Hey guys! Thank you sooo much for the great reviews:D im glad you liked it!

Here's another! And lots more Nookie:D And i know some of you are gonna want Nookie pairing, but Brucas is going so well right now that i don't have the heart to ruin it:( sorry. but hey! the story is still young! ;) anyways, here's the next update! hope you like it:D I called it tear my heart open after that song by papa roch. it reminds me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much of these two right now! im making a video using it about them! i might post it if your good:P anyways, please Read & Review! Luvies

Lucas stands in front of a door looking at it with a worried expression. He takes a deep breath as he knocks and waits for an answer. When none came, he sighed and opened it himself.

"Nathan?" he gasps as he enters the apartment. The place is painted pink from top to bottom and the furniture was all turned upside down. He walked around stepping over broken pieces of furniture here and there. He entered the kitchen where he sees Nathan sitting on the chair sulking with a half empty beer bottle in his hand. He doesn't even seem to acknowledge his brother's presence. He just sits there with his back slumped over staring at the floor.

"What the hell happened? It looks like the circus passed through here!"

"What do you want Lucas?" Nathan asks unfazed. Lucas stares at him sympathetically. He seemed lost and looked like he hadn't showered in days.

"I was just here to check up on you man."

"I don't need you to check up on me!" he snapped. What the hell did these people want from him? Why did they keep pushing so hard? "Why don't you people get that?"

"Listen man, we're just worried about you ok? You look like shit."

"Well I'm fine alright?" he yelled irritated.

"Look man, I know how you feel—"

"Actually Lucas, you have no clue how I feel alright?"

"Well then, talk to me man."

"Forget it Luke." He mumbled dully.

"So…how are you doing?"

Nathan laughed bitterly. "Just great Lucas! Just friggen GREAT. Life is perfect for me! Can't you tell?" he yelled sarcastically.

"Ok…ok….sorry. Stupid question." He held his hands up in defense and sighed. They sat in science for what seemed like forever.

"Listen man, I'm sure everything will work out. I mean Haley just needs some—"

"You know what Luke? I've heard it all before alright? I already heard that she'll probably come back. Or that she was just confused! But you know what? I don't give a damn! I just need you all to leave me the hell alone!" He said the last part with such force that Lucas pulled back a bit. He just sat there staring at his brother, shocked at his outburst.

"Well uhh…I guess I'll go. You sure you'll be fine?"

"I'm fine Luke." He said calmly.

Lucas just nodded and walked away defeated. Nathan waited for a sign of the door closing. When he was sure Lucas had left, he got up off his chair and through the bottle at the wall, screaming his loudest.

LATER THAT DAY

Brooke walks down the street looking up at the sky. She takes a deep breath and sighs. 'When did my life get so messed up?' She turned her gaze towards the beach when something caught her eye. She didn't know what it was at first but when she focused for a better look, she recognized it. There, sitting on the bench, was a brooding Nathan staring out at the beach. Brooke's heart sank. She remembered how care free Nathan was before he met Haley. But now, he was so broken, and that hurt her for some reason. She didn't quite understand why she cared so much. She was never really his favorite person, and vice-versa. She continued to look at him with a heavy heart. She took a deep breath and walked towards him.

"Hey Nate." She said softly.

Nathan looked up surprised to see her. "If you're here to give me another lecture on how everything is ok, I suggest you keep walking." He said bitterly and went back to looking ocean.

at the abandoned Brooke frowned. Well if he was going to be a bastard about it why should she bother? She started turning to head back but then she caught a glimpse of his face. It looked so hard and so cold. But she could still see the loneliness in his eyes. She stopped and stared at him for a while before sighing and sitting next to him.

This action surprised him and for a while he looked at her strangely as if she was insane.

She caught the look he gave her. "What?"

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Well, I was going to come and talk to you. But since your being a selfish jackass, then I guess I could just work on my tan."

"Brooke, it's night time."

"And that means that I won't get sun burn." She said matter of factly.

Nathan just stared at her speechless. 'What is up with this girl?' he turned back to the ocean. "Don't bother asking me how I'm doing."

"I wasn't going to." She said flatly. Nathan gave her a weird look. She sighed. "Nathan, I already know that you feel like shit right now. What's the point of making you say it out loud?"

"Then…why are you here?" Nathan couldn't tell why, but he didn't feel pressured by her like he had with Lucas that morning. He felt…comfortable.

"Look Nate. I know how you feel ok? Feeling all this hate towards the girl that you fell in love with? I get it. But what I don't get is why you keep pushing every one else away?"

"I don't need any of their pity." He mumbled.

Brooke looked at him for a minute. "Great. So now you're a hypocrite."

Nathan snapped his head up at her. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you say that you don't want them to pity you. But then you go and act like you're a little lost child who needs to be watched over? That's a bit hypocritical."

Nathan couldn't believe what she had just said to him. What the hell gave her the right to waltz on out here and make accusations against him? "Brooke you don't know what I'm—"

"Oh please Nathan I know perfectly well what you're feeling!" she snapped irritated. "I also know what it feels like to deal with it alone! And believe me it sucks a hell of a lot more than when you have people with you! So I suggest you count your blessings and let people in!"

Nathan didn't look at her. He just watched the waves crash as the hit the shore thinking over what she said.

"Look, I'm not saying that you pour your heart out to them, just…let them be there. Don't let your life end just because Haley made a mistake."

"But Haley was my life!" he yelled and Brooke was surprised to hear his voice crack. "Brooke, I loved her. I love her. I mean…" he laughed bitterly. "I'm Nathan Scott. The top player of Tree Hill—and I don't mean in basket ball." Brooke let out a little laugh. "I justI never thought I could love someone that much. I would have done anything for her. But now…"

"you don't know if it's worth it." She finished for him. He looked up at her and for the first time saw the flash of sadness in her eyes. He just nodded and knew she understood.

Brooke sighed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the summer air. "Who would have thought? That the Queen Cheer Bitch and Jock captain of the basketball team would be brought down by the loner Duo of Tree Hill?" she smiled sadly and Nathan just chuckled.

"Yeah, fate can be a bitch."

Brooke let out a laugh. "You know, I think this was just their way of a prolonged pay back." She smirked. "For all the things you and I did to them before we actually knew them."

Nathan laughed. "Yeah. Who woulda thought that they'd do so much damage?" Brooke smiled.

"We had it coming I guess…" she trailed off.

Nathan's face hardened. "But this time, we won't forgive them."

"What do you mean?"

"If Haley wants out of this marriage then that's what she'll get!"

"Nathan would you stop it? Haley loves you!"

"Yeah? Well that certainly didn't stop her from running off with that bastard Chris!"

"She went for her music not for him!"

"Oh that's bullshit Brooke and you know it!"

"Nathan you can't just turn your back on your marriage like that! It's for better or for worse. You knew that going into this thing!" she yelled.

"Yeah well so did Haley!" he shot back.

Brooke opened her mouth to say something but shut it again. "We all make mistakes Nathan." She said softly. "Eventually we have to try and forgive them."

"I just—" He lowered his voice, sounding unsure of himself. "I don't think we can ever go back to how we were before."

"Well you have to try." Her voice softened. "I mean, if you truly love her then you'll give her another chance."

Nathan paused for a moment. "Would you?" Brooke looked at him confused. "Would you give Lucas another chance?"

"That was different."

"How?"

"Well for starters, we weren't married!" she snapped.

"Which is why what she did was worse!"

"But you can't just throw it away either! It's a lot harder to just dump someone when you're married Nathan."

"And you can't just up and leave them either!" he shot back.

Brooke couldn't even look at him right now. She just turned away and looked at the ocean. "I don't really know why you're complaining." She said after a few minutes of silence.

"What? About your talking?" Nathan shot sarcastically.

Brooke just chuckled. "No. About what Haley's doing. You know, when she gets back, she's going to owe you." she smirked at him. "Lots and lots."

Nathan stared at her bewildered at her change of attitude. "Brooke, you're just sick!"

"Oh please! As if you weren't thinking about it!"

"I wasn't!" he said defensively. Brooke gave him a knowing look. He smirked. "Maybe just a little…."

"You keep telling yourself that Boy Toy." Nathan laughed.

They stayed quiet for a while, each lost in their own thoughts, until Nathan's voice broke the silence.

"What else?" he asks suddenly in a calm voice.

"What?"

"What else makes what happened between you and Lucas different from me and Haley?"

Brooke didn't answer right away. She just continued to stare off into the distance. Finally, she said in a quiet voice. "She loves you back."

Nathan watched her for a moment. He had never known this side of Brooke before. He always thought she was just the shallow cheerleader. And when he used to see her in the halls during the 'incident', it never seemed like it hurt her at all. He tried to imagine how hard it really was for her. How hard it was for her to go through it all alone. Suddenly a strange feeling of relief washed over him. He wouldn't have to go through that.

Brooke's voice interrupted his thoughts. "So, I heard you got free punches at both Dan AND Lucas." She turned to him, smirking.

Nathan chuckled. "Yeah, I was a mess."

"Did you ever know that you're my hero?" Nathan laughed.

"You liked that huh?"

"Oh yeah, I tried to imagine it a couple of times. The Dan one never gets old." They laughed. "If only I could gather enough strength to do that to my dad." She sighed.

"Believe me, it's worth it." He smirked. Brooke let out a genuine laugh. It was then he realized that life wasn't as horrible as he thought. He missed Haley with all his heart, but it wasn't the end of the world. He remembered what Brooke had told him about Haley coming back. He'd wait for her, and when she got back, he'd make sure she had a reason to stay. He would be ok.

"So…wanna give me the details in using Dan as a punching bag?" Brooke's voice brought him out of his thoughts. He smiled at her. They both would be.

WELP! that's it for now:D hope you liked it! the nookie bit was fun for me! im sorry if it was a little confusing. i was trying to bring out the way both Brooke and Nathan were feeling. and why Brooke felt so attatched to him right now. hope it made sense:D