Gravity

Chapter One: Things you give Away

"He gave her my ring." The statement sounded so broken in its simplicity. Brook looked up at her friend standing in the doorway of their kitchen and furrowed her brow not sure she wanted Peyton to continue… not with the look on her face. The last time she had seen her friend she was off to declare her love for her man and live happily ever after. That was an hour ago.

"Peyton…"

"He gave her… he gave her my ring, Brook." She whispered not noticing Brook take the steps across the room till she was standing right in front of her. She looked up sadly, tears shining brightly in her green eyes. Shaking her head sadly in complete disbelief she inhaled sharply. "He asked her to marry him and he gave her my ring… I know it was my ring… I just knew." She remarked closing her eyes as though it ached to speak. "Why… why would he do that?" She asked almost as though she really expected an answer. "I don't… I don't know… what to do now." Her words broke off into sobs as Brook wrapped her arms around her.

"Hey… hey… it's okay." She felt as Peyton's legs gave out and followed her to the ground still hugging her tightly. Running her hand over her hair she rocked them back and forth in a soothing rhythm. "Shhhh… it's going to be alright." She whispered into the stillness of the night hoping for once that she was right.

Meanwhile…

Looking over at his now sleeping new fiancée he stared at her for a moment before slipping out of bed. Grabbing a pair of boxers from his drawer he slipped into them and a white T-shirt before leaving the room. Going to the kitchen he stopped at the fridge, his hand on the handle. He was gripping it so tight that his knuckles were white.

The image of her face kept replaying itself across his mind's eye. The way she stared at him as though broken… as if he had broken her; he wondered if perhaps that was the look he had given her that night three years ago when he proposed and she said no.

Taking a step back he leaned into the counter running his hand through his hair in frustration. How did this happen? How did he end up here… how did they?

It was weird how events sort of just transpire one on top of the other until you find yourself at a place you never once believed you would be in. He had always imagined his life with Peyton, even when he was dating Brook or pursuing someone else; in the end, deep down in his heart he always believed that he and Peyton would be together. It was just fate. It was a fact of life… like gravity. It was just something that was always there and if it wasn't then obviously you were no longer on Earth. So how did they get so far away from that path; from that life?

'Luke…"

Looking up he watched her for a moment…

She was a good woman. She loved him. She cared about him and believed in him without hesitation or question. She wanted a life with him. She wanted to be with him and there was no convincing that needed to be done. He asked her for her hand in marriage and she accepted without a second thought. She said yes… she didn't say no…

She didn't say 'someday'.

She was ready to be Mrs. Lucas Scott right now in this moment.

Peyton wasn't… not then…

And it was too late now…

She came to him wrapping her arms around his neck and snuggling her body close to his. Her hands ran up and down his back as she brushed her cheek against his. Her smooth flesh rubbed against the scruffiness of his chin. He embraced her in return and felt the emptiness in his chest.

It was too late now… wasn't it?