Lucas sat in the parking lot with the engine running for what seemed like forever. It was late night…or early morning, depending on how you looked at it. He was exhausted but he had tried to go back to his basement apartment at Deb's. Sleep would not come and neither would peace. A million thoughts raced through his mind as his heart pounded wildly. This could not be happening to him! No way! So Lucas had slipped out of bed and crept upstairs. He opened the door to the bedroom and turned on the light. It was all a misunderstanding, a bad dream even. She would be there, wouldn't she? But the bed was as empty as his heart. It was all true. Brooke was gone. So he put his feet back in his shoes and went back outside. He got in the truck, cranked it and began to drive. He ended up cruising the empty downtown streets, which led him to Tree Hill's Hilton on the river. Somehow he just knew he would be there. People like Killian Morris didn't stay at the Ramada.
Finally Lucas got out of the truck. He walked inside not knowing or even caring what he would say to the woman at the first date so she would give him the room information. But that wouldn't be necessary. Apparently Lucas wasn't the only one suffering from a bad case of insomnia. Sure enough, Mr. Morris was having a late night cocktail in the lounge. It was minutes before he looked up and finally noticed the angry presence hovering over him.
"Mr. Scott", he smirked. "What a surprise. Fancy seeing you here."
Lucas was already teetering dangerously close to the edge.
"I knew you'd be here and I didn't even have to hire the fancy Private I."
Killian smirked.
"I see", he said as he motioned for hotel staff to come to the table.
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"You're a real punk, you know that? You couldn't get me locked up earlier tonight so now you get to have me thrown out of your precious hotel? Good one, Morris."
But his actions were on the contrary.
"Gary, I'll have another Gin and Tonic. And whatever my friend here would like…"
Lucas shook his head.
"I didn't come here to have a drink with you, man."
Killian smiled.
"One Gin and Tonic and one Whisky Sour on the Rocks. Sound good, Lucas?"
"Look, I told you…"
"I know what you said. Have a seat."
Reluctantly Lucas sat down and even more hesitantly accepted the drink when the waiter returned with it.
"Not that I owe you an explanation or a damn thing but I did not kidnap Brooke. Neither did Deb. That little stunt you tried to pull earlier with the cops was bullshit and you know it."
Killian swallowed and nodded.
"I know that…now."
"What?"
"I talked to Brooke."
Brooke. Lucas should have known. Of course she would explain to her precious fiancé.
"And she told me everything. I hope that both you and Ms. Lee find it in your hearts to accept my deepest apologies. It was a misunderstanding."
Lucas laughed in spite of the situation.
"Misunderstanding? Damn right, dude. And I don't give a shit about your lame ass apologies and neither does Deb. Stay away from her."
"If that's how you feel. You have a right to be angry."
"Don't you tell me what to feel and what my rights are."
Killian looked right at him.
"Obviously you came here for a reason. You sought me out to talk to me so here is your chance. Say whatever it is you have to say."
Lucas looked around. Now that he had the chance, he didn't exactly know what to say. He had waited for the moment, he had even driven clear across town for the confrontation but once the two men in Brooke Davis' life were face to face, Lucas Scott had no idea what to say.
"I didn't know about you", he finally mumbled.
"What?"
"I said I didn't know about you. When Brooke moved here and we got together, I had no idea there was someone else in the picture."
"And if you had, would it have made any difference?"
Lucas met the gaze of the steely green eyes staring a hole through him.
"I don't know, man…"
"Of course it wouldn't. Brooke is a hell of a woman. She's beautiful and fun and irresistible. What red blooded man in his right mind would turn her down?"
Killian had a point.
"Look…"
"Why are you here? You came to the hotel for a reason."
"I love Brooke", Lucas blurted out.
"So do I."
"And I'm not giving her up."
A small smile crept to Killian's lips.
"Is that so?"
"It is."
Killian nodded.
"I see. Well, I'm not giving her up either so I guess that means we have a problem on our hands, eh, Scott?"
Lucas shook his head and smirked.
"You rich assholes are all alike", he muttered.
"And how would you know?"
"Because I used to be the same cocky, arrogant son of a bitch you are. Brooke isn't the only one who changed."
Killian laughed out loud.
"That is very funny. Brooke must have been endeared to your wonderful sense of humor."
"Make all the fun you want, rich boy. No, I don't come from the neverending sinkhole of cash you do but I know what it's like to have a family with a little money. And I know what that can do to you. Your money can buy a lot of things but Brooke's love isn't one of them."
"I never tried to buy Brooke."
"If that's what you think. But just so you know all your expensive presents and fancy trips apparently weren't enough. You tried to give her everything but she didn't want it."
Killian kept his rich boy cool.
"And what can you give her?" he asked as he leaned back.
Lucas shrugged.
"What she wants. What she needs. Me. Love."
"And that is enough?"
It was Lucas' turn to smirk.
"It's been working pretty damn well the last few months."
"Has it?"
Lucas leaned it close.
"It has. Very well in fact. Brooke and I were the happiest people in the world until you came back to whisk her away like she's some piece of your daddy's property."
"I came to talk some sense into my fiancée. I came to bring her back home. I came to return her to the life that she is accustomed to."
"The life she hates. The one that suffocated her and made her so miserable that she had no choice but to run away. You didn't come to take her back so she can be happy. You just want to lock her away in the tower of some castle so you can control her."
"Sounds like a bad fairytale."
"It does. That's what Brooke was trying to escape from. Can you blame her?"
"Women aren't the easiest creatures to understand. I'm sure even you know that, Lucas. Sometimes no matter how great things are going, they get bored or restless. And sometimes they leave…just like Haley left you."
"What?" Lucas' eyes narrowed.
"And sometimes they stay, like your mother, Karen."
"Shut the fuck up, man! I don't care what your sleazy investigator dug up. You don't know dick about my life!"
"I know enough. I know you are an alcoholic, troubled from youth, has been athlete who after all these years still can't get his head out of his ass. I know you habitually alienate your family and friends and all those deep rooted psychological problems is what caused you to act out and eventually drive your poor wife away. So you moved on to an innocent girl like my Brooke."
"It's not like that. I love Brooke."
"I'm sure you do. Brooke turned it all around. She gave you a reason to be. She put a smile on your face and in your heart. It was like a breath of fresh air, a new beginning."
That's exactly what it was.
"Look…"
"I've been there, Lucas. I know what it's like to have the world at my feet but no one to share it with. Then Brooke came along like an angel right out of Heaven. But she's my angel…not yours. It's over, Luke. I'm sorry. Brooke may have had a few months of temporary insanity and maybe living amongst the common folk and having seedy sex with the local bad boy was what she needed for the time but do you honestly think she'll stay here?"
"Yes, I do", he said, not missing a beat. "Brooke loves me."
Killian raised his drink.
"She loves me, too but the thing is, I think I know her just a tad bit better than you do. I know Brooke better than she knows herself."
"So what are you saying?"
"Brooke has a choice…you or me."
"Yeah. So?"
"Can you look deep in your heart and honestly say you know who she'll choose?"
Lucas took a long, deep breath. Of course he knew. It had to be him…right?
"Yes."
Killian gave a smirk that could rival Dan Scott's as he leaned back and finished off his drink.
"Then game on."