I do not own the song Dare You To Move by Switchfoot
I do not own One Tree Hill, if I did obviously it would be BRUCAS.
ENJOY!
Chapter Nineteen:
Lucas POV
I feel change in the air.
Change for the better I might add. There's this feeling in my heart that hasn't gone away since yesterday. Since I heard those three words, since I learned the truth.
Things will never be the same.
When I notice a hand is stretching across the seat to find mine, the breath I took immediately hitches inside my throat. The search ends when a palm connects with mine and I can't help but grin. I lean over to check if Megan's still sleeping against the window. I'm proven right since I hear a faint snore escape. I tried not to get excited earlier when Megan called the window seat or the fact that Brooke piled in to sit next to her in the middle. Tightening the love of my life's hand in mine, I take it to my lips planting a kiss upon it. I turn my head to look at her to see her dimples on full effect.
"Hi", I whispered moving to be able to plant a light kiss on her mouth. Her lips peck back far quicker than I intended. Our foreheads come together making me only think one thing, I'm complete.
"I love you". Was I ever going to get tired of hearing her say that to me?
"I decided I'm going to tell you more often for now on", Brooke says it more like a promise, raising her eyebrows in that cute kinky way she's always does. I can't help but grin from ear to ear.
"Anything else you decided that you want to tell me", I couldn't help but hint at that since we still haven't talked about what we're going to do next.
"People who are meant to be together always find their way in the end. Let's redeem the past because I know I've hurt you and we've hurt each other but I don't want to waste any more time pretending. I'm the girl for you Lucas Scott. And you are the guy for me. I know I have a hard time showing it but"…
"I love you".
I have been waiting five years for her to want me back. Five years of knowing that someday we'd get this moment. And now it's here. The only words I somehow could manage to say was the simple I love you. It was no grand gesture. It was no declaration like I usually give. I just knew she needed to hear me say it.
"I love you too", she instantly replied. Suddenly every hair that covers my skin raises sending shivers throughout my entire body. The beating of my heart quickens and for the first time in a long time, I feel reawaken. There's really only one thing left to do now. "Took you long enough", I make out before crashing our lips into one. My lips fight against Brookes dominating control, both too afraid to let go. I feel her soul pouring into mine and I begin to thank God, fate, every single thing in the world for this. I break away from the kiss grazing a piece of hair out of her face.
"Say it again", I whispered praying I would spend the rest of my life hearing those words.
"I love you", she smiles kissing me once more. "I love you. I love you. I love you". She kisses me again and again after saying it multiple times. "'I'll spend forever making sure you know". My heart skinks into my stomach at her declaration, "And I'll spend forever making sure you don't forget".
She throws her arms back around kissing me senseless. My hand gets tangled in her hair, her chest is pressed against my own, and my other hand is holding Brooke's body closer, grasping on for dear life. I've never felt more alive in a moment than I did right now. It was as if I was frozen in this instant with her. The world was still turning but for what merely felt like a few seconds, time stopped for us. I could have spent infinity right there.
We let go again and she beams those dimples at me. I immediately smirk back, thinking of only one person who smiles matching her own, Megan.
"Meg", her name releases out from my lips instead of my thoughts and I realize something I didn't before. This doesn't just affect Brooke and I lives, this changes Meg's too. What if things don't work out? What if we get lost again or we make a mistake? This hurts her too. And she has too many bigger things to worry about.
"She wants us happy Luke. She knows I love you".
Of course I know this. But there's more to it. Isn't there? "Can it really be this easy Brooke? You just kiss me, tell me you love me and it goes back to the way it should be? Is that even possible?"
"It has to be". She didn't even hesitate.
Her hands automatically rise to hold my face as she began to lightly stroke my cheek, calming me down. "We've spent too much time apart Luke, I don't want to wait anymore. I want to live my life with you. I can't do it without you anymore. And like you said, Megan wants her family back. That's something we can give her. Because that's what I want too".
"Brooke that's the one thing I've wanted since I let you go. I just don't want you to regret this".
"I didn't regret what happened three months ago. I didn't regret falling in love with you when I was sixteen. I've never regretted for a single second marrying you or having your child. I'm not going to start now when it comes to you. You are the only thing in life that I got right".
She kisses me this time first and I get taken away again in her embrace. I didn't care that she was still technically engaged to Julian, I didn't mind that we were out in the open kissing each other senseless. All that mattered was that Brooke was in my arms and that I was in love with her.
We somehow ended up sitting down on the beach, wrapped up in each other like we used too. I felt like I was eighteen again. The night that Brooke and I got back together senior year, those 82 letters come back alive, and her voice trembling with tears that she was scared and vulnerable to be with me. I had hurt her so bad back then, and now she had hurt me. The roles were reversed but we somehow again fell back together because we both forgave each other. I'd always forgive her. We were meant to be. There was no denying it.
"Thank you for coming back to me", I whispered before I leaned down to peck her lips.
"Thank you for letting me". She propped her head on my shoulder and all the past mistakes were just that, in the past and nothing else mattered but the here and now and the many memories it was going to bring us.
"Depends, is it about the situation that's going to happen in your bedroom tonight, or the thing we keep avoiding", she always has that way about her where she was funny but serious at the same time.
"I'd love to hear what's going to happen later", I raise an eyebrow at her leaning down to steal another kiss, "but I meant to talk about the thing we haven't really said".
"When are we going to tell Meg", we both say it at the same time causing us to laugh out loud.
"That's the thing, what are we exactly", Brooke repeats the same question I had in my mind first. She squeezes her hold of my hand again and if I didn't know any better, I'd think she was nervous for my answer, I can tell, and I don't know why.
"To be fair, I think we should wait on figuring that out". If it's on instinct Brookes eyes fall from my gaze and she looks like she's about to put every single wall that we tore down the night before up again. Not this time.
"Not because I don't want too Brooke, if I had it my way I'd take you to the Courthouse in Tree Hill when we land and marry you today".
I know she's shocked at that answer. I see her mind racing as she replays what I said and then she seems to be at ease. She knows I love her. She knows I want her more than anything in the world. She just can't be scared; we have to trust each other.
"But you need to clear things up with Julian. And we shouldn't put a title on this. Because even though we haven't been technically together, we always were. In some way you've still been my wife. We've both known we were going to end up back together. So maybe this is our second chance to take the time to really relive this again and relearn one another. I want to fall in love with the CEO Brooke I didn't know. I want to love the five years I missed out on Brooke. The one I only talked to through texts, emails, and phone calls didn't do me justice".
"The only thing you missed out on was a girl who missed the love of her life and daughter. She wasn't a very good person without you guys".
"I think she's already redeemed herself".
She smiles again, nodding her head letting me know that what I said she agrees with. I take my arm and bring it over her shoulder towards my chest, she clutches onto my waist making me instantly inhale her scent.
"How many more hours until were home", the word home comes out raspier than the others and I can't help but wonder if she even noticed it. Home, together, that sounded so good right about now.
"Only a few more hours, I figured I'd make dinner for us tonight. We can do a family night and watch a movie or something", I pronounced earning another grin from Brooke in return.
"Sounds perfect to me", she added nestling her face in the crook of my neck until I closed my eyes. And suddenly I fell in love with the way you fall asleep so slowly but so quick, all in but an instant.
Megan POV
The moment our airplane touched down in Tree Hill I only thought one thing, I have to see him. I wasn't going to waste any more time.
"Alright I'll see you guys later", I shouted after I threw on a little bit of makeup and grabbed a jacket. Mom's the one to stop me before I'm halfway to the door. "Um where do you think you're going"?
I have to stiffen a laugh back because to hear Mom say things like that warms my heart in the best way possible. Instead of being a smartass like I usually tend to be, I turn around beaming a smile.
"I'm going to the River Court", it wasn't a lie.
She takes a few steps to stand in front of me. We have our matching grins on. The one I know she knows what I'm about to do. Of course I'm going to see him, I know is written all over my face. Her hand comes to the top of my hair line, smoothing back a piece. "You're Dad wanted to have a family night. But I'll just let him know you're going to see your boyfriend", with that she kisses my forehead and pushes me towards the door. I halted my movements to grab onto her.
"Oh please don't tell him. He's going to spy on me or something. Just tell him I had to go see Amanda", I urge for her to lie. She laughs me off and again turns me to leave. "Don't worry about your father, I'll deal with him. Remember to invite Ryder tomorrow. Have fun".
I don't hesitate again as I fast walk towards the court. All I did was reply to Ryder a text saying that I was home and he answered immediately with a phone call saying, I need to see you. I needed to see him too. One week had been too long for some reason. Especially because we've spent every single day together before I left for Hawaii.
Glancing down at my outfit I fidget with my grey sweater to make sure it looks right. My Clothes Over Bros black picot is hiding my shivers and my shaky hands. I'm not usually this way. Truth is I rather thrown on a t-shirt and sweat pants any given day but Ryder hadn't seen me in a week, I wanted to look good. I had on dark denim jeans along with my favorite black Converses. Stuffing my hands in my jacket I try to calm my nerves. It's Ryder. It's just the boy who literally swept in and blew you away. No big deal at all.
When I see him on the court it's like my feet have a mind of their own; screw being anxious, I run towards him and then he sees me showing that smile of his that he only saves for me.
"Hi beautiful", he screams out as soon as I step on the black top. I don't even answer him. I throw myself into his arms cackling when he spins me around never letting me go. Instantly my face lands in the crook of his neck making me inhale his scent.
I didn't think it was ever going to happen to me. That I would fall for someone who I knew somehow, someway, they were the one I was looking my entire life for. My next response was the one thing I wanted to do. For some reason I didn't say half the things I would of liked too when we said goodbye last week. And now I can't help myself, I stand on my tippy toes and kiss him with everything I have.
The moment I met Ryder, I saw a light in him. There was this dazzle of something I've never seen before. It was all in his eyes. And when they met with mine for that first time, I didn't know what to think. I had never felt anything in the world quite like it.
"Oh I missed you", he whispers once our lips finally leave each others. It's that dazzling smile of his on full effect that makes me throw myself in his arms again. I don't think I even have control of my own self. I am his tonight for the taken, but part of me has known that all along.
"I missed you too", I had answered back once I could breathe again.
"How was your Christmas in Hawaii", Ryder asks smoothing my tangled hair that must of been caught in his fingers while we made out.
"Uneventful except for the fact I got to see all my family together in one place. How was Tree Hill without me"? I try not to smirk when he rolls his eyes playfully. Ryder leans down to caress my forehead again and I feel a rumble of a laugh from his lips.
"Tree Hill somehow wasn't the same when you weren't here. But I have a hard time believing you're uneventful time in Hawaii". It's like he's somehow called my bluff without even knowing it. Not that I didn't want to talk about Hawaii with him it's merely the fact that the big thing that happened was telling Grandma and Lily about my HCM. I don't want to explain that to him yet. Can you blame a girl for wanting something that is so carefree and makes me jubilant that I don't want to bring in the one downside right at the beginning of this? I don't want my disease to be the thing that I'm categorized as like I am in my family. It's the greatest thing in the world to have someone look at me and not think of my disease. To really look at me, in the eyes, and not think that I am damaged; I am not going to die. I am not going to be defeated because to Ryder I am a normal sixteen year old girl who is from this crappy little small town who has fallen for him, and wants to continue to see where this goes because I want to fight for whatever this thing is with Ryder. I am not the sick girl whose medicine isn't working and needs to be tested on. I am Megan. That is all. And I want to be his. I'm allowed to have that.
"Oh come on do you really want me to rub it how I went jet skiing every day, laid on the beach, got to learn to surf, should I continue the list", I chuckle once Ryder wraps me in a bear hug tickling my sides.
"You're right, thanks for sparing me the glory details of your perfect paradise vacation", he laughs back and I take his hand in mine as we start to walk away from the River Court.
"It was mostly family drama anyways. How about yours", my hand clenches his again so he knows I want to hear what I missed besides the text messages we shared during the week.
"My grandparents came down from New York and spent a couple days here. I got that new laptop I told you about and my Grandfather gave me a bottle of Fireball Whiskey secretly; it was pretty epic". I couldn't help but erupt in colossal laugh from his expression. He's adorable.
"Did you drink the whole bottle yet", I breathed out between laughs after elbowing him in the side.
"I was actually saving it for us for New Year's Eve, I was going to ask if you'd want to come over and hang out with me. Be my New Year's kiss and all", Ryder stops us mid walk to start kissing my cheeks and my leans down my neck almost teasingly.
"That all sounds wonderful but I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my date to my family's New Year's Eve party at the café". Every year the family throws a party at the Café with the theme Open Mic Night. Supposedly in the Café they've had a lot of legendary musical acts and Dad wanted to keep the tradition alive. It's always the night after Aunt Hales has a few glasses of wine that she starts singing some of her old songs from when she used to be in her words, a Rock Star. Hard to think of Aunt Haley as one, but she can sing better than anyone I know.
"Let's make a compromise, I'll go to the Café with you and then afterwards you come back to my house. My parents are going to New York for two days and I'd have the whole house to myself".
I don't even hesitate with my answer. "I can definitely agree to that".
Ryder's smile by some means gets even bigger as we approach the pier. The sound of a guitar playing makes me tighten my hold on his hand when we somehow starting heading towards the music. People are dancing outside on the deck of one of the nicer Italian restaurants in town. The twinkle of lights cover the wooden deck brings the night alive to the couples who are swaying along to the music of an acoustic track I've never heard of.
It's then I look up at Ryder and he peers down back at me that I think, who lead the other one here? Did fate really work this way, that it somehow catch people in moments they don't even notice it's happening until it actually does.
I've never been more surprised in my entire life until I felt Ryder's hand in mine get even tighter as he practically drags me towards the dance floor. There are three different pairs of couples we pass who are swaying along to the strums of the song. They're completely lost in their partners as we seem to go unnoticed. "Dance with me", Ryder pronounces once we're right on the outskirts of the homemade dance floor.
"Ryder I don't", I try to protest but like always he catches me off guard and takes his other hand to put on my waist, pulling me into his embrace, into his leading steps, and into a moment I didn't think I'd ever want to forget. He moves us from side to side, bringing our foreheads together and never giving me a chance to stop smiling. Ryder gets a hold of my hand and begins spinning me away from him almost elegantly. Of course, I know how to dance. But dancing with Ryder like this is something entirely in itself. It's magical. The musician that belonged to the guitar stops slowly fading out of the song and within seconds begins a new strumming of chords. I'd know the beat of this track any type of way. The beginning lyrics flood throughout the pier and I may float away any minute now.
"Welcome to the planet, Welcome to existence
Everyone's here, Everyone's here
Everybody's watching you now, Everybody waits for you now
What happens next, What happens next
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
Like today never happened, Today never happened before"
"Would you think I was totally lame if I confessed something to you"? He questions me making the music fade away from my mind. I nod my head unable to talk because of the intensity of his gaze.
"I missed you so much when you were away".
It was movie-like. The way he looked at me like I was made of gold or the simple fact that one of my favorite songs of all time was flooding my ears in the background. His eyes were glistening and I honestly could only think of one though, I was falling in love.
"And I know we've only just met a few weeks ago but you've already become my favorite person. You literally caught me off guard from my life and have left your mark on me. I don't know how to explain it but I can't stop thinking about you Meg. I am completely, utterly, head over heels, I can't get you out of my head, captivated by you. And I'm not sure when I let that happen. The only thing I wished for Christmas was to be able to do this", he leans down to crash his lips against mine. My legs almost fail me as I am swept away in his embrace.
I am young. I am sick. I am not the best me I could be. But I am falling in love, and I've never been more surprised or happier in life because of that mere simple fact.
"Welcome to the fallout, Welcome to resistance
The tension is here, Tension is here
Between who you are and who you could be
Between how it is and how it should be
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move,I dare you to move
Like today never happened, Today never happened before
Maybe redemption has stories to tell
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor
I dare you to move, I dare you to move
Like today never happened ,Today never happened
Today never happened, Today never happened before"
He presses his lips once more taking them away leaving me searching for air.
"I'm glad you got your wish".
Ryder grins at my sarcasm resting his head down to lean against mine.
"Thank you for letting me".
There are so many things that I wish I could change in my life. I want more than anything for my parents to get their happily ever after. I want to deal with this HCM and put it behind me. And I want to be able to forgive the people that have hurt me. I would love to erase all the mistakes my family and even the regrets I've made to make us happy again. I'm always searching for ways to recover that lost happiness, but what if I am looking at it all wrong. I think I've gotten lost when I think of happiness as a destination. I've always thought that someday I'll be happy in moments like when I got my first car, I graduated high school, or I met the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with. And in those moments I would think this is what's going to fix everything, this will continue my contentment. But happiness is a mood, and it's a condition, not a destination. It's like being tired or hungry, it's not permanent. It comes and goes, and that's okay. And I feel like if I thought of it that way, I would find happiness more often.
Because right now, there's no place I'd rather be; I've never been happier.
Brooke POV
I walk into the kitchen after practically pushing Megan out the door and see Lucas standing in front of the stove. He's cooking up what he calls his famous spaghetti sauce and seems so relaxed in his routine of preparing a meal. I go to stand behind him and my arms fold themselves around his waist, pressing my face against the middle of his back. I lightly kiss the part between his shoulder blades, feeling his body send a shiver down his spine. He's always done this when I surprisingly touch him this way.
"Where did Meg go", Lucas questions as he spins around to face me.
"She wanted me to lie and say she went to Amanda's, but if you would have seen the look on her face you would of known she was going to see Ryder".
He immediately begins to roll his eyes at the mention of the name. "I'm not sure how I feel about Ryder. I don't see this ending good for anyone".
"What do you mean", I say almost a little too defensively. But it's Meg we're discussing here. We raised a superb kid and if she has found an interest in a guy that is more than in a friend way, I can't help but encourage it. Ryder makes Megan feel alive. Everybody needs somebody to love; even my sixteen year old.
"What if her HCM gets worse or something happens? She shouldn't be getting in a relationship when she's too young and dealing with this. Megan needs to focus on other things like grades or cheerleading. A boyfriend into the mix just doesn't work".
"Does it not work for you because you're baby girl is growing up and it's hard to except so you want to name off excuses as to why she shouldn't be dating a nice boy, that's it right? Ryder is the reason why she hasn't stopped beaming like an idiot. It's not because she got that stupid Bobcats jersey that you got her for Christmas Luke, it's because this boy is changing her life. He's good for her".
He shakes his head no and I can immediately tell he's frustrated. "So what you're saying is that I should encourage this relationship she has going on with him? That I should let her go so she can go fall in love with him and let him hurt her"?
I couldn't help but smile as I replied, "yeah I think you should. I think she'd be great at it. I know I was".
At last I finally got to him. Lucas shows me that one smirk of his that I've learned he only saves for me, and without me noticing he brings my face between his hands. "You definitely have a point there Brooke Penelope Davis..Scott", he says the Scott with a mischievous sound in his voice and before I know it he sweeps me off of my feet throwing me over his shoulder.
"Lucas Scott you better put me down right now", I screech as he begins to pound the stairs up towards the back bedroom. He tosses me down on the bed and begins his assault on me, first my lips, then my neck, and then I loose myself in the sound of him and me, together.
Thank you to my viewers and for everyone that has Review! It means the world to me. :) I really wanted to write a quick chapter to begin the rest of the story. Thanks again everyone and please be patient! THINGS will work out 3 -Megan
