Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This story is so completely AU that I wasn't sure if anyone would even like it but I'm glad there are some willing to take this strange journey with me.
Special shout out to dianehermans, lilohb, sunshine, LoveWritingxoxo, DANI OTH, naleyalways4eva, jdcubed3 and aprilshowers for reviewing. It means everything that you took the time to do so for me. Thank you xox
- Chrissy
SIDE NOTE: 2016 is a year of writing for me. I know I have been slack – forgive me. Life got in the way. I'll try harder this time!
A River Runs Through It
Chapter 5: Fighting Fire with Fire
Ding.
Thick doors departed to an awaiting elevator, the cheery sound of melodious hymns playing softly in the background. Without hesitation, stiletto pumps marched within and stood centre stage, a quick flick of the wrist seeing the correct button was pressed and the young designer was well on her way to another day of hard work.
Trouble was Brooke Davis hadn't been able to concentrate all morning.
The gut-twisting doom that had plagued her stomach the minute her fiancé arrived home the night before still remained. She had gotten up early simply because her eyes had refused to close themselves and allow her even a moment's rest. Her glassy orbs had only been revamped by the emergency drops she kept stowed away in her purse when she'd had subjected herself to one too many late nights. Not even the double shot of espresso in her delicate hand did anything to calm her. No, her usual vices were not enough. She needed to get to work and focus on something – anything – other than her troubled home.
"Brooke!"
Stepping out onto the first floor, the brunette smiled as Haley came towards her with a pile of papers in her hand. Perfect! Most days she hated going over the legal requirements of contracts and investor mumbo-jumbo but today, she welcomed it. Coming to a halt, Brooke reached for the papers in her young assistant's hand and sighed.
"Thanks, I'll look over these right awa-"
"Hold on," Haley whispered, closing in on the designer and taking the papers back out of her hands. "You might deal with your appointment first." Looking towards the open office of her boss, Haley's relayed her obvious nerves and Brooke instantly got her back up. She couldn't handle more crap this morning, not after the night before. Was it really so much to ask for a moment's peace?
"I don't have any appointments," Brooke replied, reaching for the papers again only to have Haley pull away. "Seriously, just get rid of them."
"Brooke!" came a familiar voice from within her own office. Even with the slight twang almost completely dissipated, the southern-like accent was as prominent as the person who bore it. Emerald orbs darted back at Haley, the young girl sincerely apologetic as she scampered back to behind her desk. Brooke breathed deeply and straightened her dress, the clicking of her heels dominant as she made her way towards her office.
"You know, perhaps if you returned one of my calls you might have known I was coming."
Smiling from the leather chair that housed her, Peyton Sawyer glanced up at her friend with a tilt of the head. Brooke swallowed hard but did not reply, making her way behind her desk and dumping her handbag on top.
"What do you want, Peyton?"
Peyton smiled slowly, turning her head to the left to look out over the window. The river glistened below in the morning sun, the water sparkling as if laced with diamonds. The young blonde shook her head and sighed, her disinterest in the view more than obvious.
"You know, when we headed to New York all those years ago I thought we agreed to leave this crap-fest of a town behind?"
Brooke pursed her lips, trying hard to hold in her annoyance. She pulled out her diary and pen, eyes falling to the crisp white pages below.
"See, I remember walking through Manhattan, going to the MET, walking through Central Park. You adored your Penthouse on 45th street-"
"I'm busy," Brooke breathed, her pen coming to a halt as she finally looked up and glared at Peyton. "Make this quick. I'm not here to walk down memory lane with you."
"Fair enough," Peyton crossed her legs over to the other side, her creamy pins the envy of most of their acquaintances. She smiled once more, a look Brooke was coming to loathe the more times she repeated it. "Opening a store here is a death sentence and money drain for the company. I'm advising against it."
"Your advice is duly noted," Brooke replied, sending Peyton her own smug smile that was anything but nice. "But there's more to this place than you appreciate and quite frankly, I'm passionate about this. As it's my company, what I want and my vision actually means something."
"Not without investors," Peyton replied nonchalantly, breathing out slightly as if she were speaking to a child. "And they won't invest in a dive like this. They want designer, not debris."
"What would you even know about it?" Brooke replied, titling her head to the side in her own passive-aggressive challenge. "I mean, you have no idea about the difference between Prada and Pumpkin Patch which is more than obvious with the off-the-rack number you wore into the office today."
Peyton tensed, her eyes cooling as she swallowed hard. She wasn't going down this path with Brooke and she wasn't going to be spoken to like an idiot. The indignation was something Brooke knew well when it came to Peyton.
"But I know about business," the blonde replied, crossing her knuckles together and placing her hands gently in her lap. "I know what investors want. I know how to woo them. I know what will and won't work and this will not work. Stop being so childish, Brooke."
Brooke breathed, shaking her shoulders as if the insult had made no impact whatsoever. Perhaps she was living a dream by coming back to the town that started it all. Perhaps it was an emotionally-driven decision rather than a practical one, but hadn't she worked hard enough all these years to earn the right to make that kind of decision? Even just once?
And who the hell was this bitch to tell her the difference between right and wrong decisions?
"I'm not the one who wants things that belong to others."
Brooke stood to her feet quietly and walked around her desk until she slowly eased herself onto the edge of it. She felt strong in this position, as if no one could touch her. Least of all the ex-friend who had traded loyalty for money the minute they'd left their small hometown many years before.
"But at the end of the day, this company is mine. This fashion label – mine. All of the things you have are because of me-"
"Actually it's your fiancé that hired me," Peyton replied, standing to her feet and folding her arms across her chest. "And it's a good thing he did. You're too emotional when it comes to business. Even Victoria knows that. So why don't you do us all a favour and drop this stupid idea of opening up a boutique in a hole like this town."
"Don't worry," Brooke reassured Peyton, the venom in her tone obvious. "I know how to woo investors and I know how to see things through so kindly tell everyone else that this venture will be going ahead and they can either get on board or jump over the edge. Their choice. I know more than you give me credit for and underestimating me is a huge mistake."
Scoffing slightly, Peyton nodded her head before reaching down for her clutch, bringing it up between them as she gazed at the fierce woman before her.
"I have a meeting with Julian," she announced, stepping towards the door slowly before turning back around to look Brooke directly in the eye. "I must be off. Have yourself a lovely day, Brooke."
"Peyton?" Brooke allowed her name to float between them as she stared the blonde down. "Kindly remind my fiancé that the next time he slides into bed next to me he needs a shower. I think the office he worked so late in last night must be using those nasty vanilla-scented candles again and the cheapness of them gives me a headache."
Pulling her smile into a tight line, Peyton reversed out of the office and was gone, Brooke pulling her hand to her chest and feeling her heartbeat quicken. Leaning against her desk, the young designer reached backwards and dug deep into the mahogany below. She closed her eyes and pushed back the tears that threatened to spill forward, instead opting for the first piece of paper she could find. With an angry growl, Brooke scrunched it up and pegged it at the door in which Peyton left through. Surprised eyes caught the white parchment mid-air, Haley staring with bewilderment at her boss as a familiar pair of baby blues gazed at Brooke from behind.
"Brooke?"
"What?" Brooke breathed, trying her absolute best to calm the raging fire within.
Haley's eyes relayed the worry she felt as she stared at her friend. "Lucas Scott is here to see you?"
Gazing at the boy behind her friend, Brooke grabbed her purse and stared. A long sigh escaped her lips before they parted into a smile and emerald orbs lit up in mischief.
"Wanna get out of here?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Haley interjected, the look of concern drowning her face as she stood between Brooke and Lucas. Brooke didn't even look at her, her eyes fixed solely on the boy before her as she spoke.
"Sometimes it's the bad ideas that turn out to be the best ones."
Smiling at her reply, Lucas stepped to the side and held out his hand as if to lead the way. Brooke smiled and walked past him, the young writer following closely behind as a worried Haley looked on. The minute they disappeared into the elevator she pulled out her phone and dialled a number, her heart racing the minute the other end clicked.
"Hey, it's me. We have a problem."
x~X~x
The stillness of the river and the warmth of the sun were a vast contrast to the bitter coldness that enveloped Brooke's office earlier that morning. As she slid down onto the blanket and slipped off her tight pumps, a long sigh of satisfaction slipped from her perfectly glossed lips and for a moment the brunette fashion queen forgot who she was.
"The sun agrees with you," Lucas smiled, blue eyes darting out over the river as the water sailed gently past them "I used to come out here all the time and think."
"What would you think about?" Brooke asked, her curiosity and eagerness to know what exactly penetrated this brooding waiter's mind so strong that it shocked her a little. Lucas shrugged at her question, his eyes never leaving the water before him.
"Everything. And nothing. I would wonder what life would be like on the other side of the river…"
"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Brooke sighed, closing her eyes as she lay back on the rug beneath them. "It's just more of the same bullshit you get on this side."
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, turning his head to loom down upon her. She was so beautiful he'd have given anything to make this moment between them last for an eternity.
"I mean, people will drag you down. They'll question you. They'll lose faith in you and they will try their hardest to make you live your life according to their rules." The bitterness in her voice dripped off every syllable, shocking Lucas. She seemed so perfect from the outside but looking at her now, hearing her words, it was clear she was struggling.
"No matter which side you view it from Lucas, the water is still ultimately the same."
Lucas lay down beside her, his warm skin slightly brushing against her arm. A slight thrill crept through her body at his touch, Brooke smiling slightly at the feeling of it all.
"You know, I grew up with a single mother working a hard job and a brother who I hardly knew… dead beat dad and all. My mom became my everything and I will always love her for that. But it was, and still is, hard and I work my ass off every day just to make ends meet and try and realise my dream. I still haven't found my dream…"
"You mean waiter-extraordinaire is not your life's ambition?"
Lucas shook his head and laughed slightly, Brooke's moth curving into a smile as he did so. He loved the look of her lips when she did that. She loved the sound of his voice right back. Being with him was so easy.
"But you're there Brooke, and that has to count for something. The way you grew up – that has to count for something."
That's true," Brooke agreed, nodding her head as the warmth of the sun kissed her cheeks. "Growing up with money did help set up my career but at what cost? You may have a single mother and you may have struggled financially – but you never wanted for love. You never had parents look at you as a commodity rather than a child. You tell me – what is more important in life? Realising a dream or being loved?"
Lucas reached out and grabbed her hand, their fingers entwining loosely around each other. It felt so normal – so natural to be here with her.
"Why can't we have both?"
"Because my father and mother want what's best for the company and they will always see me as the naive kid who cannot make decisions for herself. What do I do? Defy them? I want my family to be a family…"
"Then maybe you just have to show them that the way they see you isn't the way you actually are. Give them a reason to question what they think they know by showing them what they should know!"
Laughter erupted in front of them as a pair of young boys jumped into the waiting water. Their father stood behind them, smiling down as they splashed in and out of the ripples. Lucas watched as Brooke smiled at the, sensing that in spite of her icy appearance to begin with, there was something warm and yet fragile about this girl that he just couldn't ignore.
"What do you want to show them?"
Pulling her from her thoughts, Lucas gazed at Brooke with expectant eyes. She breathed in and bit her bottom lip, unsure if this was the right person to be having the conversation with.
"I want to open up a boutique store here in Tree Hill. I want to bring something back to the home that started it all for me. I want to bring beautiful clothes to people who shouldn't be forgotten."
"That sounds like a perfectly sound idea to me," Lucas replied, smiling as he spoke. "What's the problem?"
"My investors won't want to give their money to a boutique in the middle of a small town that won't raise much revenue and…"
"Then get new investors." Lucas looked out over the river and towards the town that he called home. "This place is just as beautiful as any other place on earth. Maybe even more so. You won't know if your idea is a good one until you give it a shot. Until you give these people a shot. If your current investors won't help you then reach out to new ones. By all accounts, you have a great reputation in the fashion industry and there is sure to be someone out there who is willing to take a shot on your idea."
"You think so?" Brooke smiled, flaxen lashes gently falling over her eyes as she blinked.
"I do. After meeting you, I dare anyone to have the strength to say no to you."
Brooke laughed, shuffling onto her knees and facing Lucas. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she thought about all the possibilities that lay before her.
"I suppose I do have contacts in the modelling agency. I could put a showcase together and invite investors and encourage them to take my proposal seriously." She sighed, feeling a happiness and eagerness that she hadn't felt in some time. It felt good – to be supported. She reached out and gently punched his shoulder with a tiny closed fist. "Thanks, Broody."
Lucas nodded his head, redirecting his eyes back out over the river. His reverie was interrupted by a sentence he didn't expect to hear.
"I'm sorry. You know, for that kiss."
"Please," Lucas sighed, turning to face her with a gaze so intense it took her breath away. "Apologise for anything else on this planet – but never apologise for that kiss. To be honest, it was the highlight of my year. Maybe even my whole existence up until this point."
He smiled then, butterflies floating in Brooke's stomach at his words. "That's a hard act to live up to."
He reached out and grabbed her hand, her skin every bit as soft as an angel's. "You don't have anything to live up to – you're the standard."
Brooke could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, silently scolding herself for being unable to hide it. "You say these things to me and my mind races. There's something amazing about you that when I'm with you, I feel as though anything is possible."
"Anything is possible, Brooke - you just have to believe in yourself."
Without hesitation, Brooke leaned forward and gently placed her lips onto his. He could smell the sweetness of her perfume and the softness of her chocolate tendrils as the gently wrapped up in his fingertips. Every inch of her sank into him, his warmth and energy something she hadn't felt in a long time. Her body ached for it but the moment she felt herself falling was the moment her body felt fear and she pulled away, eyes apologetic as he gazed at her, slightly breathless.
"This is a bad idea," she breathed, her lips barely an inch from his. She could feel the warmth of his breath and she longed to taste him again, even though she knew it was wrong. He smiled at her words, a devilish grin she hadn't seen before curling up over his lips.
"Sometimes it's the bad ideas that become the best ones."
He reached out and placed his hand across her cheek, pulling her lips to his once more.
x~X~x
"So I thought you were going to keep a lid on this, Baker?"
Swivelling in his chair, Julian smiled as Peyton entered his office and slowly closed the door behind her. He leaned forward on his desk and shook his head, the blonde making her way to his desk and sitting down on the chair across from him.
"I'm here for my afternoon meeting, sir and I have to ask - is she really considering opening up a boutique in this dive?"
"She is," Julian relied, sighing as he pushed his chair out and walked around the desk. He leaned against the mahogany and gazed down at the blonde before him, her svelte legs crossed over at the knee. "But you and I both know that won't happen."
"She seems very determined," Peyton chided, shaking her head in annoyance. "She wasn't very nice to me this morning. You should do something about that."
"Should I?" Julian smirked, raising his eyebrows as he dared Peyton to take him on. "What's in it for me?"
Peyton uncrossed her legs and gazed up at the man before her, knowing exactly what pushed his buttons. Knowing exactly what she needed to do to get what she wanted. They had played this game for so long she had forgotten what it felt like to lose.
All she needed to do was not wear any panties. Easy, really.
"You know exactly what's in it for you."
Falling to his knees, Julian kissed the insides of Peyton's thighs, a small sigh escaping her lips as he did so. He loved those sounds. He groaned slightly and she grabbed his hair, pulling him up towards her waiting lips. Before they touched she stopped, licking his top lip as she spoke.
"We're going to stop her from making this huge mistake?"
Julian breathed, completely enthralled. "We're going to do whatever you want."
Peyton smiled wickedly and pulled his lips onto hers, their clothes falling to the ground as they continued their afternoon meeting on top of the mahogany.
x~X~x
Seventeen minutes. That was how long Haley James had sat inside her car willing the courage to walk up to the front door. Even though she had entered it a million times in her life, it no longer carried the welcome invitation it once did. Even though she used to run to it with such wild abandon, these days she was more terrified of what it would make her remember than what it used to make her feel.
Still, she had no choice. She had come here for a reason and she had to see it through. Watching Brooke and Lucas together earlier that day had made her more acutely aware of their connection and what it could mean for everyone if they continued down this path.
Pulling her keys out of the ignition, Haley dragged herself from the car and began the slow walk up the crooked path. She had to admit that the house did look good. A few extensions over the years had seen it come alive. It looked like a home now.
Although it had always felt that way to her.
Gently, she knocked on the door and waited. She found herself holding her breath and quietly scolded herself for behaving in such a way. It was just a conversation, nothing more and nothing less.
She could handle this.
The door suddenly pulled open and then he was in front of her. His eyes were still as striking as ever and if she wasn't mistaken he had actually accumulated more muscle on his arms than she remembered. She smiled then, trying hard to break the obvious tension between them.
"Thanks for seeing me."
Nathan nodded his head, pulling the door open to allow her to walk past him. He wasn't sure why she was here but the least he could do was hear her out, even though talking had never been their strong suit.
"Don't thank me yet," he sighed, watching as Haley gazed up at him from the front step. De ja vu swept over him for a second as he flashed back momentarily to happier time. He shook them away, not wanting to be dragged back into a past that was too painful to get over. "I might still throw you out."
Considering everything, it was probably the best deal she was going to get.
Haley nodded and stepped forward, the door closing gently behind her.
x~X~x
And I've update. Holy crap – I didn't see that coming but inspiration was gifted to me by a wonderful person on Twitter! As always, please review and let me know what you think. I will attempt to update my other fics as well xo
Chrissy