No More than This

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not now or will ever own One Tree Hill or its characters

It has been another month, another month in an unwanted marriage, another month of silence between the two blondes, they don't even acknowledge each other anymore they both keep to themselves and live in quietness.

Peyton has had a better month though, she approached Karen her mother in law for a job at the cafe, mainly so she wouldn't have to sit at home and be around Lucas and his drunken behaviour. So every morning she wakes up, goes for a jog, to release her pent up energy (Anger) and then she showers and heads down to Karen's Cafe to work throughout the day. Karen tries to make life easier for Peyton by telling her stories about Lucas growing up- Karen just wants Peyton to know that her son had a sole once in the past, and maybe she could help him find it again.

Lucas still goes to train the boys every morning, and like every other morning he detours to go and see his mum at the cafe. Even though she is still mad at him, she likes to know that her son hasn't killed himself yet. He is still drinking himself under the table every night, and nursing a hangover every morning. He walks into the cafe on this one morning, Peyton doesn't even spare him a glance. He approaches the counter and gives his mother a kiss to her check and she pours him a cup of coffee, "Hi ma, how are you?"

"I'm good Lucas, and you?"

"Never better" Lucas says sarcastically, he then turns to leave the cafe, and just as he is approaching the door he turns towards Peyton... "Peyton, what time do you get off today?"

"Why do you care?" Peyton asks with an eye roll.

"Well, I need you to sign some papers for me"

"I've already signed my life away, so what does it matter"

Lucas looks to his mother for a little bit of help "Peyton" Karen says "go home and do what you have to do, then come back when you're done. Ok sweetie"

"Fine" Peyton sighs and mutters "let's get this over with" as she storms out the back to get her bag, she then rushes past Lucas and walks out the door. Lucas takes a deep breath and looks upwards trying to collect himself before he leaves. He walk to the door and Karen stops him by saying "be nice to her Lucas, she has been through a lot in her short life, and she doesn't need you being a jack ass to her all the time."

Lucas doesn't respond to his mother, he just walks out of the cafe and heads home.

Peyton is sitting at the kitchen table when she hears the front door open "Peyton, come to my office."

He doesn't wait for her to answer before he storms off to his office and waits for her to join him. Peyton has never been inside Luke's office, she precisely remembers Lucas telling her she is not allowed to set foot into his office. She slowly approaches the office door and takes a step in. It's dark and pretty intimidating. There is a huge oak wood desk sitting in the centre of the room, but there was something that surprised her and that was his wall to wall, ceiling to floor bookshelves field with books. She stands in the room looking around at a different side of Lucas that she has never seen before. She was pulled out of her musing when Lucas tells her to take a seat at his desk, "ok so I gave you half of all my properties and assets, half of all my possessions."

Lucas places the documents in front of Peyton who signs at the dotted line. She stands up and says "why? I never wanted your money"

"Right." Lucas said, perhaps a little bit too harshly. "And you didn't marry me for my money, either."

"Hey that is not fare, I have no one and I didn't think that I would be marrying such a jack ass!" Peyton says as she stands up to confront him. They are each staring each other trying to see who would break the hold first; Peyton looked away, walked out of his office and went back to the cafe to finish her shift.

Peyton spends the rest of her day at the cafe; she even stays on late to help Karen close up for the day. "So how did that thing go with Lucas this morning?"

"He gave me half of all his possessions, I don't get why- and we got into another stupid fight, so nothing has really changed." Peyton says dismissing the subject. "I just, I don't know anymore, when I agreed to this, I figured we would at least have a friendship, not an unbearable relationship."

"I know Peyton, but I guess you need to be patient with this Peyton. I am hoping that whatever Lucas is going through, he gets through it soon and back to his old self. I have a feeling that you would have loved him."

Peyton gets home that night and she walks past Lucas's office, and she is not surprised to see that his light is still on in his office. She grabs a glass of wine and heads upstairs, lights some candles and has a nice hot and relaxing bubble bath. Her skin starts to get wrinkly and the water starts to get cold, so it time for her to get out. She then heads off to bed.

Peyton was deep into slumber when she was suddenly awakened by Luke's jerky movements. He was tossing around and saying stuff she couldn't figure out. She then moved closer to him and shook him.

Luke cried out when Peyton touched him, as if he were in pain. He tried to shove her aside, he was still asleep, and Peyton saw he had burn scars on his arm, something she had never seen before; she wondered if he had gotten those the same day Derrick died. Lucas shoved Peyton once more, but she reached again and shook him awake.

When he started to wake up Peyton rolled back to my side of the bed and focused on staying very, very still; her breathing even and deep. Luke sat up in bed suddenly and Peyton closed her eyes tight. She could hear his ragged breathing and then, after a few moments, she felt him leaning over her, checking to make sure she was still asleep, and that he didn't wake her with his recurring night terrors. Then he rolled over to his side of the bed.

He was silent, but he wasn't asleep.

I know this chapter sucks, and its short but I was having trouble trying to get it right, the relationship is starting to develop from the next chapter- Let me know what you think and keep reviewing. xx