Chapter Five:
Just Another Mistake
by: D.Sollers
Lucas shook his head in disbelief.
"What?"
Peyton looked at Lucas and the tears began to fall. "Oh my God Luke, what have I done? I don't know what's wrong with me… why do I keep doing this?" She waited for him to answer but he stayed quiet.
Lucas had no idea what to say. He had harbored secret feelings for Peyton for so long that when she had finally reciprocated them, he betrayed the ones closest to him. Now his heart belonged with Brooke but still wasn't sure how he felt for Peyton. She was his friend. Someone he knew he could always count on and that would always be there for him. Was it more than that?
Had it ever been more than that?
Now he wasn't so sure.
"I love you Peyton, I really do."
She smiled at him and nodded her head softly. Peyton knew he had loved her, had always loved her. But was that enough? What did she really see for the two of them? They couldn't be together, not with Brooke back in Tree Hill. Suddenly, she remembered her best friend. "Oh my God Luke…" She reached up to open her car door but was surprised when Lucas put his hand over hers.
"Peyton we can't just leave it like this."
Peyton pulled her hand away from his and shut her eyes. "There's nothing more to say. I know you love Brooke. It's in everything you do and everything you say. And she's my best friend. I just thought you should know."
"Are you sure? I mean what about Jake?"
Jake.
She had always loved Jake. He was an amazing father and a great friend. He had picked up the pieces of her battered heart and helped her through it. And when he touched her, she really felt beautiful.
"I love Jake," Peyton said simply. She knew that her words were confusing Lucas and she tried her best to explain. "I can't let myself fall in love with him again."
Lucas wasn't following. "Why can't you? Jake loves you Peyton."
"Because- I don't want to get hurt. When he left me the last time, I couldn't imagine seeing myself with someone else. I was so hurt and I just don't want to go back there."
……
Brooke took a seat at the table next to Haley and sighed. "What am I going to do? I don't think I can see them together again without killing one of them," Brooke said. She turned to her friend and watched as Haley smiled sympathetically. She wished she knew what to say to Brooke, but there wasn't really anything she could. Lucas had told her that nothing was going on between the two of them. He had assured her.
"Lucas said nothing was going on with them," Haley reminded her.
Brooke laughed. "Yeah because we all know Lucas is a saint."
"He remembers what it was like. The first time you got hurt. Even if he is mad at you," Haley paused for a moment. "He won't do it again."
Brooke nodded her head sadly and looked up when the café doors opened. Peyton and Lucas entered the café and Brooke looked skeptically towards Haley. "And what were you saying?" She asked as the two friends walked towards the table. Peyton took a seat next in between Nathan and Jake.
"We're all back," she said with a slight smile.
Haley and Nathan nodded their heads in agreement and Haley turned towards Brooke. "I'm so glad to have everyone home and where they belong." Brooke sent Haley a thankful glance before turning towards Jake.
"Are you glad to have Jake back Peyton?" Brooke asked with a raised eyebrow.
Peyton turned towards Lucas for help but then back to her estranged best friend. "Of course I am Brooke, what kind of question is that?" Peyton looked at her friend aggravated with what Brooke was implying.
"I just thought you know since you've finally moved on…" Brooke shrugged her shoulders and played with her phone. Her friends watched in silence as the blonde glared at Brooke.
"Whatever you're trying to say, just spit it out."
Brooke was cut off by Jake. "Okay, this is a waste of time. Haley, I heard that you and Nathan are planning on renewing your wedding vows." Haley nodded her head and smiled as Nathan squeezed her hand.
"So I totally get to make your dress right?" Brooke smiled trying to avoid the glares she was getting from both Lucas and Peyton. She wondered to herself if they realized how obvious they were both being and she tried to stop the tears from falling down her face.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Karen. "Karen," Brooke cried as she rushed towards her and brought the woman into a hug. "I am so happy to see you," she smiled. She realized how tired Karen looked but took note that she was still more radiant.
"It's good to have you home Brooke. You should come over for dinner tonight," Karen said. "Dan will probably be coming and Lucas too."
Brooke looked cautiously at Peyton and Lucas and then turned back towards Karen. "I would love to come. Do you need me to bring anything?" She asked. Karen shook her head no and walked back over to the counter.
"I guess I'm joining you for dinner," she smirked at Lucas.
……
A little after six o clock, Brooke knocked gently on Lucas's front door. Dan answered the door and Brooke hesitated. "Hi Mr. Scott, I'm here for dinner…" Brooke said as she stepped into the house. It seemed strange to her that Dan was there but she said nothing. The man made her skin crawl.
"Brooke, we're in here," Karen called to her.
Brooke walked past Dan and headed into the kitchen to see Lucas setting the table. He didn't take the time to look up at her, he just continued to move the place settings. "Hi Karen," she smiled warmly at the pregnant woman. "Thanks for inviting me, I really missed you while I was gone."
Lucas laughed and his mother sent him a dirty look. "Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you call your father?" Karen asked Lucas. Brooke watched as Lucas went into the living room and turned her attention to Karen. It felt weird hearing the woman call Dan Lucas's father. She wondered to herself just what had happened over the month she had been away.
"He's been helping me a lot. Since Keith's death," Karen explained. She could tell by the look on Brooke's face that the girl had been confused by the sudden involvement of Dan in her life. After all, Lucas had been surprised as well but was finally becoming a little bit more understanding. Karen had lost her fiancée and he had lost his uncle but Dan… he had lost his brother.
She knew that the relationship between Dan and Keith hadn't been good for a long time but knew under it all that Dan really did love his brother. Keith would have wanted them to come to some sort of acceptance of each other. "I don't know what I would have done without him."
"That's great Karen."
Dinner had insisted mostly of Karen asking Brooke questions about Las Angeles and a few comments thrown in by Dan. Lucas had spent the entire night in silence and as Brooke was getting ready to go, Lucas called out to her. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"
Brooke nodded her head sadly and followed behind Lucas into his room. She noticed that it was different then she had last seen it. All of the pictures of them had been replaced by pictures of their friends and his family. She held back the tears and Lucas pulled a small box out from his closet. "I thought you might want these."
Brooke glanced down at the box she had given him and rolled her eyes. "You are unbelievable Lucas," she said as she slapped his face. "Why would you give them back to me? Is this some new punishment?"
"Brooke wait…"
She shook her head and walked towards the door. "I can't believe after everything we've been through together that you would do this to me. That you could hurt me like that…"
"Brooke."
"Goodbye Lucas," Brooke whispered as she walked out and slammed his bedroom door. She slid past Karen and Dan and waved goodbye before heading out of Karen's house. Brooke ran to her car and jumped inside. She fought back tears as she started the car and sped off, not even bothering with her seat belt.
She needed to get away from Lucas and as fast as possible. Brooke pulled out into the street and didn't happen to notice the driver coming straight for her. The car spinned in circles and she slammed on the breaks, her head hitting the steering wheel.
"Lucas," she mumbled.
……
"You want to tell me what the hell that was about?" Karen said, entering her sons bedroom and slamming the door behind her.
Lucas looked up from his desk and shook his head no. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Too bad Lucas. Too bad. I know Brooke hurt you when she left but what you're doing now- it's not fair to her. You love her, why are you putting her through this?" Karen asked sadly. She sat down on the bed beside him and placed her hand on his back. "You need her Lucas."
He shook his head again and turned towards her. "I do need her," he said honestly. "But I can't forgive her for this. Not this time." He thought briefly about her and Chris and shook his head.
"Why was she crying?"
Lucas shrugged his shoulders not wanting to talk about it. "I gave her the letter box she gave me last year," he explained. His mother was about to yell at him but he cut her off. "Not with her letters. With mine. I wrote her this summer, everyday since she's been gone. I wanted her to know how I felt even if I couldn't say the words out loud."
"Lucas…"
He shook his head. "She didn't even give me a chance to explain. I guess she doesn't care."
"You know that's not true," Karen argued.
Lucas stood up from his bed and turned towards his mother. "It doesn't matter anymore. Anyways, I promised Peyton I would go to the movies with her. I will see you later I guess. I love you." He placed a kiss on her forehead and walked out of the door leaving Karen sitting on the bed.
Dan came in moments later and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay Karen, he'll figure it out sooner or later," Dan tried to sooth her. Karen fell apart against his chest and Dan stared at the photo of Keith on the nightstand. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise," he said. An evil smirk spread across his face and he repeated himself. "It's going to be okay."
TBC.
Okay, well what's everyone thinking? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, let me know what you think.