I love all the reviews! Please, please keep them coming because they inspire me to write more and I know you guys would really like that. Thanks! ----Sera

Disclaimer: I could pretend all I want, but OTH is still not mine. Damn you, Mark Schwahn.

Lucas turned to see Brooke standing behind him.

"Any room for me on that picnic table?" She asked.

"There isn't a bed or sign of Nathan anywhere here, so I'm not quite sure of what to answer." Lucas grunted.

Brooke winced. "I'll take that as an odd way of saying yes." She sat next to him, wincing again when he moved a good couple inches away from her.

She hesitantly touched his arm and he jerked her hand off.

"I don't want it to be this way between us, Luke." Brooke said softly.

"I didn't want you to sleep with Nathan, either and look how nicely that turned out." He said sarcastically.

"We didn't mean for it to happen!"

"Yeah. Right." Lucas snorted.

"I have an idea; instead of making all these ridiculous assumptions, why don't you listen to me explain for once?" Brooke asked hotly.

"Why should I even listen to you?" He asked in a very accusing tone. "Frankly, I shouldn't even be talking to you right now, so consider yourself lucky that I'm just worried about Haley – whom you happen to hurt really badly."

"You're not being very fair, Lucas!"

Lucas stood up, shaking in anger. "You expect me to be fair what I just saw?! You try to be me that moment – walking into my brother and the love of my life –" he stopped himself. "Sorry – I mean the ex­-love of my life."

"I expect you to understand –" Brooke began.

He actually burst out laughing, in a sardonic sort of way. "Tell me, Brooke – how exactly do I understand a situation where my heart is ripped out from my chest and practically stepped on?"

She was crying freely now. "And you don't think I wasn't hurt by all of this?! I was – and am hurt by all this! You think I wanted to break up with my lame excuse for a boyfriend, go and get wasted then wind up with Nathan?! I don't! Not only did I lose my best friend in the world but I also lost the only guy I've ever truly loved – all because they think something happened last night when nothing really did!"

Lucas stared at her in utter shock, his jaw dropped. Did he just hear her say….?

"Nathan and I never slept together! We were both feeling miserable and it just so happened that we went to the bar to drown ourselves in alcohol! We went to his bedroom but nothing happened because he stopped it! He said he didn't want to hurt Haley because he loved her! Nothing happened, Luke!" Brooke screamed.

"Brooke –" Lucas began, reaching out to her but she pushed him away.

"So now you change your mind about me?! Screw you, Lucas Scott! You stand there, making me feel all guilty about something that didn't really happen when you cheated on me, too!" She laughed derisively at the questioning look on his face. "Remember Peyton – remember what you did?! But I let it go – I forgave Peyton and I forgave you! I'm sorry about opening old wounds again but what you did was just as unforgivable! You weren't drunk when you were sneaking around behind my back – and you didn't care! At least I had the decency to stop! You wouldn't have stopped if I didn't find out!"

He was staring at her, stunned and speechless.

Brooke was choking on her own words, so she sobbed for a while. He didn't dare to come close and comfort her.

"Since I'm being honest now, why don't I tell you about my feelings for you? I've never – and I repeat – never gotten over you, Lucas! I never told you that I still had a thing for you because I didn't want to get hurt again – and I thought that it wouldn't last long…" Her voice trailed off. When she spoke again, her voice was trembling.

"It did – and I did my best to be happy with us being friends – don't get me wrong – it was great – but . . . it's not fair for me to keep holding on to something that didn't seem to come, right? That's why I kept hooking up with so many guys because I hoped I'd forget about you – but I never could…"

"Brooke, I'm sorry –" Lucas said softly.

"This was a mistake – this was all a mistake." Before he could say anything to stop her, Brooke was gone.

It was already nearing seven that night when Haley peeped out the window for the thousandth time. As much as she hated herself to admit, she did feel sorry for Nathan. He had been sitting out there all day, not leaving the spot.

Don't be such a softie – he deserves to be punished after what he did to you and Lucas. A voice in her head said sternly.

I love him! I couldn't just leave him there overnight! It gets really cold late at night and he's wearing nothing but ordinary clothes! Another voice said hysterically.

Will you stop pitying him and think about all the things he did to you? Personally, he should be castrated after all of that but you're just too nice to not do anything.

I can't just sit in here and pretend he's not outside on my doorstep.

Haley's thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

"Hello?"

"Hales -? It's me, Peyton. Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"Hi, Peyton. I think I've cried my eyes out long enough – so yes, I am, what you say, fine." Haley replied, unable to resist glancing out the window.

"Do you – do you know where Nathan is?" Peyton asked tentatively.

Haley heard a sharp intake of breath, realizing that Peyton was preparing herself for some form of angry ranting and rambling. "Yeah – he's actually been on my doorstep all day."

"Oh, Hales – I'm so sorry – I've talked to Brooke about it and she explained –"

She instantly flared. "I don't give a rat's ass about her pathetic excuse for an explanation! I saw it – Lucas saw it – what else is there to know?!"

"B-but Haley…"

"She's there with you know, isn't she?! Well, you can just tell her to go and screw some other random guy like she does every time her life suddenly sucks because if giving me a stupid explanation is going to make things better, it's not!" Haley shouted.

Peyton sighed. "Okay, okay – I'm not even going to insist on this. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright. 'Bye." Haley placed her phone on her bedside table and began to get ready for bed. All the while, she couldn't help but think about Nathan.

Haley shook her head, pushing the thought away.

"He deserves it, he deserves it, he deserves it…" She muttered to herself as she crawled under the covers.

She closed her eyes and the sight of Nathan shivering in the cold and crouched on her doormat filled her brain. Swearing loudly, Haley tried to think of something else.

Haley tossed and turned in bed, trying to fall asleep but she couldn't. Her thoughts were full of him and it was getting on her nerves.

After what seemed to be ages, Haley couldn't take it anymore and opened the front door. "I am so going to regret this in the morning but I am such a goddamned nice person and –" she stopped, seeing the black eye Nathan was sporting. "Nate – you're hurt! Come inside, I'll get some ice for you…"

All thoughts objecting what she had just done suddenly disappeared as she led him inside the apartment.

(Cue thrilling suspense music) Once again, I have left you all hanging. I really am starting to enjoy writing these cliffhangers. Leave a review if you want to find out what happens next!

BTW you guys, I am posting a new Naley story entitled Collide and I'd really appreciate it if you guys could check it out and maybe leave a nice review while you're at it (hint, hint). Thank you!

----Sera