Sorry for the long wait guys. I had a nasty fever and flu. Also, you guys have my heart. Your reviews for the last two chapters have been such a joy to read! Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement. They truly make my day. Love you all!
LUCAS' POV
I woke up to find Brooke gone. Instantly, my heart skipped a beat. I felt myself get sweaty and cold simultaneously. I saw her pillow marked with tear stains that had dried up but left their salty mark. My body went into overdrive as I pulled away the covers and got up. Stepping down, I saw Andy flipping pancakes in the kitchen.
"Hey Andy, have you seen Brooke?" I asked him.
"Hey, morning Luke. No, I haven't. I thought she would be upstairs with you," he answered.
I shook my head no and went around the house to check if she was working somewhere. On finding no sign of her anywhere, I panicked.
She had fled. She had gone back to her base instinct and panicked and left me! It was so typical of Brooke Davis! But she had promised! She had sworn to follow through! How could she leave me?! Why did she always do this? I had always stuck with her. I felt like my heart had been ripped open and shredded into the tiniest pieces. I was shattered. Tears prickled my eyes. Yet, I decided to hold my horses. Grabbing my phone, I called her up. To my utter astonishment and relief, she picked up at the first ring.
"Hey Luke," she said sheepishly as if she had been doing something she shouldn't be, like escaping the country.
"Brooke, where are you?" I asked a little too quickly and maybe a little too loudly. I couldn't keep my emotions in check.
"I am in my car… parked outside the Riverview Suites," she answered slowly with a dry chuckle.
"Why?" I asked. Did she want to be so away from me that she was moving to a hotel?
"Uhh, because Lindsey is staying here. She just entered the hotel after getting a coffee from nearby. I asked the barista for her order, she got an Americano! Does she not know that she cannot have coffee during her pregnancy?" Brooke sighed.
"Huh? What - what are you doing?" I asked, so confused.
"Can you come over here?" she asked me instead.
Replying affirmatively, I grabbed my things and sped on the empty road.
I spotted Brooke's Audi parked on the opposite side of the entrance of the Riverview suites. I parked behind her and knocked on the passenger side window. She got scared for a moment before she pressed the button to unlock the door. I slid in and just looked at her, confused.
"Brooke, what's going on?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.
"We need to talk, babe," she said as she moved in her seat to sit facing me. Babe, that was a word of comfort. Maybe she wouldn't break up with me.
I sat straighter and steadied myself for whatever she had to say.
"I really want to apologise for my behaviour. I brought my baggage into our relationship repeatedly and you always supported me and came through for me. This time when it was my turn to offer you to same courtesy, I came so short. I love you, Lucas, with all my heart! I really do and I am so so very sorry! I got to know that you were sexually assaulted and what did I do? I made it all about me. How selfish is that! You went through something life-altering and I was no help to you! What kind of a wife am I?" she said while crying away.
"You said wife," I mumbled.
"What?" she asked, not catching my words.
"You said wife. I - I was so afraid that this would break us, but you said wife," I smiled.
"Luke," she said as she put her hand in mine and curled our fingers together. "I'm here, forever. I promise you. I know my reaction yesterday was horrible, especially considering all the grace you have always shown me. I really fell short but I know one thing to be true. The onIy place that I truly belong is right here, beside you. Always. I love you and I am yours. I pray that you never leave me because I honestly, never really left you. I have been holding on since we were in High School. I never stopped… I - I couldn't sleep at all last night. I kept thinking about what Lindsey did to you. You were assaulted and now she is pregnant. She can't do this to you. It's not right or fair to you!"
My heart melted at her earlier words. She was being vulnerable with me. I never thought I could love her more than I already did, but at that moment, man I felt my heart expand in my chest. However, I did not know how to respond to the sexual assault.
"Uhh," I mumbled, unsure what was the right thing to say. "B, I really don't remember any of it. I mean, I don't know." Suddenly I felt shameful. "I am so sorry. I wish I could change things or at least remember it."
"We can report her. She did do something wrong. I would have if she wasn't pregnant with your child. I cannot have your kid be born in jail," she said with a huge sigh.
Shit, she had really thought about this a lot. I hadn't thought of any of that. I stared at her. She had moments where she was so lost in thought, that she wasn't with me, and then suddenly she would snap back. When she said this, we both grew silent as thoughts consumed us.
"So what are we doing here?" I broke the silence when it all became all too consuming.
"I don't know but Lindsey is giving me a really bad feeling. I mean, I'm worried about the child. Is she taking good care of it because I really doubt it? Is this a payday for her? Does she want the money so she can abort it? Also, some things just fail to add up. Lindsey wanted to move in with you. She knew you came with kids, meaning she wanted a family with you. Now, suddenly all she wants is child support? She knows just how great a dad you are! You raised ours all on your own and they are the sweetest most empathetic children I know. Why would she not want you to be involved especially since she is taking such poor care? If she dumped this kid on you, it would make more sense. I want to take her to my gynac, I don't know. I cannot let your baby suffer, I just can't! It's part you."
"And what are we doing here?" I asked, still unsure why we were staking her hotel.
"I don't know, okay! I just have an awful feeling so I'm stalking her. I wanted to know her whereabouts. Luke, we really need to talk to her, set some guidelines and see what page she is on. Also, we need to come to some sort of custody arrangement. We could call the family lawyers we had handle our custody battle," she said out loud.
"Brooke, please don't remind me about our custody battle," I said with a disgusted look. "However, I do agree with what you are saying. Wanna go to her room and have a civil conversation with her?" I suggested.
"I just want you to have the large family you always dreamed of, Luke," she said, leaning and resting her head in the crook of my neck. "Even if it isn't exactly me who is giving it to you."
"My dream family was only with you, though," I replied guiltily. "I don't know, what Lindsey did was so repulsive that I am unable to form any feelings for the baby," he said honestly.
"We should tell the kids and Karen and Andy. I don't want them to hear about this from Lindsey. Also, maybe she can stay with us so that we know she is taking care of herself the way she should during pregnancy," Brooke suggested.
Here, she was being sweet and considerate and worried about a kid that wasn't even hers. The kid who would have wrecked our marriage. I was awestruck. How did she have such a large capacity to love? She was so worried about everybody in our lives, she never gave time to herself. I had really found the best girl.
"Okay, let's go talk to Lindsey and get to the bottom of her agenda," I ordered before walking to open Brooke's door. I offered her my hand to help her out but she hesitated in taking it. She bit her lip, unsure whether she really wanted to execute the intervention.
"It's not my place, it's your and her child. I would not tolerate Lindsey making decisions about Jamie and Sophia. By what authority can I go and say anything to her," she said, rejecting my hand and cupping her face with her hands instead.
I let out a heavy sigh. "Honey, I need you. Please come to support me," I begged.
She stared into my eyes to check whether what I was saying was really true. After a few contemplative moments, she gave a brief nod and stepped out of the car.
"Hi, my name is Lucas Scott. We are here to meet Miss Lindsey Strauss. Could you ask her if it was okay for us to go to her room?" I asked the concierge.
He made the call and then directed us to her room.
"Hey, you two finally came to your senses and agreed to pay me?" she smirked as she guided us indoors.
"No Lindsey. We came to talk to you. We want to have a civil conversation and come to some sort of arrangement. If this is my kid too, I want to be involved. I don't want to go through a custody battle and drag this matter. Can we come to a mutual agreement?" I asked.
"A Memorandum of Understanding that both of you could sign," Brooke chimed in with her legal knowledge.
"Uhh, I already told you. I don't want you involved and how it could tarnish Brooke's reputation. Her boyfriend having a child with another woman," she said with a fearful look on her face.
"And Lindsey, I already told you that nothing could ever make me ask Lucas to compromise his relationship with his child. I never hid the kids I had at 16 because I never wanted them to think that I was ashamed of them for even a moment. I kept them safe from the paparazzi but I ensured they always felt wanted and loved, at least I tried my best. I would want nothing else for this kid," Brooke said with a level head. "Come on Lindsey, it's Lucas. He is a great dad! I get it, you're fearful about co-parenting with him but Lucas and I made it work for years. The kids get into a rhythm and so do you."
I nodded my head, agreeing with whatever she was saying.
"Brooke, this is not your child. It is mine. So I don't need your input," Lindsey answered, taking Brooke's words the wrong way.
Brooke mumbled an apology and got very quiet.
"Lindsey, uh, I agree with what Brooke said. Look, I will support this child. You don't need to worry about that but I can't imagine having a child grow up fatherless when he has one. I wouldn't be able to bear not knowing my kid!" I said, feeling a sense of loss and pain without it.
"I should have known you would say this," Lindsey said to herself as she shook her head. "Look, I really don't want to do this with you."
"You plan on keeping it, right?" I asked with apprehension.
Lindsey's stared at me with a shocked expression as her mouth was agape. Once she snapped out of it, she quickly closed it and steadied her bearings.
"You want the truth, I don't know. I haven't decided yet. All I know is that I deserve this money!" she said. I looked at Brooke who was fuming. I could see the words trying to jump out of her mouth but she tried to keep quiet.
"Lindsey, it is an innocent kid. It's done nothing wrong. Please don't abort it," I begged helplessly, knowing that I had little say in the matter.
"Oh please, I am sure you and Brooke had the same thought running when you two were pregnant," she blamed.
"Actually no. We never even considered not having them. I gave Lucas an option to not be involved obviously, but the thought of not having them never crossed my mind. When my secret was revealed in London, the doctors asked me if I wanted to consider my options and my teachers and parents refused to give me one, saying that I would have to terminate my pregnancy. I fought for them because I could never…. I can't even say it. They are my babies!" Brooke chimed in.
"Yeah, I never doubted her. I never asked her if she ever considered an abortion. I knew her and I knew she never would," I answered, a hint of a smile gracing my lips.
"Yeah, not everybody wants to be mothers. Just like she had her children and then gave them up. At least I am not that stupid. If this child doesn't exist, it can never feel abandoned like you made your kids feel. I should know, I was around them," she gave a real low blow.
Brooke's eyes instantly turned red. "Okay, let's ignore what went down with Jamie and Sophia and let's talk about the kid you are carrying," I attempted at shifting the conversation back on track. "Listen, if you don't want this kid, Brooke and I will be more than willing to take it in, yeah?"
I looked at Brooke asking for her approval. She nodded her head, willing to do whatever for me.
"Wh- What?" Lindsey asked, getting even more scared.
"Yeah, if you don't umm, want to be a parent, you could surrender your rights to Lucas. I could adopt him or her," Brooke rambled.
Beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "You two cannot ambush me this way!" she began but I cut her off.
"We are not ambushing you. We want to talk and figure things out. We all need to wrap our heads around it and come up with the best solution which is in the best interest of this child," I said. My nerves were popping out as I tried to keep calm.
"What is in the best interest of this child is to be as far away from the two of you," she yelled.
I was taken aback. There was nothing that I could probably say to her.
"Okay, we will be in touch. Uh, we have to ask, do you have your prenatal vitamins and do you need an obstetrician? Brooke could get you an appointment with her doctor here in Tree Hill. We could come with you," I scratched the back of my neck as I said it, not holding any hope for her to take us up on the offer. "Also, it's common knowledge that you cannot have coffee during your pregnancy. Caffeine is not good for the kid."
"I know that," she said coldly.
"If you do then avoid the Americanos! Come on Brooke, let's go," I said as I held her hand and left the room without a sideways glance.
"Let's go grab a coffee," she suggested as she began walking towards the Starbucks at the corner, our hands still linked together.
"She is going to make this a whole lot difficult," I said after we had given our order and sat in a corner by the window.
"I'm sorry. I think this has a lot to do with her hatred for me. I really don't want to come between you and your child. I don't know what to do," she apologised.
"Hey, it's not on you at all. This is entirely on Lindsey. Do you think we should involve a lawyer to make sure Lindsey doesn't do anything funny?" I asked.
"Lucas, she must be scared out of her mind. She is pregnant with the baby of a guy who is engaged to somebody else and already has a family. We need to give her some concession. We'll wear her down eventually. I am sure. I just pray she doesn't do anything stupid until then," she answered. Her eyes showed that she was lost deep in her thoughts. This was her heart talking.
"I can't let that innocent kid suffer," I sighed.
"We won't," she promised.
"Can we talk about something else? Anything else, please!" I begged her, needing a break from the deep hole I was in.
"I can't whistle. I blow and nothing comes out," she said quickly, instantly making me laugh. When I gave her a quizzical look, she demonstrated her lack of abilities, making me laugh even further.
"That's terrible. How can you not whistle and how have I not known this?" I laughed.
"I know, okay! I'm pathetic and how many situations ever crop up that require you to whistle!" she tried defending herself.
"I don't know," I said as I began carrying a whistling tune, pretending to be deep in thought.
"Don't you mock me, Lucas Eugene Scott!" I said, slapping the side of his arm.
"It's my favourite thing to do, Brooke Penelope Scott!" I smirked.
"I thought your most favourite thing to do was having sex with me," she said, raising an eyebrow and completely ignoring my use of Scott for her last name.
"It is a close second," I tried to hold onto my ego and not let her know that she was right.
"Oh, okay. So it's fine if I say something like no sex until our marriage, huh, Mr. Davis?" she gave me a coy smile while pretending to be completely innocent.
"Don't you dare!" I said a little too hastily, making her giggle.
"Is it right? To be talking about well, marriage and sex with you know…" she asked me, getting serious again.
"I refuse to let her make changes to us. You are the sun of my solar system. I know that and she knows that too. You are my family before anyone," I said, playing with her hand and squeezing it reassuringly.
She gave me a weak smile before lifting our intertwined hands and kissing my knuckles.
"Want to play hookey and spend the day together?" I asked suddenly.
"Wow, that sounds amazing! Where do you want to go?" she asked, immediately getting enticed.
"Beach?" I asked casually and she responded with a nod.
We drove up separately and met at a spot that had become ours. The place was empty and we just lay on the warm sand and stared at the cloudless sky. Brooke had her eyes closed and I just stared at her. Our pinky fingers played with each other while our toes toyed as if we were in grade school playing footsie. We just basked in the silence and emptiness. I tried to rid myself of all the stress my body was carrying from our encounter with Lindsey. I hated feeling helpless. Everyone always told me that I had a hero complex and that I always had to be the one to run in and save the day. I guess they were right because I wanted to save that child so badly, but I didn't know how without legal recourse and that was never the right way.
"So how are the renovations coming along?" I asked in an attempt to distract myself. I knew that she hadn't seen the work at all. She had been sucked into the drama with me.
"Directed Millie to run point. You were right about delegating things," she said, fiddling with her fingers. "I hope it turns out well. It is the future head office, but I really couldn't care less. It's just a building." She rubbed her face and huffed. "It will be fine. She is qualified. She knows what I respond to. I can and should trust her."
I laughed at her quandary. "Do you know how cute you look when your nostrils flare up from worry?" I asked bobbing her nose. She gave me a relaxed smile before tracing her fingers up and down the side of my arm.
"Let's play a game. 21 Questions," she suggested. "Get to know each other better. No situations though, I think we have lived through everything we could have already." She laughed weakly at her own joke.
"Don't we know each other well? We are engaged, mi amor." I gave her a confused look.
"Let's find out," she challenged. "Okay, question 1, What's the weirdest dream you've ever had?"
"What, wow! Okay, weirdest dream. I was on a bridge that extended as far as I could see and you were on the other side beckoning me. No cheering for me in your cheerleading outfit towards you but somehow, I just couldn't make it. I wanted to be with you so bad, that I jump high and I make it to you despite you standing miles away. There is a door there somehow and we enter and it's our bedroom from before, the Davis house. You're still in your cheerleading outfit, and ready for some steamy action. I get your clothes off and well… I fall off the bed. It was a cold cold shower after that."
"Interesting. You know, I still have it," she said, making me gasp. "My cheerleading outfit."
"Babe, if you do…" I started but cut my sentence short to avoid sounding like a dog who only thought from one place.
"There is no way it will fit me," she laughed.
"I mean, you did wear Sophia's clothes, so…" I tried again. "Besides, isn't it better if it's tighter, maybe shorter?"
"Easy boy. We are on a public beach," she said rolling her eyes. "Next Question!"
"Wait, don't I get to ask you any?" I ask, getting into the game.
"Okay, ask away…" she replied, getting excited over what I would come up with.
"Hmm, what are three items on your bucket list?" I asked after a moment of thought.
Brooke seemed positively surprised at the question. "You know it's funny you should ask that. When I was returning to Tree Hill, Millie handed me a list. It had the most random things written on it but they were all familiar. When I asked her about it, she said that they were familiar because they were all my ideas. I was always talking about stuff I wanted to try while in New York and Victoria either said that they were stupid or that I was too busy. So while she was telling me I couldn't do any of those things, Millie was writing them down so that someday I could. When I returned to Tree Hill, she told me Welcome to Someday."
"I have to see this list!" I said, so surprised by what I was hearing. I thought Brooke had it all, she was living the life of a starlet.
Brooke fished in the bag she had with her and pulled out a piece of paper.
1. Go Skydiving
2. Ride a Motorcycle
3. Learn to speak French
4. Get drunk at Oktoberfest
5. Watch every James Bond Movie
6. Climb K2
7. Go into Outer Space
8. Give Millie a Raise
9. Have more Children
"Oh, the last two were Millie's idea of a prank," she covered up, blushing as I read the end of the list out loud.
"Did you ever do any of these?" I asked, learning a whole new adventurous side to my girl.
"No, but it was comforting to know that I could've at any time I wanted to. Maybe not space, but…. " she dawdled.
"Why didn't you do any of these when you were in New York?" I asked, still unsure why she hadn't.
"Too busy getting rich, I guess," she shrugged. "Okay, my turn again. What according to you is one of the most embarrassing things you have ever done?"
"It was little league. My mom was there with me and Dan wasn't so it was a good day. My mom was happy and I was going to get to play stress-free. We had had a great mother-son day and she was just so happy to be able to give that to me that she allowed me to have a whole blizzard drink. I wanted to use the restroom, but we were in the middle of the game. I do not want to continue this story.." I said, my cheeks red with embarrassment.
"OMG! You cutie! Hahaha! Please tell me Nathan was there," she giggled.
"Shut up! I never should have told you that story," I prayed that she would forget everything I had said.
"Does he remember? How did he never tell me this? I have to ask him," she spoke to herself.
"Don't you dare!" I warned.
"Wait, does Haley know!" she continued to laugh.
"Okay, it's my turn to ask a question!" I tried to keep her from teasing me further. "Worst date?"
"Ahh, there have been so many! God! Well, all my hookups pre you I am counting as hookups and not dates. So after you… let me think. So when Victoria thought I needed to "blow off steam," she said using air quotes, "she would set me up on a date. A guy she thought was suitable for me. One of them came with his mom and then invited Victoria to join us. Then he and his mom kept talking all through dinner and I was just like, yeah, no. Then I loved those who tried to show off their money, man they were so fun. Who told me the price tags of their outfit and watches, who treated waiters like the dust on their Louboutins or Ballys and in most cases, I made way more than them. Wall Street nutjobs without any humanity. I'd rather date the waiter for the patience he has to deal with an overbearing blowhard like you!"
"Yikes! I'm wearing Nike's but they do the job," I said, making Brooke laugh.
"Okay, my turn. Ooh, I have a good one. What is your biggest fantasy, if you catch my drift," she said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Don't do that. I don't want to get aroused on the beach!" I said, attempting to block the thoughts that were racing in my head.
"I don't promise to fulfil anything, especially here!" she answered, holding up her hands defensively.
"You handcuffed and unable to move at all for being a bad girl. I get to teach you a lesson with some spanking and me getting to ravish you the way I please and oh god, take you anally someday," I said with my eyes closed.
Brooke was silent after that. I opened one eye to take in her reaction. She wasn't running for the hills but she was most definitely intrigued.
"Interesting," she said after a few moments. "Still love and crave the control, huh?"
"Not like back then for sure. But yeah. You still love giving it to me?" I asked.
"Just you. Only you that I trust with it," she said without batting an eyelid. "Wanna go have a blizzard?"
"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?" I asked, covering my eyes.
"Nope," she said, popping the P.
"Wanna skinny dip?" I asked, jokingly. She slapped my chest in disbelief.
"Okay, then a dip at least. I won't tell you the price tag of my boxers," I joked as I began pulling my shirt off. Brooke laughed before starting to undress as well. Once we were down to our underwear, she jumped on my back and I ran into the waves. We splashed each other with the salty frothy waters as I tried to dunk him underneath. He tried to flip me over as we played, forgetting all our issues, even if it was only for a few hours.
"Hey, where were you guys and why are you two dripping wet?" Karen asked us when we entered the house.
"We were at the beach, just hanging out," I answered, not wanting her to know that she was about to be a grandmother again.
"Wow, maybe we should go," Andy said with a smile. Lilly will have fun out there.
"Sorry, we never told you guys. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Brooke apologised. "But, how about we all go out tonight? Dinner and skating rink so even Lilly can enjoy."
"That is a great idea. We could call the gang to join us so Lilly can play with Jude and Lydia. You can gush over Anna with Peyton," I rolled my eyes.
"Now you speak my language," she said with a smile until it just dropped and I knew the reason for it. There would be a new baby eventually, a baby that was mine but not hers.
"Yeah, maybe not Peyton, roller rinks aren't exactly the most hygienic places and those kids can skate without looking where they are going," she said suddenly. "No, uhh, let Peyton decide. Anna is her baby and she is our friend. We obviously should invite her. I'm going to go get out of these wet clothes now."
"What happened to her?" mom asked me, concerned for her pseudo-daughter.
"Nothing," I mumbled before going to change as well.
I peeped into the room before entering. Brooke was standing at the dresser, holding her birth control pills in her hand. Her eyes seemed to have welled up with tears. She flung the box of pills back onto the vanity and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Inhaling a deep breath, she said to herself, "Why can't you be the girl who gets the boy and the baby together, Brooke Davis?" she then quickly rubbed her tears away and stepped into the bathroom. I heard the sound of the shower turning on and entered the bedroom.
I went to the balcony and leaned against the railing to just think. Maybe it wouldn't be such a horrible idea to pay Lindsey off.
When she came out of the bathroom, I ran to her and hugged her. "I'm still sorry for everything. I love you."
She was taken aback, but quickly reciprocated my embrace. "There is nothing to forgive Luke. Just, it still sucks sometimes," she answered vulnerably. I gave her a chaste kiss before taking a shower myself.
Once the twins were home, we sat for lunch. Brooke seemed to have snapped out of her mood moment of sadness. They seemed excited over the idea of rollerblading at the rink and texted their friend groups to join in.
"Why are we taking half of Tree Hill's population to the rink? Wasn't this for Lilly?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
"Shut up," Brooke answered, slapping my chest. "You guys can call all your friends. If we call ours, you can call yours too. Keith and Deb will be there too for Karen."
"Hey Brooke, why don't we get married today at the rink? Everyone we know is already coming there!" I continued our banter.
"Sure, why not? Then you can honeymoon in the dumpster of the back alley because that's where I will haul your ass!" she rolled her eyes, sending everyone at the table to burst into peals of laughter.
"Can we please stop at Grace Street for a few minutes though? I want to see the progress of the office. Also kids, this week, we go to the family house to check updates. The guys want to discuss interiors." Brooke requested.
"Ooh, I have my Pinterest Boards ready!" Sophia answered typically.
"Jamie, can I help you design yours too, please? Maybe Maddie can help me," she tried.
The kids bantered for a while, and Lilly gave her own input for her room in the cottage. Hours passed and soon we were at the roller rink. Peyton came with Anna, desperate to get out of the house. Everyone was mingling, skating, and having a good time. Brooke was laughing with Nathan and I was just watching from the corner.
"Does it still catch you by surprise sometimes? We were from such a different world than those two out there. It still baffles me occasionally, how fate got you and Brooke together and Brooke with her generous heart got me to that hospital and played matchmaker for me and Nathan," Haley asked me, looking at the two best friends laughing.
"Yeah, it does. Things were simpler back then, weren't they? Maybe it would have been easier if we had just stayed with our cliques?" I thought aloud.
"What, did you get amnesia or something? Without Brooke, Dan would have killed you years ago. Things were terrible back then. I would have never had the confidence to pursue music if Nathan hadn't pushed me. Hell, I'm grateful to Brooke for a lot too. She turned weird squirmy Haley with questionable wardrobe choices into confident Haley. It's really cute how they are so siblingy with each other and I guess they will be related again once you marry her. Although it is also a little creepy, considering they lost their virginities to each other," she laughed.
"Did not need a reminder of that, Hales," I shook my head, looking at Haley.
"Hey, we all got over it. But how is Brooke feeling now? She was complaining about fever and headaches when we came over yesterday," she asked, concerned for her best friend,
"What you two chumps talking about?" Peyton asked joining in.
"Brooke was down with a fever and had headaches. I was just asking how she was doing today," Haley filled her in.
"Yeah, she called me when she realised she was sick. She was terrified she passed the germs to Anna. We're all fine though," Peyton replied.
"Oooh, that's sick for a lot of days. Some special news that you want to share with us, Luke?" Haley asked suggestively.
"No," I grumbled. "I need a beer." With that, I walked away from them.
"Hey dad," Jamie greeted me as he purchased a bunch of nachos and sodas for himself and his friends.
"You kids having fun?" I asked.
"Yeah. It's fun going old-school retro, learning how you vibed in the old days," he joked.
"I had just turned seventeen when I had you, remember? Lilly is my younger sister. This is retro even for us," I reminded my child.
"Whatever helps you, old man," he laughed. "Can I have a sip of that?" He was pointing at my beer.
"Don't tell your mom," I said, looking at her to ensure that she wasn't paying attention. I handed the bottle to him and saw him take a swig.
"You're a cool dad, dad," he smiled at me.
"Hey son, I heard you yesterday okay? When you wanted us to get married asap. I know that our divorce was hard on you and you felt like you had to keep it all together for Sophia when you were the same age as her. I know that you are scared that it is too good to be true and that we will split again, but I need you to realise that Brooke and I are not kids anymore. We are better at civil discussions and sorting our messes with honest communication. We both want to make it work and are willing to put in the effort. Now, I have to tell you that we are going to get roadblocks and hindrances. It was never easy for us. It never has been and it most probably never will be. I just need you to trust us, okay? You, kids, are our topmost priority, heck only priority and we will do everything in our power to not jeopardise it. We love each other, but life has taught us that sometimes love is not enough. Despite it, we are willing to try. Just, have a little faith that we will work it out. Both of us want to," I said to him.
My son was stunned but nodded his head stiffly. "Thanks, I needed to hear that."
"We love you, Squirt. More than life itself. Now go, hang out with your friends, leaving your old man behind," I sighed as I sipped the beer bottle he had returned.
"Yep, you're nuts," he remarked before walking away.
"Hey, wanna skate?" I asked, walking up to Brooke who was feeding Anna her bottle and smiling at the baby in her arms.
"Luke, you got to give her one of your own. She totally has baby fever," Peyton joked as she took her daughter from Brooke's arms so that she could come skate with me.
"How are you?" I asked her as I helped her into her skates.
"Good, fine," she answered monotonously. "Also I saw the beer you handed our son."
"I think we should pay off Lindsey and take her offer. I don't want to mess up what we have here, the life we are building together," I said hastily, making Brooke stop dead in her tracks.
"No, I could never ask you to do that. I could never keep you away from your child, Luke," she answered emotionally. "You deserve to get to know your kid."
"But the kids we already have will not be able to deal with it," I answered. My voice began to crack.
She searched my eyes, taking in the emotions as she hugged me. "If we are strong and united, they will be too. This is the big test, Luke. If we get through this, then I believe we are ready for Marriage Round 2 and I really want to be Mrs. Lucas Scott again."
"Oh, I thought you planned on making me Mr. Brooke Davis," I laughed.
"Hmm, the kids are Scotts, so it makes sense for me to change my last name, I guess," she pretended to play it cool as we continued to skate while holding our hands.
Eventually, we decided to call it a night and go have dinner. The crowd of us exited the roller rink happily whilst talking amongst ourselves.
"Huh? What? Lindsey? What are you doing here?" Sophia asked loudly. She was walking right ahead.
"Oh, hey. I was just going to the convenience store to grab some snacks," she answered as she saw the crowd that had stopped.
"No, I mean what are you doing in Tree Hill? Dad dumped you. He and mom are getting married again," Sophia told her in an attempt to make her jealous.
"What, you asked her to marry you after the news I gave you and she said yes?" Lindsey asked, surprised. She began cackling after that.
"Huh? You knew she was in town?" Sophia asked, turning towards Brooke and me.
"Wait, they haven't told you, have they?" Lindsey asked, taking the reigns of the situation. "Congratulations twins, you are going to have a younger sibling soon!" With that, her hands immediately went to her belly to rub it.
Both Jamie and Sophia looked at me as if I had shot a bullet into the sky. Their eyes were wide and their mouths hung open as they turned and stared at me. Why didn't I just pay her away?
