"So I heard about you and Brooke's little…chat yesterday" Anna told Lucas the next morning at breakfast at the Café.
"From who!" Lucas asked.
"Unnamed sources"
"Also known as Haley?"
"Kinda" Anna said, sipping her orange juice. "So I had no idea you felt that way about Brooke"
"What way?" Lucas played innocent.
"Um, the 'I still love you and Anna means nothing to me' way" Anna said nonchalantly.
"Anna I didn't mean that"
"Right" Anna said.
"I really truly didn't…I just wanted to tell Brooke that I-"
"Still loved her?"
"I guess if that's what you wanna say, then yes" Lucas sighed.
"So do you love her?"
"Yeah"
"You don't love me?"
"How am I supposed to answer that, Anna?"
"Yes or no?"
"No, I don't love you but I like you a lot!" Lucas defended.
"But you asked me out to make Brooke jealous?" Anna asked.
"No…I-"
"That's exactly what you did, Lucas Scott, I'm not a stupid whore" Anna snapped. "I'm smarter than you think!"
"I know you are, Anna, I'm not trying to fool you. Look you weren't even IN Tree Hill when Brooke and I were-"
"As you've so kindly reminded me thousands of times, I wasn't in Tree Hill when you and Brooke were the couple descended from heaven, was I?" Anna shouted. "And I will never be a part of that life, Lucas! I can't be discriminated against forever by you because of it! I am tired of being second to your precious Brooke! All you talk about is HER, all that is constantly on your mind is HER and I've been putting up with it and understanding it for the past 3 and a half months and I'm SICK of it!" Anna said, slamming her glass down on the table. And just like that, Anna walked out of the Café.
"Lucas?" Brooke entered the scene.
"How much of that did you hear?" Lucas sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"All of it…" Brooke sighed. "Look, I didn't mean to cause this much trouble, I was just-"
"Brooke you're not the one that's caused this trouble, it's me" Lucas said. "I've been doing so much lying lately, so much hiding and denying. It's ruined my relationship with Anna which DID mean something to me and-"
"But you told me in clear words last night that it DIDN'T" Brooke said.
"It does, but not as much as you" Lucas said, looking up at her.
"Nice line, Lucas" Brooke said. "Now do you expect me to believe it?"
"What is everyone's problem today? Why are you CONSTANTLY on my case, Brooke?" Lucas shouted. "I can't tell you I love you without your goddamn insecurities kicking in and I'm sick of making embarrassing speeches for you, why can't you just BELIEVE me when I say I LOVE YOU?"
"MY goddamn insecurities?" Brooke said, her voice rising. "MY goddamn insecurities which THANK YOU VERY MUCH were caused by YOU are there because you were a lying, cheating scumbag. Pardon me if I'm not willing to fall in love with you ALL OVER AGAIN like the fairytales in your books after you say three words which are thrown around so much by you that they've completely lost their meaning!"
"I don't throw those words around, Brooke" Lucas said, his voice constricting. "I've only said them and meant them once, and that's been with you"
"No. Let me count…'I love you Peyton. I love you Anna. I love you Rachel. I love you Brooke'. And that's exactly the order I come in when it comes to you because you cant get over your precious Peyton and show me for once that there's some truth behind your favorite three words" Brooke yelled.
"There IS truth behind them Brooke, there IS" Lucas said, almost begging. "More truth than you'll ever know"
"If there's that much truth behind them, then can that truth explain to me why you cheated? Why you treated me the way you did? Why you made me fall in love with you all over again only to leave me hanging for a girl you met at a summer barbecue? Tell me, Lucas Scott, can that truth explain to me why I've always been SECOND in your life? Second to Peyton, second to basketball, second to school…I'm always second, and you know me, Lucas, Brooke Davis is NEVER second" Brooke said. She turned around and walked out of the Café door, and Lucas watched as she defiantly crossed the street.
"Rough day, huh man?" Nathan asked, walking in and glancing over his shoulder.
"Rough would be an understatement" Lucas groaned, banging his head on the table.
"Dinner tonight?" Haley asked Brooke.
"Is Lucas going to be there?" Brooke asked.
"Yes" Haley sighed. "Come on Brooke, you have to come! Its senior year, we can't miss out on any fun!"
"Is Anna going to be there?"
"No"
"I'll think about it" Brooke said.
"Brooke…" Peyton and Haley were now both whining.
"You guys, I can't be around Lucas after I screamed at him today!" Brooke said. "How incredibly awkward!"
"Brooke, you don't have to talk to him…just come, please?" Peyton begged.
"Fine, fine…"
"We're going to have dinner and then go to the beach" Haley said. "We're leaving in an hour"
"I should go get ready" Brooke sighed, getting up. "It was going to be just me, Ben, and Jerry tonight, but…"
"But we're not going to let you fester because we're good friends. Right Peyt?"
"Right" Peyton said. "Now, up, missy! We're going to have fun tonight!"
A/N: Review!