The Bitter Taste

Beneath The Willows

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Kahlil Gibran once wrote: You're reason and your passion are the rudder… and the sails of your seafaring soul. If either be broken, you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas. For reason, ruling alone, is a force confining; and passion, unattended, is a flame that burn to it's own destruction.

Brooke and Nathan walked hand and hand up to his apartment and saw a man standing there; he had a cowboy hat on, cowboy boots, denim jeans, and a buttoned shirt. He looked like he was maybe in his early 30's, Nathan looked at him in confusion and Brooke yelled excitedly.

She ran up to him and jumped in his arms, "Travis!" She squealed as he spun her around. Nathan walked a little closer to the scene in front of him and crossed his arms.

"Hey darlin'," the man said with a southern accent; he tipped his hat to Nathan and put out his hand, "Hey there," he said, "Name's Travis."

Nathan shook his hand, "Nathan," he said and then looked between the two, "Do you two know each other?"

"Yes!" Brooke exclaimed, "We worked together a little bit when I was in New York," she said and smiled up at Travis, "Travis is like a brother to me…Hell, even a dad."

Travis ruffled Brooke's hair a little bit and then smiled at Nathan, "So you're Nathan Scott?" He asked, "I've heard a lot about you," he said with a crooked smile, "You seem like a good man."

"Travis," Brooke said as she nudged him in the ribs; Brooke walked over to Nathan and grabbed his hand, "Would you like to come in?" She asked, "If it's okay with Nate…"

Nathan smiled down at Brooke and nodded, "Any friend of yours is welcomed," he said as the three of them walked into the apartment.

"Thank ya'," Travis said as he walked in. He whistled as he looked around the apartment and then turned to look at the couple, "Ya'll live together?"

Brooke smiled and shook her head softly, "Not yet," Nathan said; Brooke looked up at him hopefully and he kissed her on the lips.

"I'm glad to see that you finally are with someone you love," Travis pointed out, "Instead of that jackass Alex!"

Nathan laughed, "I couldn't agree with you more!"

"I don't mean to ruin this party Trav, but," Brooke began, "Is everything okay? I mean…"

"Why am I here?" Travis asked with a laugh, "I have this new song that I'm putting on my CD, and I wrote this part and it's perfect for ya," he said, "Ya got your guitar?"

Brooke went back to the bedroom and came out with her guitar, "Yeah," she said.

"Nathan sit at the counter and Davis and I will sing this song for ya," Travis said as the two of them sat on stools in front of Nathan.

They both began to play their guitars and Nathan was smiling already; he loved watching Brooke play, and loved it even more when she sang. Travis took a deep breath and began to sing.

She put him out

Like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette

She broke his heart

Nathan listened to the song intently and realized that Travis was indeed a country singer. Country was something that Nathan didn't listen but he really liked this song, and he thought Travis was a really good guy.

He spent his whole life tryin' to forget

We watched him drink his pain away

A little at a time

xxx

Lucas stared up at the ceiling as Anna laid beside him, "I knew you'd come back to me," she said softly.

"How did you know?" Lucas asked.

Anna sighed and rested her hand on Lucas's bare chest, "Because you and I are two of a kind…We fall in love and then we hurt the people we love…Then, we find other lonely people like us. It's a cycle," she said then let out a malicious laugh, "I knew you were like me the day I met you."

"Are you saying I'm lonely?" Lucas asked.

Anna nodded and then got up from her bed, "You want a drink?"

"Yeah," Lucas said softly.

But he never could get drunk enough

To get her off his mind

Until the night.

Lucas walked downstairs to where Anna was getting his beer; he put his shirt on and leaned against the doorframe. Anna turned around and jumped backed, "Oh my god," she said, "I thought you'd still be up in bed…"

"I can't do this Anna," Lucas said as he started to put on his coat.

Anna looked at him in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't want to be lonely," Lucas began, "I want to be in love with someone who loves me back because they want to…Not because they have to."

Anna rolled her eyes, "So what? You're just going to run back to Peyton and see if she takes you back?" She asked coldly.

"I don't know," Lucas said with a little laugh to himself, "Maybe I'll fall in love with someone else…But it sure as hell won't be you," he said and then walked out of the house.

xxx

He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger

And finally drank away her memory

Life is short but this time it was bigger

Than the strength he had to get up off his knees

Lucas stood outside of Peyton's house and knocked on the front door; he heard the rumble of thunder and the rain started to pour down. Peyton answered the door and saw Lucas standing there dripping wet, "Lucas?" She asked.

"I had to come see you," he said shivering, "The worst mistake was letting you go."

Peyton looked down at the ground, "Lucas…"

"No," he said sternly, "Let me finish…I thought that I could get over you, but I can't…Both of us have made so many mistakes with each other, but I want to be with you no matter what. I want to make this work between us, and I know it's going to be hard, but fuck it! I want to be with you Peyton, no matter how hard it is."

Lucas leaned in to kiss Peyton, but she backed away, "I'm moving in a couple days Luke," she said sadly, "My dad got this great new job and…"

"No," Lucas said as he put his hands on the top of his head and started to pace, "No, no, no…This can't be happening!"

Peyton stepped outside and closed the door behind her, "I'm sorry Lucas," she said.

"Do you have to go?" Lucas asked.

Peyton took a deep breath and leaned against her door, "I want to go…"

We found him with his face down in the pillow

With a note that said, I'll love her till I die

And when we buried him beneath the willow

The angels sang a whiskey lullaby.

xxx

Travis smiled at Brooke and she looked at the sheet of music in front of her; she strummed the guitar and winked at Nathan.

The rumors flew

But nobody knew how much she blamed herself

For years and years

She tried to hide the whiskey on her breath

When Brooke sang she realized how close the song hit to home; she gave Travis a look and he nodded and smiled. He knew that this song was perfect for Brooke. Nathan looked at Brooke and he could see her eyes get glossy.

She finally drank her pain away

A little at a time

But she never could get drunk enough

To get him off her mind

Until the night.

xxx

Peyton curled up on her bed and hugged her pillow; she looked at the boxes in her room and felt a tear fall down her face. She got out her sketch board and a pencil; she wrote the words:

IT'S ALL THE WORDS YOU DIDN'T SAY THAT HURT THE WORSE.

She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger

And finally drank away his memory

Life is short but this time it was bigger

Than the strength she had to get up off her knees

xxx

We found her with her face down in the pillow

Clingin to his picture for dear life

We laid her next to him beneath the willow

While angels sang a whiskey lullaby.

Travis and Brooke strummed the ending to the song and then ended it; they smiled and Nathan clapped loudly; Brooke ran up to him and kissed him gently, "Did you like it?" Brooke asked ecstatically.

"I loved it," Nathan said reassuringly as he rocked Brooke in his arms.

Travis took off his hat and rubbed his temples, "Ya did amazing darlin," he said with a smile.

"I did, didn't I?" Brooke teased and then hugged Travis, "It was good to see you again."

Travis smiled and tipped his hat to the two of them, "You were better than all the rest."

"Who was my competition?" Brooke asked.

Travis rubbed his chin, "This one girl named Haley James," he said; Brooke and Nathan looked at each other, "But she ain't anything like you darlin…"

"You've got that right," Nathan said as he put his arm around Brooke and squeezed her against him, Brooke looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

They all said their goodbyes and Brooke turned and looked at Nathan, "I should get going," she said and then turned towards the door.

"Stay here for the night," Nathan said as he grabbed Brooke's hip and brought her close to him, he looked down at her and whispered, "Please?"

Brooke kissed Nathan passionately and cupped his face, "I thought you'd never ask!" Brooke squealed and then took Nathan's hand and led him back to towards the bedroom.

xxx

Lucas sat in his room with his headphones on; he closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head. He felt a light tap on his nose; Lucas opened his eyes and saw Haley standing in front of him.

He took off his headphones and looked at her in confusion, "Haley?" He asked.

"Hey Lucas," she shivered, "I didn't know where else to go so…Here I am."

"I thought you were going to Florida or something with Chris to get married?" Lucas asked.

Haley looked down at the ground and rubbed her arms to get warmer, "I left him," she said, "I couldn't love him Lucas…I just, I just couldn't."

"Haley," Lucas began.

Haley's lip quivered and her body began to shake, "Please Luke…Just let me sleep here for the night…"

Lucas nodded and put a blanket around Haley; he hugged her tightly, "Are you okay?" He asked his former best friend.

"I miss him," Haley whispered, "I miss Nathan…"

Lucas pulled back from the hug and gave her a look, "Does Chris know you're here?"

"No," Haley said, "I don't love him…"

"Hales," Lucas said again.

Haley looked away from him, "Can I stay here or not?" She asked quickly.

"Yeah," Lucas said, "Yeah you can stay here…"

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