Hey people! I know this chapter is short, but the next chapter is really, really, long, I promise! Sorry if this chapter is badly written, lol. I have impairment when it comes to writing Peyton/Lucas interactions… It's way too awkward. Anyways, I did my best to put as much humor in this chapter as possible. The next chapter has to do with a little Lucas/Haley/Nathan conversation about what's been going on. Sorry if Brooke doesn't make a cameo into the next few chapters, but I had to put them in to set up the story. Exposition sucks, I'm sorry to do that to all of you. Hey, at least we'll be learning about a few hidden relationships between a few of our characters. I think the Naley fans should stick around for the next chapter (Sorry if you hate Naley, but I like them. Still, this is mainly a Brooke/Brucas fic! I love them!)… Hint. Hint.

Hey, guys, thanks to all of you who reviewed! Please keep reviewing!

l-a-c-18- Thank you for liking that last chapter! I originally had it very different, but at the last moment, I just rewrote it… So thank you! About getting to see Brooke and Lucas's thoughts, that is just sort of my style, and as we all know, people think very differently from what they say, so I just thought that everyone should have a view into what's actually going on in their heads.

Emma Wemma- Aww... Thank you for that wonderful compliment! Feel free to say anything you want about me after that last statement! Thank you for loving my fic!

sweetgirl73- Thanks for sticking around! So yes, Brooke is going to be standing her ground for a while, and Lucas will be seeing the error of his ways for a while.

brucasfanatic- Hey my fellow BPPer! How awesome! You like my fic! Thanks for your advice, I did change my settings. Still not getting the overwhelming response I'd hoped for, but I guess it takes time! Lol, and yes, Lucas is a jerk of a manwhore in the beginning of this story, sorry, but we all know Lucas has the tendency to be quite pathetic sometimes…Grr. What a wuss. Geez, why didn't he tell her already?

tardychick- Thank you! I hope you stick around!

doodlebah-Thanks! I'm glad you thought it was a strong chapter. I wasn't too sure about it.

wllis- I'm glad you like it! You'll get more every week, I promise.

Ali213- Thank you for reviewing! I hope you continue to! Yes, Brooke is very fiery and passionate, I think, the most out of any character on OTH. I hope I did her justice in this fic.

Please guys, review ! It helps to motivate me to write better, longer, chapters! Just so all of you know, this chapter's events take place before Lucas went to check on Brooke, thus the italicized Earlier at the beginning of this chapter.

Chapter 4- The Too-Late Revelation

Earlier

Lucas left Brooke's studio in a daze. He couldn't understand why he had felt what he had when he found out that Brooke knew the truth. On the drive to Peyton's house he thought about his relationship with Brooke. Their first date, their first kiss, the night they sat on his porch, just talking and kissing for hours after he had convinced her to be with him, and that he loved the fact that she was different from him. Never in his life had he felt more at ease with another person than Brooke. He parked the truck, mulling over what he was going to say to Peyton. This was always a flaw in their relationship; he had to calculate every action to elicit the proper reaction, but with Brooke, everything just seemed to ebb and flow when they were together. He sat there, with his hands at two and ten, just scrutinizing the situation he was in. He finally got out of the truck and knocked on the door. Peyton answered, her perpetually messy hair put up in a wet bun. Her attire was very casual; trading her jeans and concert tees for a pair of particularly ratty red sweats, and a long-sleeved grey shirt. She got one look at him, and let out a long string of curses under her breath. If they both weren't in such an awkward situation, the scene would have actually been quite funny.

"Peyton. Considering your initial reaction, I know you probably don't want to see me right now. But this is important and it has everything to do all that's happened between us." He was calm and completely numb; all his emotions had been used up when he saw how broken Brooke was, and what a gargantuan mistake he had made when he let her go.

"Okay. We probably should." She let him in the house; she wasn't looking forward to this.

They sat down on Peyton's couch, each unsure of what to say next.

"Well, the conversation is coming to a wonderful start." Peyton was never at a loss for a wry comment.

Lucas was in no mood for any jokes.

"Look, Peyton. I went to Brooke last night. I found out that she knew about everything before you did. Later, I saw her confront you on the webcam. She's hurt Peyton, and angry."

"Lucas, when we first got into this mess I was scared, and I had just recovered from a huge shock… And from there, everything just got so screwed up. I just felt, lonely, and I knew that at one time you had a thing for me, so I think I turned my crush for you into something more. But now, because of everything I did, Brooke's hurt. I've begun to realize… that." She was cut off by him.

"We were just an infatuation. You turned to me because you felt lonely, and I turned to you because I thought that I still felt what I felt for you when I couldn't have you, and I had built up the way I felt up for you in my mind, but it's just not there. It's not real. I know now that neither of us feels it. You've begun to realize that it's not worth it." Peyton was crying now, because she knew that everything he had just said was true.

"Peyton, she looked so hurt, and I –had never felt so guilty in my entire life. I'm in love with her, Peyton. I love Brooke. I know that I wouldn't feel this awful if I had done this to any other girl. She's different- the only one that I could ever... Look, I was too stupid to realize that when she was right there, telling me that she needed me and loved when I was unconscious, or when I told her that I loved that we were different, or when we were walking in the rain, not caring if we were getting soaked because we were together. And now she hates me and I don't blame her."

They were both crying at this point. Peyton because she had played a major role in breaking her best friend's heart, and Lucas, because he felt like a fool who had just destroyed the girl he was in love with. The two just sat there for a while, just crying.

"Hey Scott, don't be so sad. Brooke would've dumped you sooner or later. She's too good for you. You know that?" She was smiling through her tears, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Yeah, I knew she was too good for me when she told me she still wanted to be friends. I still can't help but feel horrible; I ruined a good thing." He laughed lightly, even though he felt like he couldn't breathe.

She patted his knee. "It'll be okay, Luke. She won't admit it now, but she's head over heels for you. Just try to gain her trust again and maybe after some time passes she'll give you another chance." Peyton was trying not to sound unsure, but she was. She didn't know if Brooke would ever speak to either one of them again, and she knew that if she was in the same situation, she wouldn't have spoken to either of them too.

He picked up on this. "And what if she doesn't, Peyton? She made it pretty clear that she'll never forgive me. Hell, I'll never forgive myself." He couldn't help but feel hopeless.

"Lucas. Get a grip. All this shit just happened a few days ago. She needs time. We have to make her trust us again. I never said it was going to be easy."

"I'm an idiot. I can't believe I might never see her smile at me again, or hear her voice all me boyfriend, or watch her sleep, or smell her hair or…"

"Yes, you are an idiot. And damn, have you got it bad."

"Hey, Peyt? Did you know she could play the piano that well? She surprised the hell out of me."

"Wow. She really must love you. She didn't even let me see her play until, like, we had been friends for ten years, or something. Just so you know, we've been friends since we were toddlers. I have a feeling B Davis has a lot of hidden talents. She really doesn't reveal herself until she thinks she's safe with you. We broke that trust. We have to get it back."

"I know. But right now, I don't think there's a thing we can do. I'm just afraid that she feels alone right now. I really don't think she's going to confide in those airheads on your cheerleading squad." He felt guilty for taking her best friend away.

"Maybe we should have Haley check on her. She won't say it, but she has a soft spot for Brooke. I remember she tore you a new one when she found out about us."

"I'd better be going. I have to go talk to Haley about Brooke. Peyton, maybe we'd better keep our distance for a while. I mean, I want to be friends, but it would hurt Brooke to see us together... "

"You're right Luke. We'll keep our distance. I have to get going too. I'm on babysitting duty."

"Jenny?"

"Yup, Jake needs me to cover for him. He has to work a shift at the café."

"Peyton, you really like Jake, don't you?" Both of their faces start to redden. It was an awkward subject.

"Yeah, I think I do." Lucas smiled and got off the couch and made his way towards the door with Peyton following him.

"Good for you, Peyton. Jake's a good guy. Anyways, I'll see you around, Peyton. I've got to go grovel to Haley."

"Hey Luke," she called after him as he made his way to the truck. He turned around,

"Give it time. She won't forgive you right away. But she's in love with you and you can't forget that."

"Thanks Peyton." He waved and got in the truck. He took off, hoping that someday he could redeem himself. Today he would have to settle for having his best friend help the situation.