Brooke stared at Lucas in shock this was not what she had expected. She now knew everyone was watching them she looked into Lucas' blue eyes. The eyes she had never been able to say no to and began to speak.
"Lucas I'm…..sorry but I can't" she said trying desperately to hold back the tears. When Lucas finally gained his composure he quickly got up and went to leave.
"I see" was all he said as he walked out of the hall.
"LUCAS!" Brooke yelled but he wouldn't turn around he just kept walking now the tears she had fought so hard to hold back were flowing like rain. She felt an arm around her shoulders belonging to Karen.
"Give him time Brooke he won't walk away from you" she said.
"Karen I love him so much and I do want to spend the rest of my life with him, but I don't think it should tie us down right now" she replied still shaking. "Haley..."
"I got him you take care of her" she said following Lucas. Haley found Lucas on the steps outside clearly upset and visibly shaken.
"Hey buddy" she said sitting by him placing her arm on his shoulder.
"I thought she loved me and wanted to be with me" he said.
"She does Lucas more than anything but she doesn't want you two to tie yourselves down so early" she replied.
"But Haley that's what I want that's what I need" he said. "I don't and won't ever want anyone else" he cried into her shoulder. Back inside Karen was doing her best to try and comfort Brooke but was having no luck.
"Brooke honey just talk to him explain it to him I know he'll understand" Karen said.
"And what if he doesn't what then? I can't lose him" she cried.
"Just go talk to him" she said.
"I guess I should" she said getting up and walking out she didn't have to go far of course to find him Haley saw her coming.
"I guess I'll give you two some time" she said getting up and leaving. Brooke sat down next to Lucas taking his hand but he pulled away. This was enough to get the tears flowing again.
"Lucas please let me explain….I love you and I do want to spend my life with you" she said tears rolling down her face.
"Yeah I got that when you said no" he replied no love in his voice.
"Lucas baby please I just don't think we should get tied down at such a young age" she said.
"Why you think you might find better? Well now it doesn't matter anyway" he said coldly.
"No Lucas of course not I know I'll never find better…wait are you breaking up with me?" she asked.
"I think that was you're doing when you said no" he responded.
"Lucas no that's not what I wanted I'll say yes please just don't leave me" she pleaded.
"I'm sorry your too late I want you to say yes because you want to not to save our relationship, I'm going for a walk don't wait up" he said as he walked away. Brooke sat there watching him walk out of her life knowing that she had destroyed what they had because she was afraid to tie him down crying she went back inside to Haley and Karen.
"Didn't go well I don't think" Haley said seeing Brooke walk back in. She walked over to Haley crying badly and just put her head on her shoulder.
"Give him time Brooke trust me he'll come around" Haley said.
"He…..he broke up with me" Brooke said crying hysterically.
"What?" Karen said in shock" where is he Brooke?"
"I don't know he said he was going for a walk and he told me not too wait up" she said.
"We need to give him time let's all go back to the cabin maybe when he gets back he'll have a clearer head" Karen said. They walked out to there cars Keith drove Brooke she was clearly to upset to drive. When they arrived at the Cabin Lucas was not there Keith volunteered to wait up for him as he sat on the sofa Brooke followed by Haley went in to her room. Keith had dosed off and was woken up around eight in the morning by Karen shaking him. "Keith he never came home last night I'm worried"
Waking up Keith immediately grabbed the car keys "I'll go look for him Karen don't worry I'll find him" After about twenty minutes of searching he found a very ragged drunk Lucas out by the lake. "Lucas man what are you doing to yourself?"
"Like it matters Keith" was all he said.
"Come on Lucas you know that's not true you have a lot of people back there that care about you" he said.
"Yeah but not the one I want Keith" he said coldly. Keith noticed the chill in his voice when referring to Brooke.
"Lucas seriously that's not true she's incredibly in love with you" he said.
"Yeah she sure showed how much last night" he said taking the ring box out of his pocket. Keith grabbed it knowing what he was going to do.
"Keith give that back" he said.
"No Luke I know what you were going to do and you'll end up regretting it" he said sternly "Now get off your butt we're leaving today and you're stuff is packed"
"I'm not riding back with Brooke if you expect me to think again" he said standing up. They headed back to the cabin Brooke, Karen and Haley watching from the front porch. Brooke smiled when she saw him but frowned immediately seeing the condition he was in she had hoped maybe he would ride back with her that way they could talk but it was clear that wasn't going to happen since he wouldn't even look at her.
"I'm going to head back now" Brooke said walking to her car she got in and pulled out taking one last look at Lucas as she drove off. Lucas stayed in the jeep as Karen and Haley got in.
"Hey buddy" Haley said as she got in.
"Hey" Lucas said in a low whisper as he leaned his head back and dosed off. After the long ride and they had gotten home Lucas went into his room and shut the door not talking to anyone. Keith and Karen stood in the hall and had watched this.
"This doesn't look good Keith" she said clearly worried.
"I know but no matter how much we care we can't fix this Lucas has to do that" he said Haley had just walked up.
"I'm going to check on Brooke I'll call you later Karen" she said. She walked over to Brooke's house knowing already that Brooke wasn't ok she decided to call someone else in…Peyton she dialed her number.
"Hello?" Peyton said answering.
"Hey Peyton its Haley you need to go over to Brooke's house now" she said.
"Why what happened Haley?" she asked scared.
"She and Lucas had a falling out and broke up she needs you" Haley replied.
"Ok Haley I'm on my way over there" she said.
"Peyton let Karen know how she's doing please" Haley said.
"I will bye Haley" After she had hung up she grabbed her keys and headed over to Brooke's house. When she got there she knocked but got no answer knowing Brooke this wasn't good so she just walked in she could hear Brooke crying immediately she went into her room and saw her curled up in a ball on her bed crying.
"Brooke I just heard I'm so sorry" Peyton said lying by her best friend.
"I love him Peyton more than anything" she replied crying.
"I know you do Brooke I know you do, do you want to tell me what happened?" she asked.
"Well everything was fine until dinner last night we went to his family dinner and just as everything was over he got down on one knee and proposed to me" she said.
"And you said?" she asked.
"Well since I'm so upset I think you can guess" Brooke answered. "And the bad part is I do want to spend the rest of my life with him I do"
"Then why did you say no?" she replied.
"Because I don't want to tie him down I know at some point he'll realize he deserves better than me and he'll want out" she said.
"Brooke that is so not true Lucas loves you more than you know in fact he told me once he thought you were too good for him" she said.
"Well it doesn't matter now does it, I ruined it I killed what we had" she cried all night with Peyton holding her. The next day when Lucas got up Karen noticed he didn't look like himself.
"Do you want something to eat Luke?" she asked.
"No I'm fine I need to be going" he said.
"Remember your rehab" she said as he headed out the door.
"I'm not going" he said as he shut the door.
Peyton was having no luck in getting Brooke out of bed. Brooke didn't want to be anywhere where she would see Lucas at all eventually Peyton gave up and left for school. When she arrived she immediately sought out Lucas who was by his locker.
"Hey Luke can I talk to you for a second" she said approaching him.
"Well I would say no but I know you're going to yap anyway so go ahead" he replied.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing to Brooke?" she asked.
"What I'm doing to her" he said angrily "Peyton what's happening to her she did herself when she said no".
"Lucas she said no to being engaged not to being with you" she said.
"To me there's no difference Peyton goodbye" he said walking away. All through the day everyone noticed a difference in Lucas with no Brooke in sight most could guess what happened. Whitey even saw it when he walked into his office right before practice.
"Lucas son what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Well coach I came to tell you I'm quitting the team" he replied.
"What why?" he asked.
"Because my heart just isn't in it he said. "Sorry coach" with that Lucas walked out. Whitey immediately picked up the phone and called Karen finding out what happened he could see why Lucas quit but he knew that eventually Lucas would make his way back and his spot would be waiting. Karen hadn't seen Lucas all day or night it was two in the morning when he came staggering in.
"Lucas do you have any idea what time it is?" she said sternly. "I also come to find out you never went to your rehab and you quit the team why Lucas?
"Because mom I don't care anymore" he said as he shut his door. The next few days were rough Brooke had returned to school Lucas wouldn't look at her which made her feel worse especially when in the classes they shared they sat right next to each other. But everyday Lucas would walk into class without looking at her or speaking to her and he would leave the same way. Apparently his drunken nights were getting worse to Karen had no idea what to do no matter what she said or threatened she couldn't get through to him. She knew who could but that person was the reason he was in the condition he was in the first place. After about a month of the same behavior Karen decided to call Brooke she had to try because if Lucas kept up this destructive attitude he was going to get to a place he wouldn't like she picked up the phone on another one of Lucas' drunk nights and dialed.
"Hello" Brooke said when she answered.
"Hi Brooke I'm sorry it's so late" Karen said.
"It's no problem I wasn't sleeping anyway what can I do for you?" she asked.
"Lucas" she replied.
"Is he ok?" she said apparently now scared.
"Physically yes but not emotionally Brooke he's been out drinking almost every night since we got back I thought he would work his way out of it, I know you two aren't together but I've tried everything I can't reach him" she said.
"Karen I'm the reason he's doing what he's doing what makes you think he'll listen to me?" she asked. "He won't even acknowledge me"
"Brooke I know but please can you try please someone has to snap him out of this and we've all tried" she said.
"Ok do you know where he is?" she said.
"No I really don't but I thought you might" she said.
"I really don't but I won't stop looking until I find him" she said.
"Thanks Brooke bye" she said. After Karen had hung up Brooke grabbed her keys and began to head out to all the bars she knew someone underage could get a drink after she hit about seven bars she had al but lost hope she knew of one more when she entered she didn't see Lucas anywhere after questioning people she went to leave. Not knowing she had been followed she exited the bar but a big guy had came up from behind her and forced her against the wall. Lucas had been in the bar drinking his sorrows away for awhile he decided it was time to head home. As he walked out he saw a guy and a girl against the wall apparently having some fun when he saw the girl he was immediately for some reason reminded of Brooke he could even swear he could hear her voice. He turned to the couple getting a good look at the girl's face he knew who it was immediately….it was Brooke and she was trying to get free. When Lucas saw this he became enraged picking up a board he walked over to them.
"You better let her go" he told him.
"Mind your own business" the man replied.
"She is my business" Lucas said hitting him over the head and knocking him out. "Brooke are you ok what are you doing here?"
Trembling she answered "I came her for you"
"Brooke it's dangerous you could've been hurt" he said pulling her to him.
"Well it was worth to feel your arms around me again even if its just for a second" she replied. "Lucas I'm so sorry"
"For what?" he asked.
"For saying no I really wanted to say yes, but I didn't want to tie you down I figured down the road you would find someone better and want out" she cried was he walked her to her car.
"Brooke there is no one else for me there never has been and there never will be ever I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you by walking away I just figured it would be easier to deal with if we weren't together" he said.
"And was it?" she asked.
"Well considering that I just walked out of a bar, quit the team and rehab I would have to say no" he smiled. Brooke had been waiting for that smile before she could respond he leaned down kissing her passionately. "Brooke I love you will you take me back?"
"Of course I will broody, now I have to get you home" she said.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I told your mom I would" she said.
"Cheery?" he asked.
"Yes?" she replied.
"I love you" he said.
"I love you too broody" she replied.
