Brooke's heart skipped a beat as she heard the front door open. She buried her face deeper into the latest addition of Cosmo magazine, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible. The footsteps came closer and in seconds they were in the same room.

"Hey", Lucas finally said after an awkward silence. "We're back from the park."

He had taken their daughter out for a day of quality time before his upcoming road trip. Brooke had done a good job of avoiding him since the disastrous previous week in Chicago.

"Did you have a good time, sweetie girl?" Brooke cooed as she took the baby from his arms. "Huh? Were you good for Daddy? Mommy missed you so much."

"She's always good for me", Lucas smiled, rubbing the child's fine strands of blondish brown hair that was just beginning to grow. "But it's probably time for her nap. She was wide awake the whole day."

Brooke nodded and summoned Mrs. Patterson who went to put the little girl down in the nursery.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later, Brooke…when I get back from Portland and all. Um, thanks for letting me have Harmony today."

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to trudge off.

"Lucas, wait…"

"Yeah Brooke?"

"I…uh, I just want you to know that I forgive you."

"Forgive me?"

"Yeah. For last week. You know for ruining Peyton's exhibit."

"And how did I do that?"

"You know. By getting pissy with me for no reason, getting drunk off your ass, attacking Felix, making a ridiculous and embarrassing scene…well anyway, I was really mad at you at the time but it's over now. Let bygones be bygones, right? I just wanted to let you know that."

Lucas couldn't help but laugh as he loudly clapped his hands for dramatic emphasis.

"Luke…what are you doing?"

"Just giving you the applause you so deserve, Brooke. That was an excellent little speech. Spoken like a true publicist. No wonder you're so good at your job. Really. I mean, bravo!"

"Oh stop being a tool."

"No. I'm just giving you props for that sweetly prepared little press release you just delivered but I've got news for you, Brooke. I'm not one of your clients and I don't need your forgiveness."

"Excuse me?"

"I think you heard me. Look I have apologized over and over for embarrassing Peyton in front of her colleagues and her clients. That was wrong and I admit it but that's about the only thing I have to be sorry for. As far as getting drunk…whatever. And getting pissy with you, as you put it, well you did piss me off and I think I have the right to confront you about it. Brooke, when I cheated on you last year, I knew I had messed up big time and I knew I was in the doghouse for it. For months I've been on eggshells with you, doing whatever it took to get back in your good graces. Well honestly, I'm getting kind of sick of it. One mistake cannot dictate the rest of my life and I refuse to let it anymore. I've said sorry and I've tried to prove it to you a million and one times and I don't know what else I can do to redeem myself but I know I'm not gonna run around the rest of my days kissing your ass. Brooke, we have always been able to communicate with each other, whether it was good or bad. Why should that change now? You made me mad and I called you on it, simple as that."

Brooke was a little taken back at the "new and improved" Lucas. For months she had wished he would be a man and stop whining and now that that had come true, she wasn't quite sure how to take it.

"What did I do? Why were you so mad at me?"

"Where do you want me to start? First of all, you know how I feel about Felix yet you bring him to a function as a date with the rest of our friends."

"And what about the date you were going to bring?"

"You don't even know Anna and Brooke, she is just a friend. I told you she might be coming beforehand so there wouldn't be any problems. That's called decency and respect which went out the window with you when you brought that asshole to the art show and when you had him around our daughter."

"He is my friend, Lucas! So now you get to tell me who I can and cannot associate with? What, have you drafted a list or something? Because I would like to know who else is banned from seeing Harmony. Maybe Chantal and Gordon are next…wait, let me go fire Mrs. Patterson. She might even be on your list."

"Brooke, save it. You know damn well what I mean. I think there is more to you and Felix than friendship but you know what? That's fine. Very, very soon it won't be any of my business anyway and God forbid I bring something up and you and the rest of the world will be oh too happy to remind me that my indiscretion is what caused this whole mess in the first place. That's fine, Brooke! Look, I think you're a great person and a great mom to Harmony but this Felix deal is a bad judgment call. I'll say it again…I don't want that guy around my kid anymore trying to play step daddy. You got that?"

"Or what?" Brooke asked defiantly.

"Or what you saw last week won't even compare to what I will do to that guy. I'm not kidding, Brooke. You need to respect me on this or we'll see how handsome and charming your little friend is with that stupid carousel shoved up his ass."

"I can't believe you're acting like this…"

"I don't believe you either Brooke but go ahead. This is your life and if Felix Colwell is what you want and that's what makes you happy…"

"Felix listens to me. He takes care of me. He makes me laugh, he encourages me and we have a lot in common but the last time I was happy was about fourteen months ago in the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel penthouse suite. It was right before your game against the Lakers and we had flown in and you only had a few hours before you had to be at the Arena and we spent that time making love and holding each other and laughing and just…just being Broody and Cheery. When you got up from bed that afternoon, you kissed me and you told me you loved me and you just stared into my eyes for what felt like forever before you left. And I laid there and I literally wanted to cry, Luke thinking about how much I loved you at that moment, how happy we were and how perfect our lives were. Then…then I went to see Haley and you know the rest."

"I can't change the past, Brooke", Lucas said in a whisper.

"I know. But it's hard for me. It's so hard because I still love you. A part of me still loves you as completely and fiercely as I did that day a year ago, before our lives changed. I know this has been hard for you, too. But I remember how good we were and sometimes…well, I think it could be that good again. You and me and Harmony could be a family…"

"Brooke, just stop it. Are you even listening to yourself? How can you say all these things yet you…we're still going through with this divorce."

"I don't know…"

"And how can you feel this way when you're with him?"

"Dammitt, Lucas, I'm not with him, okay? It's not like that…"

"What is it like?"

"I don't know. I don't even know. I'm just confused right now, okay? I am confused and I'm scared and a part of me is still angry and hurt and I don't know how to handle that right now. I don't know what to do. Can't you understand that?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I can, Brooke. Maybe you need time on your own to figure out what you want. One minute you're crying, the next minute you're screaming at me, the next you're trying to seduce me, then you're all over Felix and now you still love me. What's it gonna be, Brooke? I know I hurt you and I'm sorry for that but I never messed with your head the way you're messing with mine. And I can't take it anymore."

She nodded as a single tear slid down her cheek.

"Is this about her? The other girl, I mean…Anna."

"I will always love you, Brooke and you know that and we will always be connected because of our past and because of Harmony but…"

"Don't say it."

"Brooke, this is what you wanted. You wanted to be free of me and now you are. Anna has nothing to do with this. She's a nice girl and I care for her and right now it's just companionship because I'm not ready to jump into something so soon after you and me. But we are over, Brooke. I guess it's about time that we both realized and accepted it.