Chapter Seventeen
"Whatever it takes"
"The sun will rise again, breaking through the clouds, and this is our way out." 'Letter Kills' sang as Brooke pressed play on the CD player.
"You're listening to 'Letter Kills'?" Peyton asked surprised. The two girls were sitting on top of Nathan's apartment building looking out at the city.
"Yes, Yes I am," Brooke smiled handing Peyton a can of beer.
"I thought you said we weren't drinking?" Peyton took the can. "We're sitting on a roof." She laughed. "What if we fall?"
"Oh Peyton, stop being so cautious," she laughed. "We're waiting for a few minuets before we go down to Nathan's."
"Why?" Peyton asked. "Why are we going to Nathan's anyway?" she muttered. "I thought we were going to do something just us?"
"We were, but then I came up with something else. Don't worry, I promise you'll like it."
The two girls sat looking over Tree Hill from the rooftops talking and laughing. Nathan crawling across the roof toward them interrupted their conversation. "Hey," he smiled. "Peyton, can you go downstairs for a couple minuets so I could talk to Brooke?"
"I guess," Peyton said reluctantly. She climbed across the roof to the window and crawled inside Nathan's apartment. She looked around and saw candles lit everywhere. Jake was standing inside holding a dozen red roses for her. "Oh my God," she whispered. "What is this?"
Jake smiled. "We just wanted to do something special for you," he told her. He walked over and handed her the roses. "I love you Peyton,"
She kissed him hard on the lips. "I love you too."
0XXXXXXXXXXXX0
"So, do you think she'll like it?" Brooke asked resting her head on Nathan's shoulder while she drank her beer.
Nathan nodded, "I think she'll like it," he grabbed her hand and helped to the stairway off the roof.
"Where are we going?" she asked following close behind him.
"I have to go somewhere and get something," he told her. "But you are coming with me."
"Okay," Brooke followed laughing. "If you say so."
Nathan drove around for a while and Brooke stared out the window bored. "Nathan, seriously, this is so boring. Where are we going?"
Nathan laughed. "Fine," he pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building they had looked at together.
"Why are we going here?" she asked. Nathan took her hand and pulled her out of the car and in the building. "Nathan," she begged. "Seriously where are we going?"
Nathan pulled out a key and handed it to Brooke motioning for her to open the door. Brooke turned the key in the lock and stepped inside. Karen, Lucas, Haley, and Andy stood inside hanging lights across the wall. Boxes were scattered everywhere, and it was obvious that they were Brooke's things.
"Surprise," Lucas smiled seeing them walk in.
Brooke could feel tears welling in her eyes as she looked around the apartment. Karen was walking toward her and hugged her. "We came to look at it with out you. It's perfect for you Brooke. We paid the deposit as a gift."
Brooke couldn't hold back her tears any longer as she hugged all of them. "Thank you so much," she cried.
Andy pulled a cake out of the freezer. He set it on the table and Brooke looked down at it. "Welcome home Brooke," it read.
Everyone sat around eating cake and laughing until it started getting late. "We should be going," Karen told her. "I hope you like it Brooke."
Brooke hugged her again. "I can't tell you how much this means to me." She whispered. She said goodbye to everyone else. Finally it was just she and Nathan standing in the middle of her apartment alone. "This is so amazing." She told him. "I can't even tell you how much I appreciate you keeping this surprise from me tonight."
Nathan smiled. "I should get back to my apartment." He kissed her on the cheek. "School tomorrow."
Brooke shook her head. "No way. Peyton and Jake are there, plus, there is no way I'm sleeping here alone tonight."
"Why?' Nathan asked confused.
"Hello?" she smiled. "Because I have a brand new king size bed and we must try it out."
Nathan laughed a little bit and picked her up carrying her to the bedroom and shutting the door. "Oh Brooke Davis, what am I going to do with you?" he threw her on the bed.
"Whatever you want," she smiled throwing her clothes over her head and onto the floor.
Nathan smiled. This was going to be one of the best nights of his life.
0XXXXXXXXXXXX0
Brooke rolled over in her bed and found herself sleeping naked by herself. "Nathan?" she called but she heard no answer. "Hello?" she stood up and walked to the bathroom opening the door to the steamed up bathroom. "Hey," she called opening the shower curtain to see Nathan standing under the hot water.
"Hey," he whispered pulling her inside.
"Nathan I have my clothes on," she screamed jumping back out.
"We could change that," he smiled pulling her back in and undressing her. He pulled her close to his body and kissed her softly tracing her lips with his tongue.
"You know," she whispered. "This situation might work out kind of nicely." She smiled.
Nathan shook his head. "I wish it was going to, however, we're going to be late for school," he pointed at his watch.
The two of them ran around the apartment gathering all the clothes they could find to wear to school. Nathan obviously only came up with what he was wearing the day before. "I guess this is going to have to do," he laughed.
Brooke laughed with him. "Hey, at least you look hot." She sprayed him with some wood cleaner.
"What was that for?" he asked pretending to be mad.
"Hey, it says lemon fresh." She looked at the can.
He chased her and wrapped her in a hug. "Let's go."
""Fine!" she muttered following him out the door. "Fine."