The Bitter Taste
Leave the Pieces
Just because someone is not in your life anymore, doesn't mean the memories aren't in your heart
xxx
Haley sat at the river court and smoked a cigarette; she looked out towards the river and threw a stone in. She pulled her jacket tighter around her as a gust of wind blew past her.
"Hey," she heard somebody say. Haley turned around and saw Brooke coming towards her, she sat down beside her and pulled out her own pack of cigarettes, "I thought you quit?" Brooke asked.
Haley looked at Brooke, "I thought you quit?"
"Once in a while won't kill you," Brooke said with a smirk.
Haley smiled and then ran a hand through her hair, "I forgot how well these things relieved all my stress…"
"You want to talk about it?" Brooke asked as she took a drag of her cigarette.
Haley sighed, "I saw Chris a couple nights ago at Karen's…And I also thought I was pregnant, but I figured out yesterday that it was just a false alarm…"
"I'm sorry Hales," Brooke said sympathetically.
"Lucas saw me with Chris and flipped out," Haley continued, "And I went back to Chris's place…"
"Oh my God…Haley…" Brooke began, "You didn't?"
Haley shook her head and threw her cigarette down, "No…No! I love Lucas way to much to do that to him. I mean, he's my husband, but the thing is…I haven't seen him since the day at Karen's. I mean…" Haley said as she began to cry, "I've called everyone I possibly could."
"Haley," Brooke said softly as she put a hand on Haley's back, "He probably just has a lot on his mind right now."
"I've called him about 100 times," Haley cried, "I've probably left him 30 voice messages, 50 text messages…I don't know where he could be?"
Brooke brought Haley closer towards her and rocked Haley in her arms. Brooke didn't have to say a word… All Haley wanted was to be held for a moment, and a shoulder to cry on.
xxx
Peyton sat at the kitchen and sipped her coffee slowly; Jake had taken Eric and Jenny to the park for a couple of hours, leaving her to have the house to herself. It had been going good for the last week or so. Peyton felt like, for once in her life, that she had her own real family. Peyton heard a knock on the door and got up and opened the door. Veronica stood there and smiled at Peyton.
"Veronica…" Peyton said as her jaw dropped.
Veronica smiled and walked inside the house, "Surprise!"
"What are you doing here?" Peyton asked.
She laughed and locked the door; she walked towards the living room and sat on the couch, "I came to see you of course…Come sit down."
"It's good to see you Veronica, but…" Peyton began as she sat on the opposite couch as Veronica.
Veronica cut her off, "I was passing through and I decided to stop and see you," she said and got up from the couch and walked towards Peyton, "I missed you…" She said as she put her hand on Peyton's knee.
"Look…Some things happened after you left," she said as she shifted away from Veronica, "My ex-boyfriend…Well, sort of my ex-boyfriend came back and we've decided that we're all going to be a family." Veronica scoffed and stood up quickly. She crossed her arms and turned away from Peyton, "I'm sorry, but what happened between us…It didn't mean anything."
Veronica snapped around and laughed cynically, "You basically threw yourself at me Peyton!"
"Are you serious?" Peyton said as she stood up and glared at Veronica, "You kissed me! And you know my mistake for going with it, but you and I both know it just sort of happened."
Veronica rolled her eyes, "Is he what you really want? It might be fun playing family for a while, but it'll get old soon. You can't trust him! He's let you down so much!"
"You don't know him," Peyton yelled, "You're acting like you and I were going to have some sort of relationship…I like you Veronica, as a friend, but I'm not gay!"
Veronica looked down at the ground and then grabbed her purse, "Fine," she said coldly and then walked towards the door and unlocked it, "You know Peyton…You've got to start living for yourself not for other people," she said and then walked out of the house.
Peyton closed the door and listened as the car screeched out of the driveway. Her phone vibrated on the table and she looked at the name on the screen; she picked it up, "Hey…Yeah, I'll be there soon," she said and closed her phone. Peyton sighed and grabbed her coat and then walked out of the house.
xxx
"I think we should just have a small wedding," Brooke said as she and Nathan laid together on their bed, "Cause our last one was pretty big, and the second time around I just think we should go for small."
Nathan put his arm around Brooke, "And then for our third wedding we can just go to the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas and get married for $20," he laughed.
"Oh no buddy," Brooke said with a laugh, "There is no third time for you," she said and then looked into his deep, blue eyes, "We're going to make it work this time."
Nathan smiled and winked at her, "I can't believe I ever let you go," he said as he ran his hand through her hair.
"I know!" Brooke teased and then kissed him softly on the lips, "Now you're never going to get rid of me."
He laughed and then let out a deep breath, "So now that our little drama is over, what's been going on with everyone else?"
"Hales is devastated because she thought she was preggers, but false alarm, and then she saw Chris, Lucas saw her with Chris and flipped out, and now she can't find him anywhere," Brooke said quickly and then let out a breath.
"Poor Hales," Nathan said as he took Brooke's hand.
Brooke nodded, "I just remember how much I used to hate her…And now the two of us are best friends."
"Yeah," Nathan said with a chuckle, "A lot's changed since high school…"
Brooke laid on her back and looked over at Nathan who was looking at her, "I'm glad though…"
"And why's that?" Nathan asked.
Brooke bit her bottom lip, "Because I couldn't see myself with anybody else…" They both smiled and Nathan wrapped his arms around Brooke and passionately kissed her.
xxx
Peyton walked into a hotel room a couple miles from Tree Hill and saw Lucas sitting on the bed with a bottle half empty in his hand. Peyton stood in the doorway and looked at him.
"Thanks for coming Peyton," Lucas said as he looked up at her.
Peyton opened the door wider and Haley walked through and stared at Lucas. Lucas looked at Peyton and then looked at Haley; Peyton looked at Haley, "I'm going to wait in the car…"
"Okay," Haley said. She closed the door and walked towards Lucas. Lucas got down on his knees and leaned against Haley as she ran her fingers through his blonde hair. He looked up at her and Haley slapped him hard across the face.
Lucas fell back and put a hand on his cheek, "I guess I deserved that," he said softly.
"How dare you," Haley said through clenched teeth, "What the fuck makes you think that you can just run off whenever you please?"
Lucas sat back on the bed and put his head in his hands, "I was confused Haley…I saw you with Chris and I didn't know what to do…"
"Did you get my messages?" Haley asked.
Lucas nodded, "Yeah I got them…"
"Do you even fucking care Luke?" Haley screamed, "How could you? I had to go to that appointment by myself, and I had nobody there to comfort me when he told me that it was a false alarm!"
Lucas stood up, "I'm sorry," he said as he walked closer towards her.
"Don't come near me," Haley said as she back away, "You know what? This little stunt just made me realize that we're not ready for a baby. Hell Lucas, I don't even know if you're ready to be a husband."
Lucas wiped his eyes and grabbed onto Haley, "I love you more than anything else in this world," he said sternly, "You're my wife! I'm you're husband…"
"Then starting acting like it," Haley said sadly, "Chris doesn't mean anything to me and you know that."
Lucas grabbed Haley's left hand and kissed it, "You will never understand how sorry I am…"
"Yeah," Haley began, "You're probably right," she said and then walked out of the hotel room.
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