Peyton Sawyer moaned out loud in the darkness. His lips grazed across her neck and it made every inch of her flesh tingle with excitement. Everything about his touch and his gaze sent shockwaves throughout her body. The two shared a common passion that went much further than the bedroom. It was his talent and ambition that had first drawn her to him. A wise man once said it was a very unwise thing to mix business and pleasure but that old edict has long gone out the window. It was a new start on life, a whole new beginning and with that, she had thrown caution to the wind. When it was over, she collapsed sweaty and breathless in his arms, eyes glazed over as beams from the pale moonlight leaked in through the blinds. She closed her eyes and sighed, content. What a difference four years made, she could only think as the afterglow of bliss allowed her to recall the life she had led since high school…

Senior years in high school are supposed to change everything. They are supposed to be memorable, filled with happy times and the friendships one never forgets. For Peyton, it had been memorable for more ways than one. The summer before her life had been turned upside down when she found out unexpectedly that she had been adopted. One day she had been motherless and the next, a woman eerily similar in appearance, attitude and spirit had shown up at her door one night and turned the apple cart completely upside down. It had taken them months to come together then fate and cancer had sadly torn them apart again. As if her 17 years hadn't been tumultuous enough. Losing the only mother she had ever known to a car accident at nine, spending years blaming herself for the tragedy, disappearing into a world of loneliness and confusion in the long job related absences of her father, and years of teenage angst, cocaine use, being stalked by a fake brother and subsequently rescued by the real one, followed.

She had found solace in three things…friends, music and art. And in that order.

Friends were everything. They were the ones you could choose when that choice wasn't an option when it came to family. There was love, trust and support, combined with empathy and understanding mixed with good times and bad. Though part of the popular clique, Peyton had been able to see past the heroine worship and had chosen her friends wisely and kept the relationships close to her heart.

Music was another love. It was her passion. She loved everything about it. The fact that it was made up of so many genres absolutely fascinated her. Country, rock, hip hop, R & B, classical, punk…it didn't matter. Whatever preference one had, that music had the ability to touch a soul. It could brighten a day or evoke a memory. It could make you feel good or bad. But regardless it always made you feel. The creation, performance, significance and very definition was art in itself. Music could literally change a life and Peyton could testify to that one firsthand…it had totally and completely changed hers.

God blessed people with many talents. Some had the gift of song or pen and some had the amazing ability to take a pencil or paintbrush and a piece of paper and create visual magic. Peyton had been one of those people. Even in pre school her stick figures had been nothing short of amazing. The gift had further developed and in the later years, it had become her salvation. When she couldn't share her feelings with anyone else, she could always make them into a picture that spoke a thousand words.

In high school, her number one sidekick had been pretty and popular co cheerleading captain, Brooke Davis. The girls, polar opposites in every way, had been best friends since they could remember and had seen the best and worst of times together. Theirs was a sisterhood stronger than death…but one that almost succumbed because of a certain brooding, basketball playing blonde named Lucas Scott.

Everyone knew the story and there was no need for a recap. Peyton had dated Lucas' brother, handsome, arrogant, rich jock, Nathan. Lucas had challenged his brother's spot on the school team. Eventually they had come together. Nathan had changed. Brothers became friends. Nathan married Luke's best friend, Haley James, while still in high school. They'd all become the best of friends with an unbreakable bond.

Oh yeah, and a small town love triangle. Boy adores girl from afar. Boy meets girl. Boy pursues girl. Girl rejects boy. Boy finds solace and sex with girl's best friend. Girl changes her mind but it's too late. All facts added up to two years of the juiciest, most heartbreaking make ups and break ups that finally ended with two soul mates connecting underneath a mass of state championship confetti.

And the story was to end there happily ever after for Lucas Scott and Peyton Sawyer. That night a few weeks after graduation as they stood with their friends on the warm, spray painted asphalt of their beloved River Court, they had it all figured out. Save the world. Conquer the world. Do it together. The plan was simple but sometimes life had a funny way of not working out like it was supposed to.

They had gone their separate ways but vowed true love would prevail always. She had accepted an internship in Los Angeles and had ended up staying there, working her way up from a large record company's mailroom to the coveted assistant to the assistant position. In between donut and coffee runs and unjamming the uncooperative fourth floor copier, Peyton, already smart, savvy and talented had sat back and taken mental notes, meticulously studying all the politics, tricks and trades of the business she loved.

Lucas had made his own path as well. He had settled into a small North Carolina college, juggling school, the publication of his first novel, assisting Whitey Durham with coaching his brother and the other basketball players, while helping Haley raise his namesake nephew, baby James Lucas Scott. It was a busy life but one he loved. He loved Peyton as well and for the first year things had worked out just like they were supposed to.

But distance and differing life paths had eventually taken its toll. Phone calls, e-mails and visits became few and far in between and shortly after that first summer, the two had amicably called it quits. But the love had still remained even though the two had moved on. After college, Lucas had moved back to Tree Hill just as his mother and little sister had moved to New Zealand and a life of much needed and well deserved luxury with her wealthy boyfriend, Andy Hargrove. Lucas had focused on writing and head coaching his alma mater Ravens along with right hand man, Skills Taylor and brother Nathan, on the mend from an injury that had made a once promising NBA career nothing more than fleeting thought of what might have been.

Peyton had remained on the West Coast working hard, not even realizing how unhappy she had been until reconnecting with Brooke, now the rich and famous CEO of her very own clothing line. Fate and time with its many twists and turns had eventually landed them all back together right where they had started and home was where all of their hearts were. With Brooke's encouragement and financial backing along with Lucas' offer of free office space, Peyton had been able to start her own small label. It had been a struggle but the effort was about to pay off in a big way.

She had scoured the state looking for up and coming, undiscovered local talent and had found it in several musicians she had thrown together in a makeshift band. The sound had been raw from the beginning but eventually it had come together and the discovery of a trash talking, tattooed, Mohawk sporting bad boy had been the icing on the cake. His name was Jason Smith and after much hard work, she had convinced him to be her lead singer. The music and collaborative talent was amazing and they were on their way to the top finally. But Peyton had found more…

"That was amazing," she cuddled up next to him.

She smiled, waiting in the still of the night for his strong arms to wrap around her.

"It's hot," he muttered.

Peyton frowned.

"Oh. Um, sorry. I just thought…anyway. I, I'll move."

"It's about time," he mumbled after a few seconds of weird silence. "I hate when you do that."

She raised one eyebrow.

"What? Try to cuddle after we make love?"

"Hell no. I mean breathe down my neck like a goddamned dragon after we fuck."

She bit her lip. So he was a little rough around the edges. So he wasn't the typical Prince Charming. But he did have his good moments. He could be nice when he wanted to…sometimes. He was good looking. He was great in bed. And he had one hell of a voice.

"Jason, you have such amazing pillow talk," she said sarcastically.

"Whatever."

She traced the outline of muscle on his toned back with her index finger.

"You want to go to sleep?"

"No."

"You hungry?"

He sat up.

"Yeah but I'm gonna head back to the crib."

She pulled the thin sheet to her chin.

"You're leaving?" she asked, her voice evident with disappointment.

"I got shit to do and I got food there. It's cool."

"But…"

But before she knew it he was already dressed and standing.

"It's no big deal. I mean, I'll see you at the studio tomorrow, right?"

She let out a sigh. There was no point protesting.

"Studio. Tomorrow. Right."

He gave her a kiss that awkwardly landed on the side of her head.

"I'm out."

And that he was. She didn't bother getting up to see him to the door. He knew that path all too well. All she could do was lie in the moonlit darkness until her own rumbling hunger forced her to put some clothes on and retreat to the kitchen for a snack. Once there, she made herself a sandwich with deli meat and a glass of milk. She turned and bumped right into a large, warm figure that towered over her. She screamed out loud and he laughed and it lightened the mood a little bit.

"Dammitt, Owen!"

"What?" he grinned, flicking on the dim light above the stove.

"Dude, don't sneak up on me like that. You scared the shit out of me."

"Sorry but your girl wanted a Diet Coke and you know how that goes."

Peyton knew. Years of friendship and now sharing a house right on the beach with Brooke and she knew her best friend's habits just like she knew her own. They got along fabulously and nothing could between them again. With all the boy drama long behind them, Peyton had had no objections when Owen Carcaterra, a beefy, good looking Irish Italian bartender from Tric had moved in with them. He and Brooke's relationship had been a whirlwind but it was the real deal and the two were deliriously happy together. They were good to and for each other and it warmed Peyton to see Brooke smile every day. At least someone had found real happiness.

"Yeah, I was just getting a midnight snack…"

"Jason just left?" he posed casually.

"Yeah," Peyton tried to play it off. "It's late and I'm tired and we've got a busy day tomorrow recording. It's cool."

"Peyt…"

"I have to get up early and you know how it goes."

He took a deep breath. She had become like a little sister to him and he felt protective. Sometimes it was hard to bite his tongue.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Anyway, I'm gonna go eat this in my room. Tell Brooke I said good night and I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"Okay," he watched her leave. "Peyton?"

"Yeah?" she turned around.

"You're too good for him."

She opened her mouth but the words wouldn't come. It was complicated and Owen just didn't get it. Hell sometimes she didn't get it. But it was okay. Four years later she was finally arriving. Time had been on her side after all everything else would soon fall into place. Jason wasn't a bad guy, they just didn't understand him. And she was happy…sometimes. After all, it was a different world now. They were no longer the carefree, happy go lucky kids they once were. This was the real world and now they were adults. She wasn't that same blissfully head over heels in love teenage girl with that perfect blue eyed boy. Peyton had learned the hard way that perfection did not exist. Sometimes you just had to go with flow and accept things for what they were worth. And everything else would fall into place. Wouldn't it?