A/N: OMG, I feel so bad for going this long without an update! I am so SORRY for dropping off the face of the earth like that. Well here's the next installment of It All Started With a Love Note!
Every relationship that Brooke Davis as had any part in has had that one moment where the strength of the bond is tested to make sure that the bond is as strong as she claimed it to be; with Peyton it was when her mom died, with Luke it was when he had joined the basketball team, with Haley it had been when she and Luke started dating, and with Nathan, well, that moment was the toughest test that Brooke had been put through to date.
Ever since Nathan had officially asked her to be his girlfriend Brooke has been waiting with bated breath for the moment that would throw their relationship through the ringer. She's been walking around ready at a moment's notice to show Nathan just how much he meant to her. She was ready for anything, but when the moment actually came she was unprepared.
It was the middle of the night when the phone rang waking Nathan and Brooke who had fallen asleep at the kitchen table while working on the homework. Both looked at each other silently trying to figure out whose phone was ringing when Nathan felt it against his leg. Instantly he pulled it from his pocket and pressed it to his ear the worry flooding his voice. Brooke watched silently as his dropped into his hand and the phone fell from his ear. Brooke reached out and caught the phone before it dropped to the floor and put it to her ear and began listening to a sobbing Natasha.
"We're on our way Natasha; we should be there by tomorrow afternoon. Do you need anything?" Brooke listened and nodded her head as she reached out and squeezed Nathan's hand. He looked up and she smiled down at him lacing their fingers together. "Alright we'll be there as soon as we can." Brooke hung up the phone and handed it back to Nathan before pulling him up from his chair and pulling him into her arms. "They say he's going to be okay Nathan, he didn't hit the wall that hard and it's only a few broken bones and he's in surgery to set the bones." Nathan pulled away and took a deep breath before completely pulling away and mumbling something about having to go. Brooke's hand shot out locking around Nathan's wrist. "I'm going with you." She told him walking in front of him and grabbing her car keys and bag pulling him behind her out of the house.
The entire car ride to the hospital where Cooper was staying was quiet, the only sound to be barely heard from within the car was the soft sound of whatever Top 40 hit was playing on the radio. Both Brooke and Nathan were too wrapped up in their own thoughts to actually say anything to the other. Brooke shot a quick glance over at Nathan, who was staring out the window his face giving away what thoughts were running through his mind. She sighed knowing that by the look at Nate's face there was no way that he was going to let her into his head, she would most likely hit the 'I'm fine don't worry about me' brick wall that he had quickly built. Turning back towards the road Brooke braced herself for the hardest moment of their relationship.
They arrived at the hospital in the afternoon and without a word Brooke pulled up to the entrance to drop Nathan off. He looked at her but she stared straight ahead afraid to show Nathan just how much his silence and distance was hurting her. This wasn't the time to throw it on him; he had enough to deal with that he didn't need her throwing more on him. She waited until he was in the doors before she drove towards the parking garage. As she made her way to the lobby of the hospital Brooke prepared herself for the distance and cold shoulder she was going to receive from Nathan.
Brooke walked into the lobby and saw Natasha talking to Nathan and stopped letting them have space. She watched as Nathan hugged Tasha before pulling away and walking towards what Brooke assumed was where Cooper's room was. Brooke took this moment and walked up to Tasha giving the distraught blond a hug. "Do you need anything?" She asked a moment later.
"Not right now." She replied motioning towards the chairs to their right. Brooke followed and sat down turning towards Tasha, ready to comfort whenever Tasha needed it.
"What happened?" Brooke asked reaching forward and grabbing her hand, giving her the comfort that Brooke thought she would be giving to Nathan in this moment.
Nathan sat next to Cooper's bed letting out a huge sigh of relief as Cooper's eyes slowly opened. "Hey." Cooper whispered still too out of it to actually speak.
"Hey Cooper, I'm really glad you're okay." Cooper merely nodded before looking around the room looking for something or someone. When he didn't find what he was looking for he looked back at Nathan with a confused look.
"Brooke?" He managed to ask as more of the haziness cleared from his mind.
"She's out in the lobby with Tasha I think. What happened?" Nathan asked his attention still focused on what had happened the day before that ended in Cooper having surgery and Tasha calling him in tears in the middle of the night. Cooper took a deep breath and sat up to take a drink of water before launching into his story.
Brooke squeezed Tasha's hand as she finished telling Brooke about Cooper's crash during his race yesterday. "But he's okay now, right? Isn't that what the doctors told you? I bet you he's already awake in the room and regaling Nathan with the story of the epic race yesterday." Tasha looked at Brooke with unshed tears in her brown eyes and Brooke knows that even if Cooper is wide awake she's still scared.
"I don't know how Nathan's handling it so well." Tasha remarked starring off in the direction of Cooper's room and Brooke's not sure if she's supposed to answer or not.
"Your guess would be as good as mine." She replied a few moments later starring at her hands that feeling of distance creeping into her heart again. "You should go check on Cooper, he'd probably be really happy to see you." Tasha nodded and stood up taking a few steps towards his room before stopping and turning back towards Brooke.
"Aren't you coming?" She asked almost shocked that Brooke wasn't behind her.
"I'll come in a bit later; I wanna give you and Nathan some time." She smiled to reassure Tasha and waited until she couldn't see her retreating back before slumping in her chair and sighing glancing at the time.
Nathan listened as Cooper told him what had happened during the race with full attention shocked that something so horrible had happened to Cooper. It was hard to believe that such a seasoned driver as he could have ended up in such a fiery crash, yet walk away with only broken bones and scratches. Tasha walked in and immediately Cooper's face lit up in relief that she was still there after what had happened the day before. Nathan laughed quietly and shook his head at his uncle's behavior. "Where's Brooke?" Nathan asked looking behind Tasha wondering where Brooke was. Tasha looked at Nathan with an unreadable expression on her face.
"She said something about waiting out in the lobby, wanting you and me to have some time together with Cooper first. I don't know it was really weird." She replied her attention focused fully on Cooper. Nathan laughed a little again before getting up and making his way out of the room giving the couple some much needed time alone. Moments later when he found Brooke he sighed as he sat in the seat next to her.
"You shouldn't be sitting out here by yourself." He said as she lifted her head to look at him.
"I just wanted to give you and Tasha time with him, he's important to you guys and I was right here if needed." Nathan turned towards her the meaning behind her words hitting him hard in the face.
"Brooke, you shouldn't be out here by yourself. You should be in there with us, you're important to him now, you know that right?" She tilted her head confused as to what Nathan was saying to her. "You're important to me; I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me. I know that after I found out about Cooper I became more like broody but I wouldn't trade you being here for anything." Brooke softly smiled and leaned forward resting her forehead against Nathan's.
"You know when I thought about this moment I didn't think it would ever happen like this." She shyly admitted lightly cupping Nathan's cheek.
"What are you talking about?" Nathan asked confused.
"You know that moment when the strength of the bond is tested? That moment when you realize just how much a person means to you? Do you have any idea about what I'm talking about?" She asked laughing quietly when he shook his head no. "Of course not, you're a guy. But anyway there's always a moment in a relationship/friendship when the strength of the bond you share is tested, when you learn just how strong you are together. This is that moment Nathan; this is the moment when the strength of our bond is tested."
"How'd we do?" Nathan joked smiling as he momentarily forgot about the reason that had brought on this conversation and focused on his better half sitting in front of him.
"Better than I could have ever imagined." Nathan leaned over and kissed her softly his worries about Cooper immediately calmed by her lips pressing back against his. "Now come on, we should probably go make sure that Cooper isn't talking the doctors into letting him out early." Nathan nodded and stood up grabbing Brooke's hand in his own letting the feeling sink in, there was nothing that could ever pull them apart, their bond was just too strong to break so easily.
A/N 2: I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but it's better than the previous three drafts I've written. I'm not going to make my usual promises about updating sooner but just promise to make an effort. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned to the next installment!