"Are you still in love with him?"
Brooke snapped her eyes up to Peyton's. "Wh-what?"
Peyton straightened up from her position leaning over the playpen. She had asked Brooke if she wanted to come with her while she put William, who was out for the count, down. She turned to glance at Brooke as she flipped on the baby monitor. "Chase," she clarified. "Are you still in love with him?"
Brooke sighed and thought about it. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "We spent a lot of time pretending everything was fine, you know? We barely fought. In fact we never fought. No we never fought, but I felt I was missing something. There was no passion. I miss that passion."
Peyton nodded, knowing what she said next might be reopening some unhealed wounds, but in truth she just needed Brooke to deny everything for her. She said quietly, "It must have been hard moving to New York with one man when you were in love with another. I'm surprised it lasted that long."
Brooke was immediately on guard. "What the hell is that supposed to mean," she shot. Peyton threw a finger to her lips and pointed at her sleeping son, before moving out of the bedroom and down the stairs with Brooke behind her.
"Sorry," Brooke murmured. "But what is that supposed to mean? That it's my fault Chase left me?"
"No! No, Brooke," Peyton cried. "It means exactly what it means. I didn't mean it in a cruel way Brooke. I swear. It's just. Are you surprised it didn't work? You were in love with someone else when you moved up there with Chase. Take it from the expert, you can't be with someone when you're in love with someone else. That's why Jake and I didn't work."
"And why Lucas and I never worked?" Brooke questioned, throwing Lucas's name in there, because Peyton wouldn't. It irked her that Peyton of all people was trying to give her relationship advice.
Peyton shrugged, refusing to get caught up in the past. It was a dangerous game they were playing on a very slippery slope, she knew. She wanted Brooke back in her life, but wanted to know exactly where she stood as well.
Brooke sighed and went on, "Yeah, well I'm not as lucky as you, P. There wasn't much I could do about the situation there could I," Brooke replied. Peyton frowned at the hint of bitterness she detected in the brunette's words. Brooke caught her frown and instantly checked herself.
Peyton wasn't trying to be mean or cruel. She was just trying to be helpful. Brooke herself truly wanted to forget all that drama and reclaim her friendship with Peyton.
"I'm sorry Peyton. It's just hard coming back home after your life has just fallen apart to find everyone here so blissfully happy…and different. I mean, Nathan is doing Whitey's job now, Haley's teaching, you're a mom." Brooke chuckled and looked over at her friend. "God I still can't believe you're a mom."
"A cool mom, too," Peyton grinned, the tension between them fizzling.
"Yes, I knew that the day you had children you would be the cool, converse wearing, paint splattered tee shirt and jeans mom. You've come a long way from coloring your baby doll's hair black," Brooke said quirking her lips.
"Oh God!" Peyton cried, covering her face with her hands, laughing. "I completely forgot about that! Well what about you, putting Betsy the doll outside on the porch because she'd been bad."
"God, I cried for an hour after I realized I'd left her out there all night in a storm and then her face-!" The two women doubled over in laughter. "It was completely gone!"
"And then I came over so we could give her a-"
"Facial!" Brooke exploded, setting Peyton off for another round of raucous laughter.
"Oh God, Peyton the face you painted back on that doll and the shape she was in was straight out of a horror movie," Brooke giggled. She sighed and smiled softly. "But I carried that doll around everywhere for three years."
Peyton smiled and looked over at Brooke, wondering briefly where all the ill feelings went. She quickly shook the thought off, happy that she had her B Davis back.
"Gosh, I missed this," Brooke smiled.
"Why didn't you say anything to us at the beach yesterday?" Peyton blurted it out, without thinking. She just need an answer to that before they could go forward.
Brooke was taken aback for a moment and then regained her composure. She leaned an elbow on the kitchen island and sighed.
"I just wasn't ready to see or talk to anyone yet. I was in shock. I didn't know you guys were married and the kids-well-It was a lot to process….And with the way you and I left things I didn't think you'd want to see me."
"Oh. So it wasn't-" Peyton shook her head. "I thought it had to do with….with Luke, but I guess it's silly to think you're still….Are you happy for me Brooke?" Peyton asked in a small voice. Brooke carefully masked her features and took Peyton's hand and smiled.
"Of course I am," she replied, knowing full well it was a partial lie, but she said it anyway, because it felt good to have her friend back.
Peyton nodded with a smile and decided to change the subject. Somewhere inside her Peyton detected Brooke's lie, but chose not to give any real thought to it because it felt good to have her friend back.
"So where have you been staying?"
"It's embarrassing, really. I'm staying at the motel."
"Brooke! High schoolers go there to loose their virginity on prom night. You are so staying with us."
Brooke's eyes snapped at her with near panic. If her reaction to watching Lucas and Peyton kiss was any indication she knew she couldn't let Peyton talk her into staying with them. The last thing she needed was to stay in the same house as Lucas and Peyton. Especially not with all the canoodling they seemed to enjoy. "Oh no, no, no. I don't want to impose on anybody. I don't even know how long I'm staying and my work."
"Well, can't you work from here?"
Dammit! "Well….yes, but-"
"Brooke you came home for a reason. You can't heal in a cheap motel-"
"Hey hey! Brooke Davis does not do cheap."
"Okay fine, you can't heal in a motel of questionable morals," Peyton amended. Brooke lowered the finger she'd been waving and nodded, shortly.
"Better."
"Look, Luke and I have a spare bedroom available-"
"I can't stay with you and Lucas, Peyton. It's not that I don't want to-" It's because I really, really don't want to and would rather die wearing polyester, Brooke thought. "It's just that…Haley already offered for me to stay with her and Nate, so I said yes. You know I need to bond with my godson."
"Oh! Perfect! Well, you know Haley is going to be nuts trying to keep you entertained."
"Regular Suzy home maker huh?" Brooke joked, hoping she could get to Haley before Peyton did.
"Yeah…..but a crazy one," Peyton grinned slyly. "Come on, Davis. This is a party and you aren't holding a drink."
"Hey! You're right! We've been in here for almost an hour and I'm bone dry. This is like a record or something."
"It's nice to see some things never change," Peyton laughed, throwing and arm around Brooke's neck.
They walked outside to find the party in full swing. Dusk was approaching and Nathan had turned on the white Christmas lights that were strung up around the yard. Music was pulsing, food was being devoured, drinks flowing, friends and family laughing merrymaking and enjoying each other's company.
The Scott family reunion wasn't the traditional family affair. To Nathan and Lucas, their friends were as good as family so every summer all their friends flocked back to Tree Hill for the annual get together.
"Oh! So I ran into Mr. Jagielski a little while ago. I never thought I'd see the day when you two could exist on the same plane drama free," Brooke said.
"Yeah, I know. It was really awkward for awhile when he came back because of Luke and I…" Peyton glanced at Brooke and shrugged. "You know. Anyway, now he has Molly. Have you met Molly?"
"No. You work with her right?"
"Yeah. We call her the voice of reason. She's the fiery, Irish, red-head over there. You wanna meet her?"
"Yes, but you know," she said, catching sight of Haley. "Let me go get myself a drink. I'll come find you. Do you need anything?"
"Nope. I'm good," Peyton replied.
"Okay. I'll be back!" Brooke darted off. She scurried over to where Haley stood with a glass of wine in one hand, the other wrapped around her husband.
"Tutor spouses!" The two pulled away from each other to look at Brooke.
"Oh hey Brooke. Have you found Peyton yet?" Haley asked.
"Yes-yes it's all dandy. Great actually. Can I live with you guys for awhile?"
"Huh?" Nathan's face held a look of befuddlement after each word raced out of Brooke's mouth at such a speed he could only decipher the word 'actually' and 'awhile'. Haley on the other hand nodded excitedly at her fellow fast talker.
"Of course you can Brooke! You can stay as long as you need! What sealed the deal?"
"Peyton." Brooke shrugged at Haley's raised eyebrows. "I really, really missed her and as they say in that long movie with the awesome shoes, there's no place like home."
"I'm really glad you talked to her Brooke."
"Yeah me too. Maybe we can make it work this time. Oh and if anyone, anyone asks, you invited me to stay with you."
"We were planning on asking you to stay with us," Nathan clarified. Brooke nodded in applause.
"Very good Tutor husband!"
"No really. We were. Right Hales?" As Haley started to nod affirmatively Brooke waved her hand.
"Okay no need to over do it basketball boy. Hey can you be a lamb and get me a margarita? Thanks." She turned her full attention to Haley and Nathan walked off shaking his head ruefully.
"So everything is really okay? I mean you and Peyton talked about….you know what happened?"
Brooke blinked at Haley and drew her face closer to hers. "Peyton told you what happened?"
"Well, yeah it wasn't really rocket science. I sort of figured it had to do with Lucas."
Brooke crossed her arms indignantly. "Why would you assume it had to do with Luke?"
"Because it's always about Luke," Haley sighed for the third time that day. Brooke uncrossed her arms and shrugged, giving in.
"Yeah I'll give you that."
"But everything is fine between you two?" Haley asked once again. From what Jake had told her earlier it seemed Brooke Davis was not quite as over Lucas Scott as people hoped she'd be. She had been worried about what would happen when the two ex best friends finally came face to face.
"Yeah, you know it didn't really hit me how much I missed her friendship until we were talking and joking around again."
"Good! I'm glad," Haley sighed. "You know," she started, thinking of Nathan who liked to accuse her of becoming a busy body. "Peyton thought you were jealous or not happy for her or something," Haley explained, nonchalantly. She looked at Brooke for her response.
"No, no, no. I'm happy for her," Brooke grinned, realizing how good she was getting at lying about this. Haley smiled, still unsure.
"We want you happy too, Brookie monster," she said wrapping an arm around her waist.
"Yeah," she whispered back catching sight of Lucas once again. It's just residual feelings, she told herself. She hadn't seen him in a very long time and the last time she did see him she had had these strong feelings. It was only natural she would have this reaction to him, she rationalized.
She tilted her head furrowed her brows. Was he wearing glasses?
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