"South Beach, here I come! Jennifer Lopez, here I come! Marc Anthony or…wait, well, whoever the hell she's married to these days, here I come!"
Lucas smiled. Brooke was beyond excited. He hadn't heard her that happy in a while. For days she had literally been dancing around the loft, making up silly little songs about their upcoming trip.
"Well, you don't have to wait long, my dear", he winked. "We leave for the airport in less than an hour."
"I know! I can't wait! I'm so excited, Broody! We are going to have so much fun! And by the way, have I told you that you are only like the best boyfriend ever?"
Her enthusiasm was contagious. Hell, he was almost excited to be sitting front row at some boring fashion show.
"You all packed up?" he asked.
"Yeah. Babe, I might need help with my bags."
Lucas peered around the corner. He shook his head when he saw the five piece set of designer luggage with a name he wouldn't even attempt to pronounce.
"Brooke!"
"What?"
"Babe, I said two days…not two years. What gives with all the packing?"
"Well, considering I will probably need to change three to four times a day and…"
"Oh God", he groaned. "What have I gotten myself into?"
She appeared around the corner with a huge grin wearing a cute sundress and sandals.
"Ta da! What do you think?"
"I think it's autumn in Philadelphia and you're going to freeze your little buns off."
Brooke rolled her eyes.
"Sometimes, you are so just the opposite of fun, Lucas Scott. I do have a jacket, thank you very much and that will tide me over until the airport."
"What about planes? You know they're always cold."
She thought for a minute.
"You're right. But if the plane gets too cold, I can request one of those warm blankets from the stewardess and uh…if you're good, Broody, or, I take that back", she smiled. "If you're bad, then I might let you get underneath that blanket with me."
He was a sucker for her teasing.
"Is that right?" he asked.
"Sure thing", she grinned pulling him towards her as she lifted up the dress and gave him a flash preview. "Aren't my undies cute?"
"I don't know", he rubbed his chin. "Let me get a better look…"
"Lucas Scott, don't you dare!" she squealed.
Their impromptu make out fest was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Whoever it is, tell them to go the hell away", an excited Lucas moaned.
"No can do, Luke. It's the mailman."
"When did you start getting so happy about the mailman?" Lucas laughed as she bounded towards the door.
Brooke opened it, exchanged pleasantries and returned with a bundle. .
"It's magazine day! I have US, People, In Touch, In Style, Glamour, Cosmo…"
"Okay, okay. I get it."
"It totally beats waiting in line at stores to buy them. Now my plane ride will be complete."
"Hey", he pouted. "What about me?"
"What about you?"
"You know, you, me…playing under the blankets, joining the mile high club."
"I'll think about it."
"Brooke!"
"What? I can't miss reading out on Cameron Diaz's diet secrets", she quipped.
Lucas shook his head. She was a hell of a woman alright and she was his woman. And in a few minutes they were off on a much needed and anticipated vacation. All he needed was to call for a driver.
"Baby, get your 20 magazines, 10 purses, 100 pieces of luggage and 50 make up bags together. I'm gonna start putting everything outside, okay?"
Brooke half heartedly listened as she flipped through her magazines.
"Hey Brooke…"
"Oh my God!"
He looked at her. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.
"You okay? Let me guess, Nick and Jessica finally broke up", he joked.
"Lucas…"
She could barely catch her breath. She looked at him, trying to open her mouth and speak but no words would come out.
"This better be good", he snatched the mags away from her. "You better be all speechless from one of those Karma Sutra tips they like to put on the Cosmopolitan cover."
His smile quickly faded. He saw exactly what had Brooke so riled up and it was anything but a laughing matter.
"Luke…"
"Oh my God."
There she was, there it was on every major cover for the world to see:
Breaking News! Song Bird Haley James Pregnant? Exclusive pics inside of the Grammy Award winning musician and her rumored beau, fellow rocker, Chris Keller
Lucas feverishly turned to the desired page. It was a series of paparazzi shots that showed a dressed down Haley and Chris strolling through New York City, her near fall, his gallant save, and the exposure of her expanded waistline. On the following page was a photo of Haley taken just months before on the red carpet in a size 3, form fitting Armani dress. Next were the latest pictures that showed a belly mysteriously protruding from her body.
"Looks like Tutor Wife is gonna be Tutor Mom", Brooke said when she finally caught her breath.
Lucas couldn't believe it. His whole body was trembling.
"Oh my God", he kept repeating.
"You'd think that little runt, Keller, heard of condoms."
"Brooke!"
"Or maybe they planned it. Isn't that the 'in' Hollywood thing for big stars now?"
Lucas skimmed the articles. He knew what his eyes saw but he also knew what his heart was telling him. And he recalled the conversations he'd had with Haley over the summer.
"It's not his baby", he whispered.
"What?"
"Chris. Chris Keller is not the father."
"That's what the paper said. I mean, who else could it…"
Brooke stopped mid sentence.
"Nathan", the both mouthed simultaneously.
"Brooke…"
"No. Oh Broody. This is too bizarre. It can't be. First they're still married after all these years, then the tsunami, then Meg pregnant, then Haley crashing the wedding…"
"Oh man", he muttered to himself.
"Let's not jump to conclusions, here. It could be Chris'. That's what US said and US doesn't lie. I get all my Britney gossip from there and they haven't steered me wrong yet."
"Brooke, will you be serious?"
"I am. Look, a magazine can't just print false stuff about famous people. They'll get sued. They wouldn't say Chris was the father, presuming there is an actual baby in there and that bump isn't the result of one too many Dunkin' Donuts. There has to be some level of truth."
"They're just friends. Hales never slept with him."
"How do you know?"
"Because she told me."
"And you believe her?"
"Yes", he said sincerely.
"Luke…"
"I have to call Nathan…"
"No, you don't", she jerked his cell phone away.
"Brooke, if he already knows, I can't let him handle this alone. And of he doesn't know, I can't let him find out from a freaking tabloid! He's my brother!"
"He's a big boy, Lucas. Look, I feel awful and that little love triangle plus two babies is getting weirder by the second, but honestly what can you and I do? This is their situation to handle. We can't get involved."
"How can we not?"
"What are you going to do then? Lucas, you can't fix it! How do you plan on swooping in and saving the day?"
Lucas threw the books on the floor.
"I can't just stand by and let this happen!"
"If Nate pulled a Dan Scott, then sweetie, it's his bed to lie in. Of course we'll be there for him but this is ultimately between Nathan and Meg. What good is talking to him going to do?"
Lucas grabbed his jacket.
"You're right. You're absolutely right, Brooke."
"Then where are you going?"
"I have to go to New York."
"What? Have you lost your mind, Lucas?"
"I have to know. I have to talk to Haley. I have to know the truth about all this."
"Okay this is like the craziest thing I've ever heard of but what makes you so sure she'll even tell you the truth?"
"She will", he sighed. "I just know it. And if she doesn't? I'll know anyway. I can look in her eyes and tell."
Brooke was beside herself.
"You're serious, aren't you?"
"Brooke, I have to. Please understand."
"What about me? What about Miami?"
"I'm sorry", he whispered.
Tears welled in her eyes. After all the promises and sacrifices made, after all the struggle to keep their relationship about them, once again they were in the dead center of the Nathan/Megan/Haley drama. She felt like he was choosing them over her.
"Lucas…"
"Brooke, I'm really, really sorry, okay? I have to go. I have to do this. Babe, just please try to understand."
"I don't", she folded her arms defiantly. "I can't believe this."
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"It's more than J. Lo and Miami and fashion. Don't you see what you're doing?"
"Brooke…"
"If you walk out that door…"
He closed his eyes. Not an ultimatum. Please, God, not an ultimatum.
"Brooke, don't do it", he begged.
She stood silent for a while before wiping her eyes.
"Fine. Do you, Lucas. Whatever. Do what you want to do."
"I'm sorry", he said as he left.
The door shut and she was all alone, her whole world literally turned upside down in a matter of minutes.
"Yeah…me too."