Chapter 9

"You gotta go there to come back"

"You look beautiful," Brooke beamed resting her chin on Haley's head and looking at her in the mirror again. Haley smiled.

"I can't believe I'm going to be married in less than twenty-four hours."

Brooke looked at her; she couldn't quite believe it either. Actually, she couldn't quite believe that they were actually standing in the master bedroom of a ridiculously expensive villa, in the middle of the Caribbean. No. She couldn't grasp the concept that Haley had just slid into a small black number by Versace that probably cost more than her next year's rent. She couldn't get over the fact that the diamonds that glittered in Haley's ears were actually diamonds and not the cubic zirconium they were used to.

But most of all, she couldn't get used to the fact that just down the hall, Lucas Scott, Mr. #3 and #2 on richest men under 40 and hottest men under 35 lists respectively, lay in his bedroom reading a John Grisham novel. Brooke continued brushing Haley's hair. Maybe this was some weird ass dream she was having, those kinds which made you swear that you were awake until you woke up. In a couple of minutes she would wake up on her own, ratty couch in her living room and call Haley and relate this bizarre dream to her. Then, they would laugh about it. But when she set down the brush,

Brooke realized that the only thing that was going to happen in the next few minutes was that Haley was going to slip into those Michael Kors shoes and head across the marble tiles to meet her fiancé, Mr. 2 and 5 on richest men under 40 and hottest men under 35 lists respectively, in the limo which was waiting.

When she hugged Haley and told her to have fun her best friend smiled at her.

"We haven't had sex in a week, something about working up frustration for the honeymoon."

"Too much information Hales" Brooke teased. But she was thrilled. There were times when she wondered if Haley would ever been able to separate sex from pain and violation after what had happened.

They had hated their parents together. Brooke's parents were never home so she had always been at Haley's house but when Haley's father's company went bankrupt things spiraled out of control. He started drinking and beating her mom and the kids. Including Brooke. Haley's mom had then become addicted to drugs. They had plotted and fantasized about the way they would make their escape. Yet, Brooke hadn't thought they would ever really do it. She thought that they would continue living their personal hells together in that small, trashy two bedroom apartment. They would hate their parents together. And they would comfort each other when Haley's father lost it and accidentally pounded one of their heads against the walls. She was halfway into the house on that day when she heard the screams, Haley was wailing; an animal-like howl that made her stop in her tracks. And she could see Haley's father. She was screaming, he was groaning and he was thrusting, over and over again. She stood there watching, unaware of the fact that she was screaming too. That was when he stopped, glared at her. Removed himself from his daughter and sauntered over to her, grabbing her by her throat until she almost passed out screaming at her to shut up. Then, he dragged her into the room Brooke and Haley shared, slammed the door shut –Brooke closed her eyes and shook the thoughts from her head. She would not think about what happened next. She couldn't. She had no idea she was crying or making any sounds at all until she saw Lucas in the doorway of the room. He looked concerned.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head "nothing. Nothing at all."

But she could still feel him thrusting, over and over again; she could still feel his hot breath on her. It had been nearly ten years and the memories still left her like this.

"Brooke?"

Lucas was closer to her now.

"There is nothing wrong with me Lucas."

"Well you look like something's wrong with you?"

"Well nice to know you can read emotions too."

He smiled, "I guess you don't want to talk."

No," she said softly standing up, "I don't want to talk."

Brooke stood up and walked carefully towards him. She tiptoed and brushed her lips against his. She kissed him, softly at first. Then deeply and fiercely. She kissed him until the memories of Haley's father's thrusting started to fade. She pushed her body closer to his, when Lucas murmured something unintelligible – some sort of protest. She cupped his face and despite his protests, his hands settled on her ass; gently stroking, squeezing. Brooke allowed herself to melt into him. Eventually Lucas pulled himself away from her.

"We've got to stop," he said breathlessly.

Brooke stepped away from him, and then slowly – decisively slipped off the short teal dress she wore, she watched him watching her. She watched his eyes trail over her cleavage, over the silky satin of her bra. The dress fell to the floor. She stepped towards him again; she brushed her lips against his.

"No," Lucas whispered, "We can't do this."

Brooke kissed his cheek and allowed her hand to run down his chest and to his crotch. She stroked his erection through his jeans, "It seems that not even your 900 dollar jeans can hide the fact you want me."

With a small smile, she picked up her dress and walked past him – emphasizing the already natural sway of her waist.

She turned to him, her hair covering half of her face – her lips bruised from their kisses.

"I'm going to your room now," she whispered, "I suggest you find yourself there before I wake up and change my mind."

Then, she smiled again and walked out of the room.

What the hell was she thinking? She continued walking down the hall in the dim light towards his room. But she knew she wasn't thinking at all, she was only seeing – seeing

Haley's father thrusting into her, over and over again. She walked slowly, although she could hear the soft pitfalls of Lucas' footsteps behind her. He sure didn't take too long to make up his mind. She was a few steps from the door of the room when she felt his hand encircle his waist.

"Don't you dare bitch about this in the morning," he warned. Then he was kissing her.

Kissing her as they stumbled backwards towards the queen sized bed