A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you for your wonderful feedback. It took my a while to post this part because I couldn't find an song except that I liked and I'm still really satisfied with this one but I can't hold out forever. shrugs

Hope everyone continues to enjoy! Thanks again!!!

Chapter 16 - Breakaway

Trying hard to reach out
But when I'd try to speak out
Felt like no one could hear me
Wanted to belong here
But something felt so wrong here

Had it been her parents, calling just to say they missed her, Brooke Davis couldn't have been more surprised to hear Haley James on the other end of the phone line. "Look, I know this is totally unexpected," the studious brunette began nervously. "I just… well, say that Nathan invited me to Tim's party tonight. Hypothetically speaking of course. Do you think he's just trying to play some game with me or that maybe he's just trying to be nice because I tutor him?" Haley rushed out in one breath.

Less than a week before, she had called him an ass while they sat stuck together throughout the storm. Now Haley still believed he was an ass but she wondered if that was really all he was.

"Do you have a thing for Nathan?" Brooke asked, completely mystified by the latest development.

"No," Haley quickly denied. A little too quickly as far as Brooke was concerned. "No, it's just… well we can be friends, can't we? At least casual ones now that he and Lucas are getting along a little better," she rationalized, unaware of the amused grin that began to turn up the corners of Brooke's lips. "Besides, a good working relationship is conducive to positive production, right?"

"Uh…. Speak any English?"

"Getting along will make it easier to help Nathan with his school work," Haley amended dryly.

"So then what's the big deal? Are you afraid Lucas will flip if he find out you're jonesing for his brother?" It was said so cavalierly that Haley almost agreed before she realized what she was agreeing to. Groaning with frustration, she laid back against her mattress and studied the ceiling for a few silent moments.

"Yes and no," she finally admitted.

"Elaboration please."

"Okay, Nathan is an ass who gave Lucas a hard time and cheated on his girlfriend repeatedly," Haley reminded. "That is so not the kind of guy I want to date. He's trouble. Big trouble and I'd be completely stupid to have the smallest, tiniest little crush on him, wouldn't I?" she asked, half hoping Brooke would say yes and half hoping she'd say no.

Yet aside from one sticky little problem, Brooke could absolutely picture Nathan and Haley together. It was the kind of pairing great chick flicks were made of. The misunderstood, popular player who had a bad track record but a heart of gold. He'd meet the sweet, innocent and scared to commit girl. They'd fall for each other but both would be scared to admit it out loud at first. Fear of getting hurt would play a big part, along with concern about the reactions of friends and family.

Of course they'd have to get over it eventually so they could end up together when all was said and done.

"Nathan's an ass," Brooke agreed, pausing with a smile when she heard Haley's sigh. There was her answer. "But he's also a really great guy when you're lucky enough to break down his walls. He's a good friend, one of the most loyal I've ever had and I wouldn't say you're stupid for crushing on him. I'd say you were special enough to see through the crap he hides behind. Because really he's just as scared of getting hurt as anyone else is." With Dan Scott for a father, it was almost impossible to not close yourself in with walls. It was the only way to keep out the garbage the older man spewed and it was the only way to save yourself from believing it all hook, line and sinker.

"But what about Peyton?" Haley couldn't help asking. "She was his girlfriend but he wasn't exactly loyal to her."

Nodding to herself, Brooke took a deep breath before attempting to explain. "I'd never condone what he did with Theresa. Nathan was wrong, plain and simple and he knows it too. It's just that excluding all the major details, in a lot of ways Nathan and Peyton were almost like the same person. And dating yourself never works." The two had tried to make their relationship a good one and at times, Peyton definitely worked harder at it than Nathan did. She was infatuated and completely committed to making things work between them. The problem was that Peyton was someone he could never get close enough to no matter how hard he tried. No matter how open she considered herself to be.

Her walls were thicker and higher than his and eventually, he stopped wanting to try. It became too much and instead of doing the right thing by ending it, he chickened out and just slept with Theresa instead. He knew Peyton would eventually find out and then she'd save him the trouble of having to break up with her.

But it backfired.

When the curly blonde found out the truth about his cheating, Nathan realized what he had lost. He wondered if maybe things could have been different if he had only tried a little harder. Unfortunately it was too late and there was nothing he could do to take back the hurt it caused.

Since then Peyton had been so angry that Nathan gave up his attempts to have any semblance of friendship with her. Now he was just as angry as she was.

"If you like Nathan or you think you might be able to, then trust that. But don't worry about what Lucas will think or what happened with Peyton. None of that should matter if you're happy," Brooke advised gently, still a bit surprised that Haley wanted her opinion at all. A few months back, she never would have imagined it.

If asked to define it, Brooke would say that their friendship was tentative at best. They were polite to one another but didn't really talk beyond the obligatory greetings. At least not since the night they teamed up to help Lucas. "I hope you're taking your own advice," Haley quietly said, briefly interrupting Brooke's train of thought.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well you and Nathan are friends," Haley reminded simply. "So I hope you aren't worrying about what he'll say when he finds out about you and Lucas dating."

"He already knows," Brooke replied. This time Haley was the one momentarily thrown off. "He's fine with it for as long as I'm happy." Though it wasn't said in so many words, Brooke knew it was what his support meant. He would make an effort for their sake of their friendship. His invitation to Lucas for the night's party was proof of it. "You know if you want to go to the party, why don't you come by my place in a little bit," she said impulsively. "We can get ready together or something and then you can tag along with me and Luke. Maybe it'll make the first step a little easier to take."

Biting her lip, Haley considered the invitation with uncertainty.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Brooke's motives or because she was scared of feeling like a third wheel. Haley just didn't know if she could take that first step Brooke talked about. Or more importantly, she didn't know if she wanted to. After all, she had no idea how Nathan felt. For all Haley knew, he was just being kind to his tutor because of all the help she'd given him. Or maybe it was to make up for the disastrous night spent in the café.

"I don't even know why I'm agreeing to this. I still think he's an ass," Haley groaned dramatically.

Laughing, Brooke couldn't resist saying, "But he's a cute ass."

Despite her inner struggle, Haley was inclined to agree.

-----

Earlier that afternoon Lucas had received a phone call from Brooke, informing him that his best friend would be tagging along with them to the party. So when Lucas got to the red door, it was no surprise that Haley had been the one to answer it. What had shocked him was the way she had dressed for the night. "Hales?" he asked, eyes widened a little when she opened the door and stood nervously with her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Didn't anyone tell you how rude it is to gawk at another hot girl in front of your girlfriend?" Brooke asked, teasing when she saw Lucas' awestruck expression. It effectively broke the tension and halted the inevitable question Lucas was sure to ask. Not that Haley expected him to keep from asking for long. After all, she hadn't exactly extended him the same courtesy when he began spending a lot of extra time with Brooke. "Seriously, I thought they took boys aside in 6th grade health class and taught them that."

Rolling her eyes, Haley couldn't help but laugh along with Brooke while Lucas cleared his throat. He rolled his own eyes and smiled apologetically at his girlfriend.

"Forgiven," she said, reading his expression perfectly. "Besides… she does look pretty hot if I do say so myself," Brooke added innocently.

"Yeah, apparently Brooke never played with Barbies as a child so she decided to play dress up with a life-sized version," Haley informed sarcastically.

"She says it with disdain now but you should have seen her an hour ago," Brooke ratted her out. "Going through my makeup and clothes, she was like a kid in a candy store. And would you believe that's the eighth outfit she tried on?" Smirking, she narrowed her eyes playfully at Haley. As though telling the other brunette that she could play too.

"Well you both look amazing," Lucas complimented though his eyes lingered on Brooke appreciatively before glancing briefly over at his friend.

For the night, Haley decided to wear a blue denim mini skirt paired with a black off the shoulder top and matching boots. Lucas could guess that Brooke had been the one to curl Haley's hair and apply the smoky shadow to her eyes. "Thanks, boyfriend," Brooke said as she leaned up to receive a quick kiss.

Her own outfit consisted of fitted jeans and an emerald green halter top that bared her entire back, save for the two thin straps that held it together. A black leather jacket would keep her warm outside while Haley reached for a coat Lucas had never seen before. It was an easy assumption that it had also been a loan from Brooke. "Yeah, perv… thanks," Haley said dryly, earning herself a laugh from Brooke and a narrowed eyed expression from her best friend.

"To your separate corners," Brooke banished them while she went upstairs to grab her cell phone and keys.

"Is it safe to assume that I finally have you approval?"

"You never needed my approval, Luke."

"I know," he acknowledged. "But it's still good to know that my best friend gets along with my girlfriend."

Sighing, Haley tried to explain. "It's not that I ever disapproved of Brooke. I just didn't want things to be any harder for you than they already were." After that first night, Haley could only imagine how much worse it could all get. She was scared that Lucas was in way over his head. Even a month later, the remembrance of that night still made Haley cringe.

It also made her wonder why on earth she was even contemplating her crush on Nathan when he had been the one to drug Lucas. Something that was ten times as worse as all the insults and ball hogging.

How was it that she had forgotten the worst part?

Haley couldn't imagine how it hadn't occurred to her when Nathan first issued the invite. Looking back on it, she didn't know why Brooke was encouraging her for that matter either. If anyone knew how well Nathan played his games, it was Brooke. "Um…I'll be right back. I think I left something upstairs too," Haley quickly excused and hurried up the stairs while Lucas waited, bewildered by the sudden change.

"Hey, tutorgirl. I was just on my way down…" Brooke trailed off as Haley grasped her arm and led her back into the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind them. "Okay, I'm flattered and all but you're not really my type."

"Be serious, Brooke," Haley scolded. "Why on earth would you want me give Nathan a chance when he's the one who drugged Lucas? You do remember that night, don't you? How do you even know that he won't go back on whatever agreement he made to leave Lucas alone?" she demanded, pacing back and forth across the carpet. Brooke could see how nervous she was so she didn't comment on the other girl's harshness. "God, he didn't just give him a hard time," Haley added, recanting her earlier words. "He actually got him drunk, took off all his clothes and then left him in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. How stupid am I to have not even considered all that? How naïve could I possibly be?"

"You aren't stupid, Haley and I believe what he says because Nathan isn't malicious. He isn't a liar, either. He's just a little broken on the inside."

The words stopped Haley cold as she turned to face Brooke again, worrying her lip between her teeth as she waited for more.

"Actually broken isn't the right word because he doesn't need someone to come along and fix him but he is bruised. And yes, he definitely screwed up big and I honestly can't make an excuse for him but I can tell you that a lot of it is misplaced anger. He hates Dan but he can't do a thing about it so he decided to hate Lucas instead," Brooke gently explained.

She struggled for the right words because there was really no way of explaining something that came down to a gut feeling.

"Again, I know it's nowhere near being a good enough reason or excuse. By any means at all. Because personally, Haley… I hate what he did to Lucas but I also know that he'll never do it again. He won't try because I asked him not to and even if he decided not to listen… he couldn't do anything because I wouldn't let him. I won't ever let him hurt Lucas," Brooke declared strongly. "If you believe nothing else… remember that night and remember that I was willing to put it all on the line for him."

Shaking her head, Haley declared, "I believe you, Brooke. I do. It's just… I can't like someone who has already tried to hurt my best friend. I just… I can't."

Seeing that Haley was determined to not feel anything, Brooke knew that there was nothing more for her to say on the subject. "Then don't like him but don't let your feelings and confusion keep you from going to the party. Just have fun. Talk to him, don't talk to him. In the end it's up to you."

The other brunette was suspicious at first. She half expected Brooke to defend Nathan a little more and was surprised when she didn't. "Just answer one thing for me Brooke. Please." Consenting, Brooke nodded and gestured for Haley to continue. "Why are your best friends two people that constantly hurt you, each other and everyone else?"

With a sad smile, Brooke replied, "They're good people inside, Haley. And if they've made a habit of hurting me, at least I know what to expect from them. Everyone else just blindsides you with it." Standing, Brooke gathered the items she tossed on the bed when Haley first dragged her in there. "Besides… who says I've never hurt them?"

-----

The party was in full swing by the time the trio arrived. Guys greeted Brooke with a mixture of warm or drunken hugs while simply nodding at Lucas. In an instant, a cup was thrust into her hands filled with someone unknown liquid. Friends, though Brooke would hardly consider them as close ones, called out in greeting.

Haley stayed behind the pair, content to blend in and remain unnoticed.

"I've been waiting to get you to the card table for a long time now, gorgeous," Brooke grinned up at her boyfriend. There was a teasing glint in her sparkling hazel eyes that amused and worried him all at once. "And now that I know you suck at Poker, I say we play a game or two," she suggested and pressed her body up against Lucas', hoping to tempt him into agreeing.

"Someone gag me now," Haley groaned loudly.

Rolling her eyes, Brooke reached out and grabbed the point guard's arm as he passed. "Hey Tim. You know Haley right?"

Sticking her tongue out childishly, Brooke laughed and led Lucas away while Haley groaned again. "Beautiful and evil. That's a dangerous combination, Brooke Davis," Lucas observed. Walking backwards, he winced as Haley smacked the back of Tim's head before walking off in the opposite direction. "Definitely at the top of her hit list now," he muttered under his breath.

"Tutorgirl needs to mingle," Brooke declared and accepted a kiss on the cheek from Bevin. "And to show off how hot she looks without that ugly crocheted poncho." Grabbing the deck of cards out of Theresa's hand, Brooke gave her a sarcastic smile and kinked her brow, indicating that the other girl needed to move to another spot.

Regardless of whatever problems she and Peyton were having, Brooke wasn't about to play nice with Theresa after the way she hurt the curly haired blonde.

Throughout the many parties she attended and the numerous guys she hooked up with, Brooke had a strong policy that was non-negotiable. Helping a boy cheat on his girlfriend was never acceptable. No matter who the girl was or hot the guy looked. Someone else's boyfriend was always off limits, no exceptions.

The way she figured it was that if you loved someone, you wouldn't want to cheat. So there was no need for a third party to pursue someone that felt that way.

And if the relationship was meaningless, then it shouldn't exist. Break up or work harder at it so that it did matter but never use it as an excuse to cheat. All it meant was that you had a total lack of respect for the person you were with. An opinion Brooke had shared with Nathan at length because of his indiscretions with Theresa. "Why don't we play in pairs?" Lucas suggested, realizing just how quick he'd lose his clothes if all the players were half as good as Brooke was.

"Oh! And if you lose, you get to pick which article of clothing your partner has to take off," Bevin added happily.

"And you have to take it off with their teeth!" Ashley threw in, eyeing the team's small forward hungrily.

"Hmm… I might just lose on purpose," Brooke teased and began dealing out the first hand.

Soon enough she ended up in Lucas' lap, her bare back pressed firmly against his chest while his arms draped loosely around her waist. So far he had only lost his shirt and even though Brooke always loved to win, she decided the sight of his chest and abs were well worth the loss. "I say we keep these three," Brooke decided and glanced at Lucas for support.

"You're the expert," he agreed easily.

"That's right baby, I am," Brooke smiled and leaned down for a long, languid kiss.

"Get a room!" Bevin and Ashley called out, unheard by either as Lucas pushed his tongue passed her lips. Hungrily, they devoured each other, momentarily forgetting where they were until the other players began to throw whatever small pieces of food they could find at them. "Oh my god! You two are together?!" Theresa practically shrieked, managing to pull Lucas and Brooke out of their lust induced fog. "That's so not fair! I wanted to try him out too," she pouted.

"That is never going to happen," Brooke glared at the dark haired girl.

She would hate it, but she wouldn't blame Lucas for ever wanting to find himself a nicer girl. But one thing Brooke wouldn't and couldn't allow was for Theresa to get her hooks into him. Not when the other girl only wanted to add Lucas to her collection so she could say she slept with both Scott Brothers.

"Brooke…" he murmured against her ear.

"Fine. Whatever," Theresa finally conceded and looked away.

Looking back at Lucas, Brooked tried to apologize with her eyes for the outburst. She didn't want him to feel like she considered him a possession of hers or something. She knew Lucas had to realize that as cheer captain and the school's queen, she had enough popularity points to make any girl on her squad submit. But that wasn't what her outburst had been about. It wasn't a power trip. It was the tightening she felt in her chest at the thought of another girl trying to use Lucas for sex.

"Let's take a walk," he suggested quietly and tossed their cards down onto the table.

Nodding, Brooke turned back to the others who sat watching, waiting to see what would happen next. "We fold."