i'm sorry it's been so long. i've been working my butt off lately at work and school. ugh
Chapter Sixteen
"Wh-wh-wh-What are you guys doing here?" Brooke asked nervously. Her face was pale, as if she had just seen a ghost, and she could feel her hands clamming up.
"What are you doing here, Brooke?" Peyton asked her friend.
Brooke stumbled across her next words. "I, uh, me. Err.. eh."
"Brooke?" Lucas said quietly.
"Don't you dare talk to me Lucas. I need to – uh – I need to go." She said angrily, finally finding the words to say. She turned on her heel, leaving the exact way she came in.
"What the hell was that about?" Nathan asked.
"I'm not so sure, Nate."
"Are you sure about that?" Karen spat out from behind the counter. She had pretended not to listen to their conversation, but was still in shock from what Brooke had told her, so she couldn't resist.
"Excuse me?" Lucas said turning to face her, the pain in face evident. 'First Brooke, now Mom?' he thought.
Karen could see that Lucas was hurt, but she was still disappointed in her son. "Why don't you think back to your "business trip" to Georgia?" She said holding up her fingers to form the quotation marks around "business trip."
Lucas finally realized what was wrong. Somehow Brooke knew about Renee in his room. Karen noticed Lucas' epiphany and spoke up. "Lucas, you're my son, and I will always love you. But how could you? I've never seen her hurt like that. Why would you do that to her, again?"
Before he got the chance to answer, Haley spoke.
"Lucas, what is she talking about?"
"Brooke called Lucas last night, but instead of hearing Lucas' voice on the other end, a woman answered." Karen said looking at Lucas." And she said that he was in the shower after their long and rough day together."
'Well, that's how she knows.' Lucas thought.
"Luke, what is the matter with you?" Peyton said, hitting him in the back of the head."Didn't you learn from the first time?"
Lucas rubbed the spot where Peyton had hit him. "Guys, she's misunderstood. Renee, was in my room while I was in the shower. I didn't know until I got out, and I had no idea she was in there. I swear, guys. I was on the phone with Brooke when my boss was handing out my keys, and Renee grabbed mine for me. She took one of my key cards, and snuck into my room later. I kicked her out, immediately. You guys have to believe me. You know how much I love Brooke, I would never do anything to hurt her, especially after I almost lost her forever. She's everything to me."
They all looked at each other, realizing that Lucas was telling the truth.
"Well." Peyton said. "This is not good at all."
"Lucas, go find Brooke. It looks like you have some explaining to do." Karen said walking over to him, giving him a hug. "I'm sorry for how I treated you Lucas. I should have known that you wouldn't do that."
"It's ok, Mom."
"You better start looking, dude." Nathan spoke up.
"I already know where she is, it's the listening thing I'm worried about."
"How do you know where she is?"
"It's Brooke. I just know."
Lucas walked out the door and headed to the place he knew Brooke was.
"So, does anybody want food?" Karen said which made everyone laugh.
- - - - -
After they had all finished their meal, Haley and Nathan had left to go visit Deb, and then Dan. They were still divorced, and Dan's secret about Keith had never been revealed, turning him back into the malicious person he had always been. He felt invincible and that he could get away with anything. Hell, he had gotten away with murder.
Jake and Peyton sat in a booth at Karen's cafe, engaged in light conversation.
"Come with me." Jake said, taking Peyton's hand.
"Jake, where are we going?"
"You'll see."
Twenty minutes later, they were strolling down the dock where they had had their first date.
"I know, I know." Jake said smiling. "The stars definitely aren't as perfect, but I swear I got the weather right. I asked the guys to help me, but it looks like I'll have to do everything myself from now on if I want things to be perfect."
Peyton smiled at him. "I love you, Jake. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it."
"I knew you'd figure it out sooner or later. I would wait eternity for you Peyton. You're the love of my life."
"I just regret missing two years of my life with you."
"It's ok though." Jake got down on one knee, pulling out a ring. "Cause I intend spending the rest of my life with you."
Peyton gasped. "Jake?"
"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, will you marry me and make me the happiest guy on the world?"
"Of course." She smiled through the tears, pulling him up into a kiss.
"I love you, Peyton." He told her after their lips parted.
"God, I love you. More than you even know."
"I think I have an idea." He smiled, kissing her passionately.
- - - - -
"Haley, you look gorgeous!" Deb exclaimed, taking her pregnant daughter-in-law in her arms.
"Ha! I doubt that with this bump." She rubbed her belly.
"No, you're glowing." Deb smiled. "Nathan, I'm so glad you're here." She pulled him into an embrace as well.
"It's good to see you too, Mom."
"So what names are you thinking about?" Deb asked as they all sat in the den of her home. After the divorce she sold the house her and Dan owned, buying a small country home.
"Well, if it's a girl. We were thinking Karli Ann." Haley said. They had decided to not figure out whether it was a boy or girl, wanting to be surprised when their baby was born.
"Oh, that's gorgeous!" Deb exclaimed.
"And if it's a boy," Nathan said. "We're going to name him Emeka."
Deb looked awkwardly at them. "Oh, well that's nice too."
Haley and Nathan both laughed. "No Mom, we're kidding. If it's a boy we're going to name him Caleb Michael."
"Oh, thank God. That's a very handsome name."
"Thanks, Deb." Haley grabbed her stomach, making a face.
"Are you okay, Hales?" Nathan asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I think so." She grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. "The baby's kicking."
"Oh my God." Nathan laughed in happiness.
"Do you want to feel, Deb?" Haley asked her mother-in-law.
Deb smiled, and put her hand on Haley's stomach. "Feels like you two have a strong baby in there." She smiled up at them.
"Come on, I'm it's daddy, how can it not be strong."
Haley rolled her eyes.
"I can't wait to meet my grandchild."
"I can't wait to meet my child." Nathan said more seriously.
"Only three more months." Haley smiled.
They fell into a comfortable silence. Smiling or exclaiming when Baby Scott would kick.
- - - - -
Lucas walked along the path he had memorized long ago. As he turned and approached the river court, he saw Brooke sitting on the bench, her head in her hands. He approached her silently.
"Brooke?" He said sitting down next to her.
Brooke shuddered at the voice she knew very well. "I don't want to talk to you."
"I know Brooke. But you need to. It's not what you think."
"What?" She finally looked up at him, anger in her eyes. "Oh, of course not. A woman answers your phone in your hotel room while you're in the shower. Of course it's not what I think it is."
"Brooke, I didn't know Renee was in my room. I swear. Remember when I last talked to you, it was on the phone when I had arrived at the hotel. I told you I was waiting for my key cards to my room. Renee grabbed it for me, Brooke, but she took one of them. Please believe me."
She looked at him, looking deeply in his eyes. She could see in his beautiful blue eyes the truth she had been praying for. Lucas looked into her eyes as well, seeing all the pain she had been feeling and wished he could take it all away.
"I kicked her out immediately, Brooke. And then I called you, but you didn't answer."
"I broke my phone."
"Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. I love you Brooke Davis. You and only you."
He took her hand and held it in his, scared she would pull away. Surprisingly she didn't pull away, but he noticed she didn't grip back. They sat there in silence for several minutes. Lucas' heart sank more and more, praying she would say it back. He stood up, releasing her hand, and started to walk away.
"Lucas, stop." a weak voice said behind him. He turned to face her.
"I love you too." She gave him a weak smile.
He walked back over to her, pulling her off of the bench and swinging her around.
He put her down, smiling, and took her into a hug.
"Why'd you come here?" He asked her. "To Tree Hill."
"I needed to be with family, and your mom's the only true family I have."
He smiled at her.
"Lucas, how many times is this going to happen to us. There's always going to be a Renee, or a Stacey, or a Beth."
"Don't you think I have to worry about that? But what about the Bens and Rogers and Matts? I have to think about that too. But we're not going to let it bother us anymore, because you know that I would never do anything to hurt you Brooke. I almost lost you once, I won't let it happen again. You're it for me." He smiled at her.
"But why, Lucas? Why does this have to happen? Why can't we just be happy?"
"I think things like this happen-" He paused to think."-because if they didn't we wouldn't appreciate what we have. I mean, almost losing you Brooke, puts things into perspective. I know, because I've practically become an expert on begging for you to come back." He laughed. "My life would end if I lost you Brooke."
He heard Brooke mumble something. "What?"
"It's a line from A Walk To Remember. 'Without suffering there'd be no compassion.'" She looked up at him, and smiled. He brought his hand to her face, gently cupping her cheek.
"I love you, Brooke Penelope Davis. I'll never stop loving you. I'll never hurt you. I'll never let you go. I'm going fight for you for the rest of my life."
"I think I like the sound of that." She said, her voice finally sounding happy.
"Good, cause I do too."
