Haley rubbed her head, she had the roughest night of her life. She was out of her character, she had this feeling to apologize to Peyton but her pride had the best of her. She felt sick of what happened and didn't want to think about. She wanted to do more then just hit Peyton, she wanted to hit her with the car and make Peyton feel her pain. But, she had to think of Brooke. WWBD. What would Brooke Do. That's all she thought about and cared for. She closed her eyes and thought of the memories that she had of Brooke, she had to remember something. She pictured the first time that she saw Brooke, helping her get into the car. I'm gonna call you, Brooke. Brooke's voice was still fresh like she was right beside Haley. It made Haley smile, she hasn't smiled in a long time.
"Hey, rocky, what are you smiling about?" Nathan joked, standing in front of her. Haley took in a deep breath, looking up at the big blue sky. She loved her large house and the backyard that came with it.
"Brooke." Haley smiled, Nathan sat next to her. He didn't have the words for her, his anger was gone but now he was confused. He still didn't understand why Lucas needed Peyton here and why he wanted to give her the letter. This whole thing would have done damage but still, Lucas wasn't thinking clearly.
"What was Lucas thinking?" Nathan asked his beautiful wife. Haley looked up.
"Brooke," Haley said honestly. "Look at it Nathan, if you were in some trouble...who do you think about?" Haley asked him. Nathan thought for a moment but he was quick.
"You...Jamie..." Nathan started off the list, he thought of all the important people in his life that he loved.
"Annnddd," Haley tried to get the name from him. Nathan took in a deep breath, this was the first time that he thought about her and said her name in his head. He didn't want to remind himself what happened and losing a good friend. He thought Brooke would live a thousand years and a thousand more.
"Brooke." Nathan said to her.
"You know, that's the first time I actually heard you say her name." Haley informed. Nathan smiled, agreeing with his wife. He had always hoped that Brooke would come through his doors, high spirited and happy. "I mostly liked Brooke because you guys didn't date." Haley joked. Nathan raised his eyebrows, they didn't date but they did have sex and made a tape of it.
"I just-" Nathan started to say, he rubbed his palm on his pants. He was feeling uncomfortable to talk about it.
"Don't want to let her go," Haley looked away from her husband, staring at the large tree in front of him. "me either." Haley frowned, she missed Brooke like she missed her mom. It seemed like everything was falling around her and she didn't want to let go. "One day, I believe that she's going to walk into the cafe and give me a giant hug." Haley felt tears running down her face but she had a smile. It was tears of joy, for the hope that Brooke would come back home.
"Me too, I always think that she's going to walk through those doors and say 'did you miss me'"? Nathan mocked Brooke voice, it was high and seductive. Haley laughed, liking the impression that Nathan did. There was silence but their minds were loud, they were thinking about the memories they had with Brooke. "Do you think she wrote me a letter?" Nathan finally asked Haley. He was so afraid of it, then it would be real that she was gone.
"I think...she made you a video." Haley smiled at him, whipping the tears from his eyes. "What are you so afraid of Nathan?" Haley asked him.
"Losing her...for good." Nathan confessed to her.
The old man and Lucas sat outside on the porch, with little Davis. Lucas was replaying last night over and over again. The old man didn't have any words, he left as soon as Lucas did. There was nothing to say because the old man knew about Peyton and her ways. He remembered Brooke would talk to him about her.
"How are you doing?" The old man asked him. The old man wouldn't be surprised that Lucas would say that he wasn't doing fine because of what happened last night. "I thought you would be hiding in your room because of last night," The old man laughed. Lucas laughed a little, he looked down at his beautiful son. Davis did nothing but stare at Lucas, his eyes were only on him.
"I can't, I have a job to do." Lucas said to him, Davis wrapped his hand around Lucas' finger.
"And what a great job you have," The old man complimented Lucas. They both stared down at Davis. Davis was reaching for Lucas' face, seeing how fascinated he was. Lucas was thinking about Brooke, wondering what she was thinking right now. He was so afraid to lose her.
"I'm afraid," Lucas confessed to the old man, knowing that he could trust him. The old man gave Lucas his attention. He wondered what Lucas Scott would be afraid of. From what he heard, he had been through it all. "...of losing Brooke." Lucas finished, staring down at his son because if he couldn't look into the old man eyes, he would fall apart. The old man could understand that, Lucas was hoping that he would give him advice.
"I think the same thing every day, I wonder if I'll ever move on-" The old man started to say.
"But you have to right?" Lucas quickly asked him. The old man was caught off guard by Lucas. "You have to move on because you'll just have pain for the rest of life." Lucas said to him, looking back at his son.
"Is that what you think, Lucas?" The old man asked him. "That if you don't move on from Brooke...you'll be miserable?" The old man said to him. He already knew the answer, he could see it written on Lucas' face.
"I can't have my son living like he's the reason why my wife is gone. I won't let him. I have to be the best father that I can be and if that means forgetting Brooke-" Lucas started to say.
"But you won't and I believe that you don't want to because you read those letters every day." the old man told him. "You are reminded of Brooke from those letters-"
"And when they stop?" Lucas questioned him, knowing that he wouldn't have the answer.
"Then you will have Davis." The old man said to him. Lucas looked back down at his son, he was thankful that he had something left of Brooke, that he could have forever. He has peace in his soul, knowing there was a piece of Brooke still here. But there was nothing changing his mind for him to move on.
"I don't want to live with the pain." Lucas said to him, looking away from the old man.
"What pain?" A voice said in front of them. Peyton held her hands behind her back and a slight smile on her face. All she wanted to do was make peace with everyone, one by one. She stood in front of them, watching them sit on the porch with a confused look on their face. There was silence, Lucas wasn't surprised that she was here. Lucas had hoped that she had left.
"The punch wasn't enough?" the old man joked, he laughed as he looked around at everyone. No one was laughing, not even Peyton. She was still feeling the pain from last night. The old man felt the pressure of being old because he was always around someone younger than him. "Too soon," the old man nodded, he closed his mouth and was going to let Lucas and Peyton talk.
"You have the letter, why are you still here?" Lucas asked her, looking down at Davis. He didn't want to look in her eyes because then he'll remember what they had. He wanted to keep the thought of Peyton killing Brooke, murdering her and then leaving. Peyton took in a deep breath, she knew that this was going to be tough.
"Your letter is actually a CD," Peyton pulled the CD out from her back pocket and held it up. She waved it a little so that everyone could see it. Lucas knew what it was, he was shocked when he found out what it was yesterday. He saw the words Peyton and quickly grabbed it. "And Haley gave me a few days, so I'm using these few days to be with people that hate me." Peyton smiled a little. Lucas nodded, not caring what people have to say. Peyton couldn't see that he didn't. Peyton kneeled down to Lucas' level. "Serious, Luke. Talk to me." Peyton begged him. Lucas quickly stood up, holding his child close towards him. Peyton tried to see the child but Lucas stopped her from trying.
"Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" Lucas raised his shoulders, that was the question that he wanted answered. Peyton didn't have any words for him.
"I was in love with you," Peyton reminded him, trying to make him understand. Lucas didn't care, he knew that Peyton was in love with him.
"I didn't care now and definitely didn't care then!" Lucas raised his voice.
"Lucas," The old man said, calming Lucas down. Lucas didn't say another word, he didn't want to see Peyton ever again.
"Do me a favor, and leave town so that i can move on." Lucas sharply turned around and walked into the house with Davis in his arms. Peyton huffed, it wasn't what she expected. She thought that Lucas would forgive her and she could live here again. She missed her home and missed her old house.
"Well, that went well." Peyton sat next to the old man, she just wanted to talk to someone that didn't think she was murderer. She looked over at the old man, she didn't know who he was. "Who are you?" Peyton rose her chin, studying the old man.
"I am friends of Lucas'...I was a friend of Brooke's." The old man said sadly.
"I didn't kill her." Peyton pleaded, knowing what she had done.
"You didn't mean to kill her," The old man corrected her. Peyton looked away, that's not what she meant but she would take it. "I know." The old man said to her. Peyton rubbed her neck, she was so nervous and scared of everything around her.
"This whole town thinks I'm a murderer and this is a very small town. I killed the notorious Brooke Davis." Peyton told him. The old man nodded, knowing how well known Brooke was in this town.
"Brooke knew everybody and every body knew Brooke." the old man agreed with her. He didn't want to judge Peyton because had forgiven her when he first found out what happened to Brooke.
"How did you know?" Peyton asked, wondering who told him.
"This town speaks and they speak fast." The old man answered her. Peyton groaned with frustration and she didn't know what to do.
"I just want to make things right," Peyton said to him.
"I don't think you can. You made your bed and now you have to lay in it. This is something that someone can't get over. You took Davis' mother away from him," The old man said to her.
"I know that and it hunts me every day. I wasn't the same person, I was sick." Peyton informed him. The old man raised his eyebrow. "Just tell me what to do, please." Peyton begged him. The old man looked away, out into the sky and took in a deep breath.
"They won't forgive you." The old man told her. Peyton groaned, holding her head down. She hoped that they would and she'll go back to her life. She didn't mean to hurt Brooke, she didn't mean to hurt anyone. "You just have to tell your peace and move on with your life." The old man stood up, slowly walking into the house. Peyton stayed outside, watching him leave.
"You forgive me right?!" PEyton yelled, wanting him to hear her. The old man looked back, holding onto the door. He smiled at her.
"Of course." the old man said to her and shut the door behind him.