So here it is! One of the chapters that most of you have been waiting for since the beginning of the story! drum roll please! dundundudun... The brucas confrontation! hahaha:) so this is like the longgest chapter I've written so far! It's also the most dramatic! You don't expect Brooke to just go easy on Luke right? So anyway... I don't want to give the story away so I guess you've got to read to find out:)

Please leave a review! They are greatly appreciated! Tell me what you think of this chapter... I put a lot of heart into this but I can't say that this is already my fave chapter but probably one of the top 3 for sure! Tell me if you agree with the things that they're going to tell each other here and if I missed some important things that you want me to tackle or include in the next chapters... so anyway... I don't want to keep you long, so go on and enjoy this tension-filled chapter:)

Again... please please please leave a review:) thanks:)

As Lucas made his why through the hallway of the Gattina's mansion, he heard sobbing noises coming from a room not too far from where he stood. It wasn't loud or hysterical, it was just full of sadness and tired as though who ever that person was, he or she had been this way before he even pulled his truck in front of the driveway. It didn't take too long before he realized who that person was. He knew those moans all too well. He didn't need to see her to know who it was and once he finally came face to face with the mourning woman, he knew he was right.

There inside the room was almost completely empty. The closets were almost empty; all that was left were two huge baggage all packed and ready to be carried outside anytime but other than that and the regal oak wood bed in the middle of the room nothing more was left. He put his things down on the floor and walked around the room wondering where she had gone.

"Brooke?"

He knew she wouldn't answer, and truthfully she didn't intend to, in fact that was the last thing she wanted to do. She covered her mouth afraid that he might hear her and come rushing to where she was. She just wanted him to leave her alone, because if he was trying to make things easier, he's failing miserably. She didn't want him to see her like this, so broken, and she didn't want to see him either in fear that it would only make things so much harder than it already is. She hoped he would think that she wasn't there and leave, just like he always did, but no. The light coming from the bathroom kind of gave her away and in just a few seconds he was there kneeling by her side with his wonderful blue eyes looking directly at her hazel ones. The one time she wanted him to leave her alone, that's when he decides to come looking for her. Typical.

When he noticed the light coming from bathroom, he knew that's exactly where he'd find her. He knew she had been crying for a while and expected to find to her with her make-up smeared all over her face and hands over it covering the mess on her face. He expected her to look bad, if that was possible, but the sight he saw was far from what he had imagined it. It was even worse, much worse. There inside the bathroom, beside the toilet he found her with her knees embraced to her chest and face buried in her arms. She was swaying, rocking herself gently back and forth slightly humming, it seemed as though she was trying to put herself to sleep. Seeing her this way made his already weak heart ache even more. There she was, the girl he loved, so alone, so scared, so broken, and it hurt to know that he caused her to be like this.

He came closer and knelt in front of her eyeing her from head to toe. He hoped that it wasn't her, but then again, there was no denying that it was her; he just didn't want to believe that this was his Cheery, the girl who used to be full of such love. Now she was full of nothing but pain and misery. He wanted to just take her in her arms and just save her from all her pain, but she didn't let him. Before he could even get close to actually touching, she stood up and walked away.

"What are you doing her Lucas? I told you not to come." She said this without even taking a glance in his direction. Her voice was calm and collected though still sounded hoarse probably because of the constant bawling she had been doing for the past hours. She didn't want him to see her that way, her eyes puffy, her nose flushed, and her cheeks stained with tears. She couldn't get the courage to bring her face to face his.

"Brooke! We need to talk!" His voice was stern but still had a little softness in it. He didn't want her to think that he was bossing her around and trying to control her life once again. He just wanted her to know how determined he was on winning her back.

"No Lucas, I think we've said too much already."

"But still not enough." It was almost a faint whisper but she heard him. She heard him but wasn't sure of what he was talking about.

"What?" She finally turned to face him and there he was holding out a white envelope that had her address on it for her to take. She hesitated but decided on taking it. She examined the envelope per character that was written on it. On the corner, there was a number six written on it and under it was what seemed to be the date that it was made. She noticed that the date that was placed was the day of Haley and Nathan's second wedding just a few months ago. She transferred her focus from the envelope to the boy who was standing just inches from her. They were so close and she could almost smell the cologne that she gave him last Christmas. She could feel him breathing slowly but heavily right in front of her face. They were dangerously close. Before her thoughts drifted someplace it shouldn't and lose herself and kiss him, she decided to return her focus back on the envelope that is currently resting on her hand just waiting to be opened.

"What's this?"

"Just read it. I wrote that the night after Nathan, Cooper and Rachel's accident, that night you broke up with me. Everything I couldn't tell you I wrote it all there."

"Lucas—"

"Just read it Brooke, please."

She let out a short sigh, he just wouldn't take no for an answer wouldn't he? She slowly shook her head while she took out the letter that was kept inside the white envelope he had just given to her. Before she opened the letter and read what it said, she looked up to him once more. He just stood there in front of her waiting on her every move. His breathing was heavy and she swore she could almost hear his heart beat if only her own didn't drown it. Never, not even once did he take his gaze away from her face. He could see Brooke hesitate in opening the letter, heck he hesitated in giving it to her in the first place, but he had to do this. It was now or never.

Pretty Girl,

I missed you, more than you can ever imagine. I know I might not have shown it to you that well but I did, every day, every hour, and every second. I need you Brooke. I love you so much that it hurts. It hurts that I couldn't tell you all of this face to face but it's just too damn hard. Instead all I could say was sorry, but not for the reasons you thought, but for not being able to find the words to tell you just how much you mean to me. I want to show you that I love you but I don't know how to. I wish Keith was here, he would know what to do. I'm such a mess right now and you're the only one that gives me hope that things will get better. Please don't take that away from me. I know you're tired, I am too, but I know we can make this through because I love you and I always will. I love you more than I could ever show you. I know that may be hard to believe considering all the pain I've put you through, but the fact that you're still here makes me love you even more. Please don't give up on me, don't give up on us. I want to be that guy for you but baby please understand. I loved Keith, he was more than a father to me and I lost him. I lost a part of myself that day Brooke, the part that wasn't afraid to love. You're not the only one who's scared Brooke, so am I. I've been telling you to face your fears while in truth I was running from mine. I couldn't let you in because I was afraid that you might see that I'm not as strong as I look. That I'm having a hard time believing that things will be okay. If you knew about my doubts then you would be even more scared for us. I know that you were still on the verge of trusting our relationship and needed me to ensure you that things will work out. I couldn't let you down but in the end I still did. You're a much stronger than you think Brooke; you just have to find it within yourself. I wish I was as strong as you, but I'm not. I need you right now. Just give me a little more time. I promise I'll fight for you until you don't feel the same for me anymore, and even then I would still love you. No matter what may happen I will always love you.

With Love Always,

Lucas

Lucas gazed at her as her eyes were slowly starting to fill with tears while she was reading his letter. It had already been a few minutes but she still stood there just staring at the letter. She was definitely through reading, she just took a longer time trying to take in all the information she had just read.

"Brooke?"

She didn't respond. He was becoming impatient; he needed to know what she was thinking at the moment. Did she hate it? Did she love it? But most of all, did she believe it? He was about to break their silence once more but when she looked up and met her teary eyes with his, no words were able to escape his lips. She looked so fragile, as if she was about to break any moment. And there it was, a single tear trickled down her cheeks and landed on the piece of paper that she had been holding for a good 10 minutes now.

"What about Peyton?" Her words were almost inaudible. Lucas barely understood her.

"What?"

"What about Peyton?! You're going to just dump her and run to me?! What if I don't take you back? Are you going to come crawling back to your precious Peyton, huh Lucas?!"

"She's my friend, and she's your friend too, but that's all we'll ever be. We just don't work out as a couple. We both figured that we loved you more than we loved each other, and that was seriously not a good sign for our relationship."

"So what, now you decide you want me then months later you come finding her again?! Why can't you just fucking make up your mind?!"

"I already did! That's why I'm here right now," he said as he put his hands on her shoulders and looked right into her eyes, "with you."

She quickly shrugged off his hands from her shoulders and gave off a sarcastic chuckle as she shook her head.

"Right now maybe, but what about two weeks from now? What if you realize that she's the one and not me?! Where is that going to leave me? I'll tell you, hurt and alone! That's what you made me feel both the times you went after her! Admit it Luke, there will always be something between the both of you!"

"I know, but we do too! I can stand just being friends with her but with you, I always end up wanting so much more! That's why I didn't spend too much time with you when Peyton and I got together, because I wasn't sure if I could stand being that close to you without being able to hold you. We tried being friends last year and look where it got us? It only made me love you more and more! When we were together I trusted myself around Peyton because I knew no matter how much I wanted her, I would always want you so much more. I wasn't afraid that I would give in to temptation or fall in love with her because I was already head over heels in love with you! There was no space left in my heart for her to fill as more than just a friend, but with you, there always was. Heck, there always is! No matter how much I care about her, it's still you that I love Brooke, it will always be you! I've had three chances to be with her, but still I end up running to you. That's got to mean something right? You'll always be the girl for me Brooke Davis, and I'm the guy for you! When are you going to realize that?"

"Why do you keep doing this to me Luke?" her voice was faint, almost whisper like.

"You wanted me to let you in, and that's what I'm doing. I'm telling you the truth."

"Fuck Lucas! You can't do this to me, not again! Why are you telling this to me now?! Are you trying to purposely screw up my life?! After all the pain I've been through you're only telling this to me now?! What the hell do you want from me?!"

"I want to be with you Brooke. I want to show you just how much I love you. I want to prove to you that I'm the guy for you. Please Brooke, just give me a chance!"

"No Luke, you're too late."

"I didn't send you that letter because for once instead of telling you I loved you, I wanted to show it to you, but you took off. You hid yourself from me and pushed me away. All I wanted was to fight for you but you didn't even give me a chance!"

"If you loved me that much then you wouldn't have given up. If you loved me you shouldn't have hooked up with Peyton just weeks after we broke up. If you loved me then you should have tried to at least talk to me, but you didn't. I'm tired of all your lies Lucas. You tell me you missed me when you lasted weeks without even talking to me! How do you expect me to believe you when you say you love me?! Tell me Luke!"

"You think I didn't miss you?! Until now you still think that I didn't miss you?!"

She just kept her head down nodding very discretely that you could barely notice. She did think this; she thought that he had stopped missing her because he fell out of love for her when he got together with Peyton. Why would he have been with Peyton if he was still in love with her right?

He shook his head in disbelief. If anything else he knew that there hadn't been a single day since they broke up that he hadn't missed her. He slowly moved backwards then turned around. Brooke swore she thought he was leaving when he suddenly stopped right before he reached the door, picked up his things and walked back to where he stood before. He dropped his things purposely on the floor.

Brooke was startled with the sudden thump of his things falling on her bedroom floor. Right there in front of her was a box filled with like a hundred copies of the envelope he had given to her a while ago.

"There are 102 more letters in there each one like the one you've just read, 103 letters of me pouring my god damn heart and soul to you. I wrote to you everyday. At first I thought that this was just a practice that I got used to; writing about events that happened. Maybe like a diary that I keep but instead of "Dear Diary" it would always start with "Dear Brooke" or "Dear Pretty Girl."

He was hoping for her to say something, anything, but again she just kept her gaze as far from his as possible considering the minuscule distance between them. He decided to continue what he was going to say before she might start to regain her anger and push him out before he could tell her what he needed to say.

"You told me that I couldn't let you all the way in, but Brooke I did, and these letters are proof. Everything I wanted to say, everything I felt is in there and they are all addressed to you! But what made it different is that without that "Dear Brooke" in the first line, I couldn't continue whatever I wanted to write. Nothing I wanted to say would come out right, and I was left with nothing but a blank page. Everything including my hopes and fears are there, the things I can't tell anyone I put in there, and the things that I can't even admit to myself I shared them here with you. I mean, that's got to mean something right?"

Again, there was nothing, no answer from her, just a few sniffles now and then. He shook his head knowing that if she continued acting this way, not facing him, he would never let her understand him.

"Look at me Brooke!"

He moved closer to her face but she turned it the other way. Lucas was starting to get impatient. Why did she have to be so stubborn?!

"God damn it Brooke! Look at me!"

He placed his hands on both her shoulder and gently shook her in an attempt to get her to finally look at him, and after a few seconds, she finally turned to face him. Her eyes immediately connected with his and both could see tears in each other's eyes.

"I thought I've moved on, but Brooke, this," he said pointing towards the box filled with the letters, "this is proof that I can't stand one day without you. I could never let go of you no matter how I tried. You are the only one who I trust with all my heart! You weren't just 'in' you completely seized it over! I love you Brooke! I've always had, and always will."

"Well you sure have hell of a way of showing it!" Her tone was angry yet disappointed at the same time.

"I know that Brooke, but I swear to God I'm trying my best here! I know I can be clueless at times but at least I try! You just got to help me sometimes, I can't do it alone. Please, just give me another chance!"

His eyes were pleading to get her to break down her walls, the walls she have been putting up since the day she found out that he cheated with Peyton the first time. What he didn't know was that it was working; she just couldn't let him see through it. So she just shook her head.

"No. I can't Luke, not anymore. I don't want to give things another go and just end up hating you in the end. I don't want that to happen, not to us. So let's just forget about it."

"I'd rather have you hating me than forgetting me, because if you hated me, at least I know it's because you still loved me, than you forgetting everything which would only mean that you don't have feelings for me anymore and that Brooke, would just destroy me."

"I can't do this anymore, please Luke, just leave."

Once again she removed her gaze from his. She couldn't look into his deep blue eyes because she couldn't let him see that she was falling for him once again. She did what she knew was the only way she could avoid that, by pushing him away.

But he didn't budge. He was determined to show her that this time no matter how much she pushed him away, he wasn't going anywhere. He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace and whispered in her ear…

"I love you Brooke, what do I have to do to make you believe that?"

She was crying now. She didn't return the embrace but she relaxed in it. For once she let her guard down and just let him hold her, for the last time.

"Lucas, please. Just let me go."

And the whole story ends there... Just kidding! hahaha:)) Sorry to leave you hanging but you've got to wait till next time to find out what happens next! Will she forgive him? Will he finally do what she says and just let her go? When the hell am I going to update this? I guess you'll find out the answers on the next chapter of In The End! Cruel? Not really, just building up the anticipation and finding a way to make you guys leave me more reviews! bwahahaha:))