2 weeks later
"Are you really planning on sitting on the couch all day blondie" Brooke whined as she plopped down next to her best friend. Lucas watched as Peyton rolled her eyes and set her focus back on the TV. Things hadn't gotten any worse for Lucas and Peyton but things hadn't gotten better either. Their lives had become extremely stressful and they didn't know how to change it. They barley argued but Peyton shut him out. She buried everything inside of her and no one could get her to talk about how she was feeling. Peyton just wanted it to go away and she wanted to erase everything from her mind.
"It seems like a perfectly good plan to me" the blonde responded causing Brooke to shake her head and let out a sigh.
"Well it sounds boring to me so we are going to find something else to do. Its gorgeous outside, let's go to the beach and then we can go shopping." The brunettes eyes lit up at the thought of a trip to the mall.
"No thanks, I'm just going to sit here and watch TV...no mall....no beach. Sorry Brooke but I'm not interested." Her voice held no emotion as she continued to watch TV. She wasn't actually paying attention to the show but it was an excuse to not really respond to the girl next to her.
"Peyton come on. Its almost winter and the temperature will be dropping soon. Its like a miracle that it's so warm today. Just come to the beach with me. You can bring your loser rock and blast it for all I care but I don't wanna sit in the house anymore. That's all we've been doing for the past week and as fun as it is to watch the paint on the wall I'm don't want to do it anymore. I for one need a change of scenery as in the outdoors and then the mall." Brooke grabbed Peyton's shoulders and turned the blonde towards her. "NO MORE SITTING IN THE HOUSE"
Peyton looked at the brunette and raised an eyebrow. "Chill Cheery. No need for the dramatics." Brooke grabbed a pillow from behind her and swung it at the blonde, hitting her in the side of the head.
"Never mess with a pregnant woman, especially one that's being deprived of fresh air." Brooke leaned back against the couch and rolled her eyes in frustration. "One day of not sitting down and watching TV. Just one day...I promise it won't kill you"
"It just might you never know" Peyton retorted, receiving a pouting look from the brunette.
"I don't think it's such a bad idea. You do need to get out of the house Peyt." Lucas said from the across the room. It was fine when Brooke harassed her repeatedly about going out but when Lucas said something it mad her mad. Her walls were going back up and she knew it was happening to fast for her to control.
"Well I don't wanna go anywhere today" She said keeping herself calm and her tone flat. She didn't know why she was suddenly so pissed off with Lucas but she was and it wasn't going away.
"But you never wanna go out anymore Peyt. You can't stay in the house all day everyday." Lucas walked over to the two girls and stood in front of the couch.
"Well I don't remember asking you for your opinion." Lucas was thrown off by the edge in her tone and he wasn't sure what was about to happen and neither was Brooke. She had seen the tension between the two over the lat few weeks but she didn't know about the arguments.
"Sorry, I wasn't trying to push you or anything. I was just saying...I thought it was a good idea." His voice was small and he hoped that she wasn't going to stay mad at him.
"Once again there you go with the opinions. You thought...I don't care what you thought." She shook her head and stood up form the couch. She shoved past him and walked towards the kitchen. Brooke looked on and she felt extremely uncomfortable. She didn't know what was going on but she wanted it to end.
"Peyton it's not good for you to sit in the house for days like this. It's not healthy." He watched her turn around and glare at him. He tried but he couldn't read her eyes, there was too much there but at the same time she seemed empty.
"Well thank you doctor." She spat bitterly. She couldn't make herself calm down. The more she tried the more angry she became. The more he cared the further up her walls went. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. She was supposed to finally be happy and once again everything was just falling apart in her life. She was mixed and lost inside and she didn't know who she could trust to help her. She didn't know how to help herself so how was she supposed to explain it to some one else. She didn't even know what was wrong.
"Peyton I'm just worried about you. That's all. I wanna know that you're okay." There it was...the caring. He was worried and she was scared. He was putting her best interest at heart and all she could do was step on his. That wasn't what she was hoping for. She loved him and she knew that but she couldn't seem to admit it to herself anymore. This emotion she had spent moths trying to obtain, she had finally gotten it and now she didn't want it.
"I don't need you to worry about me. I can take care of myself." She wanted nothing more then for those words to be true but they weren't. She wanted him to care about her and she wanted him to love her but she couldn't find it in herself to trust him. She couldn't believe him when he said he cared, there had to be an alterative motive. No one ever did anything for her unless it benefited them or they had to. She wouldn't let herself believe that Lucas could be different, to her it just wasn't possible.
Lucas walked over to her and laid his hand on her shoulder. "I know you can take care of yourself but that doesn't mean I'm not gunna care. Nothing is going to stop me from worrying about you and wanted to protect you from everything possible."
"I'm not a little girl Lucas I don't a the big strong man. I don't need a knight in shining armor." She pushed his hand away from her before looking up at him again. "And I don't need you." She could see his heart break though his eyes and it tore her apart inside. She wanted to take it back and she wanted to throw herself into his arms. She couldn't do that though because the fear took over her body. She couldn't stand another heartbreak so she was going to keep her heart buried where no one could get to it. She refused to fall in love again. She wanted to be alone and she was back to the belief that Lucas was better off without her.
"Peyton..." he didn't think that things had gotten this bad but they had and now he couldn't fix it. Everything he said set her off.
"Just go Lucas...just...stay out my life" That was when her own heart shattered. There was no going back, she had just ended it.
"Okay" the words stung all three of them. It was the finally words to say that things were done. Brooke watched as Lucas walked out the door and turned to watch all emotion fade from Peyton's eyes. The blonde held an icy stare and once again Brooke's best friend had been lost and buried even further down
"What the hell was that" the brunette spoke up for the first time. She had just been watching the interaction for the last few minutes but now Lucas was gone and she wanted answers.
"What was that...that was the truth." Peyton turned and walked into the kitchen with Brooke following behind her,
"Bull shit...that was just about everything other then the truth. Lucas isn't here right now and you're talking to me. What the hell just happened Peyton?" She knew the blonde was lying because it had just come out of no where.
"I told you if you don't wanna believe me that your problem not mine."
"You're scared. You don't wanna get hurt again so you're just gunna push him away. You don't want any broken hearts but you just broke his. Or maybe you're just selfish and you're looking out for yourself...who give a shit about Lucas right, as long as Peyton is alright it all good." Brooke waited for a response as she watched the blonde stop moving.
"Just drop it Brooke. Lucas can do whatever the hell he wants to do now. He's not tied down to me and my issues, he can live his life. He's spent the last few years looking after me and now he's free."
"He's free. Peyton he was never trapped. Lucas stayed because he wanted to. He wanted to be here with you, no one held a gun to his head, it was his choice. Is it so hard for you to believe that he actually cared?"
"He didn't care" Peyton could feel the tears the burned her eyes. "No one ever cares" She said quietly.
"You don't know how many people care about you Peyton. I don't where the hell you're coming up with this but we all care. Sometime I didn't know why Lucas put up with you and your crap but I know now. He loved you Peyton he still loves you and if you went to him tomorrow he'd be the one to apologize because he will always love you. It's really sad that you can't see that. I know you're scared of getting hurt but Lucas isn't going to hurt you. Peyton he loves you with everything he has and he would do anything for you. You can't keep freezing him out like this, he doesn't deserve it." Brooke gave the blonde a sympathetic look before leaving. Peyton heard the front door close and she immediately feel to the floor, the tears falling too. The fear was too strong for her to push aside. She knew that she cared about Lucas the way he cared about her but she wasn't ready to feel that vulnerable again.
Brooke pulled out of Peyton's driveway with a mix of emotions. She felt bad for Peyton because she knew how hard it was for her to open up but she felt just as bad for Lucas. He was doing everything he could to help Peyton and she just pushed him away. The brunette was interrupted from her thoughts as he cell started to ring. She dug through her bag until she found it.
"Hello" she said with a slight edge in her voice. She was tired and frustrated. The day had been on a downhill for her and she didn't know what to do.
"Brooke...it's Haley."
"Haley what's wrong" she could hear Haley crying on the other line and it sent worry though her veins. She wanted to think that worst but she didn't know what the worst was anymore. Everything just seemed to be a bad thing lately and she didn't know how things were going to get worse and she didn't want to know.
"Brooke...its Lucas" the brunettes heart sunk as the words rang through her ears.
"What happened" her voice cracked as she finished the sentence and tears threatened to pour from her eyes.
"I don't know...he was in a car accident and Nathan and I are on our way to the hospital now." Haley began to cry harder as she thought about her best friend.
"I'll meet you guys there." Brooke said quietly before she hung up the phone. The only thing on her mind was making sure Lucas was alright. It seemed as if things were never going to be okay again for anyone. Something as always going wrong and someone was always getting hurt.
Brooke pulled in front of the emergency room entrance and moved as quickly as she could to get inside. She knew that she wouldn't be told anything this early but it didn't matter she just wanted to be in there. She ran over to Haley and Nathan as soon as she saw them. "Do they know anything yet" She asked as Haley looked up at her. Haley just shook her head no before resting against Nathan's shoulder again. Brooke looked up to see Karen sitting in a chair with her head in her hands and Keith with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Brooke walked over to them but she didn't know what to say. Nothing was going to make Karen feel any better, he son was lying in an operating room. "I'm so sorry" the brunette whispered, receiving a small nod from Keith before she returned to Nathan and Haley.
"Lucas had never run a red light in his life, why the hell now." Haley spoke quietly with a hint of anger in her voice. She didn't know who she was angry at but things just weren't fair.
"What did you just say?" Brooke asked as her heart skipped a beat.
"I said Lucas has never run a red light before." Haley looked up at the brunette who now looked like she had just seen a ghost.
"Oh God" Brooke whispered to herself as she stood up and walked to the window. She could feel her stomach knotting. She thought things were bad enough but they just continued to get worse. The more she thought about it the worse the situation seemed and the thing that worried her most was that she wasn't blowing anything out of proportion.
"Brooke what's wrong" Nathan asked as he watched her hold herself tightly. He stood up and walked over to the brunette and soon everyone was looking at her, including Karen.
"I have to call Peyton" Brooke said ignoring Nathan as she walked past him and outside of the hospital. She held the phone in her hand and dialed the number but she was hesitant to press send. Peyton didn't need this now, her life was already a mess and now this was just something else to add to the pile. There was no avoiding it thought, Brooke knew she had to tell her so she pressed send and held the phone to her ear.
"Hello" Brooke could here that Peyton had been crying and that only made her want to hang up but she Peyton would call her back.
"Hey Peyt...ummm...could you meet me at the hospital in front of the ER." Brooke did the best she could to keep her tone even.
"Why" Peyton asked as worry took over her body.
"Just meet me here alright..." Brooke could feel her voice growing uneven and she hoped that Peyton didn't question her anymore because the tears were about to fall again.
"Alright" the blonde responded before hanging up the phone. Peyton reached for her keys and left the house in a rush. She didn't want to know what happened but at the same time she did. She knew that it couldn't be good and the thought caused her to grip the steering wheel tighter. She parked in front of the ER but she couldn't make herself get out of the car. She breathed in deeply trying to calm her nerves but it didn't help.
"Are you all here for Lucas Scott" a doctor asked as he stepped into the waiting room. They all looked up and nodded. "He's stable at the moment but we won't know anything for sure until tomorrow. We didn't have to operate but we did have to pump his stomach because of the blood. He has a couple of bruised ribs but he didn't break anything. He hit his head pretty hard to he may be unconscious for a while. He may have temporary memory loss when he does wake up but we don't expect anything permanent. We don't know when he'll wake up but you are welcome to see him now. He's upstairs in room 524." The doctor smiled reassuringly before turning and walking away.
Karen breathed a sigh of relief as she buried her face into Keith's chest. They all stood up and walked quickly to the elevator, everyone except Brooke. "I'm just gunna wait down here for Peyton" she gave a small smile as she watched them disappear around the corner. She was glad that Lucas was okay but that didn't make her all her worries go away. Her stomach sank as she watched Peyton walk in thought the door and move quickly towards her.
"Brooke what's going on?" Peyton asked nervously.
"Just follow me" Brooke couldn't bring herself to say anything else as she led Peyton upstairs. As they stepped out of the elevator the could see the waiting room with everyone in it. The blonde continued to follow Brooke towards the group but as she scanned the room she stopped.
"Brooke what's going one?" she asked again. Her head was spinning and she felt like she couldn't breath as she watched the brunette turn around and look at her sadly.
"Peyton..."
"Brooke where is Lucas" Peyton could feel the tears burning behind her eyes once again but she wouldn't let them fall. She had to be wrong. Everyone was fine...Lucas was fine. She watched as everyone focused their eyes on her and it only became harder for her to catch her breath. She turned her head hoping to see Lucas walking up behind but that wasn't what she saw. Her eyes stared into one of the open room doors and she could see a nurse hovering over Lucas's limp body. Her body felt like it was shutting down and she couldn't turn her head. Her legs grew weaker with every second. She closed her eyes tightly and turned around. She didn't say anything, she just moved towards the elevator. She didn't want to be there, she couldn't be there, it was just too much. Brooke didn't try to stop her because she had expected it to happen. Nathan on the other hand quickly walked over to her and grabbed her arm. She turned to face him and ripped her arm away. "Move" she said sternly as she glared up at him, his eyes held the same icy start as hers.
"Name one time that Lucas wasn't there for you since you two have met." Nathan questioned her. They all looked at the speechless blonde as the awaited a response. "Speak up I can't hear you" he retorted causing Brooke to internally cringe.
"I know he's been there for me but I'm not staying her." Peyton answered, using all the strength she could find. She wanted to leave, she hated hospitals, she hated everything about them. Screaming rang through her ears and it broke her heart more then she realized was possible. From the corner of her eye she could see a nurse carrying a newborn down the hall. Peyton wanted to leave now more then before. Brooke was the only one who could the blonde's trembling hands and she quickly caught on as to what had cause it. Peyton lungs began to burn as thoughts and memories raced through her head, all of them unwanted. She had to leave, she couldn't be there anymore, it was physically hurting her to stand there.
"I know you have your own problems Peyton, but so does everyone else. I'm not trying to put you down or anything but Lucas really needs you right now and by walking out of that door, by walking out on him, you're being a selfish bitch" the second the words left his mouth, Nathan felt a stinging pain radiate through his face. Nathan brought his own hand to wear Peyton's fingers had left a bright red imprint on his face.
"Screw you Nathan." The blonde spat bitterly before spinning on her heal and walked briskly out of the hospital. No one followed her and when the nurse came out and told them they could go in and see Lucas they still didn't move. Everyone sat in shock as they stared at the spot Peyton had been standing in.
"Shit..." Haley stood up and grabbed Nathan's arm as she looked up at him. "That wasn't smart" she said simply as she pulled him down the hall.
"Haley stay I'll go, I talk to her..." Brooke walked over to them and waited for Haley to turn around.
"No Nathan's gotta be the one to talk to her, he's gotta be the one to try and fix it first." Brooke knew she was right so she didn't argue. She wanted to go and find Peyton but she knew that nothing she said would make anything better.
"What the hell do I have to fix" Nathan asked the question that was on the other's mind. Karen was the next person to connect everything and she spoke up before the other's.
"Anna..." Karen responded quietly. "The accident... I didn't remember." They all looked down as the floor except for Karen who walked into her son's hospital room and Haley who dragged Nathan towards the elevator, knowing that she had to find Peyton.