Spoilers Warning: Unless you've already watched up to season 4, episode 15.

Disclaimer: One Tree Hill and it's characters belong to Mark Schwan.

Thanks everyone for reviewing!

Sorry for taking a long time with this ):

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Five years ago:

"Jake."

Jake looked up, confusion furrowed his brow when he saw the girl at his door. "Peyton?" He asked, confused, "what are you doing here?"

"Oh, it was so terrible Jake! Lucas and I had a big fight." She sobbed.

"What about?" Jake asked, closing the door to his house behind him, hoping that Peyton wouldn't want to go in since Brooke was still sleeping peacefully in his bed, her dark sultry lipstick on his pillow and the smell of her perfume on his sheets.

Peyton stared up at him with tears in her bright green eyes, "he defended her Jake. How could he?! He defended her!"

"Peyton, what are you talking about?" Jake asked. Peyton quickly filled him in on how they had gone to a party at Nathan's house, where Skillz had mistakenly showed a tape of Nathan and Brooke having sex to everyone. Jake paled instantly, "does Brooke know?" he asked, feeling sick to his stomach, "does Brooke know that everyone's seen it?"

"I don't know!" Peyton sobbed, "why do you care? She slept with my boyfriend, Jake, she slept with Nathan!" Jake leaned against the door and sighed heavily, this was just like Peyton, to come running to him everytime she had problems but leave him once he solved them for her. "Peyton, I'm no expert, but didn't you and Lucas sort of do the same thing to her?"

Peyton's mouth dropped open and her teary eyes were wide, "that was so not the same thing!" She exclaimed hurtfully, "they slept together Jake!" Just then, her eyes caught sight of something behind his ear. She pulled him close, so close that he was within kissing range of her porcelain skin, and examined the back of his ear.

She wiped it hard and showed him the smudge of dark red lipstick on her fingers. "You don't care anymore, do you?" She asked quietly, "who is she Jake? Are you and Nikki back together? Why didn't you tell me?"

Jake shook his head, "Peyton, you misunderstand me! I love you, I'd do anything for you, but time and again you hurt me. I'm here for you, but you have Lucas, I'm not gonna be your rebound guy, Peyton! I can't. You're just gonna have to deal with this yourself." He told her, and without even wondering if it was the biggest mistake of his life, he went back into his house and closed the door in her face. Leaving Peyton out in the cold, frozen expression of shock still on her face.

- - -

"Brooke, I think there's something I have to tell you."

Brooke lolled around on his bed lazily, stretching with cat-like grace. "Yes gorgeous?" She asked, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow and smiling dreamily at him. Jake sat down on the bed nervously and told her about the sex tape.

He saw her eyes widen in shock and her mouth form an 'o'. That was the instant her mask fell off. But within seconds, she regained her composure and laughed, "it's not like most of the school hasn't already seen me nude." She answered flirtariously leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek, pressing her soft body against his.

Resisting the urge to give in to her kisses, Jake pulled away from her with a groan. "Brooke? Are you sure you're okay? We can talk about it if you want." She smiled impishly, "of course I'm okay."

But later as he held her in his arms, he felt her shiver. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her tighter and Jake could've sworn he heard a strangled sob. 'I'm not that guy for her.' He told himself. 'She doesn't wanna let me in, and we're not meant to be.'

Somehow the thought made him sad, but he pushed it to the back of his mind as sleep took him.

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Present:

Brooke slammed the door to her apartment. "Hey honey!" He called. She kissed him lightly on the lips, "hey boyfriend. How was your day?" He smiled at her, his light blue eyes dancing and making her feel tingles of pleasure up and down her spine. "I missed you, pretty girl." He whispered and kissed her.

"Mm!" She squealed as he carried her and laid her onto their kitchen table.

- - -

"Jake! What's got you so stoked today?" Toby, Jake's drummer, asked him. Jake shrugged, trying to play it cool. "What makes you think I'm stoked?" He asked. Toby laughed, "dude, you've totally been giving off 'I'm-getting-some' vibes all through practise!"

"Yeah!" Andrew the bassist jumped in, "who's the hot chick? Do we know her?" Jake shook his head, "nah, she's just some girl who I used to know in high school."

"Ooo, a high school sweet heart?" Andrew asked smirking at him. Jake laughed good naturedly, "it's complicated guys, give it a rest. Now get off your lazy butts, we've got a gig to practise for!"

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A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. That's done! Hahaha. So keep reviewing! Narinenia at yahoo . Com (: