Chapter 7
Maybe They Do Need A Psychologist
"What do you mean, you think you are?" Lucas asked her, gradually becoming more and more aggravated by each 'beating around the bush' comment she made about the very to the point situation.
Brooke stood in front of the kitchen window and looked out at the snow covered ground. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Reaching into the microwave, she pulled out a bowl of oatmeal which she was reheating. "It's not that hard to grasp, Lucas." The spoonful of oatmeal found her mouth and she looked toward Lucas who was sitting on the couch.
He sat up on his knees and made eye contact with hers. Looking into his eyes, she missed Lilia. She reached for the phone to call Nathan's apartment but before she could dial the fourth number, Lucas had taken it away from her. "No," He put it down on the counter and took her hand, "We are going to come over here and talk about this reasonably, like adults."
She rolled her eyes and sat next to him on the couch. Before he could get started on his lecture, Peyton emerged from the bathroom. She saved the day. Brooke jumped off the couch and ran toward her. "Peyton." She looked back at Lucas who was giving her an evil look. Brooke turned back to Peyton and took her hands, "Come with me to go get Lilia from Nathan's." She mouthed to her, "Please."
"Okay, let me go get a coat on." Peyton grabbed her coat off the back of the couch and found her scarf lying on the floor in the kitchen. "Alright." She looked up at Brooke, who was anxiously standing at the door. She turned back to Lucas, who was sitting on the edge of the couch, scowling at Brooke. "Bye Luke."
The girls took each others hands and went out the door. They climbed into Lucas' 4Runner and slowly pulled out of the driveway. Brooke reached for the radio knob and turned it on. Peyton turned it down, "What's going on?"
Brooke sighed, "Nothing." She took a sharp corner. She never was the best driver, but much better than Peyton could have ever dreamed of being. Peyton looked at her knowing she was lying. "No, well... I mean..." She felt her eyes fill up. Peyton squeezed her hand. "This is so much harder than remembered."
Peyton was confused. What was she talking about? What was so much harder? Then it hit her. "Are you pregnant?" She was so blunt. If Brooke hadn't lived most of her life becoming accustomed to Peyton's frankness she might have been taken aback.
"I think so." She parked the car on the street in front of Nathan's apartment. As she stepped out of the car and onto the yard, her feet sunk into the snow. "Damnit." She said, picking one foot off the ground and wiping off her chestnut UGG boots. She pulled them up over her dark jeans and continued through the yard to Nathan's front door.
Peyton followed behind her, hands in pockets and hat on head. Once at the door, she waited for Brooke to knock. When she did Peyton looked at her and said, "How do you know?"
Brooke didn't turn to look at her. She continued staring at the door. "I just think that I am. I have been once and I know how I felt." She pointed to her stomach, "This is how I felt."
A very groggy looking Nathan opened the door. Eliza stood behind him, dressed in his UNC practice jersey. Her mascara was smeared and her face was red. Brooke pushed him out of the way and searched the apartment for her daughter. She pushed the guest door open to find Lilia and Reed both in the room, each in their separate strollers. She reached into the stroller and pulled out Lilia, handed her to Peyton and then took Reed out.
When she emerged from the guest room, Nathan remained in front of the door. He hadn't moved. "Damnit Nathan!" She yelled, "I trusted you with her!" She quickly turned to Eliza. There was no way she was getting off easy. "And you! You know better than this! Your son was in there all alone for only God knows how long and my daughter was in there too."
She looked back and forth between the two. "How long were they in there?" No answer. She nodded her head at Eliza, "By the looks of you, probably all night." Brooke looked around the apartment, just now seeing all the clothes thrown around the living area. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" She picked up Eliza's distressed jeans off of the floor along with Nathan's white undershirt. "I can't believe you too! Nathan, you are married."
"Where is Haley?" No one spoke. Peyton watched the anger pour out. Brooke handed Reed to Peyton and continued. She looked around the apartment, like she was expecting her to be hidden in a closet or something. "Damnit, I said where is she?"
"She is asleep Brooke." Eliza answered, meekly.
"How kind of you to tell me."
"Brooke, where the hell do you come off thinking that you can barge into my house like this?"
"Nathan you are making a total ass out of yourself. Think about it. I didn't barge in here; you opened the damn door for me!" She searched through her purse for the keys to the SUV. "I can't believe this." She couldn't believe that he did that to her. Haley didn't deserve this. She stood in the door way and shook her head at him, "None of you, know what it is like to have someone you love cheat on you. None of you!"
She stormed out of the door and looked back, "Come on Peyton."
Nathan followed Brooke. He was only wearing his boxers, "He cheated on you with her!" He pointed to Peyton who was two steps behind Brooke. "Remember? Or now that you are a mother have you forgotten?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You have to set a good example for your daughter so she doesn't turn into a bitch like you."
She raised her fist to hit him. He grabbed her arm and she did what any girl would do when she was being threatened. She kneed him in the groan. "Guess that is going to hurt too much to get on Eliza again."
Peyton put Lilia in her car seat and got into the passenger seat with Reed in her arms. Eliza saw what was happening and called out to them, "What do you think you are doing?"
Brooke stood up from the inside of the car so she could see over the 4Runner, "I was just about to ask you the same thing." She leaned into the SUV and started the car, "When you decide that you don't like to sleep with married me and have had time to think about what you have done, call me and I will bring you your son."
The two drove off. Peyton turned around to watch Nathan and Eliza go back into the apartment. "She just gave us the finger."
"Bitch, I wish I could give her something else right now." She turned the music up a little louder, "Like a good slap in the face."
Peyton laughed. "So back to you being pregnant?"
Brooke rolled her eyes, "As what you want."
"Do you want to be?"
"I don't know. I mean I didn't exactly have the best pregnancy with Lilia, but once she was here..." Brooke was so happy when she was thinking about Lilia, "I just adore her." The two looked back at the little girl in the backseat. "I just love the fact that she is me and him." She shrugged her shoulders, "Am I crazy?"
"No," Peyton shook her head, "I think you're just happy."
"Maybe I am."
"I don't want to sound like a psychologist but I really do think you and Lucas need to talk about this whole thing."
Brooke pulled the car into the driveway and turned the car off. The two remained in the car. Peyton bounced Reed on her knee and turned to Brooke. "I know, it's just, sometimes I wish that all this didn't happen. Like everything would have been so much easier if I hadn't gotten pregnant in the first place."
"Shut up." Peyton opened the door and stepped into the hugest puddle of ice, water, and snow. "Shit." She looked up to see Lucas standing in front of her. Brooke was still on the other side of the car. Peyton whispered into his ear, "You two need to talk." She looked at him, "Really."
Lucas walked around to the other side of the 4Runner and kissed Lilia on the head and then Brooke on the lips, "Hey babies."
"Hey daddy." Brooke said, handing Lilia off to him.
He followed her into the house, "Listen, I'm really sorry about this morning. I hate is when I act like that."
"I know, I am too. I should have told you earlier."
"Like how earlier?"
"Lucas, I don't know if I am or not yet. I am just a couple weeks late, but that is nothing." She plopped down on the couch and Lucas put her feet in his lap.
"Just, when we get back to Wake we will go to the doctor to find out and... if you are, then you are if you're not then you're not."
"My Lucas Scott you sound so wise." She smirked at him.
He put Lilia on her stomach. "She is pretty perfect." He said running his hand over her dark hair.
"Yeah, she is." Brooke rubbed her stomach. "I bet this one will be too."
"If there is one." Lucas said quickly, wondering if she really did want another child because he was almost one hundred percent sure he did.
"Right." She said nodding at him.
"I almost hope there is." Lucas said, pulling her UGGs off of her feet and rubbing them.
She nodded again, "I think I want another one." She closed her eyes and put her hands on Lilia's waist, "I mean, this is definitely not the circumstances I wanted to start a family under," She opened her eyes and looked into his ocean blues, "but I don't mind so much anymore."
Maybe They Do Need A Psychologist
"What do you mean, you think you are?" Lucas asked her, gradually becoming more and more aggravated by each 'beating around the bush' comment she made about the very to the point situation.
Brooke stood in front of the kitchen window and looked out at the snow covered ground. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Reaching into the microwave, she pulled out a bowl of oatmeal which she was reheating. "It's not that hard to grasp, Lucas." The spoonful of oatmeal found her mouth and she looked toward Lucas who was sitting on the couch.
He sat up on his knees and made eye contact with hers. Looking into his eyes, she missed Lilia. She reached for the phone to call Nathan's apartment but before she could dial the fourth number, Lucas had taken it away from her. "No," He put it down on the counter and took her hand, "We are going to come over here and talk about this reasonably, like adults."
She rolled her eyes and sat next to him on the couch. Before he could get started on his lecture, Peyton emerged from the bathroom. She saved the day. Brooke jumped off the couch and ran toward her. "Peyton." She looked back at Lucas who was giving her an evil look. Brooke turned back to Peyton and took her hands, "Come with me to go get Lilia from Nathan's." She mouthed to her, "Please."
"Okay, let me go get a coat on." Peyton grabbed her coat off the back of the couch and found her scarf lying on the floor in the kitchen. "Alright." She looked up at Brooke, who was anxiously standing at the door. She turned back to Lucas, who was sitting on the edge of the couch, scowling at Brooke. "Bye Luke."
The girls took each others hands and went out the door. They climbed into Lucas' 4Runner and slowly pulled out of the driveway. Brooke reached for the radio knob and turned it on. Peyton turned it down, "What's going on?"
Brooke sighed, "Nothing." She took a sharp corner. She never was the best driver, but much better than Peyton could have ever dreamed of being. Peyton looked at her knowing she was lying. "No, well... I mean..." She felt her eyes fill up. Peyton squeezed her hand. "This is so much harder than remembered."
Peyton was confused. What was she talking about? What was so much harder? Then it hit her. "Are you pregnant?" She was so blunt. If Brooke hadn't lived most of her life becoming accustomed to Peyton's frankness she might have been taken aback.
"I think so." She parked the car on the street in front of Nathan's apartment. As she stepped out of the car and onto the yard, her feet sunk into the snow. "Damnit." She said, picking one foot off the ground and wiping off her chestnut UGG boots. She pulled them up over her dark jeans and continued through the yard to Nathan's front door.
Peyton followed behind her, hands in pockets and hat on head. Once at the door, she waited for Brooke to knock. When she did Peyton looked at her and said, "How do you know?"
Brooke didn't turn to look at her. She continued staring at the door. "I just think that I am. I have been once and I know how I felt." She pointed to her stomach, "This is how I felt."
A very groggy looking Nathan opened the door. Eliza stood behind him, dressed in his UNC practice jersey. Her mascara was smeared and her face was red. Brooke pushed him out of the way and searched the apartment for her daughter. She pushed the guest door open to find Lilia and Reed both in the room, each in their separate strollers. She reached into the stroller and pulled out Lilia, handed her to Peyton and then took Reed out.
When she emerged from the guest room, Nathan remained in front of the door. He hadn't moved. "Damnit Nathan!" She yelled, "I trusted you with her!" She quickly turned to Eliza. There was no way she was getting off easy. "And you! You know better than this! Your son was in there all alone for only God knows how long and my daughter was in there too."
She looked back and forth between the two. "How long were they in there?" No answer. She nodded her head at Eliza, "By the looks of you, probably all night." Brooke looked around the apartment, just now seeing all the clothes thrown around the living area. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!" She picked up Eliza's distressed jeans off of the floor along with Nathan's white undershirt. "I can't believe you too! Nathan, you are married."
"Where is Haley?" No one spoke. Peyton watched the anger pour out. Brooke handed Reed to Peyton and continued. She looked around the apartment, like she was expecting her to be hidden in a closet or something. "Damnit, I said where is she?"
"She is asleep Brooke." Eliza answered, meekly.
"How kind of you to tell me."
"Brooke, where the hell do you come off thinking that you can barge into my house like this?"
"Nathan you are making a total ass out of yourself. Think about it. I didn't barge in here; you opened the damn door for me!" She searched through her purse for the keys to the SUV. "I can't believe this." She couldn't believe that he did that to her. Haley didn't deserve this. She stood in the door way and shook her head at him, "None of you, know what it is like to have someone you love cheat on you. None of you!"
She stormed out of the door and looked back, "Come on Peyton."
Nathan followed Brooke. He was only wearing his boxers, "He cheated on you with her!" He pointed to Peyton who was two steps behind Brooke. "Remember? Or now that you are a mother have you forgotten?"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"You have to set a good example for your daughter so she doesn't turn into a bitch like you."
She raised her fist to hit him. He grabbed her arm and she did what any girl would do when she was being threatened. She kneed him in the groan. "Guess that is going to hurt too much to get on Eliza again."
Peyton put Lilia in her car seat and got into the passenger seat with Reed in her arms. Eliza saw what was happening and called out to them, "What do you think you are doing?"
Brooke stood up from the inside of the car so she could see over the 4Runner, "I was just about to ask you the same thing." She leaned into the SUV and started the car, "When you decide that you don't like to sleep with married me and have had time to think about what you have done, call me and I will bring you your son."
The two drove off. Peyton turned around to watch Nathan and Eliza go back into the apartment. "She just gave us the finger."
"Bitch, I wish I could give her something else right now." She turned the music up a little louder, "Like a good slap in the face."
Peyton laughed. "So back to you being pregnant?"
Brooke rolled her eyes, "As what you want."
"Do you want to be?"
"I don't know. I mean I didn't exactly have the best pregnancy with Lilia, but once she was here..." Brooke was so happy when she was thinking about Lilia, "I just adore her." The two looked back at the little girl in the backseat. "I just love the fact that she is me and him." She shrugged her shoulders, "Am I crazy?"
"No," Peyton shook her head, "I think you're just happy."
"Maybe I am."
"I don't want to sound like a psychologist but I really do think you and Lucas need to talk about this whole thing."
Brooke pulled the car into the driveway and turned the car off. The two remained in the car. Peyton bounced Reed on her knee and turned to Brooke. "I know, it's just, sometimes I wish that all this didn't happen. Like everything would have been so much easier if I hadn't gotten pregnant in the first place."
"Shut up." Peyton opened the door and stepped into the hugest puddle of ice, water, and snow. "Shit." She looked up to see Lucas standing in front of her. Brooke was still on the other side of the car. Peyton whispered into his ear, "You two need to talk." She looked at him, "Really."
Lucas walked around to the other side of the 4Runner and kissed Lilia on the head and then Brooke on the lips, "Hey babies."
"Hey daddy." Brooke said, handing Lilia off to him.
He followed her into the house, "Listen, I'm really sorry about this morning. I hate is when I act like that."
"I know, I am too. I should have told you earlier."
"Like how earlier?"
"Lucas, I don't know if I am or not yet. I am just a couple weeks late, but that is nothing." She plopped down on the couch and Lucas put her feet in his lap.
"Just, when we get back to Wake we will go to the doctor to find out and... if you are, then you are if you're not then you're not."
"My Lucas Scott you sound so wise." She smirked at him.
He put Lilia on her stomach. "She is pretty perfect." He said running his hand over her dark hair.
"Yeah, she is." Brooke rubbed her stomach. "I bet this one will be too."
"If there is one." Lucas said quickly, wondering if she really did want another child because he was almost one hundred percent sure he did.
"Right." She said nodding at him.
"I almost hope there is." Lucas said, pulling her UGGs off of her feet and rubbing them.
She nodded again, "I think I want another one." She closed her eyes and put her hands on Lilia's waist, "I mean, this is definitely not the circumstances I wanted to start a family under," She opened her eyes and looked into his ocean blues, "but I don't mind so much anymore."