"So I hear you're gonna be sticking around for awhile."
Brooke blinked, tearing her eyes away from the direction she saw Peyton drag Lucas in and smiled at Jake. Nodding she replied, "Yep. Gonna see if home really can fix what the soul needs or whatever it is you said."
"Jake, darlin' are you waxing poetic again," came an Irish accent. Brooke turned around to see a stunning freckled woman with long amber red hair and dancing green eyes approach. She assumed this must be Molly and when Jake took hold of her hand and leaned in to kiss her she knew she was right.
"Molly O'Leary Jagielski this is Brooke Davis. Brooke this is my wife, Molly," Jake introduced.
"Nice to meet you," Brooke smiled, shaking the taller woman's delicate little hands.
"It's great to finally meet you. I was beginning to think everyone had made you up," Molly said, elbowing Jake in the ribs lightly.
"You can't make up Brooke Davis," Jake replied, winking at Brooke. Brooke laughed throwing her hands on her hips.
"Jake I can't believe you're flirting with me in front of your wife. Shame on you," she chastised, jokingly.
"God, why am I having flashbacks of junior year parties," Jake chuckled.
"Oh leave her alone," Molly laughed. "So Brooke, how long are you in Tree Hill for?"
"Indefinitely," Haley replied for Brooke, as she and Nathan joined the group with Skillz, Bevin, and Mouth.
"What she said," Brooke nodded, throwing an arm around Haley's neck. "I'm Haley and Nate's new house guest!"
"Well I guess better you two than the other Scott's then with all the shagging they do it would be like staying in a motel," Molly said good naturedly, getting laughs from everyone there, but Brooke who smiled uncomfortably and Jake who was watching Brooke's reaction.
"Hey do you guys realize we haven't all been together like this since high school ended?"
And there it was. Everyone looked around at each other and smiled at Bevin's words. Every once and awhile Bevin would surprise you and say something poignant.
"All we're missing is Rachel," Mouth murmured.
"Actually," Brooke spoke up. "I know where our favorite red headed slut is. She lives in New York. She actually works at an ad agency if you can believe it."
"What?!" Mouth, Haley, and Nathan cried.
"Sorry. She couldn't get away from work or she'd be here with me, but I know she misses you guys."
"Well what was her reason for staying away?" Haley asked, adding sarcastically in her mind, was she in love with Lucas too?
"She worked really hard to get to where she is. I'm really proud of her actually. There's no big secret or scandal. She's just a work horse now with no time for anything. She's still single too I believe," Brooke added, glancing at Mouth and elbowing him non too subtly in the ribs.
"Anyway," Haley laughed at Mouth's red face. "Aside from Rachel we are all together again and I say that deserves a toast," Haley declared.
"Hold up," Skillz said. "We can't toast about us all bein' here together without the other Scotts."
"Oh yeah where's Luke and Peyton?" Haley asked looking around the yard. Mouth and Brooke turned red and Molly started chuckling.
"They may be making their own toast," Molly said settling herself in Jake's lap.
"Oh you've gotta' be kidding me," Haley cried, as Nathan started laughing along with Molly. "Honestly those two are like farm animals! What the hell," Haley huffed.
"I think it's cute what he's doing," Molly declared. "Our own husbands should take note. Except for you darling," she whispered leaning in to nuzzle Jake's nose with her own freckled one. Jake grinned back and captured her lips with his own in a sweet kiss and winked.
"Thank you baby," he cooed.
"Yeah," Haley said putting hands on hips and glaring up at Nathan.
"Hey, I do all sorts of romantic things for you, baby." Haley instantly broke into a grin and leaned up to kiss him.
"Yeah, you do," she amended.
"Plus, every hour? Who the hell has that kind of time?"
Haley smacked him, laughing as the rest of the men joined in the laughter.
"Way to ruin the moment, Nate," Jake grinned.
"Wait am I missing something?" Mouth asked, confused.
"Luke has been telling Peyton he loves her every hour on the dot," Jake explained, glancing at Brooke who was studying her shoes. Brooke was fighting to control the sick feeling hearing that caused.
"Again…who has that kind of time!" Nathan grinned, spreading his hands.
"Well, Luke makes time. That guy'll be talkin' to you one minute and the next he's gone looking for curly," Skillz said, nailing the final nail in the coffin for both Brooke who suddenly realized why Lucas had ditched her so suddenly, and for Jake.
"Hey Nate you guys up for a picnic in the park tomorrow?"
Everyone turned to look at Jake who had decided to change the subject before Brooke burst into tears or threw up everywhere.
"Um, wow, Jake," Nathan murmured. "When Molly said more romance I think she meant with her, not me. Although I'm flattered, man. Really."
"No dude. I mean with the kids and Brooke. I don't work tomorrow. Maybe we could all go down to the beach," he suggested looking around and smiling at Brooke who smiled gratefully at him.
"That sounds like a great idea Jake," Haley grinned. "We'll have plenty of leftovers-"
"Babe, the kids have a doctor's appointment and I gotta drive down to Wilmington," Nathan cut in.
"You guys don't have to baby sit me," Brooke said looking from one to the other. "It's Tree Hill. I'm no stranger. I'll find something to do.
"Nonsense. Hanging out with a long lost friend who's suffering from a break up is not babysitting. It's just….good friending."
"Friending?" Jake and Nathan exclaimed before dissolving into laughter. Haley grinned, proud of her newly made up word.
"Yeah! Friending. It's a verb. The act of being a good friend," Haley explained.
"Good word," Bevin said seriously, earning a sideways look from Brooke, a raised eyebrow from Nathan, and a shoulder shrug from Skillz.
"God, you are so pure," Molly sighed, in Bevin's direction, making Jake giggle.
"Thanks!" Bevin cried, making Jake laugh some more and this time Brooke and Mouth couldn't help but join in.
"Sometimes I can't believe they gave you a teaching degree," Nathan shook his head at his wife with a teasing smile.
"Oh shut up," Haley cried sticking her tongue out at him. "Anyway like I said it's not babysitting when it's your friend. You'd do the same for any one of us."
You better believe it tutor wife," Brooke grinned, roping an arm around her friend.
"Good, now where are the other Scotts? I wanna toast!"
"Calm down Hales, we have the whole night ahead of us to toast," Nathan said, calmly. He spied Lucas and Peyton walking out from the side of the house and chuckled. Nodding in their direction he said, "Follow the love."
They had clearly been up to something scandalous by the sated look on Lucas's flushed face and the cat that ate the canary look on Peyton's. They turned to look at each other to share a secret smile every once and awhile.
They didn't get far as the strains of a familiar song began floating through the yard, making Lucas stop and pull Peyton back into his arms, drawing her small body flush against his larger one. "I got you now," he whispered in her ear making her shiver. He leaned down to kiss her neck as they began to sway to the rhythm of their wedding song.
"What are they doing?" Jake asked curiously, watching them begin to sway back and forth."They're dancing," Nathan replied. Jake rolled his eyes and muttered a sarcastic "thank you."
"It's their song," Molly said quietly, as if speaking any louder would ruin the moment across the yard.
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
"God I love you," Lucas murmured, his body still buzzing from the orgasm Peyton had given him. "So much Peyt."
"And I am so in love with you," Peyton said by way of reply and then rested her head on Lucas's shoulder and sighed remembering the day they found their song. It was their wedding day and Haley had asked her in preparation for their first dance as husband and wife what their song was. It was then that Peyton had realized with horror that they of all people didn't have a song.
I'm broken in two
And I know you're on to me
That I only come home
When I'm so all alone
But I do believe
"I um…always sort of thought of this as our song," he'd whispered in her ear. " I hope that's okay." He'd pulled back to look into her tear filled green eyes as Sheryl sang the first lines of the song and smiled, barely feeling the rain as it began to trickle from the sky.
Peyton had smiled back at him. "It's perfect."
Peyton cuddled herself closer to Lucas wrapping both her arms around his neck and he in turn pressed her closer to his body much the way they did during their first dance. Their foreheads resting against each other, noses touching, blue eyes gazing into green. He leaned in to kiss her lips.
"I remember this," Nathan said, speaking just as quietly as Molly had. He smiled down at Haley "It started to rain and everyone went inside except them. We have it on video….them just dancing in the rain like nothing else existed."
Haley smiled fondly of the memory and squeezed Nathan around the waist. "Yup. This is so their song too," she chuckled. "It's just so them."
Open the door
And show me your face tonight
I know it's true
No one heals me like you
And you hold the key
It had been such an insane year and as much as Lucas had wanted to relish finally being with the love of his life, he'd been pushing her away. And after she was gone he realized that simply being with her did heal his soul.
Never again
would I turn away from you
I'm so heavy tonight
But your love is alright
And I do believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
Please say honestly
You won't give up on me
And I shall believe
I shall believe
And I shall believe
Before the song ended, Lucas cupped the back of Peyton's head and pulled her towards him, interlocking his lips hungrily with hers. Peyton moaned and opened her mouth happily under his, allowing his tongue to sweep into her mouth. They stayed locked at the lips for sometime longer, Lucas's hand stroking the skin at the base of her back, his other hand buried in her curls.
He pulled away with a moan and looked down into her eyes. "I want you alone Peyt," he whispered then bit the tender skin behind her ear, before running the tip of his tongue over the mark he left. Peyton groaned, grasping the front of his tee shirt.
"I want you too," Peyton gasped as Lucas began nibbling on the spot on her neck that made her crazy. "Lucas, not here!"
"God, Peyton I want you in the worst possible way," he whispered, huskily, making Peyton shiver.
He pulled back to look at her with big eyes. "Can we leave now?" He asked raising his eyebrows, hopefully and looking for all the world like a little boy asking for a cookie before bedtime. Peyton couldn't help but throw her head back and laugh.
"Luke, you know we can't. It's only eight-thirty. Besides Brooke is here and I want to spend some more time with her. And what about you? You've barely gotten to talk to her yourself."
Lucas shrugged, glancing over her shoulder to all the party goers. "Isn't she staying here with Nate and Hales? I can talk to her tomorrow."
"Luke!" Peyton laughed, slapping his shoulder. "I just want to reconnect with her a little more."
"But I wanna reconnect with you too," Lucas pouted. Laughing again, Peyton pulled him down for another kiss.
"My dad is right to still call you rake boy," she joked
"Oh, somebody who indulges in pleasures without restraint," Lucas defined, pulling Peyton's hips closer to his. "Very clever Mrs. Scott."
"I know what my positive attributes are," Peyton cracked, sassily. Lucas chuckled and pulled her into an embrace.
"So home then?"
"Luke!"
"Okay, okay," he relented with a pout.
"Poor baby. Look," she whispered, cupping his cheeks with her hands. "If we stay I promise to definitely make it worth your while later."
"Oh I don't know. I might be too tired later," he said, petulantly.
"Bullshit," Peyton smirked. "You'd fuck me in your sleep if you could."
Lucas smiled and looked away. "Yeah you're probably right. So tonight?"
"I am all yours to do with me whatever you please." Lucas licked his lips and nodded, running a finger down her arm.
"I'm gonna hold you to that, beautiful."
Peyton tugged on the front of his shirt smashing her lips to his in a hot kiss, filled with heated passion and a seductive promise for later. She pulled back and smiled enticingly up at him.
"You'd better. But until then, let's get back to the party rake boy."