Lucas was sitting alone in his room for the first time in awhile. He seemed to always be with Peyton lately, or comforting Haley... when she'd let him talk to her. He dropped his iPod on the floor, and bent down to pick it up. While bent over, he looked under his bed and saw a cardboard box.

"The letters..." he whispered to himself.

He had written 10 letters to Brooke before he stopped. Ten days worth and it was the fourth week of summer. He was behind by 18 letters. After him and Peyton became a thing he abandoned writing his letters. Come to think of it, Brooke wasn't really on his mind lately. Of course ocassionally he did miss her, but he was hardly ever alone to actually think about it. Maybe it's true what they say: out of sight, out of mind.

Lucas picked up the box and sat down at his desk. He contemplated writing a letter, or even reading the old ones, to see if he still had feelings for Brooke. But it didn't really matter now, Brooke was gone and possibly forever (according to her). He stashed the letters underneath his bed again. Once Brooke got home, she'd never forgive him anyway. He called Peyton.

"Hey Scott." Peyton answered.

"Hi you, can you do me a favor and come talk to me when you get a chance?"

"Look outside our door." Peyton laughed.

Sure enough, Peyton was outside the door.

"Peyton, don't you think this friends with benefits thing is getting a little played out?" Lucas said once they were both settled onto the bed.

"What do you mean?" Things were perfect with Lucas right now and Peyton didn't wanna ruin it...

"Well, I think it's so stupid... We should be going out together and kissing in public instead of this purely-sex stuff." Lucas smiled at her.

"So, are you saying..." Peyton started.

"Let's be exclusive..." Lucas choked. He couldn't believe he was saying this. What happened to the Lucas Scott who was gonna wait for Brooke and fight for her?

"What about Brooke?" Peyton said, pretending to be concerned.

"I realized, I wanna be with you Peyton, not Brooke." He couldn't tell if he was lying or not. Peyton couldn't tell either.

"Okay, well then I guess you're with me." Peyton pulled into his chest and kissed him.

----------------------------

Nathan and Rachel talked for hours about everything until Nathan's phone rang. Haley was asking where he was and that she wanted him to come home. She was crying, which was not unusual for her lately.

"Haley needs me home." Nathan said, dissapointedly as he flipped his phone closed.

"Well, this was fun... I don't think I've spent this long with a hot guy without ending up in bed with him in... my entire life." Rachel laughed. Unfortunately, it was true.

"Don't worry, we'll do it again." The two got up and parted ways.

----------------------------

Four weeks later, Brooke opened the door to her apartment in Tree Hill... with Brett. He had insisted to book their flights together. Brooke went into her bedroom and looked around. Everything was how she left it. The bulliten board had a picture of her and Lucas kissing on the beach. There was a picture of the two of them at the Halloween party where she was a she-devil and he was... Tommy Lee. She laughed. He had been so gullible and fell for her being turned on by Tommy Lee. There were other pictures of her and Lucas.

"Nice apartment, babe." Brett came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

Brooke took a deep breath to hold back her tears before saying thank you. They stood there for a minute while Brett looked at the bulliten board.

"Old boyfriend?" he said feeling a little hurt. Brooke never mentioned any other guy, and clearly this was recent or at least she still cared about this guy if she still had pictures of him up on her wall.

"My past..." Brooke whispered. She wasn't sure what her and Lucas were right now. And with Brett in town, them getting back together was unlikely.

"Ok?" Brett said. He didn't buy it. "I'm gonna go to my place and unpack." He kissed her neck. "Call me when you wanna go for dinner last night?" He walked out of the room and Brooke heard the door slam signaling him leaving. She was still standing in front of her bulliten board though.

-----------------------------

"brookes home 2day" read a text message on Lucas's phone, from Rachel.

He shut the phone. He was with Peyton now, and he was sure Brooke and him were never going to get back together after how he had messed up before summer. He needed to take a run to clear his head.

He scribbled a note to Peyton, who was sleeping still, grabbed his iPod and left. He didn't have a route planned, so he just let his feet guide him. Before he even realized where he was going, he was in front of Brooke's apartment complex.


He stopped in his tracks. Should he go and say hi to her? Try and be friends? He wouldn't bring up Peyton, or what him and Brooke were right now, he'd just be friendly...

-----------------------------

Brooke was standing in tears taking pictures of her and Lucas down from the board. She ripped up one of them out of frustration. How could things come to this? She was with someone else while Lucas was probably sitting waiting for her to come home to apologize. There was a knock at her door. She put down the pictures and the empty bulliten board on the kitchen table on her way to the door.

"Hi." Lucas said smiling. He was so happy to see her, but she looked so sad.

"Hey..." Brooke said. "One minute, come in." Brooke ran to the bathroom to wash her face. She didn't want Lucas to see her crying.

Lucas walked in. He sat down at the kitchen table. He saw the ripped picture and other pictures sloppily piled next to Brooke's old bulliten board. Why did she rip it? Was she over him? Lucas stopped his thoughts. It didn't even matter, he was with Peyton now.

Brooke walked in. "How was your summer Broody?" Brooke leaned onto the table.

"It was suprisingly good... I missed you though. Seems like you didn't miss me, though." Lucas said, hurt, holding up the ripped picture.

"Sorry about that... It's just that..." Brooke started. She wanted to tell him about Brett.

"No, I understand. I hurt you for the millionth time, and I'm so sorry Brooke. But maybe this summer being apart was good." He took a deep breath. "It made me realize that I always hurt you and you don't deserve that, and that I don't deserve you."

Brooke was shocked. "Yeah, well there's something you should know than..."

"What is it?" Lucas was trying his best to do this without falling apart or making Brooke cry.

"There's someone else." she muttered.

Lucas felt his heart break. He gulped. "Oh... Well than I guess I should tell you... Brooke, please don't be upset..."

"What is it Lucas?" What was going on here? They were supposed to just take a break over the summer, now they were both confessing things? How could she be with someone else? And what did Lucas have to tell her?!

"I... I'm kinda with Peyton now."

Brooke felt the tears start rolling down her face again for the second time. She quickly wiped them away before Lucas could see. She forced a smile. "That's good. Are you happy?"

"Yeah, I am... I hope you are too" Lucas lied about being happy, and he didn't want Brooke to be happy without him.

"Yeah, I'm very happy." She smiled another fake smile. "Well, I gotta unpack..." she said hoping Lucas would leave so she could break down.

"Okay, do you need any help?" He didn't want to leave.

"To be completely honest, yes I do, but right now I can't see you Lucas." she said plainly.

"I figured. I'll leave then. Bye Brooke." he said.

"Bye Lucas."