Chapter 3

The words from Lindsey had inspired him. His mind floated back to the night when he told Peyton he hated her. It happened right after they had made love. In that moment, things were as they should have been. She had helped him as he drank himself stupid in a bar and he loved her for it. She helped him get home and when she started taking off his clothes to help him get in the shower, he saw her just as he had the first time, a perfect girl with skinny arms and a tangled mess of hair. That's when he first fell in love with her and looking into her eyes brought all the old emotions back. He kissed her. At first, she resisted, not wanting him to regret anything; however, there was so much love between them that the power of the kiss was impossible to deny. Both of them let their emotions go and let their bodies flow as one, as though they were created to fit together. After all, destiny always had a way of bringing the lovers back together. It was everything that it should have been: romantic, meaningful, and mind altering.

After that perfect moment, he resorted to the Lucas Scott way of screwing up and accused her of ruining his relationship with Lindsey.

"What?" Peyton cried out to him in disbelief, "I told you I would let you go so that you could live a life with her Luke."

Then Lucas lied. "I hate you, I wish you never came back." As soon as the words left his mouth, Lucas regretted them. It was as if the same force that caused him to utter the ultimate lie were keeping him from saying anything else that might remedy the situation.

What can you say when someone you love with all their heart tells you they hate you? Peyton Sawyer decided that phrase was completely unfixable as she walked out the door.

Even though Lucas was madly in love with Peyton , he knew that she deserved better. All he did was destroy her happiness. He knew what he had to do….he had to let Peyton move on with her life while he attempted to move on with his. He dialed the familiar number and waited for the ringing phone to be answered.

"Hello?" Lucas hesitated then started, "Lindsey, hi…I got your message. I'm at the airport and I have two tickets to Vegas…do you want to get married?"

The silence on the end of the phone caused Lucas to think the connection was lost. "Hey, Linds….are you there?"

"Yeah, Luke I'm here. My answer is yes, I'll go to Vegas with you. I'll be there as fast as I can." Luke hung up the phone and sighed. He was half hoping that Lindsey would have turned him down. She was a great girl…she just wasn't the girl. Lucas knew he could have a good life with Lindsey, but it wouldn't be everything he dreamed of, not like it would have been with Peyton.

"Scott, you gotta get those thoughts out of your head, Peyton is better off without you."

Peyton Sawyer and Brooke Davis sat in the dark comforting each other as only best friends could. They both were fighting back tears for the issues that plagued them both. Brooke was broken hearted over losing Angie and Peyton was devastated over losing Lucas.

That's when Brooke came up with it. The plan that would relieve their broken hearts….or at least put them on hold.

"We should go somewhere P. Sawyer."

"Where do you suggest we go?"

"Las Vegas." There will be more than enough to take our minds off things…what do you say, I think some fun will do us both some good."

"I think that's a great plan, how soon do we leave B. Davis?"

"I'm on it….we should be able to book a flight tonight….so get packing Blondie."

"God, what is up with this traffic?" Lindsey was growing more impatient as the never ending line of cars stretched in front of her. "I'm never gonna make it to the airport at this rate." Lindsey sighed in frustration and sat back in the seat.

"Peyt…are you ready?" Brooke's voice echoed up the stairs.

"Of course." Peyton ran down the stairs excited at the prospect of having some time away from Tree Hill.

"Well, we better get going, the limo is here." Brooke smiled at her best friend. "You ready for this?"

Peyton smiled back. "Let's go."