Entering the house, Brooke then enters the living room, her heart pounding as she finds Lucas in front of the window. Hearing Brooke enter the room, he doesn't turn around, preferring to continue staring at the horizon in front of him.
Lucas : I saw you with Nathan. I'm to assume that he told you everything?
Brooke : Nathan told me what he knew, but I want you to tell me what he doesn't know.
Lucas : I have nothing to tell you, Brooke.
Brooke : Really?
When Lucas doesn't answer, Brooke loses patience and raises her voice.
Brooke : Turn around, Lucas! For once, stop being a coward and look at me!
The man she loves then immediately turns to her and looks at her as he had done at the very beginning of her stay here. His cold, lifeless eyes fixed on her, breaking her heart more and more with every second.
Lucas : I'm not a coward!
Brooke : Really? Then why are you refusing to have surgery? Besides, I'm glad I heard that from Nathan!
Lucas : I'm not refusing surgery because I'm a coward! And if I didn't tell you, it's because it was none of your business!
Brooke : It was none of my business? You have a lot of nerve to tell me that!
Lucas : After everything you've done for me? Is that what you were going to say?
Brooke : No, I was going to say that you could have told me before I slept with you! That would have saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life!
Lucas : Really? I thought your ex-husband was the biggest mistake of your life?
Taking each attack from him like a punch, Brooke then tries at all costs to hold on.
Brooke : You managed to beat him! Good for you!
Lucas : Great! I'm glad!
Brooke : Good! Since our relationship is settled, tell me why you don't want to have surgery? If it's not cowardice, then why?
Lucas : Because I decided to!
Brooke : That's not an answer, Lucas! Tell me why!
Lucas : Because I deserve to stay in this wheelchair for the rest of my life! Are you satisfied now?
Lucas's almost shouted response still seems to echo in the room as Brooke's anger has now subsided. Lucas glares at her with a worse look never again as she stares at him in incomprehension.
Brooke : What do you mean you deserve it? I don't understand.
Lucas : I killed my wife and daughter, Brooke.
Brooke : You didn't kill them, Lucas. It was an accident!
Lucas : Yes, but it was my fault!
Brooke : Your fault? Why?
Lucas : Because if I had waited until I got home to talk to Peyton, we would never have had this accident!
Brooke : Talk to her about what?
Lucas : Divorce!
Brooke : You wanted a divorce? Why?
Lucas : Because we hadn't gotten along for a while and I found out she cheated on me! And not with just anyone! With my friend and business partner, Julian!
Brooke : Julian? That explains why you didn't want me to go out with him! But why didn't you tell me? If I had known, I would never have agreed to have dinner with him!
Lucas : Because I couldn't tell you without telling you the truth about the accident! I didn't want you to look at me with pity knowing that I caused the death of my wife and daughter.
Brooke : I would never have looked at you with pity, for the simple reason that it's not your fault!
Lucas : Of course it is! When we left that party that night, I wanted to end our marriage as quickly as possible. So I told Peyton that I didn't love her anymore and that I knew about her affair with Julian. She confessed everything, but when I told her about the divorce, she got mad and threatened to stop me from seeing Sawyer. We got into a huge argument and I lost control on a curve. The car went into a ravine while Sawyer was fast asleep in the back. I was thrown out and when I woke up in the hospital weeks later, I found out that they were dead. So why do you think I want to stay in this wheelchair, Brooke?
Brooke : Punishing yourself by refusing the operation won't bring Peyton and Sawyer back, Lucas!
Lucas : I don't know that! But how could I give myself the right to resume a normal life when they're dead? My daughter died because of me while she was peacefully asleep, Brooke! My job was to protect her, not to kill her!
Brooke : You didn't kill her, Lucas. You couldn't have known by talking to Peyton that day that you were going to have this accident. It was just fate.
Lucas : There is no fate, Brooke! It was my decision to talk to her in that car, and that alone, that started it all!
Brooke : When you say "everything", you also mean our meeting. Do you realize that?
Lucas : Yes, so what?
Brooke : So what, if the accident hadn't happened, we would never have met. That means you regret it too and you're incapable of taking anything positive from this tragedy.
Lucas : How can I take anything positive from the death of my wife and daughter, Brooke? It's impossible!
Brooke : So that's why even if you didn't love Peyton anymore, you're incapable of loving?
Lucas : It's not that I'm not capable of loving you, Brooke. It's just that I refuse to be happy when they are dead.
Brooke : And our happiness for me and Lily, have you thought about that?You really don't want to give us a chance?
Lucas : No, Brooke... I'm sorry.
Brooke : I see. At least things are clear now. I'm going to speed up my job search and leave with Lily as soon as possible. In any case, know that I will always love you, Lucas.
Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Brooke turns and crosses the room, her heart in a thousand pieces. Hurrying back to her room, she collapses on her bed and bursts into tears.
After crying for what seems like hours, Brooke leaves the house to pick her daughter up from school. When Lily comes out of the building, she immediately notices her mother crying and questions her.
Lily : Why do you look sad, Mom?
Brooke : I'm sad because we're going to have to leave Mr. Scott's house very soon.
Lily : Really? He said we could stay forever.
Brooke : I know, but I told you that wasn't possible, sweetie. Mr. Scott has to move on with his life and we have to move on with ours, you know?
Lily : No, I don't understand why we can't stay with him. I thought he loved us very much.
Brooke : I thought so too, sweetie.
Lily : So he's a liar like Dad.
Stopping dead on the sidewalk, Brooke bends down and takes Lily in her arms, both of them crying silently. When Brooke stands up a moment later, she takes her little girl's hand, distraught that Lily still has to suffer.
That evening, after putting Lily to bed, Brooke takes her laptop and actively starts looking for a job. Scouring job offers all night long for long hours, she finally ends up finding something within her abilities. Responding immediately to the ad, she then waits until early morning to receive the long-awaited phone call. After talking on the phone for a long time, she goes downstairs and heads with heavy steps towards the living room. As he leaves his room where Brooke enters the room, Lucas' face is completely closed. As Brooke approaches him, she can see that his features are drawn and that he has dark circles under his eyes. Her voice is broken when she finally speaks to tell him the sad news.
Brooke : I got a new job, Lucas.
Lucas : Already?
Brooke : Yeah, I'm due in Modesto tomorrow for an interview.
Lucas : Where?
Brooke : At a restaurant. They're looking for a waitress.
Lucas : It's completely different from what you were doing here.
Brooke : I know, but it's all I could find. And maybe I could ask for some training to cook.
Lucas : Fine, but I want you to take this...
Lucas takes the already filled out check from the table and hands it to Brooke in front of him.
Brooke : A check? What for?
Lucas : To allow you to make a fresh start with Lily and pay for a lawyer to sue your ex-husband.
Brooke : I don't want it.
Lucas : Why?
Brooke : Because I would feel like I was getting paid for sleeping with you.
Lucas : That's nonsense! If I give you this money, it's because I care about you!
Brooke : You don't care about anyone, Lucas! You're just a selfish man who wallows in his misery and is too cowardly to take any risks! Continue to mope and beat yourself up for the rest of your life, it suits you very well! I decided to move on with my daughter and I don't need your charity to get by! I don't need you, Lucas!
Brooke then quickly turns her back on him, crosses the living room, then leaves, slamming the door behind her. Then entering her room, she immediately takes her and Lily's suitcases and begins to pack them.
At the end of the day, it's time for them to leave. Debie then accompanies Brooke and Lily to the gate.
Debie : I'm really sad that you're leaving, you know.
Brooke : I know, Debie. Lily and I are sad to leave too.
Debie : Are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer? I'm sure Lucas loves you and he'll change his mind.
Brooke : Lucas doesn't love me, Debie. You see he didn't even come to say goodbye.
Debie : I know, but that's because he's lost. Don't you want to try to convince him again?
Brooke : No. I've already done everything I can. The ball is in his court now.
Debie : Does that mean you're not closing the door completely?
Brooke : Yes, because I love him and I always will. But I don't believe for a second that he'll change.
Debie : I'm sure you're wrong, Brooke. You just have to give him time.
Not sharing Debie's optimism, Brooke hugs the governess to say goodbye. She gazes at the house one last time while Debie and Lily hug each other to say goodbye in turn. Brooke thinks back, with tears in her eyes, to the happy moments she and her daughter had experienced here and regrets those they will never have.