Chapter Sixty-Three
"I went to see Jenny today, poor kid. Peyton and Jake think…" I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.
"I know. It's so surreal. Remember when we all found out she existed? That day at Karen's? That was crazy," said Mouth.
"Yeah. It was one of my first dates with Lucas," I said wistfully.
"It's weird, how he used to be one of my best friends and now I barely talk to him. Do you?" he asked easily.
"Not often," I said, looking away. Oddly enough, it was a partial truth.
"Where's Kylie?" he asked suddenly. I smiled briefly at him-he was an incredible 'father' to her. Even more so since my divorce had been finalized and the restraining order had forced Tonio Osorio back to California.
"She went to play at Jackie Smith's house, I'm going to pick her up in an hour. Why?" I asked, suddenly curious. Blushing, he'd stuck his hand in his pocket.
"Brooke…" he began. I caught my breath as he pulled out a small velvet blue box. My mind immediately flashes to a thinner, younger Mouth pulling out a small velvet box.
"Mouth…"
"Marry me?" he asked, opening it and holding out to me. He didn't bend down. I liked that. Tonio's bended knee proposal wasn't something I wanted to be reminded of.
"Now?" I squeaked.
"Whenever. I just want to keep our options over. I love you, I've always loved you. I've waited ten years, I'll wait ten more. If I have to," he said. I smiled as a tear leaked out of my eye.
"I just got divorced…" I began.
"I know. Which is why I'd understand if you wanted to wait," he said.
"So it's just like an… eventual thing. I do love you, you know that," I said. He leaned forward and kissed me gently.
"Yeah, I know. So?" he prompted.
"Someday," I promised.
"All I wanted to hear. Do you mind?" he asked. He took the ring out of the box, and I eyed it for the first time. A square emerald, so different from my first husband's diamond. I held out my left hand and slipped it on my finger. We kissed again, deeper and more passionately.
Somewhere in the depths of my mind, I made a decision. A decision to do all the things to the man that I loved that I'd been doing for months a man I only lusted for.
Kissing, we made our way to the living room and fell onto the couch. I ripped off his shirt and he pulled mine off over my head, and silently we admired each other. He, after all this time, was undeniably something to admire. When we'd first met, he'd been a shrimp, small and skinny. When we'd first dated, he has been tall and gangly. Now he'd filled out and though he was no bodybuilder, he made one look twice.
After all the years that had passed, he'd forgotten nothing. He remembered all my pleasure points, remembered exactly how long to hold off before sealing the deal. After all the years, I'd forgotten what it was like to do it with someone you actually loved. Now I remembered.
We lay, half dressed in each other's arms.
"That was incredible," I said eventually.
"I've missed you," he admitted.
"I was so mad at you, after I got married, when I heard you were dating Erica Marsh," I said.
"She was nice. I liked her. But you…" he said. We kissed again.
"You too. I've wanted this-all this-for a long time," I promised.
"Yeah. I hate to stop this, but we have to pick up your daughter," he said. I linked my hand with this and smiled my trademark dimply smile.
"Our daughter."
Hours later, after we'd picked up Kylie from the Smith house and after Mouth had taken her to a movie, I twisted my ring around my finger a few times before coming to a decision.
I sped off along the street, my hands familiar with the way to the most prestigious hotel in town, in which Lucas Scott had spent the last six months.
"Luke?" I called, when I'd walked in, not bothering to knock. After a moment he came out, his hair wet, in a wife beater and boxers.
As I saw him, I made myself think of Mouth. Because there was no denying it-the sight of him, his slick skin, his hair spiky from his shower, still turned me on. I forced myself to put my love before my lust.
He smiled and approached me, his hands dropping to my hips as he leaned in to kiss me. I pulled back.
"I can't do this anymore," I blurted out. He leaned back, stunned. Of course he was stunned. We'd been doing it almost daily for months. Months.
"Why?" he asked. I put up my left hand, and his eyes grazed the emerald.
"Mouth. I love him," I said.
"You've always loved him," said Lucas.
"God, please tell me this isn't actually happening. That you're not seriously saying that it doesn't matter if I love Mouth because I want you and I might as well have both? You've turned into such an ass," I said.
"I can't live without you!" he cried.
"Bull! You lived without me for years! You cheated on me! You're not even in love with me, not remotely. I don't know who you're in love with-Peyton, your mystery girl, but it sure as hell isn't me," I said angrily.
Both of us turned our heads as the door opened swiftly. To my surprise, Dan Scott marched in. We nodded to each other in acknowledgement before he turned to his son.
"One thing I ever trusted you with, one thing and you have to screw it up," said Dan.
"I'm kind of busy here…" said Lucas awkwardly.
"Like I give a damn. You've been avoiding my calls for months. I'm coming up with a new plan soon, I'll tell you if I can trust you with it for some minor task," he said.
"What?" I asked in confusion. Lucas shook his head slightly to me.
"Nice arrangement you've got here, son," said Dan. As quickly as he'd come, he strode out the door. Lucas angrily pounded his fist into the palm of his other hand, and I looked between him and the now closed door.
"What was that?" I asked.
"Nothing," he muttered.
"You've lied to me enough," I threatened.
"A while ago, after I came here, Dan said he could help me find the girl I told you about if I helped him," Lucas began.
"Helped him?" I asked quietly, already thinking up horrible scenarios that I knew Dan was capable of.
"I had to pretend to be Callie's father. Dan said he'd bribe the people to tell Peyton and Jake the incorrect results of the test, and that I could make up a story about how Peyton was drunk and she couldn't remember," he said.
"I can't believe you did it. But why did Dan do that?" he asked.
"He was watching them. He'd been watching them for years, and he knew what everyone knew, that his grandson and Callie were in love. So he saw them kissing on the basketball court and he talked to Callie, to threaten her, but he found out that she wouldn't back down easily. So he tried a different tactic. If I was Callie's father…" he said. I interrupted him.
"Then they'd be cousins, and they couldn't get married. Why did he care so much?" I asked.
"I'm getting to that. Dan is a power lover. He thought, and he was probably right, that Haley was what distracted Nathan from a truly great career. That if Sawyer never had a great career, it would be because of Callie, who was and is his Haley. So if Callie was his cousin they couldn't get married and she couldn't have distracted Sawyer from becoming one of the greatest players in history," concluded Lucas.
"Dan cares that much? And you did that? You pretended you raped Peyton, who you once said you loved, you lied outright to everyone who cares about you, you betrayed Peyton and her beautiful little girl? All for some girl that Dan couldn't possibly know the location of?" I asked, the monumentality of the events striking me, a sympathy for Peyton, Jake, Callie and Sawyer washing through me. This was the man that I'd repeatedly slept with for months.
"Not just some girl…" he began.
"I guess that's a yes. Forgive me if I never, ever speak to you again," I said, turning to leave. He caught my arm as I turned, and I looked at him, suddenly struck with fear of what this big, strong man was capable of.
"Are you going to tell her?" he asked. I considered this.
"She'd take it better from you," I said softly, before turning my back on him forever.
