Chpt. 4--High Flying Adored
Lyrics by Tim Rice, Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lucas did his best to find a comfortable position on the cross-country flight but his attempts were futile. The small seats, coupled with the snoring man next to him and the child kicking his chair from behind, simply forbid finding comfort. More than that, the worry, the panic, and the guilt that he couldn't prevent made his stomach turn in circles. He wasn't there. That one thought was dominant in his otherwise cluttered mind. He wasn't there. However illogical, however insane, the thought was, he couldn't prevent it. Peyton was hurt and he wasn't there. This time, he didn't save her.
Adding to his discomfort, he couldn't help but remember the last time he flew to L.A. On that trip he brought two things with him--his Mom's ring and a light heart. Now his heart was heavy; too heavy to carry. But the ring was snuggled in his pocket. He had no idea why or what he thought to do with the ring. Earlier while he was frantically throwing socks into his suitcase and arguing with his girlfriend his hand had brushed the box and just the shape of it sent his heart into overdrive. Staring at that small black box, he missed what Lindsey was saying while his memory drifted to the time he asked his Mom for the ring Keith had once given her:
"Luke," Peyton breathed in his ear as her arms clung to his neck. "I don't want to go. I don't want to leave."
"We've been through this Peyton. You're going to go. And when you are done conquering L.A. and saving the music industry, that's when you're going to come back. And I'll be here. I'll be here waiting for you."
"But things are going to change. No don't shake your head at me, Lucas. They will change. They're changing already; we can't stop it."
"We can handle change, Peyton. We've handled a lot more. Look at me." Luke tipped Peyton's chin to his face and lightly kissed her lips. "I love you. I will always love you. That's the one thing that will never change. Nothing else matters."
Peyton shut her eyes. "God, you make me feel better. We can do this." It wasn't a question but Luke shook his head in the affirmative.
"We can. We will. We're going to have everything Peyton. You and me. However, long it takes. You go to L.A. and you take as much time as you need. I will be here when you get back. Now. Can you kiss me please? 'Cause I'm not coming to visit for four weeks and that's a long time to go without you." Peyton stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips hard to Luke's. Curling her fingers into his hair she deepened the kiss. "Ok, now I don't want you to leave," Luke groaned when he finally pulled away. Peyton laughed and buried her face in his shoulder. "You sure you don't want me to take you to the airport?"
"I just…It's going to be too hard. We should say goodbye here." She glanced at her watch. "And I think it's got to be now."
"Yeah. It does." Luke walked Peyton to her old car and held the door as she climbed in the driver's side. Kissing her one more time and wiping the tears from her face, Luke smirked "well, I'll be seeing you."
"Ha. Yeah. I'll love you forever Lucas Scott. We're going to have everything together," she repeated his earlier words as she drove off to meet her future. Lucas watched her Comet take off from the River Court and knew he could see his own future--it was Peyton, only Peyton. Nothing else mattered. Knowing only one thing to do, he rushed off to find his mother.
"Mom." Luke was breathless as he burst into Karen's Café. "Mom, I need a minute."
"Luke? Are you ok Lucas? Aren't you supposed to be with Peyton?"
"She's gone. She left for L.A. five minutes ago and I ran straight here because there's something I need to ask you."
"Ok." Karen was confused. "Let's go in the back. Haley! Can you handle the floor?"
"I got it," Haley shouted back. She was pretty sure she knew just what was on Luke's mind as she watched him guide his mother to privacy.
"I don't want to make you sad, Mom."
"Sad? Lucas why would you make me sa--"
"I want to marry Peyton, Mom." Karen's eyes widened. "And I want to propose to her with the ring Keith gave you. I know you wear it on a chain. I'll understand if you don't want to give it up. But I just thought…"
"No, God, no, Luke, honey, of course it should go to you. Keith would want that. I remember hearing the story of how you went with him to pick it out. I want that. And we both wanted Peyton for you, honey. But Luke, married? You just graduated from high school. Peyton's on her way to L.A., you're headed to college. Married?"
"Not right now, Mom. We aren't ready. I know that. She's got things she's gotta do and so do I." He thought about the book that was almost completed. "I just…I know Mom. I watched her drive away today and I know she's coming back to me. I know I'll wait for her forever. I'm going to marry her, Mom. One day Peyton Sawyer will be my wife.
But as Luke's hands curled around the box resting in his pocket, he knew he had broken promises; he had broken a promise to his mother and he had broken a promise to the one woman he was pretty sure would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. He hadn't waited until they were ready and when she told him 'someday,' he didn't wait for her at all. And now he didn't know what he was going to do.
He loved Lindsey. He really did. She was a great girl who had created a life for them that was comfortable and easy. But it was Peyton's ring he clutched in his pocket. And it was Peyton he headed to see.