A/N- Sorry about the lack of updates, I honestly really love this story but I have made a promise to myself I won't update a story until I have updated all the other ones so I don't forget about one of them. Please review even though I don't deserve it. Some of my facts my may be messed up but try to forgive me.
Forwards and Backwards
Chapter Five
They had kissed. Brooke sat in her chair in her hotel room, replaying the event. She had kissed Lucas, she didn't know what that meant but she had done it. She was crazy; she was engaged to Stephan Mackenzie, a perfectly decent man for her. Stephan took care of her the way he should, took her out for dinner, always placing his arm protectively but not aggressively on her back, and he was all-around accepting of her sometimes crazy ways. This town wrapped her up in more drama than she ever needed. It was hard to take Tree Hill out of Brooke. Brooke went to the phone, her guilt over her Lucas kiss, she needed to call Stephan. She dialed his home number and got the answering machine. The message said that he would be out of town for awhile and to call his cell.
Lucas sat in the café thinking about the previous night. They had kissed; most people would find it normal a husband and wife to share a kiss but not this couple. They were on a long separation. A tall, dark haired, man approached the counter and sat down.
The man looked at Lucas and extended his hand, "Hello, what would you recommend on the menu?"
Lucas looked at the man and took his hand within his own, "Um, probably a burger."
"I'll take your word, thanks," the man replied, "I'm Stephan by the way."
"Lucas Scott, so what brings you to Tree Hill?" Lucas asked.
"I'm here to see my fiancée, Brooke Davis," Stephan replied. Stephan immediately understood why Brooke thought so much of the small town. He had met Lucas only a few minutes ago and he was already quite friendly.
"You're Brooke's fiancé?" Lucas asked. This isn't how he pictured Brooke's fiancé; he had pictured a fat, older man.
"You know Brooke?" Stephan asked, as Karen placed a cup of coffee in front of him.
"I know Brooke well, we went to high school together," Lucas briefly explained.
"Do you know where she is staying then?" Stephan asked. "She told me she came down here to get out of things and get back to herself. I just want to see her, we are only recently engaged."
"I know where Brooke is, I'll take you there after lunch."
"Mommy!" said Maddi as she poked her mom who was still fast asleep in bed. "Mommy," she repeated.
Haley rolled over and slowly opened her eyes. "Yes, Maddi?" asked Haley.
"Noah says you have to get up," Maddi told her mother.
"Maddi, aren't you supposed to be at Daddy's?" Haley asked, realizing that it was Nathan's turn to have Maddi.
"Daddy dropped me off this morning because Noah asked him to," Maddi explained.
"Okay," Haley said as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Haley got out her bed and went to her closet and put on her favorite jeans and t-shirt.
"Ready!" exclaimed Maddi. Maddi grabbed her mom's hand and pulled on it.
"Okay, we are going," Haley said. The pair walked down the stairs to find Noah sitting at the dining room table with a large lunch on the table.
"Morning sleeping beauty," Noah said quietly.
"Is it already lunch?" Haley asked, not believing she had slept the day away.
"It's exactly twelve-thirty," Noah said looking at his watch.
"I didn't realize I slept so long," Haley said slightly blushing.
"Well I thought we should have a family lunch, our own little engagement party, because Maddi couldn't really be apart of the one last night," Noah explained as he got up from the table giving Haley a sweet kiss on the lips.
"Ew," Maddi said giggling.
"Maddi, sit down," Haley said as her and Noah broke apart. They all took their spots at the table and began to eat.
"Noah, when is my Daddy coming back to get me," Maddi whined, "He told me that we would play basketball today."
"He's going to be here in an hour but I have to go you guys, my dad wants me at work today," Noah replied as he got up from his chair. He grabbed his plate and put it in the dishwasher, quickly gave both Maddi and Haley kisses on the cheeks and made his way to the door. Maddi and Haley both continued to eat and they both heard the door close.
"Mommy, do you think Daddy will take me to play with Jenny today?" Maddi asked after a long silence.
"Ask him when he gets here," Haley said lightly, brushing Maddi off slightly.
"MOMMY, what are you thinking about, you are in La-la land," Maddi said impatiently.
"About my wedding, we have to start planning; I just realized how much I have to do," Haley told the small little girl. Sitting there Haley had realized all the work that had to be done. She needed to get invitations, set a date, flowers, a dress, bridesmaids, dresses for the bridesmaids, guest list and so much more. Haley the planner was going to come out with fiery.
"But you already had a wedding once so it should be easy this time," Maddi tried to reason.
"Daddy and mine's wedding was simple but I want a big wedding this time," Haley said with a gleam in her eyes.
"Oo," Maddi said excitedly.
"Do you want to be the flower girl?" Haley asked her daughter.
"That's the girl who has the flowers in the basket right?"
"That's right," Haley answered with a large smile.
"I want to be her!" Maddi said excitedly.
"Well, you didn't really much choice in the matter anyways." Haley said laughing. Hopefully, Brooke would still be in town and her, Peyton and Katie could be her bridesmaids, Jenny could be a second flower girl with Maddi, Pete could be the ring bearer, for sure Jake and Luke will be groomsmen, and maybe even Nate. The thoughts of her wedding were running rampant through her thoughts.
"I'll get that," Maddi squealed as the doorbell rang. Maddi rang quickly to the door and whipped the door open to reveal the entire Jagielski family. "Jenny!" Maddi squealed excitedly.
"Hey, Hales," Jake said as Haley made her way to the doorway, "Hope we aren't interrupting anything."
"No, just finishing lunch," Haley said ushering the family into the house. Haley led the family into her large living room; the room was furnished in lots of deep reds and browns and had a very home-like feeling. Jenny and Maddi immediately took off to the playroom in the basement.
"So what did you think of your party last night?" asked Peyton once everyone was settled on the sofas.
"It was really fun," Haley said, "but I keep thinking this whole thing is weird and that people are talking about me behind my back and I shouldn't be getting married for the second time in six years."
"Haley you need to stop being so insecure about you and Noah," Peyton reasoned, "you guys make such a good couple and Maddi loves him and you shouldn't expect anymore and who cares if people are talking about you." Peyton had always hoped that Haley and Nathan would work things out and be together and still had that hope in some ways, but she knew that Noah was also a great match for Haley and Noah and Haley were good together.
"I keep on being so insecure about it, and I keep on getting advice from Nate unintentionally, and Noah is getting insecure about me and Nate still being friends but it's not good," Haley said, relieved to finally be able to get some of this off her chest.
"You and Nate have been close for a long time, the reason Nate is who he is because of you, but Noah doesn't know that because he didn't live through all of that with us," Peyton tried to explain while she was secretly happy that Nathan and Haley were having heart-to-heart conversation that could potential lead to a reconciliation.
"Yeah," Haley said looking at the floor, feeling guilty about her conversation she has been having with the wrong man in her life, there was no reason Noah couldn't be helping instead of Nate.
"Mommy," screamed Maddi up the stairs, "Daddy is here!"
"What?" Haley said before processing the information, she glanced out the window and sure enough there was Nathan's truck sitting the driveway and Nathan was climbing out of it. A small smile was released from her lips. Both Peyton and Jake caught the smile on her face and gave each other nudge on the leg. They all waited for the knock at the door. Nathan never rang the doorbell because just in case Maddi was sleeping he wouldn't wake her up. Haley got up from her seat on the couch as the knock was heard. She opened the door.
"Hey, sorry I'm hear early but I was driving by so I thought I might as well come now," Nathan said as he took off his shoes.
"Its okay, Peyton and Jake are here and Maddi is playing with Jenny," Haley said as she directed him towards the living room.
"Hey Peyt, Hey Jake," Nathan said as he sat down in 'Noah's Chair'. Both waved to acknowledge his presence.
The hurried steps of Maddi were heard coming up the stairs, "Daddy," she cried as she jumped into his lap. "Is it time to play basketball?"
"It sure is," Nathan replied with a large smile on his face. He was the first to admit he was disappointed not to have a son to share his basketball dreams with when Maddi was first born but when he introduced her to his sport, she immediately loved it. As a younger child and on days off she often would join Nathan in the gym coaching. His entire Raven team loved her. Nathan and Maddi left soon after for their afternoon game of basketball.
"So can you take me to see Brooke," Stephan asked Lucas as they both finished their hamburgers. They had been waiting along time on their food, because today the café was short-handed and Karen often made her friends and family wait the extra time so she could serve her customers.
"Sure, I will drive you there, she has a car with her so she can drive you back to get your car," Lucas explained as he left a couple twenties on the counter paying for both his and Stephan's lunches. "Because of the wait," Lucas elaborated when Stephan began to protest. Stephan followed Lucas to the street then to Lucas' Range Rover.
"So, how do you know Brooke well?" Stephan asked as they got on the road.
"Brooke and I ran with the same crowd in high school," Lucas said trying to leave the details out. "She was a cheerleader and I was basketball player, so it was expected for us to be in the same crowd."
"Brooke was a cheerleader?" Stephan asked dumbfounded. Stephan knew pieces of Brooke's life previous to meeting her, she had a serious high school boyfriend, a relationship she had said ended badly, she had lived in California for a summer after her parents moved, and her and friend lived together during the rest of the school year, and he knew a lot of sweet little stories but nothing major.
"She was the head cheerleader, she probably didn't tell you because cheerleaders have a tendency to have bad reputations, but Brooke was nice and friendly," Lucas said smiling to himself; this guy knew nothing big about Brooke and how she had changed from a bitch to a responsible person. "What are some of the stories Brooke has told you?"
"She told me she had a serious boyfriend, she lived with her friend during senior year, and that her parents lived in California," Stephan said, "and something about a red door."
"That friend she lived with was my best friend, who was also married to my brother at the time, a high school marriage," Lucas said, smiling to himself as he weaved the tangled web.
"Your brother was married in high school?" Stephan said as he lightly chuckled to himself.
"Yeah," Lucas said, "and they proved everyone right by eventually getting divorced but that was after they had a kid. And now Haley is marrying another man, Noah, whose father happens to be married to Nathan's, my brother, mother. We are half brothers, thought I should add that tidbit in."
"All of this drama is like a TV show or something," Stephan said in disbelieve.
"Well, Brooke is an amazing person," Lucas said, "Here's her hotel. I'll take you up there." The unlikely pair walked into the hotel lobby and made their way to the elevator. Lucas hit the up arrow and the elevator doors opened; hit the ninth floor button and the elevator made its way up to Brooke's floor. They got to her room and they both knocked at the same time exchanged glances. She saw Lucas first.
"Luke, if this is about last night, I am was going to drop the papers off right away," Brooke hurriedly, suddenly very aware of her non-makeup face and greasy hair from not bathing and spending most of the day watching chick flicks trying to get over her and Lucas' kiss the previous night.
"I brought someone with me," Lucas said opening the door wider to reveal Stephan.
"Hi Stephan," Brooke said hesitantly.
"What papers?" Stephan asked with a quiet anger.
"Um," Brooke said looking to Lucas for support.
"Brooke, how is it living a lie?" Lucas said looking directly at Brooke in the eyes. He then turned to Stephan, "You and I are in love with two different people." And Lucas left the hallway and made his way to the elevator. Brooke watched his back all the way down the hall.
"Brooke, who is that," asked Stephan anxiously.
"My husband," Brooke said quietly, lowering her head to look at the ground.
"Your what!" exclaimed Stephan. Lucas was right, Brooke was living a lie.
A/N- For all you don't know this story is inspired by Sweet Home Alabama and everyone who has seen the movie will recognize the last scene. Please review.