A/N: Ok guys, here's the next one. I hope it's satisfactory. I'm definitely not used to writing angry Brooke...lol. Thanks to all who are reading, and of course, reviewers, I appreciate every single comment so continue to feel free to express any good or bad feelings about the story.

...

A bucket of ice! That's what Brooke's sudden and unexpected appearance felt like. Like the ceiling had literally opened up, and from it dropped a giant bucket of ice cubes all over his body, effectively killing the state of arousal he'd been in just seconds prior, leaving in its wake a cold and harsh shock to his entire system.

He hopped off the blonde, who wore his exact same expression of astonishment, as though frozen water had actually fallen upon him, and instinctively grabbed for the covers, his breathing still labored from his previous activities.

"Brooke!" Peyton spoke before he was even able to find his voice. "Wh-wh...?" Clearly she was having trouble too. "What are you... doing here?" she finally managed, though quite shakily and still out of breath herself.

"No, what are you doing here?" Brooke asked, her mind reeling from what she'd just walked into. "Oh my God!" she repeated. "I can't believe you two...oh my God, oh my God, oh my God...I must be seeing things...are you freaking serious right now!? This is what you guys call hanging out?" Brooke screamed, her face going red with rage.

"Brooke," Peyton tried to speak again while Nathan continued to silently process what was happening. "This isn't..."

"What it looks like?" Brooke scoffed.

Peyton shook her head to indicate it wasn't what she was going to say. She wasn't entirely sure what she did want to say but it certainly wasn't that seeing as it quite obviously was exactly what it looked like.

"Save it," Brooke fumed. "You both are backstabbing assholes! I can't believe you'd do this to Lucas and Haley!"

"Brooke, let us explain," Peyton requested.

"Explain what? That you two are here screwing around while your husband and his wife are at home, holding down the forts and taking care of the kids so that you both can supposedly pursue your careers? Do you even actually have a job or is that just an excuse to be here so you can jump your husband's brother's bones?"

"I do have a job, Brooke. Just listen..."

"God," Brooke cut her off. "It's a good thing you and Luke are broke, otherwise he would have come with me today and gotten a front row seat to exactly what you've been working on!"

The thought of Lucas seeing that made Brooke's stomach churn. She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the nausea that threatened to erupt. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

She threw the pair on the bed a final glare and ran out the door, no idea what she would do now that her plans to stay with Peyton were out of the question.

Peyton tossed Nathan her own dirty look before standing up and throwing her bathrobe on. "Thanks for your help there Mr. 'got nothing to say'," she tossed over her shoulder. She glanced at him again and shook her head at the dazed state he seemed to still be in. "Oh, don't get up," she said sarcastically. "I'll talk to Brooke on my own."

He still didn't answer so she went out the door Brooke had just vacated seconds before. She found the brunette in the middle of the lobby, bent over and taking deep breaths, trying to control the physical reaction to the secret she'd just learned. Tears welled in Peyton's eyes as she approached her best friend, wanting nothing more than for her to understand. "Brooke," she called out when she was but a few feet from her.

Brooke's head snapped up, noticing the blonde was crying. "Tears, Peyton?" she scoffed. "Nice touch, really."

"Brooke, you're my best friend. I need you to let me explain. I need you to understand."

"Being your best friend doesn't count for much when you clearly have no regard for any of your friendships or anyone's relationships."

"That's not true."

"Isn't it? You did this to me twice in high school with Lucas and then a few years ago to Lindsey. I thought that was all over now that you had Lucas to yourself, but apparently it's Nathan's turn now."

"I love him, Brooke. I'm in love with him."

"Nathan?"

"Yes. He doesn't know it, but..."

"You know what? I don't care! Loving him, if you even actually do, doesn't make this any less of a skank move. It didn't make me feel better when you used that excuse, it didn't make Lindsey feel better, and I guarantee it won't make Haley or Lucas feel better."

"We didn't plan for this happen," Peyton said. "But it did, and we were gonna tell them after basketball season was done. We want to be together, Brooke. As a real couple. This isn't just some fling for either of us."

Brooke gave her the most scornful of looks. "Sounds like this has been going on for a while."

Peyton took a deep, shaky breath. "About three months," she revealed.

"Three months? That's almost the whole time you've been in L.A."

"Almost," Peyton admitted.

"Wow," Brooke said in amazement. "Gold star to both of you for hiding it so well and being such accomplished liars. The media's been all over you guys and you still managed to fool the lot of us. Bravo."

"Listen," Peyton began. "We both feel awful about lying to everyone..."

"Really? That's the part you feel awful about? The lying about the cheating? Cause, you know, without the cheating, the lying would have been ruled out as unnecessary."

"It's done, Brooke, and we can't change what's already happened. We weren't sure what we were going to do, and we finally decided, just today, actually, that we have to tell them."

"To spare them further humiliation or so you can be together in the open?" Brooke asked coldly.

"Both," Peyton replied. "Look, I know it's no excuse for what we did, but I really do love him."

"Yeah? So what?" Brooke snapped. "Guess who else really loves him? Oh, I know, Haley, considering she married him. Remember her? Your friend?"

"Yeah, and I feel horrible..."

"I doubt that, but you should," Brooke cut her off. "Hey, you know what real friends do when they have feelings for their friend's husband?"

"Brooke..."

"They bury them. And when said guy happens to also be your husband's brother, you bury them even deeper. Know why? Because that's the right thing to do, morally and ethically. But you obviously don't know anything about human decency."

Peyton started crying harder. "I know," she said. "I wish I was that strong, but I'm not and I can't help how I feel."

"It's not about how you feel or about being strong. It's about being someone who puts other peoples' needs above their own. It's about respecting your friends. Honoring the sanctity of marriage. Not being a home wrecker. If you two wanted to be together so bad, you should have ended your marriages first, not have your spouses waiting at home, trusting you to be faithful."

"I know," Peyton acknowledged. "I wish we would have done that..."

"Too late for wishing," Brooke said firmly.

...

Meanwhile, Nathan snapped out of his daze and was suddenly feeling quite paranoid. He jumped out of bed, proceeding to put his clothes back on, panic engulfing him as he did so. His heart raced erratically in his chest as he felt his worst fears about to become reality.

Of all people to walk in on them, it had to be Brooke. She was the worst person, aside from Haley or Lucas themselves, who could have caught them in their deception. He didn't much care what Brooke thought, except that he knew it would get back to Haley. That's what worried him.

He was about to lose his family.

Unless he could convince Brooke to keep quiet. He didn't figure he stood much chance of that, but he was desperate enough to give it a shot. He walked out the door, still in the process of buttoning up his shirt.

Peyton was relieved to see him finally heading down the lobby, even though she wished he'd have completely finished dressing beforehand, simply to evade any snarky comment Brooke might make over it. Maybe he could explain better than she the overwhelming feelings that encompassed them when they were together and their shared inability to ignore those feelings. Lord knows, she wasn't doing a very good job of making it clear.

She sent him a grateful smile, but was taken aback when he looked right through her and went to Brooke, his expression taking on a look of desperation. He grabbed hold of her arm, not forcefully, but not exactly gently either. "Brooke," he began, his tone frantic. "You can't tell Haley about this...please."

It might have been a cockroach crawling up her arm the way she swatted him away, repulsion marking her features. "Eww, get your hands off me," she ranted. "I know where they've been."

Nathan rolled his eyes at her dramatics and held both hands up in a sign of surrender. "All right," he said. "Just...don't tell Haley, ok? Please."

She threw him a look of disdain. "What? Don't tell her that her husband's been playing at more than just basketball in L.A.? I think that's something she ought to know."

"Brooke, I'm begging you," he returned, the anxiety evident in his tone. "Please don't tell her about this. I don't want to lose her."

"Huh, maybe you should have thought of that before sticking your dick into PEYTON!" the brunette hollered.

"Look, I know, ok. I screwed up..."

"Well, that's putting it mildly," Brooke replied, unyielding. "I can't believe I actually thought you were one of the good ones. I honestly believed you had changed for Haley."

"I did. I have."

"Not from where I'm standing. Oh no wait, that's not true. You did change. You got worse. Instead of being the assy boyfriend who constantly cheated on Peyton, now you're the assy husband cheating with her. How could you do this to your own brother? Your brother, Nate."

"It was a mistake alright. I..."

"A mistake?" she scoffed. "As in singular? As in one time?"

"One time, yeah."

Brooke glanced over at Peyton's stricken and devastated expression, and turned back to Nathan. "So, not three months worth of mistakes?"

Nathan felt his heart skip a beat even as it raced erratically in his chest. Damn it, she knew. Even so, he pulled a face. "Come on, no way. It was a one and only time thing and, like I said, it was a mistake."

"Right. So I suppose you also weren't making plans to tell Lucas and Haley about the two of you after basketball season?"

"What? No. There was nothing to tell before today."

To Nathan and Peyton's surprise, Brooke started to laugh. "Wow," she said. "You two really should have gotten your stories straight before you went and got caught."

Nathan sighed deeply at the sarcastic comment, but before he could press his case further, footsteps were heard in the lobby and soon Clay appeared before them.

"Buddy, there you are," Clay said to Nathan. "I've been calling you for more than an hour. Why aren't you answering your cell?"

It was in Peyton's hotel room was all Nathan could think.

"Haley called me," Clay informed him. "Because you weren't picking up. She's worried sick, man. She thought something happened to you since you missed your chat thing with Jamie."

Nathan's face suddenly went pale. "What? No. What time is it?"

"Almost 11:30."

Closing his eyes in shame, Nathan ran his hands over his face. Shit.

"Oh, that's perfect, Nate," Brooke huffed. "You forgot about your own son."

"I didn't forget about him," Nathan denied vehemently. "I lost track of time."

"Gee, wonder how that happened," Brooke muttered in the same angry tone.

"You know what Brooke? Just shut up, will ya?" Nathan replied in frustration.

"Ok, what's going on here?" Clay wondered aloud.

"Ask Hoebags one and two," Brooke returned dryly, indicating Nathan and Peyton.

Clay glanced from one to the other, instantly clueing in. It wasn't that hard seeing as Peyton was in a robe and Nathan's shirt was only half buttoned and neither one wore any shoes. He shook his head. "I knew it," he said, having suspected something like this before but dismissing it when Nathan denied it. "I knew there was more than just friendship between you two, even though you swore to me there wasn't."

Nathan didn't respond, not overly concerned about Clay.

And Clay knew it too, as well as the reason for it. He shook his head again. "You know, Nathan, I covered for you with the others, but this...this is a whole new ballgame. No more, buddy."

Nathan cursed under his breath. This is what Clay called covering for him? Sure, he had at the time but now he spills the truth in front of Peyton and Brooke? He could feel the two girls' gazes boring into him. Great. Just fan-fucking-tastic.

"What others?" Peyton instantly questioned. "What is he talking about?"

"Nothing."

"Right," Clay said. "Nothing but a couple dozen drunken one night stands, huh Nate?"

Nathan glared at the man before him, wondering what the hell he was doing. First of all, he highly exaggerated those numbers, and second of all, he was his friend. He always had his back. Why would he out him like this? "Clay...?" he began in bewilderment.

"Not drunk now though, are you?" Clay cut him off to ask. Another shake of his head and he spoke again. "You have no idea how much respect I just lost for you," he said with finality, leaving Nathan feeling stunned. "Call your wife," he added before turning around and walking back the direction he'd come from.

Left alone with Peyton and Brooke again...ok, maybe just Brooke since Peyton was currently storming back to her room, Nathan heaved a great sigh. Brooke was looking at him like he was lower than dirt and he didn't figure there was any chance of getting out of this now.

"You make me sick," she spat and then spun on her heels and walked out.

"Brooke...," he called out but she wouldn't stop and he knew running after her was pointless. She was going to tell Haley and nothing he could say would change her mind. Damn it. There went their forever and always.

He made his way back to Peyton's room, cursing when he found the door locked. She never locked up so he knew it was just to keep him out. He banged on the door in frustration. He was in no mood for this. "Peyton, open up," he demanded.

"Go to hell!" she shouted in return.

He pounded harder, finding it hard to keep his annoyance at bay. "Open the damn door, Peyton before I knock it off its hinges. I need my stuff."

The door opened and she practically whipped his shoes and phone at him before attempting to close it again.

He was just going to leave, in no mood to explain anymore, but the tears streaming down her face got to him and he pushed his way inside. His strength far surpassing hers, he managed it quite easily.

"You need to go," she spoke harshly.

"Peyton..."

"I mean it, Nathan. Get the hell out!"

"Look, I'm sorry, ok? I had to lie to Brooke to try to save my family. You understand that? I had no choice."

"There's always a choice," she countered. "And what I understand is that you've been lying to me the whole time," she fumed. "You said I was the only person you could be honest with, but you lied. You never planned to tell Lucas and Haley about us. I'm the one you were gonna say goodbye to in six weeks."

He denied it. She didn't believe him.

"You know, for a minute I thought Brooke catching us might actually be a blessing in disguise. That way we wouldn't have to face telling them. But I can see how that's a problem for you since you didn't plan to say anything at all. You don't want Haley to know, not now, not in six weeks, not ever! Well, screw you, Nathan! I'm not gonna be your dirty little secret like all the others!"

"There are no others, Peyton," he argued.

She rolled her arms and crossed her arms over her chest. "Is that your story? Cause I didn't see you denying it when Clay was here."

"Alright, ok, so there were others? Not twenty-two of them..."

"Twenty-four."

"What?"

"Two dozen makes twenty-four, not twenty-two."

"Whatever. It wasn't that many and..."

"How many then?"

"I don't know, Peyton. I didn't count them."

"So enough of them to lose count."

He growled in irritation. "Whatever the number," he began, "I was drunk off my ass every time. I don't remember most of them, and it hasn't happened in over a year, ever since I quit going to the parties."

Peyton gasped as a sudden realization struck her. "Renee..."

He shook his head to deny what he knew she was about to say. "Renee was a lying, scheming bitch going after a rich guy to line her own pockets. I never touched her. We flirted a little but that's it."

She eyed him suspiciously. Did she believe him? With all the lies he'd been telling, she wasn't so sure.

"I'm telling the truth," he said, recognizing her doubt. "I never slept with her. But she was my turning point."

"What does that mean?"

"I was wasted at that party, much like every other party," he began to explain. "The truth is, when she accused me of knocking her up, I wasn't entirely sure that I hadn't. The only reason I know we didn't have sex that night is because my dad proved it on his TV show. And that scared the hell out of me, that I could go get so hammered and do stuff that could change my life forever. How my own stupidity could end up costing me everything." He shook his head and took a deep breath before continuing. "That's when I decided no more parties. I figured I could just drink at home...well, my apartment, and start getting back to being the guy Haley married. I was doing pretty good too."

"Until I came to L.A.?" Peyton guessed.

He nodded. "It's different with you," he said. "I didn't want to stop. I still don't."

"Don't say that when you still want to be with Haley."

"I'm sorry. I just don't know how to be without her. Look at the kind of guy I turn into when I'm just away from her. If I lose her for good, I'll probably end up being a worse person than my dad."

His comment made her angry. "Yeah, that's right, Nathan. Credit or fault Haley for everything you do because God forbid you should have to be responsible for your own actions."

He didn't know what to say to that so he didn't say anything.

"Did you ever care about me at all?" she asked him.

He eyed her strangely for the unexpected question. "Of course I did. I do care about you, Peyton. I thought you knew that."

"Yeah, sometimes it felt like I did know that," she replied. "Other times, like in the lobby just now, it's hard to believe. I had my best friend turning on me for being with you, and there you were practically telling her we were nothing to each other."

"I said I'm sorry about that. I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Well, you did. You've made it pretty clear that if it's a choice between me and Haley, she'll always win. And, on that note, you should go now. She's trying to reach you, remember?"

"Peyton..."

"Nathan, please just go."

He sighed but did as she told him, walking out the door without even looking back. He knew she'd still be crying and he couldn't handle that. But neither could he make her feel better by telling her she was wrong.

Because that would be the biggest lie of all. The girl he'd loved since he was sixteen, the girl who'd loved him back in that entire time, would always be his first choice.

...

He went back to his apartment and grabbed a beer from the fridge, swallowing it down in one long gulp, before taking another to his bedroom. He settled on the bed and pulled his cell from his pocket. Eight missed calls, he read.

Four from Haley, two from Clay, one from Lucas, and one from his dad. He pressed the button to listen to his voicemails, skipping over all except those from his wife.

'Hey baby, just calling to say you missed your Skype session with Jamie and he's really disappointed. I know you're probably really busy and everything, but he looks forward to these talks with you so if you can get yourself to your computer, that'd be great. Love you.'

'Hey, it's 8:30 and I still haven't heard from you. Jamie goes to bed in half an hour so if you can at least call to say goodnight to him...ok...love you.'

'Ok, it's 9:15 now and Jamie was really upset when he went to bed. You'd better have a good explanation for this, Nathan because I swear if you're at some party...never mind. Just call me back. I am so pissed right now.'

'Nathan, please call me. It's after 10:00 and I'm really starting to get worried. I called Clay but he doesn't know where you are either. Call me so I know you're not lying dead in some ditch. I promise I'm not mad anymore, ok? I Love you.'

He leaned his head back and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he listened to her messages. Burying his head in his hands, he tried to shake the guilt that enveloped him. He'd missed talking to Jamie and had worried the hell out of Haley, and for what? To be with Peyton.

The worst part - if given the chance he'd probably do it again. Despite his love for his family, if Peyton came to him now, he wouldn't refuse her. He couldn't refuse her. He wanted her too badly and he didn't even really understand why.

He knew Haley deserved better than that from him, just as he knew that whenever Brooke spilled what she knew, Haley would be gone and she'd be better off for it. Better off without him.

But he wasn't better off without her. He was well aware of that fact.

He pressed his wife's name from his contacts to get through to her cell. She picked up on the first ring, relieved for his call.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I didn't mean to make you worry," he told her honestly. That really hadn't been his intention. "Yeah, no, I uh...fell asleep," he went on to say. She would discover the lie soon enough, but for now she believed him and she was ecstatic to hear from him. He would hold on to that as long as he could, knowing it wouldn't be long at all.

They talked for nearly an hour. He wasn't willing to let her go. Until she was practically falling asleep on the other line. It was late, he knew. She was generally asleep long before now.

So they hung up and he went back to leaning against the head board, cursing himself for going to Peyton's hotel today of all days. He never went there anymore so why today? Why not yesterday or tomorrow? Or why couldn't Brooke have shown up on a different day when he wasn't there? Why did she have to make a surprise visit in the first place? God, he hated surprises. Granted the surprise wasn't intended for him, but he got it just the same.

Oh, what a mess this day had turned out to be. What he wouldn't give for a do-over.