"Aaaaaaah!" came a loud scream, making me shoot out of bed.

"Jamie" I said to myself before easing out of the soft covers. Tying my robe firmly around my waist, I began walking toward my son's room. There he was, in deep sleep, yet growling faintly as a nightmare disturbed him. Curled next to him was Sophia, sucking her thumb, a habit from when she was 2 years old that was resurfacing.

Both kids were showing signs of PTSD and although they were going to therapy for it, it was a long, slow and extremely difficult process. Both of them were cranky, irritable, depressed yet clingy. They wanted nothing to do with us and seek control because the shooting made them feel like they had none, yet they were so scared that they would come running to us at the smallest uncertainty. It had been week since they left the hospital, a week since I blurted out Lindsey's secret, a week since Lucas and I spoke regarding anything but the kids.

"Jamie, buddy wake up," I said, slowly stirring him awake. He woke up with a jump, almost like somebody had pulled him out of the classroom where he was shot mere seconds before the trigger had been pulled. "Jimmy Jam, it's okay. It's okay. It was only a nightmare."

I rubbed his back, trying to calm him down as he put his hot forehead on my lap and let out a couple of tears. He was sweating and panting, as if he had just run a mile. Both him and Sophia were tired and wanted to get past it, but the nightmare just did not seem to end.

"So when did Soph get in here. Last I remember tucking her into her own bed," I asked, knowing he needed to focus on something else.

"Yeah, she crawled in about an hour ago. She said that she couldn't sleep," he responded morosely as he softly pulled her thumb out of her mouth and patted her head to ensure that she continued to sleep. "At least she is sleeping today. She was up the entire night yesterday because she didn't want to sleep as the nightmares are too frequent for her."

"You're an incredible brother to her," I smiled as I began to pat his head on my lap ang hug him. "God, both of you are so precious!"

"Mom, things will get better, right? For her and for me," he asked me with so much vulnerability that it shattered my heart.

"Of course," I whispered, but it came out all hoarse and throaty. "Do you want me to sleep here with you?"

"Mm hmm, please," he respond, falling back to sleep already.

I continued to pat his head for a few moments and that was when Lucas made his presence known.

"I was wondering why you weren't up here already," I said without even looking up.

Lucas walked into the room with his arms folded across his chest, "Yeah, I saw that you were handling it. I didn't want to overwhelm him and wake him up further. Glad that Soph is actually sleeping tonight. I checked in on her a couple of times yesterday and she was binging something on her laptop the entire night."

"Yeah, I kept checking on her too. Lucas, they will get better, right? Because Jamie asked me and I really didn't know what to say to him. They have to, right?" I asked him, tears brimming in my eyes. "How long are they supposed to carry this for?"

Lucas walked to me and sat on the edge of the bed, just across from where I was sitting, Jamies's head still on my lap.

"Of course they will get better. Thy're our kids. They're resilient and strong and brave. They will be back to their old selves. They just need time and our love and care,," he said, placing his hand on my knee for reassurance.

I looked up towards him and he met my gaze, for the first time since everything went down. We just lingered there briefly, looking at each other, forgetting everything else. His hand continued to rest on my knee while I did not stop patting Jamie's head. The brief moments seemed to be hours as it got to the both of us and we quickly averted our eyes.

"So, I thought that we had seen the last of the thumb sucking, apparently not," Lucas said awkwardly, rubbing Sophia's back like we used to when she was sick as a child.

"Haha! Yeah, she looks cute though. I miss that round squishy face she had as a kid, those chubby cheeks and dimples," I replied, equally awkwardly.

Why were things so difficult? We were literally living in the same house, spending every waking moment together. We weren't even going on our own grocery runs as the kids would not let us leave the premises. Nathan and Haley were bringing everything to us. The only time we left home was to go to the hospital, for physical therapy or therapy therapy.

"You know having a daughter scared me. Nay, having Brooke Davis' daughter scared the living daylights out of me. It made me so afraid seeing her grow everyday to look more and more like you. I was a kid in high school not too long ago. I knew exactly what I was thinking back then regarding you and to wonder that kids in her class are thinking those things about her makes my blood boil! Or worse, doing the thingd we did," he confessed making me laugh.

"Oh Luke! She isn't me, thank God! Although, she is cheer captain and the most popular girl, but oblivious to her power so she doesn't use it. She inherited your humility and modesty. But, what I want to know is what were your thoughts exactly about me," I teased, wiggling my eyebrows.

"You know exactly what they were and they were far far away from the realm of modesty which you believe I have. Remember, a certain English oral presentation and the things we did in class?" he smirked. "Yeah, let's just keep her home forever!"

My thoughts went to the day he was referring to.

"Oh look, the Love Birds decided to join us," Mr. Greer snided as Lucas and I walked into class mere moments before the final bell rang. We just rolled our eyes and tried to concentrate on the lesson at hand. Even the teachers seemed jealous of how happy we were and rolled their eyes as we kissed between classes.

"Okay, we will start with our oral presentations in reverse order. This means Mr. Zain, you will go first," the professor dawdled.

Just then, I felt my phone vibrate. Sneaking a peak, I saw that it was Lucas who had sent a text.

'This class is so boring. Want to do something fun?' he asked.

I kinked my eyebrow, knowing that his fun was going to be very close to detention or expulsion. Yet, I was game.

'What do you have in mind?' I responded.

'Raise your hand and tell Mr. Greer that you need to go to the restroom. If he tries to argue, just cite Lady Problems. Then go there and take off your panties.' it read.

I felt my cheeks grow red as my body felt hotter. I could feel Lucas' eyes bore on me as he sat behind me. What was I getting myself into? Yet, I felt excited.

Once Andrew Zain was done with his five minute speech, I raised my hand.

"What is it, Miss Davis?" the professor asked me in an exasperated tone.

"May I please use the restroom, sir," I asked in the most innocent doll-like voice I could muster.

Lucas began coughing right behind me, obviously trying to stifle a moan. He loved that voice of mine.

"Why didn't you go before class?" he argued.

"Sir, you know, girl problems don't exactly follow class schedules," I said, feigning innocence.

The entire class began giggling as Mr. Greer turned bright red. He beckoned me to grab a hall pass as he asked the next person to come for his oral presentation.

I grabbed my bag and walked out. I was wearing a fitting white crop top and a flared baby pink mini skirt to school that day. I had a good idea where this was headed and I just shook my head in disbelief at what I was about to do.

Going into an empty bathroom stall, I quickly pulled down the white lace that was protecting my modesty. I tried to pull my skirt a little down, but it ended up exposing my pelvis too much and if I pulled it up, you could very much see my butt if I wasn't careful.

"Damn you Lucas Scott!" I said to myself in the empty bathroom before walking out and rejoining the class. We were already on Antwon Skills Taylor. That meant Nathan was next, followed by Lucas.

As soon as I took my seat, my phone vibrated again.

'Good girl. Now, when I go to present, spread your legs wide apart. I want a good view.' it said.

My insides turned cold when I read his text to me. Yet, I found myself getting excited. Lucas already had my heart. I made sure Mr. Greer was not sitting at his desk but in an empty seat in the first row so he could see the person presenting. I kept my legs firmly pressed while Skills and Nathan went through their boring speeches.

As Lucas walked to the front of the classroom, I grew red as I slowly spread my legs apart wider and wider. It made sense why he always liked seeing me in skirts. I knew he could see what he wanted to when the muscles on his face tightened and he started his speech with a hitch. Everybody else in the classroom would definitely chalk it up to stage fright, but I knew. Lucas was a born leader. He had big feelings and big ideas that he was not afraid to speak about. He often quoted JFK and other brilliant speeches from remarkable authors and orators that just made me want to sit and listen to him all night long.

Lucas' gaze never left from between my legs and I wondered how he was even reciting the speech he had prepared. It was incredible how sharp his mind actually was. I wasn't able to concentrate on a syllable he had uttered as I constantly fought the urge to cross my legs. How his brain still managed to form a string of sentences that made sense, baffled me. I felt a sense of relaxation once he returned to his seat and I could finally cross my slender feet tightly.

After one more speech, the bell rang as we all filed out of class.

"Lucas!" I hit him with a book on his chest as he wrapped his arms around my neck to walk me to the lockers.

He simply smirked and said, "Thanks for the view, baby girl!"

"Can I please go and put on my panties now?" I whispered into his ear.

"No!" came his swift reply which surprised me too.

"I like knowing that you are walking around without any panties, Brooke Davis!" he whispered in my ear, biting it in the process which made me stifle the moan that was about to escape from my mouth.

The entire gang was already at the table when Lucas and I made it to the quad for lunch.

Haley, Peyton and Rachel were arguing about which musicians was better while Nate and Skills were busy playing a basketball game on their PSPs so that left Luke and I to our own devices, at least for a few moments.

"Nate, do you need help setting up for tonight's party at the beach house?" Lucas asked. And just while he said that, he dropped his hand to my thigh and kept it there.

"Yeah man, I'm heading there after practice, can you join?" he asked from across the table.

"Sure bro!" he responded.

During this entire encounter, he had managed to get me to spread my legs with simple strokes of his fingers and now his hands were in direct contact with my naked centre. I felt myself getting lightheaded and wet.

"Why aren't you eating your apple?" Haley asked me as she saw my clutch the apple tighter, trying to keep a straight face.

"I'm just not hungry," I answered, tossing the apple towards her. "Here, you can have it." It came out all wonky as just then Lucas had inserted one of his fingers into me.

"You sure you okay, B?" Now Peyton looked worried.

"Yeah, it's just, you know, stomach cramps," I replied.

"Been there, done that," said Rachel, not even bothering to look up from her phone.

I tried to keep a straight face all through Lunch and listen to my friends talk, as Lucas kept fingering me up my skirt. He knew me very well and he deliberately made sure to take me to the cusp of my orgasm and stop there because I couldn't not afford anything in front of the whole school. I tried so hard to stifle my moans and be discreet which was so hard with what he was doing to me. His smile was only growing wider as he spoke to the guys, not even looking in my direction.

"Did Peyton talk to you about the sleepover?" Rach asked me once she was bored of scrolling through her Instagram feed.

"Yeah, it's just that my parents might actually come back on those dates and you know how wild our parties can get. So I am just waiting on that. Is it okay to have it at your place this time, Rach?" I asked. Back then, nobody knew that Lucas and I were playing house together. We had just come out as a couple. I was proud at how normal I sounded considering that Lucas was taking complete advantage of my no underwear situation.

"Yeah sure. Though I have to say it won't have the same vibe. The Davis mansion has its own charm, you know especially the pool skinny dipping!" she joked looking at Tim from the corner of her eyes.

"What, you girls all skinny dip!" he ogled, already imagining us strutting in the nude.

Haley smacked the back of his head with a textbook and said, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Dim!"

"So is that a yes or a no?" he asked for clarity.

"No Tim, it is not a naked sleepover," answered Nathan rolling his eyes. "And before you ask, no, I have not been there to spy on them, the girls discuss it endlessly every year and I am completely basing my judgement on that."

Tim opened his mouth to talk again and Lucas cut him off this time, "No Tim, we cannot spy on them this time. It is a criminal offence to stalk someone."

"Ugh, you guys are the worst!" he argued.

"Somebody really needs to teach this boy some respect," Skills said before dunking his empty pack of M&Ms in the trashcan a few feet away.

So obviously that turned into a competition of who could dunk their trash the best in the most demonstrative manner. Nathan turned around and dunked his burger wrapper, which went straight into the bin. Lucas' right hand was obviously occupied at that time. So, he said that he would dunk the remains of his apple using his left hand. I still wonder how he made that shot, but it landed smoothly in the bin which was quite a few feet away. His other hand, sliding even more deeper into me. I let out a sound, luckily everyone chalked it up to me cheering my man.

Just then the bell rang signifying the end of lunch. I felt Lucas' fingers exit me as he took a tissue with his left hand and quickly wiped his hands, tossing it in the bin. We had more classes, but now I was wound up.

"Lucas, can you help me with this one thing?" I asked, sounding so throaty and weird that all my friends began to stare.

"B, should we take you to the nurse's office?" Peyton asked me.

"Nah, I will be fine," I said, already standing up, making sure my short skirt was covering everything and pulling Lucas along with me.

I hastily dodged students as I pushed Lucas into a supplies closet. "You had your fun. Now it's my turn," I said, bending down and undoing his belt. With another quick action, I had unbuttoned his jeans and got the zipper down. Lucas began to pull me up to kiss my lips. But I was too busy tugging the hard material down. Once I had managed to pull his boxers down as well, I jumped towards him, wrapping my feet around him. He kissed my neck wildly and I began to shake, wanting nothing more than to feel him inside me.

"Lucas, please!" I begged.

He complied as he entered into me with one swift motion. I was already so wet, it was a miracle my skirt didn't show stains of it being soiled. Lucas pumped into me harder and deeper. I almost bit into his shoulder in order to muffle my screams and moans. His thrusts were the hardest I had ever felt and it was exactly what I wanted at that moment. I tried to move, to match him, but it was tough with me already balancing myself on him, my arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

After a few more thrusts, I felt my orgasm building, my moans grew lounder as I began panting. Lucas could tell as he began going even more faster and deeper, if that was even possible. Soon, I came crashing, feeling my orgasm as it took everything in me to not fall onto the floor. Lucas groped my butt in order to keep me steady as he continued to thrust in me. Once I had mildly recovered, I pulled his lips for a kiss. It was a long one, the kind that made your lips swell and get all puffy. We came apart once we both started to get breathless. Lucas was still pounding into me mercilessly. I had no energy as I felt like a doll in his arms. I cradled my face in his neck and he kissed my hair, making a second orgasm build in me. I wanted to tell him that I was so close again, yet I knew I had to be quiet. By the way that Lucas was panting, I could tell that he was close too. I began matching every thrust of his, our bodies slapping against each other. Both our orgasms were building strong and fast. Before I knew it, he reached his end as he burst like a rocket into me. He pinched my nipples at that exact moment, making me orgasm for a second time. It took all his might for him not to drop me as he leaned me against the wall for support, our foreheads touching.

Once he placed me down, I hugged him tightly, feeling nothing but loved by him. He hugged me back, moving his fingers through my hair. It was just a pure magical feeling of love.

— — –

I let out a giggle as I shook my head at the memory. "Yeah, we were terrible in school. It still surprises me the things we did, in supply closets, the science lab or you know, in the middle of class with everybody there. We played it really risky. God, please I hope the children are not hiding anything from us. I wanted them to stay little and innocent forever. They have two loving parents, they can!" I cried.

"We are never telling them our high school experiences. We take them to the grave with us!" Lucas asked me with all the seriousness he could muster up.

"Jamie wanted me to sleep with him out here. I guess I will just ask them both to sleep in your room from tomorrow. It is a much bigger bed. We can all snuggle and fit on it nicely. Of course, you can too, although unfortunately you will be shifting from an uncomfortable couch to a cramped bed," I offered, my boldness surprising me as well.

"Uhh," he stalled, not knowing how to answer me.

"I mean, they're your kids. It's your bedroom. You should sleep with them. I will take another room. Sorry, I overstepped my bounds," I responded quickly, steeling my heart from the blow that it had just received.

"No Brooke. Of course not! It's not that!" he said quickly.

"You're still upset that I kept the Lindsey secret from you and you are justified to be mad at me in every way. But I am truly sorry about it. I thought that I was doing the right thing, sparing your feelings. Apparently not. I really regret keeping it from you. All I wanted was for you to be happy," I said, my eyes downcast as I apologised yet again for my actions.

"Brooke, it's not just that. We made a blood oath. We promised that we would move on from all the bad stuff and start fresh, building on the good. You promised that to me and you ruined it all in a day's work! Actually, in lest than thirty minutes! Besides, I trusted you. I have always trusted you. Not once, even for a second, despite being separated for years now have I ever lost faith in you and then you literally toy with my feelings in this way. It was not okay. I felt more cheated and betrayed by your actions of hiding the truth from me than Lindsey's actual cheating," he poured his heart out.

"I am so desperately sorry, Lucas! What can I do that will make you forgive me?" I asked him, finally meeting his eyes, yet I could not see very well as my eyes were glazed with tears. "Please, forgive me."

"Promise me, never again and I mean never ever ever are you going to keep anything from me that pertains to me or our children. Swear on my life and all that is holy. I need to be able to count on you, Brooke. Always. There is no escaping each other, as we have seen. We are always going to have to be in each other's lives, partners in some way. I need to be able to trust my partner," he said with so much sincerity, I almost burst.

I don't know what got into me, I just flung my arms around him and embraced him in the tightest hug as I whispered I'm sorry's repeatedly into his ear.

"It's alright. Just never again. Especially about James and Sophia," he warned.

I gave him a firm nod. Around that time, Sophia began to whimper. I saw Lucas quickly go to her and whisper words of safety to her. She didn't wake up, but her subconscious seemed to get the message as her breathing evened out soon enough.

"Yeah, we really can't leave them alone at night for even a minute," he remarked, feeling so much worry for the two.

"We'll talk to their therapist tomorrow and ask for an update. Maybe she will have some tips," I suggested.

"Yeah. Listen, you can grab some sleep if you want. I'll watch her for a while," he suggested.

"Okay, but I'd rather stay and talk to you if you don't mind," I said, smiling.

"I don't mind," he smiled back.

Lucas sat on the enormous bean bag in Jamie's room and patted the spot next to him. I smiled as I walked towards him and took my place besides him. Our bodies smushed next to each other. He put his arm around me and I tilted my head, resting it on his neck.

"Tell me a story, writer boy," I asked him.

"Huh? Where did that come from?" he asked. I just shrugged my shoulders in response.

"Okay, any specific requests?" he laughed?

"No, whatever you feel right now," I answered.

"There once was a boy who saw something magical in the sky. It was a comet. The boy saw the comet and he felt as though his life had meaning. And when it went away, he waited his entire life for it to come back to him. It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life: direction, beauty, meaning. There were many who couldn't understand, and sometimes he walked among them. But even in his darkest hours, he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him, and his world would be whole again... And his belief in God and love and art would be re-awakened in his heart. The boy saw the comet and suddenly his life had meaning," he narrated, slowly, feeling each word and each syllable, as if he was carefully picking them.

"Wow, that was incredible. You really are a great author, Luke," I said with admiration. "So, does the boy get to see the comet again?"

"That is up to you. If you want to believe that he see's it, he does. If not, then no," he smiled.

"Why must you writers complicate everything? I believe with all my heart that he will see the comet again. People who are meant to be together always find their way back in the end, then even if it is a ball of gas in outer space," I laughed.

"You used to say that all the time in High School. Do you still believe that?" he asked, craning his neck to look at me.

"Uhh, for a while I stopped believing in that adage, going more Peyton's route of People Always Leave. But, at the end of the day, yeah. I do believe in this, with all my heart. But, with age, I also have new maturity. You cannot just leave it to fate, destiny or karma. I believe in the higher forces, but they are only one part of the equation. You need to work hard to maintain a relationship and put in the work as well," I replied in a long-winded manner.

"Do you regret what happened between us?" he asked me boldly. This was a touchy subject that we tried at all costs to avoid bringing up. I was really taken aback by his boldness.

"Yes, I actually do. You?" I answered, once I was over my initial shock.

"Yeah, we really could have been great, Brooke. I believe that," he sighed.

Neither of us knew what to say after our confessions, so we but sat there in a deafening melodramatic silence.

—- — —

LUCAS' POV

The awkwardness between us was palpable. Silence was the only solution. We were both being honest, voicing our regrets and our what if's. It was sad, what it could have been. My heart ached, just watching her, knowing that in some alternate reality, if we had only been a little more patient and mature, she would have still been mine. I would have her by my side for everything, always.

Brooke slowly fell asleep right there besides me. It was the middle of the night and sleep had been difficult for all of us. I tried supporting her head, but I knew that the bed was a more ideal place for her to sleep.

Assured that she was sleeping soundly, I picked her up bridal style and lay her besides our son. With already 3 people on the bed, there really wasn't any more space for a fourth, yet, I got in lying on the far edge.

Even in her sleep, Brooke seemed to instinctively recognise me, as she got to her side, making enough space for me. She morphed into me, snuggling deep. There wasn't much of a choice, space was very limited and very constricting. She was just trying to get the most comfortable in the tiny space she had.

I stayed awake for a while, watching her. Her one hand was underneath her pillow while her other was wrapped around my waist. With the lack of space, our bodies were smushed together, her boobs were pressing into me, getting pushed up. I don't know what got into me as I put my arms around her, pulling her closer. I almost buried my head into her chest to enjoy the softness. Yet, I stopped myself. I did not have the authority to and I would not take advantage of her. God, I wish I did. I missed her. I wanted her. I did not realise how close we were getting since the kids were hurt, how much I missed living in the same house with her or being around her all the time.

"I miss you so much, Brooke," I whispered to her sleeping form, inhaling her scent, hugging her tight. "God, I miss you. I miss living with you, parenting with you. I miss being able to call you my wife. I-I think I still love you, Brooke."

Tears slipped from my eyes on on top of her, irritating her and waking her up.

"Luke, what's wrong?" she whispered to me, looking at us and then trying to crane her neck to look at the kids. "Why are you crying?" She used the pad of her thumb to flick the stray water drops away.

"Nothing, just… nothing," I said.

"Don't worry, babe. Everything will turn out alright in the end," she said to me before pulling me closer to her, hugging me and falling asleep with her head in my neck, both arms around me tight.

"I hope you're right, Brooke. I really want to believe you," I thought to myself before allowing myself to drift asleep as well. It didn't last long because ten minutes in, Sophia was fighting in her sleep, screaming Jamie's name helplessly.

"Soph, Soph! Wake up!" Brooke said, jumping out of bed and going to the other side.

"Mom! Jamie!" she cried. We knew exactly what she was reliving.

"Baby, look to you left. Your brother is safe. He is right here, completely fine. You are fine. It's alright, honey. Dad and I are right here with the two of you in the same bed," Brooke said.

I stood by her side, rubbing my baby's back reassuringly. Brooke moved to grab some tissues, helping Sophia blow her nose.

"Do you want some warm milk? Water?" I asked her after the initial hysteria had died down. She shook her head no, fatigue evident in her mannerisms.

"Can I sleep between you two?" she asked us. She was trying to not feel embarrassed at what she was asking from us.

"Of course, Princess," Brooke cooed. "Dad is going to help shift Jimmy Jam aside and then we are going to squish you between us."

I smiled as I slowly pushed my heavily built son to edge of the bed. Brooke hopped on, and then I helped Sophia on before climbing in myself. We both snuggled into her, making her giggle. It had been so long since I heard my daughter laugh. She smiled and closed her eyes joyfully for once.

"We love you baby girl. We are both here for you," Brooke said, kissing her forehead.

"Yeah, you're safe between us," I said as well, giving her a kiss on her cheek.

"You two are so cheesy. But cheesy is what I need right now, so thank you!" she said, opening one eye to peek at us.

"Now, try to sleep. You have online school tomorrow," I reminded.

"Way to ruin the happiness, dad!" she complained.

"Come on girl. Try to rest. Wake us if you feel even mildly uneasy," Brooke instructed.

I saw Sophia melt into her mother's arms as Brooke combed her brunette locks, instantly transporting her into a peaceful slumber.

"You're a great mom, Brooke. I really wish that you were more around all the time. I mean I know that you are 100% doing the best you can… it's just, that it's been so great for the kids to have you here, in Tree Hill," I said to her.

"Yeah, for them and me both," she said, looking at me, her head still combing through Sophia's hair. "As horrible as the situation is, this has been the most fulfilled I have been in a really really long time."

"Any chance we can make it permanent?" I asked. Wait, did I really ask that? Was I drunk? Where was all this courage coming from?

I saw Brooke's face grow smaller with each passing second. I had struck a nerve. "Wait, I'm so sorry!"

"No, you are right. It's just that I have been ignoring all of Victoria's calls for weeks now. I literally have removed myself out of anything and everything Company related, so much that I have absolutely no idea if it even exists today or whether our stocks are doing well in the market. None of this is yours or the kids fault, at all. I- I just don't know what the correct answer is. The jobs of thousands of employees and the livelihood of thousands of investors rests on my shoulders and I take that responsibility very very seriously. I know I just dropped it all, but the gravitas of everything that was going on was such that it demanded it. You tell me, what would you do if you were in my shoes?" she asked me.

"Wow, I guess I never thought of it that way. You fill in some pretty big shoes. I forget about it sometimes, you make everything seem so effortless," I responded shamefully.

"Everyone only sees the end results, not the struggle that it takes to get there. My company stands strongly on the grounds of ethics and Victoria's only focus is to up the profits. Give the investors a bigger turn out, I am putting out fires day in and day out, on top of designing. Luckily for me, I hold the majority shareholding, so I usually manage to outvote her. Who knows what I'm going to walk in on when I get back. My employees work there on my name, my investors invest on my name and integrity and after years I have finally built a rapport where I get their money but not their input, because that took so long to reach. They aren't wrong. I started the company really young and it all blew up so big really fast," she said.

"Yeah, I remember. It was just so big so fast and so suddenly. One day we were celebrating the set up for your online store, the orders were rolling in so fast that you panicked, certain that something was wrong. Next thing we knew, you're going to New York and talking to major sharks in the Investment Pool," I reminisced.

"Yeah, Victoria knew just the right people. She could smell the profitable turnover from miles away," Brooke sighed.

"No, she could sense the talent. The Company is your heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears, Brooke. Nothing else. Clothes over Bro's and Brooke are one and the same. You have made it such and Victoria cannot deny it that the reason the company thrives is because of the one who runs the show. You're extremely talented, Brooke. I mean why else would J Lo want you to design her wedding dress?" I said.

"You want to go to the wedding too, don't you?" she asked me flatly.

"Gosh, so badly!" I answered honestly, earning an eyeroll from her.

"I don't know how I will leave now? Whether I will even be able to. The first time was so hard, it killed me. To do it all over again, I don't think I can handle it," she confessed, her eyes on Jamie.

"Hey, you're not leaving them. You never left them. You see them every other weekend. You still will. Maybe every weekend. Besides, we are still nowhere close to them being at the age where they are ready to let you go. So, cross that bridge when we get there?" I asked. She nodded her head but there was just sadness in her eyes.

"Thanks Luke, for everything. From the day you saved me in that motel room till this momet, thank you for everything," I said to him.

"Not everything, Pretty Girl. I got you attacked twice, pregnant at 16 and my dad almost killed our twins," I scoffed.

"Yeah, but you're the reason I am not dead at 16, I have 2 kickass kids and an actual family to call mine," I reminded him. "You have been nothing but good for me, never doubt that."

"What is the time even?" I asked suddenly, realising that I had no idea how long the two of us had been talking for.

"Wow, it is literally 6 am. Is there even a point to sleeping now?" Brooke asked.

"No, but keep lying here anyway?" I asked.

"It's like you read my mind, Lucas Scott," she said while biting her tongue, a move so sexy that it made my body want to react in ways that it shouldn't. God, Brooke Davis, you would be the death of me!