Swish.

Lucas grabbed the ball and ran back to the foul line. He's been at it for a few hours now. As of lately he has been having terrible insomnia - that and because his mom has made it almost impossible to be comfortable. At least she let him keep his pillow. He didn't quite understand why she was overreacting the way she was. It was his life, his choice. He shouldn't have to feel pressured to do anything that didn't have anything to do with anyone else. To make matters worse, everyone seemed to be on Team Momma Roe. His friends froze him out - refusing to play basketball with him until he takes the test. It infuriated him that everyone seemed to think they had an opinion on what he should do. It made him feel as if what he wanted didn't matter.

He walked over to the bench and sat down. He loved this place. The river court was always his safe haven. Whenever he felt lost or wanted to be alone, he would take his basketball and make his way here to work out his frustration or just to sit and self reflect. It might have sounded silly but there was something about the light splashing of the water that calmed him. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear footsteps walking toward him.

"Hey." a soft raspy voice said, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He turned and was greeted with a smile from the one and only Brooke Davis.

"Hey to you too" he returned the smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I was going for my morning jogs and ended up here" she said with a nonchalant shrug.

He nodded his head without saying anything. Things between him and Brooke were weird. He was glad she was no longer holding a grudge toward him but they weren't quite back to before yet. He didn't even know if it were humanly possible to go back to how they were since he screwed up so badly. There was too much history there but that could never change the fact that she has become one of the most important people in his life - someone he couldn't imagine his life without.

"Are you okay Luke?" she asked quietly.

Lucas turned and looked at her - he could see the concern in her eyes. "I'm okay" he said with a small smile. "My mom told you?"

"She did… but why didn't you tell me?"

This time it was his turn to shrug. "I don't know."

"Seriously Luke. Why didn't you tell me?" By the tone, he could tell that she wanted an honest answer.

"I guess I just didn't feel that I could."

"You can always talk to me Lucas. You know that" she tried to reassure him.

"I couldn't Brooke." Luke shook his head without looking at her. He felt her hand loop around his waist as she hesitantly laid her head against him which he instinctively put his arm around her. Although he knows he has no right to be doing this, it felt so good to have her in his arms again. It just felt right.

"Lucas…" she trailed off after minutes of comfortable silence. "Why don't you want to take the test"

"Because I don't want things to change." he sighed. "Before I joined the basketball team, I was labeled as the reject Scott brother" he chuckled bitterly. "Then basketball changed that for me."

"Basketball isn't everything Luke…" Brooke interjected.

"It's not but it's a big part of my life Brooke. Without it, I wouldn't be here today. I wouldn't have met you..." he sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that even though it made me popular, it didn't define me because at the end of the day I will always be who I am but a heart condition will change that. I'm not going to be able to play basketball anymore. I'm going to have to always live my life in fear. If I do have the heart condition then I don't it to define me - controlling my life. I don't want everyone to constantly be worried about me. I just don't want a heart condition to be the only thing people see when they look at me."

Brooke nodded her head, understanding what he meant. Before she had met Lucas, she embraced the labels people gave her because at least if she embraced it - no one else could use it against her. He was the only one who was able to make her feel like it was okay to be who she truly was - that it was okay for her to be more.

"I get it Luke. Believe me I do but I care about you too much to pretend that this isn't a serious issue." She looked up to him and saw the infamous broody expression on his face. "I can go with you, if you would like…"

Luke turned to look at her and could see the fear in her eyes. She cared. After everything that he's done - all the pain that he caused her, she still cared about him. "Really?" He searched her eyes for any remorse but he couldn't find anything. Just pure concern for his well being.

"Of course Luke."

He pulled her into a hug and took in her scent - the light scent of strawberries that he had grown used to when they were still together. Instinctively, he would have kissed her forehead but he refrained from doing so because he knew it wasn't his place anymore. She wasn't his anymore - no matter how bad he wished she was.

He let out a small chuckle that earned him a confused glance.

"There's nothing funny about this Luke" she said seriously but it only made him laugh more.

"I know but that's not what I'm laughing at." he continued to laugh. "Everyone has been telling me to get tested for weeks. My mom has even gone as far as take everything away from me but my pillow and I still was firm on not taking the test and then somehow you manage to get me to say yes in less than 20 minutes."

This time she joined in on the laugh. "I am Brooke Davis after all" she said as she kinked her eyebrow.

He loved when she did that - kink her eyebrow. It was apart of her charm. One of the many things he fell for. He pulled her in closer, laying chin on top of her head. "Thank you Brooke." he said softly. "You're always there for me"

"And I always will be. But…." she pulled away from him slightly and grabbed the basketball. "Let's take a break from this until we find out what's going on."

"Alright Pretty Girl" he said with a small chuckle. "Whatever you want."

Doctors offices always made Lucas feel nervous. In his mind, nothing good ever comes out of a doctor's visit. No one goes to the doctors when they were feeling fine - visits were only made when people were feeling sick. The longer he sat, the more nervous he got. He bounced his leg anxiously as he waited for the nurse to call him back to take the test.

"Here." Brooke said - handing him a cup of coffee before taking a seat next to him. "It's not starbucks but it will do."

"Thank you" he said giving her a small smile. He took a sip and smiled. It surprised him that she actually remembered how he liked his coffee. If he were honest with himself, he remembered everything she liked and disliked.

"It's okay." She shrugged. She placed her hand on his lap comfortingly. "It's okay to be okay Luke"

Brooke could only imagine what was going on through the blonde boy's head. Although they were polar opposites, they did share a common defense mechanism. When things were bothering them, they shut down - not because they didn't want to talk but because they didn't want to burden anyone else. As much as she hated it when he did that, she was just as guilty.

"Lucas Scott." A nurse called from the door.

Lucas stood up and walked toward the nurse. "That's me" he said giving her a nervous smile.

"Follow me." The lady said nicely.

"Hey… is it okay if I bring her with me?" He said nodding his head toward the brunette girl he came with. "For moral support?" he added shyly.

"Of course." the nurse said with an understanding smile.

"Thank you" He said with a grateful smile and walked toward Brooke. "Do you mind coming with me?" He asked unsure - he reached out his hand nervously.

"Of course Broody." she took his hand and followed him to the back where the nurse was waiting for them.

"All set?" the nurse asked. They both nodded and lead them to the room where Lucas took the seat on the examining bed and Brooke taking a seat in the chair next to him - hands still intertwined. Every now and then, he could feel Brooke give his hand a comforting squeeze to remind him that she was there for him - every step of the way.

It took about an hour before the doctor finished his physical test. The only thing left was a blood test.

"I'll be right back" the nurse said.

"Okay." Lucas nodded slowly as he took a deep breath. He hated needles so much. If it weren't for the alcohol courage and Brooke, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have been able to have gone through with the matching tattoo he had on his shoulder. Although he didn't remember the actually night he got it, he remember vividly how painful the healing process was. Damn infection.

"It's almost over" Brooke said as she got up and embraced him and gave him a soft kiss on his cheek.

"The only thing missing is a few beers" he joked causing her to laugh. She knew exactly what he was referring to. "You know I don't regret the tattoo right?" he added.

"Are you sure?" she asked, kinking her eyebrow with the famous smirk playing on her lips.

"I'll never regret this tattoo. Ever"

"Good because it's permanent" she joked back.

"I told you that night. I think that tattoo is very… very sexy" he teased back. "Although it looks a lot better on you than it does on me".

"Now that's something we can both agree on" she teased back.

"Brooke, can I ask you a favor" he asked with a nervous chuckle. He knew the weight of the question he was going to ask was not going to be taken lightly. "It's a lot to ask but…"

"Luke, whatever it is… just ask"

"Okay." he nodded slowly. "I need you to promise me that whatever the test says, it stays between us."

"Luke...-"

"Please Brooke. I don't want anyone to be worried about me. My mom has so much to worry about already and I don't want to add to that." he pleaded with her. He could see the wheels turning in her head - she was putting heavy thoughts into her response. It felt like forever before she finally responded.

"Okay Broody… it's our little secret but you have to promise me something"

"Okay." he nodded his head slowly. "What am I promising?"

"You have to promise me that you will always tell me what you are feeling. And if you do have this heart condition, you have to always let me know if something ever feels off." there was a brief pause. "I just want to always be in the loop when it comes to you.

He smiled before raising his pinky. "Pinky Promise"

She intertwined her pinky with his. It's become their tradition. He used to think it was silly and would constantly tease her when she would make him pinky promise her when it was a serious matter but it made her heart melt a bit that he still remembered.

"I missed you Lucas Scott."

"I missed you too… Pretty Girl"