-I was going through my list of stories and saw this one and I just got the urge to write another chapter. If anyone's still reading it I'll consider continuing it, but as of right now I'm not sure if I will. For those of you who were reading it from the beginning so sorry for just stopping…forgive me please !!

It had been days since anyone had seen her. For the first time her doors were locked and her phones were all off. She had removed the spare key from outside because Brooke knew where it was. She stayed curled under her comforter in her parent's room. That's where she had been since she locked herself in her house over a week ago.

"Look…I broke two freaking credit cards and permanently damage my bank card to get in here…so" the brunette stopped ranting when she found Peyton's room empty. She sighed and leaned against the doorframe. She wasn't angry, she was just frustrated with herself…her best friend was hurting and she couldn't do a damn thing about it. Brooke was used to getting her way…whatever she wanted she got…the problem was that there was no amount of money or flirting that would bring Peyton's parents back. The whole situation was out of her hands and it bothered her to no end.

"Peyt…" the brunette walked slowly through the second floor of the house. She hesitantly opened the door the master bedroom and frowned when she saw the blonde laying in the bed. "Peyt…are you gunna talk to me…I mean…you don't have to…but I'm here…and…" The blonde didn't even acknowledge that someone was with her…she remained silent and still. Brooke walked around the bed and laid next to her. They were face to face one with a tear stained face and one just staring. "Despite what's been going on with us…I'm over it Peyton…and I'm here for you" More tears streamed down the brunette's face.

"Yeah…but why?" Brooke's face contorted in confusion as she listened to her friend's emotionless voice.

"What…"

"Why are you here…because if it's because of what happened then you should leave"

"Peyton…" the brunette protested the shock evident on her face.

"I don't want your pity Brooke…you wouldn't be anywhere near me if my dad hadn't just died…so I'd appreciate it if you just pretended it didn't happen and then you can go back to hating me…it'll be just like it was a few weeks ago." The blonde stayed focused on Brooke…waiting for her to get up and leave, but she didn't.

"I'm not here to pity you Peyton…I know better than that. I'm not gunna lie and say I'm not sorry all of this happened; because I am…you don't deserve to be going through this. But Peyt…I'm here because all of this just made me realize that life is way to short to spend time arguing over petty things."

"I went behind your back and made out with your boyfriend…that's not petty…neither is sleeping with a married man." Her voice was still dull and distant.

"This mess with Lucas happened months ago…I had a right to be pissed off…but lately I've just been holding a grudge because I didn't want to be the one to approach you…but with everything that just happened…Peyt, it's not worth it to throw 9 years of friendship over a boy…the only thing stopping our friendship was me and my pride…I just had to swallow it and learn to humble myself a little. Now sleeping with Nate…that was wrong…on sooo many levels…but he was just as wrong as you and I know neither of you we're thinking clearly. Don't think I support what you did…I'm just saying I can understand it."

"It didn't just happen that night you know." Brooke sighed and placed her fingertips on the bridge of her nose.

"Are you trying to push me away or something….to get me pissed at you so that I'll leave…because if you are…I think it might be working…see no stupid pity parties here." She placed the palm of her hands over her eyes with another deep sigh. "Damnit Peyton…what the hell were you thinking." She watched the blonde give a weak shrug.

"Which time" she watched Brooke glare at her…silently warning the blonde to watch her attitude. "Well if I'm busy indulging myself…in Nathan…then I don't have to think about the shit hole that has become my life" Brooke's glare softened as she watched tears glisten in the hazel eyes across from her. The brunette reached down and grabbed her best friend's chilled hands. "I don't have to feel anything I don't want to….everything just goes away…and…he just makes me feel like I'm okay…even if it's just for a little while." The tears finally broke free and slid across her pale skin.

"But it's not real Peyton…"

"I don't care…it doesn't have to make me feel all warm inside…as long as it makes the pain go away…I…I just need him to make it stop hurting. It works Brooke…and if I don't go to him I'm gunna go to someone else…because I know it doesn't need to be Nathan. It doesn't need to be anyone…I just need someone who can make it go away." She pulled her hand away from Brooke's and rolled over to face the opposite wall, away from the brunette's sadden gaze.

"Peyton…" Brooke reached out and placed her hand gently on the blonde's shoulder, but her hand was only shrugged off mere moments after it had been placed down.

"You don't have anything to worry about…it's done now…he's seeing things clearly again…I'm just the whore who was good for a one night stand because he and his wife were having issues. That's almost makes me a prostitute…except they get paid for their services…" Her voice was bitter, but pained at the same time. Nathan Scott had done a number on the blonde during the two years they were dating, and now he was apparently doing the same thing again.

"Peyt…" the brunette wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around the best friend that had always been there for her, the best friend who she couldn't find a way to help, the one who wouldn't let her close enough to even really try.

"Just leave Brooke…" her tone was sharp and it startled the usually cheery girl sitting on the edge of the bed. She hung her had dejectedly before standing up.

"Please let me in…" Brooke took one last glance at the bed, hoping to see Peyton turn around, hoping to hear her name called, but when neither happened she reluctantly walked out of the room. She knew it wouldn't be any use to keep berating the distraught girl with questions, all that would do is build her walls even higher.

She made her way down the stairs and towards the front door. When she pulled the door open she was shocked to see the youngest Scott standing in front of her getting ready to knock.

"What the hell are you doing here…" she hissed and she pushed him back so that she could step outside and close the door. The last thing Peyton needed was some surprise booty call from Nathan, she might be more than willing to oblige, but she didn't need it.

"I was worried about her. She hasn't been to school and I wanted to apologize…" He hadn't expected Brooke to come out of the house, and he definitely hadn't expected the death glare she was currently sending his way.

"You have no right to be here…you don't get to royally screw over my best friend and then just drop by her house to see how she's doing." The brunette crossed her arms firmly over her chest.

"Brooke…"

"She's doing just fine…without you…" she had no intention of budging from her position in front of the door.

"So when did you become her keeper…last I checked you two weren't friends…you didn't even like her." Nathan raised a brow and watched guilt flash across Brooke's face before the glare returned.

"She's my best friend Nathan…she always will be…real friend are there for each other no matter what…so right now it my job to keep her safe…safe from people that use her…people like you…"

"Look, stop making accusations…you don't know what the hell you're talking about…"

"Really…because she's not up there crying…she doesn't feel dirty and used…she feels nothing at all like your prostitute…" she watched the boy's face fall, but that didn't stop her from berating him. "How many times Nathan?" She can't say for sue that she really wants to know the answer to the question, but it's been plaguing her mind since Peyton said it happened more than once.

"Just drop it…" He turned around and started back down the walkway.

"How many times did you fuck her…" she followed him to his car, her pace quicker than his, allowing her to reach out and grab his arm.

"Brooke…" he warned. He was getting frustrated with everyone. First it was Lucas and now Brooke…they both thought he didn't give a shit about Peyton, that she meant absolutely nothing to him…that sleeping with her had been simply to forget about Haley.

"How many Nate….just how much did it take screw up her head…" she took a step back as he whirled around to face him, a definite fire in his eyes.

"I don't know Brooke…" she could tell he was getting pissed it was written all over his face and beyond evident in the tone of his voice.

"You don't know…how could you not know?" She shouldn't have kept going, she knew that, but she couldn't stop herself. She was angry with him simply because he should have known better, he should have stopped it. Once was bad enough…but it could be chalked up to bad judgment, but multiple times didn't have an excuse.

"Well it depends on how you're counting…if you're going by how many times I took her clothes off, 'cause that number's relatively small…but you could be asking about how many times I made her scream, or how many condoms we went through…I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find empty wrappers I missed, there were enough…and she enjoyed every last one of them" He would have kept going, but her hand dragging across his face shut him up. He knew he had said too much, he realized it the minute Brooke knocked him out of whatever screwed up set of mind he was in. He almost questioned where the words had come from, but he already knew…all of it was exactly something he would have said a year ago, he had become the cocky teenage jock he couldn't stand anymore.

"You stay the hell away her…" she pointed her finger firmly in his face before she turned and walked back into Peyton's house. It doesn't matter that Peyton told her to leave, Brooke was going to make sure that both Scott brothers stayed away from her friend, especially the one standing out on the front lawn, seemingly shocked by his own outburst.