Brooke gently knocked at Lucas' door after giving him some time to settle.
"Hey, Sam settled in?" Lucas asked, after allowing her inside.
"Yeah, I just checked on her. She is fast asleep," Brooke replied, her lips curling into a faint smile as she thought about her kids. "I just wanted to check, are you settled, do you need anything?"
"No, I'm good. It's a good thing that I already had some of my stuff here," he chuckled.
"Yeah, uhh… Luke, is this a good idea? I am afraid that Jamie is going to get the wrong idea or worse that Sam is getting the wrong idea," Brooke said worriedly, shining light on the original reason why she was there.
Lucas remained stoic, not knowing what to say. After a few moments of processing the situation in his brain, he asked, "But wouldn't Sam know better?"
"Yeah, but moving in? Are you sure? I mean, it's a big step. All of this is crazy. Aren't we going too fast? We're moving to Tree Hill, we're engaged, and now we are living together?! What's going on? Isn't everything going way too swiftly?" Brooke asked vulnerably.
"Yeah, you're right. But, I am willing to do anything for Sam, Jamie, and you, Brooke. If you think that we should not do this, I am sure that we can figure something out. I don't know. I mean it is weird, crazy even, but the way Sam said it and the fear in her eyes... I never wanted to see that or want her to feel that way. That was painful to witness. I don't know if I am overstepping, but I consider Sam as mine. Just as Jamie is mine, Sammy is mine," he said, his emotions showing clearly on his face.
"Thanks for that, Luke, really. Sam knows it and feels it and she might not say it, that girl loves to pretend that she is tough as nails, but she is secretly a scared little girl who is so happy that she has someone who is like a father figure to her. A man who is safe. Plus, If we don't do this, it will kill Sam," Brooke said, closing her eyes as the truth was a complicated pill to swallow.
"So, what do you want to do? I'll do whatever it takes," replied Lucas, searching in Brooke's eyes for answers.
"Is there even a right answer here? Sam knows what to expect with the foster system better than both of us. What if she is right? Plus we promised her. I know that I have not been an adequate parent in the past, but there was one thing I drew the line at. I never broke a promise that I made to the kids. I always kept my word and we gave Sam our word," she said, the last part coming out in a hoarse and confused chirp as she had no idea whether she was making the right calls.
"Brooke, are you okay with this? This is your house," Lucas said, not wanting to overstep.
"No, it's yours. But, thanks for asking. It's just, as I said, I am so afraid that this is going to confuse Jamie and Sam. When we finally get her and we go our separate ways, it will break the kids seeing you living your own life after that, with another girl…. How are we to explain to Jamie why Daddy doesn't live here anymore? I mean, adults separate and get divorced so we will figure it out but I would have preferred to spare that little boy the heartache," Brooke rambled. "It's all real to him, Lucas. He doesn't know that this is all smoke and mirrors, and nothing else. I don't want to break his heart. That was the whole point of keeping him from you."
Lucas pursed his lips hearing Brooke say that. He felt a lump in his throat that he was unable to swallow.
"One of them is going to be devastated. We promised Sam and there's the fear that Lorelai will catch our lie," Lucas said.
"So, what you're saying is that we're doomed either way," Brooke groaned.
"I'm sorry to put you in this mess," Lucas apologised, feeling shitty for contributing to putting them all in that situation, although what could he have done? They were all playing it by ear and literally making the best of a horrible situation. How could they anticipate Lorelai's surprise visit? When would the next be?
"Hey no! It's not your fault. Luke, I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate you and everything that you have done for my family and me. Let's just say, I thank the Gods every day that you decided to visit the strip club," Brooke whispered.
Lucas looked at her to meet her eyes and search for the truth. Her hazel-green eyes were sparkling as they were watery.
"Really?" he couldn't help but ask, seeking that validation and reassurance.
"Yeah, really. You saved all of our lives, Lucas. Jamie is safe because of you. Sam is with me because of you. I am not living my worst nightmare anymore because of you. My kids are happy and healthy and well-fed and taken care of because of you," Brooke replied meaningfully.
Lucas blushed, unable to take the compliment.
"So, we either break Sammy's heart right now by you not living with us or we break Jamie's heart eventually by you moving out. Also, who's to say how long the adoption process will actually take? They said they would see after six months. We don't know how long you are signing up for. Also, you can't always live in the fear of Lorelai's shadow. You have officially moved on from Peyton, it is time for you to enter the dating pool again, my friend. You deserve to go on dates and take your dates to a kid-free idea of you moving in doesn't seem like it's going to work," Brooke replied realistically.
"Who said that I want to date?" Lucas asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
"So what? Do you want to become a Father at a church? Come on Luke. I know that things didn't work out with Peyton right now, but there is always the likelihood that she will dump Julian and get back with you and even if she doesn't, you are going to move on eventually and find love with another person and want to be with them and it will be insane to get them here, where I, your ex-mistress and baby mama resides with your toddler son and teenaged adoptive daughter that you lied to the state to get custody of," Brooke said to get him to grasp the insanity of the situation.
"What are you going to do then, when you want to date a hot guy? You're in the same situation," Lucas retorted.
"No, I'm not. I'm done, Luke. I've peaked. I am a mother of two who used to be a stripper. Nobody wants to be with me," she replied plainly.
"No, that's ridiculous. You're Brooke Davis, you can have any man you like, even with kids!" Lucas acknowledged, raising his hand in the air to prove his point.
"Nobody wants to be with a stripper," she sighed.
"I'd be with you!" Lucas spilt the words before he even realised what he was saying. Brooke's eyes widened hearing that as her breath hitched and she squeaked.
"I mean, I didn't mean it like that. I meant that it wouldn't be a hindrance," he said in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"You'd be okay dating a stripper who has two kids of her own with another guy?" Brooke asked, folding her hands against her chest and raising one eyebrow.
"I don't know. If she's as nice as you, I'd probably consider it," Lucas answered, finding himself in a tricky spot.
"Solaris is plenty nice, should I make a call to her? But she can only date in the day as her nights are all reserved for the club," Brooke said, not buying his act for even a second. "Do you want to be with her?"
"Isn't she in New York?" Lucas tried to deflect.
"That's not the point. Given what you know about her job, would you agree to date her?" Brooke asked more sternly.
"No, but she does drugs and she hooks up with others," Lucas replied, not understanding why he was defending Solaris' actions. "You're different. I know you."
"You know a version of me that no longer exists. Also, we're 21. No 21-year-old wants to date girls with a kid, let alone two kids," Brooke argued.
"Well, I am a 21-year-old with two kids too," Lucas reminded her.
"It's different for men and you know it. Also, that was exactly why I didn't want to tell you. I knew that this would ruin your life," Brooke cried.
"No! This has made my life! Jamie has given my life meaning and purpose. I am still unable to believe the massive shift my life has encountered. I had pictured such a different life. I thought that I would be living in Tree Hill, ready to drink myself to death over Peyton's rejection, coach basketball, and hope to be a writer if I even found the inspiration to write that is, and live and die alone. Now, I have a purpose that is bigger than me," he said.
Brooke pursed her lips. She had been totally wrong to keep Jamie from him. "I'm sorry," Brooke whispered. "But, you're totally screwed! Unless you get as lucky as Karen and find yourself a hot Andy when Jamie is older. That could totally work in your favour."
"Brooke, I'm good with just the kids for now. We can cross the dating bridge when we get there," Lucas sighed.
"You're a 21-year-old guy! You have needs!" Brooke interjected. Lucas burst out laughing hearing Brooke say that.
"Really B, needs?" Lucas asked, copying her signature move and raising one eyebrow.
"What! It's true. The club was filled with men who said they were with me and not their wives because of their needs and it wasn't cheating because getting your needs fulfilled was basic. It was human," she replied nonchalantly, having seen the cheating and lying so much that it no longer fazed her. Lucas continued to stare at her, mortified. He had no answer to give to her.
"Okay fine. So, I guess….. welcome home Lucas Scott!" Brooke said with jazz hands.
Lucas blushed hearing that. "I'll try to keep my distance and be a fly on the wall," Lucas said, feeling awkward.
"Oh please don't! This is your house, you're generously letting us live here rent-free and besides, you're here for breakfast and dinner. This is an extension, not a change," Brooke said to make him feel comfortable in his own home. "You deserve independence though. Please, whenever you want alone time or you want to go out with a girl or anything at all, please don't hold back worried about Lorelai or us. Sam missed every surprise check at Mike and Norma's because she was with me and she always found a good excuse. She has an arsenal and she knows how to deal with social workers. We will figure it out if you want to go live separately."
"Noted. Uhh, do we tell Jamie this?" Lucas asked.
"I think let it be self-explanatory or let him be a little oblivious. He goes to bed really early and you're here by breakfast anyway. He rarely sees you drive back to your place. He only knows you live there because you took him there to hang out a few times. Simple, easy progressions?" she asked.
"Works for me. I'll get the rest of my stuff tomorrow," Lucas said.
"Take Sam to help you pack and lug boxes. She owes being your little helper after asking so much out of you," Brooke rolled her eyes.
"Sweet, maybe Jamie will tag along too. Hey, we're not too shabby, right? At this co-parenting thing?" he asked.
"I think we're doing great," Brooke replied with a smile.
"That means a lot Brooke," Lucas said.
"Okay, I'll let you get comfortable. Also, uhh, do you maybe want the Master? I could take another room, or do you want one upstairs closer to Jamie and Sam?" Brooke asked.
"I really liked spending time in this room with you," Lucas winked, making Brooke blush as the room he was settling in was Brooke's childhood bedroom. "But maybe a room closer to you and the kids is cooler."
"Whatever you want," Brooke said, grateful that she was able to offer him that. She felt guilty that he was doing so much for them. "Also, really random, but you remember the tampons that I use?"
"Yeah, didn't you say that all other brands gave you a rash?" Lucas asked.
"Yeah, but I must have said that only once while we were dating, maybe. Nobody whom you're sleeping with wants to hear about the nasty rash you got down there thanks to period products!" Brooke said, feeling embarrassed. "God, that is so embarrassing and you remember it!"
"Hey, relax Pretty Girl," Lucas laughed. "I remember everything about the time we dated. I haven't forgotten anything," he said.
"What?" Brooke said, feeling mildly blindsided and totally unconvinced.
"I remember that you kink your eyebrow when you're trying to be cute, that you quote Camus even though I've never actually seen you read, and you miss your parents but you'll never ever admit that. And we were both going to get pneumonia the night I gave you this embarrassing speech, but if you needed to hear why I loved you, I could go on all night. I remember everything." Lucas quoted himself, shocking and scaring Brooke simultaneously. "I remember everything and I know that internally, nothing has changed. You're still the girl who blushes when I call her Pretty Girl because she has been called sexy her whole life, but never pretty. You're also still the girl holding out a candle of hope for your parents, even though you will never admit that."
"Uhh, we should sleep. You have a long day schlepping boxes and we have that thing at Tric later at night with everybody," Brooke said and quickly scrambled out without waiting for an answer leaving Lucas regretting saying anything.
Brooke was groggy when she woke up the next morning. Lucas' confession had left a strange unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't know how she felt about him knowing her that well and she still had her reservations about living together. Yet, she knew that it was Lucas' house that she was living in and if he chose to move in, she had no authority to say otherwise. She also knew that Sam now expected it, yet she wanted to talk to Sam one-on-one and be sure that there was no other solution to the dilemma.
It was Sunday, so she knew that Sam would not be up for hours. Lazily, she got up and entered Jamie's room to check on him. He was sleeping blissfully. His face had a gentle smile to it which made Brooke wonder what he was dreaming about. She saw Chester sleeping in his bunny cage and walked to the kitchen to turn on the coffee machine.
"Oh hi!" she said, startled at finding Lucas adding milk to an already brewed coffee. The thing that startled her the most was that he was shirtless. Brooke had a complete close-up view of his abs, trailing down all the way to the waistband of his sweats that hung quite low.
"Morning," Lucas greeted her in an equally groggy tone. "Do you want a cup?"
"Yes, please," Brooke replied, averting her eyes. Lucas had apparently settled in well. She couldn't help but lick her lips at all the exposed skin available for her perusal. But, her brain quickly woke up and she realised how she could not check out her ex! Lucas fixed her a mug just the way liked before settling on the table to drink his coffee in peace. Brooke was a little sceptical about it. Did she want to sit and have coffee with her shirtless ex-baby-daddy? But, it would be rude not to and Lucas would feel uncomfortable and she wanted him to feel welcome. So, she swallowed her horny feelings and sat down on the chair opposite him.
"It's a good day to go for a run, so, I'm going to head out for some sprints. The River Court was much closer to my house, I'll find out today just how much of a workout it is from yours," Lucas said in an attempt to make small talk.
"Cool," replied Brooke, finding their small talk a little awkward.
"Any idea when the kids will wake up?" Lucas asked.
"Jamie will be up in an hour or two. Sam can sleep until we wake her for school tomorrow," Brooke joked. "What time do you want to go packing? Lorelai just checked on us yesterday, I doubt she will come back today to sniff around."
"You should keep your engagement ring on at all times," Lucas said suddenly, shifting their conversation topic and surprising Brooke with the deflection.
"What? That came out of nowhere," Brooke replied, not fully awake to register the left-field topic.
"Your engagement ring. If she keeps showing up unannounced, she could question why you don't have it on. I think you should wear it at all times," Lucas opined as he nudged at her bare left hand.
"No, I can just say I left it in the shower or something," Brooke attempted to not make a big deal out of his request.
"Just like I can be out at the grocery store every time?" Lucas asked, catching her hypocrisy. "There's always the fear of running into her in public too. Tree Hill is a small town. We should play it as safe as we can."
"Fine," Brooke agreed with pursed lips but not convinced for completely different reasons. She would be meeting Peyton that night and Karen was around all the time since she had returned to the States to help her and Jamie. Yes, Karen and Peyton knew why she needed the ring, but Brooke did not want to rub it in their faces. The ring was supposed to give both of them their happily ever after. Maybe the ring was cursed, like that necklace in Titanic.
"It's best if we keep our tracks as spotless as possible. We have enough to hide about our past," Lucas murmured.
"What, like the fact that half of New York's male population has seen me dance naked?" Brooke answered sardonically, startling Lucas with her out-of-the-blue remark.
"What? Where did that come from?" Lucas asked, his eyes widening as he said that.
"It's not like I wore a mask when I stripped, Luke. Yes, nobody was allowed to have cell phones out so nothing ever got filmed, but Julian remembered me. Others will too. You do realise that, don't you? I will never stop carrying this and I won't get to ever freely walk around. Julian saw me and blurted it out. Others will too. Guys like your editor, Chet- good guys with a slight weakness. I performed for years, who is to say how many came to see my shows? Julian put a lot of things in perspective for me. I can't run away. This will follow me wherever I go. Even if I never return to New York, which is unlikely, given that we are opening a store there, people aren't tied to New York and it wasn't exclusive to New Yorkers. You came to see the infamous Penelope Cruz," Brooke confessed with a deep sigh.
"You can't stop living your life because of this. I mean, people get out, right?" Lucas said, not knowing what to say to make her feel better. What was he supposed to say to that? He understood Brooke's concerns. They had been lucky that Lorelai wasn't present when Julian called her Penelope and announced her dark past to Peyton. Jamie was an innocent kid now, but he would grow up and he didn't need to know what Brooke had done to keep them afloat. Brooke deserved better.
"Actually, no. People don't get out. That is what Marty told me when I told him that I was quitting. That there was no way to quit. Everyone who said it was foolish and they always came back. Melody, a girl there tried and she could never get out, nobody could - never mind," Brooke whimpered.
"What does that jerk Marty know?" Lucas commented.
"Quite an awful lot. He has been in the business for a really long time," Brooke's voice strained as a gigantic lump had formed in her throat and she was struggling to get the words out.
"You have always been a trailblazer, you will be even here. And by the way, you're already out. You won," Lucas said simply.
Brooke shook her head but kept mum. It was pointless reiterating that she couldn't walk on the streets ever without the fear of being spotted. The men she catered to were from every background. Young boys in their twenties with familial wealth, old men in creaseless suits, and middle-aged men cheating on their bored housewives. It could be anybody.
"You can't live in constant fear, Brooke," Lucas said, getting emotional.
"Then how else am I supposed to live?" Brooke sighed and got up. She left her empty coffee mug in the sink and returned upstairs to her bedroom to hide.
"Morning, Champ. Do you want to come with me and help me with some packing?" Lucas asked, waking Jamie up for the day.
"Ten more minutes, please," he whined and curled himself into a little furball. Lucas couldn't help but grin watching his adorable antics.
"Chester can come with us," Lucas bribed.
"Okay! Where are we going?" Jamie asked, shooting up like a bolt of lightning.
"My old house. But before that, you need to get Sam to wake up," Lucas assigned.
"Sam will kill me for entering her room!" Jamie whined, not liking his first task. "She says that her room is a pest-free zone."
Lucas chuckled again hearing their sweet sibling banter.
"Don't worry. Tell her that Lucas needs her help packing. She will be up just like you," he replied with a smile.
"Okay, but you have got to tell Sam that I am not a pest!" Jamie complained and stomped his little feet before knocking on Sam's door.
Jamie entered the room and as expected, Sam was sleeping soundly. He walked to her bed quietly and began shaking her.
"Sammy, wake up," he whispered, not wanting to anger his older sister.
"Get out, dweeb," she complained as the rocking continued.
"Daddy says that you have to wake up. He needs you to help him pack," Jamie parroted.
"Pack?" Sam asked, getting more conscious.
"Yeah, he says that we can take Chester along," he replied, clear that that was the more exciting prospect of the two.
That was when Sam opened her eyes and grabbed her phone to check the time. Not finding it where she usually left her phone, she grew more alert. Suddenly, realisation hit her like a tonne of bricks as she remembered that her phone was in her purse. The purse that she was taking to go meet Quentin at the address he had given her after sneaking out of the house!
"Oh no no no no no!" Sam cried as she ran to where her purse was.
She unlocked it and scrolled through her notifications. There were a dozen texts and calls from Q.
"Shit!" she yelled as her legs grew weak. Sam sat on the swing in the corner of her room as she stared at her phone, expecting it to magically materialise a solution to her problems.
"Are you alright?" Jamie asked hesitatingly as he watched Sam's emotions play out in front of him.
"What? Yeah. Yeah. Tell Lucas that I am getting dressed. I'll be down once I'm ready," she said, to get Jamie out of her room. Jamie shrugged his little shoulders in response and left to inform his dad.
Sam, in her panic-stricken stupor, quickly dialled the number of the one person who could help her navigate through the mess she had found herself in. She couldn't even get herself to read Q's texts. She would have felt horrible if a guy ghosted her in such epic proportions as she had ghosted him. It wouldn't even be surprising if he blocked her or refused to talk to her ever again.
"Liz!" Sam cried as soon as her best friend picked up her call.
"Sammy! What's wrong? Is everything okay at the fosters'?" Liz asked, worried about the fate of her best friend.
"Yeah, no, it's complicated," she said and went ahead to explain everything from the plan with Quentin to Lorelai's surprise visit to ghosting him.
"Is he cute? Do you like him?" Liz asked once Sam was done with her tirade.
"What? Liz! Is that really all you have to say?" Sam asked although she couldn't help but laugh. Her friend's superficiality was all she needed to take the pressure off a notch.
"It's important. If you don't find him cute, what are you so worried about and if you do find him cute, why are you wasting your time talking to me!" Liz replied wisely.
"So, should I just call him?" Sam asked, refusing to believe that the solution would be that simple and straightforward.
"Oh, so you do find him cute. I need pictures! What's his whole name? I'm searching Instagram right now! Oh, I see a display of a boy with a basketball. Quentin Fields! Ah, honey! He's as smooth as a Galaxy bar. Nice!" Liz replied.
"Have you ever considered a career as a detective?" Sam asked, amazed by her friend's sleuthing skills.
"Girl, have you seen their uniforms? And the shoes they wear! Besides, all that running is going to ruin my hair. I will never be able to get a blowout," she replied, making Sam laugh again.
"What do I say to him though? The social worker visited and my foster dad wasn't home so I panicked and forgot. Doesn't that sound made up?" Sam asked, trying to rationalise her excuse.
"It is the truth, Sam. God! The boys in Tree Hill are so much cuter than the boys here! I can't wait to come over in the summer and meet the basketball team," Liz joked.
"I'm going to go call Q now, okay? Thanks for the advice," Sam said, needing the topic of conversation to change.
"Hey, I miss you. New York isn't the same without you," Liz replied sincerely.
"You too," Sam said back and cut the call.
Taking a deep breath, she called Quentin and waited as the phone kept ringing but nobody replied.
'I am so sorry for last night. I can explain. Please call me back.' she texted him and bit her lip as she hoped to receive an answer.
After five minutes of waiting, she lost hope and got up to get dressed for the day when suddenly she heard her phone ringing. Diving to pick it up, she smiled as she read Q's name.
"Hey," she replied with a stammer.
"I don't even know why I am calling you back, but I am curious to know what excuse you can come up with for making me wait for you for hours and not show up," Quentin said menacingly.
"I really can explain. I was just about to leave when the doorbell rang and it was my social worker who had come over for a surprise visit and Lucas wasn't at home, so she had reason to believe that something was fishy. He came as soon as we called him, but she conducted a full inspection and interrogated my foster parents and then, we really had reason to believe that she was sitting outside our house and spying on us to see if we were lying about anything!" she answered as truthfully as she could.
"What? Why would she want to spy on you? Coach Scott is rizz," he replied.
"Yeah, but he and his fiance, aka my foster mom, have a tumultuous history and they are very young and have a -" Sam began saying but held her tongue. The schoolkids didn't know that Lucas had found out that he had a biological son. "Let's just say that your Coach has a complicated past and the Social Worker wanted to see if we are genuinely as happy as she can see us to be."
"Oh, you are telling the truth?" Quentin asked.
"I am. I swear," she said quickly to him to make him believe her.
"But why couldn't you just call me or leave a message that you wouldn't be able to show up?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, I panicked. Lucas wasn't home and the social worker had entered just as I was sneaking out. The scheduled visits are scary when you want them to work, the surprise ones are worse," Sam confessed her true feelings.
"Now, I feel like a jerk!" Quentin complained.
"How about I make it up to you? I will see you at the address tonight. Will that be alright?" Sam asked.
"You won't have a surprise social worker visit again tonight?" Q asked with an eye roll.
"If I wanted to blow you off, would I be apologising and planning another date with you?" Sam asked and then felt like shooting herself at the use of the word date.
"Ahhh, so it's a date, huh, Coach's girl?" Quentin asked.
"Don't flatter yourself. It's because I feel guilty for ghosting you. It's just that," she tried to salvage her pride.
"Alright, see you tonight, Coach's Girl!" he replied and cut the call. Sam grabbed a pillow and screamed into it to get the excitement and nervousness out of her body. It was funny, she used to stifle her screams, cries and sobs in pillows after her foster parents beat her or repeatedly let her down, now she was doing the same thing because she was excited. How much her life had changed!
Sam quickly realised that she should've been getting ready a while ago, so she rushed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
Once she was done, she was about to get downstairs, but she saw Brooke sitting in her room occupied with a tonne of thoughts as if she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. "Hey Brooke, everything alright?" she asked, gently knocking on her door.
Brooke quickly broke out of her reverie and looked up to face Sam. "Yeah, totally fine. I was just uhh, thinking, about, uhh, Clothes Over Bro's," she lied.
"Okay, I'm about to grab some food and coffee and then I think Jamie and I are headed to Lucas' to pack his stuff and get it back here," she informed.
"Yeah, awesome," Brooke replied with a fake smile.
"Are you sure everything is okay? Is it to do with Peyton?" Sam asked, her eyes widening with fear.
"No no. I swear, there is nothing wrong and you don't need to worry about anything. But from Peyton, I remembered, my friends are meeting at Tric tonight to hang out and get together, so Lucas and I will be out for the night. Can you watch Jamie?" Brooke asked. "We're all going to be together with Peyton after a really long time so we won't be getting back until late."
"Uhh, actually, some people from school were going to meet and hang out and they invited me," Sam lied. What choice did she have? She couldn't leave Jamie alone at home and she didn't want to show off a kid that looked like a miniature version of Lucas to Quentin. Besides, she didn't even know where she was going. All Q had given her was an address for a general street.
"It's a school night tomorrow," Brooke said, not liking the idea of her daughter being out until late.
"I'll be home by ten tops," she begged. The truth was that she was going to meet Q at 10, but the fact that Brooke would be gone till late solved all her problems.
"Alright. I'll ask Karen if she can look after Jamie," Brooke replied and proceeded to grab her phone to make the call to Karen.
Sam ran down the stairs with a skip in her step. All the stars had aligned in her favour. Both her 'parents' would be out of the house and so would her dweeby brother, so there would be no tattling.
"Hey baby, good morning," Julian said after Peyton stirred in their hotel room.
"Hi," Peyton replied with a smile on her face after being greeted by Julian's smiling face.
"We've been here for two days now and we still haven't discussed how you feel. So, Peyton Sawyer, how do you feel?" Julian asked with his illegal grin.
"What do you want to discuss? My ex-boyfriend had a secret child with my best friend who used to be a stripper and is currently fostering a teen by pretending to be engaged to my ex. I don't know what to do because the ring - the ring used to be Karen's and also, I could be Sam. If Ellie had picked my incredible parents for me, I could have wound up in foster care," Peyton said. She was almost about to tell Julian that Lucas had proposed to her with the same ring, luckily she had held her tongue in time. Julian did not need to know that.
"Everything?" Julian asked, although his tone held dejection. He couldn't deny that Peyton had pulled a thread so knotted that untangling it could take forever. "I know that you have bitten way more than you could chew. But, whatever is the first thing that comes to your mind, open up."
Peyton smiled at Julian's persuasion. "Sam is cool. I'd like to get to know her better. I don't know. There is just something there. It could have been me so easily. I could have been worse than Sam, I love what Brooke is doing for her, but I don't know what to feel about Jamie. He is a great kid, really. I had a ball with him at the River Court, his heart is as pure as Brooke's and his curiosity is completely like Lucas', but my best friend hid her son from me and his father because she was afraid of me. Lucas didn't know about Jamie because of me!"
"You can't blame yourself for that, Peyton. That was Brooke's decision. You didn't force her to keep Lucas' son from him, you were in LA with me, not Lucas. She chose all of it, she chose to hide her child, live in New York and become a stripper. Those decisions were not your fault," Julian protested.
"It still doesn't make me feel less like shit," Peyton sighed. "And, I'm still rattled that she cheated on me with my boyfriend. Yes, Luke and I broke up, but what does it say about our relationship if he was so okay jumping into bed with my best friend merely five minutes later? I know that I am a hypocrite for saying that because Lucas and I cheated on her, twice, but I don't know, I feel pissed off!" Peyton confessed. "It's Nathan and the sex tape all over again!"
"Excuse me, Sex Tape! What? You made a sex tape with Nathan!?" Julian yelled.
"No, Brooke and Nathan made one. Nathan and I had a fight. We always fought and we broke up for like the 100th time and then I fought with Brooke over something stupid at a party that I don't even remember and they got drunk and had sex and made a sex tape which got played at another party. So yeah, she does this! I punched her that time. She had a black eye at prom. I guess the black eye didn't teach her anything," she said.
"Now the stripping makes so much sense," Julian remarked.
"No! It really really doesn't. That was the old Brooke. The Brooke who always pined for male attention and thought that all she was was a pretty body. When she started dating Lucas, she changed so much. The party girl grew up and became this advocate. She became Student Body President and advocated for minimum wage and rights for these girls dressed in crab costumes."
"You really stop making sense to me after every second sentence," Julian said, unable to keep up.
"I'm sorry," Peyton chuckled. "Brooke really grew up. She was so helpful to everyone including me after the shooting, until she got to know that I kissed Lucas that day in the library. Brooke was always there for me, when my mom died; when my Dad's dredging boat was lost at sea; when I was drugged at a college party, she stayed up keeping watch all night; she saved me from getting raped; she saved me from psycho Derek - Ian Banks. He was really going to kill us both. Brooke has truly been there for me."
"Uhh, so are we angry with her or not?" Julian asked. A boy's thoughts were far less complex and more linear.
"I don't know. It's so complicated and the stripper stuff, how do I even begin to wrap my head around it? She left her infant son alone at night to take off her clothes and dance for men. What do you do with that information?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. You can't treat her differently because she stripped for cash after finding herself in a tough spot. Now, she is out of that industry. She is turning her life around, she has her new schtick in place. Your friend is Brooke, the Fashion Designer. That's it. Not a former stripper," Julian advised.
"Is that possible?" Peyton asked with an eye roll.
"Hey, you, a dark emo cheerleader are dating the guy who used to be the Mathlete in High School. But, now I'm your hot movie producer boyfriend. Does it matter that I was formerly a geeky mathlete?"
"That does make sense, everything but the hot part!" Peyton joked.
"Oh come here you!" Julian said and pulled her body into his arms to kiss her cheeks, making Peyton erupt into giggles.
"Peyton, should I be jealous of Lucas? You warned me that he is publishing a book involving your love story in High School and even Brooke seemed convinced that you and Lucas were meant to be," he asked. Now, it was Julian's time to get vulnerable.
"Baby, no! I swear. I am over Lucas. 16-year-old Peyton was really dark and emo and tortured and she wanted someone who understood her and Lucas had the same tortured energy. 21-year-old Peyton appreciates fun and light and rich!" she joked.
"So, you're with me for my money, huh?" Julian bantered.
"Money and contacts, baby! Mama wants to be big in the entertainment industry," she replied. Julian laughed on hearing that.
"Lucas really was a big part of my history, but it was High School. None of us knew what we needed in our partners. Well, except for Nathan and Haley, but how many times do those things work out? Besides, he has a family with Brooke now. I don't know, it's weird. I am still not okay, I am hurt and angry, but I can be mature about it now. I don't know how Lucas or Brooke feel about any of it, but I am glad to be out of Tree Hill and its crazy small-town drama."
"So, should I expect drama at the club we're meeting half the town at, tonight?" Julian asked.
"It really wouldn't end any other way out here! You can bet on some drama," Peyton joked.
"I'll take a really small dose, of it, thank you!" Julian replied, feeling slightly worried about what the night would bring. "So, what's on the agenda for the Tree Hill tour today?"
"Umm, the graveyard?" Peyton asked, feeling shy about saying it. "I want you to meet someone special there."
"Is Tree Hill haunted?" Julian asked, widening his eyes.
"You'll find out!" she replied with a devilish grin. "As much as I want to run away from Tree Hill, it's good to be home."