AN: Probably the longest chapter i wrote so far. It's packed with so much stuff and i hope it all makes sense to you as you read it. I put the flashbacks in italics so hopefully no one gets confused lol
"But I really need to get those templates as soon as possible and the only way to do that is by going through with the city photo shoots" Brooke argued making sure her voice stays at a respectable level. Usually she wouldn't care but she stood before the magazine's Head and losing her job wasn't on her list of things to do that day.
"Mrs. Davis for the last time. We don't have the right funding right now. You have to wait at least a week or two" he told her exasperatedly making his way back to his chair behind the big glass desk
"Two weeks?" she protested "that's going to hold us way back especially for next month's issue. It has to be down at the copiers by the 24th"
Mr. Calhoun sighed heavily pressing the palms of his hands to his face as he leant on his desk. Brooke rolled her eyes without him looking and bit her tongue realizing she was once again losing her temper. But she also understood that she had every right to. Her project was being delayed and it was out of her hands to do anything about it. All the works Rachel and she had done was going to be crammed last minute because of a minor money issue.
"Ms. Davis. You think this is not worrying me? I understand fully the deadlines that we have but there is nothing that can be done. I have been toiling in paperwork for the past week trying to find some type of funding source for this but there is obviously a huge problem that you don't seem to be aware of. If you don't believe me, you can go down to the financial services and see for yourself"
Brooke listened but not very attentively. She knew she might as well already give up. After what seemed like another lifetime of negotiations and an ongoing argument, she made her way to the office door
"Ok, I'll deal. One week right?" she finally gave in and he nodded his head gesturing with his hand for her to continue on and out of his office. Fortunately for him, she did. Her persistence and confidence have always been part of the reason he had hired her, but when they were used against him….it was a whole other story.
Brooke walked into her office in somewhat of an agitation. She plopped herself in her desk chair and pulled closer to her desk overlooking all the papers and snippets in front of her.
Her head jerked p at the sound of her doorknob twisting. And before her eyes stood Rachel in her grey skirt that reached her knees and a silky professional top with its top three buttons unbuttoned.
She gave out an exasperated sigh and Rachel held her hand up before she could say anything "no need. I heard it all from outside his office. He didn't sound too happy"
"No, he didn't and neither do I" Brooke gave her a sarcastic grin before she rolled her eyes and pushed a few of the many papers directly in front of her.
"Hey, look on the bright side. We don't have as much to do in the next week and we still get paid regular" she shrugged her shoulders together. Trust Rachel to always look on the bright side of things even if it was the murkiest situations.
"That's not a Brightside" Brooke stated as if obviously "we're going to be held back"
"So we'll work double time later…"again Rachel shrugged her shoulders
"Rachel, we were going to work double time anyway. You know too well how big this project is and it has to be perfect if we really want to make something out of it and hold our imprints here. I didn't come all the way from California to prove to my parents that I can survive without their money and their help to fail ok? I will not let this happen" she spoke with so much defiance in her voice. All her life her parents had made her feel like she was nothing without their money little did they know it only made her want to break free from it. She had her mind set and she wasn't going to back down till she achieves her dreams.
Rachel huffed heavily so it was loudly audible "you will….we will. Just don't stress over the first obstacle" she squeezed Brooke's hand and the second she received a slight smile back, she pushed her hand playfully going in full teasing mode again. Her favorite mode. "Now go home and put on some sexy afternoon dress and go have lunch with your man"
"hey" Brooke stopped the brunette before she exited her office "I thought we were having lunch together"
Rachel bit her lip and smiled sweetly, almost too sweetly like when a schoolgirl is busted for doing something wrong "change of plans" she said too quickly running back to Brooke's desk only receiving a look with a raised eyebrow from her friend
"Braden called me earlier and he is around here so he is taking me out to lunch" her smile grew bigger as she revealed her date making Brooke's eyebrow only raise more
"Braden?" she shrugged her shoulders obviously unaware of the stranger but suddenly it dawned on her "ohhh..Basketball conversation intruder" Brooke said resting her back to her chair and giving Rachel a mocking smile
"Actually I was going along the lines of…brown hair….cute butt….gorgeous smile…heavy wallet" Rachel replied intelligently crossing her legs after she pulled herself on the edge of Brooke's desk.
"Ahhh…I see now" Brooke nodded knowingly. She knew Rachel was somewhat of a gold-digger. Definitely not in a bad way, but unlike her family, Rachel's have gone through a lot of hard times that always had her ending up on the poor unfortunate side of the road. And now that she was older…she never wanted to go back to that life. Therefore she embraced the philosophy that marrying a rich person would guarantee her the life she wanted. Brooke never dared to criticize her on it because she knew she was never in her footsteps and therefore could never understand to the right degree and it simply wasn't her place.
"So you randomly meet a guy at a basketball game and suddenly you're dating?" Brooke inquired rhetorically
"isn't that how you met your man….I'm following your footsteps maybe I'll end up with a ring like yours on my right hand" she stuck her tongue out at her only receiving a little push from Brooke's hand
"I met Adam through a friend at a basketball game thank you very much. Very different"
Rachel jumped off the desk landing successfully on her high heeled stilettos "well, as I said. I'm still exploring my options" she gave Brooke a quick, almost flirtatious grin and Brooke couldn't help but giggle at her friend's antics that somehow resembled her own when she was younger. She watched her head to the door and stop once again turning on her heels "speaking of options. Still not planning on giving me that hot stud's number?"
A look of confusion spread on Brooke's face "Rachel…how many studs do we meet each day who you refer to as 'hot'?" again another rhetorical question meant to mock her friend
"Haha…" Rachel tilted her head to the side obviously sarcastically "you know, the hot blonde stranger….friend of yours that we met at the b-ball game"
Brooke's smile softened as Rachel unintentionally brought the one person Brooke has been trying to suppress in the back of her mind, back to the surface of her thoughts
"oh him" she stood up from her chair becoming suddenly more interested in organizing her desk as she fumbled with the papers scattered everywhere "forget about him. He's not your type" she told her flatly but still making sure to leave that smile on her face. The last thing she wanted was for her to show any type of feelings towards the subject. Whether of unpleasantness, jealousy, or whatever she was actually feeling.
"Please" Rachel laughed "I'm very flexible especially when it comes to guys who are THAT hot" she nodded obviously not giving up.
Brooke stopped what she was doing and laid one hand on her hips "he reads…" she told Rachel flatly trying to keep a straight face
Rachel paused for a second "...So…I read too….sometimes….well rarely but still. I can like a guy who reads..."
"For pleasure" Brooke finished her previous sentence finally letting a few unwarranted laughs escape through her pressed lips
"Ok..See ya later" Rachel suddenly chirped waving a hand to her friend and heading towards the door, this time actually leaving the office.
Brooke shook her head as she laughed at her friend and continued to gather her paper work together. Her hands started to slow down until they stopped resting on the edge of the desk. Her eyes drifted to her chair where her purse sat and her mind was pushing her to do what she had refused to do the past few days since the night of the basketball game.
But as usual, giving into temptation was always a strong option and it had won her over. She walked towards her chair and opened her purse digging through it until she found the piece of paper she was looking for.
Lucas Scott
It read his name along with other information that didn't really seem to matter to her mind at the moment. All she could see was his name and the number printed a few lines below it. Her finger traced the gold lettering of his name almost as if it complemented the touch of his golden blonde hair or the intoxicating touch of his skin that she still longed for.
She slid into her chair, the card still in her hands and her minds contemplating the next step. She bit her bottom lip once again finding herself lost in eagerness of a decision.
But before her mind could answer the important question, it drifted her back to her past. A time that she had tried so hard to forget but was never successfully able to..
Start of Flashback
She watched the much too familiar scenery through the window of the cab as it drove through streets that she had grown up on. The rain was pouring down heavily casting the usually misty aura but that didn't seem to matter to her. She had only one goal in her mind right now – to get to her destination.
The cab stopped before a small brick house and a soft smile spread through her lips upon the sight. Suddenly, her stomach was tumbling once again and she felt those little butterflies inside. It was a mystery how it had become a reflex to her whenever she was around that place. It was like the spot that marked his existence in her life.
"Thank you" she paid the regular fare and dragged her own suitcase out of the cab. Almost immediately, her hair was becoming more and more soaked as she stood in the rain frozen, one hand carrying the suitcase and both her eyes glued on the red door a few steps above the ground she stood on. She knew this was going to happen. It was going to be the first time she sees him in more than a year.
She had done everything she could to forget about this place and her past but it seemed like every thought and every name brought her back to him. She wasn't willing to lie to herself anymore. Her heart had already begged her for this return and for the first time, she followed it willingly knowing that this is where she belongs.
Taking in a deep breath, she blinked her eyes letting the raindrops fall off her eyelashes and started walking up the steps to the porch. She smiled noting how everything still smelled the same. Her hand rose to the door and with slight hesitation she knocked a few times taking a step back as her heart raced more.
But there was no answer. She tried numerous times waiting patiently for the door to swing open and for her to hear that rasping but sweet voice of his that she missed too much. Waiting for him to engulf her in his arms and allow them to melt together – but nothing.
She bit her lip and looked down on her watch not sure what her next step would be.
"Miss Davis?" she turned startled at the voice. But it was only the neighbors. They were familiar with her especially after her 5 months stay at this house
"Hi.I was just trying to……" she pointed to the red door finding it hard to explain a very simple situation
"Honey, they left" the elderly woman answered even though the question was never clearly made by the brunette.
"Left?" she finally inquired
"Yea, they left the town about a month ago. Karen and her son"
"What?" Brooke stepped down once again in the rain but she didn't seem to mind soaking herself even more. Her brain was trying to process the new information and she was hoping she was having another moment of hallucination and what she was hearing wasn't actually true
The elderly woman pulled her sweater closer to her chest, obviously alarmed by the coldness, unlike the young brunette standing before her
"They didn't say much…they just left. I'm sorry honey. Did you need something from them? Did they have something that you wanted?"
Suddenly she felt tight-lipped, unable to even say a word. A few tears escaped her eyes mixing with the raindrops on her face "yea…" she finally whispered even though the woman couldn't hear her "everything"
END OF FLASHBACK
Brooke breathed in once again and closed her eyes for a prolonged second as she slowly sat down in her desk chair. The memories were too painful to remember and right now they were playing before her eyes like an old movie.
Her finger continued to trace the letters of his name subconsciously and a pained look overshadowed her face as she felt her eyes start to tear once again trying her best not to let one drop fall to her cheek. Instead, she rested her head back on her chair and closed her eyes once again letting more memories drift into her mind…
Start of Flashback
"Brooke" She stood at Peyton's doorstep, her clothes and body totally drenched with water and her hand barely able to hold up her suitcase. It took Peyton a couple of seconds to recover from the shock before she pulled her best friend in a hug allowing her inside "Oh My God, what are you doing here…when did you come back and why didn't you call me?" too many questions had to be asked as the blonde couldn't contain her confusion. She was happy to see her best friend, hell..she was enthralled. After a whole year of feeling the most alone she had ever felt, it felt good to be in her best friend's arms.
Brooke didn't say anything until a few minutes later when she broke away from Peyton's hug "I stopped by Lucas'…..they left?" were the first words she said and Peyton's shoulders sunk. Brooke noted the pained look on her face as she fell silent "Where is he Peyton?" she asked becoming more fearful of her best friend's answer
"New Zealand" was Peyton's succinct answer. However seeing the look of utter confusion on Brooke's face, she needed to continue in an explanation. "he didn't say much before he left. But with everything happening this past year with Dan and his increasing animosity towards him and Karen….they just left with Andy to New Zealand"
Brooke felt her legs give in and slowly sat on the edge of Peyton's bed "when did this happen?"
"Like a week ago" Peyton bit her lip leaning her back against the wall. Brooke looked up at her and scoffed, a soft laugh mixed with tears. "It's always too late isn't it…..everything" her words wouldn't be comprehensible to anyone at the moment. But they were to Peyton. She hated to see her like that especially since it was the first time in more than a year.
Brooke sat in silence staring down at her hand and then at her suitcase that was now laying on the floor "Did he?...did…" she stammered as she started to speak, her voice slightly breaking "Did he say anything about me?. before he left?"
Peyton just looked back at her now glazed hazel eyes almost as if she had lost the will to talk. She opened her mouth slowly and Brooke stared back at her waiting for any type of reply but the blonde just shook her head slowly "no" she stated almost in a whisper almost as if she regretted her words immediately
Brooke finally let out her sobs allowing them to be audible. She didn't care anymore. She didn't have to be strong in front of Peyton because already knew her best. "What was I thinking" she said burying her face in the palm of her hands as she allowed her fingers to wipe away her tears "I should've known better than to come here after all this time. I just though he…" she couldn't finish her sentence because Peyton enveloped her in her arms
After a few moments of silence, both girls still sat at the edge of the bed both wondering when life got so harsh and why. Looking back on a time when everything seemed right. Brooke looked down at her fingers playing with one of the rings then she raised her head looking around Peyton's room. It was different from the last time she saw it. Her walls were totally barren. She turned her head and saw her blonde friend staring at a picture on the other side of the room. She slid her hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently "and how have you been?"
Peyton acknowledged the gesture and laced her fingers through Brooke's as she rested her head on her best friend's shoulder "I don't know….He calls every now and then and…I just miss him you know"
"yea…..I know the feeling" Brooke sighed now resting her head on the crown of Peyton's head
"I'm not stupid am I?" Brooke suddenly asked making Peyton pull away and give her a quizzical look "you know for coming here and. nothing" she finished her words and almost immediately Peyton shook her head with a slight smile
"No, of course you're not. You're just in love" she told her with a sympathetic smile "Look Brooke. You are both always going to be very special to each other….nothing can erase that. But it's been more than a year. Try to forget him Brooke….move on. Believe me it's the best thing right now…just…Move on"
Brooke nodded her head as she pressed her lips together not knowing what to say. She simply shrugged her shoulders a forced smile appearing on her face "I just don't know if I want to…"
END OF FLASHBACK
"Special delivery for Miss Davis" a voice interrupted Brooke's thoughts and she turned her desk chair to the door to find an older version of her High school best friend
"Hello Miss Sawyer…to-be-Miss jegalski" Brooke chuckled and walked over to her friend giving her a hug
Peyton made a face "nope…just P.Sawyer…still" she rolled her eyes making Brooke laugh even more
"Jegalski still being thick about the marriage hints?" Peyton nodded her head and sat at one of the chairs in Brooke's office crossing one leg underneath her
"Hey, how about you propose to him?" Brooke suggested suddenly, her eyes almost bulging out of her face
Peyton gave her a look "Brooke, I know I'm a bit of a rebel and have always chosen a different path from others, but I'm still very traditional when it comes to wedding proposals. It's going to happen and he's going to be the one going down on bended knees if it be the last thing I see before I die"
Brooke burrowed her eyebrows trying to keep a straight face "bright ray of sunshine aren't you" Peyton nodded proudly and Brooke gave her a sarcastic look
"So to whom do I owe this amazing visit?" Brooke elegantly shrugged her shoulders at her friend sitting opposite to her
"Well, I haven't seen you in a while ever since that day you know….." she didn't want to finish her words just in case they caused any awkwardness even though she knew it was inevitable. Brooke nodded her head still with a soft smile
"yea…Don't worry. It's not about that I promise" she reassured her "I have been really busy lately work and Adam. You know"
"Listen about that.." Peyton started and she pulled her leg from underneath her as she spoke adjusting herself in her chair "The stuff you found. I didn't really mean to bring them out for you to see. It's just high school memories you know that had to be brought out to get Jenny's stuff"
"Peyton" Brooke interrupted "you don't have to apologize. I'm sorry I acted that way. It's just seeing this stuff opened up so many doors in my mind that I just wasn't read for. But its ok" she nodded as she spoke "It's the past and….It'll always stay there"
Peyton reached her hand out for Brooke and squeezed it "I'm so proud of you. You've really done well. The job…your dreams…a great fiancé who loves you so much. Someone to always be there for you. You did well" she gave her a reassuring smile and Brooke couldn't help but return it in her own manner – a bit subtle and vagued by other thoughts in her mind
"yea…he does" she echoed Peyton's word and her eyes drifted to her desk where the card with Lucas' number rested.
"So…join me for lunch?" Peyton interrupted her thoughts pulling her by the hand
"you bet" was all that Brooke could say "Let me just get my purse" she let go of her friend's hand and walked over to her desk. As she grabbed her purse, she took the card in her hands and stared at it for a few seconds before she reluctantly tore it into pieces and discarded it.
She closed her eyes for a second regretting her decision, but she understood that it had to be done for the sake of her relationship with Adam and her future. Unfortunately, for her it felt like she had discarded a part of her along with it.
"Goodbye Lucas" she whispered under her breath with a pained expression before turning on her heels and joining Peyton at the door as they both exited the office.
AN: ok so i know still no Lucas...but seriously no worries. Just keep reading.
All the reviews were amazing ..always put a smile on my face. Keep reading and please review you guys and tell me if you have questions about anything or any comments.
Next: We get a glimce of another person's point of view and dicover more about the past