Chapter 2

The World Spins Madly On

Brooke's stomach dropped like she was on a roller coaster. Engaged?? She thought to herself. They hadn't talked about their private lives. Brooke just assumed that he was single too. Who was she kidding?? Once a cheater, always a cheater.

"Who, Peyton?? Who is Lucas engaged to?" Brooke said closing her eyes, waiting for the pain in her heart to subside. Even 4 years later, their relationship still felt so raw, like it had happened yesterday.

Peyton sat next to Brooke on the couch, placing her hand on top of Brooke's.

"Brooke, did Lucas tell-"

"No, Peyton he didn't! Who is he engaged to??" Brooke cried

Peyton, glancing at her feet, said the name of the person Brooke had once called a friend "Rachel, he's marrying Rachel Gettina" Peyton said in barely a whisper.

Brooke couldn't breathe. How could he?? How could she?? It had been 4 years since Brooke and Rachel has really spoken, Brooke received a few postcards over the years, and thought that Rachel was still modelling her way across Europe.

"Brooke?? Where did you go?" Peyton said with a worried expression on her face

"A million miles a way…" said Brooke with a small smile on her face. "Pey, how long have they been engaged?"

"Nearly a year" Peyton said, still looking intently at Brooke. Something wasn't adding up. Brooke was far too quiet.

"Tell me what's going through your pretty little head, B. Davis" Peyton persisted

"Pey, do you think I would be a good mother??" Brooke asked with a sad expression on her face, which almost broke Peyton's heart.

"Why would you ask me something like that Brooke?? Of course you will be a great mother…but what has this got to do with Lucas??" Peyton asked, preparing herself for what she knew was coming.

"Because P.Sawyer-Jagielski, when Lucas and I slept together, we weren't careful, and the reason why I came over is that…well I'm pre-gna-nt" Brooke croaked out, finally saying it out loud for the first time.

Peyton knew it was coming, but wasn't prepared for it. A thousand questions were running through her mind, and she wasn't going to bombard Brooke with them all now, so she asked what seemed to be the most obvious one.

"What are you going to do?"

"Do you think I would be here if I knew, Peyton? Now I have been told that on top of being knocked up by my two time ex boyfriend, he is engaged to the high school whore, and my former friend!" Brooke broke down, sobbing while her hands surrounded her stomach.

"He has to know" Peyton said, trying to rationalise with Brooke.

"Why?? He obviously doesn't want me, and once again, he gave his heart to someone else and I was the consolation prize!!"

"No Brooke, he loves you, he always has and al-

"Always will, Peyton?? If he always loved me, he wouldn't have kissed you twice while we were in a relationship, he would have come after me when I moved to New York for school or hell even just given me a call the last 4 years! I waited for him. My heart has always been with him, Peyton and he moved on so fast I am just a blip on his radar!" Brooke fumed pacing up and down

"Brooke, don't be stupid! calm down, I'm going to get us some vodka- wait tea", as she quickly glanced at Brooke's stomach.

"Ok, ok" Brooke sat down on the couch, staring at her feet, tears welling in her eyes.

Peyton walked quickly into the kitchen, and put the kettle on. As she reached for the biscuit tin, Peyton heard the front door slam. She ran past Jake onto the porch to see Brooke's blue Beetle speeding down her street.

"Oh.. this is bad" Peyton said to herself as she walked slowly back inside and took Jenny into her arms, holding onto her for dear life.

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Brooke didn't know what to do. She managed to remember to fill the petrol tank before she drove straight out of town. She couldn't deal with Tree Hill any more. The drama, the pain, the memories, particularly of him. Every building in this town had some sort of memory of Lucas attached to it. The school, the Blue Bar, the wharf…it was all too much. Brooke had to get away. She couldn't deal with being in love with someone who didn't love her back.

Brooke picked up her phone.

"Hey, Bevin? How is the show going? oh good. I'm going to take a couple of weeks off..yeah, ok thanks bye" Brooke sighed.

At least she didn't have to stress about work. Couldn't be good for the baby a small voice in her head said.

Brooke drove and drove. She knew the route well. After all, it had been her connection to Tree Hill for 4 years while she was at school. Brooke felt like she was 17 again. All the thoughts she had during her pregnancy scare in junior year came back in full force. The feelings of inadequacy of her mothering skills, the fear of giving birth and looking after a child when she could barely look after herself, all came rushing back. Would she be a good mother? Despite Peyton trying to reassure her, Brooke didn't know if she could handle a child. Sure, Brooke had babysat both Jenny and James, but at least she could give them back at the end of the day. Would she be able look after a baby by herself? Would it be a boy or girl? Should she let Lucas know? No Brooke decided, he had his own life now, and she wasn't going to be the dirty mistress. She drove past the familiar sign and an instant sense of calm washed over her. "Welcome to New York".

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Haley had just arrived home when she saw the red light on the answering machine flashing. Its probably just Nate she thought to herself. As soon as she heard her best friend's voice she knew something was seriously wrong. Although they had gotten off to a rocky start, Brooke and Haley had become close their senior year, and been inseparable ever since. In the years Haley had known Brooke, she had only ever used that tone once- when Brooke found out her parents had died in a car accident in California.

Haley's hand trembled as she dialled Brooke's mobile phone number. Haley remembered Brooke was in Charleston this week for a Victoria Secret Fashion Show. Her phone went straight to voice mail. Strange, thought Haley. Brooke is usually a social butterfly, and thought it was social suicide to miss a phone call from anyone. Haley dialled Peyton's number in the hope that she was home from the studio.

"Hello, Peyton speaking"

"Peyton, do you know where Brooke is?"

"Haley, is that you?"

"Yes of course it is me! I just got this cryptic message from Brooke, and she isn't answering her phone! What's going on??"

"Haley-here's the thing- and you can't tell Nate…." Peyton told Haley what had transpired the night before, but didn't have the heart to tell Haley about Brooke's pregnancy. Plus, she thought it might get back to Lucas if she told Haley, not that that was a bad thing, but it wasn't her place.

"We have to find her, Peyton, she needs us…."

"She will call us when she is ready, Haley"

"Well..ok" agreeing with Peyton against Haley's instincts, and hoped more then anything that Brooke would waltz into her house at any minute.

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