This is for TJ, as always with this story :) She made me have the inspiration to come back to it...
Please let me know what you think, short update, but it's something!
Brooke awoke to the harsh sunlight washing over her face. It took her a minute to remember her surroundings.
She was finally home. In Tree Hill. In Lucas Scott's bed.
She had arrived so late that she hadn't even seen Lucas yet, deciding to just crawl in bed and try to sleep away the feelings of emptiness continuously coursing through her, she didn't understand why the feeling had intensified so much lately.
"Ms. Davis, where would you like your things?" A voice called out from the other room, entering the bedroom.
Brooke lazily sat up a little, "Hey Luke… I got in so late that I didn't want to wake you."
"Hey pretty girl." He said sitting her suitcases down on the floor and walking over to her sitting on the end of the bed. "Big day ahead huh?"
"Yeah… I've done a million of these but this is different you know?" Brooke said a little insecurity entering her voice.
"Yeah… well, I'll be your date as usual; I will pick you up later?" Lucas said with a half-smile.
"Sure… where are you heading?" Brooke said a little curious as to where her "boyfriend" was off to.
"Meeting with my editor, Lindsey, then heading over to Nathan and Haley's to see Peyton they just got back early this morning. I've missed her… have you met her yet?" Lucas said tying his shoes from the end of the bed. Brooke glared her eyes a little; of course Lucas would be heading off to see a pretty girl.
She already didn't like her she decided. She was never home and this chick was already taking her friends and boyfriends time. And her godson's. So, Brooke was going to do what she did best, put up her angry defenses against her for moving in on her turf.
"Ummm… no. I haven't. But I heard she's coming to the opening tonight, so I will get to meet her then I guess." Brooke said clearing her throat.
"Awesome, she's so great! I don't know how I would've made it through college without her. I know Nate and Hales feel the same…" Lucas said full on grinning now.
"Got it, Luke…" She said biting her tongue a little as he made his way out his bedroom door and she was left alone.
Again.
Luckily, Brooke was able to keep her mind occupied as her day flew by, getting ready and heading to where her Clothes Over Bro's Tree Hill location would be opening later that evening. Karen, Lucas's mom, had told her to take over the old Karen's Café since she and Deb still owned it and she'd love to see the location open to a good cause.
Millicent had met Brooke at the store on top of her game for the big day. She knew this would be a huge test with Victoria, and she wanted nothing more than for Brooke to excel and prove the elder Davis wrong. She deserved it.
"Hey Brooke, I brought your favorite." Millicent said reaching the beverage towards her boss.
"Does this have extra foam? You know I like extra foam." Brooke absentmindedly responded as she bustled around Clothes Over Bro's.
"Brooke…. Breathe. It's going to be great." Millicent stated grabbing the taller brunette's shoulders, handing her the beverage.
But Brooke couldn't let that nagging feeling in the back of her mind go. She would never be good enough for Victoria, no matter what she did. And she'd never be good enough for Lucas, no matter how much she didn't want him.
"Get Haley on the phone for me." Brooke added looking over some last minute changes that would need to be made as Millicent dialed and handed Brooke the phone.
"Hey Brooke, excited for the big day?"
"Is Lucas there?" Brooke huffed out annoyed running her hands through her hair, she couldn't get Peyton off her mind and she hadn't even met the girl.
"Yeah, he's here chatting with Peyton… want me to come down and help you get ready?" Haley responded back, her voice clearly content. Brooke had always been a tad envious of Haley and her family.
"I got it… But you'll be here tonight, right? It'd be nice to see you guys…" Brooke lashed out, getting more annoyed as she leaned against the counter.
"Of course, we are going to bring Peyton too, she's excited to finally meet you." Haley added with excitement.
"Great…. Can't wait." Brooke replied disconnecting the call and letting out a loud grumble. She couldn't figure out why this was all grating her nerves so much.
"Everything okay, Brooke?" Millicent stated, readjusting a mannequin.
"Tonight better be a-freakin-mazing." Brooke added straightening up a few items as other workers bustled through the store, getting ready for go time.
The news crews had arrived an hour or so ago and Brooke sat outside in the limo with Lucas, waiting to make their grand entrance. They'd been sitting around the corner for fifteen minutes. She was too nervous to go in and Lucas wasn't making anything better.
"Jesus Luke… would it kill you to try to help calm me down. I'm freaking out here!" Brooke spewed out as she watched Lucas texting away on his phone.
"Sorry… My editor said this new book deal might be a go after all…" Lucas said eyes still locked on the device.
She tore her glare away from him with a sigh and looked at the people flooding through Clothes Over Bro's as continuous camera flashes went off.
She spotted the blonde with little Jamie in her arms smiling ear to ear next to Nathan and Haley who were beaming as well and in mid laughter as Jamie talked animatedly with his hands as they entered her store.
There it was. That pang of jealousy again.
"Alright, Martin, I'm ready." She signaled to her driver and looked over to Lucas again who still had the stupid smile on his face eyes glued to his iPhone.
They rounded the corner and Martin stepped out to let Brooke and Lucas out of the car.
They stepped out of the limo, attaching their hands like they'd rehearsed so many times before as the flashes went off all around.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear before posing for all the paparazzi and news crews that had shown up "For the record, you do look very pretty, Brooke Davis."
Brooke just sighed and continued to smile for the cameras, like she'd grown accustomed to, no matter how much she hurt inside. It was all a part of the game.
They avoided questions and made their way inside to the swarms of people already in the new store.
It was a bit overwhelming for Brooke, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't initially see Victoria floating around anywhere. She knew she wouldn't dodge that bullet entirely tonight though.
She signed a few autographs and looked to check on Millie who was checking customers out. So far, things seemed to be a success.
She took a glass of wine and instantly began downing it, maybe a little too quickly.
"Brooke! Hi!" Haley said full-on approaching in almost a run. Brooke couldn't help but let a genuine smile out. Her first of the night.
"Hi Hales! I've missed you guys…" Brooke said against Haley's, now darker brunette, locks. Nathan, Peyton, and Jamie stood a bit further behind as Nathan then leaned into Brooke for a hug as well.
"We've missed you causing trouble around these parts, Davis. Good to have you back." Nathan said pulling away from the hug with a punch to her arm. Brooke let her attention go towards the blonde and her godson still standing a bit further behind.
Jamie clung to Peyton's neck for dear life, looking a little shy as he then buried his head into Peyton's neck.
It was the first good look she'd gotten of the blonde, sure she'd seen pictures of her and heard numerous stories… but she didn't know that…. Her legs were SO long and her eyes were SO green. She continued to assess her self-created rival; she was wearing a form fitting black and green dress that stopped at the knee and high black heels. Her legs went on for days. She looked strangely good with a child on her hip, especially one she loved as much as Jamie…. Wait. Why was she even noticing all this?
Jamie didn't even recognize her because she had been vacant from his life for so long and for that, her heart hurt.
The blonde must've noticed Brooke's frustration, "I think someone's feeling a little shy, huh Jimmie Jam?" Peyton smiled to the brunette in reassurance as she spoke into Jamie's ear. He nodded his head against her chest.
"Come on, Jamie… Do you remember your Aunt Brooke?" Haley said approaching rubbing her hand along her son's back who remained clutched in Peyton's arms.
"Come on little man, say hi to your pretty Aunt Brooke." Peyton said bobbing him up and down trying to get him to smile.
He slowly lifted his head and turned his head to look at Brooke, who had tears in her eyes.
"Hi, Aunt Brooke." He spoke out quietly and then buried his head into Peyton again.
The blonde passed a sympathetic look to Brooke, mouthing "I'm sorry" to her.
Nathan approached his son, "Hey buddy! Let's go see Uncle Lucas, huh?" Nathan said as Peyton finally sat the little boy down and Nathan took his hand as they ran over to Lucas who was engaged in a conversation with a few of Brooke's models.
"You must be the one and only Brooke Davis?" Peyton said reaching her hand out to shake Brooke's hand.
"And you must be the infamous, Peyton Sawyer…" Brooke said shaking the blonde's hand.
"Thank you for the invite tonight, I appreciate it, I'm new to Tree Hill, and you're a big part of Nathan and Haley's life, so I'm really glad to be a part of it all." Peyton said with a bright smile.
Damnit. This hating her thing might be a little harder than she originally anticipated… but who did she think she was? She had to keep her defenses up.
"Yeah, well. Haley invited you so…." Brooke said sarcastically.
"Brooke!" Haley squawked out in disbelief at her friend.
"I understand, Hales… It's fine. It was nice to meet you, Brooke." Peyton said with a smile and walked back over to where Lucas, Nathan, and Jamie were.
Brooke grabbed another glass of wine as the servers went by.
"Brooke, what was that about? She was being so nice to you… You should really give her a chance; she's great and fits in perfectly in the group." Haley prodded her old friend.
"I just don't know who she thinks she is showing up like that at my opening and being that way with Jamie, you know? He's MY godson…" Brooke let out with a groan, her anger getting the better of her. Or jealousy.
"Your godson that you haven't seen in almost two years, Brooke…. He's familiar with Peyton, he loves her. Give him some time and he will come around. That's even if you'll be around…" Haley said, shocked at Brooke's outburst, it wasn't like her to be so… rude upon meeting people she knows were important to Nathan and herself.
Something about the whole thing was just getting under Brooke's skin.
Brooke looked over to see Peyton playfully hitting Lucas in the arm and Jamie clinging to her leg.
"Oh… I'll be around." Brooke added with a glare as she continued staring, "I'll definitely be around."
Read and review if you want me to continue this one :)