Going to be a LONG chapter!
MONDAY
She rolled over pulling the blanket over her head. Boy yesterday was beyond exhausting. The Brucas love fest was comparable to hell. Once Brooke and Lucas had come down from lunch it had only went downhill from there. Victoria kept her glare on Peyton the whole time. Every time Jenny called Rachel mommy she looked at me for a reaction. And worst of all you ask ? Having to hear about how Brooke and Lucas got back together. I didn't plan on asking or wanting to know what happened, but apparently it was one of Jamie's favorite bed time stories and since this was his Aunt Peyton's first time in Tree Hill in 7 years, he wanted her to know it.
Haley had gotten off the phone with Brooke. She had been in tears. She felt alone in California now that Peyton had left her. Haley had walked into the living room seeing Nathan and Lucas on the couch watching tv.
"How was your phone call with Brooke?" Nathan asked kissing the side of her head.
Haley sighed, "I feel so bad. She's so lonely. She cried pretty much the whole time and said Peyton's calls to her have gotten shorter and shorter." Lucas's head popped up, "well let's go see her." Haley raised an eyebrow. It was only 4 months ago that Lucas had broken up with Peyton and her and Nathan both knew the real reason why. Neither one of them could get him to open up about it fully so they were surprised by his comment.
"Yea Luke ? You think we should all go?" He nodded his head and the next week they had been on a plane to visit Brooke.
The first trip to her was the most innocent one. 4 friends hanging out. Brooke showing them all her favorite places; the beaches, the stores, the restaurants. She beamed having them there. It was like she was a totally different person than the one who had been on the phone with Haley. After 4 days they had left, having planned the next trip for the next month.
The second trip to her things were a little different. Lucas had made it a point to call Brooke everyday before bed. Even with the time difference he made it work. When she picked them up, it was his arms she jumped into this time rather than giving Haley a hug first. It was this trip that they went out to dinner together alone without Haley and Nathan. It was this trip he held her hand as they walked down the boardwalk. And it was this trip that Lucas left with his next visit being one he was doing by himself.
The third trip was when things really began to change. The first time they visited, she had showed them her favorite beach. He called a party planner and had her set up a dinner at her favorite spot on the beach. It's where Lucas and Brooke would share their first kiss since the Naley wedding. She was criss crossed in the sand. He cupped her face with his hands and leaned forward. His lips brushed hers making sure she was ok with what was happening. When she didn't pull back he captured her lips with his. Both only letting go because they needed air. This trip was the beginning.
"Lucas Scott you better not be playing games!" Haley shouted walking into his house. He had just gotten home from his trip to see Brooke so he was confused how he was already in trouble.
"What did I do now?" He laughed.
"Well I just got off the phone with the one and only Brooke Davis and she said you kissed her!"
He began unpacking his suitcase and laughed. "This isn't funny she's already been hurt so much by you."
Lucas turned around with a serious look on his face. "Haley did it ever occur to you that I love Brooke ? Did it ever occur to you that I live daily with the thought of how bad I hurt her. Shit it took all the courage in the world to kiss her. I love her Haley I love her so much."
"Lucas.."
"No Haley. I need to gain her trust back. I need to prove to her I'm the one for her. And I need to prove that I'm a better man than I was. I need your help. I love Brooke."
"Lucas I'm sorry. I just, I saw what you and Peyton did to her and it crushed her. She continued on with such grace. Seeing you at the Honeygrove prom. Having to be in the same house as you when you went to visit."
"Haley I never loved Peyton.I just, I was so crushed when Brooke said she stopped missing me. I've never stopped missing her."
"Luke," Haley said timidly, "I need to tell you something. Theres something you should know." Lucas could tell Haley was serious and he was worried.
"Brooke didn't break up with you because she stopped missing you. She broke up with you because Peyton told her she had feelings for you the night of the rehearsal dinner. She was afraid you would leave her so she did it first but then you and Peyton had gotten together."
Lucas was silent. What did he do. He did exactly was Brooke had thought. He did exactly what Haley said he did, broke her soul.
"Haley please help me."
So that's what happened. Lucas visited 4 more times proving to her he was the one. Taking things slow, convincing her to put her feelings first, supporting her dreams, and sending her letters weekly reminding them of their love. Daily phone calls with Haley included encouragement for the bubbly brunette to take a chance on Lucas. At this point of time Peyton stopped answering Brooke's calls. She stopped answering Brooke's emails and texts. She decided she was going to put her feelings first rather than the blonde who clearly didn't care about her.
Karen had one of her weekly phone calls with Brooke and mentioned to her a store front next to the cafe had gone up for sale. Brooke had talked about opening her own shop and Lucas had mentioned she was the one. Karen was meddling. But she didn't care. The next day Brooke bad been on a plane back to Tree Hill to look at the store. But to also allow herself to finally be happy.
She hugged Karen, signed the dotted line and drove over to his house. His front door was red. She was so nervous her palms were sweating. She gently knocked hearing some rustling on the other side. He opened the door to have a shocked look on his face.
"I hope it's ok I showed up unannounced. Your mom called me this week to tell me the store next to the cafe was for sale. I just signed the papers to open my boutique and was hoping I could come home to you Lucas Scott." She grinned at her last words.
He was speechless. Brooke came home for him. He grabbed on to her pulling her into the house and in to his chest. His lips attacking hers knowing she was his. They made love for the first time in forever. Falling asleep in each others arms knowing this was what is was going to be like for the rest of their lives.
Fast forward to the store opening, he helped her with everything. Her stress level was through the roof and he got her through it all. Fast forward to the attack when he begged his editor for a private jet to take him home because there were no flights, and he succeeded. Staying with her every minute and getting to know her parents when they decided the attack was enough to make them realize they weren't good enough and needed to do better. Fast forward to Lucas asking Ted to marry his daughter. And lastly fast forward to the moment they were at "their spot" on the beach and he got down on one knee telling her he cannot live without her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
She couldn't believe this was Jamie's favorite bed time story. Obviously R rated details were left out. She wondered how often he had asked for this story.
"Aunt Peyton?" She heard a whisper. "Are you up?" She lifted the blankets and looked at him, "good morning Jamie." He smiled back at her and walked in the door.
"I brought you a present. I know mommy and aunt Brooke are taking me to get my tux fitted so you'll be stuck with daddy. We have a really nice pool in the backyard. Mommy reads out there and uncle Lucas normally reads to aunt Brooke. And I figured since you never read this before you can read it there." He grinned that toothy grin.
Behind his back he pulled out, "My Savior, by Lucas Scott." A lump formed in her throat. He was so innocent in thinking she would ever want to read this book. She could tell it was his copy. It was worn and a bunch of pages had creases on them as if they had been folded over. "Some of my favorite words and sentences are colored so you just have to ignore it." He looked down at his watch and saw 11:30. "Gotta go aunt Peyton. Mommy is taking me for lunch first!" He hugged and kissed her cheek and ran out of the room.
She sighed getting up out of bed. Looking at the book in her hand did she really want to torture herself ? Did she really want to relive everything she had heard yesterday? A Cheshire grin appeared on her face. Maybe just maybe she could find something to open old wounds.
She had been by their pool for almost an hour. She had gotten to the part of the school shooting. A sick pain shot in her. He wrote about only saving her because he couldn't imagine Brooke living with me dying. That saving me was for Brooke. He talked about how strong Brooke was and how she never needed to be saved, but he found himself helping those who were weak. Peyton was angry. She wanted to rip the book in half and throw it into the pool.
She continued reading. She noticed details about them were never fully there. He talked about a mistake that almost ruined them. Her. It was as if her relationship was never important. When she got to their breakup he spoke about it in a positive light as the moment he knew he had to fight for the one he loved. Brooke. And then she got to the end when he spoke about how Brooke saved him and nothing else in this world has mattered more than her.
She got up and kicked her chair over. She yelled out in frustration. Nathan ran out, "hey Peyton stop. What's wrong are you ok?" He tried to calm her down grabbing her into a hug and rubbing her back. He pulled back a little and looked at her tear stained face. "What's wrong."
She bent down to pick the book up that she threw to the ground. "This Nathan," she shoved the book in his face. "This is what's wrong. Did you even read this crap?"
"Peyton.."
"No do you know what he said. He said I was weak. He only saved weak people. He only saved me so Brooke didn't have to deal with the grief if I died. Fucking weak Peyton."
She paced and continued, "then he called me a mistake. A mistake that almost ruined him! How the fuck can he call me a mistake. And then when we broke up ? As he knew it was a moment for clarity and that he was going to fight for who he loved. Is he fucking for real? Brooke is a piece of shit. How the fuck is any of this ok!" She shouted.
"Hey," Nathan yelled. "Sit down Peyton and shut up." She didn't expect him to yell at her. She got her composure back, flipped her chair back over, and sat down.
"Listen Peyton we have been friends for a long time but you don't get to talk about Brooke like that do you understand?" My eyes narrowed towards Nathan. I wasn't going to apologize or agree.
"Brooke has been nothing but a good friend to you and you will never take that away from her. Now I'm going to make a suggestion to you. Lucas knows Peyton. Lucas knows why Brooke broke up with him senior year and he still holds resentment towards you. It doesn't matter that it's been 7 years he almost lost her because of you."
"Of course that bitch would tell him to get a sympathy card."
"Hey what did I tell you? Don't you dare speak about her like that. And no it wasn't her. She's never told him nor have they ever spoke about it. It was Haley."
Haley told Lucas the truth. That hurt a little. She thought they were friends and she would never screw her over like that, but she had been wrong. And why did something that happened 7 years ago still bother anyone? God she was more annoyed than anything.
"Listen Peyton I'm trying to be as nice as possible. I know what it's like to watch someone you love be with someone else. I was there for Brooke when it was you who was hurting her. You're making it very and I mean very difficult to feel sympathy for you. And I'm going to tell you right now, I am the only one besides Brooke and Haley who has any respect for you and wants you here. She's moved on and forgiven you. Be happy for her." He got up and walked away into the house.
God Nathan knows how to make someone feel like shit. Peyton sat there wondering what her next move would be. It didn't matter that Brooke had forgiven her. It didn't matter that Brooke put Peyton's feelings above her. What mattered was that Brooke made Lucas love her so much that he thought Peyton to be weak and the mistake that almost ruined them. Again all she could think of was this was Brooke's fault.
