Lol thank you all for not sending me hatemail…cause now I can keep going. Here's my next chapter!
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CHAPTER 4: Seeing Her in Everything…
Brooke sighed as she pulled the flaps back on the first box she was going to unpack. As soon as she saw the contents, tears rushed to her eyes. It was the box that she had been packing when Lucas came to her house for the last time. She pulled out the picture she had been staring at that night, her hands shaking.
It had taken her about three seconds after the plane left the ground for her to realize that she was never going to be okay if she wasn't in Tree Hill…and in Lucas' arms. His confession had startled her, but also made her realize that she really had fallen in love with him. But she had thought that there was no way for her to stay with him. Now, she was having second thoughts.
With a look of determination, Brooke wiped the tears out of her eyes, and walked out of her room. "Mom…"
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In the week that followed Brooke's departure, Lucas had drawn away from the world around him, except for when he was working at the café with his mother. Even then, he would be friendly but very quiet. Karen and Andy had started to worry about him, but whenever they asked him how he was, he would say he was okay, and then walk away from them.
Lucas placed a few dirty glasses on the tray resting on his open hand, oblivious to anything else. The café had closed, but when someone stepped in, he didn't look up.
"He almost always looks up when someone comes in…he's too curious not to," a voice murmured to the second figure. "Luke?"
The voice seemed to pull him out of his trance, and Lucas looked up excitedly. "Haley!" he welcomed happily. In the span of a few seconds, he had laid his tray down, picked up Haley and spun her around a few times. "I'm so glad you're back…so it's safe to assume that everything's okay now?" he questioned, more to Nathan than to Haley.
Nathan nodded, but was watching his brother closely as he did so. "Yep…everything's great. How about you…is she still here?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Nate regretted saying them. Lucas' eyes filled with pain and grief, and his entire body seemed to slump. "I'm so sorry, man."
Haley looked between her husband and best friend, confused. "Who. Who's gone? What is going on?"
Nathan turned to her sadly. "Brooke…she's in California. Her father got a job over there, so they moved." Just by looking at Lucas, Nathan could see that it was killing him inside.
"I told her. I told her that I love her…and she said she loved me too. But then she got on the plane and was just...gone. It's been a week…and she never called like she promised she would. I can't her out of my head…yet she has already forgotten about us here. How can she forget us…this is Brooke! She's always kept her promises…but what's changed?"
Nate's heart went out to Lucas. He knew how hard it was, not being with the woman he loved and not knowing if things would ever be right again. He'd felt the same about Haley, until he went to find her. Nathan would've suggested that Lucas did the same, but knew that his brother would never be able to afford it, especially since he had to pay for his heart medication.
"Lucas, she probably just needs some time to adjust to her new life. Maybe she'll call soon. You could probably use some time before you talk to her, too," Haley murmured, placing a comforting hand on his arm. He sighed heavily, and looked out the window.
"No matter where I go, no matter what I look at, she's there somehow. Her memory is in every single place of this town. At school, at my house…on the sidewalk…in the park. Just stupid little things, stupid little places. She's there. It's like she's a ghost…haunting me. You know what, I'm going to go for a walk, ok?"
"At this time of night? Luke, it's pitch black outside, at least let us come with you," Haley suggested softly. Nathan took her arm gently.
"Just let him go, he'll be okay, Hales."
Lucas looked at him gratefully, nodded to both of them, and walked out of the café, leaving Haley and Nathan looking after him, concerned. "We have to do something for him, Nathan. In all my life, I've never seen him so depressed. It scares me," Haley sighed. Nathan pulled her to him comfortingly and sighed.
"I know, it scares me too." A part of Nathan told him to tell Haley about the HCM, but he knew it was Lucas' job, not his.
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Lucas took a deep, grief-filled breath. His feet were leading him somewhere, and part of him knew where, but the other part couldn't seem to care. He just went with it, and let his heart guide him. Most of the time he could trust it. Most of the time.
When he finally stopped, Luke looked up, and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips. He was at the Rivercourt. He glanced around, and saw his basketball still lying on the corner of the court. Picking it up, he just looked at it for a long moment, before dribbling and shooting it. He realized as he caught the rebound just how relaxing basketball was for him.
A soft rustling made him look around him, but he didn't see anyone. After a moment, he turned back to the net and started shooting again.
A figure stood in the shadows behind a tree, sighing in relief that they hadn't been seen. After waiting to be sure Lucas hadn't seen them, the person glanced around again and just watched him play.
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Sorry this was shorter than my usual chapters…but I wanted the next part in a fresh chapter, which will be coming soon!
