Chapter Seventeen: Change of Heart?

Jake Jagielski felt his courage weaken as he drove across town to his best friend's house. Since he'd slept with "the enemy", they'd had almost no contact. They'd been forced to hang out with the usual group, but had none of their usual closeness. The closeness was what he'd been dying to gain back, even without romance. He'd lived without her love for seven years, he was getting damn good at it.

He let the doorbell ring through the house twice before cautiously pushing open the door and stepping into her dark, still house. He followed his feet up the stairs, not trusting his mind to know the way.

As the door swung open, Peyton's bed was revealed. Peyton was revealed. But not by herself. On the bed was a dark haired girl who's hand was loosely linked with Peyton's he immediately assumed to be Brooke, but remembering the point of his mission, he knew it was impossible. Cautiously he stepped forward and brushed the dark hair away from her face.

"Davis," he whispered to himself. He stepped back as Peyton slowly opened her eyes and saw him.

"Jake?" she said in surprise, not moving. His eyes swept over them again, lying on the bed, barely touching. Was this the reason..?

"Hey. Sorry, but you need to get up. Brooke didn't come back last night and Lucas is going crazy," said Jake. She nodded and sat up in bed.

"Okay. Where was she last night?" she asked. Jake's eyes, still on the figure in the bed, briefly flicked to her.

"What's she doing here? I thought you hated her," he said.

"She came over last night and we ended up falling asleep. I think she's trying to make peace. Either that or she has yet another clever scheme to ruin our lives. Where was she, Jake?" asked Peyton again.

"Right. She didn't really tell Luke. She just said she was going out with an ex. But that can't be bad. She hasn't had anyone who's meant anything to her in years," said Jake. Peyton looked up at him.

"Since Mouth," she said distractedly. Jake's eyes widened. "Oh, shit."

"Who's Mouth?" asked a sleepy voice to her right. Peyton felt the mattress underneath them shift as Davis moved to a sitting position.

"Brooke's first love. Her only love. Honestly these days, I don't even know anymore. She went out with him last night and hasn't come back. We have to find her," said Peyton.

"This must be killing Luke," said Davis sympathetically.

"Wow, human emotion," muttered Jake under his breath.

"Sorry, I forgot that you were so perfect, Mr. Knight-in-shining-armour," she shot back.

"Guys! Quit it. I'll call the hotels to try and track her down. Davis, you go to the hotel to calm down Lucas," ordered Peyton.

"Wait, she's part of this? Since when is she trustworthy? And what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Since when are you so trustworthy, Jake? It wouldn't kill you to stop being so freaking high and mighty. And do whatever. Go screw a slutty brunette, it's not like it would be the first time," she said bitterly. He fell silent as she climbed out of bed. He couldn't stop himself from watching her camisole clad form as she walked to her desk to locate her phone. Davis quickly followed her and took her hand.

"Are you okay?" he heard her whisper. Peyton nodded. Jake couldn't see her face. He didn't need to, to know he'd been replaced. He saw Peyton's hand go up to her face, to wipe something he couldn't see.

"Jake, you stay here in case she calls," said Peyton eventually.

"Yeah. I'll go downstairs now," he said. Neither girl said anything as he backed out of the room.

Twenty minutes later, Davis in her Smart Car was headed toward Lucas and Nathan's hotel, and Peyton in her vintage convertible was driving toward the first of Brooke's most frequented locations.

It didn't take her long to locate Brooke's car. It was parked in the lot of her favourite bar. But the bar was closed, the lot almost empty. Peyton sighed, scribbled a note to tuck into the windshield wipers, and left again.

XxxxxX

Davis burst into Lucas' hotel room at the same moment that his cell phone began to ring. As the high pitched irritating ring tone began to fill the room, she ran to his side and took his hand.

"Answer it," she implored him, her eyes wide and honest. He looked down at her.

"Since when are you so alive with human emotion?" he asked. He took the phone into his hand and stared as his girlfriend's name flashed across the screen.

"Answer the phone, Lucas," she said again. His hand reluctantly flipped it open and he held it to his ear. Davis could faintly her cousin's calm, soothing voice through it. Lucas's hand tightened over hers as Brooke spoke to him.

"Why?" he said into the phone, his voice choked and irregular. Davis heard Lucas speak, wishing she could hear the entire conversation.

He hung up a moment later, and dropped the phone onto the bed.

"What is it?" she asked.

"She…" Lucas couldn't bring himself to continue talking.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," she said, guessing the truth and flinging her arms around his neck.

"We were getting so close," he said, sounding disbelieving.

"Shh. She wasn't worth it," said Davis comfortingly.

"She really was. I loved her so much, and she…"

Davis wanted to continue comforting him, but found herself completely unable to think of the words to do so. So she comforted him in the only way she knew how.

Lucas responded almost instantly as Davis pressed her lips onto his. With their bodies already pressed together, it didn't take long for him to shed her off her shirt, took even less time for them to fall onto the bed in a frenzy of touches and kisses.

"Are you sure about this?" she said, as he pulled off his own shirt.

"It's not like it would be the first time," said Lucas, unhooking her bra in a practiced motion.

"Yeah," she agreed, leaning in to kiss him again.

As Lucas flipped them so that she was on top and began to pressure her shoulders downward, they met eyes. For a second he looked confused and lost, and then suddenly resolved.

"I can't do this," he said in surprise.

"Sure you can," she said, kissing him again. He kissed back for a few seconds before pulling away.

"I really can't. I love Brooke," he said. He grasped her shoulders again and pushed her off.

"And what, you just don't want me anymore?" she said in shock.

"No, I don't. I want her. And we can work past this. Get dressed," he said, rolling out of bed, leaving a disbelieving Davis behind him.