Hi Everyone!
Just wanted to thank everyone for taking their time to read and review! I love hearing from you and I take what you have to say into serious consideration! Thanks a bunch! I'll keep this short, but basically here's the next chapter and I have a general idea of where I want this story to go but am totally open to any suggestions! Here's the next chapter!
Enjoy!
Leni
Fggt16- As always, thanks for reviewing! There's definitely more Brathan in this next chapter and a little Lucas/Peyton as well. Hope you like it!
Mony19- Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked Nathan standing up for Brooke, and I'm trying to build a nice friendship before putting Nathan and Brooke together, hope it's translating! Enjoy chapter 3!
Bdavisrulz- I'm glad you're liking the story so far! Nathan in this one isn't as big of an ass as he was on the show, but he's got attitude that's for sure! There will be a lot more Brathan in the upcoming chapters! Thanks for reviewing!
lessonsxlearned- Thanks for reading and reviewing! I was the same as you, looking for new pairings and I fell in love with Brathan! I'm glad you like the story, hope you like the next chapter!
Darkshadowarchfiend- I also love Nathan and Brooke! Thanks for your review! Here's chapter 3!
DivineAngel143- Thank you very much for your kind words! I'm happy that you're enjoying the story so far, I hope you like this chapter as well!! Thank you for your review!
Jessica4695- Thanks for the review! And there will for sure be more Nathan/Brooke/Lucas issues coming up soon!! Hope you like chapter 3!
Sobreyra274- Thank you as always for your review and support! Lucas and Haley are still gonna be a source of drama for Nathan and Brooke, so be ready! Tons of drama to come!! I hope you like this next one!
Chapter 3:
Nathan walked down the hall to the kitchen, surprised to find Brooke up so early searching the cabinets.
"You're up early." Nathan said taking a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen. He ran his hand through his hair before stretching. His eyes naturally wondered over to Brooke's backside as she stood on her tip toes looking for…who knew what, and frankly Nathan didn't care, he was preoccupied with how nice her ass looked in her night shorts.
"Yeah, I woke up with a ridiculous headache and I was hungry." informed Brooke. When she woke up, she had almost forgotten where she was. There was a strong body next to her but it was unfamiliar. Slowly the memories of the previous night came back to her, reminding her why she was with Nathan. She carefully got up not to disturb Nathan and went in search of breakfast and Advil.
Nathan stepped out of his chair and quickly found the Advil and pulled out some cereal. He poured two bowls and filled them with milk, bringing it over to the island for them. He handed Brooke the Advil and a glass of water before sitting down for his breakfast. Surprisingly, Nathan wasn't hung over at all that morning.
"Thanks Nate." Brooke said after swallowing the two pills. She couldn't believe it was only 7 am and that she was up that early. She was dreading going back to Lucas' but she knew she had to get the rest of her things. Brooke figured if she went there around 8, Lucas would be off for a jog or at the cafe with his mom for breakfast.
"No problem, so what's the plan today?" inquired Nathan, he had already finished his first bowl of cereal and was now making his way to the counter for a refill.
"Well I guess I should get my stuff and then I gotta figure something out with my car." Brooke's head hurt at the thought of all the other things she had to do, like find a place to stay and a car to use in the meantime. "Ugh, let's just start with that."
"Don't worry, we'll figure something out." reassured Nathan digging into his second bowl of cereal.
Brooke looked at him, she was perplexed by how genuinely nice he was being. It didn't seem like the Nathan Scott she had known practically her whole life. The Nathan she knew was arrogant, intimidating, cocky as hell and an ass. He was hot and he knew it. The guy sitting beside her was hardly recognizable, not that she was complaining, she was just pleasantly surprised.
"What? You're staring Davis." smirked Nathan, eyeing Brooke back. She was beautiful, even with messy hair and no makeup. She was naturally gorgeous, any warm blooded male would agree. And after the previous night, Nathan found himself seeing her in a different light. Brooke had always been the popular, hot, bubbly yet bitchy cheerleader that girls envied and loved. To see her vulnerable side was intriguing and it made him want to shield her from it all. This was not what Nathan was expecting. She was even more beautiful to him now, if that was at all possible.
"Who's staring now?" smirked Brooke, raising her eyebrow and tilting her head to one side. She licked the back of her spoon seductively for effect as she saw Nathan follow her tongue with his eyes, before breaking into a laugh. "Guys are so easy."
"Whatever Davis, you wish." Nathan swallowed hard, her laugh bringing him out of his trance. He turned his focus back to his breakfast as he inhaled her scent when she walked past him.
"Well, I'm gonna get ready while you finish your cereal." said Brooke, bringing her bowl to the sink. She gave him one last dazzling Brooke Davis smile before bouncing down the hallway.
Nathan found himself unable to look away as her hips swayed as her figured disappeared into the bathroom. He quickly shook his head at his inappropriate thoughts and tried to focus on his cereal.
"You want me to come in with you?" asked Nathan as he pulled into Lucas' driveway. He looked over at Brooke, who had become progressively quieter as they drew closer to her former home. She looked tense and unsure.
"Yeah." nodded Brooke. She sighed heavily and slowly opened the door to Nathan's car. She waited for Nathan to come up beside her before proceeding to the front door. She took out her key and let them in.
"Usually Lucas is out by now, so I'll just grab my things and we'll go. I'll drop my key off to Karen later." said Brooke, leading them up the stairs to her bedroom. She opened the door to her bedroom and it felt like another life.
There were pictures of her with Peyton and Lucas scattered all over the room. Her bed was unmade with her purple sheets askew and there was makeup and clothing all over. Brooke quickly went to her closet and took out her suitcases and started throwing everything she could get her hands on into them. She felt Nathan come up behind her and reach for one of the bags and started to help her pack her things. Brooke gave him a grateful smile as she moved to her vanity to pack her makeup.
She opened the drawer and took a sharp breath. She pulled out a dark, bound leather notebook. She had bought it a while back and was going to surprise Lucas with it as she knew how much he loved writing. She sighed as leafed through the empty pages. Brooke didn't really see the point in taking it with her as she was not much of a writer and it would be a constant reminder of Lucas. She decided to leave it for him. She put it back down and continued to pack her things.
"Hey, I'm going to bring these down to the car." Nathan interrupted her thoughts. Brooke turned around to see that Nathan had already packed almost all her things into the suitcase and duffel bags.
"Ok, thanks Nate, I should be done when you get back." said Brooke, turning back to the vanity. She finished packing up the rest of her things when her eyes fell on the bound book again. She sighed and sat down taking the book in her hands. She debated again whether or not she should take it with her but in the end decided not to. She took out a pen and wrote an inscription on the front page for Lucas.
"Lucas,
When I found this notebook, I thought of you. It's strong, masculine and beautiful all at once. You are an amazing writer and I hope this will help you collect all your thoughts and inspirations.
Love,
Brooke"
Brooke took a deep breath and reread her inscription before closing it. She got up with her last suitcase and the book in hand, walked to the doorway. She took one last look at her former room before closing the door behind her. She hesitantly walked down the hall way towards Lucas' bedroom. She planned to leave the notebook for him on his desk. As she approached his door, she felt a flood of emotions. She was never going to walk through this door to greet Lucas after school, or to harass him for a sweater or just go cuddle up to him after a bad day. Brooke wondered if she really had made the right decision after all. Was she really ready to let him go? Things had been going so well up until this point.
She shook her head of those thoughts and Brooke reminded herself that things weren't great between them. He had kissed Peyton again and kept it from her. She swallowed hard and put her hand on the familiar doorknob and gently turned it open. What she saw on the other side of the door shook her to her core.
There they were, Peyton and Lucas, curled beside each other in his bed, sleeping. Her eyes widened, shocked and speechless, Brooke was unable to move. The leather book fell from her hands with a thump, bouncing off the hardwood floor. Lucas woke from his slumber and came face to face with Brooke, whose tears had now spilled down her face.
"Brooke!" Lucas said alarmed. He looked over at Peyton, who was now also starting to wake up and jumped out of the bed as if it was fire.
"Luke?" asked Peyton groggily, brushing her blonde curls out of her face and sitting up to see Brooke staring back at her. "Brooke!"
"This is not what it looks like, I swear!" insisted Lucas frantically, making his way towards Brooke.
Brooke continued to stand there, every time she opened her mouth to say something, nothing came out. She literally felt as though someone had punched her in the stomach. She looked at Lucas accusingly and shook her head at him.
"Brooke, please, nothing happened." Peyton explained as she tried to get out of the bed. She only had on one of Lucas' shirts. "I came over to explain what happened and I found Lucas freaking out about your car-"
"So you decided to comfort him? Is that what happened Peyton?" snapped Brooke sarcastically as she eyed the shirt that Peyton was wearing.
"Nothing happened Brooke, you have to believe me." pleaded Lucas, he searched Brooke's eyes and all he saw was pain. He could see her heart breaking in front of him, all because of him and Peyton.
"Just shut up!" yelled Brooke, her lip trembling as she spoke. She angrily wiped the tears from her face and glared at Lucas. "You couldn't have waited until I moved out before getting her into you bed!?"
"It wasn't like that, Brooke please. Just let me explain." Lucas begged. He needed her to know that he hadn't betrayed her, he knew how bad it must've looked. He walked up to Brooke and took her hand. "Please, just give me a minute."
Brooke jerked her hand away and stepped back.
"Fine, you have a minute to explain." challenged Brooke, crossing her arms. "Explain to me how you were so worried about my safety that you ended up in bed with my best friend. Please Lucas, I'd love to hear it."
"Hey Davis, you ready?" called Nathan from the stairs. He walked into the hallway and was surprised to hear all the commotion. He made his way over to Lucas' room to see Brooke, Lucas and Peyton in mid stand off. "Whoa. Ok..."
"You made it back just in time Nate, Lucas was about to explain to me how he was so worried about me last night that he ended up in bed with my best friend." Brooke said sarcastically, not taking her eyes off Lucas once.
"Brooke, we were just talking and we fell asleep." started Lucas, his face contorted with regret. He knew how hurtful it must've been for Brooke to find him in bed with Peyton. "She was already here when I got back from the Rivercourt and I told her about finding your car…God, Brooke are you ok?"
Lucas took a step closer to Brooke, examining for any physical injuries. He immediately found the bump on her forehead.
"I'm fine, just finish what you have to say so I can leave." Brooke said shortly.
"I was coming by to see you." Peyton piped up. "No one was here, so I decided to wait and then Lucas came back. We started talking about what happened and we were both worried about you. I tried calling and texting you…"
"Just stop!" Brooke said abruptly. "I don't want to hear anymore. This is pathetic, how can you two stand here telling me that you were thinking of me when I just walked in on the two of you in bed together!"
"Nothing happened Brooke." Peyton said tearfully.
"But you wanted it to." Brooke accused, her voice raspy and shaky. "And don't try to deny it, you're in his bed with just his shirt on and you tell me nothing happened? Something already happened, something happened when you chose to tell me you were in love with Lucas, something happened when you asked Lucas to kiss you one…last…time."
"Brooke, please, we have to get past this." tried Peyton again, desperate for Brooke to forgive her. "We have been through so much together, I forgave you for sleeping with Nathan-"
Brooke's eyes flashed with anger, she couldn't believe that Peyton was bartering for forgiveness by using the sex tape with Nathan against her.
"Yeah and I forgave you and Lucas the first time around too." Brooke retorted. "I can't believe you would bring that up right now. What does that say about our relationship Peyton?"
The tears stung her face before she even realized they were there. She shook her head, unable to say anything else. She knew now that neither her relationship with Peyton or Lucas could be salvaged. There had been too much betrayal, too much pain, and there would be no way to restore any form of trust at this point. She closed her eyes, trying to control her emotions when she felt a strong arm around her shoulders. Brooke looked up to see Nathan reach for her suitcase and the notebook she had dropped.
"Come on, let's go." Nathan said tightly. He handed her the notebook and lifted her suitcase.
He felt a little uncomfortable when Peyton brought up the sex tape. He knew that his relationship with Peyton was unhealthy and dysfunctional but he knew what he had done with Brooke was wrong. He really didn't want to be reminded of how he used to be. Everything had changed for him when he met Haley. Gone was the cocky attitude, well for the most part, and the arrogance. She taught him to about forgiveness, selflessness but most importantly Haley showed him compassion. The person he was when he made that sex tape was a different person than he was today. And Nathan also knew this was true for Brooke as well. Meeting Lucas had prompted the evolution of Brooke Davis, rather it was from his love or his betrayal, Lucas had forever changed Brooke from being this materialistic, slutty girl into the girl she was meant to be, a kinder, loyal more toned down version of her previous self. It was just sad that the two people who were suppose to love her most still couldn't see the person Brooke had become. The fact that Peyton would bring up their sex tape now proved to Nathan that she had no idea who Brooke was anymore.
Brooke looked down at the bound book and took a deep breath, nodding at Nathan.
"This is for you. I was going to leave it on your desk for you, that's why I came in here." Brooke said in a raspy whisper. She looked at Lucas in the eyes one last time and handed him the leather notebook. Brooke wordlessly glanced at Peyton, the hurt evident in her eyes and walked out of the room with Nathan following closely behind her.
"Brooke! Wait!" yelled Lucas trying to catch Brooke from leaving him for the second day in a row. He followed them out of the room, hurrying down the hallway to catch Brooke. He was stopped at the top of the stairway by Nathan.
"Just leave her alone." Nathan said sternly, holding Lucas back gently from descending the stairs.
"Nathan, let go of me, I have to talk to her." pleaded Lucas. He looked down the stairs for any sign of Brooke but she was nowhere to be seen. He could only assume that she had gotten into the car already.
"Look, I know you wanna talk to her right now but she doesn't want to." sighed Nathan, he felt for Lucas, he could see the regret and concern in his older brother's eyes.
"Luke, man, what were you thinking in there?" asked Nathan as he gestured towards Lucas' bedroom where Peyton was still residing.
"I don't know…she was here when I got home." Lucas responded exasperated. He rubbed his face with his hand as he thought about how he got himself in this situation.
"Yeah, I already know that part, but you never explained why she's in your bed with just your shirt on." pressed Nathan, shaking his head at how dense Lucas was being. Than again, he was probably avoiding explaining that for a reason, Nathan rationed.
Lucas looking down to avoid meeting Nathan's intense stare spoke volumes to the younger Scott. Nathan sighed, understanding that something had happened between Lucas and Peyton the night before. Maybe not something physical, but something.
"Lucas, you're my brother but you fucked up this time. Do you know how much you've hurt Brooke? Do you know that she spent all last night crying over you because she loves you?" asked Nathan, extremely disappointed at Lucas. He thought that Brooke meant more to Lucas but apparently he was wrong. "Brooke needs a friend right now and that's what I'm going to be because she needs someone on her side. And I don't want to hear anymore shit from you about me and Brooke."
With that Nathan walked away, leaving Lucas to ponder how things got so messed up and Peyton who was now leaning against the doorframe, regretting everything she had done. Peyton had been ready to defend her actions to her former best friend but as soon as she saw the hurt on Brooke's face, none of those reasons seemed valid anymore.
Nathan sporadically threw concerned looks towards Brooke as he drove back to the beach house to pick up the rest of her things. She had been silent and expressionless since he had got into the car. It made Nathan nervous to see Brooke so quiet. No matter what, whether she was happy, sad or upset she was never so silent. She would've been talking excitedly, crying or emotional or yelling mad, but never so stoic. Brooke just stared out the window the remainder of the drive, not saying a single word the entire time.
"Why don't you stay with me for a while?" asked Nathan, breaking the silence. In his mind, he had decided that Brooke was probably best off staying with him at the apartment until things calmed down a bit. His suggestion wasn't without selfish reasons either though, it would be nice to have someone at the apartment with him so that his own loneliness wouldn't consume him.
"What?" Brooke said startled by Nathan's voice breaking into her thoughts.
"I asked if you want to stay at the apartment with me, just until things settle. That way you don't have to worry about finding somewhere to stay right away. You've already got lots going on, it'll be one less thing to think about." rationed Nathan. "And, I could use the company. I don't know if you heard, but I'm sort of short a roommate."
Brooke considered Nathan's offer, she knew that everything that he said was valid and it would've been nice to not have to worry about finding a place of her own. Especially since she still had to deal with her car and she really didn't have anything furniture wise with her. She just had her personal belongings.
"That'd be great Nate. Thank you." Brooke agreed, giving Nathan a grateful smile. "Wow, this is definitely not how I expected to start my summer."
"Tell me about it." Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "Who would've thought."
Nathan pulled into the driveway of the beach house and parked the car.
"Stay here, I'll grab our things." Nathan offered as he got out of the vehicle.
Brooke sighed as the scene in Lucas' room replayed in her head. The shock had finally wore off and she felt emotionally and physically raw. Her face hurt and she was mentally exhausted. She grabbed the rear view mirror and turned so if was facing her, inspecting her current appearance. She groaned as she saw her cheeks pink from crying, contrasting her pale skin and making the dark circles that had developed under her bloodshot eyes more prominent. She cringed as she licked her chapped lips and finally turned the mirror away, unable to look at herself any longer.
"Get it together." Brooke muttered to herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She reminded herself that everything that happened was for the best. Things seem shitty now but they will get better. In a way, finding Lucas and Peyton together may have been a blessing, up until that point she had still been wavering back and forth in regards to Lucas, but now, the answer was clear, she didn't have a choice really. Lucas and Peyton made her decision for her. Now it was up to her to move on from this. I can do this, Brooke thought to herself, and she knew she could. She was sick of crying, sick of being upset, sick of being angry. She wanted to let everything go and move forward. And now she was going to get an opportunity, thanks to Nathan.
She smiled as she saw Nathan emerge from the front door with their bags. More than ever, she was grateful to have him around. If it hadn't been for him, who knew where she would've ended up last night or where she'd be today.
"Alright, that's everything." Nathan said, getting back into the drivers seat. "Do you need anything else before we head back to the apartment?"
"Nope." responded Brooke. "This is so weird, us staying together."
"Yeah, can't say this is how I imagined my summer starting off." agreed Nathan, adjusting the volume of the stereo. "But whatever, this is our summer before senior year and I get to spend it with the cheer captain. Life isn't that bad."
"Well, when you put it like that Hot Shot, you've got a pretty good point." laughed Brooke. "You're right though, we're Brooke Davis and Nathan Scott. Nothing is bringing all of this down!"
Nathan joined in with the laughter as he shook his head in awe of the beautiful brunette beside him. A moment ago, she had her world devastated, and now she laughing like she didn't have a care in the world. He admired her strength and her determination to move on and be happy. He hoped for the same for himself.
"So, do you really think me staying with you is gonna work out?" asked Brooke. She knew that Nathan had a one bedroom apartment and that it wasn't very big. As much as she considered Nathan a friend, she really had never spent much time with him before, and now to move in with him…that could be a bit of a stretch.
"I think it'll be fine, I lived with Haley and we were fine. You've been living with Luke, so I really don't see a problem." shrugged Nathan.
"Yeah, but you're not Lucas and I'm definitely not Haley. I think I'm a little more high maintenance than she is." admitted Brooke. "But, you're right, I won't be there long and we can make this work."
"Don't worry Davis, we'll be fine." reassured Nathan as he pulled into his parking spot. He got out and grabbed their bags and led them to the door of the apartment.
Now it was his turn to hesitate as he fumbled with the key to the door. Nathan slowly turned the key and opened the door. Haley's familiar scent hit him instantly, though all her things were gone, the scent lingered still. He walked in slowly, although he had only been gone for an evening, everything felt different, hell, it even looked different from what he remembered. The only remnants of Haley were the photos in the living room, besides that, this could've been anyone's apartment.
Brooke stayed back to allow Nathan to readjust to being back in the apartment he shared with his estranged wife. She watched as he ran his hand through his short hair and looked around the living room. Finally Nathan turned around and smiled at her.
"What you waiting for Davis? Come in!" said Nathan.
"I'm coming." smiled Brooke. "So what you got to eat here? Cuz I'm starving!"
Brooke immediately set down her purse and comfortably made her way around the apartment. She had been here many times and knew her way fairly well. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
"Hmmm, not too much to pick from huh?" commented Brooke as she moved around the items of Nathan's fridge.
"Well if by not much you mean there's no junk food, then no there isn't." laughed Nathan following Brooke into the kitchen. From the little time he spent with her, he already knew that she had a penchant for tasty junk food, which surprised him as Brooke was so athletic and fit.
"After a start like today, I need more than just carrots to console me." sighed Brooke, grabbing the jar of pickles from the fridge and opening it.
"I agree. And it's only noon." agreed Nathan, walking over to take a pickle from the jar as well.
"Why don't we figure out our living arrangements and I'll unpack my things and then go to an early supper at Karen's?" suggested Brooke. "I could use a burger and chilli fries tonight."
"Sounds good to me." nodded Nathan. It had been a while since he had been there and he thought that Brooke would want to speak to Karen in person to let her know what had happened.
"And, since I'm your guest and a girl, I get the bed." stated Brooke, putting away the pickles and making her way towards Nathan and Haley's bedroom.
"What? No way!" Nathan protested following her into his bedroom.
He walked in to see Brooke laying on the bed wrinkling her nose.
"Not very comfortable Scott." she commented when she heard him walk in. "But I suppose it'll do for a couple weeks."
"What makes you think that I'm willing to give up my bed?" asked Nathan standing over Brooke with his arms crossed.
"Please, like you're gonna say no to me." smirked Brooke confidently as she sat up on the bed to look Nathan in the eye.
"Whatever Davis." shrugged Nathan, shaking his head with a smile. He had a feeling these next couple weeks were going to be interesting. He could tell that living with Brooke won't be anything like living with Haley.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you just in case Lucas is there?" asked Nathan one last time through the car window as Brooke stepped out of his car in front of Karen's diner.
Nathan and Brooke had spent the majority of the afternoon finding places for Brooke to put her things. Surprisingly everything went fairly smoothly between the two and they realized they quite enjoyed each others company, well, for the most part anyway. They could tell that there were going to be things that would bother the other but were willing to ignore that for now. Brooke had seemed more relaxed by the time they left to get dinner and was her usual chatty self again. Though Nathan noticed as they got closer to the diner, she slowly became more quiet again. They had decided that Brooke would go to the diner and get their food so she could talk to Karen and return her key, while Nathan went to the grocery store to pick up food and toiletries for them.
"I'll be fine Nathan." replied Brooke with a tiny smile. She appreciated Nathan's concern, and was actually starting to get used to this side of him. She never would have guessed that he would be her rock through this hard time, but there he was, ready and willing to be there for her. But Brooke knew she had to do this on her own, it wasn't fair to rely on Nathan, even though on the inside she wanted him to come in with her and step in if needed like he had earlier that day at Lucas' house.
"Alright." Nathan said, though he eyed her sceptically. She looked nervous to him but wasn't about to say anything. He knew she needed to do this. "I'll be back in half an hour."
"Sounds good." nodded Brooke, giving him a wave as he began to drive away. "Oh, don't forget chips and dip!"
Nathan gave her a thumbs up as drove down the rode, indicating he heard her. Brooke watched him turn the corner before taking a deep breath and walking into the diner. She was relieved when she looked behind the counter and Lucas was nowhere to be seen. But then she frowned as she didn't see Karen either. Brooke made her way to the counter and ordered her food.
"Brooke!" a low voice came from behind her.
Brooke turned towards the sound of the familiar voice and smiled as her eyes landed on Jake and Jenny who were sitting in a nearby booth. She waved and quickly finished making her order before making her way over to the booth and sitting down.
"Hey Jake! How's it going?" she asked smiling at Jake and then turning her attention to the infant beside him in her car seat.
"Good, we're just grabbing some dinner, spending a little father-daughter time." replied Jake smiling back.
Brooke reached over and gently picked up the cute little baby.
"And how are you doing princess?" she cooed at Jenny, who gave her a toothless smile back. "She gets cuter and cuter every time I see her!"
"Yeah, she really does." agreed Jake, admiring how good Brooke was with Jenny. "So who are you ordering food for? Sounded like you had enough for the entire basketball team!"
"Not the entire basketball team, just me and Nathan." Brooke laughed as she bounced Jenny on her knee.
"You and Nathan?" inquired Jake curiously, dipping a French fry in ketchup.
"Yeah, I know, weird right? I'm staying with him for a while." Brooke sighed, taking one of the fries from the basket. "I'm assuming you've talked to Peyton."
"Yeah." answered Jake sullenly. "How are you doing?"
"Well, aside from the fact that I found Lucas and Peyton in bed today while I was moving my things out of Lucas' house, I'm good!" Brooke chirped sarcastically. Then she looked down and couldn't help but smile at the sweet little girl in her arms. "What bout you? This has to suck for you too."
"You found Peyton and Lucas in bed together?" Jake asked, clearly stunned. He seemed to be thinking about the new revelation and trying to absorb it.
"That was my reaction, well no wait, mine involved more crying and yelling actually." Brooke said dryly, suddenly realizing that probably wasn't the way to tell Jake. "Sorry."
"I just…Peyton and I weren't together anymore but I'm not going to lie and say it didn't hurt when she told me about her feelings for Lucas. I told her she couldn't help the way she felt and that I just want her to be happy." Jake finally responded, after what felt like an eternity.
"Even if it means screwing over her best friend?" asked Brooke, giving Jake an annoyed look. She was starting to get sick of everyone being pro Peyton at the moment. But she didn't hold it against Jake. Brooke knew how much Jake loved Peyton, and he was one of the most caring and unselfish people she had ever known. It didn't surprise her how even though Peyton broke his heart, Jake would always be there for her.
"Of course not. That's not what I meant at all. I'm sorry Brooke, that didn't come out right." Jake apologized quickly, noticing the hurt on Brooke's face. He felt horrible as he hadn't even considered how this would've effected Brooke.
"It's ok Jagielski, it's not your fault." reassured Brooke, giving him a bit of a smile to let him know she wasn't mad at him.
"Still, I really am sorry Brooke." Jake said genuinely, reaching across and giving her hand a supportive squeeze. "Want the rest of my fries?"
"Well, that would help." smiled Brooke as Jake slid the basket across the table. "Thanks!"
"So, you're staying with Nathan?" asked Jake, he was a little confused when Brooke had mentioned that earlier.
"Yeah, short version, I totalled my car, Nathan found me, Haley left him to tour with Keller and now I'm staying with him until I find a place." Brooke summarized, giving Jenny a napkin to play with so she wouldn't grab at the French fries anymore.
"Wow, you're kidding." said Jake, clearly surprised by Brooke's statement.
"Which part? My car? Haley leaving with Keller? Or me and Nathan living together?" asked Brooke.
"All of it, well except the part about your car, you're a crazy driver!" teased Jake. "Wow, Haley left to tour with Chris Keller. And you living with Nathan, how's that going?"
"I'll have to get back on you with that. I just brought my stuff over today, last night we stayed at the beach house." explained Brooke. "He's been really nice though, surprisingly, he found me in my car and listened to me bitch about Lucas and Peyton. I wasn't expecting that from him. Then he told me about Haley, so we're both in pretty depressing situations right now, hence why we're now roomies. Ooh, sorry baby girl, that's not edible!"
Jenny was trying to eat the napkin when Brooke gently tugged on the paper and move the baby's tiny fist away from her mouth.
"I know you're more angry about this than you wanna admit Jake, but I bet this sweet baby helps huh?" asked Brooke looking at the cute baby who was now starting to fall asleep.
"Yeah, she does. Jenny means everything to me. It's been tough but worth every minute." Jake said proudly. "You're really good with her Brooke."
"Surprised aren't you?" laughed Brooke, finishing the last of Jake's fries.
"A little." admitted Jake light heartedly. He leaned back into the booth and took a breath. "I still can't believe everything that's happened in the last couple days."
"Yeah, tell me about it. This was definitely not the way I expected to kick off my summer before senior year." agreed Brooke, looking up at Jake. Upon closer inspection, she saw that he had the same dark circles under his eyes as she did and he even looked more exhausted than she did, if that was possible. But then again, hearing the love of your life proclaim their love for someone else isn't exactly an easy pill to swallow, especially having to take care of an infant.
"Enough about me, how are you holding up Jake? Seriously? And don't even try to lie to me Jagielski!" inquired Brooke, concerned for her friend. Well, they weren't best friends but they got along and she knew that he must be feeling the same way she did.
"I've been better obviously. It really wasn't what I had wanted to hear from her. I really thought things were going to work out this time between us." sighed Jake tiredly. "Finally, everything was sorted out with Nikki in terms of Jenny, but I guess I always had bad timing with her."
Brooke frowned. Now she was pissed off. Until now, she hadn't even considered how this was effecting Jake. Brooke had believed that Peyton was in love with Jake and planned on getting back together with him, and it was apparent that this was what he thought too. Not only did she betray her best friends trust but also the supposed love of her life. Brooke felt angry at Peyton for how selfish she was, she knew how hurt both Brooke and Jake were going to be by this. It upset Brooke even more that she led Jake on. He didn't deserve any of this, he already had his hands full with everything that was going on with Nikki, this was the last thing he needed. Brooke looked down at the beautiful sleeping baby in her arms. She knew Jake was an amazing guy and a wonderful father, Brooke hoped one day that Peyton would see how royally she messed up.
"Screw Peyton and screw Lucas. We're better off without them." Brooke said defiantly, catching Jake off guard. "You deserve someone who cares as much about you as you do about them, and not just when it's convenient for them. You shouldn't be with someone that makes you feel insecure and unsure. I mean, really, as much as I know you're hurt right now and as much as you love Peyton, you deserve better Jake, you really do."
Jake looked at her, surprised by the sudden outburst. But not surprised by what Brooke said. He could tell that she was upset, she didn't look like her usual perfect self and she seemed worn out but her spark was still there. Nothing held Brooke Davis down for long, not even something as devastating as having the two people she loved most betray her. But what really caught Jake off guard was the fact that she seemed to genuinely care about how he was doing. Sure, he and Brooke were friends, but only because through Peyton and the fact he was on the basketball team and she was cheer captain, and they were always nice to one another but they had never shared a meaningful conversation until now. The Brooke he was accustomed to was the party girl, who was loud, obnoxious and kind of a bitch who didn't really seem to have a care for anyone or anything. It was interesting to this side of her, to see how good she was with Jenny, to see her with her appearance less than perfect, and just to be able to see her for who she really was.
"Thanks Brooke, so do you. I'm sorry that Peyton and Lucas hurt you too. And I know you're right, we both deserve better. I think we just need some time to let this all sink in but I know we're gonna be fine. Just so you know, even though, we aren't close, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I kind of know what you're going through." smiled Jake warmly at Brooke, giving her hand another squeeze. His smile grew more as he felt her hand squeeze back.
"Ditto for you." smiled Brooke. "I like you Jagielski, you're not as boring or bland as I had originally thought. You're a really nice guy."
"Ugh, thanks, I think." Jake laughed at the backhanded compliment.
The waitress brought Brooke's order to the table and Brooke gave the waitress the envelop with Karen's house key, asking her to give it to Karen for her since Karen wasn't in this evening.
"Where's Nathan? It can't take that long to buy groceries." wondered Brooke as she inhaled the smell of the food coming from the brown paper bag. She thought the fries that Jake had given her would hold her over till she got home but if anything it made her even more hungry. "I don't know if I can even wait for him!"
"I'm sure he won't be that much longer." assured Jake, laughing at Brooke, who was practically salivating at the sight of the bag.
"I'm going to start without him." said Brooke as her stomach growled loudly. She gently handed Jenny back to Jake and he immediately lit up at the sight of his baby girl, who was now waking up from her nap. Then Brooke quickly turned her attention to the bag of food in front of her and opened it, taking out her burger and chilli fries.
"You're eating all of that?!?" asked Jake, shocked by the size of the burger and fries.
"Mmmm…just what I needed." Brooke nodded, biting into her burger. "Hmm, I love food!"
"I can see that." laughed Jake, bringing Jenny's attention to Brooke. "Who's that silly girl with the big burger Jenny?"
Jenny cooed at the sight of Brooke, causing Brooke to smile.
"Don't listen to him Jenny, he's the silly one. We girls have to stick together, don't we?" Brooke cooed back at Jenny, who in turn squealed in delight.
"I think she really likes you." Jake said, laughing along with his daughter.
"Well, duh! Everyone likes me!" Brooke said cockily, digging into her chilli fries.
"Hey! I thought we were taking it to go!" Nathan's voice came from across the diner.
"Well you were taking forever and I was dying of starvation!" Brooke said dramatically when Nathan sat down next to her.
"Hey Jake! How's it going man?" greeted Nathan. "And how are you princess?"
Nathan reached across the table and brushed Jenny's cheek softly.
"I'm good, thanks Nate." replied Jake.
"She's getting big." Nathan commented.
"Oh yeah, it's like everyday she learns something new, it's crazy." said Jake, staring down at Jenny, who was now thoroughly entertaining herself by sticking her fingers in her mouth.
Nathan smiled as he reached into the bag and grabbed what he assumed was his burger and fries.
"Well, I guess we're eating here now." said Nathan as he dove into his burger.
"What took you so long anyway?" asked Brooke with her mouth full of fries.
"It wouldn't have taken that long if somebody wasn't so picky about the kinds of junk food they like." Nathan said raising his eyebrows at Brooke.
"What! It's the only place in Tree Hill that you can get Lays Ketchup chips! They order it from Canada." exclaimed Brooke with a dimpled smile.
"Right, I had to go all over town trying to find this place!" Nathan said shaking his head, while still chomping away on his burger. He threw Brooke a teasing smile and bumped her shoulder.
"Whatever Scott, you're gonna be begging me to share them with you once you try them!" retorted Brooke. "And I'm not going to share them with you!"
Jake smiled at the interaction between the two brunettes but remained quiet. He mentally noted how at ease they were with one another.
"Technically, they're my chips, I paid for them." reasoned Nathan. "Maybe I won't share them with you!"
"Fine, then I'm for sure taking the bed tonight!" settled Brooke, finishing the last of her burger and fries.
"Any plans for the summer Jagielski?" Brooke asked before Nathan could respond.
"I'm spending it with Jenny." Jake said happily. "I'll have her during the week and every other weekend over the summer and then Nikki and I will switch when school starts."
"That's great Jake!" Brooke smiled sincerely. "I'm really glad you guys were able to work everything out."
"Yeah, that's great man." piped Nathan. "Does that mean you'll be rejoining the basketball team for our senior year?"
Brooke's eyes widened in anticipation of Jake's answer. Jake had been unable to play the past season because he had full custody of Jenny at the time and she knew that Jenny of course would come first but the team suffered without Jake. He was the team's moral compass and things weren't the same without their voice of reason. Jake had always been the level headed one and kept everyone's egos and tempers in line, including Nathans. She had never seen Nathan foul out of as many games as he had in that past season. He was frustrated because the team was playing poorly, which in turn effected his game, which then led to him getting pissed, which led to him taking unnecessary fouls….and so on and so forth.
"Someone's gotta keep you in line." grinned Jake. He was happy that he would have an opportunity to play again, he missed the game and the team, more so than he thought he would.
"No kidding." smirked Brooke, earning another nudge at Nathan. "What? You know it's true! Anyway, I'm glad you'll be playing again Jake, the team wasn't the same without you."
"Thanks, I'm pretty excited about it, it feels like it's been forever since I've played." replied Jake.
"That's because it has. You've been away for an entire season, with no practice at all in that time. We're gonna have to start conditioning you now to get you back into game shape." Nathan said seriously.
"Oh, ugh, I hadn't even considered that." Jake said sheepishly. He hadn't thought about the fact that he hasn't even looked at a basketball in over a year, let alone touch one. Maybe this wasn't going to be an easy of a transition back on to the team as he thought. He knew that there was going to be a lot of other talented freshmen and sophomores vying for his position as well.
"Good thing you're friends with the Captain of the team. I'll whip you back into shape before summer's over." Nathan promised. He gave Jake the once over. "Looks like you kept your size decent but your arms are looking like jelly. We'll have to start you on some protein shakes."
"Hey." Jake said pretending to be hurt. "I'll have you know that carrying a baby around 12 hours a day gives you pretty good stamina! Thanks Nate, I appreciate the offer but I don't know if I have the time to train the way you want me to."
"I know you want to spend as much time with Jenny as possible and I want you to. All I need is a couple hours every other day." coaxed Nathan, he knew that Jake wanted to, he just needed a little push.
"I don't know if I could afford or find a sitter for her while I do that. Nikki's working and so are my parents." explained Jake.
"Brooke will watch Jenny!" offered Nathan. He looked over at her as she smiled widely.
"I could totally watch her! You said yourself that I was good with her." agreed Brooke. "I could bring her to the Rivercourt and we can watch you guys play! I'm sure she'd love that!"
"Ok, I'm in." grinned Jake. He looked down at his smiling daughter. "Your daddy's gonna be a basketball player again."
"First practice is tomorrow Jagielski, it's getting pretty late, I suggest you go home and get some beauty sleep." smirked Nathan. He was happy that Jake agreed to practice with him, the team really needed him back. "I'll even drop you off."
The three friends made their way to Nathan's car, with Jake putting the stroller in the trunk and Brooke taking a seat beside Jenny's car seat in the back. Brooke smiled as she listened to Jake and Nathan discuss what their regimen was going to be for their first workout. After dropping off Jake and Jenny, Brooke made her way to the passenger seat.
"That was really nice of you to offer Jake some help with basketball." complimented Brooke.
"Jake's a good guy, and he's an asset to the team." replied Nathan.
"Still, this is unexpected from you Nathan. Actually, these past couple days have been unexpected." commented Brooke. "I like it."
"I could say the same for you." replied Nathan. "I like it."
They both turned slightly to look at one another and smiled. They knew that from here on, things were going to work out in the end.