Disclaimer: I own nothing related to One Tree Hill.
Author's note: Thanks for the reviews:) Everybody get ready for some Naley action and Brucas drama!
Chapter VII: Lovestoned/I think she knows
Haley was up early on a Sunday morning making cupcakes, everybody else in the house were sleeping so she sang to herself as she baked. Halfway into it Brooke walked into the kitchen.
"Good morning tutorgirl. What are you making?" Brooke said while sitting down on a stool, she tried to get a finger into the dough to taste it.
Haley slapped her hand. "Hey get off that! And good morning to you too. I'm making cupcakes." She said smiling.
"Ohhh I love cupcakes! When are they gonna be ready?? Can I lick the spoon?" A wide-eyed Brooke asked Haley.
Haley looked at the spoon in her hand. "No you can't lick it and they'll be ready soon. God you're worse than Jamie when it come to dough-licking."
Brooke made a little whiny noise and then got off the stool and walked around the counter to Haley. "Look I gotta talk to you about something. I'm gonna fly to New York tomorrow." Brooke said.
Haley was a little surprised. "Uhh okay, why?"
Brooke waved her hands in typical Brooke-fashion while explaining: "The company really needs me in person, at least for a few days. I mean the internet and the phone only go so far you know? They need to know I'm still their CEO and that I've started working on the fall collection, it's only for a few days though. I'll be back before you know it."
Haley nodded. "Sure I understand…are you gonna see Lucas while you're there? She asked.
Brooke looked away from Haley's glare.
"Well are you?" Haley repeated.
"I don't know, I really need to get some stuff from our apartment but I don't think I have the strength to face him. What should I do? Just wait till' he leaves for work?" Brooke asked her best friend.
Haley laughed a little and then looked at Brooke with her big, brown eyes. "Oh Brooke…you are the strongest girl I know. But I also know how much Lucas hurt you and what kind of effect he can have on you. You've really come a long way in the past couple of weeks and I'm afraid that if you see him you're just gonna fall apart again." Haley sighed and then placed her hands on Brooke's shoulders. "I think the best thing for you is to stay away but if you really need to go to his apartment take someone with you. Someone to stand between you two. Like a buffer you know?"
"A buffer…now who would make a good buffer?" Brooke thought for a moment and then looked at Haley. They both said in unison: "Rachel."
The next day Brooke was at Tree Hill airport saying goodbye to Nathan, Haley and Jamie. Nathan was holding Jamie in his arms who was crying. Haley and Brooke were hugging, Haley said to Brooke that she needed to be careful. Brooke agreed and then pulled out of the hug. She took a step forward to Nathan and Jamie and asked Jamie if she could say goodbye to him.
Jamie shook his head. "No I'm not gonna say goodbye. If I don't say goodbye then you can't leave."
Brooke smiled. She had no idea Jamie had become so attached to her. She leaned in to give him a little kiss on the forhead and then she said to him: "I love you and don't you worry, I'll be back before you know it." Jamie reached out his little arms for a hug and Brooke didn't wait one moment before hugging him tight. After for seemed like an eternity Jamie finally let go so she was free to say goodbye to Nathan. He put his one free arm around her, since the other one was occupied holding Jamie, and whispered so that his son couldn't hear: "I wish I could come with you to protect you from my idiot brother and kick his ass too but this is one battle you have to fight on your own. I get that."
"Thank you Nate." Brooke said smiling but only to keep the tears away. She picked up her suitcase and walked a few steps before turning back and looking at the happy Scott family. A dream she once had for herself and Lucas. All her dreams of having a family died when their relationship ended but she was determined to move on. She turned back to the gate and kept on walking till' she was in her plane seat.
A couple of days later Brooke was in her office at Clothes over bro's inc. hard at work. She had spent the last two days convincing everyone that she was still dedicated to the company, she wasn't going to let moping over Lucas cost her everything.
"Good morning Ms. Davis." Millicent, Brooke's P.A. had entered the office. " Here is your latte and the sales figures for the last month." She said handing Brooke a cup and a file. Millicent was a tall, slender girl with dark hair that was always up in a bun. She wore black wire rimmed glasses and very little make-up which Brooke was constantly trying to change.
"Thanks Milly." Brooke said. "You may go, I'll buzz you if I need anything else. Oh and it's Brooke." Millicent smiled and then left the office and Brooke took a sip of her latte while opening up the sales report. She gulped when she saw the figures for the last two weeks, sales in all departments had taken a nose dive right around the time she and Lucas broke up. She worried that her absence from the company had caused this so she buzzed Millicent in.
"Yes Ms. Davis? I mean Brooke?" Millicent said entering the office.
Brooke held up, the sales report in front of Millicent. "Is this because of my leave of absence? Why didn't you tell me things were so bad?" Brooke said to her assistant.
Millicent sat down in a chair on the opposite of Brooke's desk. "Things have been very much under control. All the department heads have been hard at work and you have been very easy to reach so things haven't been bad. The only thing I can think of to have caused this is….." Millicent said hesitantly.
"Is what?" Brooke said glaring at Millicent.
"Well your personal life." She said looking down. "You've been on the front page of every tabloid in the city, country even. You and Mr. Scott."
Brooke's jaw dropped to the floor. "What…What have they been saying?" She said.
"At first they were just reporting that you had broken up but then when you and he refused to give statements they moved on to speculations about why you guys broke up. " Millicent said.
Brooke stood up and paced the floor, she looked out the window and suddenly she felt dizzy, like she was about to faint.
"Are you alright Ms. Davis? I didn't mean to upset you." Millicent said.
Brooke stopped pacing and looked at her: "I'm fine, I just need some water. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Brooke?"
Millicent left the office for a minute and then came back with some water. "Here you are" she said handing Brooke the glass.
Brooke gulped down the glass of water in one sip and then sat down to face Millicent. "Okay, first things first. Why haven't I heard of this until now? Why didn't you let me know the press were trying to contact me?" Brooke said looking hard into Millicent's eyes.
"I just knew that you were going trough a lot and I didn't want the press to bother you. I told them no comment and I hoped they would just move on but they didn't. The stories just got wilder. I'm sorry." Millicent said.
"It's okay…It's not your fault. So what have they been saying?" Brooke said.
Millicent just looked at her until Brooke said: "It's okay, I can handle it. Tell me."
"At first it was just speculation about why you guys broke up but for the last few days it's gotten ugly. They're claming Mr. Scott was sleeping with prostitutes, hanging out with drug lords and loan sharks. You don't know how hard I've worked making sure you didn't see a paper or a magazine laying around, but now you know so you can handle it any way you want. If you want to ignore it or issue a statement, whatever you want, I'll help you." Millicent said in a concerned voice.
They sat there in silence for a moment. Brooke was stunned. "That's not true! How can they print such lies?! She said shifting in her seat. "I want to make a statement."
"Okay I'll type it up for you" Millicent said smiling. She looked like she was happy with Brooke's decision.
"No Milly I want to make a statement, call a press conference" Brooke said.
"I can do that." Millicent smiled nervously and left the office.
Brooke turned her chair around and looked outside the windows from her office. The view of New York city was breathtaking, she wanted the people in this city to know the truth.
Meanwhile back in Tree Hill. Nathan was at his office working on strategies for the Ravens. They had a big game coming up and they were not going to lose.
"Hey coach, can I have a word?" One of Raven's basketball players was at the door.
"Sure Mike, come on in. Take a seat." Nathan said to him.
Mike sat down across from Nathan. "You said that whenever we have a problem, we can talk to you about it."
Nathan nodded.
"Uhh okay so I'm really nervous about the game on Friday. I just can't stop thinking about it and I don't know how to stop. Even for a little bit, I'm having trouble sleeping because of it. What do you think I should do?" Mike asked.
Nathan looked at the photo of Haley on his desk. She looked gorgeus in it. "Mike have you got a girlfriend?"
"Yes sir." Mike replied.
"Do you love her?" Nathan said.
"Very much sir."Mike said with a little smile.
"Then go be with her. She'll take your mind of the game. I guarantee it." Nathan said smirking.
Mike smiled. "Yeah. Yeah of course. Stacy will help me.."
Mike got up from the chair and thanked Nathan. Then he left his office.
"No problem" he said smirking to himself. He looked at the picture of Haley again. She did look amazing in it. He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed.
"Hello" a woman on the other end said.
"Hey mom, would you mind taking care of Jamie tonight?" Nathan asked his mom.
"Sure honey, what's up?" Deb asked.
"Uhh well the big game is on Friday and I just need to relax, relieve some stress." Nathan said smirking.
"Say no more. I will pick him up around seven okay?" Deb said.
"Sounds good. See'ya." He said and then hung up the phone.
On his way to pick up Jamie he stopped by a Walmart and bought some strawberries along with chocolate. Then he picked up Jamie and went home. An hour later he and Jamie were shooting hoops in the driveway when Haley's car pulled up. She stepped out of the car and looked at her husband and son.
"Hey how are my boys doing?" She said walking over to them.
Nathan dunked the basketball and then looked at his wife approaching. She was wearing a black and grey striped skirt that flowed down to her knees and a cream colored haltertop. Nathan wiped the sweat off his brow with his hand and waited for her to come up to him.
"Hi honey. You look good with all this sweat" she said to him.
His heart started beating faster. "Hi..Well you look good with…anything." He smirked.
"Thanks." Haley smiled.
Nathan placed his hand on her cheek and kissed her lips lightly.
"Eew gross!" Jamie shrieked.
Nathan and Haley both chuckled at their sons reaction. Then Nathan looked longingly into Haley's eyes. She knew what that look meant. "Shall we take this inside?" Nathan asked Haley.
"Honey no, Jamie is right here. Maybe tonight after he's asleep." Haley replied.
"Mom is picking him up" Nathan said grinning.
"Oh when?" Haley said tugging his jersey to pull him closer.
"Right now." Nathan was barely able to say. He had only one thing on his mind and it was hard for him to concentrate on anything else.
A moment later Deb pulled up in the driveway and Jamie ran screaming "Grandma!" down to her car.
Haley followed him and gave him a kiss goodbye before Deb strapped him in the car.
"You kids have fun now." She said with a wink before driving away.
Haley laughed a little and then she felt Nathan's strong arms surround her. He stood behind her and wrapped them around her. "Finally I have you all to myself." He said. Then he started to kiss her neck.
"Nathan, not out here…the neighbours…" Haley couldn't say anything else because of her moaning with pleasure.
"You're so hot, I have to have you now." He whispered in her ear and then nibbled on her earlobe.
Haley turned around in his arms and put her hands on his neck, she met his gaze for a split second before pulling him into a passionate kiss. He let his hands trace the small of her back, he knew that it turned her on. After a minute they came up for air. They looked at each other and smiled. They didn't even notice Mrs. Abernathy next door who was ogling them. Nathan took Haley's hand and almost dragged her into the house, the moment the door was closed they locked lips again but this time they were ripping each other's clothes off. Haley pulled Nathan's jersey off in one swift movement, meanwhile Nathan was working on Haley's skirt. He couldn't find a zipper or a button anywhere, then Haley told him that there weren't any and the skirt was off faster than Nathan's heartbeat. Somehow, but not without a few stumbles, they had made their way into the bedroom and Haley was going to let herself fall on to the bed, unfortunately it was so dark in there that she fell on the floor taking Nathan with her. They burst out laughing but it didn't last long as Nathan's lips found Haley's. Haley ran her hands down Nathan's back and felt the sweat he had worked up playing basketball, she went further and grabbed a hold of his boxers pulling them down, he was hard. Nathan had already taken off Haley's bra so he kissed his way down to her chest. He sucked her nipples causing Haley to moan, he loved giving her pleasure so her moans were like a reward for him. His right hand traced her stomach right down to her pantyline, Haley started to breathe heavier and then after a moment of teasing her he slid his hand down into her panties. She was wet, he was hard. They were both ready. He glided her panties off and then got on top of her. He slid inside of her and started thrusting his hips against hers. Haley dug her fingernails into Nathan's back causing him to groan with satisfaction. Then after a minute he started going faster and faster which made Haley moan louder and louder. She was almost screaming with pleasure, she called out Nathan's name over and over until they both came.
A few minutes later they had recovered and Nathan was spooning Haley.
"That was amazing." Haley muttered.
"I know…that was hot." Nathan replied.
Haley couldn't stop smiling and Nathan noticed that. "I'm sorry." He said kissing her shoulder.
"Sorry about what?" She said.
"This isn't what I planned. I bought strawberries and chocolate, I was going to melt the chocolate on to the strawberries and then put on some Barry White to set the mood.."Nathan was cut off by Haley chuckling.
"What?" He asked her.
"Barry White?" Haley asked with a big grin.
"Yeah what is wrong with that? His music is very sexy, it sets the mood." Nathan said.
"Sure, if that's your story." She said laughing.
"I'm serious!" Nathan exclaimed. "Okay I also didn't plan on being dripping with sweat so I'm sorry about that."
"Hey don't be, I find it very sexy." Haley said while rubbing Nathan's arm. "You can't plan passion you know? I just overtakes us sometimes and that's always a good thing."
"I know." He said and then started to kiss her neck again.
"Don't do that, I'm not quite ready for round 2." Haley said jokingly.
"Oh I am." Nathan groaned in her ear.
Haley turned in his arms to face him. "Why don't you take a shower and I will make us those chocolate strawberries." She said kissing his neck, up to his face and ending with his lips.
Nathan pulled away. "Okay." He whispered. Then he let his forehead fall on to Haley's forehead.
"Are you sure you don't want to join me in the shower?" He asked his wife.
"I don't think so." Haley replied.
Nathan gave Haley one last kiss and then got up and walked over to the bathroom. Haley listened to him turn on the shower and then she got up, put on Nathan's jersey and walked in to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and took out the treats Nathan had bought for them. She melted the chocolate in the microwave and then poured it over the strawberries. When she was finished she got back in to the bedroom but this time she got in to bed, she put the strawberries on the nightstand and listened for Nathan to get out of the shower.
"Haley!" A yell coming from the bathroom said.
"What!?" She yelled back.
"Come here, I want to show you something!" He yelled.
"Okay I'm coming" She said getting up and walking over to the bathroom.
When she opened the door to the bathroom Nathan was standing in the shower buck-naked. Haley couldn't help but stare, she had married the hottest guy in all of the world. And there he was in front of her, wet and naked.
"Hey are you joining me or what? Last chance." Nathan said smirking.
"What the hell was I thinking saying no in the first place?" She thought to herself. She went back in to the bedroom and grabbed a couple of strawberries. Then she took off the jersey and got in the shower with her husband.
Back in New York the press room at Clothes over bro's headquarters was filled with every newshound in town. Brooke was in the back room changing. "What do you think Milly?" she said while looking at herself in a mirror. She was wearing a black pencil skirt and a gorgeus white, silk blouse. After Millicent had given her the thumbs up she slicked on red lip gloss and headed for the press room. Camera flashes started popping like crazy and allt the reporters yelled Brooke's name when she entered the room.
"Settle down, settle down please" she pleaded to the reporters. "I will make a statement and then afterwards I'll take a few questions."
The room settled quickly so Brooke was able to begin. "Thank you all for being here today. I would like to confirm the reports of the split between me and Lucas Scott. We parted ways about two weeks ago, it was a difficult but amicable decision that we made together." Brooke said in her most professional voice. "Now about the stories you have been printing in the last few days about the reasons behind our split. They are not true, not even close to the truth. You don't have any proof behind those allegations so expect a lawsuit if you don't stop printing them. That is all, thank you." Brooke concluded.
The reports all started raising their hands and snapping photos again. They wanted to ask her questions. Brooke pointed to a tall, balding man and asked him what his question was.
"Ms. Davis. I would like to know how this split has affected your company? I've been hearing rumours about a drop in sales." He said with a smug grin on his face.
"Those rumours are not true, and if they were, it would be your fault for printing lies about us." Brooke glared at him. She picked another reporter. A nice looking, short woman with big glasses.
"Ms. Davis can you tell us the real reason you and Mr. Scott broke up?" She said holding out her microphone.
"No. That's private." Brooke said into the mic.
"I heard that you had broken up before when you dated in high school. Apparently he slept with your best friend or something like that. Does that have anything to do with this break-up?" The woman continued thrusting her mic in Brooke's face.
"No, that's not what happened…" Brooke started to say but she couldn't continue. She felt dizzy, all the lights on her were making her hot and the silk blouse was not helping. How did this woman find out about their high school relationship? How did she find out about Peyton? Brooke was feeling like she was about to faint any minute. She had to get out of there. "No further questions." She said before hurrying out of the room, she went to her office and sat down in her chair. She put her head between her legs to try and get rid of the dizziness.
Back in the press room, Millicent thanked the reporters. She sighed, this was finally over. She had been dreading this press conference all day, she was afraid Brooke might fall apart at any second. Thankfully her boss did good. Millicent was just about to leave when she noticed a tall, blondish guy lurking in the back of the room trying to get out. He didn't have a camera or a mic or anything. It couldn't be him, could it?
A few minutes later Millicent found Brooke in her office with her head between her legs. "Hey Ms. Davis, I mean Brooke, you did good."
Brooke raised her head up. "You think so Milly? I don't know."
"You did, trust me. Anyway guess who was at the press conference?" Millicent said smiling.
"Oprah?" Brooke joked.
Milly laughed a little. "Nope, your ex. He was hiding at the back. "
"Lucas was there?" Brooke's eyes lit up for just a split second but then the light was gone. "I miss him." She said sighing.
"I'm sorry." Milly said to her boss.
"It's okay. I have to learn to live without him, but I can't do that until I get my stuff. I'm calling my buffer." Brooke said picking up the phone.
Millicent gave Brooke a strange look.
"Don't ask." Brooke said to Milly. "Hey ho what are you up to?" she said into the phone.
