A/N: Soo, this is my first fic. Be kind and if you enjoy don't forget to review! This story is just an idea of mine about when lucas leaves peyton in the hotel room- they don't break up but when she goes to see him at the bookstore she sees him kissing lindsey and then they break up. Basically lucas cheats. - I don't know if it will end in leyton or jeyton SO.. gimme some time on that one! Pretty much everything else is the same as it was when Peyton and Brooke return in 5x01. Peyton is just.. angrier...!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or anything or anyone attached to it! If I did I would so make it all about breyton, naley and paley. Also- i don't own anything by Tegan and Sara, i just love the lyrics and they're so Peyton.
Lucas rubbed his eyes and pushed his laptop screen down. It was three thirty am and he was exhausted. He had been working on his second novel for over a year now and he still lacked the amazing inspiration he'd had the first time around. From his days playing as a raven with friends and a mentor in Whitey, to his best friend and her touching love story with the ex bad boy, to his own epic relationship with one Peyton Sawyer, Lucas felt he'd lost everything in the space of four years. Four years. It felt like a lifetime. That morning he'd left Peyton in the hotel had been the second stupidest thing he'd ever done- damn his stupid pride. The first had been his moment of weakness in that cursed book store, he and peyton had been going through such a bad patch, he'd been so hurt and angry and Lindsey had fed his ego so well... Peyton had been so angry, he'd never seen her look so betrayed and hurt- and now, here he was sitting in his own mistake. Behind him Lindsey shifted in her sleep- he had to get out of the house, he couldn't even hear his own thoughts with her breathing so loudly. Grabbing his ipod he headed out of the house and down the quiet road, into the night.
"OK Peyton you know when I said you could move in.. ugh.. I so did not say i'd help you carry like a million dusty cds all in one box!" Brooke shifted the box in her arms and peered over the top, Peyton was in front dithering over where to put a pile of Foo Fighters records-
"Alternative or rock.." she muttered under her breath.
"Earth to Peyton!"
"Ohh umm thanks Brooke you can just put it on the floor there and they're not dusty or cds, they're records. They've just been in storage.."
"Why don't you listen to them anymore?"
"Mmm I sorta stopped listening to the ones in that box about the time the creep left."
"Ok honey you know I got your back here but I love the creep, you secretly love the creep- I thought we'd let the anger go- we can't call him that, especially not now we're home."
"Fine.. how about loserwimpcoward?"
Brooke sighed, there was no use arguing with her girl when she was in a mood like this.
"How about we go raid that café across the road and i'll treat you to a massive cookie?"
Peyton was immediately suspicious, "what do you want miss?"
Brooke wrapped an arm around her friend's waist, "I just want you to be happy now we're home P. Sawyer, and I know it's hard but we are going to have to socialise with he who must not be named, so we're kind of going to have to work on your anger issues with that one.. I want you to be ok enough for me to leave you alone with him!"
"Brooke!" Peyton protested "I'm fine, thank you honestly I love you for trying to help me out but i'm fine! It just takes a little getting used to being back here, knowing that he's here, knowing that he left me humiliated and alone and then to do that to me, to actually ugh. He broke my heart and now he's with that bimbo with long straight hair and no frizz god what I want to do right now is-"
"Peyton! Deep breaths!"
Peyton's eyes guiltily met her best friends. "Too much?"
"Maybe just a tad. Look," Brooke reasoned "let's do this one step at a time. We go finish emptying the van, then we can drop into that 24 hour café before heading to bed. Please no more cds for me though! It's like four in the morning and we have lots to do tomorrow, lots of people to surprise and I want to look beautiful for it, not like I spend my night unpacking a removal van and getting covered in two years of dust!"
"Records!" But even though Peyton spoke with attitude Brooke knew she had cheered her friend up with the thought of a cookie and the promise of bed soon.
Eventually the two friends collapsed in the artificially lit booth and Brooke smiled sweetly up at the waiter- "two coffees- no milk or sugar and a piece of pie please."
"And a cookie- don't forget you promised," Peyton pointed out. Brooke smiled up again and said "what she said."
The waiter nodded and slid away, he looked bored and tired. No wonder thought Brooke, the place looked like a dump. She turned and scrutinised her best friend. The beautiful golden curls were hanging heavy around her face and there was not a scrap of make up on the sculpted face, but she was so stunning naturally it was barely needed. Brooke knew it would take more than a make over to turn her friend around, but still it might be a good place to start. When she had run into Lucas so long ago, the first thing she'd done when he'd left had been to call Peyton.
Flashback
"Honey it's Brooke, there is NO excuse to not pick up to me because I have seen you at your very worst and I still love you, so whatever's going on now you can't not talk to me. Peyton.. PEEEYTTONNN-"
"Alright alright! Jesus Brooke I was trying to wallow- can't you let me do it in peace!?"
Brooke sighed down the phone and waited for her friend to start talking.
"He left me Brooke. Like I was easy to give up- like I pushed the slightest bit and he gave up. I wasn't worth fighting for!"
"Peyton you know it's not like that and you know that's not how Lucas sees you. I know he doesn't feel that way. I ran into him tonight."
"You what!?"
"Deep breath, don't jump down my throat, I ran into him at a restaurant and he told me he was lost without you- kind of how feel without you Peyton. I know we're in different worlds right now but you have to let me be there for you now- i'm coming out there and we are gonna fix this."
End flashback
That was before Peyton had tried to brave and had attempted to go and mend the gap that had stretched and broken the leyton love. But then, Brooke could have killed Lucas for his behaviour that day. Together Peyton and Brooke had boxed up the life Peyton had had with Lucas- anything that reminded her of him and Peyton had started again. She had been angry, so angry that Lucas had abandoned her, but she had learnt to get past it. She had seemed happy enough since. Brooke had noticed she had steered clear of dating and for that matter book stores, but for nearly two years Peyton had hardly mentioned Lucas. There was sometimes a flash of anger when something reminded her sharply of Lucas but aside from that Brooke had learnt not to mention him and on the outside Peyton had seemed fine. There was definitely more to it than that, but Brooke knew that Peyton couldn't be pushed, she would talk when she was ready.
"This is great Brooke- thanks for this. For everything." Peyton spoke so softly Brooke hardly heard her, but she didn't need to to know her friends sentiments- she caught Peyton's hand and squeezed it.
"You think Tree Hill is ready for the return of it's finest ever cheerleaders?"
Peyton snorted "Brooke, you might have been half decent but I was royally bad. I have no co-ordination. I only did it to watch Nathan and then Lucas play." She grinned playfully.
"Ha! Liar. You loved it."
As the two girls sat reminiscing about the old days Lucas was heading towards the river court with Matthew Ryan playing at an ear splitting volume. He wondered past the old shops and crossed the road directly in front of the café and on into the darkness of the bridge. For a second Peyton had a sudden lurch in her stomach as a silhouette passed the window- but as she turned and looked out into the darkness all she saw was her own reflection. She sat back feeling almost fresh disappointment. Would she ever see Lucas again? She feared that even if she did, it would take all her strength not to just throw herself into his arms and forgive him- not what she had planned all these years.
When she had woken alone in that hotel room she couldn't believe it was true. She saw the cd but had ignored it until she had checked every bathroom on the hotel floor. Lucas had left her, abandoned her and she felt completely betrayed. He had promised he would always love her, always wait for her and now, at the first sign of an obstacle he had fled. She had tried to let it go, to heal the rift, but he had failed her, broken her heart and had actually kissed someone else. Had he just called her so that she could see him make out with some other bimbo? She hadn't looked back as she'd run along that street and away from the man who had broken her heart.
"Peyton!" Phone!"
Peyton grunted from under the covers and reached for the cordless phone by the end of the bed.
"-mmello?"
"Peyton hey babe, how goes it in the old home town? Pretty and picture perfect as ever? Still lots of attractive basketball players to sleep with?"
"Mmm shut up Jake."
"Haha you know i'm only joking. I certainly hope you aren't sleeping with any basketball players, attractive or not so attractive."
Peyton had headed to Savannah after spending 3 weeks wondering round Brooke's fabulous apartment in a duvet with a pint of ice cream never out of her hand. Finally Brooke had given her a push to moving on saying "go somewhere you feel safe and comfortable. New York doesn't do anything to heal a broken heart." Peyton had got the first flight out that very day and had been in Jake's strong arms having a much needed hug in less that six hours. Jake had been the very thing she had needed and in the months that had past she had felt her anger reside replaced by a sweetness that came from being part of a family. Now she felt terrible speaking to Jake. She had spent the last 48 hours thinking of nothing but Lucas. Always a heart torn she thought ruefully- to live in safety and comfort or with fire and passion...
"I'm not sleeping beside anyone unless you count the pile of clothes I didn't unpack last night?"
"I think i'll let you off. Soo. I miss you Peyton. It's been like 3 months since me and Jenny saw you."
"I know Jake I know. It's just that, I needed to come home. I have ghosts I have to face, people I miss."
"You mean Lucas?"
"No Jake! I mean Haley, one of my closest friends! And Nathan another one! And I haven't seen Jamie since he was a baby and considering I was there the day Haley went into labour you can forgive me for feeling a little bit of an attachment to the boy! I did not mean that scumbag and I can't believe you would suggest it."
"Alright alright! Peyton I was just asking- you're gonna have to try not jumping down my throat just because I'm concerned my girlfriend is in town with the ex love of her life."
Ex... Peyton thought about that. Was Lucas no longer the first person she thought of when she woke up? No. Was he the last thing she thought about before she closed her eyes? Yes. Did Jake know this? Hell no. And since when did she and Jake become boyfriend and girlfriend? She rubbed her eyes, it was all so complicated.
"Peyt? Are you still there?" She was torn from her thoughts about her current and past love life by a nick name no-one but the one used. It shocked her.
"Wha? Oh umm- oh yeah i'm sorry Jake it's so early- can I call you back this afternoon? You know I need like a pint of coffee before i'm worth talking to."
"Alright sweetie, i'll talk to you later, I love you."
"Mm yeah iloveyoutoo bye."
She sighed. She was such a wimp. She rolled out of bed and pushed a Tegan and Sara album into the player and shifted onto her yoga mat. She found the unconventional music much more soothing than the crap the yoga teacher had tried to persuade her to buy.
Look me in the eye and tell me you don't find me attractive
Look me in the heart and tell me you won't go
Look me in the eye and promise no love's like our love
Yeah. Cos those promises worked out so well for her. She jumped up as the song reached a crescendo. No yoga today she thought crossly snatching her boxing gloves up and stretching her arms. She pounded the bag for a good five minutes before turning blindly and grabbing the first thing in her 'Lucas' box- it was his first book. His beautifully written love song to her- she threw it angrily against the wall where it fell and crushed the pages over.
"God!" She exhaled sharply and left the room banging the door behind her. It slammed against the wall and for a second she thought it might come off- it stayed on its hinges, just. She breathed a sigh of relief, Brooke would KILL her if she trashed the house the first night they had lived in it. She padded into the kitchen, her anger residing and settling like a dull ache somewhere she thought her heart used to be.
"Good morning P.S Good start to the day I see." Brooke handed her friend coffee and then headed to the sun deck.
"You are far too cheery for such an early time B. Davis."
"Life is good P. Sawyer. We're home, i'm going to check out the space for the store today aaand I live with my best most cheery friend ever!"
"I'm sorry," Peyton smiled faintly, "bad start to the morning."
"Yeah that was Jake then?"
"You guys didn't chat?"
"Well he sounded sort of desperate to talk to you so I figured now wasn't quite the time for me to go into detail over my new summer range and ask all about his job etc."
"Ugh. I know I know I should have called him when we got here last night but I was zoned out on something else and then we were unpacking and then just.."
"Peyton, by 'something' do you mean a tall blonde brooding blue eyed sweet thing living about 2 minutes down the road from us?"
"Will you judge me if I say yes?"
"Honey I would never judge you, but I think i'd tell you that you were lying to yourself if you said no. Jake obviously knows that too."
"He called me his girlfriend today Brooke. I mean when did we cross the line from friends who care for each other into the realm of dating?" Peyton dropped her head onto her arms and stared out across the balcony and into the beautiful blue sea.
Brooke watched her friend and saw the emotions play out across her eyes. She knew Lucas' behaviour had completely destroyed her friend. But she also knew that Peyton's hesitance in that hotel room had bruised Lucas' pride and made him feel less loved than he was. If only she could sit them both down and correct what they thought was wrong. But then Lucas had done something so wrong, she wasn't sure Peyton should listen to him. If only she could make up her own mind she could advise her friend. Now there was nothing between them and it was a waste of such strong love. Brooke knew Jake loved Peyton, but it wasn't with anything like the same depth Lucas did and she knew deep down that Peyton only returned the feelings for one of them.
They were both stirred out of their thoughts with the sound of the doorbell and Brooke jumped up to open the door. Peyton's heart was in her mouth as she moved through the house after Brooke.
"Oh my god!"
"Oh my god!"
Haley sat in the girl's living room and admired the beautiful black and white photographs that were stacked up against the sofa, waiting to be hung. She looked across now as Peyton entered with more clothes on than previously.
"Sorry. I figured if we were gonna catch up on like four years of stuff i'd better put clothes on."
She came over now and Haley couldn't help but notice how thin her friend looked- as they hugged she could definitely feel more bones than ever before.
"Peyton you're so thin! When did you last eat!?"
"Ooooh tutormom already wants to feel the returning brood!" Brooke came running into the room snapping her phone shut. She'd had a call whilst she and Haley were gossiping and filling each other in on the Peyton and Lucas saga. She wrapped her arms around both her friends.
"Oh i've missed you guys," Haley felt a little weepy, "it's not been fun here recently, lots of brooding men."
"Oh honey I know, i've had my fill of brooding as well," Brooke shot a look at Peyton, who looked sheepish, "but we're here now, fill us in about Nathan and where is the gorgeous Jamie baby."
"Oh his erm uncle took him out for the day." Haley glanced nervously at Peyton, who sat very still on the couch.
Peyton smiled softly now and said quietly, "you can say his name Hales don't worry, I won't have a fit."
"That's the first time you've promised that one!" Brooke grinned at her friend.
Haley relaxed in her friends presence. It felt so good to be among people who really knew her. She let the girlies bicker bewtween themselves and sighed quietly.
"Hales, what's wrong?"
"Oh sorry guys, I must have been thinking louder than I thought I was!"
Both girls stared at Haley, waiting for the explanation to come out.
"It's just, when you guys phoned to say you were coming back, I was sort of finding out some other news too..."
"What could be bigger than your brilliant best friends sailing back into town tutor mom?"
"Well, that's just it- i'm gonna have a baby girlies."
For a second they both sat grinning at her and then suddenly lept up squealing and jumping on her.
"Hey hey easy now! Pregnant momma here!"
"Oh honey sorry, that's so exciting though! Nathan must be ecstatic."
Haley's face fell, "he doesn't know yet."