A/N: Hey there! I hope you guys enjoy this story. In short, this story is about the one person who has the ability to break you from harsh realities and save you from your struggles and yourself. Leave a review with your thoughts! Happy Reading~!

AT THE HOSPITAL AFTER THE SHOOTING

He was dying on the inside, but he pushed past it. He felt like screaming. But he sat through it. No emotion evident. He felt the stares. But he couldn't move. He couldn't speak. He couldn't feel. He was waiting for her. She had to survive. Jimmy was dead. Keith was dead. She couldn't be dead.

He was with Brooke now, his girlfriend. She was trying to get through to him. But she couldn't. No one could, not even himself. She whispered something to him in a soothing voice. But he didn't know what it was. He couldn't hear. Brooke left. Peyton's doctor was speaking with her. Brooke looked back at him and then followed the doctor to Peyton's room.

He waited for Brooke to come out. He just wanted to see Peyton and make sure she was alright. It didn't matter if the doctor said she was, he needed to physically see it for himself. Brooke exited the room and sat back down with him.

"She's fine Luke", Brooke said barely audible, "I told her about Jimmy and Keith."

He nodded and stood up. "Lucas", she spoke softly.

"I'm going to see her", he spoke monotonously. This time she nodded. Those were the first words he spoke since he found out about Keith.

He walked down the long, busy hallway. He heard shuffling, rushed voices, and a cluster of medical terms that he didn't understand. He looked around at the white, white walls and the plain tiled floors. He glanced up looking for her. He spotted her through the next ajar door. Her wild curls even more a mess than usual. Her eyes were tired and tears were slipping from them. He walked in and shut the door. He forced himself to look at her and he was met with more escaping tears. She didn't even bother wiping them away. They just locked eyes in the most intense contact he had ever experienced. He didn't dare look away. Her tears were mesmerizing him. And then after a while they started to annoy him. He walked up to her and began wiping them away with the pad of his thumb. When her tears had finally stopped falling, she shifted over in the small hospital bed, making room for him. He quietly slipped in next to her and reached for her hand. She didn't say anything. She remembered how it was with her Mom. He was in a funk and no one could shake him from it except himself. So she would just be there for him. There wasn't anything she could say that would make it better, so she didn't say anything at all.

They just sat there, Peyton squeezing his hand every few minutes. She heard him let out a deep breath that he had obviously been holding and he squeezed her hand so tightly that she thought she might lose circulation. But she didn't say anything. And he was grateful for that.

He gave her hand one last squeeze and murmured a small 'Thanks.' He stood up walking towards the door when he heard her aching voice, "Luke"

He willed himself to turn around, knowing that he may very well be sucked into her gaze once more. Not that he really minded.

"I'm here, okay?"

He knew that. She was probably the only one who understood what he was going through.

"I know."

It was no surprise that Lucas wasn't able to sleep that night. He lay in bed tossing and turning, his mind flooded with a thousand thoughts and memories, when suddenly his phone vibrated: 1 New Text From: Brooke. He flicked it open and it read "Are you okay? Do you need me?"

He loved Brooke. He was in love with her. But he thought he might actually scream if someone asked him if he was okay one more time. He shut the phone and lay down in bed. He cried himself to sleep that night.

A/N: So, what do you think? Hit me a review and let me know :)