Chapter 30

"You Can Have the Best of Me"

Life at the James house was the closest thing to normal that Lucas had in a long time. Robert and Robin treated him like one of their own, and they never judged him. They knew that Lucas had been through a lot the last few months, and they only wanted to help him heal. Haley loved having Lucas stay with them, and the two of them were now closer than ever. Nathan came over every day to see his brother, and he had become very protective over Lucas. There were some times when Nathan drove Lucas crazy, but for the most part Lucas loved hanging out with his brother.

Lucas also spent a lot of time with Brooke. He felt like if he didn't stay by her side then he would be taken away again, and he wouldn't be able to handle that. Brooke loved having Lucas back. She spent all her free time with him, and she loved getting to know the real Lucas; the one who didn't need a pill to be happy.

Lucas and Nathan were spending the afternoon shooting hoops at the rivercourt while Brooke and Haley went shopping together. They tried to get the boys to come with them, but it was a losing battle.

"So do you guys miss me around the house?" Lucas asked as he passed the ball to Nathan.

"Surprisingly…yes," Nathan responded with a smile.

"So it's like that?" Lucas asked as he pretended to pout.

"Seriously, man, it's not the same without you. Mom and Dad are working really hard to get you back. They spend a lot of time at the lawyer's office."

Lucas took in Nathan's words before he spoke. "This is all my fault," he whispered.

"How is it your fault?" Nathan asked.

"I was stupid enough to take those pills," Lucas responded. He was ashamed of what he had done.

"It was stupid of you to take the pills," Nathan stated, "But I understand why you did it. You were hurting so much, and you really didn't have anyone to talk to. You felt like that was your only way out."

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "It was still a pretty dumb move on my part."

"I promise you, Luke, that I will always be there for you to talk to."

"Thanks…little brother," Lucas replied. The two brothers laughed and then shared a hug.

Lucas and Nathan were taking a break as they sat on the picnic table when they saw Peyton approaching. Nathan sighed when he saw her coming. He was still mad at her for what she had done to Lucas. "Do you want me to get rid of her?" he asked.

Lucas shook his head. "Let's give her a chance and listen to what she has to say."

Nathan rose to his feet. "I'm not in a forgiving mood. I'll catch you later."

Lucas slapped hands with his brother and then watched as he walked away. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Peyton asked as she stood in front of Lucas.

Lucas pointed to the spot that Nathan had vacated. "Have a seat."

"Nathan didn't have to leave," Peyton said as she watched him walk away.

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "He had something to do."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two of them before Peyton spoke again. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I treated you so bad, and I feel terrible about it. I don't know how you'll ever be able to forgive me."

"I already have forgiven you, Peyton. You're right…you did treat me terribly, but you also did me a favor."

"What kind of favor could I have possibly done for you?" Peyton asked in confusion.

"You pushed Brooke and me together, and I love her so much. She's been an important part of my life these past few months."

Peyton smiled. "I know what you mean…she is special. Can we be friends, Lucas?"

Lucas nodded his head. "I'd like that." Peyton extended her hand to shake with Lucas, but he pushed it aside and pulled her into a hug.

Brooke had just finished painting her nails when she heard a knock on her door. Her face lit up when she saw Lucas entering. She jumped off her bed and threw her arms around him. "I missed you so much, Broody."

"I missed you too, Cheery," Lucas responded.

Brooke grabbed his hand and led him over to her bed. "Have you heard anything about the custody hearing yet?" she asked.

"No, and it's driving me crazy. I mean I like Haley and her parents, but I just want to go home."

"It's so weird to hear you say that," Brooke stated.

"What?" Lucas asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's weird to hear you call Dan Scott's house home."

Lucas smiled. "I never imagined that the day would come where I called Dan Scott's house home, but a lot has changed. Dan has showed me that he cares about me, and believe it or not…I care about him too."

"You look happy," Brooke noted.

Lucas nodded his head. "I am, but I'll be happier when this is all over."

"What should we do tonight?" Brooke asked.

"We could go to a movie," Lucas suggested.

Brooke shook her head. "There's nothing really good out."

"There's always whipped cream and condoms," Lucas said with a wicked grin on his face.

"Lucas Scott, I never thought I'd here you say those words," Brooke replied. She had a shocked expression on her face. Then her expression changed to a look of seriousness. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"I love you, Brooke, and I'm ready to give myself to you."

"I love you too, Broody." Brooke pulled him into a kiss and the two of them fell back onto the bed and held each other as they continued kissing.

The title of this chapter is a lyric from the song "The Best of Me," by The Starting Line