Disclaimer: One Tree Hill belongs to Mark and the folks at the CW. Also, the song Fall to pieces belongs to Patsy Cline so please don't sue.

AN: A big thank you to everyone that reviewed, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!

-oo-

Chapter 3: The eyes that neglected to see

I fall to pieces each time someone speaks your name

I fall to pieces, time only adds to the flame...

-BL-

There were two things that came as a given with her job, and being a Davis that Brooke kind of hated. Her mother was first, of course and then there were the hotels she often stayed in. The two were interchangeable, depending on a day you asked her (Victoria did have rare outbursts of kindness that dethroned her from number one spot).

It wasn't like she was one of those people that could only sleep well in their own bed or who hated being away from home for more than a day, but somehow after all the time she's spent traveling in these last couple of months she's started to turn into one. She missed her own apartment, her own bedroom. Most of all she missed seeing a familiar face (even if it was just Blake).

But not today.

Because this morning, as she came down the stairs and into the lobby of yet another unknown motel she was greeted by a friendly smile and a very familiar face. She smiled, walking up to the person standing in front of her and pulling her into a tight hug.

"Um…Brooke, breathing is becoming an issue here."

"Sorry, it's just that I'm really glad to see you," Brooke apologized, stepping back to give her friend some space.

"I figured as much after I started seeing dark spots in front of my eyes from the lack of oxygen," Haley said with a laugh.

"Yeah, blame it on that boxing course I took last year," Brooke said, showing off those arm muscles she worked hard on.

"I will. Remind me not to ever visit you again. In person that is. The phone is still safe."

"Yes, but I don't know about the phone bill."

"Oh, don't even go there. And don't mention it in front of Nathan. Ever." she said somberly. "But all joking aside, I barely recognized you Davis. You look even thinner in person. Television really does add ten pounds. Or is it fifteen?" Haley commented, and Brooke felt a little bit guilty for not visiting Tree Hill more often. Her clothing line left her no time to think about anything but work so it was fair to say that she had no time to reflect on how often she saw her childhood friends.

"Well, I've been busy, busy lately- no time for food."

"The story of your life."

"Oh c'mon, you don't look too bad yourself Haley James Scott. I love the shorter darker hair you have going on. And yes, I know I'm fabulous but you really shouldn't copy me," she said teasingly, pulling her bangs back in a dramatic fashion.

"I'd never do anything like that. Besides I cut my hair a long time ago, way before you did and you're just being jealous because I look better with short hair than you do," Haley said laughing, imitating her friend's earlier move.

"Ha, sure I am," Brooke said sticking her tongue out at Haley.

"That's real mature of you."

"What can I say, being back in Tree Hill brings out the teen me."

"Or maybe it's this stale air of the motel lobby."

"Yes, that must be it."

"Well then maybe we should go before we both start acting like five-year old's."

Brooke looked at her, ready to say something just as snarky, but in the end decided against it. "Yes, let's go. Which reminds me, where are we going exactly?"

"First, we'll make a stop at a book store and then we're going to my place for lunch," Haley explained as they left the motel.

"You're taking a friend you haven't seen in years to a dusty bookstore?" Brooke asked, pretending to sound indignant.

"I think you've mistaken a bookstore with a library. Unlike libraries, bookstores aren't as stale and dusty, I personally know a woman who works there and vacuums the place every morning before they open," Haley explained. "Besides I need to get a book for my class tomorrow, Jamie dropped the copy I had into the pool."

"Well I sure don't wanna stand in the way of your teaching job. Besides I was meaning to grab the new Vogue today anyways so I can get it there I guess."

"Perfect," Haley agreed with a smile.

-BL-

It was not even noon when the girls drove up to the bookstore, so they had plenty time to do some shopping and make it home in time for lunch. Plus, the place was no Barnes and Noble, they could practically check out the entire bookstore and get what they needed in less than five minutes.

Haley quickly found her way around the store, passing through rows until she got to the section with the nineteenth century novels. Vogue in hand, Brooke wandered off to the displayed section to keep herself entertained while waiting for Hailey.

But before she got a chance to scan any of the titles one of the books cough her eye. She didn't get to pull it out because Haley grabbed it first. It was the only copy left. She quickly read the title as Haley held it up with a smile. The Unkindness of Ravens written by Lucas Scott.

"Wow, I can't believe there's only one of these left. When I was here last week there were almost a dozen of copies lying around," Haley said.

Brooke looked longingly in the direction of the shelves with magazines by the cash register. Why didn't she just stay there? She didn't have time for books anyway, barely managing to find time to sift through Vogue and that was practically a required must-read material in her line of work.

"It's Luke's book," Haley explained, as if she didn't know.

"Yeah I know, you told me about that once," Brooke said casually. Or so she hoped.

"So, have you read it?"

"Um, not really, I didn't have time for it," she said.

"Well, you should, it's great and it's gotten great reviews, for a first-time author that is," Haley explained, sounding rather proud of her best friend.

"I'm sure it is," she said honestly.

"And he is working on his second book already. But since he's been busy with the coach gig at UCLA that's gonna have to wait a little."

"Coach?"

"Yeah, he's the assistant coach at the UCLA. Though he did take the summer break to work on the said book and help out Skillz here at THH."

"So, he's not in L.A. anymore?" she asked, a little alarmed that Lucas was actually here, in Tree Hill.

"No, he came back home a while ago, putting his job at UCLA on hold," Haley explained "He seems much happier now, doing what he loves, being close to his friends."

"Yeah, I'm sure he does," Brooke said quietly; she could relate. "I should go pay for this or we'll be late for lunch."

"But Brooke-" Haley said with a sigh before she dropped the book in her shopping cart watching Brooke walk away.

Ten minutes later when they were sitting in her car, Brooke looking through the pages of her Bible, as she so fondly called it, Haley dropped something into her lap.

"What the-" Brooke asked looking down at the book that was resting on her lap.

"You should read it, it's really good," Haley said as Brooke stared at the book in her hand or more specifically at the title, completely perplexed. "Especially the part about a certain red headed girl," she added before maneuvering the black SUV out of the parking lot and onto the street.

-BL-

"Haley, I know you were a book worm in high school but this is a bit much even for you," Brooke complained as she walked into the house carrying a few very heavy bags in her hands. "I thought you changed," she all but whined.

"It's just a couple of books and if it was so heavy for you, we could've switched," Haley said as she carried a couple of grocery bags in her arms.

"No thanks, I don't wanna get any food stains on my clothes and it's not really that heavy, I'll survive," Brooke retorted.

"Just a few feet left." Haley encouraged her as they walked up to the kitchen counter.

"Yes, we can do this," she said almost cheering them on, as if they were trying to climb Mount Everest and not carry some shopping bags and Haley laughed. "Where's Nate anyway?"

"Nathan? Are you home?" Haley called out, as she finally lowered her grocery bags on the kitchen counter but no one answered. "He must be outside by the pool." she concluded.

"Pool? You have a pool?" Brooke asked, her whole face lighting up and Haley thought that under all that tough girl exterior there was some of that old cheery, easygoing Brooke left after all. "We're so having lunch outside," she added excitedly, making Haley laugh.

"That is if I get to make one, we're kinda late," Haley added as she sorted out the groceries.

"You can make us an omelet with a side of bacon and I'd be happy if we get to eat by the pool," Brooke said with a grin.

"Well you're easy to please for a big fashion designer."

"Trust me, I'm the only one." Brooke said with a smile.

"That much I figured."

"Well you go make those eggs while I look for Nathan to say hi and see if we can maybe set up the table in the backyard. Where do-"

"Just go straight forward to the living room, there are the doors that lead to our back yard." Haley chipped in, pulling her hair into a pony tail so she could get to work.

"Great, thanks. Is Jamie with him too, I can't wait to see him!" she said, thinking about her favorite (and only) godson.

"No, he's not. He's at friends' house right now. They're camping."

"Isn't he a little young for that?" Brooke asked.

"In the back yard of Sarah's house, his friend's mom," Haley explained. It was the closest to camping she'd let Jamie do until he turned ten. Or maybe twelve, she wasn't sure yet.

"Right, I should've known that," Brooke said with a laugh. "Okay, I should go look for that husband of yours."

-BL-

Once upon a time, before Lucas, Mouth, Haley and everyone else came into her life, there were only two people Brooke could really trust. Her bestest friend Peyton Sawyer, of course and surprisingly enough, Nathan Scott. Not many people understood that, seeing them in public or at school since that mostly ended with an argument between the two about one thing or the other (mostly about Peyton). Yes, they fought a lot but mostly because Brooke always put Peyton first and was sick of him treating her badly and vice versa. But their relationship aside, she understood Nathan and the way he acted.

She could see right through that bad boy facade, because most days, she played the same game. And he was just as good as that game as he was at throwing hoops.

And so, despite all their disagreements, because of that fact alone they have become and remained good friends throughout the years. Often, as a result of her absentee parents (and his) they'd spend the afternoons by her pool, joking around, getting wasted, having pseudo barbecues or just lying in the sun. That back yard was Brooke's favorite part of her house and it was their little getaway place, their little corner of the world where they could share secrets, confess things they'd never tell anyone else. It was there that Brooke confessed to them that she was still a virgin in the ninth grade even though everyone else thought differently and where Peyton admitted she never actually smoked pot and that she thought that anyone who did was just a big showoff. And it was there that Nathan told them his mom had a closer relationship with that tequila bottle than with Dan or her son, often being unable to remember where she left her own clothes in the morning let alone where her son spent his days (or nights).

A lot of those days ended with them getting drunk on a couple of bears and not remembering half of the things they shared with each other in the morning, but the ones they did remember they never mentioned to anyone again.

And today as Brooke walked by the clear watery surface of the pool bathed in sunlight, she wished she was in ninth grade again so she could share this burden that was crushing her with someone. But the image in front of her was so far away from that stubborn, cocky, easy going boy always ready to hear her out and help even if it was just by offering a glass of something with high percentage of alcohol in it. The only thing that hasn't changed was that fake smile on his face that did nothing to fool her. Brushing things off and putting on a smile, saying things were fine when they really weren't was another one of those things they always had in common.

"Planning to go for a swim?" she asked, looking at Nathan who was currently sitting by the pool and staring at it for the good two minutes now without noticing her presence.

Finally, he looked up, baffled. "No I-"

"I take it Haley hasn't told you I was coming." she said.

"No, she did tell me. Just didn't mention you'd come over today."

"Well then…surprise," she said, spreading her hands in a ta-da gesture and he smiled.

"I take it that means it's not a bad surprise."

"Not at all."

She walked over to him as he stood up to pull her in a hug. "Wow, you've gotten taller."

"Four-inch heels," she explained, gesturing at her black strappy sandals.

"Of course."

"You look good Nate. All things considered."

"Yeah I'm doing great," he said. And there was that smile again.

Brooke shrugged.

"Shall we sit down?" she asked pointing at the garden chairs and a table placed a few feet away.

"It sure beats walking," he joked as they sat down but it fell flat.

"Oh, I almost forgot about the- Haley told me you're almost fully recovered from-"

"The key word being almost," Nathan said interrupting her. "But its miles away from where we were so I'm not complaining."

"Water?" he offered, taking a bottle that was placed on the table.

"No, I'm not really- you can have it."

He shrugged, pulling the cap off of the bottle and taking a sip, his eyes focused on the pool. "Remember ninth grade and your infamous pool?"

"How could I forget? I think back then we spent more time there then at home or anywhere else in Tree Hill for that matter."

"Yeah, we did," he said with a sigh. "Those were some fun times, minus the hangovers and possible alcohol poisoning on two separate occasions."

"Three. You forgot about you downing that bottle of vodka in half an hour on a dare and almost falling in the pool," Brooke added. "You should definitely stick to that," she said pointing at the bottle of Evian.

"Yeah-" he agreed. "Wanna know a secret?"

"I can't tell anyone, remember?" she said, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh yes the 'secret place'," he said with a smile.

"Yup." she agreed.

"Well to be honest I kind of like it this way," he admitted. "After the accident I just gave up on everything, choosing alcohol and TV instead of Haley and there's not a day that passes that I don't regret all the time I lost with her and Jamie because of it. I just spent days feeling sorry for myself and I became this totally different person, a person I didn't like, you know?" he said, playing with Jamie's orange ball.

"Believe me, I know it all too well."

"And I'm just glad I realized that wasn't who I wanted to be before it was too late," he said.

"If only I had your strength," Brooke said more to herself than to him but he heard every word.

"Brooke, how can you say that? You're probably the strongest person I know," he said, surprised at her confession.

"No, I'm not," she denied, thinking of all the things she settled for because it was easier that way. Old Brooke Davis would be disappointed.

"You just have to be honest with yourself, the rest…it'll just fall in place with time," he said throwing Jamie's small basketball into a plastic basket and watching as it went through smoothly.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Brooke asked playing with her engagement ring.

"Yeah," he said, turning to face her.

"I kind of think that I'm still in love with-"

"Nathan." Haley said from across the back yard, holding the plates in her hands. "There you two are. The lunch is ready," she announced.

"Let me help you with those," Nathan said, walking up to take the plates from her hands.

Brooke quickly wiped away the tear that snuck up down her cheek and smiled. "Yes, what can we do?"

"For starters you could go get the glasses, they're on the counter."

"I'm on it."

-BL-

"Are you gonna go pick up Jamie or should I?" Haley asked stretching her hands above her head, her small frame practically sinking into the couch in the living room.

"I'll go, you had a long day, making the lunch, which was amazing by the way. That apple pie was to die for, as usual. But I wouldn't mention it to Jamie when he gets here or we'll never see it again."

"Yes, like hiding a cake from him would ever work… I'll try to save you a piece when he comes," she said and then frowned. "God, my back is killing me."

"And why do you have me?" Nathan asked coming behind her back to sit.

"What did I do to deserve this free massage?"

"Besides making a great lunch you mean?" he asked with a laugh. "Well, you married me, gave birth to my son, put up with me for months even though I was a complete self-absorbed asshole."

"Aw, that really is a lot. Maybe you could throw in a foot massage while you're at it."

"Oh, I don't mind."

"God, that feels good," Haley said with a sigh. "But seriously, stiff neck aside, I did have a great time. It was nice to catch up."

"And talk to someone older the five," Nate added.

"That too," Haley agreed with a laugh. "And what were you and Brooke talking about earlier when I was in the kitchen?"

"Nothing much," he said with a shrug. "But I don't think she's all that happy in New York." Nathan said, thinking of that smile on her face, it was as if she was trying too hard to show him how great her life was now. But he didn't buy it. Something was off. "And she was about to tell me she was in love with-"

"Lucas!" Haley exclaimed, almost jumping of the couch.

"No," Nathan denied quickly, but when he stopped to think about it, he couldn't be entirely sure that wasn't true. "I don't know. She didn't get to finish her sentence. She probably meant that fiancé of hers."

"You don't know that. Besides you haven't seen her today at that bookstore. There's something going on there," Haley said, turning to face him.

"You're probably imagining it."

Haley shook her head. "Nope. And if you were there with me this morning, you'd say the same thing."

"You're such a hopeless romantic, you know that?" Nathan teased her.

"Just because I want our friends to be as happy as we are it doesn't mean that-"

"They are happy," Nathan stated.

Haley was silent for a moment, contemplating his words. "No… no they're not. I know for a fact that Lucas is miserable and you said Brooke-"

"I didn't say anything. Those were just assumptions, nothing more."

"I know Lucas loves her and if only she…"

"How do you know Lucas loves her? They broke up years ago," Nathan asked. "And it was a mutual thing."

"True. But have I ever told you why Lucas and Lindsay broke off their engagement?"

"No."

"Well, I don't wanna be a big gossip girl but I'll just say Brooke was a big part of that."

"She wasn't even there when that happened, Hales," Nathan pointed out.

"She didn't have to be. Physically at least," Haley said and Nathan looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

-TBC-