Ooooh, this is the big 4-0 chapter. Sorry you all waited so long – I didn't realize it'd been three week already - but you'll be glad to know that because this is such a milestone of a chapter (in more ways then one, hint-hint), it's slightly longer and mo-- I might just stop there before I reveal too much :D

A big thank you goes to Cari who is just so awesome to put up with me constantly asking her questions about what works and what doesn't. Plus, she updated IW and kept up her part of the deal, so here's my end of the bargain (oh, and I am so not a part-timer – except of course, the part when I am!)

Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Forty: Watch The Girl Unfold

Brooke's strange behavior continued throughout most of the week. She desperately tried to avoid any situation where she'd be with Lucas alone, or where she'd have to see him with other girls. Her defense mechanism for this particular situation was to flirt as outrageously and as recklessly with whoever happened to catch the slightest of her attention.

Brooke Davis may be a flirt, but none of those who knew her had seen her behave like this before. Well, only when she had been angry at them all for lying to her about Lucas' tryst with the other girl – whatever her name was.

"Sarah," a voice brought Brooke's attention back to the tanned and slightly sweaty lifeguard in front of her.

"Huh?" she hadn't even been listening.

"I said my sister's name is Sarah Douglas. She's in your grade at Tree Hill High. I think she said she was in your…" Brooke tuned the lifeguard out. She wasn't even sure why she was talking to him.

Or listening to him.

She smiled and nodded half-heartedly before making an excuse and walking off in the other direction, back towards where Haley and Peyton were sunbathing.

"Did the hot lifeguard bore you already?" Peyton asked shielding her eyes from the sun as she watched Brooke approach and plop herself down on her beach towel.

"Wasn't interesting enough." Brooke shrugged.

"Well with the way you ran after him the minute he even glanced at you, you gave up quick. I thought you were going to quote-show him the time of his life-unquote," Peyton made quotation marks with her fingers.

"I told you before, he wasn't interesting enough." Brooke said a little firmer, indicating that she wanted Peyton to drop the subject.

"I have to say that you've been acting very weird this past summer," Haley commented.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that for a whole chunk of it you were pining-" Brooke shot Haley a look, "I mean… uninterested in anyone else but Lucas. Yet, the minute he gets home, it's everyone else but Lucas. What changed?"

"Nothing," Brooke said, "I just… I realized I let the whole summer pass me by and I didn't really hook up with anyone."

"So you decide to hook up with as many boys as you can in the last week?" Peyton asked in disbelief.

"It's not like I slept with all of them."

"It's not like you didn't try either."

"Peyton, I'm serious. If you don't shut your mouth in the next ten seconds, I swear to God that I will let you fall asleep in the sun and peel!" Brooke hissed. Peyton and Haley exchanged a concerned look.

"Okay, why is bitch being a Brooke?" Haley questioned, glad she was sitting between the two girls.

"Just… forget it," Brooke sighed as she placed her sunglasses over her eyes. "I'm over it anyway."

"Over what?" Peyton mouthed to Haley, who shrugged in reply.

"Haley," Brooke commanded Haley's attention a little while later. Haley replied with a 'hmmm?' "How did you know Nathan was… y'know… The One?" the brunette questioned.

Haley's lips tugged into a wistful smile, "I don't know," she replied honestly. "It was somewhere between him giving me a crackerjack bracelet and asking me to marry him. I'm not even sure how or when it happened – it just did. I couldn't stand him when I first met him but somehow I just fell in love and just knew that he was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with."

"So you guys hated each other and then fell in love?" Brooke asked. Haley nodded.

"Yeah."

Brooke bit her lip and turned to Peyton, "How about you and Jake, Peyton? Did you guys hate each other?"

Peyton's curls bounced as she shook her head, "No, no. We were just friends. That's all we were for a long time. I think both of us were too afraid to take that step because we didn't want to ruin our friendship but eventually we just had to." Peyton took a sip of her cola, "There came to be a point where I just felt as if I was going to burst or something if I didn't tell him how I felt. Fortunately, he felt the same and the rest is history."

Brooke gulped. "Sweet."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Haley asked again.

"Peachy," Brooke replied not daring to look in Haley's direction for fear she might just break down and confess.

Unfortunately, she turned just in time to see Lucas walk past; his arm slung around some pretty-looking girl Brooke vaguely remembered seeing around school. The girl threw her head back as she laughed at something Lucas said. Brooke rolled her eyes, and the motion didn't go amiss by Haley.

"What's wrong?"

Brooke nudged her head towards Lucas' girl-of-the-day. "Have you seen the way she's just throwing herself at him? And that fake laugh, urgh! I've heard Lucas' jokes and they're not even that good."

"Relax, he's just having fun. Like you were not five minutes ago." Peyton reminded her.

"Well there's fun, and there's fun…" She paused, "And then there's slutty-fun with Lucas." Brooke made a face.

"Wow, can you believe Lucas is leaving tomorrow?" Haley said softly. "I can't believe it's been a week already."

"I've never been a big Lucas fan but he's definitely grown on me this past year." Peyton mused.

"Do you remember a few months ago when Jake and Lucas…" Haley's humorous tale became lost in Brooke's mind as she anxiously began biting her nails as she continued to watch the distanced figure of Lucas talking to more girls.

He seemed happier than she'd seen him for months. Maybe that was because he really and truly had moved on and didn't want her anymore.

Cursing herself for not realizing it sooner, Brooke wondered if he'd even be interested in her again.

She placed her sunglasses back over her eyes and shut them tightly, trying to think and clear her head of all the emotions and thoughts spinning around.

She had exactly one day.

---------

Lucas Scott sat at the dinner table happily chatting away to his mother. Over the last week, he'd noticed Karen staring at him with a twinkle in her eye and a few times he'd caught her sobbing.

He'd asked her what was wrong and she'd always tell him the same thing; "My baby is growing up."

It caused Lucas to roll his eyes. He was only moving a stone's throw away. At least he wasn't going out-of-state.

But he had to admit that he was also a little pleased and happy that she was going to miss him. At least she cared, unlike his father who had resorted to giving snide remarks and just grunting at him.

And now Lucas was having his last meal with his family. He looked opposite him at Brooke who was engrossed in her food.

At least his mother would miss him.

After the incident at the party, he hadn't really spoken to Brooke as much as he'd liked. It was both of their faults; he was too busy with Nathan, Jake and all the female attention he was receiving, and from what he'd seen of Brooke, she was too busy with all those guys.

"So, mom, what are your plans for tomorrow?" Lucas asked.

Karen took a sip of her wine, "Um… see you off, clean up your room, call my lawyer and make dinner."

Dan looked up, "Why are you calling your lawyer?" he questioned.

Karen put down her fork, "Because I'm divorcing you, Dan." She said calmly. Dan just stared at his wife, while Lucas and Brooke looked at each other in surprise.

"Karen-" Dan began but his wife stood up from the dining table and began clearing away the plates that were only half eaten. Dan chased after his wife, leaving Brooke and Lucas contemplating the bombshell.

"Did you know about this?" Lucas asked Brooke who shook her head.

"No, I had no idea." Brooke replied. She bit her lip, "You… okay? I mean divorce is usually difficult for the kids."

Lucas scoffed, "It certainly will be easier to visit my mom. Plus, I'm eighteen and Nate is emancipated so there are no custody battles."

"That's a fair point," Brooke conceded. Her gaze went to where Karen and Dan were busy arguing in the kitchen, "I think maybe we should leave them too it."

Lucas nodded and they made their way back to their rooms, stopping in between their respective doorways.

"So…" Lucas said leaning against the door frame and folding his arms over his chest. A motion that made Brooke almost groan with yearning. "Tonight's the last night." He mused.

"You scared?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I don't know. I've always wanted to get out of Tree Hill and away from my father but at the same time… I want to stay. This last year has just made me love this town and the people in it."

Brooke nodded, "I know what you mean. Tree Hill is definitely a nice place." She agreed.

Lucas pointed to his room, "So I'd better get back in there and make sure I haven't left anything. Big day tomorrow."

"Yeah."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Lucas said as more of a demand than a question.

"Of course." Brooke offered her best smile as she turned to go into her own room.

"Uh, Brooke?" she turned back to see Lucas scratching his head. "It's only eight-thirty and I'm not even tired. Do you want to watch a movie or something in my room? It'll have to be whatever's on because I packed away all my DVDs and I really don't want to hear my parents fighting," he explained.

"I'd like that," she agreed. He nodded and let her into his room, closing the door behind them.

Though Brooke had seen Lucas' room in various states during his packing up period, she hadn't seen it when all that remained was his bed, a TV and a few odd books left on the shelves. Boxes were stacked seemingly haphazardly in piles around the room and the bed.

"You built a… fort?" Brooke asked in disbelief. Lucas looked sheepishly at the ground.

"Nate, Jake and Tim came over and we were bored." He shrugged. She chuckled slightly.

"If that's your story," she said sliding onto the bed and flicking the channels with the remote control as she searched for something to watch. "Hallow Man is on in half an hour," she suggested before realizing Lucas was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing," he replied, "It's just that you took the right side of the bed," Lucas explained. "Just like you used to," he added under his breath. Brooke gulped. While they dated, Brooke used to take over Lucas' favorite side of the bed, and he'd always given in.

"I'll move if-"

"No," he said stopping her, "It's okay. I've gotten used to being on the left anyway." She gave him a tight smile as he walked around and sat beside her on the left. "So what are we watching?" he asked, leaning on the pillow. Brooke began to feel slightly uneasy and wondered if she'd made the right decision by agreeing to this.

"I don't mind," she relinquished control of the remote and handed it to Lucas, crossing her arms over her chest tensely as she struggled to regain her nerves.

-----

Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Brooke and Lucas had lost almost all interest and had begun chatting. Brooke had grown a lot more comfortable during the course of the evening and now was laughing and giggling along with Lucas.

"I can not believe Tim wore a banana outfit to that Halloween party. He looked like a penis!"

Lucas laughed, "Well it beat his other option – he was going to show up as a boob." Brooke rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to miss Tim and his wildly inappropriate staring. Have you noticed he never looks at my face when he talks to me? He's always looking at my chest." Lucas looked at her boobs.

"Well you have to admit they're pretty impressive!" He grinned. Brooke hit him with her pillow.

"Idiot," she said with a small smile, "But yeah, you're right!" There was a small pause between them, "Do you think Karen and Dan have stopped fighting yet?" she asked.

"I don't know," Lucas sighed.

"I hated it when my mom and dad fought. My biggest fear was that I'd be forced to choose between them – and it's not like I had to best choices. If I lived with my mom, I'd be criticized and made into some debutant, society girl. But if I chose my dad, he would always put me second to his work. I guess I lucked out by having them both just abandon me. At least my Nana was there for a while. She's the one who taught me how to wear make-up. She did all the things my mom was supposed to do. When she died, I felt so alone even if my parents were home." Brooke wiped away a tear quickly. "Oh god, I can't believe I'm crying like this."

Lucas handed her a tissue, "You've never told me that before." He said gently.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just… I hate people leaving."

He touched her hand, "Hey, you know I'm not leaving for good, right?" he said, "I'll probably visit every other weekend or something. I can't stay away from this place too long. Duke's not that far."

"I know. It just feels like things are falling apart. Your parents' divorce, you leaving… it just feels like it's my fault somehow. I mean, your dad would probably still be speaking to you if I hadn't have encouraged you to give up basketball."

"Brooke, my parents would probably still have divorced even if you weren't here. They're like a ticking bomb. This family was already broken when Nate decided to marry Haley. I know my mom loves my dad but she hates his whole obsession with molding us into these perfect basketball stars. It was only a matter of time." He put a hand under her chin and forced her to look into his eyes, "Don't ever think for a second that any of us regretted you coming here."

"Lucas…"

"I know things between us haven't been good lately, but this past year has been amazing. I don't think I'd be going to do something I want to do at college if it wasn't for you. For the first time in my life, I was genuinely happy with my life and it's all because of you."

"Lucas…" Brooke began again, feeling a moment building between them and deciding that now was a perfect opportunity to tell him.

"Promise me something?"

"Sure."

"Could you… look after my mom for me? I know the divorce is the right thing for her to do. She'll try and put up a brave face, but she loves my dad and she'll be heartbroken inside. I don't want her to feel alone."

"You don't even have to ask," Brooke replied. He smiled.

"Good," he said moving away from her slightly as he got himself more comfortable on the bed. "So what other movies are on?"

Brooke watched as he began scrolling through the movie channels and she sighed inwardly as she settled back down.

She'd have to wait.

-----

Brooke awoke slowly, feeling a weight on her stomach. Looking down, she saw a hand over her body and she followed it to the owner. She smiled as she saw Lucas' sleeping form beside her and realized that they must have fallen asleep during the other movie they'd begun watching but never finished.

Months ago it would have been a familiar scene but after everything that had happened in between, Brooke had begun to think they'd never be back there again. Shifting just enough to wake Lucas up, she grinned at him. He smiled back.

"Is it morning already?" he asked groggily, suppressing a yawn.

"Yeah, it's almost six," Brooke caught his yawn. He sighed.

"Moving day," he closed his eyes one last time and opened them to try and wake himself up. As he pulled himself off of the bed, he looked around his almost empty room, and let out a sigh. "I should probably get ready. I leave in about two hours."

"That soon?" Brooke frowned. Lucas chuckled.

"Well yeah, it'll take a few hours to get there and the whole moving in deal. Plus, I want to get to know my roommate and stuff."

"Are Nate and Haley coming over?" Brooke asked also getting off the bed and smoothing her clothes from the previous night down.

"No, we said our goodbyes yesterday. We weren't sure if my dad was going to be here when I left and I'd prefer not to have to break up a fight or whatever. It's only you and mom left really." Lucas explained searching through his suitcase for some clothes he could wear.

"Oh," Brooke scratched her head. "I didn't know."

"Don't worry about it. Mind if I grab the bathroom first?" He asked. She shook her head. "Hey, I just realized, once I'm gone, you're going to have the whole bathroom to yourself!" He grinned as he entered. Brooke smiled back but it fell when the door closed.

She flopped back onto his bed and sighed. Two hours and counting.

------

By the time Brooke was out of the shower and dressed, it was mayhem in the household. Karen was insisting Lucas keep half of his belongings at home so that he didn't have to lug everything back and forth, but Lucas wanted to take everything.

"Lucas, you don't need eighteen pairs of jeans."

"Of course I do."

"You only need five at the most and then you can keep washing them."

"Mom, I'm a college student. Do you really think I'm going to do my own washing?"

"Well, you'll have to because I'm not doing it for you!" Karen placed her hands on her hips. Lucas groaned and pulled out three pairs of jeans.

"There!"

"You still have fifteen!"

"I like wearing jeans."

"You wear those three-quarter length pants all the time. And why are you taking so many pairs on sneakers? You wear flip-flops."

"Sure Mom. And then I can be known as the guy who wears flip-flops. This isn't Tree Hill anymore."

"All I'm saying is that it'll be easier and more economical to take minimum clothing. If you need more, you can buy some or we'll send you whatever you need."

"Ma…"

"Lucas. You're only taking half of everything." Karen demanded. Lucas sulked back to his room.

"Problems?" Brooke asked as Lucas entered his bedroom to replace some clothing.

"Yeah, mom is being a b-"

"I can hear you!" Karen yelled from the living room.

Lucas rolled his eyes and Brooke raised an eyebrow.

"She could have told me this before I left. I'm supposed to leave in half an hour."

"Calm down, Lucas. She's only nagging because she loves you," she said, "And there's no use in being annoyed at her. You don't want to leave angry." She reminded him.

He nodded, "Okay," Lucas agreed as he placed some jeans and sneakers back in his closet. "But when I come back for a weekend, I'm taking them with me." He promised. She smirked.

Lucas fiddled with some stuff in his suitcase, pausing before pulling something out. He turned to Brooke.

"What's that?" she asked.

"A present," he put it down on the bed.

"For…?"

"You." She couldn't hide her excitement. But he held up a finger. "But… you have to help load up the boxes in my car first." She pouted but agreed, picking up the lightest box she could find and taking it all the way to the car.

Twenty minutes later they were all packed away and Lucas was saying goodbye to his mother and trying to gently refuse the half a dozen sandwiches she'd made for him.

Brooke, meanwhile, was in Lucas' room staring down at the wrapped present he had for her.

"You can open it if you want to," Lucas' voice said from behind her. "Unless you want to stare at it all day."

"Lucas, you scared me," Brooke held a hand to her chest.

"Sorry."

"You done?"

"I'm leaving in about ten minutes," he told her. She nodded. "So… are you going to open it or not?" he prompted. She took the present and began unwrapping it, revealing a leather-bound journal.

"It's a journal," Brooke said. He grinned.

"I felt bad for reading your diary that time and I thought you could use a new one when your other one runs out." He explained.

Brooke frowned, "You know or you think?" she queried. "Because my diary is almost full…"

"I might have… glanced at it," Lucas shrugged, "You have a bookmark in it anyway and it was near the end so I just though-"

"Thank you, Lucas," she said clutching the book. "It's sweet. I feel bad because I didn't get you anything."

"You don't have to. I just wanted to apologize for the way I treated you and all that bad stuff that happened between us."

"Me too," Brooke sniffed slightly as tears filled her eyes. "Okay, now I'm going to cry."

Lucas held out his arms for a hug, and at first Brooke was hesitant, but eventually she was pulled in by his arms. They lingered in the hug longer than was necessary and it took all of Brooke's energy to let him break it. He gave her a small grin as he pulled back.

"I'd better go," he said pointing outside. "Otherwise traffic is going to be a bitch."

Tell him something, her mind screamed at her, Tell him he has a flat tire or that it's supposed to rain.

"Yeah, sure."

She cringed and silently cursed herself as he turned around to open the door.

"Lucas?" she caught his attention once more and decided it was now or never. Walking up to him and closing the gap between them in mere seconds, she reached up and grabbed his head, pulling it closer to hers and tiptoeing slightly to reach his lips. She kissed him hard at first to keep him close and it gradually softened after he began to kiss her back.

It didn't last long.

Lucas broke away for air and quickly ventured backwards. Brooke touched her lips tenderly as Lucas looked at her in shock and to make sense of what just passed.

"Brooke," he began, "That wasn't just a goodbye kiss... was it?"

"I'm sorry," Brooke apologized, "I just… I couldn't let you go without telling you how I felt."

Lucas just stared back.

"I know this is the worst timing ever but, Lucas, I love you. I want to be with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning, just like this morning. I don't want you to go." Brooke's voice faltered as tears started to fall, a wave of emotion sweeping over her as weeks of pent-up words and feelings all came out at once.

"But I'm leaving," was Lucas' response.

"I know."

"How long… how long have you felt like this?"

"A few weeks," Brooke confessed, "I found your box while you were in Italy and realized I still felt something for you and I hate the way we ended things."

"You've known that long and you waited until now to say something to me?" Lucas cried.

"I know it's not the right time."

"Understatement!"

"But Lucas, I don't want you to go thinking that I've moved on, because I haven't."

Lucas looked at her, "I have, Brooke. I spent months trying to get you back, and then months trying to forget you and I never could until… until I realized you were gone."

"I was never gone, Lucas. I was just mad and angry."

"All those guys you were with…"

"Meant nothing to me. I was trying to forget you and make you suffer. I thought that if I did that, then I could forget how I felt about you but they haven't."

"I have to go, Brooke," Lucas turned around again.

"Don't leave like this," Brooke pleaded, "Don't leave without giving us another chance."

"But I'll be in Duke."

"So? We can have a long-distance relationship. There are weekends, we can call, email… we can make it work."

Lucas shook his head, "I can't."

"Luke…"

"I have to go, Brooke." Lucas told her again. Those were the only thoughts circulating through his mind after Brooke's confession.

"I know, Lucas, and I'm sorry it has to be like this. But I can't let you leave without knowing if you could give us another chance."

"Brooke-"

"Just give me something, Luke. I know that there must be some part of you that wants this too. I tried to move on, I did, but I don't think I can unless I know there's something still there between us. You still feel something for me, right?" Brooke asked, her face a mix of fear, hope, desire and determination.

There was a long pause.

"No." Lucas told her, "Two or three weeks ago I might have given us another try, but... I let you go. It's over for me. I don't love you anymore, Brooke." Lucas sighed, his hand resting on the doorknob as he turned it. "I'm sorry."

He knew his words were redundant to the girl who would soon collapse to the floor in a fit of sobs and cry herself to sleep for the weeks to come.

Without a second glance, he turned and walked away.

To Be Continued…