Among The Shadows

The Confession

Brooke regarded Peyton with wide eyes and inquired, 'Wait, why?' She walked around the island to position herself in front of the blonde and continued, 'Have you lost your mind? How is Lucas handling this?' as she gazed into Peyton's eyes.

'No, I haven't lost my mind,' Peyton replied, meeting Brooke's intense hazel gaze. 'Then why did you call off the engagement?' Brooke inquired, feeling partly relieved and partly puzzled by Peyton's decision.

Brooke patiently waited for Peyton to explain, feeling as though an eternity had passed standing next to the island. 'Alright, little miss Detective, firstly, when did this turn into an interrogation? Secondly, if you take a step back, I'll explain everything,' Peyton clarified.

With arms crossed, Brooke pushed back slightly and insisted, 'I'm not a detective.' 'At this moment, you certainly are one,' Peyton retorted with a chuckle.

"Indeed, if you wish to know the reason behind my actions regarding Brooke, I will share it with you," Peyton stated, gazing into the hazel eyes of the younger woman. "So, what is your inquiry?" Brooke inquired, positioning herself against the island.

Peyton paused, then confessed, "I halted the engagement because I have developed feelings for someone else," the blonde admitted, turning to her friend. As Brooke recalled the kiss they shared before her hospital visit, she pondered whether she was the cause. She hoped that their friendship would not be jeopardized by this realization.

Hoping that Peyton's kiss stemmed from genuine feelings and not just as an experiment for someone else, Brooke hesitantly asked, "Whom do you harbor feelings for, and for how long?" Drawing closer to the brunette, Peyton reached for her hand.

"Would you like to know?" She inquired, her green eyes revealing affection for the younger woman.

Brooke expressed her desire not to be kept in suspense as she blushed and Peyton held her hand, saying, 'Alright, remember you told me to.' Peyton then leaned closer to Brooke's lips.

Brooke observed Peyton moving into her personal space, but she didn't seem to mind. She wondered if Peyton felt the same way as she did. Closing her eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

Peyton whispered into Brooke's ear, 'I have feelings for you, Brooke Davis,' causing chills to run down Brooke's spine. 'Wait, what?' Brooke asked, stepping back to ascertain if Peyton was joking.

With her mouth slightly open, Brooke blinked and asked, 'You...do...what, when?' Peyton laughed at the brunette and replied, 'Yes, Brooke, I'm in love with you.'

‘I have harbored feelings for quite some time, but I have only come to realize them recently,’ Peyton stated, gazing at Brooke with a smile. ‘It wasn't until I started seeing Luke that I fully grasped these emotions.’

Upon hearing Peyton's confession, Brooke's hazel eyes glistened with emotion. She found it hard to believe that Peyton reciprocated her feelings. ‘I, too, have struggled to express my feelings beyond friendship,’ Brooke admitted in a soft tone, her eyes shifting downwards.

Peyton's smile widened upon knowing that they were on the same page. ‘Shall we explore this further? Would you like to give us a chance?’ Peyton inquired, still grasping Brooke's hand.

‘Are you certain that Luke will be accepting of this? You just ended things with him to pursue a relationship with another woman,’ Brooke asked anxiously, not wanting to be the reason for any rift between Peyton and Lucas.

Peyton shook her head, assuring Brooke, ‘He will come to terms with it.’ She looked deeply into Brooke's hazel eyes and added, ‘The others will understand as well.’ With a promise made, she playfully kissed Brooke's nose.

Brooke slightly wrinkled her face as Peyton kissed her nose. 'So, what do you wish to do now?' Brooke inquired, gazing into the blonde's eyes. 'Well, we could always bake some cookies,' Peyton suggested with a smile. 'I'm not sure if I can stand for too long, but I'm fine with sitting and watching TV,' Brooke replied, grinning.

Peyton nodded in agreement. 'I'm fine with watching a movie. Why don't you prepare the movie, and I'll get the snacks,' she proposed. Brooke nodded, heading to the TV and picking up the remote. 'What do you feel like watching?' the brunette asked as she browsed through the available movies and shows.

'Let's watch a show; choose one that you think we'll enjoy,' Peyton suggested as she put a bag of popcorn in the microwave. Brooke smiled as she searched through Netflix to find a show they hadn't watched yet. She clicked on 'Supernatural' and said, 'Sounds good,' before pressing play and pause.

Upon grabbing a tray and pouring the popcorn into a bowl with some butter and salt, Peyton proceeded to select other snacks and soda. "Ready?" she inquired. Brooke, responding with a smile, expressed her hope for a pleasant evening of cuddling.

"Yep," she affirmed, pressing play as her girlfriend settled in beside her, placing the tray of food on the coffee table. With her arms wrapped around the shorter woman's shoulders, the blond inquired, "So, what would you like to do tomorrow?" Brooke pondered the question.

"I honestly don't know. Perhaps try something new, like horseback riding?" she suggested with a smile, mentioning her desire to ride a horse, having only experienced riding in a horse-drawn wagon.

Peyton smiled in agreement. "I'm confident we can locate a nearby stable to do that. But do you have experience riding a horse?" she questioned, observing Brooke's expression shifting into a pout. "No," the brunette admitted.

"Neither can I, but I am confident that we can find a solution. I believe it should not be too difficult," Peyton remarked with a smile, and the two women embraced, settling down to watch the show that was on.

Brooke was taken aback when she noticed soft snoring nearby. Peering over her shoulder, she saw that Peyton had drifted off during the sixth episode of Supernatural. She couldn't resist smiling as she leaned in to kiss Peyton's cheek.

The brunette then nestled further into the blonde's arms, preparing to drift off to sleep herself, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door.

Groaning, Brooke reluctantly rose to her feet and made her way to the door, muttering, "Coming." As she opened the door, she was greeted by a familiar face.

"Luke?" she inquired, seeing the blond man outside. "I came to see if I could speak to Peyton," Lucas stated.

Brooke reported, 'She is currently asleep,' as she observed Lucas' entrance seemingly disregarding Brooke's feelings or urgency to speak with Peyton.

Despite her own physical discomfort, Brooke attempted to halt Lucas from awakening Peyton, suggesting, 'Luke, please refrain from this action. Allow me to relay the message.' In response, Lucas asserted, 'I need Peyton to clarify that her previous statement was merely in jest.'

Despite Brooke's attempt to intervene and explain Peyton's slumber, Lucas insisted on speaking with her, prompting Brooke to stand her ground.

Even though she was enduring pain, Brooke stood resolute, informing Lucas, 'I regret to inform you, but you must depart.' Despite Brooke's plea, Lucas remained present.

Lucas expressed his confusion as to why Brooke was preventing him from seeing Peyton at that moment. "I believe you are deliberately keeping her away from me, Brooke, and I will not tolerate it," he accused, his blue eyes locking onto Brooke's hazel eyes. Startled by the accusation, Brooke asked, "And why would I do that?

" Lucas replied sharply, "Because it involves you. Since you are unable to maintain a stable relationship, you feel the need to keep Peyton away from me, which is why she hesitates to marry me," he stated while looming over her, causing Brooke to flinch at his words.

Despite knowing it was untrue, the brunette was taken aback by Lucas's behavior, which reminded her of her past trauma. "Please step back, Lucas," Brooke pleaded.

Lucas, overlooking her discomfort, hissed, "Why should I step back? What is your intention?" An authoritative voice then intervened from behind Lucas, " Back off of her Lucas!"