Author's Note: So, again, sorry about the long hiatus.
I'm usually not one to care about reviews or hits, but I have noticed a significant decline in both lately. Is there a specific reason why? I already know the direction that my story is heading, but if you guys want to see more of certain characters, let me know! I write for myself, but I'd also love for the story to be entertaining to all of you as well. So hit the review button or PM me and let me know how to improve! I'd really appreciate it.
Also, I am proud to announce that I just posted a brand new story, Three-Hundred and Sixty-Five, so check it out and let me know what you think!
Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all have a safe evening.
#9.
She's my whole world, Lucas thought for the hundredth time as he smiled tenderly at Brooke. He had spent the last eight-plus hours lying in bed next to the girl of his dreams watching her sleep. Hour after hour, he kept an eye on her, feeling protective of her. Unfortunately, he couldn't save her from the demons that tortured her subconscious.
Slowly emerging from a deep sleep, Brooke rubbed her eyes attempting to get a better look at her surroundings. From what she could make out through clouded vision, the walls were white and sterile, and an unfamiliar scent filled the air. A quiet hum from a machine near her bedside beeped at constant intervals. "Luke?" Brooke croaked groggily as she attempted to sit up in bed. "Where are you?"
"It's okay. You're waking up from the anesthesia" an anonymous voice answered.
"What—where am I?" Brooke questioned, as panic began to sink in. Still feeling extremely dizzy and lethargic, she tried to stand up, but was stung by a sharp tug on her arm—an IV.
"Ma'am, you need to stay in bed. You need to rest." Amidst her hazy vision, Brooke was able to make out a dark figure in front of her. Resisting a strong grasp on her arms, Brooke attempted to free herself from the forceful grip. Unsuccessful and exhausted, tears began to fall from her eyes.
"What are you talking about? What am I doing here? Where's Luke?" Unable to control her emotions, Brooke began to sob as she continued to frantically look around the room, still unable to distinguish her location. Rubbing her eyes again, her vision slowly began to clear. Darting her eyes from left to right, images flashed before her eyes, but none of them made any sense. Medical equipment, latex gloves, needles. "Luke!?" Brooke screamed.
"That must have been the father…" Brooke heard a voice whisper from the distance.
"I guess so…" a female voice responded, "too bad he'll never be able to see his baby…"
"What are you talking about?!" Brooke yelled frantically. "Who are you people!? Where am I?!"
"Luke!" Brooke screamed out loud as she awoke from the nightmare, quickly pulling Lucas from a light sleep. He hadn't been able to sleep; he was too worried about her, about the baby, about their life together. His mind kept swirling and wouldn't allow him any peace and quiet.
"Wha—what is it? Lucas questioned sitting straight up in bed and turning the bedside lamp on. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
"I—I had a…" Brooke paused, trying to pull herself back to reality, "nightmare." Her hands immediately went to her abdomen, which was still swollen and full. Even though she had obviously been dreaming, it seemed hauntingly real to her.
Pulling his distraught girlfriend into his arms, Lucas held her close to him. Attempting to slow her breathing, Brooke took several deep breaths. "Do you want to talk about it?" Lucas asked, once Brooke had calmed down slightly.
"I don't know—it was horrible—the baby was gone and you weren't there" Brooke's voice rambled incoherently as she shook her head. Lucas wasn't oblivious to the fact that Brooke was still extremely worried about losing him, as well as their baby. Her strong exterior might've told a different story, but he knew in her heart and soul that she needed healing and that would take time. For now all of he could do was be supportive and show her he wasn't going anywhere, that her family—their family—wasn't going anywhere.
"Hey, it's okay," Lucas' calm voice soothed her, "the baby is okay, and I'm right here. I promise I'm not going anywhere." Kissing her lightly on the forehead, he held her in his arms until she stopped shaking. "You should lie back down. You need your rest." Lucas pushed, hoping she'd agree. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight—he was sure of that—but that didn't mean she shouldn't. Brooke nodded in agreement, even though she didn't want to go back to bed. She didn't want to slip back to a world where she was alone and scared. Not when she could stay here, with Lucas, where she knew she and her baby were safe. Lying down, she noticed Lucas didn't follow suit.
"Aren't you coming back to bed?" Brooke questioned, resting her hand on his thigh.
"Don't worry about me. I'll fall asleep eventually. Close your eyes." Lucas smiled down at her, lying for her own good.
Hesitating, Brooke slowly closed her eyes. Keeping them shut, she spoke slowly, "I don't want to lose this baby…"
"And we're not going to. I'm going to keep both of you safe." Lucas promised, stroking her cheek. "Now go to sleep. I will see you in the morning." Seeing her lips curl into a small smile, he smiled, too. Flipping the light switch off, he laid back down in bed. He was going to watch over her.
After a few moments had passed, Lucas noticed a quiet sigh escape Brooke's lips as she drifted off to sleep. He hoped she would be able to have a few hours of uninterrupted, peaceful sleep. As the hours passed he continually observed her as she slept. The way her eyelids gently flickered, the way she occasionally gnawed at her lip, how her chest heaved and how her hand tightly clasped his. For right now, with all of the uncertainty in their lives, the love they shared was constant, and somehow that made everything else seem insignificant, even if only for a short time.
Softly touching her cheek, Lucas smiled as Brooke slowly opened her eyes. "Good morning, beautiful." His voice was music to her ears as she woke from a much needed night sleep.
"Good morning, boyfriend" Brooke smiled as she rolled onto her side to face him.
"How did you sleep?" Lucas questioned intently, hoping that she had been nightmare-free.
Sitting up in bed, Brooke ran her fingers through her hair and put it up into a messy ponytail. "If you're asking if I had any more crazy dreams about my boyfriend and baby being M.I.A, then no." Brooke laughed warily, but then paused, becoming serious. "For the millionth time, thank you for being there for me Luke. I feel like a broken record."
"It really wasn't…" Lucas yawned, "…a big deal."
"Did you get any sleep at all?!" Brooke asked, worried.
"No…your snoring kept me up." Lucas smiled. Brooke's response was a playful punch in the shoulder.
"I do not snore!" Brooke demanded, folding her hands over her chest adamantly, a playful pout appearing at her lips.
Lucas laughed. "You're right, you don't, but you do this really cute thing with your nose…" Kissing the tip of her nose he stepped back and smiled widely, his hands resting on her hips.
"Hey! That's just about enough sleep analysis, Doctor" Brooke laughed as she pushed his hands off of her.
"Okay, okay!" Lucas responded, raising his hands in surrender.
Without warning, Lucas' bedroom door swung wide open. "I thought I heard two voices in here" Karen's tone didn't reveal whether she was concerned or pleasantly surprised.
"Karen…hi" Brooke smiled nervously.
"Hey mom, I can explain..." Lucas rambled quickly, "I---"
"Lucas. Kitchen. Now." Karen spoke assertively, before turning around and leaving the room. If Lucas knew what was best, he would follow her, and she knew that.
"Wow, someone is grouchy this morning" Brooke whispered once the coast was clear. "Too bad she didn't have my big, strong, bodyguard standing by…"
"Where is he?" Lucas joked, "I think I'm going to need him to protect me from my mom."
"Oh, no, you didn't just say that" Brooke rolled her eyes. "There goes all of my fantasies—right out the window!!" Emphasizing with a heavy sigh, she flopped back down in bed.
"I'd love to hear more about these fantasies" Lucas' face lowered as he kissed Brooke softly on the lips, his fingers lingering at her clavicle, "but I have to go get my ass kicked." They kissed once more before Lucas got out of bed and trudged towards the door.
"Hey, I need you back in one piece!" Brooke yelled after him. "Well, one piece in particular…" she smirked and winked at him.
Laughing, Lucas shook his head, "I forgot how horny you always are."
"You forgot that? When you get back I'll have to remind you," she jabbed back. "Frankly, I'm disappointed in you Lucas Scott, and offended!"
The door closed behind him and he could hear her giggles as he let go of the knob.
Walking down the hall to the kitchen, Lucas took several deep breaths. The lack of sleep and overall nervousness he was experiencing left him unable to form any coherent thoughts, let alone a convincing argument on why Brooke was laying in his bed without his mother's approval. He knew he needed to come up with something good and quick. Stepping into the kitchen, Lucas observed his mother's body language for a few seconds, hoping to read her. Karen walked fast; putting dishes away in the cabinet without missing a beat before moving on to the laundry. "She didn't have the abortion, mom. We're having the baby" Lucas spat quickly without thinking.
Slowly setting down the laundry basket, Karen paused and looked her son in the face. He was still unable to decipher his mother's reaction. Happiness? Sadness? Regret? Pity? Finally, after several seconds in silence, Karen spoke. "How's Brooke?"
"Brooke?" Lucas questioned, surprised that his mother's first questioned wasn't aimed at him and his lack of regard for his mother and her rules, but at his girlfriend and her well-being. He suddenly didn't know why he was so nervous about talking to her in the first place. She had always been there for him, and he knew that this would be no different. "Well, she's a bit shook up. Haley brought her to me last night—"
"I know" Karen interjected. "She explained everything. She's a good friend to you. You know that, right?"
"Of course" Lucas confirmed. "I know you're wondering why Brooke was here this morning, but—"
"You can come out now, Brooke." Karen's voice was light and humorous as she noticed Brooke attempting to be stealth, standing behind the doorframe, her hot pink pedicure clearly visible. Peaking out from behind the small doorway, Brooke blushed, emerging slowly. "I'm sorry, Karen. I didn't mean to interrupt." Hesitantly walking over to the kitchen table, Brooke exchanged a worried look with Lucas.
"You didn't. We have a lot to talk about. All three of us. Come sit down. I'll get you a cup of tea." Standing up, Karen calmly walked over to the stove and began to boil water. Silence filled the room until she finally sat back down. Sliding a white porcelain cup Brooke's way, she began the interrogation. "So what are your plans?"
"We've decided to have the baby" Lucas repeated his earlier comment.
"You said that already. That's not what I'm asking. Anyone can have a baby. I'm asking you what your plans are. How are you going to afford this baby? What about school? Where are you going to live?" Karen shot question after question at them. The two of them responded with a blank, frightened stare. Neither of them blinked. They hadn't thought about the consequences of their actions, not really, anyway. They had barely gotten a chance to talk about any of this, and the seriousness of the situation suddenly seemed more real than ever. After a few seconds of silence had passed, Karen continued.
"See? It's not as simple as you thought, is it? As of now, your lives are going to change. This isn't going to be easy by any means" Karen added firmly. "This isn't playing house. You're going to be raising a child. That isn't something to take lightly." She wasn't trying to scare them, but she knew they needed honesty now more than ever.
"We know this isn't going to be easy" Brooke concluded, "and we aren't taking this lightly."
"We love each other, mom. We're going to make this work," Lucas added, squeezing Brooke's hand.
Karen had been through this. She had dealt with her pregnancy alone, and she knew they had an advantage. They had each other, and that was important, but she desperately needed them to understand the truth of the matter: this was going to be incredibly difficult. "And love is great, but love isn't going to put food on the table. Love isn't going to buy you diapers. Love isn't going to get you both through college." Karen answered harshly, bursting their bubble of a happily ever after.
"I was hoping I could get a few extra shifts at the café" Lucas asked quietly, feeling more defeated by the second. Were they really ready for this?
"Of course you can. Lucas, I don't mean to sound cruel. Don't get me wrong. I'm going to do everything in my power to help you two, but you need to stand on your own two feet. That means taking responsibility. That means understanding your life is different now. You don't have only yourself to consider now."
She was right.
Pulling a white t-shirt over his head, Lucas attempted to persuade Brooke. "Are you sure you want to go back to your place? I wish you would stay here where I can keep an eye on you."
"Please," Brooke pleaded, "don't make this any harder. I can't intrude on Karen like that."
"Fine" he gave in, too tired to argue any further. It had already been an extremely tiring day. "Let's go. I have to go to practice. I'll drop you off at your place" Lucas motioned towards the door as he flung his gym bag over his shoulder.
"Thank you" Brooke responded under her breath as she followed him out the door.
Arriving at her doorstep, Brooke turned her key in the lock and pushed the door open. Turning around to face boyfriend, she frowned. She hated the worried look that seemed to be plastered on his face as of late. The combined stress of no sleep and an exhausting afternoon of Q&A with Karen had obviously sent him over the edge. He literally looked as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and she wished she could help him relax.
"What is it?" Lucas questioned, still concerned with her well being, even though he was running on about fifteen minutes of sleep and looked like the walking dead.
"You look like something out of a horror flick" Brooke had never been one to hold her tongue. "I'm worried about you," she added sincerely, running her fingers over his forearm.
"Don't worry about me, I'm tough" Lucas puffed up his chest for added effect. In reality, he was beyond exhausted, but he had to be strong for Brooke. She needed him to be that guy for her.
"Sure you are" Brooke laughed as she poked him in the stomach. "Don't you think practice is a bad idea?" Attempting to coerce him further, she tugged on his t-shirt. "Come inside. I'll give you one of my infamous backrubs!" Her words tempted him, but he knew that if he missed a practice he wouldn't be able to play in the game on Friday. He couldn't let his team down. He could work through the exhaustion.
"I'll be done at eight. Rain check?" Lucas questioned, knowing she'd understand.
"It's a date" Brooke sent a cheeky grin his way before kissing him lightly on the lips. "And I'll be sure to refresh your memory of how horny I can be."
Sitting down on her bed, Brooke flipped her cell phone open. Finding the correct contact in her address book, she hit TALK quickly, not allowing any time to talk herself out of this. After three drawn out rings in her ear, she began to give up hope. As she was about to close the phone, a voice answered. It seemed foreign to her. After an awkward pause on the other line, she revealed her identity. "Mom? It's me. Brooke. Look, you might want to sit down..."
"Luke!" Nathan yelled after slamming his locker door shut. Lucas stopped in his tracks, even though he was already halfway out the door. "Wait up, man!" Jogging up to him slowly, he smirked. "What piece of ass has you in such a hurry? Brooke? Or is it Peyton this week?"
Clenching his jaw, Lucas resisted the urge to take him down. He loved his brother, but Nathan had unknowingly crossed the line and that wasn't something Lucas could laugh off. Maybe it was the stress of the entire week he had been through, or his sudden realization on how misleading his behavior with Peyton, but he didn't find the snide comment even remotely funny. "I am not sleeping with Peyton" was all he was able to get out through gritted teeth. "Now back off man, before I make you back off." Pushing him slightly on the chest with an open palm, Nathan stepped aside.
"Okay, okay!" Nathan raised his hands, surrendering, even though he was unsure of exactly what he had done wrong.
"Hey boyfriend" Brooke smiled as she wrapped her hands around Lucas' neck. "It's about time you got here. I was about to get myself started without you."
Lucas chucked lightly. "You were, were you?"
"Mmhmm" Brooke nodded, biting her lip seductively.
"Then I guess it's a good thing I'm here now" Lucas smiled, throwing his duffle bag aside and pulling Brooke closer to him and kissing her forcefully.
Breaking apart only momentarily, Brooke's lips lingered only centimeters from Lucas' as she spoke. "I promised I was going to remind you just how horny you make me." Running her fingers over his lips she paused for added effect, "And baby, I never break a promise."
Within moments they lips crashed into each other once again, their tongues exploring the familiar territory. Blinded by passion, they pushed their way through Brooke's bedroom door. "I love it when you're all hot and sweaty after practice" Brooke grinned, aggressively pulling his sweat-drenched t-shirt over his head. Throwing it to the floor, she began planting kisses across his shoulders and down his chest and stomach slowly making her way down onto her knees. "I missed this" Brooke spoke seductively as she slowly ran her hands up his thighs, finally settling on his growing erection. Seeing her looking up at him with her big hazel eyes, Lucas suddenly felt a surge of passion surge through him. Realizing how turned on he was she smiled widely. "I guess I'm doing something right, huh?" Tugging lightly on his boxers, they fell to the floor with ease, and suddenly, Lucas' memory came flooding back.
"Do you want any ice cream? It's mint chocolate chip, your favorite!" Brooke asked, her head buried halfway into the freezer.
"Sure." Spread out on the couch with his head resting in his hands. Feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks, Lucas watched Brooke gather up bowls and spoons. Once she sat down next to him, he wrinkled his nose. "You have more than I do" Lucas whined.
"Eating for two, remember?" Brooke laughed, shoveling a huge pile of the green ice cream into her mouth.
"So unfair" Lucas pouted.
"Speaking of unfair" Brooke sighed heavily as she waved a bank statement in Lucas' face. "We're poor. I'm going to have to sell my clothes—or my body" she added, pretending to seriously consider the latter.
Lucas shoved her arm and rolled his eyes. "You are not selling this body. This body is for my eyes only" he replied.
"Seriously Luke" Brooke whined, "I called my mom today. I told her everything, and she basically told me she didn't care, that I got myself into this mess and I was going to get myself out! They've totally cut me off. We're broke."
Glancing down at the bank statement, Brooke's accusations were confirmed. They had seventy-five dollars and sixty-three cents to their name. Throwing the piece of paper aside, Lucas swore under his breath. No longer hungry, he brought his bowl into the kitchen and dropped it into the sink without care. A loud crash echoed in the metal basin causing Brooke to jump. She watched him pace around the kitchen, running his fingers through his hair.
"There's something else" Brooke said quietly, breaking the silence. Lucas looked up and stopped pacing as he intently awaited a response. "I have a few shares of stock. My parents gave them to me as a present for my sixteenth birthday. I had always planned on cashing them in for a trip or a cruise after graduation" Brooke laughed somewhat bitterly to herself at how superficial that all seemed now.
"Brooke, I know you mean well, but I can't have you do that—" Lucas walked towards her, trying to talk her out of it. "I'll work extra shifts at the café. You should still be able to have your dream vacation." Lucas wanted to take care of this, obviously. He didn't want to deprive her of more than what had already been taken from her.
"No, Lucas, I want to do this. We need to do this" Brooke demanded sternly, looking him in the eyes. For what seemed like the very first time since she found out she was pregnant, the reality of it all set in. She was making sacrifices for her family. Unfortunately, that didn't help her from wishing she could've had the trip she had been dreaming about for the last three years.
"Are you sure?" Lucas questioned. If this was going to work, he was going to have to let Brooke in. This would have to be a team effort.
"I'm sure" Brooke nodded, reaching out for his hands. Lucas quickly grabbed for her small hands, interlocking their fingers. Leading her back to the couch, Lucas looked over at her and smiled. Brooke quickly caught his gaze.
"What is it? Do I have ice cream on my face?" Brooke questioned, as he fingers automatically rose to her face, searching for sticky spots.
"No" Lucas laughed, "It's just…you're incredible. You're already making such a huge sacrifice..." he trailed off as his eyes dropped to her stomach. "I just want you to know that I love you so much, and this is the first moment where I believe this could actually work—we're family now, you know?"
"I know, crazy, isn't it?" Brooke giggled lightly as she looked down at her slowly growing belly.
"Crazy is right…" Lucas' voice trailed off as his mind wandered. "How much money are the stocks worth, anyway?"
"At least I few thousand. Four at least." Brooke answered nonchalantly.
"Four grand? Brooke! That's enough to get us on our feet!" Lucas responded enthusiastically.
"Just call me your sugar mama" Brooke grinned, feeling more proud of herself by the second.
Finally feeling a sense of calm wash over him once again, Lucas stretched out on the couch. "C'mere, you…" It didn't take Brooke long to quickly place her ice cream on the coffee table and fall into his arms. "We're going to be okay." Lucas assured both of them.
"We're going to be okay," Brooke repeated, hoping with all of her might that he was right.