Prologue

Brooke couldn't believe what was happening. How could this happen again? She felt like her entire world was falling down around her, and there was no one to call for help. The last time, she had been hurt. The last time, she had loved him. But this wasn't last time. Last time was like a warm spring day compared to this. She had given him every piece of her. She didn't just love him, she cherished and practically worshipped him. And she had finally gotten to a point where she wasn't insecure about their relationship. She could be indepeendent, and she thought that meant that they finally were at a good place together. How could Peyton do this, again?

Peyton. She couldn't think about Peyton right now, and didn't want to for as long as she lived.

Her head hurt immensly. Half from sobbing her eyes out, the other half from trying to rationalize this all out. From trying to find something good in what had just happened.

She had gone to the hospital that night, right after she got the call that there had been an accident. She didn't really know how Lucas was involved, but she knew he was there, and needed to know he was ok. That maybe they could still be ok. As angry as she was, she wasn't ready to lose him. The last time she saw him was at Nathan and Haley's wedding, where they danced, and for a moment everything was ok. How quickly that all fell apart.

At the hospital, she walked along a corrider trying to find everyone, or just someone. And she heard that voice. That awful voice of her former best friend was right around the corner. Brooke stopped in her tracks..

"Lucas, we need to talk..." she heard Peyton say.

"Yeah, actually we do, have you talked to Brooke? Is she ok?" he replied

Brooke smiled to herself to know that she was the first thought on his mind. Maybe there was hope for them. Even with Peyton right in front of him, he cared about her first.

"No, Lucas, not about Brooke. I need to talk about us"

"Us?"

"Lucas, I love you. And I always have. Me and you, we're perfect, and we're always gonna have that thing between us. You know it's there and I just know that I'm the one for you, Lucas. Not Broo-"

Brooke came out from around the corner.

"Not me?" she screamed

"How can you do this to me Peyton. You said you weren't going to act on it, that you were going to prove to me that our friendship was more important than any boy or any feeling. You failed Peyton. Don't ever speak to me again." Brooke hissed.

"Brooke.. " Lucas started.

"No Lucas! I can't do this anymore. I can't live in fear, and I know that as long as we're together it'll be there. I can't be insecure. Even if we worked this out, her friendship to you would be a plague on me. I can't Lucas. I'm sorry, I love you so much. Despite what she says, I am the one for you. But I think God is trying to tell me something right now, and it's that neither of you can be trusted. I can't do that to myself. We're done." And with that she left. As much as she wanted to be there for Haley and Nathan, hot Uncle Cooper, and even Rachel, she had to get out of there or she was going to be sick.

She got into her car, and just started driving, not knowing where she was going.

- - - - -

"What is the matter with you Peyton?" Lucas demanded.

"Lucas, I had to tell you."

"What about Jake? What about both of us being happy again? What about me being completely in love with BROOKE!?!?"

"Lucas, I went to Jake. I love him so much, but I think I may love you more."

"You think? You just ruined the best thing I ever had because you think you may love me? You know what Peyton? Don't talk to me either." Lucas left her there alone, tears forming in her eyes.

He grabbed his cell phone, and repeatedly called Brooke, although he knew she wouldn't answer. He would keep trying, and as many calls and voice mails it took for her to realize it, he wasn't going anywhere.

- - - - -

Brooke could hear her phone ringing that tune. That stupid song. The one that meant Lucas was calling. Over and over again. Call, voice mail, call, voice mail. She picked it up and called her voice mail. She typed in her security code - 5853 (which spelled Luke on the phone) - and listened. At least she could hear his voice.

"Brooke don't do this. Please come back to the hospital and talk to me. I LOVE YOU BROOKE. Remember why? Because you kink your eyebrow when you're trying to be cute. And you quote Keimoo, even though I've never actually seen you read. And because, you miss your parents, but you'll never ever admit that. This is the third embarassing speech I've given, and they've all been to you. I want to be with you, not Peyton, remember? I love you Brooke. Please don't leave me. "

God that boy had a way with words. He could make her melt with just three words. With any word. She knew he was sincere, but her fear kept her going. Confused, heartbroken and alone, Brooke didn't know what to do next.

"I know how to solve this. Oh mighty radio, what should I do about Lucas?"

She spun the dial on the radio in her VW Beetle, and when her heart felt it was the right time to stop, this is what she heard :

"There's no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things like a shoebox of photographs with sepia-toned loving
Love is the answerat least for most of the questions in my heart
Why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together"

If that wasn't a sign from God, Brooke didn't know what was. She decided to head back to Lucas, she knew they could work this out.

Lucas.

That was all that was on her mind. Not the left handed turn she was making, or the car that she turned in front of.

Just Lucas, and getting back to him.

She didn't notice the car that came crashing into the side of her car.