Chapter Five.

How can i adjust

To the way that things are going

It's killing me slowly

Oh i just want it to be how it used to be

--Alicia Keys

Brooke tosses and turns throughout the night. She has a huge king size bed, but she still can't find a comfortable spot. She glances over at her clock which reads 4:30 AM—only five minutes after the last time she checked. Slipping out of bed, she slides her feet into mink slippers and walks over to the closet. Turning on the dim light of her lamp, she takes a small silk covered box out of the top shelf. She pauses before opting for the purple box rather than the pink.

Bringing the box back to her bed, Brooke pops it open and takes out the thing on the top of the stout ribbon-tied pile. She fingers the platinum band and feels the icy-cold rock. The diamond, although beautiful and expensive, feels alien. She slips it onto her left ring finger along with a matching band and suddenly feels comfortable again. Brooke places the box on her bedside table and turns her lamp off.

Snuggling under the covers, Brooke sleeps soundly for the first time in months.

Lucas sits in his living room flipping through a worn leather photo album. The cover is embossed Lucas & Brooke and the leather is torn from when Brooke threw it out her window and hit him on the head with it.

He glances at his clock--5 AM. Only 7 hours before he has to meet Brooke for lunch. What has he gotten himself into?

Later at basketball practice, Coach Thomas is growing irritated with Lucas. The Laker's star player keeps missing his free throws and even let Gill Jones get a shot past him. Lucas looks tired, with bags under his eyes and it is obvious something is not right.

"Lucas!" The coach barks, "My office! Now!"

Lucas wipes his brow with a towel and follows his coach to the office.

"Sit down," Coach Thomas gestures toward a chair facing his desk.

"No, I'm okay standing."

The coach cocks an eyebrow in the air and Lucas immediately sits down.

"What is wrong with you today, Lucas? It's not like you to miss seven shots in a row."

Lucas sighs heavily. "I'm having lunch with Brooke at the Ivy in--" He glances at the clock, "An hour and seventeen minutes."

"Get out of here. But I expect you to be at your very best for the game against the Pistons on Thursday--we have to win this one if we expect to make it to the finals."

Lucas nods before sprinting out of the office and into the locker room. He knows Brooke hates it when he keeps her waiting.

Brooke impatiently taps her finger on the white tablecloth.

She can't believe Lucas would have the audacity to stand her up--she knows Karen raised him as the perfect southern gentleman. He always gave her white roses for Christmas, pink roses for her birthday and red roses for their anniversary. Chris gave Brooke elaborate bouquets instead the gas station special--a dozen roses for $9.99. Brooke silently shakes her head as she reminds herself to stop comparing the two. There's no comparision, she thinks. They're both jerks.

Brooke impatiently clutches her purse as she waits for her boyfriend in the corner booth. They meet at the coffeehouse at four o'clock every day but today is different. He said he has something important to tell her and she knows nothing can be as important as the positive pregnancy test results stashed in her bag.

"Hey." Her thoughts are intuerrupted by a devastatingly handsome blonde dressed in crisp Armani and clutching red roses.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are very much appreciated. Just windering, do you guys enjoy the flashbacks as much as I do? Or no?