Chapter 24
-i hope you guys like this one...i worked really hard on it...it was a little tough to write, but it had to come out sooner or later
I'm holding on your rope,
Got me ten feet off the ground
I'm hearin what you say but I just can't make a sound
Peyton awoke in her bed, at first a little startled by her friend laying beside her. Although Brooke had been living there for a week now, it still surprised her every morning to actually have someone there with her. Their broken hearts were finally mending, so it seemed.
Peyton heard a stirring beside her and she turned over to find Brooke awake as well.
"Hey there" Brooke said tiredly
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No, not at all"
They both layed there, in silence, allowing the morning sun to trap them in their past. All of a sudden Brooke hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Peyton could hear the sound of gagging through the door. When the sound of the toilet flushing was heard, Brooke opened the door and walked out. Peyton gave her a look.
You tell me that you need me
Then you go and cut me down, but wait
"Just not feeling well I guess" Brooke tried to avoid the subject. It wasn't working.
"That's not the first time" Peyton replied "What's going on?" she was worried
"It's nothing. Promise" she didn't want to tell Peyton she was pregnant. One, she knew it would hurt her, and two, she didn't really know how to tell her. How do you tell the person who ruined your life in more ways than one that you're pregnant with the boy she also loves. It just didn't make any sense.
"I don't believe you Brooke, you cant lie to me. Or did you forget that"
"I was hoping I changed" she kind of smiled
"So spill Penelope"
Brooke smiled "I don't really know how to tell you this"
"This isn't good" Peyton's smile faded from her face "I can take it"
Brooke paused, trying to gather the words to say.
"Brooke, you can tell me"
"I…I…." she began to cry a little. Why was this so hard to say. She would be letting her down in a way, as well as hurting her. Within the next few words Brooke would have to say, she might lose her friend again. And although Brooke was still hurting from what Peyton had done, she didn't want to hurt her back.
"Brooke"
"I'm pregnant Peyton." she paused "I'm pregnant"
You tell me that you're sorry
Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...
Peyton sat down on the bed. How could this be? She didn't know if she was angry, or hurt, or just plain in shock. Brooke began crying, seeing the hurt she had caused. She was sick of this stupid love triangle the three of them had created. She was sick of all the pain it had caused them. And most of all, she was sick of always letting people down. Every decision she had made had caused someone pain, and she was sick of hurting people.
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
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Nathan awoke next to his wife, Sophia lying between them. This picture of their family was perfect. But one thing still hung on his heart, the secret he and Brooke shared. He couldn't tell her, not now, not that college decisions still had to be made. And after losing their child, there was no way he could tell her that Brooke's baby could possibly be his. It would literally crush her.
I'd take another chance, take a fall
Take a shot for you
She awoke finally awoke, and turned to find her husband looking at her.
"Hi" she smiled. He leaned down and kissed her.
"Good morning" he said
"What time is it?" she asked
"8:30"
"Nathan, we're late for school"
"I decided we're not going to school today." he smiled
"And why is that"
"Because we don't need it. We've both been accepted" he stopped. He inadvertently brought up the subject that wasn't suppose to be brought up. He tried to continue as though he didn't say it "and I figured we could just spend the day together."
"We do that everyday" she smiled
"I know" he said. He knew today he would have to tell her some things, and he didn't want to be in school when he did it. "Come on" he pleaded
"Oh, fine" she agreed
And I need you like a heart needs a beat
But it's nothin new
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Lucas arrived to school to find that Brooke and Peyton had skipped. He just thought the two needed a day, and he was happy that they were working on their friendship. As he walked into second period, he noticed that Nathan and Haley had skipped too. He began to think that it wasn't just coincidence, but that something was up. He decided he would leave at lunch and see what was going on.
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I loved you with a fire red-
Now it's turning blue, and you say...
"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you
But I'm afraid...
"So what exactly did you have planned for today?" Haley asked as they ate some eggs.
"I figured we could use the day to talk about some things" he admitted through bites
"Oh" she said, knowing that that meant college. She just didn't know that more things might come out as well. "Well. Have you thought anymore about it or…."
"Well, I've decided that wherever you want to go, I'm going to go with you."
"Nathan"
"Let me finish" he said "I don't want to go anywhere without you. You are my life and my future, and you deserve to be happy. So wherever you want to go, I'll go too"
She smiled, as a single tear trickled down her face. She was so happy that her husband would give up his dream to be with her. She couldn't have asked for a better person to spend her life with. "Nathan, thank you, but I cant just let you give up your dream."
"I wont be. I could still play at Stanford"
"Yeah but its not the same"
"But you deserve it"
"Thank you but you deserve it too"
"No I don't" he lowered his head. This gave Haley the first clue she needed
"Why?"
Realizing he was starting to show signs, he tried to immediately change the subject. "Do you want to go out for lunch?" he asked
"Don't change the subject Nathan, what happened?"
"Nothing happened, I just….."
"Nathan"
"I've made mistakes Haley, that's all, so you deserve to be happy"
"Nathan we all make mistakes, but we all deserve to be happy"
He tried yet again to change the subject "I heard of this cool place down by the river where they have some good food if you want to go there"
"Nathan, tell me what the hell is going on" he knew then that she was suspicious and upset that he was keeping something from her.
"I cant" wrong words for him to say
"you cant?" she began to scream a little
"I cant" he reaffirmed
"Nathan, what the fuck is going on?"
"I told you, I've made a mistake"
"What is it?"
He had to tell her now. She knew something was going on. But how the hell do you tell your wife, the one you love forever, that you slept with her friend. There was no easy way to tell it. It was all going to be hard.
"Nathan, just tell me, please" she pleaded, more tears coming down her face
"Brooke's pregnant"
"Yeah I know, what does that have to do with us?"
"The baby might not be Lucas'…." he looked at his wife, as the light bulb went off in her head. She immediately began to cry.
"No….it cant be…Nathan tell me it cant be…."
"I'm sorry Haley, it happened right after you first told me you were pregnant, and I was scared, and mad that you had been keeping it from me"
"So you slept with Brooke" she cried. How could her husband and her friend do this to her, after all she had done for Brooke. Her sadness began to fill with anger. "I have to hear this from Brooke" she said and stormed out of the apartment.
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
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A loud knock at the door interrupted Peyton and Brooke from the staring fest they were having. Neither one of them having said a word after Brooke had said she was pregnant. Peyton walked down the stairs to answer the door.
"Is Brooke here?" Haley asked. Peyton could tell she was upset.
"What's the matter?" Peyton asked
"I need to talk to Brooke"
"Okay, um she's upstairs"
"Thank you" she said and rushed past Peyton and ran up the stairs.
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There was a knock at the door, and Nathan opened it, hoping it was Haley.
"Hey Luke" he said as he opened the door
"Hey man. Missed you in school today"
"yeah I had some things to take care of"
"So where's Haley?" Lucas asked, sparking the conversation Nathan just had with his wife.
"Oh, um….she went to talk to Brooke"
"Why, is something the matter?" Lucas asked, hoping that the answer would be no.
"You need to talk to Brooke"
"why does everyone fucking say that. What the fuck is going on?"
"Something happened, and you need to talk to Brooke"
Lucas walked out of the apartment and headed over there, leaving Nathan alone, wondering what the hell he just caused.
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
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"Haley?" Brooke asked startled to see her rushing up the stairs "What are you doing here?"
"Did you sleep with Nathan?" she asked very bluntly it caught Brooke by surprise. Peyton stood around the corner listening when she heard another knock at the door. She went to get it when Lucas came walking in.
"Is Brooke here" he asked
"Yeah she's upstairs with Haley. Lucas, what is going on?"
"That's what I would like to know" he began heading the bedroom
"I said, did you sleep with Nathan?"
"No Haley, why would even think that" Brooke tried to lie
"Brooke" Haley pleaded as she began crying again
"Haley I'm so sorry"
"Oh my God" Haley screamed "and the baby?" she was afraid to ask
Brooke looked down
"Oh my God" Haley cried as hard as she could. Just then Lucas and Peyton came into the room.
"Haley, what's the matter?" Lucas immediately asked
She pointed at Brooke and ran out of the room
"Brooke, what is going on?" he asked
She began to cry. She stared from Peyton to Lucas. She thought of how much she had just hurt Haley. She thought of how much she had hurt Peyton earlier today. She was fucking sick of hurting people. She cried, falling to the ground.
"Brooke" He pleaded
"I made another fucking mistake Lucas, I've screwed up and caused pain to yet another person." she cried
"what happened" he pleaded as Peyton walked over to her and tried to calm her down
"I slept with Nathan" she finally blurted. Peyton was taken aback. "And the baby might not be yours." she cried even harder. Lucas just stood there. What else was he suppose to do? "And I'm so sorry" He didn't know what to say. He turned and walked out of the room. "Lucas" she screamed. He just continued to walk away. Just then Peyton left her too. But before she left, she turned around.
"I'm not mad Brooke, I'm just disappointed." and she left. Leaving Brooke to sit in the mess she had caused. Her and Nathan's one mistake had shaken Tree Hill, and as far as any of them were concerned, it was never going to be the same again.
It's too late to apologize, it's too late
I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late
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The song is "Apologize" by One Republic
Enjoy!