Chapter 15
She wakes up, lying sideways, Lucas spooned to her back. His breath tickling her neck, an arm wrapped protectively around her. A little sore, in places. Good sore. She giggles. Good places. He's bigger than she remembers. More assertive and skillful too. He still knows how to please her. She didn't expect to get inside his pants so quickly... she didn't expect anything, actually. She just hoped. Almost two years kicking herself for not moving faster, for letting her fears get in the way of what she wanted. For letting him slip through her fingers. Again.
She slips out of his arms, into the bathroom and back. He mumbles something and turns face up, the covers down to his waist, his chiseled chest and arms in full view.
She is kneeling next to him when he wakes up, a little smile on her lips. Bed hair and a beautiful pair of breasts in full view. "You're up already."
"I was just thinking and enjoying the view."
Lucas sits up and reaches over, pushing a pink lock away from her eyes and caressing the side of her face. She presses against his hand, and hums tunelessly. "Thinking about what?"
"Oh, this and that." She grabs his hand and plants a slow kiss in his rough palm. "I was wondering what hard working folk like yourselves do on a Saturday morning."
"Depends." Lucas scoots near and kisses her. "After last night..."
"Yeah, well..." She giggles and wiggles in place. "Maybe a little sore." She then frowns playfully. "Did you grow bigger?"
He laughs. "Flattery, Brooke?" He looks down at himself, half-erect and also a little sore. "Maybe, I guess."
She jumps on him, pushing him down and kissing him deeply and hungrily. They roll around a bit, Brooke squealing, as Lucas growls. They end up with Lucas face up and Brooke lying on top of him, staring into his eyes. There is joy and a little fear there. She turns serious. "Relax. I'm done running."
He shrugs. "You sure?" It is what he wants to hear, but he knows he's far from understanding what's happening with Brooke.
She nods slowly. "Yeah. You'll see. Just give me time."
He shrugs again. "I'm not going anywhere."
She stares into his eyes a little more. Then she tickles him in the ribs, and he lets her, just squirming about and yelling like a little boy. They end up lying side by side and panting. "So... about Saturday mornings?"
"Sam is probably going to be sleeping past noon."
"And you?"
"Work out, shower, breakfast..."
"That, boy toy, sounds like a plan." She gets up, bright eyed and smiling. "If you add a little shopping."
"No problem." Never did shopping sound so appealing. Lucas suddenly feels like he's seventeen again, and utterly head over heels. It's a good feeling. A little out-of-control scary, but good.
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
Two weeks. Two weeks of healthy food, regular exercise, sun and the best sex ever. Such a big change. She's lost a little of the extra weight and she feels strong and limber. She's crazy about him. Mad, loony, bat crap crazy. She just wants to explode. Instead, she is walking down the beach, letting the morning rays keep her warm, despite the cool breeze. Walking slowly, loose limbs, just enjoying the afterglow of an intense workout and, fullness of her breakfast and an satisfying little play in the shower. Boy toy is scrunched up at his computer, doing his thing and she's walking barefoot in the sand, doing hers.
Up ahead, a familiar body is reclining in a chair. Sweet curves in a plain yellow bikini and a worn looking book in her hand. She stays unaware while Brooke approaches quietly and crouches next to her chair. "Hi, tutormom."
Haley starts a bit and turns to her, an uncertain smile in her face. "Brooke?"
"The one and only." Brooke hasn't spoken to Haley since she got back, and she feels a little guilty about it. Meeting her casually like this is probably a good thing. "You're looking mighty fine." And it's true. Haley is no athlete, but her flat belly and toned arms and legs show a good amount of care.
Haley checks Brooke out. "And you are positively..." She stops herself, stands up and gives Brooke a dirty look. "It's you!"
Brooke lifts one eyebrow. "Is it?"
Haley points a stiff finger at Brooke's chest. "The goofy grin in Lucas face. You put it there, didn't you?"
The dimpled smile. "I hope so."
"Are you two together?"
"Well..."
"It's not a hard question, Tigger."
"We didn't have the relationship conversation." Brooke places air quotes on the expression 'relationship conversation'. "But I told him I'm staying until he kicks me out, and he said that, in that case, I would be staying forever. That's kinda like we're married, isn't it?"
Haley laughs and grabs Brooke in a tight hug. "I guess." She pulls out of the hug and droops a little. "I thought Taylor had come back."
Brooke tilts her head sideways, puzzled. "And what if she had?" Everybody seemed to like Lucas and Taylor together. Specially Sam, who was still treating Brooke as a slightly annoying interloper.
"We had an awful fight, Taylor and I. I said a bunch of things I shouldn't." Haley's eyes get a little misty. "Lucas sided with her. We've barely spoke since."
"I'm sorry." Brooke hugs Haley again. "This is just not right. Can I help fix this?"
"No, sweetie. Thank you but no. I have to fix this myself."
Brooke nods in understanding. This explains the weird absence of Haley from Lucas and Sam's life. "Not to change subjects, but where is my godson?"
"He's with Nathan. He took a week off school to go on the road with his dad. They'll both be here on Sunday."
"Can I come see you guys on Sunday? I'll drag Lucas and Sam along."
"Sure, come alone, or with the two goofs. I'll ask Peyton and Nora to come too, make it a little party."
Brooke squeals at the word 'party'. "That sounds fantastic."
"What time is it?"
Brooke checks her watch. "It's half past ten."
"I have to go. Join me for a juice?"
"Sure." Brooke carries Haley's chair, while Hale brings the rest of her stuff.
"All right, Brooke. How long you've been in Tree Hill?"
Brooke looks apologetic and answers in a tinny voice. "Two weeks."
Haley raises her voice. "Two weeks?"
"Sorry." Brooke lifts her arms in an apologetic gesture. "I've been busy?"
"Busy? With what?"
"With Lucas." She giggles. "It's exhausting."
Haley immediately catches on. "Brooke! Are we back in high school?"
"Oh, no!" Brooke laughs some more. "Back in high school he was kind of shy and sweet." More laughter. "But not anymore..."
Haley crosses her arms under her breasts. "Oh, no. Don't you start. I haven't seen my husband in two weeks, you little slut."
"Oh, Tutormom. I am soooo sorry for you." Haley shows her a big tongue. "I think it's your sister's fault, anyways."
"What?"
"Oh, she taught him some moves, I'll tell you." Brooke stops to think. "I should send her some flowers. And a thank you card."
"She's his ex, for crying out loud! Aren't you afraid they're just going, I don't know... get back together?"
"Oh, no. No way."
Brooke has always been insecure, which Lucas doesn't help, with his sluttish ways. Haley doesn't understand where the certainty is coming from. She replies with a doubtful tone. "Just like that."
Brooke bumps Haley with a shoulder. "Just like that. You see... are you afraid Peyton could ever steal Nathan?"
"No, of course not."
"They had a pretty intense relationship, you know? Lots of chemistry there."
"Doesn't matter. That boy is mine."
"Aaand that's the point." Brooke bows to an imaginary crowd. "Thank you, thank you ladies and gents."
"What's the point?"
"The point is, my darling Tutormom, Lucas is mine. Has been for a long, long time. He's just as crazy about me as I am about him. I was just too stupid to see it."
"I'm not going to argue with that."
"What? What do you mean?"
"He has been crazy about you for a long, long time."
Brooke gives a theatrical sigh. "Oh thank goodness!"
"What?"
"I thought you weren't going to argue that I was too stupid."
Haley laughs and pokes Brooke. "That too, of course."
Brooke grabs Haley's hand. "Stop poking me, you bitch!"
"Let's... not get physical." Haley walks into her house, dodging a poke from Brooke and still laughing.
"Right, you never know where that's going to end."
"Ew."
"Ew."
They both laugh. "So, Tigger, how about the sex?"
"You're asking me about hot, steamy, acrobatic, crazy awesome sex with Lucas Eugene Scott, your brother in all but blood? Really?"
"Well..."
"So?"
"I'm bored."
Brooke laughs. "All right, you got it. Let me start with this: somehow, somewhere, I seem to have misplaced my gag reflex..."
=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=
By the time Brooke gets out of the shower, Lucas has already been in his computer for a couple of hours. It's not yet his third book. It's a little complicated. The publisher was ready to drop Lucas contract, mostly because Comet was such a weak seller. But then the book became the critic's darling, and the novel acquired a bit of a cult follow. A little prize, 'best novel by a young author', by the southern academy of whatever. The thing is part of the read lists for Am. Lit. courses everywhere, and so, Lucas has another best-seller. Now, the publisher is salivating for that third book. They want chapters, outlines, deadlines. They sent fucking Lindsay to push. Oh what a joy it was to meet the dumb cow again. Thing is, Lucas spent a long time totally blocked. Now he's writing again. A couple of short stories. Warming up to start on his third book, he says.
Anyways, Brooke feels he's written enough for one morning. She comes by surprise and sticks a slobbery tongue straight into his right ear canal.
Lucas jumps off his seat and tries to grab Brooke. "Brooke!" She dodges and runs to the door, giggling,
Lucas right on her tail. "Come back here, you crazy cunt!"
Lucas is fast, but Brooke is also light on her feet and can turn on a dime. She runs out the corridor. "Catch me Lucas! If you can!"
They run down the stairs, Brooke keeping a few feet ahead of Lucas. "You're gonna get a spanking, crazy girl."
Brooke laughs and keeps running. "Promise, lover boy?"
Lucas growls in response. The chase gets downstairs, goes around the kitchen island a couple of times and heads to the living room. At that point, Brooke fails to dodge fast enough and Lucas grabs by the waist, lifting her bodily and carrying her to the sofa, still laughing and screaming. Lucas bends her over the back of the sofa, and starts on her, doggystyle, while pulling her hair, bending her spine backwards and clamping his mouth on her neck. Brooke struggles and screams, high pitched squealing noises mixing with loud moans and encouragement.
They are halfway gone when the front door opens. They don't hear it, a little too embroiled in what they are doing, but they both notice when Taylor comes into the living room, boots, painted-on jeans, too small halter top with a leather bolero, backpack in one hand and motorcycle helmet on the other. She stops and stares at the scene in front of her, a small smile dancing on her lips.
Brooke stage whispers at Lucas, unfazed. "Don't you dare stop!"
Lucas is long past being embarrassed by either one of these women. He grunts and moves faster, determined to provide an orgasm to Brooke and a good spectacle to his ex. He tunes Taylor out and focuses in what he is doing. Soon enough, he feels that he's getting ready, and so is Brooke. He whispers. "I'm close."
"So am I." She takes on air in big gulps.
"Then come for me, Pretty Girl."
She screams his name, while Lucas dumps his load inside her. They come back to earth, a little dazed.
Taylor slow-claps. "Bravo!"
Brooke just manages to stare as Lucas pulls out, zips himself up and walks up to Taylor without a word, grabbing her on a huge hug. "So good to see you!" That's not the way to greet an ex-wife, is it?
Taylor gives as good as she gets. "Same here, Grasshopper. Great show." To be truly bewildering, Taylor disengages from Lucas and comes up to Brooke and embraces her in a similar hug, suspending her and twirling her around. Taylor is just a couple of inches taller than Brooke, but her arms and torso are just as toned as Lucas', and her boobs feel firm and strangely nice against Brooke's chest. "And thank you, Princess."
It takes a moment for Brooke to recover her speech after Taylor lets her go. "Hmm... you're welcome?"
By that time, Lucas is already at the kitchen island, cutting up a couple of ripe papayas and a few bananas into the blender. Add a little milk and a welcome, post-coital smoothie makes its way into Taylor and Brooke's hands. Taylor raises her glass. "To you guys."
Lucas answers with a smile. "To us." And after a peck on Taylor's forehead, "And welcome."
Feeling a little left out, Brooke slides next to Lucas, who grabs her by the waist and pulls her close. From a safe position next to Lucas, Brooke looks at Taylor. "What were you thanking me for?"
Taylor looks into Brooke's eyes and smiles. "Well... for coming back, for one. For making Lucas happy. For promising not to leave again. And that he is writing again." Brooke looks puzzled. How does she know this? "I talk to Sam every few days, Princess."
"Oh." Brooke looks at Lucas, who seems pensive. "I don't get it."
"What?"
"First, why do you care? Aren't you his ex-wife? You're supposed to hate me."
Lucas replies. "Brooke, the wife thing was mostly to help with Sam's custody. Taylor and I... you might say we were dear friends with a physical relationship added in. We weren't even exclusive."
Brooke frowns at Lucas. "You screwed other people?"
Taylor replies, amused. "He did." Lucas and Taylor laugh.
"She likes to watch, sometimes."
"It was such a sweet thrill, that little show earlier..."
Brooke gets a little annoyed. "Well, you're welcome, perv."
There's a little silence, before Taylor continues. "Regardless, we did try to make it work. It just didn't. Lucas got into a funk because he couldn't shake his block, and I got into a funk because I felt the walls closing in. Even the sex got kind of... bad. So we went our separate ways. No resentment, no regrets. And I knew he was really yours from the start."
Brooke nods. "You got that right."
"And I agree."
"I'm glad you guys finally figured it out."
"I still don't understand something. Lucas block. I don't have anything to do with that."
Lucas and Taylor exchange a look. Taylor shrugs and Lucas explains. "I wrote the first draft of Ravens during senior year. Afterwards, I spent two years without producing a single decent paragraph. Then you and Peyton came to Tree Hill, and I wrote The Comet. I've spent the best part of a year now without getting anything out. Then you came back. I'm writing again. You do the math."
"Get out of here!" Lucas and Taylor just smile silently. "You're saying I'm your muse, or something? That's ridiculous!"
"Thank goodness you're not leaving again, so we can't test this. But I know things feel different when you're around."
Brooke curtsies, mockingly. "Well, thanks."
"I'm going up to change, Pretty Girl. I have to head to work." Lucas kisses Brooke and gives Taylor a peck in the cheek. "I'll see you two later."
Lucas goes up and Brooke turns to Taylor. "How long are you staying?"
"A few days, at least. I want to see Jamie and spend some time with Sam."
Brooke turns dead serious. "Look, you left something broken here, that you have to help fix."
Taylor gives a worried frown. "What?"
"Lucas and Haley. They haven't really spoken in months."
"Oh, shit." Taylor paces, getting visibly very upset. "I was sure things would be back to normal once I left. I swear!"
"I don't really get it. What happened?"
"I did something. Haley got upset. We fought. She said a bunch of things. It's Lucas, you know? He's too loyal, the dumb shit. He'll forgive anything done to him. But do it to someone he cares..."
"He'll be mad at his best friend forever over something she said to you?"
"Don't go there, Princess. It's more complicated than it seems. He half grew up at our home. He's family. Everybody was always mad at me, the little mayhem Taylor. Except mom. And him."
"Still, it's not right."
"Oh, that we totally agree."
"There's a little reunion at Nathan and Haley's on Sunday. You should come too."
Taylor frowns and shakes her head. "You know I wouldn't be welcome."
"Does that matter?"
"No. Do you know if Quinnie is going to be there?"
"She wasn't mentioned. Why? Would she make it worse?"
"Actually no. It would make it easier, probably. I don't think Quinnie is still mad at me for screwing up her fucked up marriage. Besides, that girl could never hold onto anger for more than a minute. Haleybob, is another ball of wax, though."
"I think she's more sorry than mad."
"We'll see then. I'll try to fix this, I promise."
"Thank you."
Brooke stops Lucas on his way out. "Boy toy!"
"What?"
"My spanking."
Lucas gets near her and looks into her eyes. Arousal. His kinky little girl. Lucas is surprised by how much he enjoys the idea. "Twenty strokes. Tonight."
"Can hardly wait."
He kisses her deeply before leaving.
