Author's Note: Quick message just to check in and as always thank everyone for reading and especially to those who take the time to review. I love reading your comments. Please keep the feedback coming. You guys rock!

"Brooke, thanks again so much for letting me be an extra on the show today. I had so much fun! It totally rocked hanging out with the cast and being on camera. Oh God, I'm rambling, aren't I? Nate and Luke say I totally babble on and on when I get excited but I don't think so. But I am excited. I feel like I'm the Emmy winner", Haley laughed. "Next week, I swear I'm ready for a speaking role. I can be the checkout girl at Starbucks who gets your coffee. That would be rad!"

Brooke smiled at Haley's enthusiasm. She had gotten her on as an extra for the shoot that day and they had driven to the set together. Lucas had warned her and so far Haley indeed had been the giddy, talkative, slightly star struck person the guys had warned her about. But Brooke didn't mind. The girls had grown to be friends and it made Brooke happy to see Haley so happy.

It was a good night. They had wrapped up right at sunset and Brooke was looking to a relaxing evening at home. Then it happened. The phone rang. The sounds itself sent Brooke into sheer panic mood as she lost control of the vehicle for a moment and swerved off the road.

"Whoa!" Haley screamed, grabbing the wheel as Brooke screeched the car to a halt. "You okay?"

"Sorry", she breathed heavily. "Um…I don't know what happened. Are, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it's just that my husband and child kind of like it when I arrive home and all in one piece", she joked.

Brooke forced a smile as she stared down at her phone. 1 Missed Call…1 New Message. There was no caller ID. With shaking hands, Brooke picked it up to retrieve the message. Her heart pounded and her palms were sweaty. She thought she might pass out as she replayed it.

"Hey Beautiful, it's me. Just wanted to remind you of the Elle Girl interview tomorrow and by the way, Teen Vogue are beating down our door so I tell them, 'Relax, everyone wants a piece of Brooke and the Tim Man, just slow the roll and have their people call my people'. Gosh, I love the sound of that. It feels good to be important. Anyway, I'll let you get back to work…please get back to work because I have my eye on a new Porsche 911 Carrera S, total babe magnet…not that I need any help in that department anyway, considering the chicks are practically clawing at each other to get to me. Anyway, you don't get paid, I don't get paid. So chop chop. Tim Man out…"

Brooke sucked in a breath. She had never been so happy to hear Tim's annoying voice in all her life. Still she couldn't believe a simple telephone call had upset her beyond belief. She felt oddly like that Sydney girl must have in the movie "Scream". Every single time any phone rang, it left Brooke with a lingering nausea and feeling of utter panic.

Maneuvering the car back on the road, Brooke continued the drive back home. Her hands gripped the steering wheel as she lost a desperate battle against the tears that were forming. She wanted to scream! 24 more hours. Tomorrow was the big day. Tomorrow Felix would call back demanding an answer. The situation had been eating Brooke alive inside and she was torn about a decision. Life at that moment seemed hopeless and she had no clue as to what she was going to do.

"Brooke? You alright? Are you crying?" asked Haley's gentle and concerned voice.

"No, no. I'm fine. It's my contact."

"Are you sure? You don't look fine. Actually, you've seemed distracted all day, all week even. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah", Brooke nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Okay. Um, I don't want to pry or beat a dead horse but you just look really upset and I'm worried. I can tell something is on your mind. Look, I know we haven't been friends for very long but you can trust me."

Brooke shook her head.

"It's nothing…besides, I can't tell anyone."

"You can tell me. Whatever it is, it seems like a pretty big deal. I think you should tell someone. Maybe you can talk to Peyton…"

"Pey is out of town."

"Oh. What about Lucas?"

Brooke laughed bitterly. The last person she wanted to share her plight with was Lucas.

"Trust me, I definitely can't go there. It's stupid, anyway. He'd probably just get mad and it would start a fight."

"It's not good to keep all those emotions bottled up inside."

"And it's not good to keep secrets from your boyfriend either", Brooke added.

"I know. In the end it never is but sometimes it seems like it's okay to keep secrets from the people we love as long as we're protecting them. Is that what you're doing, Brooke? Are you trying to protect Luke?"

Something inside Brooke told her that she could trust Haley but she wasn't ready just yet to utter the words aloud. That would then make Felix's threat more real.

"Look, Haley, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate the concern but I can't talk about this with you. It's my problem that I have to handle and I'll figure out a way to deal with it. Yes something happened and no I cannot tell Lucas about it…not now, maybe not ever. I don't know, maybe that makes me a bad person but we've been through so much already. I don't want to lose him."

"I know. I know how you feel."

"What are you talking about?" Brooke sniffled.

"When we were in high school and Luke was still pretty much estranged from Dan and Nathan, well, Nathan was a bit of a jerk, you could say. But after he and Lucas established a relationship, I kind of got to know him. I saw through the cocky, tough exterior and I fell in love. It was weird because here I was this dorky, mousy, unpopular Plain Jane of a girl when Nathan Scott, the star athlete actually wanted me. I mean, girls like me don't date guys like him. But we did and it was great and we fell in love. When college came around, he and Lucas went off to school to play basketball. I knew Nate's heart wasn't really in it and that he was doing it all for his father. Anyway, it was hard being separated like that. Then, and very unexpectedly I might add, I found out I was pregnant. That was like the scariest moment of my life. I couldn't tell my friends or Luke or my parents…not even Nathan. I kept that secret until I couldn't button up my pants and finally I just told him. He was so happy. I thought he would be pissed. I thought I'd be standing in the way of his careers and dreams but all he wanted was the simple life. Nate loves me. He didn't want to be some big NBA star…he just wanted to come back to Tree Hill and be a normal guy and marry me and raise a family. So that's what we did and there have been no regrets since. Brooke, I know I talk a lot but this story does have a point. I kept something from Nathan because I thought it would hurt him. But everything turned out okay. It was okay all along, I just didn't give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm just saying…Lucas loves you more than anything. You guys have been through a lot but it has definitely made you stronger. Don't hold out now. Share with him because Scott men, well sometimes they surprise you."

Brooke smiled through her tears at Haley's tale of a happy ending.

"That's really sweet Hales but it's not the same. Still, that was cool of you to tell me all that especially when you didn't have to. You're right…maybe I should tell someone what's going on. I guess I can talk to you."

"Only if you want to and if it'll make you feel better."

"I don't think anything can make me feel better at this point."

"It can't be that bad."

"It can and it is. Listen, I know Luke is not only your brother in law, but he's your best friend. I see the amazing bond you two have. I do love him. I promise you that, Haley. We just clicked. And it's weird because it has been so many kinks, so many little things that screwed up and threatened to keep us apart but somehow they didn't. My life now is so much better than I ever hoped it could be. Yeah, I'm excited about my career but for the first time, it's more than that. I'm so happy because of Lucas. He is the most beautiful, incredible human being I've ever met and I don't want to lose him."

"You won't Brooke. Lucas loves you. You guys are going to have this amazing future together."

"I don't know about a future because right now I can't escape my past", Brooke sighed.

"What happened?"

"Felix Domingo happened. He's my old manager."

"The one you said almost ruined your career."

"Along with being the ex from hell, yes."

"What's he doing back in the picture? I thought you got rid of that loser a long time ago."

"Me, too. What's the name of that old horror movie? 'Sometimes They Come Back'."

"No shit. What is he doing, begging your forgiveness?"

"Demanding money."

"Money?" Haley laughed.

"Twenty five grand to be exact."

"Shut up!" Haley exclaimed, choking on the gulp of soda she was sipping. "Tjat is a lot of freaking money! You have got to be kidding me!"

"That's what he said, or threatened I should say."

"He threatened you?"

"Yeah. There seems to be this tape…"

"What kind of tape?"

Brooke shot Haley an exasperated look. Surely she couldn't be that naïve.

"Hales!"

"What? Oh…oh…oh my God! Like a naughty tape?"

"Yeah. Apparently the creep filmed us getting it on in Vegas, without my knowledge of course."

"If you didn't know, then isn't that illegal? You didn't give consent and extortion and blackmail are felonies. You can fight him, Brooke! You can…"

"I can what? Bring it to the attention of the public? Lose my teen fan base? Risk my job? See my family's disappointment? Be humiliated in front of Lucas?"

Haley sighed. She hadn't thought of that.

"Well, you can't just pay him! Definitely not! He can't get away with that!"

"What other choice do I have?"

"Look, this guy is obviously slime. Who's to say there aren't more copies lying around? What happens next month or next year or 10 years from now when he wants more money?"

"I don't know", Brooke shrugged.

"Listen to me. You love and trust Lucas, right?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then tell him."

"I can't…"

"Yes, you can. You have to. He'll be angry but with Felix, not you. This isn't your fault, Brooke. What did you do wrong? Besides, that tape was made long before you and Lucas got together, before you even met. He can help you. You guys can figure this out together."

"I'm scared, Haley", Brooke began to cry again. "Just when everything was going so perfectly…now this. I'm so afraid of losing him."

"You won't. I promise. You can talk to Lucas. He loves you. It'll be okay. Just remember what I said…sometimes Scott men surprise you."