A/N I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've actually been on medical leave from work and school for the past month, but I'm way better now. Also, I've got the next five chapters mapped out so it shouldn't take me as long to update on those either. I hope you guys like this chapter and remember reviews would make my day!
When Brooke didn't immediately pull away, Nathan instinctively pulled her closer to him, taking that as a sign. He reached up and tangled his hands in the silky strands of her hair. He touched the tip of his tongue to her lips, gently prodding them open, wanting to taste the warmth of her mouth, wanting to get lost in her like he'd done so many times before.
Without any protest, she opened her mouth easily under his, so desperate to give him whatever he needed. What she so desperately wanted. She ran her hands tenderly through his hair, reassuring him of her own need of this, of him.
He broke away from her breathing heavily and soon began an assault of kisses on every inch of her face before moving on to her neck.
Sighing, she offered her neck to him, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind telling her this was the worst possible thing she could do. It felt so right though...and she kept telling herself it was for him and not for her. He needed that closure. It wasn't for her at all. She knew they were over and she completely ignored the fact that she wanted this almost as much as he did.
Getting no protest on her part, he slipped a hand under her top, his lips claiming hers again in a desperate kiss. She wound an arm around his neck, pulling herself as close to him as she could get. The cheap beer on his tongue was bittersweet, but also very familiar. His hands on her were cold as he touched her, but even so, they filled her with warmth she'd never explain and refused to admit she'd missed. Her heart was beating against her ribcage and with it, it carried the desire and love that his kiss infused through every inch of her body.
His lips brushed against her ear, his voice husky and deep with desire and affection. "I love you Brooke. I need you."
Pulling back from her slightly, he suddenly turned her around and his arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Pressing her against him, she gasped as she felt his growing need against her backside. He brushed her hair to the side as his perfect lips swept across her jaw line and down her neck slowly, as if wanting to memorize her. She closed her eyes and leaned back, allowing him more access. His swift, deft hands traveled slowly, painfully down her side, and they tickled her midriff, before going inside her top and up towards her breasts.
"Nathan...stop." She begged, but it came across more like a whisper.
He ignored her weak protest and as he nuzzled her neck, his hands crept up even further and they were cupping her breasts. He raised his lips and nipped at her earlobe, briefly wondering if she'd always felt this good, tasted this sweet.
Wanting to desperately gain control, she pushed at his hands despite her growing desire. "Nathan, I mean it." She groaned as his fingertips reached her peaks. "Stop. Please."
When again he ignored her request, and as his hands crept up further up her shirt, massaging her, she closed her eyes as her vision swam around her. She again tried to fight against her growing desire for him, her mind trying desperately to find the words of protest against the growing haze of pleasure.
It wasn't till she felt his hands leave her shirt and slowly travel to her waist and down the button of her jean skirt that it finally hit her. Opening up her eyes as if in shock and like a cold bucket of water, she realized what she was doing. What she was letting him do. He was feeling her up in the backyard of Tim's house in the middle of a party, and while there was nobody around, she couldn't believe she had let him get this far. I can't do this anymore.
Pushing his hands away, she wheeled on him and her hand connected with his cheek harshly.
Pulling back a little stunned, his hand automatically went up to his cheek. "Brooke-"
"No you son of a bitch!"She hissed out, her hazel eyes burning angrily. "How dare you even..even kiss me? How many times have I told you that I want absolutely nothing to do with you?"
Rubbing his hand across his already reddened cheek, he growled out. "You kissed me back!"
"You-you forced yourself on me!" She shot back weakly, taking a step back as he advanced towards her again. "Please, stop." She whispered, taking another step back, hating how weak she was in front of him. "Don't come near me again Nathan. I mean it. I'm done."
"You don't mean it." He replied confidently, reaching out for her once more. "Why do you keep doing this song and dance with me Brooke? You say you hate me, that you're done, but then you get mad when Rachel even so much as looks at me and what about earlier? With Peyton?"
"Well, did you think any of that was going to make me happy? You're my ex and it hasn't even been that long so of course it's going to upset me!"
"And you let me kiss you!" He pointed out. "Not once, but twice already. You still love me. I know you do." His other arm came around to circle her waist fully and he breathed in relief when she didn't pull away. "I've told you many times that I screwed up. I take full responsibility for what I did, but if you'll just let me...I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise."
Her eyes were downcast and she didn't say anything. He reached up a hand to her chin and lifted it slightly so that she could look at him in the eyes. "Please baby." His tone was softer than usual and it was packed with so much emotion. "Let's just stop doing this. I need you and I love you. And I know you still love me too, so please Brooke. Just say you forgive me."
Finally she looked up at him, and his heart clenched as he watched her beautiful hazel eyes swim in tears. "You're right. I still love you." She admitted, her voice below a whisper.
That was all it took, and he pulled her towards him in a crushing hug, his head burrowing in her sweet smelling hair. "Oh, thank god Brooke. You have no idea how horrible these past few days have been for me and I promise you that-"
She closed her eyes tightly to weld off the tears and it took every ounce of energy she had in her to push him back. He looked at her confused and she gave him a sad, watery smile. "But it doesn't change the fact that you still cheated on me. It's something I don't think I can ever forgive you for Nate."
"But I-"
"Please let me finish." She pleaded, her voice thick with tears. "Even though I still love you..and a part of me will always love you, I just can't be with you anymore because I don't trust you and I don't think I ever can."
He reached for her hands again, his heart pounding furiously in fear. "Brooke, we can work through this." He implored, gazing into her eyes pleadingly. "We've been through so much, we've known each other all our lives, you can't tell me that you're going to let one mistake...one stupid mistake ruin that."
She was looking away from him and she was silent for a couple of minutes. When she finally looked back at him, her eyes were full of tears, but the thing that scared him was the look on her face. It was calm, almost serene. "You're right we've known each other forever and we've been through so much. What we had together was so beautifully unique and so untouchable and irreplaceable and now-"
"Don't. Don't talk like it's in the past." He cut her off, shaking his head furiously. "We can still have that if you'll just say you forgive me. We can start over and it can be even better than it was."
"It can never be again Nate. We can't go back to that place that was ours alone." She looked up at him then and his heart ached when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You said you and I were forever but, I guess forever isn't what it used to be is it?"
"Brooke, please if you give me just one more chance, I promise you that I'll do whatever it takes. Just please, I love you and I can't..I won't let you end it like this. I need you."
Closing her eyes at the imploding pain beating in her chest, she slowly extricated herself from his arms. "If you really love me, then you'll let me go."
She turned to walk away, when she felt him grab her arm forcefully and she gasped as he slammed her right up against him.
"Don't do this to me." He whispered, and his voice shook with emotion. "Listen to me, I will never let you go. I love you and you belong with me."
Stunned, she struggled against him as he kissed her harshly. She brought her knee up and kneed him really hard and he let her go, crouching down and gasping for air.
"Brooke, what the hell?" He looked up at her shocked.
"Don't touch me ever again Nathan." She seethed, her entire body trembling as she took a step further towards him. "I don't belong with you."
Wincing, Nathan stood up to his full height and reached for her again. "Brooke, I'm sorry okay? I just can't...I can't let you end us like this. I have to try."
New tears formed behind her eyes. The last goodbye is the hardest one to say.
"I deserve to move on." Not letting her voice betray her, she shook her head at him. "And y'know what? I deserve better than you."
"Oh, what you mean like Lucas?" He shot back spitefully.
Turning around back to face him, she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe." Her words held no more anger as she spoke calmly, deliberately. "But he's different..honest, sincere and with a nobility that you never had. All I know is...you're not that guy for me, and maybe you never were."
Her words tore at his heart and it was unlike any pain he'd ever felt before, but they also caused a fury to rise in his chest. "You're only going after him to get back at me. You can try to deny it all you want Brooke, with all this bullshit about him being a good guy, but I know you."
"So what if it was then?" She shot back. "It's none of your business anymore."
"He's never going to want you."
She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, do you really think that by warning me or by going to threaten him to stay away, he won't want to-"
"He's hung up on Haley." He cut her off angrily. "And if you'd been at school the last couple of days or even paid any attention to all that doesn't revolve around you, then you'd notice the way they act like a pair of love struck idiots, or how they're making out practically in every corner of the school. It's disgusting actually." He smirked, as he watched her falter at his words. "But then again, why let that stop you? Perfect way to get revenge on Haley too then huh?"
Not waiting for an answer, and really angry at how everything had went down between the two of them, for the first time he was the one to walk away.
"Hey..." His voice breaks through whatever thoughts were running through her mind and she looks up at him as he approaches her. "You ran out of there pretty fast."
Leaning against her car, Peyton doesn't say anything as she accepts the drink that Tyler offers her. He gives her a slight smile and as they stand there, sipping from their cups, silence envelops.
She's the first one to break it, but even then she can't make herself make eye contact as the words flow out of her mouth. "Did you follow me out here or something?"
He looks into his cup briefly, and then a small chuckle escapes his lips. "Maybe." He finally looks over at her and she catches his gaze. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?" She doesn't hesitate to throw back flippantly.
"Peyton, c'mon..."
"No, don't." She holds up a hand to stop him. "You came out here to make sure I was okay...and I am. Really. It's nothing...so please let's not turn this into something that it's not okay?"
"But you-"
Wheeling on him, the fire in her eyes stopped him and he stared at her. "Yes, we kissed. I kissed your friend, Nathan Scott...and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it..sooner...tonight. But it's nothing Tyler okay? Let's not make this a big deal, when it's not."
"Do you like him?"
Pausing, she stared at him wide-eyed. "I'm sorry what?"
"There has to be a reason why you kissed him-"
"Consider it a moment of weakness." She cut him off. "Seriously, I told you I didn't want to do this. Let it go." There's an almost pleading tone in her voice, as she looks at him. "Everyone makes mistakes. Consider that mine."
"I don't think it is though." He finally responded after several seconds of awkward silence. "You see, a while back he warned me against going after you. He gave me all this b.s about you and Lucas...but after tonight, maybe..well just maybe it was-"
"What?" She can't hide the annoyance in her voice now. "Maybe it was what?"
"Maybe the reason you kissed him is the same reason he kissed you. And maybe what drew him to you, is the same thing that drew you to him. He hides behind this exterior, in the same way you do."
"You're reading too much into this." she scoffed, rolling her eyes.
He was thoughtful for a minute as he watched her. "You know last year, when I had just joined the team, I was going through a particular bad time with my parents. They ended up divorcing...but...in between all that...and in between the countless parties...Nathan figured it out. And after a particularly bad fight between my parents...he knew. And the next day, he showed up at my house and offered me his house, till it all got sorted out and I never forgot that."
"Where are you going with this?"
"I'm just saying. He's not a bad guy, and liking him wouldn't really be a bad thing. And I wouldn't hold it against you, but it would be nice to know Peyton. I really don't want to get my hopes up or anything."
With a shake of her head, Peyton offered him a smile. "You really are a nice guy aren't you Ty?"
"I'm sorry what?" He threw back at her, liking the way that she shortened his name.
Scoffing, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You and the rest of the guys on the team...it's all about your status. But after tonight, I've figured you out. And deep down, you're really just a nice guy."
"And you're just another girl." He offers, taking a hold of her free hand. "Despite your tough exterior, you're really just looking for your happy ending too."
"Are you analyzing me now?" She shot back in mock anger, but a small smile was on her lips.
He chuckled, and he stared at her for a couple of moments, studying her profile. This girl really was beautiful and there was just something so sweet about her. Something that tugged at his heartstrings and it surprised him because he'd never felt that way about anyone. It felt strangely close to almost affection. He could tell that there were deep issues beneath. Demons that she battled and that made her seem...real. So the affection he felt for her was real...not awe or what he'd felt for Haley all throughout the past few years. A longing for the unattainable and untouchable. He felt if anything, the two of them could end up being really good friends.
"C'mon." He smiled at her again, reaching for her hand. "Enough of this heavy stuff. I'm not good at it anyways, but you know what I am good at? Pool."
"Oh, you are so on."
Standing off to the side watching her, it wasn't something that he was new to. In fact he could pretty much safely say that it felt like something that he'd been doing pretty much all his life. Taking a drink out of his bright red cup, his jaw clenched slightly as he watched her. He knew she was drunk, and it was made even more obvious by the way she was laughing and dancing in abandon with a guy whose name he knew she hadn't even bothered to find out.
"I'm worried about her too."
Slightly startled, Jake managed a brief smile at Haley, as she came to stand next to him. "Yeah, well..."
They were quiet for several minutes, both of them watching her, when Haley's soft tone broke through. "When did he figure it out?"
"I'm sorry?"
Laughing to herself softly at the perplexed look he shot her, Haley stared into her drink before her brown eyes looked up to lock with the one's of her oldest friend. "When did Nathan figure it out?"
"I don't understand..."
"Don't Jake." Haley cut him off with a shake of her head. "Don't try to pretend with me that you don't know what I'm talking about. It's a little insulting actually because I've known you and Nathan all my life and two best friends since they were 5, as close as you two were...they don't just cut each other out the way you two did."
Jake shrugged as he stared ahead of him for what seemed like forever, contemplating his answer. It shouldn't really surprise him how well Haley knew him. She'd always been very intuitive when it came to everyone's feelings as well. It's one of the things that he loved the most about her, her knack of picking up when something was wrong. It's what made her such a wonderful person and friend. After a few moments of silence, he took a drink from his cup and eyed her from his peripheral vision.
"After Cotillion."
She nodded, instantly understanding. "I kinda figured."
"Nate...he uh came over the next day to shoot hoops and just hang out, our usual Sunday routine y'know?" He let out a breath, and it was almost in relief. He'd never talked about his falling out with Nathan and it felt like almost relief to finally speak of it. "We were playing one on one and he just dropped it, casually like it was nothing and the ball must have flown from my hands or I stumbled and I started telling him that Brooke was a special girl and one of our best friends and he better not play with her and next thing I know, he's looking at me with this strange expression on his face and it's in that moment that I think he realized it too."
"Please don't tell me you two went at it to prove who the better suited guy for her was in some macho arm wrestling crap or something?" She asked, half-joking.
Jake cracked a smile, and he let out a small chuckle as he took another drink from his cup. "Nathan just picked up the ball and he tossed it over to me, rather aggressively I might add." He continued, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he reminisced. "He told me that he really liked Brooke, he'd always liked her. More than he ever liked a girl before and that he wasn't letting anything or anyone get in the middle of that. He dropped the ball, and he walked away and that was that."
"That was that huh?" Haley replied softly, leaning against the wall they were propped over. "Doesn't really surprise me, knowing how stubborn and determined Nathan is. It kinda surprises me on your behalf though. I mean the two of you always had like this strong friendship."
"It was never that strong to begin with, if we let a girl get between it."
"So why did you?"
"Because it wasn't just any girl. For either of us."
"So, then why not let Brooke know how you felt?"
Jake let out another breath as he stared down at his cup, before looking back up at Haley. "Because she felt the same way about him. I've known it..you've known it since we were in middle school and it would've just been a lost cause on my part. And believe me, it wasn't easy letting go of my friendship with Nathan but I had to. Because I knew that he would stand by what he said and if he was what Brooke wanted, then she deserved to be happy and my confession would've just complicated things for her and I just didn't want to put her through that. I would never tell her how I felt, if it meant I could continue to be her friend, even if I lost my best friend because of it."
"And look to where it all led the three of you." She commented, scoffing as she took a drink of her own and watched Brooke taking shots with Bevin. "But knowing...seeing the way things turned out for Brooke and Nathan, do you ever wonder what might've happened if you had fought for Brooke and told her how you felt back then?"
"No, I don't." He answered truthfully. "Besides what would be the point in torturing myself with that? I've always believed that things happen for a reason and everything falls into place and if something is meant to be, then it will happen."
"Listen, I've known you, Brooke and Nathan my entire life and you three are my absolute best friends in the world and I love you guys. And even thought Nathan and Brooke are angry with me at the moment, all I'll ever want is for the three of you to be happy, it doesn't matter with whom. But despite Brooke and Nathan's complicated relationship, I know that what they shared..what they feel for each other is love. Real and true love, and I don't want you to get your hopes up and get hurt in the process by th-"
"I know that Haley." He cut her off a little annoyed. "I'm not expecting her to just fall into my arms by playing knight in shining armour. I'm just trying to be there for her, look out for her as her friend. I'm not expecting anything in return." Catching sight of Brooke again, he nodded towards her direction. "Which she might need actually need right now."
Glancing to where his gaze was directed, she saw as an extremely drunk Brooke was dragging herself up the stairs with the guy she'd been dancing with. "Okay, you go get her okay? I'll go grab our coats and let me look for Peyton."
"Peyton?"
"I came with her and I don't want her to be looking for me later, anyways hurry! I'll meet you out front in 10."
Stumbling on the last step, Brooke giggled as her entire being swayed. Grasping on to...what was his name? She giggled again and held on tighter to him as she struggled to keep up with him.
"It's dark in here." She slurred, her hands reaching out for some sort of balance. Suddenly she felt something wet on her lips and it took her a second to remember that she wasn't alone. She clung to him, wanting more than anything not to fall. Her vision was adjusting to the darkness but even then it was swimming and her head felt fuzzy. Giggling again, she called out. "I can't see anything Mark...Mike..no that's not right, what's your name again?"
"That's not important baby." He mumbled against her skin and Brooke's world swayed again as he laid her down on the bed. She tried to sit up but he clambered on top of her, his lips leaving sloppy kisses down her neck and collarbone as his hands ran underneath her shirt skirt.
Brooke stared up straight at the ceiling, feeling sick all of a sudden. "M-M.."She slurred, struggling to sit up. "Gettoffe me!"
He pushed her down back, and in her drunken haze, she couldn't even muster the strength to fight back.
"Nobody likes a tease, Brooke you should know that." He whispered against her lips and she turned sideways, her heart suddenly pounding very loudly in her chest, but not in a good way. She struggled against him and whimpered against his lips, but her fight was starting to wind down as she could feel her eyes drooping and her vision getting cloudier...almost like she was going to pass out...
But just before her mind slipped into unconsciousness, the sound of the door bursting open and a very angry, "Get the hell off her!" surrounded her as the bright lights of the room did as well.
"Oh, hey there you guys are." Haley smiled in relief as she finally caught up with Peyton and Tyler. They were over by one of the rec rooms playing pool.
"Hey Haley!" Peyton smiled, taking a drink off her cup. "I was actually wondering where you've been at."
"Hmm-mmm. It sure looks like you've missed me." She teased good-naturedly, motioning to their drinks and by the way the two of them were laughing and carrying on when she walked in. "I'm glad you guys are having fun."
"Well, she is." Tyler took a long swig of his drink and pointed the bottle to Peyton. "She claimed that she only had a little experience at pool but damn, I can't believe I'm letting a chick kick my ass at my own domain!"
"Hey!" Peyton exclaimed, shoving Tyler playfully. "Call me a chick again and I will be literally kicking your ass!"
"I'd take that warning if I was you Ty." Haley smirked. "Trust me, Peyton's one tough chick."
"Hey, that goes for you too James!"
Haley laughed along with them, till she felt her cell phone vibrating in her pants pocket. Jake. "Hey, I'll be right out I just-"
"No, Haley I need you right now. I walked in and that jackass had almost...listen she's passed out and I need you to help me get her out of here without creating a huge scene. At the end of the hallway there's a door that leads to the basement. We can get her out that way without anyone noticing so hurry."
"Okay, okay. I'll be right up."
Noticing her frantic tone, both Peyton and Tyler looked her way. "Hey, is something wrong?"
"Yeah, actually that's why I was looking for you. I um, need to take off and I just wanted to make sure that you would be okay driving back alone."
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Peyton eyed her carefully. "But listen if you need my help or anything, call me okay?"
"Thanks Peyton." Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Haley gave the curly-blonde a quick hug and waved bye to Tyler before sprinting out of the room and up the stairs towards Jake and Brooke.
"Well, well color me shocked." Rachel drawled as she flipped on the lights in Tim's room, to find a sprawled out Nathan on the bed. "I never thought I'd find the day, where the Nathan Scott, star of the Ravens, life of the party himself would be literally drowning his sorrows all alone in the dark."
"What did you do? Follow me up here?" He shot back, not bothering to look over at her as she let herself in and closed the door behind her. "Wouldn't surprise me actually, coming from you. Stalking is not an attractive quality Rach."
"Oh, Natie.."
"Don't call me that!" He snapped, sitting up angrily. "Why don't you just screw off and leave me alone?"
"Oh grow a pair will you?" She sneered. "If I did that, you'll just continue to sit here and sulk and-"
"I'm not sulking!" He shot back lamely, glaring as she came to sit next to him.
Reaching across the bed to Tim's nightstand, she pulled open the bottom drawer and pulled out an almost brand new bottle of Jack Daniels and two shot glasses out and handed one to Nathan.
"Do I even want to know how you know that was in there?" He questioned, then shook his head. "Forget it, I guess Tim's stories about his late night rendezvous' with you weren't so made up after all."
Filling both of the shot glasses to the brim, Rachel ignored his dig at her. "Instead of sitting here lamenting the fact that your perfect girl sent you to hell for like the fifth straight time or the fact that your back up plan goldilocks is having the time of her life downstairs with your friend, you need to remember that-"
"First of all, you don't know what the hell you're talking about." Throwing his head back, he drank it straight up. "Because I'm not lamenting anything."
"Maybe you're right." She threw back her own shot and licked the excess off her lips. "Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about, but you know what I do know?" She filled their shot glasses again. "I do know that you're Nathan Scott and I'm Rachel Gattina and we're too damn hot to let anything get us down. And that stupid little thing called love? Is simply not for people like you and me."
"I'm not sleeping with you again." He growled, as he took in the third straight shot.
She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, give me a little more credit will you? Do you really think I'm up here to get you drunk and rape you or something? Get over yourself." She filled their shot glasses for the fourth time and clinked hers with his. "All I'm looking for is a good time and before you got yourself all involved with love and feelings and shit, you used to be my perfect counterpart so drink up baby. To you and me and to this beautiful little thing I like to call...freedom."
He eyed her, but ultimately he was just too tired of feeling that damn, aching pain in his chest and he decided to hell with it. He wasn't going to give a shit anymore. "To you and me."
Digging in Brooke's purse, Haley pulled out her best friend's house keys and opened the door, not surprised in the least that the house was completely desolate. Brooke's parents were probably off on one of their trips again, she thought bitterly. Opening the door wider, she allowed for Jake, who had a passed out Brooke in his arms, to come in. Making their way upstairs, Haley led them to Brooke's bedroom, where she pulled back the comforter and Jake laid her down gently. Along the way, they had already decided that Haley would spend the night with her, to watch over her and with a quick call to her mom, it was settled.
"Okay, I'm just going to grab one of Brooke's shirts and sweatpants and I'm going to take a quick shower." Haley said to Jake quietly, digging through Brooke's drawers. "So just stay put while I come back. I won't be long I promise."
"It's okay, take your time. I won't leave her alone."
Exhaling, Jake took a seat on one of Brooke's bright pink cushion seats right next to her bed and leant back a little, closing his eyes tiredly. It was quiet for a couple of minutes, till a stirring noise and a groan filled the room and Jake sat straight up and went towards Brooke who was looking around her in confusion.
When her vision focused, she reached out to touch his arm. "Jake?" Her voice was still laced heavily with alcohol. "What are you doing here?"
"We were at Tim's party and you'd had a little too much to drink and some guy had taken you upstairs so me and-" He cut off abruptly when she erupted into sobs and he immediately went over to her and wrapped his arms around her, in an attempt to comfort her.
"Shhh...Brooke, don't cry." He whispered against her hair. "I'm right here, I promise you it will be all-right."
"No it won't! I keep telling myself that it will, but every day..every time I see him, it just hurts even more. I'm over it. I should be over it. I'm over him…" Brooke sobbed against his shoulder, "So, then why do I feel like he just cheated on me? Like we're breaking up all over again?"
"Moving on isn't a onetime thing Brooke." He pulled back and gently wiped her tears. "It's something that you have to do day by day, till one day the pain is no longer there. And drinking? It's not going to make it go away or make it better Brooke."
"Yeah, well it helps."
"Let me help instead." he whispered, pulling her against him and rubbing her back comfortingly as the heart-wrenching tears soaked up the shoulder of his shirt. "You deserve to be with someone who makes you happy, who doesn't hurt you, who won't break your heart."
"And that's the worst part." She hiccupped against him. "When I know this, but I also know that the person who broke it in the first place is the only one who can fix it. How screwed up is that?"
He didn't respond, only continued to hold her and comfort her and after a couple of minutes, when the tears seemed to have completely drained her, she pulled back to look at him and stared at him. "Do you think Peyton's pretty?"
Completely thrown off by that, he stared at her completely dumbfounded. "Huh? I'm sorry where-"
"Would you kiss her?"
"Umm…"He rubbed the back of his neck, a little nervously, not knowing what to make of this. "Well, yeah. She's pretty. But she's not really my type."
Brooke bit her lip as a new onslaught of tears came to her eyes. "Y'know she's not Nathan's type either. I mean, yeah she's pretty or as you guys say hot, but she's not his type at all! She's too…too broody and bitchy and I don't know why he would kiss her!" The tears were rolling down her cheeks again as she rambled drunkenly. "And y'know he didn't even try to sleep with her, he just kissed her! So Nathan, must really like her or she must be something special if he didn't even try to sleep with her…" She broke off and continued to sob and Jake was perplexed to say the least, so he only held on to her as she continued to cry.
Stopping abruptly, she pulled back and looked at him. "He kissed me again y'know. After our huge fight and I'm so stupid, so utterly stupid because I let him kiss me. And you know what's the worst part of all? I would probably let him do it again, because I love him and his kisses make me weak. And he has this way, when he kisses you...he can even make you forget your first name."
Tenderly wiping her tears away, he cracked a small smile. "I wouldn't know."
"Maybe you do know." She teased, still more than a little drunk. "Maybe you just can't remember because if his kisses can make you forget your own name, they can make you forget he ever kissed you too." She giggled as she tilted her head to the side. "Wait that didn't make any sense."
"No it didn't." He laughed a little too, glad she wasn't crying anymore. "Besides me and Nathan were never that close and unlike you and Haley or most little girls, we didn't go around 'practice-kissing.'
"Oh no."She pouted, and another giggle escaped her lips as her arms came to rest around his neck. "Poor Jakey, never had anyone to practice with when you were little?"
"It's not like that with us boys Brooke." He chuckled. "It just comes-"
"Naturally?" She giggled again, pulling closer to him. "Let's see if that's true."
And before he even had a chance to react or see where she was going with that statement, she had crawled into his lap and tightened her arms around his neck as her lips came crashing into his.
Maybe life is better off this way
But what about the others who aren't here today
We struggle with the tide
Falling with our hearts
But then in my mind
No point in killing time
You better stop what you're doing
Before you do it all wrong again
Sighing deeply, Peyton once again logged on to her IM, but still no sign of Lucas anywhere. She knew he was grounded so therefore he was home, and couldn't be at his mom's cafe since it was well past closing time and yet it was still too early for him to be asleep.
As a final attempt, she turned on her webcam and dug around for the record that was now playing full blast in her room. She held it up to the webcam and waved Joss Stone Killing Time back and forth for a couple of minutes. Her webcam was one way only, so she couldn't video chat with him, but waving a record of whatever song was playing in her room at the time was like her SOS to Lucas. It had been their thing for since she'd first gotten it and it was like the signal to her mood at the moment or just simply the fact that she wanted to talk to him.
Giving it a couple of minutes, she logged on her IM again and still no Lucas. Giving up, frustrated she turned off her webcam and pulled out her sketchbook.
I have tried to put it from my mind
To bury all the trouble that I've left behind
But still I can't explain
The words I just can't find
And I can't understand it
Ain't nothing gonna change my mind
"It looks like it's one of those days again." She muttered to herself, as she began to sketch in the words in a blank new sheet. "When music is your only friend."
I know I may be young
And know nothing of this world
Oh Lord, it's been long
In its coming
I don't care if my words sound absurd
Your play won't play this time
As she listened to the track, her hands had worked quickly and deftly to almost finish her sketch when she distinctly heard the doorbell ring downstairs. Pausing, she reached over for the stereo control and lowered it down, when she heard it again. Frowning to herself, she quietly and slowly made her way downstairs, wondering who it could be at this time. Her Dad was still out in the Gulf and Lucas nor Karen would ever knock, they did have their own key.
A little nervously and slightly hesitantly, she pulled the door open and when she did, she almost fainted as she stared at the other person on the other end. Her eyes must be deceiving her, because that possibly couldn't be..
"Peyton."
Hearing his voice, all air was sucked out of her and tears immediately flooded her eyes as a thousand emotions swept through her and the only sound that she could emulate was a soft gasp as the name that she never thought she'd utter again slipped through her trembling lips.
"Julian?"
Stop what you're doing
Before you do it all wrong again
You have to get it right this time
Before it gets all out of hand
