A/N: Hey everyone, first of all I would like to give a special thank-you/shout out to :
Kajal, ga-4-ever, brookenlucas4eva03, BrOoKe DaViS23, justawritier, Iz-Belle91, 11xoryissaxo5, othx3BRUCAS, onetreefan, Kimmers (and anyone else I forgot I'm sorry) for their well wishes and messages of support. I appreciate that you took the time out to send me a message. I'm recovering well; I'm having some memory and energy issues still, but otherwise I'm ok. So I had written this chapter before the surgery, it just needed some tweaking. Sorry it took so long; I hope it is worth the wait. As always, I love reviews in any shape or form- Lydia
Chapter 28-Unfaithful
Lucas walked into the house, carrying a crying Ella in her basinet
"Brooke"
"Hey Lucas" she said as she climbed down the stairs
"How's my little angel?" she said, picking up Ella
"No good, she cried all the way here"
"Oh you just want your momma don't you" she said cradling Ella as she happily fed from Brooke.
"How's Rachel?"
"Not good, I'm trying to get through to her, I mean we haven't been friends in years, and Cooper seems to think I am her only friend"
Lucas was deep in thought as Brooke continued to feed Ella.
"Hey Cheery?"
"Yeah Broody" she said looking up
"Do you mind if I talk to Rachel?"
A flash of uncertainty flashed through Brooke's features before saying "Sure, go ahead"
"I'll be right back" he said before he kissed her softly on the temple.
Brooke watched Lucas' retreating form and took a deep breath.
"I hope I'm doing the right thing, baby girl"
"Hey Rach" Lucas said as he entered the room.
"What are you doing here?"
"Ella needed to be fed"
"Ella is here?"
"Yeah she is with Brooke downstairs" Lucas said, standing somewhat uncomfortable next to Rachel's bed.
"Where's Cooper?"
"Watching NASCAR racing on ESPN"
"You didn't punch him out?" Rachel asked suspiciously
"Why would I?"
"Because of what happened with us"
"Oh" Lucas faltered
"You love her don't you?" Rachel blurted out
"Of course I never stopped" Lucas said
"Did you love me?" she asked quietly
"A part of me will always love you, Rach" he said reaching out to hug her
At first she resisted before accepting his hug. She squeezed him tight
"In a friendly way, of course" Lucas chuckled
"Of course"
"Maybe you should talk to Cooper in" Lucas suggested
"Why?"
"Because you and Brooke are alike more than you know. Tell Cooper what you are feeling Rach, you can't block him out. He loves you"
"How do you know?"
"He told me"
"Really, also it isn't your fault about the baby"
Rachel thought for a moment before she whispered "Can you get Cooper?"
Brooke stood, leaning against the door frame, unnoticed by Lucas and Rachel
Ella lay asleep in her arms. A breath caught in Brooke's throat as she saw Lucas say to Rachel how he loved her.
Brooke turned her heel and thundered down the stairs
"Brooke?" Lucas called out to her, wondering what all the noise was
"Leave me alone"
"What's wrong?"
Brooke kept walking, quickening her pace as she clutched Ella basinet tighter
"Come on Brooke"
Brooke stopped in her tracks, Lucas almost colliding into her
"Come on Brooke, are you serious!"
"What did I do?" he pleaded with her
"It isn't what you did Lucas, it's what you said!" she screamed
"What did I say?"
"Hmm…let me jog you memory Luke" she said "A part of me will always love you, Rach" she mimicked
Lucas paled as Brooke repeated the words he had said not even 10 minutes prior
"You heard that?"
"Yeah I heard that" she said bitterly, "Tell me, Luke. If Rachel has a piece of your heart, and of course not to mention Peyton, is there any part left for me?" before turning and walking away
"Brooke-" he yelled
But it was too late, she had already climbed into her rental, and sped down the street.
"Crap crap crap" he said before pressing 3 on his phone and pressing call
"What did you do?" the voice on the end of the call demanded
"Hales?" he said confused that he had dialled the wrong number
"Don't Hales me, Lucas! As soon as I saw you were calling your brother I wrestled the phone off him"
"No kidding, man. She has a killer death grip" Nathan called in the background
"Tell me, Lucas. I just got a hysterical call from Brooke; she said something declaring your love Rachel. Are you frickin' kidding me, Lucas?? Haven't you put Brooke through enough the last year. Hell, who are we kidding here, the last 5 years?"
"I didn't say I was in love with Rachel, all I said is a part of me will love Rachel"
There was silence at the other end of the line.
"Haley?" he said
"I'm here, Lucas" she said in a calm voice. Lucas knew that tone and it only meant one thing: Trouble.
"Lucas I have stood by you all these years as you flittered from one girl to the next. From Peyton to Brooke to Peyton again to Nikki to Brooke to Peyton once again then to Rachel. And I didn't say anything, I was trying be supportive. But hell would have to freeze over before I think that it would be ok to say that to another person except the person who you had a baby with. Brooke has always loved you, Lucas. Even when she was with Chase she loved you. So why the hell would you jeopardise what you have with her now? I'll tell you why. Because you are a coward who gets his little brother to fix his mistakes for him. If you want to be with Rachel, be with Rachel, and if you want to be with Brooke, be with her. Just make up your damn mind"
"Hales…" Lucas muttered before he heard the phone drop. For a second there was a muffled conversation before the phone was picked up again.
"Luke?"
"Nate"
"Sorry bout Haley, Annabelle has colic and has been keeping us up all night. She is exhausted"
"She's right though, isn't she?" Lucas asked
"What exactly happened, Lucas?"
"Rachel just asked if I loved her, and I said a part of me will always love her. You know in a friendly way"
"Did Brooke hear that part?" Nathan asked, sighing into the phone.
"I don't think so…"
"Well go find her, man and tell her. And for the record stop telling other women that aren't your girlfriend you love them, Luke. Haley had one thing right. You were never able to choose, and I think this is as better time as any to decide who you want to be with"
"Thanks, bro"
"No problem. Just make a decision, for our sakes as well as yours"
Lucas barely had time to process what Nathan and Haley had said before his phone rang again.
"Hello?"
"Luke you're an ass"
"Peyton?"
"Of course it's Peyton! AKA Brooke's best friend"
"Look Pey, there was a misunderstanding.." he started miserably
"Is it true that Brooke overheard you telling Rachel that you will always love her?" Peyton exclaimed
"Not technically, all I said part of me will always love Rachel"
"Lucas, you keep making these stupid mistakes. Don't you realise what you are doing to Brooke? Since we were 16 she has loved you. Countless times, Brooke gave you her heart, you should give yours back"
"I have Peyton"
"Really have you, because everything you have done up to this point says otherwise .Believe me, Luke you have to hold on to the people you love." She replied
"But she where could she be now, Peyton, hell Brooke could be in Fiji right now if she really wanted to" Lucas said, looking both ways down Cooper's street to see if she had changed her mind and come back.
"Well if I know my best friend she would be at the one place that means the most to her"
"Thanks, Peyton"
"Just don't screw it up again, Lucas. I don't think Brooke can take much more." Peyton warned
Brooke sat on a bench watching ice-skater's circle Rockefeller Centre. Ella sat in her carrier next to her cooing happily. Brooke on the other hand looked anything but. Tears fell frequently as she watched couples skate hand in hand.
"How are you felling, pretty girl"
"Um I dunno excited, scared"
"You know you don't have to be, right? I meant everything I said this morning. I want to be us again"
"I know, just don't hurt me again, ok Broody?"
"I will be never hurt you again, Brooke. Believe me when I say that"
"Ok" she said in a small voice
"Did you want to skate?"
"Ok!" she said Lucas picked up Ella and put Ella in the carrier on Brooke's chest.
Brooke took a tentative step onto the ice and started moving in a clockwise direction.
"Are you coming?" she called giggling as she twirled.
"Ok, he said, laughing at the image of his girlfriend and daughter giggling as they did laps around the rink.
He grasped on Brooke's hand and was pulled along as Brooke picked up speed. They skated the rink a couple of times, lulling Ella into a deep sleep.
"Hey can I tell you something?" Brooke said, slowing down to a stop, leaning against the edge of the rink
"of course" he said stopping beside her
"I think love you"
"I think I love you too" Lucas said, giving Brooke an Eskimo kiss
Brooke giggled as they moved out of the rink to a nearby bench. They sat down, and Brooke leant against Lucas, inhaling the bitter day air.
"I think this is the true definition of happiness, you know?"
"What is?"
"Today, being with you, Ella being healthy, ice skating" Brooke said
"Yeah I think, maybe not so much about the ice skating but.."
"Haha, you know you love it"
"No, I love you and as long as your happy, I'm happy"
"Well I am very happy, Mr Scott"
"Well then I'm very happy, Miss Davis"
Suddenly, snow started to lightly fall, it dousing the entire city in a blanket of pure white goodness.
Brooke jumped up from her seat, and started dancing in the middle of the snow waving Ella's arms excitedly about
"This is snow, Ella-Bella, the most wonderful thing in the world" as they twirled in the snow
Lucas watched his girls as they danced in the snow. He laughed as Brooke danced joyfully in the snow.
"What are you laughing about, Pretty Boy?" she said arching an eyebrow at him
"Come here, let's show Ella how it is really done" he said grabbing hold of Brooke's outreached hand.
He pulled her as close as possible due to the infant gurgling in between them. They started to do the waltz as the snow continued to fall.
"I could do this forever" Brooke said, kissing Lucas on the lips as they continued to sway.
"And I could do it forever with you"