Disclaimer: I do not, as much as I wish I did, own OTH or any of the songs in this story. All I own is the plot of the story, and I barely own that.

AN: I'm going to put memories or flashbacks in italics.

By the way, thanks for the reviews guys and also for adding the story to your alerts! You are amazing! I want to give a special thanks to: Sammagfunk, brulian equals forbidden love, ashstalker, and Kimberlli. Your kind words were really appreciated.

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Chapter 2: Listen To Your Heart

"Brooke Penelope Davis, will you marry me?"

Julian looked up at her expectantly, fear shining in his deep brown eyes, unaware that at that moment she was lost in a sea of memories.

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"I'm going to marry you someday, Brooke Penelope Davis. Right on this very spot.." He pulled a small plastic ring that he'd gotten out of a vending machine from his pocket and slipped it onto her left ring finger.

Brooke giggled, "Psh. What makes you think I'd ever want to marry a guy like you, Chris Keller?"

"Well, how about the fact that you're now wearing The Keller's ring? You know, it's not everyday that I give a beautiful girl a ring and ask her to marry me. It must mean you're special or something."

Brooke laughed and glanced down at her ring finger, "Well thank you. It's a very…unique ring."

Chris stood up, chuckling, and reached down to take her hands. Brooke smiled her dimpled smile and let him pull her into a standing position. For a split second it seemed as if they were in a trance; their eyes locked and neither moved, as if afraid to ruin the moment. Chris was the first to move; he reached out, his fingers barely grazing her cheek. She sighed and closed her eyes, letting herself be reeled in by his actions.

Brooke moaned softly and pressed herself closer to him; he smiled and turned his head slowly, barely touching her ear with his lips, "Don't lie to yourself, Brookie. You know you think I'm sexy."

"Haha." And just like that, the spell was broken, "Don't lie to yourself,Keller. I was just playing along with your ridiculous game. I so don't want you."

She pulled away, her candid smirk challenging him to refute her.

"Well, if you don't want me," he took a few steps back, "then I guess I'm just gonna have to go home and cry myself to sleep."

Chris sniffled, clearly acting, and turned to walk away.

"Hey, Keller." Chris turned back around to find Brooke standing only a few centimeters away from him, "As far as first dates go, this wasn't half bad." She smirked at him again and leaned forward, placing a kiss on his right cheek, "And hey, maybe if you're lucky I really will be Mrs. Keller someday." She winked, "Who knows?"

His eyes widened, "Wh…what? I was just kidding! The Keller doesn't do weddings!"

Brooke laughed and shook her head, "So was I. The Davis doesn't do weddings either…" She frowned slightly, her eyes sad, "At least not her own."

Chris smiled, "I had a good time, Davis. When's our next date?"

He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers for just a moment; Brooke laughed and rolled her eyes, tilting her head up at him, "What makes you think you're getting a second date, handsome?"

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"Brooke? This whole you not answering my proposal thing isn't doing my ego any favors." Julian laughed, though it sounded forced and scared.

Brooke shook her head, releasing her mind from her silly thoughts. She looked down at the panicked face of her boyfriend of just two and a half months and sighed, "Julian, I…I'm not…I mean…Argh! I don't know what to say."

"Well, yes would be a good start."

Brooke stood up from the table, her legs shaking, and reached down for Julian's hand, "Come here." He stood, towering over her slightly, "When I first saw you, to be honest, I couldn't stand you." They both laughed, knowing the truth in her words, "You were everything I wasn't supposed to want; you were exceedingly charming, maybe too much so, you were Peyton's ex, which completely contradicts the girl code, and you had that grin, the grin that makes my insides turn to goo. But I think I knew even then that there was going to be something between us, I just didn't want to admit it to myself."

Julian smiled and opened his mouth to speak, "Not yet," Brooke whispered, "Hear me out first."

He nodded, suddenly feeling much more secure about what her answer would be.

"Julian Baker, my heart melts every time you enter the room, and just the thought of you leaving breaks my heart, but my life is in Tree Hill; Sam's life is in Tree Hill. I can't just pack up and leave. This is our home; the only place that has ever felt like home to me."

Julian shook his head, looking frustrated, "Then I'll move here. I love you, Brooke, and you know I adore Sam." He removed the engagement ring from the small black box, his hands shaking slightly, "You're the one for me; I'd go to the ends of the earth for you." He took her left hand into his and slid the ring onto her ring finger. "Be my wife."

Brooke looked down at the ring, tears in her eyes, "In all the time that I've known you, you've told me how you've spent your entire life trying to be the best producer, trying to prove to your father that you have worth. I can't and I won't be the girl who holds you back from your dreams. You'd grow to resent me," he shook his head, trying his best to counter her argument, "Yes, you would, and then I'd grow to resent you for it; there would be this endless cycle of hate and resentment, and I don't think that I handle much more hate in my life." She hesitated, starting to lose her bearings, "I have all these feelings, clawing at me, begging me to ask you to stay for me, begging me to say yes, but I can't. I can't marry you…I'm sorry."

Tears started tracing their way down Brooke's pail face as she slid the small ring off. Julian's jaw dropped in shock and tears welled in his eyes as well, "Brooke…"

She placed the engagement ring in his open hand, "I could have easily fallen for you, Julian Baker; I'm just not ready, and neither are you."

Tears started falling down his face, slowly, one at a time, and Brooke turned away, unable to watch the man for whom she was falling fall apart. Brooke sniffled as she tried to hold back her own tears and started walking toward the door.

"Where does this leave us?"

Brooke turned her head, looking at him from the corner of her eye, "I don't know. Maybe we should just…"

"…Call it quits?"

Brooke's breath caught in her throat as the words escaped his mouth, "Maybe that would be best?" Her words becoming more and more slurred as she tried not to cry, "For everyone."

Julian looked at her, pain and anger evident on his face, "You should have said yes. We could have been happy together." This last part was merely whispered.

"I know."

As she stepped through the door to exit, she noticed how gray and gloomy the sky suddenly looked, and as the first drop of rain hit her, she let out her first sob. She turned back around, the rain beginning to fall harder and faster, and watched as Julian collapsed onto one of the chairs. He lowered his head and as each sob wracked his body, his shoulders shook with his effort to breath.

Brooke took one last look at Julian as she stepped further into the rain, "You're right, Julian Baker, I probably should have said yes…I just don't know if you're the one..."

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AN: As always, please review. I'm so glad that there are people out there who actually enjoy this story – thanks so much guys. And I am soooo sorry to anyone who wanted her to say yes! I promise though, there will be more Brulian, along with several other ships! 

Oh and by the way, I'd love to hear your opinions on the Brooke/Chris date. Were they too out of character? I tried to make them both authentic, but I also wanted to show that Chris had grown up some and was no longer just that stupid little boy who chased after what he couldn't have. I tried to show that even though they were on a date, they were more like friends than lovers. Hope that came across right?