knowing, but he guessed that there were just something's that were better left unsaid. He would feel even more sick if he knew what was wrong.