The Bitter Taste
Scream Me Something Beautiful
-Thanks for all the good reviews!
xxx
Brooke walked out of Karen's café and saw Peyton coming out of the post office. Brooke walked up to her old best friend and smiled at her. Peyton put her arm around Brooke as the two girls walked down the sidewalk.
"I saw Nathan," Brooke said finally.
Peyton looked at her, "And?"
"And he wants to see me tonight," Brooke began, "We kind of fought a little bit…"
Peyton laughed softly, "It still amazes me how stubborn the two of you can be," she teased.
"I just got pissed whenever he said that he never wanted to hurt me," Brooke said with a roll of her eyes, "Kind of too late for that right?"
Peyton squeezed Brooke tighter and sighed, "He's falling for you again Brooke," she said knowingly, "Why can't you just give the man a chance?"
"Second chances," Brooke scoffed, "That's a crock of shit…"
"Look at me and Lucas," Peyton pointed out, "I gave him a second chance, and we're living together!"
Brooke looked back towards the post office, "But yet you're writing letters to Jake…" She said with a look.
Peyton looked down at the ground, "I sent him some sketches and some lyrics," she said softly, "I miss him," she said, "I love Lucas, I really do…"
"It's just complicated right?" Brooke asked; Peyton nodded, "You can't help who you love, you know?" Brooke said; Peyton shrugged as the two girls continued walking.
xxx
It was 8:30, and Nathan had called Brooke to have her come over to his apartment. Brooke took her time getting ready, and her cell phone rang. She looked down at the Caller ID, and saw Alex's name. She ignored the call and ran her hand through her hair.
Brooke knocked on Nathan's apartment door, and he answered the door. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue polo shirt. Brooke was dressed in a white, off the shoulder top, and a jean skirt with her Uggz. They smiled at each other, and Brooke walked in and looked around the apartment uncomfortably. 'Too many memories,' she thought, 'Too many…'
"A lot of memories," Nathan said, almost reading Brooke's mind as he put his hands in his pockets.
Brooke turned around and looked at Nathan, "I was just thinking that," she said and then walked over to the kitchen where a steak was set out, "Steak?" She exclaimed.
"I know it's your favorite," Nathan said as he watched Brooke go over to the steak and look at it lovingly.
Brooke looked at Nathan and bit her bottom lip, "Thanks…" She said quietly, "I…I didn't think you'd remember."
Nathan shrugged and pulled out a chair, "Do you want to eat?" He asked; Brooke nodded and sat down in the chair. Nathan brought the food over and sat across from her, "Wine?" He asked.
"Thanks," Brooke said as he poured the red wine in her glass, "God, drinking seems so boring," she said with a small laugh.
Nathan laughed as well, "I know…" He agreed, "I've been drinking since freshman year of high school."
"Me too," Brooke said as she took a sip of her wine, "God, high school was such a rush," she said.
Nathan nodded, "You've changed," he said as Brooke set down her wine glass.
"And how is that?" Brooke asked.
Nathan shrugged and looked at her intently, "You seem more laid back, more reserved…"
"I've kind of kept to myself ever since I left from Tree Hill," Brooke said as she picked at the table cloth.
"So you're saying because of me?" Nathan asked.
Brooke sighed, "I was scared of letting anybody else in…" She said and then looked up at Nathan.
"I'm sor-," Nathan began, but Brooke stopped him.
"Don't," she said sternly, "Why'd you even bring me here?" She asked.
Nathan groaned, "I just wanted to give you a nice dinner…" He said and then threw his napkin down on the table, "I didn't know everything was going to be so god damn difficult."
"What did you expect?" Brooke asked.
"I expected everything to be okay," Nathan said softly.
Brooke scoffed, "You did not just say that to me with a straight face…"
Nathan rubbed his temples and got up and got a beer from the fridge, "Sorry for trying to be nice to you, I'm sorry for trying."
"What are you trying to do Nate?" Brooke asked, "You broke my heart and now you expect everything to be better?"
Nathan took a drink, "I want you to trust me!"
"You made a decision a long time ago," Brooke stated, "And it wasn't me."
Nathan set down his beer and looked at Brooke, "And I told you, I made a mistake! You were the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.
"Because I was an easy lay?" Brooke asked sarcastically.
"It was never about the sex!" Nathan exclaimed, "God Brooke, it's not like I fucked you the first night we started dating like some of the guys you used to go with!"
Brooke crossed her legs and looked away from Nathan, "I would've rather been used for my body, then had my heart broken by someone I cared about," she said.
"I've missed you for six years," Nathan began, "All I wanted was to see you and kiss you, and be with you."
Brooke felt a tear roll down her cheek and she wiped it away quickly, "I always thought you were going to come and find me," she said and looked back at Nathan, "But you never did, so I let go…I gave up on you because you gave up on me."
"I didn't know where to look," he said, "I drove to your grandparents in Florida, and your aunt's in California," Nathan said, "So I gave up," he sighed, "And now that you're back, I regret ever giving up."
Brooke sniffed and rested her elbows on the table, "I have to go back to New York," Brooke said as she got up and headed towards the door.
Nathan ran over to her and put his hands on her waist, "I'm not letting you leave again."
"You were the one who left!" Brooke cried, "I just watched while you loved another girl…"
Nathan looked down at Brooke and wiped her tears, "I've missed you," he said with his husky voice. He leaned down and kissed Brooke passionately on the lips.
Brooke kissed him back and then pulled away and cried harder, "You're killing me Nathan," she said and then rushed out of the apartment.
xxx
"You ran out of the apartment?" Peyton asked as Brooke sat on her couch crying.
Brooke nodded and reached for another tissue, "I couldn't do it Peyton…I'm so afraid of getting hurt again!"
"Brooke," Peyton said sympathetically, "This must be so hard for you…" She said, "You can stay here for as long as you want," she said with a friendly smile.
Brooke sniffed and shook her head, "I talked to Karen…She said that I can stay in Lucas's old room for as long as I want until I go back to New York," she said; Peyton gave her a surprised look, "I didn't want to be here with you and Lucas…As much as I'd love a threesome with the two of you, the whole love-triangle thing is so high school," she said with a small laugh.
Peyton laughed, "So you're staying?" She asked apprehensively.
"I don't know," Brooke said, "I still have shows that I need to do, and public appearances," she said and then shrugged, "My heart and my head are kind of bickering right now…"
Peyton laid down and looked up at the ceiling, "What's your head saying?"
"My head is telling me to go back to New York and forget about Nathan," she said and then let out a deep breath.
Peyton looked over to Brooke, "And your heart?"
"My heart," Brooke said softly, "It's telling me to stay…"
"Then stay."
Brooke shrugged, "My heart hasn't been very receptive lately," she said, "I mean, my heart told me that Nathan loved me…"
"And he does," Peyton pointed out and then pulled a strand of hair out of Brooke's eyes. She then walked out of the living room leaving Brooke sitting there listening to the crackling of the fire.
Brooke's cell phone rang and she saw Alex's name on the Caller ID. Brooke ignored the call and tossed her phone to the other side of the couch.
xxx
Nathan watched TRL and saw that it was a repeat. He saw Brooke come onto the stage and give Carson a hug. She looked so happy, but Nathan could see through her smile.
"So you're saying you've had your heart broken before?" Nathan heard Carson ask Brooke.
Nathan watched as Brooke froze and looked down at the ground, "I've had my heart lightly damaged," Brooke said.
Nathan turned off the TV and shook his head; she was lying to protect him. It was because of him that Brooke left, and it was his fault that Brooke didn't want to love anymore.
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