Apologies for the delay in getting this chapter out. I left school this week and then I had prom and everything so this had to be put aside for a little while. But now I'm back!

Chapter Eighteen: We Belong Together

After two hours, Brooke and Lucas were still in the car and still had no way of getting home. Lucas had somewhat cooled off and wasn't really mad at Brooke – just tired and trying to figure out ways of getting home. And what Dan would say.

Brooke had also mellowed a little as the excitement of her trophy began to wear off. She gently stroked it and let out a deep sigh.

"I'm bored," she commented.

"So am I."

"Want to play a game?" she suggested as brightly as she could to try and cut the tension. Lucas just rolled his head and gave her a look.

"What do you want to play? 'Let's Find A Way Home'?" he said in a tone of voice that reminded Brooke of his treatment of her when she had first moved in.

"Actually I was thinking 'Truth Or Dare'," she said.

"That is such a girl's game," he complained.

"What else do you suggest? 'I Spy'? Or how about a nice game of 'Chicken' and you can get yourself run-over?" Brooke pouted.

"Fine, fine," Lucas conceded, "We'll play but I'm not doing anything embarrassing or answering anything too personal," he warned.

"Ditto," Brooke said as she shifted in her seat, pleased that they now had something to do. "I'll go first; truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"What is the worst dare anyone has ever set you?" she asked.

Lucas thought for a second, "Probably the time when a rival team made me and Nathan walk into a store and buy some stuff," he said.

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"In just our underwear," Lucas finished.

"Oh," Brooke grinned at the mental image, "That must have been…fun?"

"We also had 'Ravens Suck' written on our backs," he chuckled.

"Okay, now me," she said.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Dare."

Lucas thought for a moment before a small smile crept onto his lips, "I dare you to go and get a quarter from that guy over there," Lucas pointed to where a youngish-looking guy was walking towards his car.

"Please, I can do that in my sleep," Brooke said with a scoff and ready for the challenge. "One quarter coming up," she got out of the car, her legs grateful to be out of the cramped space, and walked towards him.

She pretended to look through her bag as she 'accidentally' bumped into him and dropped her bag.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," she said as she bent down to pick up her bag. The guy bent down to help her.

"No problem. You're not hurt are you?" he asked as they both stood up straight.

She shook her head and held her hand to her head, "No, I'm just a klutz. I was looking for a quarter but I seem to have left my wallet at home and I need to call my mom cos she's ill and my cell phone is out…" she explained giving him her best puppy-dog eyes.

The man, who was in his early twenties just smiled ad reached into his pocket, handing her some coins – much more than a quarter.

"There you go. There's a payphone inside," he told her, "I'm Brett by the way," he introduced himself.

"Oh thank you," she said taking the money, "I'm Brooke," she shook his hand.

"So, where are you headed?"

"Oh, home. I've been away for the weekend and my mom got ill," she told him. "What about you?"

"I'm on my way back to college. Do you know Duke?" Brooke nodded.

"Wow, you go there?"

"Yeah, I'm in my third year. What about you?" he questioned, enthralled by the brunette standing in front of him.

"Oh, I'm training to be a… nurse," she lied. He looked impressed.

Lucas watched from the car with his jaw clenched. He'd seen the guy give Brooke the money almost five minutes ago but they were still talking to one another.

He frowned as he saw the guy touch Brooke's hand and he threw her head back in laughter as he said something funny. He watched as she gently touched his hand and drew closer to him.

Gulping hard and telling himself it was only part of the dare, he tried to control the jealousy simmering inside him.

He was just moments away from getting out of the car and punching the guy when Brooke waved the guy off and pretended to make her way to the payphones as she waited for Bret to drive off into the distance. Once she was clear, she turned around and went back to her car.

"That was easy," she said with a grin as she gave Lucas the quarter, "I got two dollars fifty-five cents and his number," she told Lucas, who said nothing, "What's the matter with you?" she asked, "You look mad."

"I'm not mad," he told her as he got out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Brooke asked.

"To call my dad and tell him we're running late and to buy a map to get the hell out of here," he told her. "I'll be back in five minutes."

Brooke rolled her eyes. One step forward; two steps back.

Lucas strolled back to the car almost exactly five minutes later.

"Everything okay?" she asked as he got back in.

"I called Nathan who told Whitey to tell my Dad that we got delayed. I got the map too," he said as he studied it for a little while. "I think I've got it. We're here," he pointed to a place on the map, "And if we follow this route and then merge with this one, we just keep going and we'll be there within the next… hour and a half?" he told her as he looked at his watch, "Just in time for dinner."

She smiled, "I guess we can go then."

Lucas produced a white bag, "We missed lunch," he said, "I managed to grab two donuts."

"How did you manage to do that? We only had two dollars!"

"You're not the only one that can sweet-talk someone, Brooke," he told her as he handed her a donut.

"Oooh, my favorite!" she said as she saw which one it was. Lucas grinned.

"I know."

"So, you still want to play?" Brooke asked. Lucas shrugged. "How about you start?"

"Okay… Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," she said taking a bite of her donut.

Lucas began to think of a question as he bit into his own donut. Brooke giggled and wiped some sugar off his face. When he looked at her, she simply smiled and waited patiently for his question.

He looked down at his donut and suddenly lost his appetite.

"Have you suddenly lost your appetite?"

Peyton's earlier words rang in his head.

"You're in love, dude."

"Lucas?" Brooke said, "It's not that hard-"

"I don't think it was a mistake," he said finally, cutting her off.

"What wasn't?" she asked.

"That night… two weekends ago. I don't think it was a mistake."

"Lucas, that's not how to play the game," Brooke said as she shifted uncomfortably. "You're supposed to ask me a question and I have to tell the truth."

"Fine. Do you think it was a mistake?" he asked. Brooke closed her eyes, hoping that he'd lay off the subject.

"Lucas, I though we agreed that we were just friends."

"Well, I was thinking about it and realized that maybe we should give 'us' a shot. I know it sounds ridiculous and I've never really been in a relationship with a girl that lasted more than a week – but I think we might actually make it – or at least have some fun," Lucas said sincerely. He'd never really let his guard down like that before and told a girl how he felt.

"And if it doesn't work out?" Brooke said, hating to be the pessimist.

"Then what's new? We go back to the way it was at the beginning and work from there. I don't think we will need to," Lucas said quietly. "We've done the hardest part."

Brooke looked at her donut. She wasn't hungry anymore.

"No more late night parties?"

Lucas shook his head.

"And you'll be nicer?" Lucas chuckled.

"I'm always nice," he said, "To you at least."

Brooke smiled and sighed.

"If Dan or your mom found out…"

"Then we won't tell them. Isn't it more fun that way?" Lucas teased.

"It's more dangerous and I hate having to hide things from either of them. Or our friends, but…" she paused, "Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone. Not yet anyway. I don't want to jinx things," she explained.

"Okay," Lucas agreed. "So… are we doing this?"

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, I guess we are," she smiled.

Lucas couldn't contain his smile as he leant over to place a tender kiss on her lips.

"Let's go home," she said.

Lucas began the engine and the two of them started the long drive home.

To Be Continued…