Brooke opened one eye, sighing in contentment at the good night's rest she had just received. It was a lazy Sunday morning, one where you just wanted to lounge around in bed all day. Yawning and stretching her arms, she rolled over colliding with the warm body that lay next to her. She frowned but the look was quickly replaced with a smile when all the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. It had been a typical Saturday evening hanging out with her boyfriend. After driving her home from their date, he had come in to say good night. The sweet kisses at the door had led them straight to her bedroom. After a phone call to his trusting parents that he would be sleeping over at a friend's, the two teenage lovers had giddily fell into bed.

"Morning, Boyfriend," she said when his eyes finally opened.

Chase grinned and wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

"You watching me sleep?"

Brooke shrugged.

"Why not? You're kind of cute when you sleep."

"Kind of?" he teased, pulling her on top of him as she squealed in delight.

Brooke leaned in for a kiss, finally pulling away as they just stared in each other's eyes. Being in Chase's arms felt like nothing else. It took her to a place where she felt warm and happy and safe. It was as if nothing could hurt her, nothing could ever hurt them.

"I can't believe we did this," she whispered.

"Did what?"

She laid her head across his chest as he stroked her bare back.

"You spent the night."

He smiled.

"Yeah, I did."

"Yeah," Brooke said, fret clearly audible in her voice.

Chase frowned, tilting his girlfriend's chin upwards so their eyes met.

"You don't sound too happy about that."

"It's not that, Chase…"

"Then what is it?" he asked. "Talk to me."

Brooke rolled over on her side, pulling the thin sheet almost to her chin.

"We've been spending a lot of time together lately."

"I know. How does that make you feel?"

"I love it," she replied honestly. "It's been great. I've never been so happy."

"How come you don't sound happy right now?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I guess a part of me feels bad, guilty even."

"For what?"

"You're a good guy, Chase, and we have a really great relationship. Things were going fine and then we…well, you know."

"You mean sex?"

"Well, yeah. And now it's like we do it…a lot. And last night you slept over."

Chase let out a sigh.

"I get it," he said quietly. "Brooke, I think I know what you're trying to say."

"You do?" she wrinkled her nose.

"Yeah. This, us getting serious, the sex…it's too much for you."

"What?"

"I understand. We went too far and that makes you uncomfortable. I get it. I'm sorry, Brooke. I never wanted to do something you weren't ready for."

With that, he sat straight up, swinging his long legs over the side of the bed as he reached for his boxers.

"Chase, no," Brooke stopped him.

"You don't have to feel bad. I'm not mad or anything."

"No, it's just that you're wrong."

"You don't have to cover up how you feel in order to protect my feelings, Brooke."

"I'm not."

"Then what's the matter?" he turned to her.

She looked right in his eyes and stroked the baby soft skin of his handsome face.

"I don't think that we went too far. I certainly don't mind that you stayed over. In fact, none of this makes me uncomfortable at all."

"Now I'm confused," he frowned. "What is it then?"

"I'm afraid that you feel that way, that all this is too much for you."

"Brooke…"

"You're a good guy, a really good guy, Chase. You're one of those home on time, always tells the truth, kisses his mother before he leaves the house kind of guys. You were a virgin."

"So you're saying you think I'm a goody two shoes?" he raised one eyebrow.

"Of course not. You're just what I said. You're a good guy. No, you're a great guy. And you're my guy. That right there makes me the luckiest girl in the world. I'm so happy right now, it's unreal. Sex with you…well, I can't even describe it. I love it. It's wonderful. And the best part so far was waking up next to you this morning. I could get used to that, Chase. But I know this is kind of different for you. You seem cool about it now but I'm just afraid you're gonna freak about it later and end up blaming me."

"Brooke…"

"I don't want to push or pressure you into anything you're not ready for."

"You're not."

"But you lied to your parents."

Chase smiled.

"No, I didn't. I told them I was spending the night with a friend. We are friends, right?" he teased.

"It's not funny, Chase."

He took a deep breath, nothing the sincere but concerned look marring her pretty face.

"Come here," he beckoned.

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You have nothing to be sorry for, nothing at all. What you just said and the fact that you really feel that way…it's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with you. You really care about me."

"Of course I care about you."

"I care about you, too…a lot. Sex is a big deal to me. I think you know that. We've gone over this already. I appreciate you being concerned about me but you have nothing to worry about. I have no regrets. Everything that we're doing, believe me, I'm ready for it. And there's nothing that could make me blame you. No one is pressuring anyone. It's what we both want. All I wanted was to find a nice girl to settle into a beautiful, serious, deep, trusting relationship with. I found that girl, Brooke Davis and she's you. All this feels right."

For the first time ever it felt like another human being had opened their mouth to her and only the truth was coming out. There he was…her Mr. Perfect, a Prince Charming, her white knight in shining armor. Their love was real but it had been based on a series of untruths. She had misled him, not that any harm had been her intention. How was she supposed to know they would get that serious that quick? But they had and it had been nothing short of pure bliss. Along the way she had hid things and told him a few white lies. She knew and loved the real Chase Adams but he didn't know and love the true Brooke Davis. All she had to do was come clean, tell him everything. Only then could they move on and truly enjoy their happiness.

"I'm scared…" she said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You don't have to be, babe. Why are you scared?" he held her close.

"I, I don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't."

"I guess I'm just afraid that if you knew everything about me that you wouldn't love me."

"What's not to love? You're beautiful. You're smart. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen. You keep me laughing. And you're confident and popular and you didn't have to sleep with every guy and step on every girl to get that way."

Brooke suddenly felt two inches high.

"It's just…"

"Is it something from your past?"

"Kind of…"

"Does it have anything to do with Lucas?"

Brooke had told him part of the story. She had talked about loving and trusting Lucas Scott only to be betrayed by he and her former best friend, Peyton Sawyer.

"Lucas?"

"I know you slept with him, Brooke. It's okay. You had a past before me. You were a secondary virgin and you were straight up about that from the beginning. I don't want you to feel bad about that. Obviously you cared about the guy a great deal. I don't think any less of you because you had sex with a boyfriend before me. We all make mistakes. We all change. Look, I know you've been through a lot. So have I. But we don't need to dwell on all that. There are things about me that maybe I'm not too proud of now but all that was a long time ago. As long as you're honest with me and you're true to yourself, nothing else matters."

But it was about so much more than Lucas. And there had been many other bed partners besides Lucas…many others.

"Do you love me?" Brooke asked.

He placed a sweet kiss on her lips.

"More and more everyday with all my heart."

Brooke closed her eyes. She'd heard it and she'd felt it. And it was damn nice. After years of being ignored by her parents, used by boys, and finally betrayed by her boyfriend and best friend, Brooke had found the love she had been desperately craving for all her life. It was there and it was real and the thought of losing it absolutely killed her. Sure she owed him the truth but she wasn't so sure the truth would set her free. In fact, it might ruin the relationship.

"Chase..."

"You still look worried. Is there something you want to tell me?"

She opened her mouth to speak. The words were on the tip of her tongue.

"Yeah," she breathed. "Just that I love you."

He pulled her in his arms as they lay in bed in sweet silence. Brooke closed her eyes. She had chickened out at the last minute. She couldn't help it. The consequences were far too grave. After all, she could handle it. There were only a few more months, then high school would be over. After that, who would care anyway? And her secrets would be safe. Until then, she just had to keep winging it and so far she had done a fine job. All she had to do was keep her past sexual history and some of the less flattering aspects of her behavior a secret, and keep praying her way through their Calculus sessions. If she could just keep it up a little while longer, everything would turn out just fine. After all, Chase had told her nothing else but their hearts mattered. Sighing, she tried to ignore that sinking feeling growing in the pit of her stomach. Nothing else mattered…except the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.