Hey guys this is a new idea i had... I'm hoping it'll work out alright – i'm really excited for it. Please read and review – let me know what you think.
Note: What if Lucas eloped with Brooke at the end of season 3 – thinking she was pregnant? What if Haley never came back to Nathan after the tour? Warning: some serious twists involved in this one! And a BIG shocker around chapter 5! Happy reading!
Disclaimer: this is all fictional. I promise.
Chapter 1
i love you but i chose the light
'He's mine isn't he?'
Peyton looked up into this blonde man's eyes. His eyes – the colour of the sea and the sky, the colour of the castles we build near the clouds, the colour of hope. Eyes with which she had once looked at with hope, desires, dreams, wishes. Eyes which had once looked at her with desire and love.
But things had changed.
'He is, and always will be none of your concern,' she said. 'And you, Lucas Scott had better leave us alone. Forever.'
4 years ago.
Peyton Sawyer was rushing, she had letters to post, a birthday present to buy, an anniversary to plan and a date to get ready for. She smiled to herself as she thought of her date. It was a happy smile, a contented smile – she knew that whatever she wore, he would say what he always said 'Peyton, I may be biased but I do believe I have the most beautiful wife in the world.'
She allowed herself a few minutes to smile in that memory before scrambling for her keys again. Why did keys always fall right to the bottom of your handbag no matter what you did?
'Looking for these?' she heard a familiar deep-throated voice behind her. A bunch of silver keys were held tinkling in front of her face.
She turned around and gasped.
'Lucas...'
'I admit,' he said. 'I stole them. They dropped out of your handbag while you were running off the bus.'
Peyton was still standing there with her mouth wide open.
'Aren't you happy to see me Peyt?' he said smiling.
'Happy?' she said. 'Of course I'm happy, Luc...' She reached out and hugged him close. It took awhile for her to let go.
'Hey, hey hang on...' Lucas laughed. 'You're suffocating me a little blondie.'
Peyton blinked the warm tears that were welling up inside despite herself. She coughed and turned away to open the door.
'Brooke's not with you?' she said uneasily.
'No...' he said quietly. 'She decided to stay in Connecticut for awhile.'
'Oh.'
'Yep,' he watched her fumble with the keys, trying to stuff them into the keyhole. Even from where he was standing he could see she was shaking.
'Hey well the truth is, we're separated.' he said. 'We both wanted different things.'
There was a slight crash as the keys fell to the floor. They both leant down to pick them up – facing him, their knees almost touching Peyton could feel his breath upon her, his skin near to hers, his scent – and it brought it all back. Memories of a life with more than contentment, memories of a life that she had always wanted, with him.
'I was thinking...' he said softly, as they both knelt there, on their knees. 'Maybe we could go out sometime, you know hang out, like old times.'
Tears began to flow from her eyes.
Pain.
Bitterness.
Resentment.
Most of all – regret.
Lucas was still talking. He rambled a little when he got nervous. Shrugging his shoulders, looking around, saying 'I dunno, I...'
'I dunno, I... I mean I've made some mistakes Peyt, and I'm sorry,' he was saying. 'But I don't wanna waste anymore time, you know? I think, maybe we could make this work.'
Peyton looked up at him with tears streaming down her face.
Even as he wanted to reach out, to wipe away her tears, he felt that the look on her face was different, confusing. Something was very, very wrong.
'Lucas,' she said at last shakily. 'You're too late Lucas. You're too late.'
