Ch. 15 Don't Leave Me Hanging With My Heart In Your Palm
Nathan stayed in his room until he finally heard Rachel and Owen leave. How ridiculous was he being, he was hiding from his best friends like a little boy in his room, he shook his head and walked to the kitchen. He mentally started to make a list of what he was going to eat for breakfast: eggs, cereal, bacon, oran-, there on the fridge door was a grainy black and white picture of an ultrasound.
On shaky legs he took his final steps to the picture and with shaky hands took the picture and studied it.
It looked like a deformed water monkey but none the less it was a baby, Brooke's baby, his baby…his vision got blurry, he had tears flooding his eyes.
It was so warm, sweet and delicious; it was official Peyton Sawyer was have a taste bud orgasm. She looked across from her to find Brooke smirking at her over the plate of delicious waffles." What?"
"I think that's the first time I've actually seen you enjoy something that is not music."
Peyton smiled and shrugged," Really I hadn't noticed but damn it these waffles are the flipping best."
Brooke just smiled at her childhood friend and and plunged headfirst with her question,"So Nathan told you didn't he?" the pretty blonde scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and the brunette sighed, Peyton was never really that good at playing dumb.
"He told you he's the sperm donor." Peyton's cheeks burned red for being caught lying, she knew that whatever the situation that was between them had to be resolved between them.
"Brooke I ju-"
"Don't worry Peyt I know you were trying to stay out of it, thanks I appreciate it." Peyton felt relief flood every pore in her body.
"So how are you going to do this? How are you going to handle being a single high school mom with no parental support?" Peyton watched as Brooke's eyes got serious and hardened.
The brunette took a final bite of her waffle, wiped her mouth with the napkin, took a deep breath and answered the blonde's question," Before any of this happened I pictured myself in ten years with a successful clothing line, maybe even engaged. In some of the worst case scenarios I pictured myself as some scum bag's trophy wife. ..Now… I lie awake sometimes and think about it and I know I can make it on my own. I know I'm gonna struggle but I'm going to make it. I'm going to graduate and go to college the only thing I have to worry about is having to answer my child's question of who or where their father is." Brooke had gotten a faraway look and Peyton just took it all in.
The two friends gathered their stuff, paid and walked outside to Peyton's comet, they had left Brooke's bug back at Peyton's house. They drove quietly back to the Sawyer house deciding to postpone their shopping trip; Brooke had homework to catch on and Peyton had albums to organize.
Peyton watched as the cheery brunette drove home, she whipped her cell phone out and texted.
Peyton: She's on her way home
Rachel: Shit! Nate's still in the house
Peyton: Let nature run its course?
Rachel:But what if she kills him?
Peyton: It'll be fair, just stay out of the house until you think for sure they have gotten everything out of their system.
Rachel: If any of my furniture is damaged you're paying for it Sawyer
Peyton: Wouldn't expect anything less Gatina
Brooke cheerful limped her way up the driveway, she didn't have that much homework to do so she could dedicate her time to making baby clothes; she opened the door and carelessly shut it behind her.
" I'm hooommmee!" she got no reply, she just continued on to her bedroom-," Holy crap! What are you doing here?" there none other but Nathan Scott was sitting on her bed.
He looked up at her with tears in his eyes and held out the ultrasound picture, with trembling hands Brooke snatched out of his hands as if he could taint something so precious with his bare hands.
"What do you want Nathan?" she looked just tired to him, there was no anger no nothing directed to him, like he wasn't even worth it and that stung him.
" I just needed a break from Dan and came here last night… and I saw this on the fridge an-and… I …" Nathan looked down at his hands, he couldn't look at Brooke without being ashamed of how he reacted to the news.
Brooke didn't know if she should beat the ever living crap out of him or beg for him to be by her side, she needed to do what was best for her child she herself didn't matter anymore.
"I asked what did you want Nathan. I didn't ask what you are doing here. Just listen good ok? I'm not going to ever ask you this again but hear me out and don't speak till I'm done." Brooke waited and he nodded in agreement, she approached him and sat by him making sure to have distance between them.
"We've known each other since before puberty, we've hit some rough patches together and gotten through them together. I am not going to ask this ever again and you don't have to if you don't want to."
Nathan didn't look up from his hands, his ears were burning. Brooke had gotten up half way through the speech and was pacing back and forth like a caged animal, well as best as she could with her injured leg, she turned on her heel, took his face in her hands and looked him dead in his eyes, "This is a child, he or she is half of you and me, hopefully the best parts, I can't do this on my own but if I have to I will…" she waited.
Nathan got up next to her and took her hands in his," I love you Brooke Davis and this child and damn it if I'm not in his or her life." Brooke looked at him with tears in her eyes and soon they were hugging like their life depended on it.
Owen turned up the stereo even louder and earned a smack on the back of his head from the fiery red head sitting next to him in the passenger seat. "What I do this time?" he grinned at her like a little school boy and Rachel crossed her arms in front of her chest," Why are you taking the long way home?"
He stared straight ahead and refused to look at her," It's a surprise." The screeching that followed next and the way that she threw herself at him had him swerving on the road and trying to cover his ears at the same time.
Rachel was cheesing big time, she loved surprises.
Owen drove for about ten minutes more, pulled over on a low shoulder, unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to face Rachel who was more confused than anything. He took her hands in his, drew in a big breath and let it out, he was nervous," Rachel I really really like you and we've hit some rough times but we've gotten through them and I like you even more for the person that you have showed me that you are. I mean look at how you've stood by Brooke's side no matter what." Rachel blushed red to the already red roots of her hair.
" Rachel I want us to date exclusively, just me and you." He searched through his pockets and came up with a navy blue velvet box and placed it in Rachel's hands, she looked at it with saucer wide eyes. She opened it to see a simple promise ring, it was white gold with three modest diamonds on it. She launched herself at him with such force that the hummer shook.
"I love you Morello." She kissed his shocked face.
He memorized every smooth curve and smiled against her skin when he heard her sigh or felt her shudder. Her lips made a trail from his left temple to below his jaw, the sounds she made under him burned into his mind. In the end as they lay wrapped in each other he whispered promises of never leaving her into her hair and voiced out the simple and only truth," I love you Gatina.
Her music today inspired him and the words just flowed from him into his hands which were busily typing away.
Peyton loved watching people when they were so immersed in what they loved that you could see their passion for it in the air. She stood in the doorway of her walk in closet and watched Lucas as he pounded away at the computer. She crept up behind his chair and wrapped her arms around him.
" Luke imagine there's that moment that changes your whole life…who is standing next to you?" he craned his neck up to look at her green eyes.
"That's easy Peyton, it's you. When I'm finally having my book published and going for a signing you are going to be right there next to me."
"Good answer."
That good part that has to come up for the story to take 180 is coming up and I just hope you guys don't hate me for it …read and review!