5 years later
A lot had changed and time had finally done its work. And as they said so well ... With time, everything ends up passing ... Absolutely everything. And for good reason ... Today, everyone was gathered in a magnificent four-star cottage. Everyone, namely Brooke but also and especially Peyton and her future husband, Jake. Their wedding was tomorrow and Brooke was of course Peyton's maid of honor and her son, Cameron was the best man. Julian, Brooke's former coworker was one of Peyton's husband's best men... Because yes, Julian and Brooke had now been together for over three years... Truly together and in love.
Brooke couldn't be said to have made it easy for him, but he had been patient and understanding. When Lucas left, she was a pain in the ass. It had taken her a while to get over it. Especially since she had learned a few weeks later that she had gotten pregnant that night. She had had to manage everything at the same time... Her job, her pregnancy and her rehabilitation. A few months after Cameron was born, there had been her operation... And her convalescence with a newborn. Julian had stayed with her throughout this obstacle course... Like a friend, like a guardian angel... And then things had happened as naturally as possible. He had always been there and it was obvious.
Of course it wasn't the all-consuming but also destructive passion that drove her for Lucas. But it was sweet and sincere, supportive and reassuring... And it was also love, in a more harmonious form. As for Peyton, she had also gotten over the departure of her great love. Lucas had finally left her a few days after his night of torrid and passionate love with Brooke. But Peyton, although devastated at first, had also gotten back up... And had even found love not far away. Since she frequented artists from the rock scene thanks to Lucas, and she liked bad boys, she had managed to get her hands on a very famous bass player. Despite a somewhat complicated start, they had finally found each other and had never left each other... And tomorrow, they would seal their fate and swear loyalty to each other until death do them part.
_ PEYTON : I'm warning you, Jake! Don't you dare throw me in the water, I'm pregnant, I remind you !
_ JAKE : I'm not likely to forget it, it's so obvious, my love! I was thinking of carrying you with me in the water !
_ PEYTON : Well, you're forgetting that too! And I advise you not to upset a pregnant woman...
_ JAKE : A woman !? Not just any woman, excuse me... My pregnant wife !
_ PEYTON : I haven't said yes yet, I'll call you back ! So stay careful until tomorrow... You never know !
_ JULIAN : Dude, I'd listen to your future wife if I were you because you better not have brought us here for nothing !
_ JAKE : For nothing !? The mountains, the fresh air, the food and the huge lodge... Isn't that enough for you !?
_ JULIAN : It's not bad already it's true ... But what do you want, I'm a big romantic ... And I also want " yes ", tears of joy and emotion and I want to hear you play tomorrow night, too !
_ JAKE : Hey, is it just me or is your man a little demanding on the edges, Brooke !?
Jake and Julian turned at the same time towards Brooke who was lying next to Peyton on a deckchair.
_ BROOKE : He knows what he wants, nuance! And for once, I want exactly the same thing as him !
Jake had taken off his shirt and was moving forward in the water to join Julian.
_ JAKE : You want wild and sweaty rockers, is that it !?
_ BROOKE : I'm not into rockers, Jake but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate your music !
Let's just say that she wasn't into rockers anymore... Once was enough for her and that experience had left its mark on her.
_ JAKE : I hope so because we've composed something special for tomorrow night... But I won't say more !
Peyton's eyes were already shining with admiration and impatience at this surprise wedding gift.
_ PEYTON : Speaking of which, have you heard from the others, when are they arriving !?
_ JAKE : Nathan should already be arriving tonight but with him you know... We have to expect anything !
_ PEYTON : At least we're already sure that he'll have his outfit since we took them with us as a precaution !
_ JAKE : The only responsible and conscientious guy in the group is definitely you, Julian!
_ JULIAN : I don't know if that's a compliment from a rebel like you !
_ JAKE : In this specific case, it is one, don't worry! We're talking about a wedding after all, this is serious !
_ JULIAN : I'll be sure to remind you on our wedding day with Brooke, then !
Julian winked at Brooke... He hadn't proposed yet but she hoped it wouldn't be too long.
_ PEYTON : By the way Brooke, didn't I tell you !?
_ BROOKE : Say what !?
_ PEYTON : It concerns the guests and you risk having a shock like I had one...
_ BROOKE : _ JULIAN: I will be sure to remind you of that on our wedding day with Brooke, then!
Julian winked at Brooke... He hadn't proposed yet but she hoped it wouldn't take too long.
_ PEYTON: By the way Brooke, didn't I tell you!?
_ BROOKE: Say what!?
_ PEYTON : It concerns the guests and you risk having a shock like I had...
_ BROOKE : This wedding is already quite explosive so go ahead and give your scoop !
_ PEYTON : Well, we're not sure yet if he's coming, but Jake spoke to him on the phone a few days ago... It really surprised me at first because I found it too weird and then I put it into perspective. After all, he's a long-time friend and they hardly ever see each other...
Brooke listened to the monologue Peyton had launched into but ended up cutting her off to break the suspense...
_ BROOKE : So, who is this mystery guest !?
_ PEYTON : Lucas ! Lucas should honor us with his presence despite his international tour... It's crazy, right !?
Brooke's missed words... Her breath too.
_ PEYTON : I made the same face as you when Jake told me that !
Maybe she had made the same face that day... But she couldn't have felt what Brooke felt. Lucas was nothing more than a distant memory, a memory that she tried to keep in a drawer of her memory. A drawer that she refused to open but whose face reminded her of it every time she looked at her son. A drawer that also reminded him of his betrayal of his sister and a well-kept, well-buried secret. Seeing Brooke's face, Peyton gently tried to reassure her.
_ PEYTON : Don't worry, I'll handle it!
It was more the way she was going to have to handle this problem and Lucas' arrival that panicked Brooke.
_ BROOKE : If you say so... But uh... And he confirmed that he would come !?
_ PEYTON : He's even more unpredictable than Nathan, he's a rock star! He's come a long way but so have I !
Everyone had made their way, that was for sure... And Lucas had brilliantly broken through in the world of music. His talent and determination had paid off. Brooke, who until now had been full of joy in the face of her sister's imminent wedding, was now feeling stressed and anxious... Lucas' future presence didn't reassure her. It would bring back too many memories and secrets... But she also feared for her heart. Of course, she had followed him from afar... She had even been happy for him... For his success, for his path. But they had never seen each other again or spoken... Never again after that last difficult conversation...
5 years ago
_ LUCAS : Brooke, I'd like us to take advantage of Peyton's absence to talk seriously, you and I...
_ BROOKE : We have nothing to say to each other, Lucas...
_ LUCAS : On the contrary, I think we have a lot to say to each other, Brooke... And you can't keep running away from me like you're doing.
_ BROOKE : And you !? You have the right to run after me when you're still with Peyton, maybe!? I think you're really in no position to lecture me, this time !
_ LUCAS : Damn, Brooke ! Didn't you tell yourself that if I was still with Peyton it was only for you !? How can I see you and try to talk to you if I can't set foot here anymore !? Especially since you don't respond to any of my messages, Brooke !? So, eh... How do I do it, tell me !?
_ BROOKE : I'm not answering because there's nothing to say or answer, Lucas ! You and I can't be together !
Of course, at that time, she still had no idea that a little life had decided to be born and grow inside her.
_ LUCAS : Why not ? Let's try it in a while... Until Peyton gets over our breakup. She wouldn't have to know that something already happened between us... Something strong and incredibly beautiful, Brooke... She doesn't need to know. And you and I could continue to see each other in secret until it's the right time to tell her.
_ BROOKE : There will never be a good time to tell her that I decided to go out with her ex-boyfriend, Lucas ! So now stop it! Don't make this situation any more complicated than it is !
_ LUCAS : Brooke, I love you! Do you understand that!? I'm in love with you, damn it... So don't ask me to stop, don't ask me to stop loving you and having you under my skin, it's impossible! I want to be with you, no matter how long it takes, Brooke...
The power of his words and the intensity in his eyes had deeply upset Brooke. But no matter how much she turned the situation around in every possible way, she couldn't betray Peyton again.
_ BROOKE : Lucas, I'm confined to a wheelchair, at least for the next twelve months to come... And you, you're an artist who has a vital need for freedom and to live without ties.
_ LUCAS : That was before! Before I projected myself with you, Brooke! It's you I need above all else !
_ BROOKE : You don't need an extra weight in your life, Lucas. You don't need a girlfriend at all. You need to fool around...
_ LUCAS : Not if I'm with you, Brooke ! I give you my word! I haven't touched Peyton since we spent the night together, you and I... I only want you ! At least give me a chance to prove it to you...
_ BROOKE : I'll never take that risk, Lucas. I'm sorry... I don't want... I don't want you...
At that moment, Brooke could have thrown a dagger at his heart, it would have had exactly the same effect on him.
_ LUCAS : You... You're not in love with me ?
That same dagger that was now coming back like a boomerang thrown at high speed into her chest. That dagger that wanted to make her tears come out and that made her lie by looking him straight in the eyes.
_ BROOKE : I don't love you... And I never will, Lucas.
Lucas had frozen while Brooke's heart had shattered into a thousand little pieces. But it was better this way... He had to, he had to disappear from her life. Because if he stayed close to her, one way or another, she wouldn't have been able to resist for long... Because she loved him, too, madly.
So she had let him go... Stopping herself from calling him or chasing him. That same day, he had left Peyton and vanished for good. He had taken with him pieces of her heart that she could never fully repair.
5 years later
_ PEYTON: Brooke ! Are you still with me!?
_ BROOKE: Oh sorry...
_ PEYTON: It's nothing! Well, how about we go to the bar for a drink...!?
_ BROOKE: Perfect, yes.
And Brooke had followed Peyton after greeting Jake and Julian. She was totally shaken and confused by what her sister had just told her.
That same evening, everyone was gathered at the lodge's restaurant, in a room privatized for the occasion. Lucas had still not left Brooke's thoughts and his potential arrival left her totally feverish. She tried despite everything to think about it as little as possible and to put herself in the very festive atmosphere of this evening.
_ BROOKE : Nice try, Cam! But you'll go to sleep when I tell you it's high time... You have to be in shape for tomorrow !
Seeing her slightly sulky expression, Julian stepped in to support her.
_ JULIAN : Your mom is absolutely right... You have big responsibilities waiting for you tomorrow !
_ CAMERON : You know that Aunt Peyton told me that I would be the one to bring them the rings for their fingers !?
_ JULIAN : Their wedding rings, my big guy... That's the right word for the wedding rings... Hey, it's an important task !
Peyton rushed over to Brooke, grabbing her arm.
_ PEYTON : Can I borrow your mom for a few minutes Cameron !?
_ CAMERON : Okay ! But you'll give her back to me later, right...
Brooke winked at her son knowingly as Peyton was already pulling her towards the toilets.
_ BROOKE : Are you in that much of a hurry ? Ah the joys of pregnancy, especially at the end!
_ PEYTON : No, I've already been there, actually... But, I just wanted to be alone with you for two minutes, Brooke.
_ BROOKE : Is everything okay !? A little bit stressed !?
_ PEYTON : How do you know?
_ BROOKE : I imagine how stressful it must be to think that tomorrow you'll be married for the rest of your life...
Brooke took both of her sister's hands in hers as she did every time one of them needed it.
_ PEYTON : Yes, that's for sure, but there's something else that's bothering me a little, Brooke.
_ BROOKE : You know you can tell me anything, Peyton ! I'm listening, come on... Free yourself !
_ PEYTON : It's stupid, but I'm a little afraid that seeing... Lucas again... will do something to me.
Wow , Brooke didn't expect that one at all.
_ BROOKE : I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Peyton...
_ PEYTON : Well, I love Jake like crazy, really... I have no doubt about that, you have to believe me !
_ BROOKE : Why are you thinking about Lucas, then !?
_ PEYTON : It's not rational, I know. But imagine that seeing him again makes me angry again and that I lose my temper... Or if it upset me, you know how much I loved him, Brooke...
Brooke swallowed hard but tried not to let it show. She cleared her throat before answering.
_ BROOKE : Listen to me carefully, my Peyton ... Tomorrow is your day, yours alone ... And Jake's of course! You must only think of yourself, of your happiness ... And if you have something to say to Lucas ... If you feel that you want or need to tell him the truth about the harm he did to you, well, you have every right to do so. But properly, because he is the friend of the man you love.
_ PEYTON : You think so ?
_ BROOKE : Do I think you have the right to tell him that he made us... uh, that he made you suffer ? Yes, I'm sure of it! Don't hold back what's in your heart, Peyton... You need to be able to focus only on Jake tomorrow.
_ PEYTON : Okay thanks Brooke! You're right and I think it's already helping me a lot...
_ BROOKE : No problem. I'm here for that too... But for the other option, do you think that could be the case ?
_ PEYTON : That I still feel something for him and that I realize it when I see him...?
Brooke nodded as if it didn't impact her personally... While it definitely did.
_ PEYTON : I'm unable to say at this point...
_ BROOKE : But uh... I mean... When you see him on TV for example, what does it do to you ?
_ PEYTON : Well... I still find him incredibly handsome for sure... But since he's not in front of me and doesn't speak to me directly, well... Nothing more, I think.
_ BROOKE : I guess it'll be exactly the same in real life, Peyton... And then you love Jake, you just told me !
_ PEYTON : Yes, madly! He's the man of my life! Come on, it'll work out...
_ BROOKE : But yes, it'll work out... It'll even do it thoroughly and be the most beautiful wedding in the world, Peyton ! And you'll see, it'll be better tomorrow... The fatigue, the pressure, the hormones... That's what's making you anxious too !
_ PEYTON : It doesn't help that's for sure, but Lucas' arrival isn't for tomorrow after all...
_ BROOKE: Excuse me !?
_ PEYTON : Jake just told me he was supposed to arrive within the hour, hence my panic...
_ BROOKE : Now !? Lucas is going to arrive now ?
_ PEYTON : Yes, that's what I just told you... Are you okay, Brooke ? You're all pale!?
_ BROOKE : I'm okay, I'm okay... I... I'm fine if you're okay.
She wasn't okay at all in reality. Cold sweats were starting to spread inside her.
_ PEYTON : Oh, I scared you, sorry... I just needed to talk to you about it, you understand...!? You're my beloved little sister and then, you experienced it up close with me at the time...
Up close, that was the case ... Very close even. Greatly relieved by their little aside, Peyton was definitely ready to go back to partying. On the other hand, for Brooke, the stress was invading her more and more.