Chapter 2

Peyton slowly slipped out of the motel room, grabbing the cash that had been left on the bed side locker before she left. It was early morning and the streets were just beginning to vibrate with people. She loved LA at this time. She decided to walk the long distance home. It wasn't as if she could afford the luxury of a taxi, even with what she had in her purse. Eventually she reached the nice part of town, walking along the streets which housed all the designer labels. She looked inside the windows of the shops as she passed, looking at the expensive clothing that she could never afford. Once upon a time it had bothered her but not anymore she had more important things to worry about. She stopped at the local supermarket and bought some food.

She reached her apartment and slowly entered. The place was a mess, it always was. She moved quietly into the kitchen unpacking what she'd bought.

"Peyton, I'll be going." She looked up to see Claire standing across from her.

"Thanks. Here's your money." Peyton handed her the money she owed and watched as the girl left. She made her way through the mess into her bedroom and stood by the crib. There sleeping was her life. Her saviour, Anna Sawyer. She was sleeping soundly as she always did. Peyton moved coving the child with the blankets she'd kicked off during the night.

"Hey Baby, Momma's home now." She cooed quietly and watched as her girl slightly turned, before taking her thumb into her mouth. Peyton watched and smiled down at the baby. She was disturbed from her trance a few minutes later when noise erupted from the apartment just above her. She was used to it by now. Her apartment block must have contained some of the craziest people in the city. Every night some kind of shouting match would break out in one of her neighbour's apartment. She was thankful that Anna was a solid sleeper most of the time.

Lucas rushed out of the building, glad that his meeting with another publisher was finished. No one was interested in his newest piece of work. He was barely interested in it. Writing hadn't bought him the same sense of accomplishment it once had. These meetings were just a formality. He would write a soulless novel about this and that. They would meet with him hoping it would be the follow up to An Unkindness Of Ravens. Then it would be rejected and he would go home. He made his way back to his hotel, through the bustling streets. LA was too loud for him and every noise just added to his growing irritation with the city. He was only a couple of blocks from his hotel, when he noticed a small bar already open. He glanced at his watch, it was pretty early but he didn't care. There was no Haley or Lindsay here to keep an eye on him. He could do what he wanted and in that moment he wanted a drink. After the tiresome meeting he'd been forced to endure, he deserved it.

He strode purposefully into the bar; there was a lone bartender and one old man already sat proudly up at the bar. He took a seat and ordered a scotch. Time flew by and the bar began to fill. A red head across the bar began to check him out; he downed his current drink and made his way over.

"Mind if I buy you a drink."

20 minutes later and he was haling them a cab, she said she lived near by and he wasn't going to suggest his hotel room. Lindsay had booked it. The two of them stumbled into the taxi and he paid the driver, while she told him the address. He wasn't concerned when they pulled up to a pretty rough looking apartment block, he could slum it for one night.

He woke up the next morning nursing a sore head and quickly threw on his clothes. The girl, her name wouldn't come to him, was still fast asleep. He made his way out of the apartment and onto the landing. The must have been at least six floors up. He cursed his luck and wondered how he'd climbed those stairs the night before. It wasn't that he wasn't fit but he knew his pounding head wouldn't enjoy the repetitiveness of the staircase. He must have been about three floors down when a pram suddenly flew out of one of the doors. He stopped just before clattering into it.

"Sorry." He would have recognised it anywhere.

"Peyton."

"Lucas"

He moved to look into the apartment and there she was standing behind the pram. He stopped himself right there. Peyton Sawyer was standing behind a pram, holding a baby. She'd had a baby. She'd had another mans baby.

"Hi." He choked out. He could smell her now. Her scent was still the same.

"How are you?"

"I'm good. Do you want me to help you down the stairs with that?" He asked. She nodded and locked the door behind her. Together they lifted the pram down the stairs until they were onto the street. "That must be hard to do everyday."

"Um.. yeah. You helped today though. So what are you doing here?"

"I had a meeting with publishers about my latest novel."

"That's good. I'm glad you're doing well." She smiled. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she still was. "Although I'm pretty sure there are no publishers in my building."

"Oh I..I was.." he didn't understand why he felt so guilty. He never felt guilty about his behaviour before. In fact he was pretty sure when Lindsay's inevitable phone call came, he would just lie.

"Let me guess, red head, a few floors up." He blushed, but couldn't help but feel satisfied when he saw her force herself to smile. "Don't worry, Sarah's nice, you won't have to worry about any stalker behaviour from her."

"Good, I think we've had enough stalkers for one day." He laughed as they began to walk down the street.

Peyton watched as Lucas pushed Anna on the baby swings in the park. In all her wildest dreams she'd never seen anything as beautiful as what was before her now. Lucas Scott was in LA playing with her daughter in the park. It was mid afternoon, and the place was pretty busy. She was pretty sure this was real. It had to be real. She'd expected him to leave pretty quickly but when she'd mentioned them going to the park. He said he had nothing on and would like to come. She couldn't say no, she never could.

They'd discussed everything from the weather to Nathan's accident. Although they'd avoided the crucial subject: themselves. Lucas was currently trying to publish a second novel and his girlfriend Lindsay was sending it off to as many publishers as possible. She couldn't help but feel jealous as he spoke of her, even if it was only briefly. Then again she'd caught him coming out of another women's apartment ho serious could they be. She wanted to slap herself for having these thoughts.

"Lucas, careful." She called, as he took Anna out of the swing and held her high in the sky.

"I am being careful. Look she likes it." Lucas said, before placing her back in Peyton's old pram. Anna was smiling and reaching out for Lucas. "And I think she likes me. She's beautiful Peyton."

"Thanks." Peyton nodded, as she packed up Anna's things in preparation to leave. She handed Lucas his jacket which he'd removed to play with Anna. "We have to get going. Today was nice."

"Yes, it was." Lucas said. "Peyton I've missed you."

"Lucas-"

"No let me say this. I've missed you everyday we've been apart. And I've tried to get over you. But nothing matters anymore. I've become a shell of myself and today for the first time in ages I've felt like me again. I didn't have to go to some bar and drown my sorrows. Peyton, I still love you." She couldn't stop him, as he moved and grabbed her shoulders, his intense gaze burning a hole in her heart.

"Lucas, I'm not that girl anymore. You have a girlfriend and I have a daughter. I caught you coming out of random apartment, and I'm not a saint. We aren't Luke and Peyton anymore. I'm sorry I can't do this again." She walked away, fighting the tears in her eyes. She loved the boy who stood motionless before her. She just knew they could never be: she wasn't the girl he loved. She hadn't been that girl in years.