The next morning, Brooke wakes up with this strange feeling of uncertainty floating in the air. The kiss she shared with Lucas the night before still haunts her, and to tell the truth, she doesn't really know how to act with him now. Between confusion, guilt, and... something else she doesn't dare to analyze too much, her emotions are all over the place.
Finally, she decides to go to the ranch anyway, hoping that acting as if nothing had happened will perhaps help her clarify things.
When she arrives, she gets out of the car, a little nervous, but she pulls herself together when she sees Karen come forward to greet her with her warm smile.
Karen : Brooke! I'm glad to see you, my dear.
Brooke : Hello, Karen. I came to see if I could help a little... or find Lucas.
Karen : Lucas is not here this morning, he left early for some business in town.
Brooke : Oh, okay. I'll come back later then.
Karen : Listen, don't leave right away. Tonight, I'm making a nice dinner, the likes of which we don't make anymore! And I'd be delighted if you joined us. In fact, you could take the opportunity to invite Peyton and Jake, so we can have a real family meal!
Brooke : With pleasure, Karen. It's been a long time since I've had a real Texan dinner.
Karen : Great! And Lucas will be here tonight, he's coming back before dinner. I'm sure he'll be delighted to see you.
Brooke : I'll tell Peyton and Jake, they'll be happy to come too.
Karen : Great! See you tonight, Brooke.
On the way back, Brooke lets her thoughts wander. Dinner with Karen, Peyton and Jake, surrounded by this warm atmosphere, should be pleasant and take her mind off things. But the idea that Lucas will be there too leaves her with a mixture of apprehension and excitement that she tries as best she can to push aside.
Arriving at Peyton's, Brooke finds her in the kitchen, putting away some groceries. Peyton looks up at Brooke with a warm smile.
Peyton : So, how was your ranch dinner? Did it go?
Brooke : Well, Lucas wasn't here. Karen said he had some business to take care of in town, but... She invited the three of us to dinner tonight. She's making a real Texas dinner and told me to invite you and Jake too. How about that?
Peyton : Dinner at the ranch with Karen? Of course I'd like to! Jake's gonna love it too. Plus, we'll get to watch you and Lucas.
Brooke : You know what? How about we make a dessert to bring? Like the old days in college.
Peyton : That's a great idea! Remember our famous apple cinnamon pie? It was a hit with the boys... and the teachers, too, for that matter.
Brooke : How could I forget? Come on, let's get the apples and cinnamon out, then!
They set to work, peeling apples, cutting dough, and sprinkling cinnamon liberally. The familiar smell soon filled the kitchen, warming the air and awakening sweet, carefree memories. As they busied themselves with making the pie, Peyton cast a curious eye over Brooke.
Peyton : So, are you going to tell me what's really going on between you and Lucas?
Brooke pretends to focus on the apples, but Peyton knows her too well to be fooled. Brooke sighs and finally gives her an awkward look.
Brooke : Last night... after dinner... he drove me home, and... he kissed me.
Peyton : What? But... you kissed? And you didn't tell me before... what's the point of that kiss?
Brooke : I don't really know. It was unexpected, and at the time, I kissed him back. But he quickly apologized, telling me he shouldn't have, because of Julian.
Peyton : But Brooke... maybe he really does have feelings for you. Lucas isn't the type to do something he doesn't mean, you know.
Brooke : Yeah, I know that... But I'm so lost, Peyton. I don't know if this is right, if I'm allowed to feel something for him... after Julian. And most of all, there's a baby coming. It complicates everything.
Peyton : Look, you have every right to move on, sweetheart. It's not a betrayal of Julian. He probably wouldn't want you to spend your life punishing yourself or depriving yourself of the feelings that make you happy. You and Lucas... maybe it's just the natural course of things. Sometimes, things just happen when you don't expect them to.
Brooke : Do you really think I'm doing anything wrong by feeling this way about Lucas?
Peyton : Yeah, really. And besides, you don't have to rush into it, you just have to see how things naturally happen between you two. Maybe this dinner tonight will enlighten you a little more.
Brooke : Thanks, Peyton. Really.
Peyton : Come on, finish that pie and go get ready. Tonight, we're going to honor our dessert and the memories we all share.
Brooke nods, a mixture of nervousness and excitement slowly building inside her. She eventually goes up to her room to get ready. She stands in front of the mirror, running her hand over her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles as if to give herself courage. She has opted for a black dress, simple but elegant, with a discreet neckline and a cut that highlights her figure without overdoing it. She has chosen this outfit carefully, not only for herself, but also with Lucas in mind. He doesn't need to know, but she wants him to notice her tonight. She needs to know that he still feels what she feels, or if that kiss has changed everything. Brooke quickly combs her hair, letting it fall in soft waves around her face, then she puts on a light makeup, nothing too flashy. She just wants to feel good about herself, maybe a little more than that. She takes a last breath and turns to Peyton, who enters the room.
Peyton : You look beautiful, as always. Are you ready?
Brooke : I think so. Let's go.
The drive to the ranch seems endless for Brooke, every mile that gets closer to the ranch makes her feel both excited and nervous. Once there, she sees Karen greet them with a warm smile, as always.
Karen : Welcome! Come in, come in! I'm glad to have you tonight.
Peyton : Thanks for inviting us, Karen.
Brooke's eyes are already searching for Lucas. She finally spots him, by the fireplace, and she feels a shiver run down her spine. While greeting Karen, Brooke slowly walks towards him, hesitant to make the first move. When she approaches, Lucas turns his gaze towards her, but his face remains impassive. He seems more distant than usual. Brooke stops right in front of him, and after a moment of silence, she smiles at him softly.
Brooke : Good evening, Lucas.
Lucas : Good evening.
Brooke : Are you okay?
Lucas : Yes.
Brooke doesn't insist. The atmosphere around them seems to be cooling down, but she tries not to let her feelings get the better of her. She then heads towards the table where the others are already seated. Dinner passes in a tense atmosphere. Karen and Jake seem engaged in light conversations, but between Lucas and Brooke, it's as if an invisible wall has been erected between them. Each time Brooke tries to talk, Lucas responds with concise, almost icy answers. She tries not to pay attention to it, but every word he says seems to hit her. The warmth of the room, the dim light of the candles, it all seems blurry to Brooke, as if the air around her is thicker. She tries to have a conversation with Karen to divert her attention.
Brooke : This house is sublime.
Karen : Thank you, Julian chose most of the things here. He had this taste for simplicity and warmth, he wanted it to be a place where everyone felt comfortable.
At the mention of her son, a wave of sadness invades Brooke, but she quickly chases it away. She doesn't want to let this pain overwhelm her now, not here. However, she sees Lucas looking at his plate, as if he doesn't want to be involved in the conversation. Finally, after a while, Karen gets up, smiling at everyone.
Karen : I'm going to get the rest of the meal. You can continue talking.
Lucas gets up too, his eyes moving towards Brooke for a moment before he turns to his mother.
Lucas : I'll help you.
Brooke stays there, at the table, watching their silhouettes move away, her thoughts jostling in her head. All she wanted tonight was to try to find again some complicity with Lucas. But he seems more distant than ever. And she, she is lost, both worried and hurt by this coldness. She takes a deep breath, trying to keep calm, not to get carried away by the waves of emotions that overwhelm her. But she knows that she will have to face this situation sooner or later.
Brooke slowly gets up from the table, determined not to let this tension ruin her evening. She goes into the kitchen, determined to offer her help to Karen and Lucas. Maybe this proximity will allow her to understand what is happening with him, why he is so distant, why she feels rejected. But barely has she arrived near the kitchen door when she hears voices. She stops, intrigued, and freezes. Karen's voice reaches her, soft, but also tinged with gravity.
Karen : Lucas, listen to me. You have to follow your heart, that's all that matters. Stop hiding behind a wall. You know very well what you feel.
Lucas : Leave me alone. I don't feel anything for her, okay? Nothing at all. She's just a distraction, a mistake. I don't want that in my life. And honestly, I don't even see what she sees in me. It's just... confusion. A stupid kiss, nothing more.
Brooke's heart clenches violently in her chest. Every word he says seems to hit her like a knife blade. His words are like poison, injected deep into her veins, leaving her powerless. She instinctively backs away, unable to bear to hear him speak like that. How could he say that? How could he have been so cruel? She is paralyzed by pain and incomprehension. Short of breath, she turns on her heel and runs away, her legs shaking under the pressure of what she has just heard. She can't believe it. How could he be so cold, so indifferent to her? She feels completely broken, a mixture of anger, sadness, shame. She no longer has the strength to stay here. She has to leave. Now.
She rushes out of the ranch, her head full of torment. She crosses the meadow, her thoughts a mess, and she runs to Peyton's house. Once there, she enters the house, her eyes still blurred with tears. She rushes to her room and begins to gather her things without thinking. She grabs her suitcase, frantically filling it with everything she can grab. Clothes, personal belongings... everything. She knows she can't stay here. She can't bear to see Lucas after what he said. He broke her, he made her feel insignificant, like she was a simple mistake. And all she wanted was for him to accept her, to understand what she feels. But no. He didn't see anything, he didn't understand anything.
She grabs her suitcase, closes it with a thud, and the door behind her closes with a heavy echo. She's leaving Houston. She's leaving Texas. For her, it's the end of all that.