Her tear filled green eyes lifted from the grungy carpet. His earlier plea for her not to cry must have still been in her mind, as she mustered up the strength to form a pathetic smile, only for it to fall, a single sob shaking her small body.

He restrained himself from reaching for her because, somehow, he knew that would only make the situation worse, for both of them. Or maybe just for him. He didn't take the time to think too in depth about it. That's what had always got them in trouble in the past. Thinking.

It was the reason he left without her to find Jenny. Because he had thought it over and it was the logical decision. It was also the motive behind his urging her to go back to Tree Hill. That had possibly been the stupidest thing he had ever done. She had almost been his, forever. She was there, in front of him, willing to marry him. But he just had to think…and his mind told him to let her go, for both their sakes.

But, when she turned up on his doorstep, years later, a mess of tangled curls and running make up, he didn't allow himself time to think. He let her in. And now, here they were, standing in silence.

After uttering a simple "don't cry," her tears had ceased for a few, short moments, and then returned, with a vengeance.

Neither had spoken since then. Her lips parted, a string of saliva begging her to close them again, before finally breaking and wetting her bottom lip.

"I…Lucas married Lindsey," she blurted out, and then sighed, her shoulders sagging, as if a huge weight had just been lifted from her tiny shoulders.

He nodded, unsure of exactly what she wanted to hear. But, before he could think of how to respond. Thinking was bad by the way. And it seemed as though Peyton remembered that, as she began to ramble.

"But, not really, because the wedding was stopped, by Lindsey, but then it was stopped by Lucas after that, both times because of Brooke." She laughed, and he wasn't sure why, or whether or not he should be concerned for his daughter's safety.

"And then I just started thinking," didn't she know by now that thinking was bad? "Basically this entire time it was always Lucas and Brooke, and I was too busy trying to get the boy I couldn't have because I was convinced I couldn't stand on my own. And Lucas allowed me to believe that. But, you, when I was with you, you always made sure I was aware of the fact that I was capable by myself."

Believe, think, same thing. See thinking was bad.

"And you made me believe that, and that scared me, because I hated being alone. I didn't want to be alone. And I thought that if I convinced…no I knew if I convinced Brooke that I needed Lucas more than her, she would give him up. And she did. But, the only thing it ended up doing was making everyone miserable. Lucas, Brooke, Lindsey, me…"

Okay so maybe believing wasn't the same as thinking…he never claimed to be a genesis.

"And I was kind of hoping it was making you miserable too, but except, not. Jake, basically I love you, I never stopped. And I know that is nothing in comparison to all the damage I've caused you throughout high school. But, I was just hoping…"

Okay, so if he were to think about this…well she had chosen Lucas over him once, could very well do it again. Jenny was old enough now to notice her absence if she were to leave. And then there was that one girl he had went on a date with a few weeks back. He had told her he would call her back, but come to think of it, he never did. So, it was a bad decision. A very, very bad one.

So, you see that's why thinking was bad, it made you doubt what you should really do. Whether what you should do is the right thing or not. Sometimes love was complicated like that. So even if it was the wrong choice, it was actually the right one, because it was the only one.

"It was the only choice," he finished her statement, and even though it didn't quite make sense, it did, to her, to him, to them.

"Yeah…"

Their lips met, and it would be a lie to say the past few years they had spent apart had disappeared, along with all the hurt they had bestowed upon each other. Jake and Peyton didn't have that kind of love. The, what you would call, epic love. They were them, Jake Jagelski and Peyton Sawyer. They weren't always and forever like Nathan and Haley. Or True Love Always like her and Lucas. Or Brooke and Cheery like Lucas and Brooke.

They were someday and someday was finally here.