Chapter 4

"Aunt Brooke?" Jamie said, questions shown in his little blue eyes. "What happened?"

"Sweetie..." She started. "I..." She was cut off by Nathan walking in.

"J. Scott, let's go. Your mom is waiting in the car."

"Ok..." Jamie got up and walked to the door. "Bye Aunt Brooke, I hope you're okay." He lowered his head and walked out.

Nathan closed the door behind Jamie.

"Hey." He smiled sadly at her.

"Hey Nate." She smiled a bit forced,

"I have to go." Nathan said, hearing the horn honk. "But I'll come by later, I have to talk to you about some stuff." He hugged her and walked out.

"So Jamie left?" Luke asked, now joining Brooke.

"Yep.." She said uncomfortably and rushed to her room.

Brooke sighed as she stared into her mirror, dissappointed that her bruises had barely gone down.

She stared at the red words she wrote on the mirror. Words like revenge, payback...etc, all painted on her mirror. She flashed back to the night of the attack, sending shivers up her spine. She felt a hand tap her shoulder, causing her to jump and sob loudly, as she was already in tears.

"Brooke.." Lucas caught her in his arms and consoled her, while he stared at the frightening red words.

"What is all this?"

"I have to tell you something.." She said after she calmed down.

Lucas nodded, bracing himself for what he was about to hear, he knew it was bad.

"I was attacked." Brooke looked down, ashamed, as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Lucas swallowed hard as he tried process the information that he had just received. He was feeling mixed feelings. He was angry at the person who did this to his pretty girl, he was sad that it had to happen to her, and he was hurt that she felt the need to hide it from him. He had so many things to say, but he remained calm for Brooke's sake. She looked so broken.

"When?" Lucas finally asked, his jaw tightening.

"The night you and Peyton went off to Vegas. I was locking up and he...he came in and..grabbed me before I could stop him.." Brooke said in a shaky voice, her bottom lip trembling.

Lucas felt his stomach turn at the sight of Brooke's body shaking violently in front of him as she explained what happened to her. Every detail. Tears were falling freely from her eyes, and Lucas simply couldn't take it anymore.

He sat her down with him on the couch, holding onto her tightly and felt tears rolling down his cheeks. "It's okay baby. It won't happen again, I promise." Lucas whispered softly.

After the crying subsided, Lucas spoke. "Hey, why don't you stay here and I'll go find us something to eat." He suggested, and began to stand, only to be pulled down by Brooke's hand.

"I'm scared." She said in a small voice while staring in fear at the door.

"It's locked Brooke." He tried to reassure her, but her face remained the same.

"Come on." He wrapped the blanket around her and lifted her off the couch in his arms. She winced in pain because he was touching the huge bruise on her back.

She tried to hide it and bit her lip, but Lucas could tell something was wrong so he sat her on the chair in the kitchen.

"What's wrong?" He asked, examining her.

"Nothing, I'm ok." She answered as she rubbed the bruised part on her back.

Lucas saw her rubbing a spot on her back and started to get worried.

"let me see." He said softly.

She shook her head, she hadn't let anyone see these bruises which lay on her body.

"Please lift up your shirt, let me see." He tried again, staring into her eyes.

She never could resist those eyes. "Fine.." She sighed.

She slowly lifted her shirt up, revealing the bruises on her back to Lucas. He sighed, quickly becoming angry at the person who did this to his pretty girl. He stood in front of her, the huge bruise that lay on her stomach coming into his view. She started at him uncomfortably as he looked like he was read to bite someone's head off.

Lucas grabbed his jacket and keys. "Come on."

Brooke looked confused.

"I'm dropping you off at Nathan and Haley's and then I'm.."

He tailed off, not once looking at her. He seriously looked as if he could kill someone.

"What are you doing Luke?" She pulled his arm, forcing him to look at her.

"You said you think Victoria had something to do with it." He paused for a moment, looking away from her, with a distant, cold look in his eyes.

"I'm gonna kill him..for ever laying a hand on you." He spat.

"Luke no, its not worth it."She pulled him from the door.

"Baby.." He blurted out without thinking. "Ok, but I'm staying here."

Brooke's heart beated faster at the name. "What about Peyton?"

"What about her?" He hadn't even thought about Peyton the whole time he was at Brooke's.

"Well, I mean..you live with her. She's probably worried about you."

"Brooke, I'm not leaving you alone."

"I'm fine.."

"No your not." He said firmly.

"Yes I am." She said stubbornly.

"Look, I'm not leaving."

"I can take care of myself."

"No you can't, " He said, but quickly regretted it.

"Excuse me?" Brooke said, offended, She begin to push herself away from him.

"I didn't mean.."

"Get out." She said coldly.

"No I.."

"Out!" She screamed and pushed him. "Go see your soon to be wife."

He could have sworn that he saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes when she mentioned Peyton, but she quickly hid it as she pushed him out of the door,