Chapter One

"You're kidding right?" Nathan laughed into his phone while he paced his office, "No way is my brother gay."

"I thought the same thing Nate. I thought 'Haha, great practical joke. I bet Nathan's in on it and after I freak out, they're both gonna laugh at me for months.' But no. He was completely serious and I don't honestly know what to do right now. What's the correct reaction to 'Sweetie, I'm gay' coming out of your husband's mouth?"

Nathan sighed.

"If I knew the answer to that, I think I'd be the gay one." Nathan sighed, "Brooke, I don't know what to say."

"Me either. I… I can't tell the kids. Laney and Vaughn are in high school! They'd be… crucified if word got out that their father was gay. Tavian… he's six. Do six year olds even know what gay is? And Lexi, my innocent baby girl. Three year olds should not have to deal with this."

"No one should have to deal with this." Nathan replied, "I just… I can't comprehend right now. Lucas is gay?"

"So he says. Listen Nate, I got to go. Laney and Vaughn are coming out."

"Not actually 'coming out' like Luke…"
"Funny man you are. Funny man. Gotta go."

"Call me later."

"Bye."

Nathan hung up and collapsed into his desk chair. He pressed the intercom button to his secretary.

"Jane, hold all my calls and cancel my meetings. I think I'm gonna go home early."

"Yes Mr. Scott." Jane replied.

He released the intercom button and let his hand fall to his side again.

Nathan and Lucas had always been the best of friends. Born only 11 months apart, from a young age they were inseparable. They went everywhere together and did everything together. Both boys learned how to ride a bike at the same time. They joined the basketball team together. Got their first girlfriends on the same day of the same year. They were best friends. And only Brooke Davis had been able to come between them.

Brooke Davis. She had started out as the annoying little girl from next door. She moved to the neighborhood when she was five, the same age as Nathan. Lucas was six. She pranced around in frilly dresses, always twirling her pigtails as if she were innocent.

Nathan was the first to discover she was anything but innocent.

When they were seven years old, she gave him his first kiss. They sat on the swing set in her backyard, swinging idly in the warm sun of summer. She looked over at him and smiled, that perfect Davis smile she had perfected even before birth. She had proof of that. Her sonogram pictures showed it. But that was beside the point, she was smiling AT him that day. He slowed his swing. She slowed hers. They sat, just staring at each other and then she did it. She leaned over and kissed him.

It wasn't anything spectacular. A simple first kiss for two seven year olds but Nathan had never been able to forget that moment. Not even 28 years later.

Brooke started dating Lucas in the eighth grade. Even though she and Nathan had always been best friends, and everyone had predicted they'd get married someday, at the tender age of 14, she had declared she would only date older men. Lucas was what she described as 'dreamy' and he was a high school boy. What was better than a high school boy? She asked Lucas to go to the Spring Formal with her and Nathan, being jealous, asked another girl, just to get back at her. At the formal, Lucas asked Brooke to be his girlfriend, even though he had never shown any interest in her before that. Nathan was furious, and jealous, and so he asked the girl he was with to be his girlfriend too.

After that, it was Lucas and Brooke who were inseparable.

"Mr. Scott, your brother's on line one." Jane interrupted his daydream and Nathan came crashing back to reality.

"Tell him I've gone home for the day." Nathan growled back, unable to even process enough thought to figure out what he'd say to Lucas if he did pick up the phone.

"I already told him you were here sir. I can tell him you're busy." Jane offered.

Nathan sighed.

"No Jane, I'll… talk to him. Thank you."

Nathan picked up his phone and growled.

"What?"

"I'm guessing you've already talked to Brooke."

"I wish I hadn't. This was definitely not the way I envisioned my day going."

"Listen Nathan, I didn't mean for it to happen like this. I wanted to tell her sooner and tell you…"

"I'm not really interested in your excuses Luke. How long have you known? Always? Since high school? Or is this a recent development? Was Brooke a cover up for you? Did she ever really mean anything to you?"

"Yes she meant something to me. I love her!" Lucas protested, "And I… I don't know when I knew that I was…"

"Don't say it. Please… Do not say it."

"I'm gay Nathan."

"I asked you not to say it." Nathan groaned, "Luke really, I can't deal with this right now. I'm… up to my neck in work stuff. I have meetings to get to and deals to finalize. This is not the best time for me to discuss your sexual orientation. Not with you. Not with your wife."

"I bet you were perfectly willing to talk to her. Once you get me on the phone though, you're busy."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nathan retorted.

"It means that I know you have always had a thing for my wife. I get it. And you've hated the fact that I got her. That she married me and settled down with me, and not you. All these years, I knew that you wanted her."

"You knew that I wanted her but you couldn't figure out that you're gay a little sooner? That's a bit odd." Nathan scoffed and rolled his eyes, "What would you say if I told you you're right? That I've always had a thing for Brooke. Since I was seven years old, I've been in love with your wife. What would you say?"

"Good for you. Maybe you can take care of her now."

Nathan hung up on Lucas faster than even he realized was possible. The phone slammed back into it's cradle with a satisfactory crack and Nathan ran his fingers through his hair roughly.

He could admit it these days. He had been in love with Brooke Davis from the time they were seven years old and she kissed him in her back yard. He loved her when she started dating his brother. He loved her when she was 16 and lost her virginity to Lucas, a fact he heard about directly from her mouth since she loved to tell him all the things that drove him crazy. He loved her when she was 18 and engaged to his brother. He loved her when they went to separate colleges across the country from each other but talked every night, just to keep in touch. He loved her when she was a raving lunatic, planning her wedding just after graduating college and when she was the perfect bride on the perfect day. He loved her during her first pregnancy… and her second…and her third. He loved her through everything, but she had loved Lucas. And he had learned to accept that.

"Mr. Scott, your brother is on line one again. Shall I tell him you just stepped out?"

Nathan groaned once again.

"No, I'll talk to him." Nathan picked up the receiver and placed it calmly against his ear, "What?"

"I was out of line on that. I'm sorry." Lucas apologized immediately, "I didn't mean to upset you Nate. I just… I've hurt her. She's never going to forgive me for this and I accept that, but above all I love her and I want her to be happy."

"And what do you want me to do about that?"

"To give her time to accept all this, I am going to leave town for awhile. The firm offered me a position opening a new practice in St. Louis and I've taken it. I want you to take care of her."

"I don't think that running away is the best decision for everyone Lucas. You may want to reconsider."

"No. This is the best thing and I am not running away. I'm letting her figure things out. Giving her space."

"What about the kids? What is she supposed to tell them?"

"You don't need to worry about that part. I'm taking care of it. Just… make sure she's ok will you? Make sure Brooke is ok."

Against all his better judgment, Nathan heard himself agreeing. He heard the words coming out of his mouth telling Lucas that he would keep an eye on Brooke and not to worry about anything while he was gone. It was now his job to watch over his gay brother's wife, the same woman who he had been in love with for 28 years.

"Remember at your wedding, when I told you if you hurt Brooke, I'd kill you?" Nathan asked Lucas before they hung up.

"Yeah."

"It's a good thing you're going far away cause I still may kill you."

"I love you Nate."

"Gross Luke, you're my brother!" Nathan objected playfully.

Lucas laughed.

"Real funny smart ass. You know what I meant."

"Yeah, I do." Nathan laughed, "Have a safe trip."

"Thanks."