Chapter Four - Jealousy's A Dangerous Game
Brooke had to admit, Karen's sofa was hardly comfortable but she had accidently let slip that her reason for not wanting to sleep there was because Lucas had done inappropriate things on there with Kelly Henderson during senior year. Unstandably, Lucas had gotten embarrassed at Brooke's revalation to the whole of his family and had insisted she slept on there as punishment. Brooke didn't mind though, it reminded her of when she was a kid and she'd end up sleeping on Karen's sofa for weeks on end. Lucas would always stay up watching movies with her, or he'd watch over her until she'd fall asleep.
Her eyes began to flicker open as the bright sunshine penetrated through the bay window. She yawned before stretching her arms wide in the air "Oh, jesus!!" she shrieked as she spotted Rachel sitting on the end of the sofa, with what looked like a plate of waffles in her hand "You scared the crap out of me" she yelled "What are you doing here?" she questioned.
The last Brooke knew, Rachel was back in New York working with the same fashion company Brooke was an employee of. Brooke had a very different bond with Rachel compared to what she had with the others. To put it lightly, Brooke had Rachel had a love/hate relationship.
"I'm here to mend your broken heart…" the red head informed "Preffereably with a very hot guy" she raised her eyebrows suggestively before biting into her waffle
"How did you kno-"
Brooke was cut off "Karen rang me to invite me to the wedding…bummer, huh?" she didn't seem too concerned about the situation, even though she was the only person that knew Brooke's true feelings for Lucas. Brooke scoffed out in amazement at Rachel's nonchalant behaviour "Ok, where going shopping" Rachel ordered rather than asked
"What?"
"I'm taking you to the mall" Rachel ignored Brooke's reluctency, just as she always did
"But, I don't want-"
She was cut off once more, which was beginning to irritate her "Then what do you wanna do? Sit here all day and feel sorry for yourself?"
Brooke narrowed her eyes with anger "No, I just-" she was cut off once more
"Wanna eat so much ice cream you'll get too fat to fit into your dress for the wedding?" she smiled bitchly
"Would you just let me finish my sentences?"
"No, get ready…" she threw Brooke a pair of jeans, ignoring her flustered expression "You'll thank me tomorrow when your lying in bed with some tall, dark stranger" she smirked, before standing up from the sofa and making her way to the door
"What if I cant do it, Rach?" Brooke asked her friend, a lot more calmly "What if I cant move on from him?"
"We go to plan B" Rachel said like it was obvious "We sabotage the wedding" she smiled, before exiting and forcing Brooke to get ready for the day ahead which would no doubt be just as hard as the day before.
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Brooke admired herself in the mirror of one of the many changing rooms she'd been dragged round that day. Normally she'd enjoy a day out shopping. Normally she could spend hours running round the mall. But, it wasn't normally and what she was feeling definitely wasn't normal either. No matter how much she tried pretending, she couldn't fool herself. She couldn't fool herself into thinking that her heart didn't sink every time she'd see Lucas and Peyton together. She couldn't fool herself into thinking that she was actually happy for her best friend to be getting married. She couldn't fool herself into thinking everything was going to be ok. Because it wasn't all going to be ok.
Brooke reached out of the changing room curtain and dragged Rachel inside "Ok, exactly how is this suppose to make me feel better?" Brooke whispered fiercly
Rachel looked puzzled, before looking down at the gorgeous Louie Vitton dress she had in her hand, and passing it to Brooke "Here, I was going to buy it myself, but I guess if your gonna get so angry about it, you can have it…happy now" she smiled a fake smile
"I'm not talking about the dress…" Brooke rolled her eyes "I'm talking about her" she pointed outside of the changing room towards where Peyton was stood talking to Haley
"Oh yeah, right…she just kinda invited herself…" Rachel explained "But, this could be good"
Brooke crossed her arms over her chest "How exactly?" she looked doubtful
"I don't know, posion her mind…tell her what a jerk Lucas is, tell her the marriage wont work…" she told Brooke with no sympathy over what she must be feeling. She then snatched the Louie Vitton dress back out of the brunette's hands, to which Brooke responded with a shocked expression "Are you kidding?…there's no way you'd fit into this" she mocked
"Have you guys finished yet?" Peyton popped her around the curtain "Me and Haley were talking about getting some lunch"
"Am just gonna go pay for this" Rachel winked at Brooke, urging her to take her advice and poison Peyton's mind. The red head then quickly exited the changing room area and made her way to the counter
There was an awkward pause between the two women, as Brooke collected her bags together "Look, Brooke, I know we haven't really had chance to talk properly since me and Lucas announced we were getting married…" the curly blonde explained, as Brooke's stomach sank at the mention of the happy couple "And, I know it must be a little awkward for you to see Lucas engaged-"
Brooke cut Peyton off before she had chance to continue "Why?…why would it be awkward? he's my best friend, I want him to be happy" she answered all in one breath, like she was trying hard to convince Peyton that what she was saying was true. Trying hard to convince herself that what she was saying was true
"I just thought with me and Lucas moving out to LA, you might feel a bit…lonely" she knew what she was doing. She knew that Brooke didn't know about the move to LA. But, what else could she do? She couldn't marry Lucas, knowing how close him and Brooke were. She couldn't be the second woman in her husbands life "And, I know its my fault…I know that he's only agreeing to move because of me…" she turned the knife even harder, but couldn't help but feel guilty as she saw the pain she was causing Brooke
"No…" Brooke shook her head as the tears threatened to fall "He wouldn't do that, he wouldn't leave me"
Brooke felt fear take over her whole body. How could Lucas leave her? After fifteen years of friendship? He couldnt do that. He wouldnt do that. Would he?
"Things have changed now, Brooke…" she talked softly "You guys aren't ten years old anymore, you have to get on with your own lives" she continued "Lucas thinks the same way, he's spoken to Nathan and Haley about it too-"
Brooke didn't know what she hated more. The fact that Peyton felt she had the right to talk to Brooke about her friendship with Lucas. A friendship Peyton didn't know anything about. Or that fact that Lucas had kept this a secret from her. That he'd told everyone else about the move before he'd told her "Are you ok?" Peyton patronised the brunette further
"Fine" Brooke said under her breath "Why wouldn't I be?" she shrugged it off like it was nothing, before searching through some clothes on the rack in front of her "Your right anyway, its time me and Lucas got on with our own lives" she didn't know if she meant her words. But, she was too angry to say anything else right now.
"Brooke Davis?" Brooke felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned to see a tall, dark and tanned guy standing before her "It's me…" he told her in a gritty voice "It's me, Felix"
"…Hey" was the only word Brooke managed to muster, given the fact that she'd just found out that the guy she loved would be leaving her in a matter of weeks
"How you been?" he asked her cheerfully
"Yeah…good" she replied, still a little confused by the large amount of information she'd had to absorb in minutes "You?"
"Great…I just got back from the army a few days ago" he gave her a smile and a nod
"That's so weird, I got back from New York last Friday"
"Yeah, I actually have a confession to make…" he looked coy "I spotted you and Lucas at the airport…" he explained "I've been tryna find you ever since…I looked at that restaurant you use to like on the Riverwalk, errm, that Bar we use to go to in town…and then I came here, I figured on a Saturday afternoon, this would be the only place you'd be" he chuckled slightly but Brooke could sense his awkwardness
"You know, you should have just come to Karen's…" she told him, whilst Peyton listened in on the conversation
"Yeah, I knew you'd be staying there…but I didn't think me showing up and asking for you would exactly please Lucas" he replied, remembering the tension between him and Brooke's best friend. Brooke and Felix had dated for a few months back in High School, and Lucas didn't exactly approve of the relationship. He hated it in fact. He'd always claimed Felix didn't treat Brooke well. He was right though. Brooke knew that. Felix knew that
"I don't actually think he would have cared that much at the moment, he's too busy planning his wedding…" Brooke spoke with a little jealously "Speaking of, this is Peyton…Lucas' fiancé…" she directed Felix's attention to the blonde, who was standing beside her
"Hey…Congratulations" Felix and Peyton greeted each other "So, this may seem a little weird but…seen as though you no longer have bodyguard Scott with you-" he referred to Lucas, who during High School would always be by Brooke's side. He wouldn't let any guy near her. He wouldn't let any guy hurt her "I wondered if you'd maybe wanna go out for dinner, or drinks or both?" he asked, his eyes hopeful
Brooke didn't want to go on a date with the guy that, frankly, was a jerk to her. But, she was starting to think Rachel was right. If she wanted Lucas back she had to play the game. She had to make him feel the way she did. She had to make him jealous "Yeah…" she agreed
"Great…well, can I get your number?" he asked, politely as he pulled out his cell and Brooke recited her number to him "Awesome…I'll call you later, ok?"
"Alright…I'll look forward to it" she lied whilst giving him a sweet smile before he walked away
She knew Lucas would be angry if he found out about her and Felix. She hoped he'd be angry. She hoped that he'd feel the same kind of jealously she felt. The jealously that made your stomach churn. The jealously that made your skin crawl. The jealously that you'd give anything to kill. And, she didn't want to have to put Lucas through that pain. But, she had too. She had to find out if he held the same feelings for her. She had to stop him from leaving her. She couldnt let him leave her.
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Hope ya'll liked the new chapter. As always, thanks to all the people who commented on the last chapter. The support for this fic here, and also on othfans has been unbelievable so far, so keep it up guys! lol!
Sophia x