The Secrets We Keep

Two days earlier..

"Happy anniversary babe…two days early," Julian whispered into Brooke's ear. His hands skimming around her waist as he kissed her neck.

"Happy anniversary," Brooke smiled at her boyfriend. "How did one year go by so fast?"

"I have no idea," Julian laughed, "but I am taking you out to dinner to celebrate when I get home."

"I can't imagine not having you in my life, you are the sweetest."

They kissed goodbye for a long time in the foyer, before Julian picked up his luggage and headed out the door. He was going to be spending a few weeks on a movie set in South Carolina. This is the longest they would be apart since they met last year. Julian had come to town to produce a movie on one of Lucas's novels and they had become inseparable ever since. Julian had told Brooke he knew he was falling in love with her the moment he saw her.

Present day…

Brooke decided at the last minute to visit Julian on location in South Carolina to surprise him for their first anniversary. She would have never guessed how a simple change in plans could turn her life upside down. She was waiting in his hotel lobby for almost a half hour when she finally saw his car pull up. Her pulse raced thinking of how happy he would be to see her. But a moment later her heart sank when she saw Lindsay Strauss-Scott step out of the passenger door. She couldn't believe her eyes. Lindsay's blond hair was curled and falling in waves down her shoulders and she was wearing a red halter dress. She stepped up on the curb and waited as Julian handed the keys to the valet attendant. Then he joined Lindsay and immediately pressed his lips against hers before reaching for her hand and heading into the hotel.

Brooke ducked behind a large plant and watched the pair walk across the marble floor of the hotel lobby and up to the elevators. If Julian had taken a look back over his shoulder, he would have almost certainly seen Brooke, but of course he was too busy soaking in every moment with Lindsay. They were talking in a way that seemed very intimate and Brooke noticed Julian never let go of Lindsay's hand.

Julian leaned in and kissed Lindsay so long a few people waiting at the elevators with them turned to stare.

After they were gone, Brooke collapsed into a nearby couch. So many feelings coursed through her veins, but mainly she felt hurt and deceived.

She wondered how Lindsay could do this to Lucas her husband of three years? She wished she had never come here. She gathered up her purse and returned to her car before she began to cry.

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Meanwhile back in his office, Lucas reviewed the list of revisions to his latest novel that Lindsay had given him from the publisher. She was out of town assisting another author with a book contract. Lindsay was always driven and an unbelievably hard worker, even now that she was pregnant with their first child. He pulled the ultrasound photo out of his desk drawer and stared at it in awe. At 26, he was an uncle to two but the thought of having his own child that was a blend of him and Lindsay was something else. They planned to wait until Lindsay was out of her first trimester to announce their news.

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Nicki bent down and squeezed Jennifer's cheeks hard.

"I thought I told you to wait inside the library," she said, scowling at her daughter.

"I did," seven-year-old Jenny said, "the librarians kept asking where my mom was at."

"That's no excuse," Nicki snapped. She had left Jenny at the library so she could visit her old boyfriend Chris and have some privacy. She was also hoping he could spare her some cash as she was again behind on rent. He offered her to come on tour with his band, but only if she ditched her kid somewhere.

"Story-time was over and you didn't come back like you promised," Jenny whined.

"Just shut-up, I've been busy workin," Nicki shouted, texting away on her phone. She wished she wasn't out of cigarettes. In the old days, she could find anyone in a bar to pick up her tab.

"I'm hungry mommy. When are we going home?" Jenny asked, pulling on Nicki's sleeve.

"Don't touch me!" Nicki snapped angrily. Seven years of parenthood, a long string of failed jobs and boyfriends. All she wanted was to go on tour with the Wreckers and feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins again. Maybe it was time to turn her over to her father, unfortunately Jenny looked so much like Nicki it was impossible to tell if her father was Luke or Jake.

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It was already the next evening and Brooke had spent the entire day moving her stuff out of Julian's house and into Jake and Peyton's basement. It was only a temporary solution of course, but she was grateful for a place to go.

"Ethan really adores his little sister," Brooke commented to Peyton as she watched four-year-old Ethan and three-year-old Elizabeth playing on their swing set. They were enjoying the beautiful May weather and sipping margaritas. Jake was cooking on the grill.

Peyton smiled, "yeah, they are the cutest."

After high school, Peyton married Jake and he worked as an accountant while she quit her job to stay home with the kids.

"Thanks for letting me stay here," Brooke said.

"You can stay as long as you need. I just don't understand why you don't confront Julian. You should have yelled at him and embarrassed him in front of his side piece," Peyton said.

"I guess I just froze. I never thought he could do this to me. He never gave me a reason to doubt him or I would have never moved in with him."

"Do you think this is the first time?" Peyton wanted to know.

"I have no clue."

"Maybe this other girl doesn't even know about you," Peyton said.

"I have a feeling she does." Brooke had to choose her words carefully because she still couldn't bring herself to tell Peyton who Julian was cheating with. She found it hard to have information that could ruin Luke's marriage. It was bad enough her own relationship was over.

"I never saw this coming," Brooke continued. "If only I hadn't gone to Charleston."

"But wouldn't you want to know before things got more serious? Could you imagine if this happened after you were married or had kids together?"

"No," Brooke's heart sunk thinking of Luke's own wife cheating.

Jake took a break from the grill. He sat next to Peyton, wrapping his arms around her and she happily snuggles against him.

"Sorry about everything going on," he says. "It's hard to believe. Then again we don't know much about his past in L.A."

"He moved here to be with Brooke. What is he thinking?" Peyton wondered.

Jake shook his head, "it's hard to understand. Has he messaged you at all since he left?" Jake asked.

"Just a few behind the scenes pictures of himself working on the movie set. Said he's been so busy," Brooke told them.

"Clearly," Peyton said sarcastically.