The तालिका, टेबल had been silent. Ever since the arrival of Haley and Nathan, things had simply gotten worse. To call it awkward would be an understatement. Brooke had managed to keep her eyes down on to her plate for the entire lunch, so far. Not that it really mattered. No one was really paying attention to anything except their food.
Deb had simply received complements on her cooking, and then the तालिका, टेबल had fallen silent. Everyone had been holding their breath, wondering who the first degrading टिप्पणी दे would be made towards.
“Nate, could आप pass the mashed potatoes?” Lucas asked his brother quietly. Everyone around the तालिका, टेबल silently thanked him for being the one to break the silence.
“Sure. Here आप go.” Nathan handed him the bowl, and then looked around the table. His eyes landed on his sister in law. The poor girl looked as if she were about to explode. Frankly, he didn’t blame her.
Dan looked over at Lucas, a smile crossing over his features. The man was everything he’d ever hoped for in a son. He was good looking, responsible, rich, and still talented at basketball.
Then his eyes landed on Nathan, the son he’d raised for sixteen years. A frown grew on his face. How ungrateful Nathan had always been never ceased to amaze him. And what he’d become was just a disgrace to the family. Married at sixteen, and now a man of absolutely nothing. The boy still lived in a cramped one bedroom apartment, for God’s sake!
“So,” Dan smirked, “How’s it been going, Nathan?”
“It’s been fine, Dad.”
“Still an ‘architect’?” Dan used air कोट्स around the word ‘architect’, causing everyone at the तालिका, टेबल to roll their eyes. He’d always managed to find a way to degrade his son.
“Yeah. And apparently you’re still an asshole.” Haley quietly scolded her husband, but it was to no avail.
Dan simply laughed. “This coming from the man that lives off his wife’s paycheck.”
“Oh, आप are so out of line.” Deb spoke through gritted teeth.
Lucas, always the peacemaker, attempted to stop the family. “Come on, Guys. Not now.”
“Honestly Nathan, is there no way आप can possibly be like your brother?” Dan gestured towards Lucas.
“Dan!” Deb’s fists tightened.
“That’s funny, Dad. Up until a few years ago, all आप ever told me was that आप were happy I wasn’t like him..” Nathan chuckled.
“Look, this was obviously a mistake. Maybe we should just go..” Haley stood, but Deb held out a hand to stop her.
“Nonsense. I invited आप two to this lunch because I wanted आप here. Don’t let Dan’s childish behavior push आप away.”
“Deb,” Dan laughed, “I’d hardly call it childish. I’m just saying-”
“I know what you’re saying, Dan.”
Lucas sighed. “Deb..”
“It’s not your place, Lucas.” The blonde woman replied, her eyes never leaving her husband’s.
“Don’t say that to him. Lucas is just as much a part of this family as Nathan..”
The arguing continued once और between the two parties. Lucas and Haley attempted to make peace, and interject a few times, but it was for no reason. The तालिका, टेबल was soon full of insults and anger being thrust around.
Tears filled Brooke’s eyes, and she scolded herself mentally. “I need to use the restroom.” She excused herself.
Lucas sighed, but let her go. She wasn’t heard द्वारा anyone else, really, because the तालिका, टेबल was so loud compared to her quiet voice.
Nathan watched after her. She’d been through so much. Over the years, and especially now. And from the looks of it, she was breaking. Brooke Davis-Scott was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she’d been in high school.
“Uh, I have to go to the bathroom.” He stood, following in her general direction.
He found her in one of the many bathrooms of the house. The door was slightly ajar, and she sat with her back against the bath tub, her legs stretched out in front of her.
He smiled softly, and took a सीट beside her.
“Are आप okay?” He asked carefully, after a few moments.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She smiled - but it was fake. He wondered if all her smiles had been fake, over the years.
“Sorry about everything in there. That’s the last thing आप deserve.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged.
Nathan looked over her profile. Her face had a really pretty shape. She had a perfect nose, and her lips were located at exactly the right place beneath it.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Brooke.”
She bit her lip. “Why does everyone always think I’m lying when I say I’m okay? Nathan, if I कहा I was fine, I meant it!”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just get worried about आप sometimes, Brooke.”
“I’m sure.”
“Come on, don’t be like that,” She almost smiled, turning to look him in the eyes, “You know you’ve always been my friend. Since like, the fifth grade. I care about you, whether या not आप believe me.”
“Thanks.” A genuine smile crossed over her lips. It was tiny; barely enough to दिखाना the large dimples in her cheeks.
“I know that everything’s been tough for आप lately. But I want आप to know I’m here. I’m not just your husband’s brother, आप know.” He nudged her, and she giggled.
“Thanks, Nate.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him so that he could place a किस on her forehead.
“I miss the old you, Brooke Davis.” He whispered against her hair.
“Me too.” A solitary tear ran down her cheek.
The two stood up, and Brooke nodded thankfully, before leaving. He watched after her and sighed, taking a सीट on the edge of the bath tub.
Now, to deal with his own problems..
-
“Thanks for lunch, Deb.” Brooke hugged her mother-in-law awkwardly.
“Thank आप for coming, Brooke. I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.”
“Don’t sweat it.” She grabbed Lucas’s hand, pulling him towards the door.
“Lucas,” Deb stopped him, “Um, today, I didn’t mean-”
“I know,” Lucas smiled warmly, reaching out to give her a hug, “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Deb nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “You have a great heart, Lucas. And आप too, Brooke. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s आप two.”
“Thanks, Deb.”
The two left quickly, and as they drove off, Lucas turned towards Brooke.
“That wasn’t as bad as it could have been, was it?”
“No. Not quite that bad.” Brooke said, remembering her conversation with Nathan.
Deb had simply received complements on her cooking, and then the तालिका, टेबल had fallen silent. Everyone had been holding their breath, wondering who the first degrading टिप्पणी दे would be made towards.
“Nate, could आप pass the mashed potatoes?” Lucas asked his brother quietly. Everyone around the तालिका, टेबल silently thanked him for being the one to break the silence.
“Sure. Here आप go.” Nathan handed him the bowl, and then looked around the table. His eyes landed on his sister in law. The poor girl looked as if she were about to explode. Frankly, he didn’t blame her.
Dan looked over at Lucas, a smile crossing over his features. The man was everything he’d ever hoped for in a son. He was good looking, responsible, rich, and still talented at basketball.
Then his eyes landed on Nathan, the son he’d raised for sixteen years. A frown grew on his face. How ungrateful Nathan had always been never ceased to amaze him. And what he’d become was just a disgrace to the family. Married at sixteen, and now a man of absolutely nothing. The boy still lived in a cramped one bedroom apartment, for God’s sake!
“So,” Dan smirked, “How’s it been going, Nathan?”
“It’s been fine, Dad.”
“Still an ‘architect’?” Dan used air कोट्स around the word ‘architect’, causing everyone at the तालिका, टेबल to roll their eyes. He’d always managed to find a way to degrade his son.
“Yeah. And apparently you’re still an asshole.” Haley quietly scolded her husband, but it was to no avail.
Dan simply laughed. “This coming from the man that lives off his wife’s paycheck.”
“Oh, आप are so out of line.” Deb spoke through gritted teeth.
Lucas, always the peacemaker, attempted to stop the family. “Come on, Guys. Not now.”
“Honestly Nathan, is there no way आप can possibly be like your brother?” Dan gestured towards Lucas.
“Dan!” Deb’s fists tightened.
“That’s funny, Dad. Up until a few years ago, all आप ever told me was that आप were happy I wasn’t like him..” Nathan chuckled.
“Look, this was obviously a mistake. Maybe we should just go..” Haley stood, but Deb held out a hand to stop her.
“Nonsense. I invited आप two to this lunch because I wanted आप here. Don’t let Dan’s childish behavior push आप away.”
“Deb,” Dan laughed, “I’d hardly call it childish. I’m just saying-”
“I know what you’re saying, Dan.”
Lucas sighed. “Deb..”
“It’s not your place, Lucas.” The blonde woman replied, her eyes never leaving her husband’s.
“Don’t say that to him. Lucas is just as much a part of this family as Nathan..”
The arguing continued once और between the two parties. Lucas and Haley attempted to make peace, and interject a few times, but it was for no reason. The तालिका, टेबल was soon full of insults and anger being thrust around.
Tears filled Brooke’s eyes, and she scolded herself mentally. “I need to use the restroom.” She excused herself.
Lucas sighed, but let her go. She wasn’t heard द्वारा anyone else, really, because the तालिका, टेबल was so loud compared to her quiet voice.
Nathan watched after her. She’d been through so much. Over the years, and especially now. And from the looks of it, she was breaking. Brooke Davis-Scott was no longer the happy-go-lucky girl she’d been in high school.
“Uh, I have to go to the bathroom.” He stood, following in her general direction.
He found her in one of the many bathrooms of the house. The door was slightly ajar, and she sat with her back against the bath tub, her legs stretched out in front of her.
He smiled softly, and took a सीट beside her.
“Are आप okay?” He asked carefully, after a few moments.
“I’m fine. Thanks.” She smiled - but it was fake. He wondered if all her smiles had been fake, over the years.
“Sorry about everything in there. That’s the last thing आप deserve.”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged.
Nathan looked over her profile. Her face had a really pretty shape. She had a perfect nose, and her lips were located at exactly the right place beneath it.
“You don’t have to lie to me, Brooke.”
She bit her lip. “Why does everyone always think I’m lying when I say I’m okay? Nathan, if I कहा I was fine, I meant it!”
“Alright, I’m sorry. I just get worried about आप sometimes, Brooke.”
“I’m sure.”
“Come on, don’t be like that,” She almost smiled, turning to look him in the eyes, “You know you’ve always been my friend. Since like, the fifth grade. I care about you, whether या not आप believe me.”
“Thanks.” A genuine smile crossed over her lips. It was tiny; barely enough to दिखाना the large dimples in her cheeks.
“I know that everything’s been tough for आप lately. But I want आप to know I’m here. I’m not just your husband’s brother, आप know.” He nudged her, and she giggled.
“Thanks, Nate.”
He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her closer to him so that he could place a किस on her forehead.
“I miss the old you, Brooke Davis.” He whispered against her hair.
“Me too.” A solitary tear ran down her cheek.
The two stood up, and Brooke nodded thankfully, before leaving. He watched after her and sighed, taking a सीट on the edge of the bath tub.
Now, to deal with his own problems..
-
“Thanks for lunch, Deb.” Brooke hugged her mother-in-law awkwardly.
“Thank आप for coming, Brooke. I’m so sorry things turned out the way they did.”
“Don’t sweat it.” She grabbed Lucas’s hand, pulling him towards the door.
“Lucas,” Deb stopped him, “Um, today, I didn’t mean-”
“I know,” Lucas smiled warmly, reaching out to give her a hug, “Take care of yourself, okay?”
Deb nodded, squeezing his shoulder. “You have a great heart, Lucas. And आप too, Brooke. If anyone deserves happiness, it’s आप two.”
“Thanks, Deb.”
The two left quickly, and as they drove off, Lucas turned towards Brooke.
“That wasn’t as bad as it could have been, was it?”
“No. Not quite that bad.” Brooke said, remembering her conversation with Nathan.