Chapter Thirty-One: Tired of Fighting
Lucas smiled when he came across his second youngest sister leaning against Nathan's door, unsubtly eavesdropping.
"Ry?" he said teasingly. She shushed him.
"Nathan woke up, he's fine. Haley's in there with him. And they're having a moment..!" she said desperately as Lucas turned the door handle and walked in.
Haley looked up sharply as Lucas walked in. Immediately she dropped Nathan's hand, sent him a scorned look, and walked out.
"Dude, you're up," said Lucas, walking toward his brother.
"Yeah," he said, watching Haley walk off.
"What's she mad about?" asked Lucas.
"She uh, took something I said the wrong way. Chicks, you know," said Nathan off-handedly.
"Ass," said Ryan fondly, going to sit by him.
"Look, I don't mean to be crude, but Brooke and I are supposed to fly down to LA with her stuff today. We can come back tomorrow, but do you mind if..?"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," said Ryan confidently.
"Yeah, it's all good. Is Mom around?" he asked.
"Nah, she was detained. You'll call her?" said Lucas, leaving the room.
"How long do you think she's going to let you stay?" asked Nathan.
"My flight's in a week. You know you could come with us for a visit. You haven't been home in ages," she said reproachfully.
Lucas felt guilt consume him as he walked back to his car to drive back to Brooke. Of course Nathan would say that he didn't mind. Did it really meant he didn't?
He expected Brooke to still be sleeping, as she generally would be. Instead Lucas found her sitting up by the window in her bedroom, staring outside. She didn't notice when he entered, didn't stir when he walked up to her.
"It's okay to be sad," he said.
"I'm okay," she said, standing up.
"Are you?"
"It's okay to be angry. It's okay to feel, Luke," she said, looking into his blue eyes. In her eyes, he couldn't lie. But even her eyes couldn't open his mouth.
"Are you ready?" he asked eventually. She let out a squawk of protest, and he noticed that she was still dressed in her brief satin nightie.
"I think I might give the movers the wrong idea," she said jokingly. He glanced around the room, bereft of her personal items.
"We don't have to leave for another half hour," he said. She almost frowned. Was it wrong that she disappointed at the lack of suggestion in his voice?
"I'll shower. I'm guessing Nathan is still..?"
"He's fine. I didn't say? I left him with Ryan," said Lucas.
"That's great! He doesn't mind us leaving?" said Brooke, walking over to fetch her towel, dropping her nightie as she walked.
"We'll come back soon," he said comfortingly. Brooke smiled over her shoulder at him as she left.
"And anyway, he has Haley," she said, winking. Lucas waited until she was gone.
"I wouldn't count on it," he said eventually.
A half hour later, a freshly cleaned Brooke Davis and a brooding Lucas Scott drove out of Tree Hill.
"I still haven't met you parents," said Brooke abruptly.
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm not hiding them, it's just that they're not around a lot," he said apologetically.
"I get it. And what would we tell them about the baby, anyway? Were they distant when you were growing up?" she asked curiously.
"No. They only started being distant when Nathan and I moved across the country and only occasionally came home for Christmas," he said.
Brooke said nothing. She knew he had more to say.
"I was worse. Nate's kind of an ass, but he's always known that one day he'd have to go back and work with Dad. I'm amazed they still finance me," he said.
"They love you," she said softly.
"We'll go out there as soon as we're settled, okay?" he suggested. She nodded eagerly.
"I can't wait to meet Leigh. I don't think Ryan likes me too much," said Brooke, wrinkling her nose.
"Oh, she does. Ryan likes everyone, except Davis. Or "Shannon", as she so evilly calls her. But Leigh's awesome," said Lucas fondly.
"So that's it? No other Scotts are going to come into the picture? Because honestly, I don't think I can handle any more," she said.
"Not that I know of," said Lucas comfortingly, as they pulled into the parking lot of the airport.
Brooke Davis' jaw dropped in horror hours later when they arrived in his apartment. Exhausted and crippled by jet-lag she knew she wouldn't be able to stay awake, but her horror of the bachelor pad was enough to make her want to stay up.
"You live here?" she said in amazement.
"Yeah. Don't like it?" he asked.
"As soon as it's morning we're going to the paint store. And a pottery barn. And hiring a maid," she informed him, going off to seek the bedroom.
"What have I gotten myself into?" he said to himself, following her to their room.
Brooke quickly shed her clothing and fell into the bed in exhaustion.
But somehow, inexplicably, she could not sleep.