TITLE: Back to You
AUTHOR: Dayz Sollers
SUMMARY: Post season 2 finale. As Brooke, Nathan and Jake come back from their summers away from Tree Hill, the group has to face the trials and tribulations of their senior year of high school, and find out what is really important to them. Mostly B/L but it will take a while. Be patient, it will get there. I promise. P/J and N/H also. R&R
Disclaimer: Don't own One Tree Hill, too bad for me.
Rating:
PG13-maybe to an R later on
Category: Romance/Drama
Chapter Five: Hearts on Fire
Lucas paced the living room floor for the hundredth time that night. He was going crazy, he had decided. Thoughts of Brooke invaded his mind and had began to take over. If he closed his eyes, even for a moment all he could do was picture the girl as he had seen her hours before. She had been playing with him, he knew her behavior too well. Brooke had definitely reverted back to her old games, but something was different this time.
"She's winning."
The words came out of his mouth and fell on dead air. This hadn't been a game, at least not to him. So what was she trying to do? Was she trying to kill him? Because seeing her like that, it was tearing him up inside to keep his control. Before when she had played those games it had been easy to resist her, all he had to do was think of Peyton.
"Ugh," he grumbled as he kicked the bottle of coke beneath him. It hit the wall and bounced back. What had he been thinking back then? He had been stupid he was sure of that. Had he loved Peyton? Because when he took the time in Charleston all the thoughts came back to Brooke.
Had
it been lust? He had sure that had been the reason for his and
Brooke's connection. But the further time went on, he began to see
things differently. After an hour of contemplating his stupidity, he
decided that his feelings for Peyton had simply been an infatuation.
And he had broken up with Brooke for nothing other than a crush.
But that had been so long ago, Brooke and him had gotten past that. Hadn't they? She had said she had forgiven him, but then why had she ignored him all summer? As he sat down on the couch he heard her bedroom door open.
"Broody?"
Brooke made her way into the living room, bringing her hand to her mouth to yawn. He watched her rub her eyes and sit down on a barstool. She was still wearing the robe she had on earlier, this time tied tightly in place leaving only a sliver of skin exposed. She was beautiful. He smiled, and made his way over to the counter.
"Want some warm milk? Mom always made it for me when I couldn't sleep."
Brooke said nothing, just nodded her head slightly. As he turned the stove on and poured the milk, he could feel her staring at him. He turned around slightly, and cocked a small grin.
"Trouble sleeping?"
Again, she spoke no words just nodded her head. He sighed. This was getting them no where. He couldn't have a conversation with her if she wasn't going to say anything. Deciding to spark her interest, he questioned her.
"So Peyton and Jake- looks like they're back on again."
Her eyes shot up from the mug in front of her and stared him down. She rolled her eyes and muttered "you jealous?"
"What did you say?"
Brooke stood up and sighed. "Lucas can we just stop? Things have changed. I get that. A lot has happened to all of us this year, and I'm not really sure what that means. But as far as we're concerned, its in the past. No need to drag up the past again. The past is the past. It should stay there."
And with that, she was gone again. He watched her retreating frame, and shook his head. What was she doing to him? He knew that she was scared, it was written on her face but a part of him had believed her when she had said it was in the past. Maybe she really was going to pretend like the words he spoke to her meant nothing. Perhaps to her, they really did.
The next morning Brooke stood in front of the mirror and brushed her hair. She knew she looked beautiful, there had been no question but she didn't want Lucas seeing her without her makeup on or her hair brushed. She smoothed her purple halter top down with her hands and made her way out of her room and into the living room.
"Lucas, I was thinking about going to Karen's for breakfast…" She stopped herself when she realized she was talking to herself. He wasn't home, and propped up against the couch was a note.
Brooke,
Gone to the river court, needed to think.
Love,
Lucas
She glanced down at her watch and noticed she had a few hours before she needed to meet her friends for girls day. A few hours she could spend with Lucas down at the River Court. She knew she should probably apologize for the way she acted last night, and the things she had said.
Brooke knew that she had been harsh on Lucas. And as much as she wanted to believe that she could leave the past alone, she knew even as she said the words that the past had a way of sneaking up on you. And in her case, there had been no sneaking up. The feelings she had felt for Lucas had never gone away, they had just been covered up. But Lucas had admitted he felt the same way? So why was she pushing him away? Why when it had been what she wanted for so long.
Peyton.
Every time she felt herself try to get past it, an image of them on her web cam would show up. She would imagine them sneaking off to be alone, perhaps propped against library shelves a place they know a girl like Brooke would never be. And even though Peyton had moved on, how could she be sure that Lucas had?
And that was why as much as she wanted to let go and trust him she couldn't bring herself to put her heart in his hands again. The last year had proven to her that her heart was too fragile. And if he broke it again, she knew she wouldn't be able to move past it. It was easier to break your own heart, then have someone do it for you.
So as she drove towards the river court, she wondered what she was going to say to him. She just wanted to say she was sorry and to see if maybe they could become friends again. 'Yeah, that's it. Friends again.' She thought.
But as she pulled her car to a stop and saw him standing a few feet away her heart had reservations. She gazed as he shot the basketball into the hoop and turned to face her. His blue eyes locked with hers, and he made his way towards the car.
"Brooke."
She stared at him, unsure of what to say anymore. Why had she come again? All thoughts and reasons sprang out of her head as he smiled genuinely down to her. Why did he have such power over her? All he had to do was look at her and she would become intoxicated all over again.
"Broody. Hi." she turned her car off and opened the door. "I've been thinking." Brooke motioned for him to follow her over to the picnic bench to sit down.
"Not a good sign." He chuckled as she swatted her hand at him. He rubbed his shoulder. "Sorry cheery what's up?"
She hadn't expected that, her nickname from him to fall from his lips and for an instant she was transported back to a time of library books with a musty smell and strangers jacuzzi's. She could tell he too was surprised by his words.
"I want to say I'm sorry. For being harsh yesterday. And for the summer. I should have called you back."
"Yeah, you should have."
"I just needed some time, you know? But I want us to be cool again. Can we do that?"
"Anything for you."
Brooke smiled. He had said those words to her before. She nodded her head, feeling satisfied with making peace. Brooke stood up, signaling she was going to leave as Lucas looked up at her.
"Hey Brooke?"
"Yeah?"
"The guys are throwing a party at Tim's. You know, one last one before school starts again. You wanna go? With me?"
Her heart skipped a beat. Peyton had told her about the party, and they had every intention on showing. What's a party without Brooke Davis? But she had guessed that with Jake being back in town, her best friend would be missing in action. She did always have Haley, but the look on Lucas face was impossible to resist.
"Sure." She turned away from him and headed to the car. "I'll see you later Lucas."
tbc..
