Chapter Twelve: Checkmate
Haley flopped back onto her bed and stared angrily at the ceiling. The day before, it had all seemed so easy, leaping into his open arms at the Classic, easily saying goodbye to Lucas. Now it all seemed so hard. So… wrong.
She rolled over to rest her head on her hands and frowned, imagining Lucas finally having the freedom to do whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted. Not that he hadn't felt like he'd always had the freedom. Lucas and her had been together since before Junior high. Had she really been ready to let him go so easily?
XxxxxxX
Lucas let out a noise of frustration as he woke up from yet another wet dream-starring not the petite light brown haired girl that had been his for so many years, but instead the taller, darker girl that had been haunting his thoughts.
He changed into jeans and a hoodie before running down the stairs to go outside.
"Luke?"
Lucas turned toward the voice that was calling to him and smiled slightly as his mother came out of the kitchen.
"Hey Mom," he said.
"You know, I was talking to Mrs. Smith…" began Karen Scott. Lucas winced. His mother, though a chaperone at the Classic, had not witnessed the biggest breakup of the year. "And she was talking about you and Haley breaking up."
Lucas winced as his mother frowned at him in what seemed like disappointment.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
"Why on Earth did you break up with her? Lydia James had practically already chosen who's going to cater your wedding!" said Karen in surprise.
"It just wasn't right anymore," said Lucas awkwardly. Karen was almost a foot shorter than her son, but she still had the power to terrify him.
"What do you mean, you guys have always been together," said Karen, refusing to accept his pathetic accuses.
"What would you do if I told you there was someone else?" asked Lucas.
"For you or her?" asked Karen. Lucas braced himself.
"Both of us?" he said quietly.
"You cheated on her?" demanded Karen. Lucas slowly shook his head and Karen sighed before gesturing that he might leave.
Lucas ran out to his car and drove quickly out of the driveway. He automatically turned it in the direction of Haley's house,
Instinct made him stop in "their coffee shop". As he saw Brooke Davis sitting at the counter, where they always sat, he wondered if she'd been expecting him.
"Brooke," he said abruptly, sliding in the seat next to her. She turned her head swiftly, her dark hair flying.
"Yes?" she said thinly.
"Why won't you talk to me?" he asked.
"We have nothing to talk about," she said.
"You know what we have to talk about."
"Luke, I can't be with someone who would cheat on his girlfriend," said Brooke. Her words were firm, her tone wavering.
"I won't!" he said.
"You're right, because I'm not going to give you the chance to," said Brooke, standing up, throwing a five dollar bill on the counter and leaving quickly.
Lucas didn't go after her. Pride prevented him. But he watched her as she ran out into the street, climbed into her Jeep and spared him one last parting glance.
XxxxxxX
Haley had been lightly sleeping, but she awoke immediately when the phone on her bedside rang.
"Nathan!" she said quietly, hopefully to herself.
"Hey, Haley?" said a voice. Haley's heart fell to the floor.
"Hey, Luke," she said.
"Is it weird if… Can I ask you something?" asked Lucas nervously. Haley almost laughed. Lucas hadn't been nervous around her since the day he'd told her he'd cheated on her.
"Yeah, sure," she said.
"How did we get together?" he asked.
"You mean sexually?" asked Haley in surprise.
"No. I mean when we were little," he said.
"Well, it was in grade six, and we were sitting on the fence, being all rebellious and you asked me to be your girlfriend. And then you kissed me, I guess," said Haley in surprise, dimly recalling the distant day, when all being a boyfriend was was talking on the phone a lot and holding hands in the hallways.
"Right. Sorry, I was just thinking about it today. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he said.
"Of course. Do you um, need a ride?" she asked. It had been taken as a given in their relationship. Now, neither knew where the lines stood.
"No, don't worry about it," he said, as he hung up, a plan already forming in his head.
Lucas made only one stop before driving the distance to Brooke's apartment building. Feeling nervous, he rode up the elevator and knocked on the door.
"Lucas, I told you to knock it off!" said Brooke in annoyance, as she answered the door.
"I know, but just hear me out. Brooke Davis…" he began. He fumbled in his pocket and went down on one knee. She smiled in spite of herself as he took her hand in his.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked.
"Hurt me and I'll kick you ass," she warned.
"Duly noted," he said. Laughing, she nodded her head. He jokingly slipped the ring he'd bought on her right hand, and stood up.
"Where'd you get this?" she asked, looking at the band of silver on her right hand.
"The jewelry store," he said casually.
"Not the dollar store? Lucas, it must have been expensive," she protested.
"You're worth it," he said. He took her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly.
"You too," she whispered.
XxxxxxX
Brooke took it off her hand, once, when he left much later and marveled it, the small token that she knew she'd keep forever. She smiled at the simple inscription: Brooke and Lucas. It wasn't much, but it was all she needed.