Chapter 2: Face Your Past
Brooke stood there speechless as her ex-fiancée, Lucas Scott, stood in front of her.
'This can't be happening.' Is all Brooke could think at the time.
Her body couldn't budge but his started to gravitate towards her as hers tensed up.
"Brooke… its nice to see you." The gorgeous blonde hair, blue eyed goddess stood in front of her looking better than she had last remembered. His tone and tan body was not helping her hate him right now.
Brooke instinctively jumped as she felt someone place their hands on her hips from behind her, spinning around to see who it was.
"Nate… you scared me." She said forcing a smile and trying desperately to catch her breathe while maintaining her composure.
"So who was bidding like crazy on you?" he asked curiously scanning the people closest to the table.
"Lucas Scott" he said stepping forward and holding out his hand toward Nathan, proudly of course.
"Um... this is Lucas" Brooke explained to Nathan, not sure what to say exactly about her and Lucas's history.
Nathan looked at the man standing next to Brooke and there was clearly more to the story between the two of them.
"Nathan" he said letting it slide and shaking the man's hand.
Brooke watched the two of them wondering what the hell she had just gotten herself into.
3 and half years earlier.
Looking around at the boxes that engulfed her house, Brooke felt a heavy feeling weighing down her heart. Tears started to form behind her eyes as she fought back the emotions that were consuming her.
Everything she'd worked so hard for in the past year was gone. All her plans and dreams had been packed away in these cardboard boxes.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Brooke whipped her eyes before looking to see who it was.
"What do you want Lucas?" she said with disappointment as she collected a few more picture frames and packed them into the open box.
"Brooke just stop for a second.. things don't have to end this way" he said moving closer and taking the picture frame from her hand. "I made a mistake and trust me, it's never going to happen again." Lucas looked down at the clearly upset now ex-fiancée in front of him.
"Stop Luke. I need to get these packed, the movers are coming in 2 days and there's so much left I need to do." She said taking the picture frame back and setting it down into the box.
Lucas moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back into his body as he moved her hair to the side and kissed her next lightly.
"Stop" she said as she tried to pull away from him but his grip just tightened around her.
"I love you Brooke.. don't leave me" he whispered into her ear as he let his hands rub up against the soft bare skin of her abdomen.
Lucas touch always had some control over Brooke's body; it was like pure ecstasy every time his hands were on her.
"I can't.. we can't" she said finally breaking free of his grip and moving away from him. "You broke my heart…and I wont let it happen again." A single tear formed and rolled down her cheek before she picked up the open box and moved it over to the finished stack.
Sitting it down she kept he back to him as she tried to maintain control of her emotions. "Just leave."
"We have a lot to catch up on Brooke" Lucas said stepping closer and placing his hand on her arm.
Stepping to the side, she forced a smile as she looked at Lucas and then turned to Nathan. "Can I talk to you for a second?"
Brooke was anxious to get this over with, she didn't want Lucas to tell Nathan before she got the chance.
"Sure" he said as he followed Brooke out into the hallway curious about what was really going on.
She stepped away from the doors where the auction was still underway and tried to think of the right way to explain that her boyfriend was just outbid by her ex-fiancée.
"Umm" she said stumbling over her words, hoping soon she would know what to say.
"Let me guess there some history there?" he asked with a grin on his face, Nathan didn't want to turn into an over jealous boyfriend type.
"Yeah." Brooke said admittedly and then took a step forward tucking her hair behind her ear. "I just wanted to get to know you before my life story came out, but it looks like I won't get that chance."
"Brooke" Nathan said calmly, stepping up and wrapping his arms around her as he pulled her into his chest. "Don't worry about it. We all have a past and some times it bites us in the ass but me and you are good."
Brooke looked up at him wondering how she could have gotten so lucky after everything she'd done in her lifetime. But she hadn't always been so lucky, even with her ex fiancée.
Brooke rushed up to the bar at Tric, already half drunk, as she leaned over the bar and grabbed the biggest bottle of alcohol she could fine.
"Thanks Mark! Peyton said its on the house!" Brooke got all giddy as she held up her hand. "We finally set a date!!" she said as she started to jump up and down.
"That's great" said Mark as he began to pour someone else a drink.
Turning around Brooke stumbled off to find her best friend and soon to be husband.
Scanning the crowd she tried to look for the two of them but she couldn't spot them anywhere.
Realizing that they probably went off to Peyton's office to talk business, finding her office Brooke stumble her way in only to find a sobering situation.
Standing in the door way her heart slowly broke into a thousand pieces as she watched her fiancée and best friend kissing.
Burying her face into Nathan's chest, she wanted to forget her past completely. That was the entire reason she'd moved to California; across the entire country to get away from what she left behind.
"Can't you just pretend you won and we go out on that date?" she asked looking up with a hopeful smile.
"No..Come on Brooke. You're stronger than this." Nathan said reassuring her. "You have to face your past."
Brooke knew he was right but she hated him for that.