Chapter 6: Silent Night

Julian walked back towards the house, the crisp snow crunching underneath his feet. He looked up towards the midnight sky, the moon half full, and the billion of stars shining in the sea of black. He wondered what he was going to do; planning out his strategy with every move. The wind began to whistle and he hugged his coat tighter to keep the chill away. He stood on the top step taking in the scenic view; it looked like a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Peyton opened the door to the front yard and smiled at what her eyes saw. She walked up towards him and he opened his jacket as she nestled herself inside his warmth as he wrapped his arms and jacket around both of them.

"Hey, you. Whatcha doing?"

She had asked him never taking her eyes off of him.

"Just looking at the view."

He looked down at smiled.

"Are you enjoying it?"

"Very much."

He kissed her temple.

"So Brooke says that there's this huge Christmas party at Tric tonight and she was wondering if we'd like to go."

"Did she really mean we or just you?"

"You're a part of me so when she means me she really means we."

Her explanation made his heart melt and he couldn't say 'no' to Peyton Sawyer. Not even when he was suppose to be the strict movie producer that doesn't take no for an answer, but she told him to be nice and he was.

"Okay."

She whispered a thank you on his lips before she ran inside to get changed. By the time the clock hit eight o'clock the trio was ready and on their way to Tree Hill's only existing hotspot.

***

Lucas was still fuming as he walked into his house and Lindsay followed behind him.

"What's the matter? What did Julian say?"

"It was nothing."

"Did he say something about me? Luke, you don't have to get all defensive I can handle myself."

"It wasn't about you. It was about P…"

He stopped automatically.

"About Peyton."

Lindsay finished. Her eyes sad for about half a second before they were filled with anger.

"Why do you even care, Luke? She's not yours to care for. Not anymore."

"BECAUSE I STILL LOVE HER." He yelled. He didn't know where that came from. "I never should have let her go."

He didn't know where all this truth was coming from. Lindsay's tears reaching her chin and causing the water drops to hit the floor. It was so silent that Lucas swore he could hear them splashing onto the wood floor.

"I'm so…"

Lindsay held up her hand stopping him from speaking not letting him apologize.

"I need to…go." She grabbed a couple of bags and stuffed them with all the things she could. "I'm not going to fight for something that was never there. I deserve someone with a whole heart. Not someone who doesn't have one. You already gave your heart away a longtime ago. Plus, I was always rooting for Luke and Peyton. Just not when I was hoping for you and me."

She walked out of his door and maybe even out of his life forever.

***

Julian, Peyton, and Brooke walked into the party and noticed it was in full swing. They grabbed a couple drinks before finding a table and taking a seat. They chatted amongst themselves; after a while Peyton excused herself to use the ladies room, leaving Brooke and Julian.

She walked out of the bathroom and bumped into a large frame of a man. She was about to apologize, but when she noticed the mesmerized features she couldn't breathe. Those intense blue eyes that could see into her soul, his perfectly shaped lips with a tint of pink shade, his cute upturned node, and his light dimples. He was smiling.

"Lucas."

He didn't know how he got there, but he was there. A text message from Brooke had informed him of their location.

"Peyton." He noted that she looked surprised to see him there. "Can we talk? Alone?"

She didn't say a word, but nodded her head carefully almost thinking if this was the right decision as he lead her into the empty cite office area.

"What's this about?"

She tried to sound annoyed, but it sounded the complete opposite. Almost nervous.

"I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry for everything, Peyt. For the hotel incident."

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for you to say that."

"Two years, six months, five days…" he looked down at his watch. "And about ten hours."

"Exactly, Lucas. Two and a half years. You knew I had a problem with people leaving me. You knew and you didn't care."

"Of course I cared."

"No you didn't because if you did you wouldn't have left. You have no idea what I went through. Waking up alone feeling abandon. Like I was some kind of trash that could be thrown away. You broke my heart after promising me time and time again that you wouldn't."

"I never meant to…"

"But you did. I never questioned our love, Luke, but maybe I should have. Every single word you said, every single word you wrote was nothing but lies and you want to know that saddest thing about it. I believed every single one."

"I did mean everything. Every 'I love you' every 'I miss you' every want and need that I had for you was true. God, Peyton it never stops. The wanting the needing."

"So what? You just want me to jump your bones and then you'd feel complete?" The complete shock written across his face told her that might have been too much, but the witty come back was in the back of her head and the angel of death version of herself was screaming for her to say it and it just came out." "Jesus, Luke, you said I was great. You said it to me, you said it to the world, and I wish you never had because you didn't mean any of it."

Tears falling from her eyes and she cursed herself for crying over the guy she promised herself she'd never shed another single tear for. She couldn't believe this was happening. She watched him walk closer and closer towards her, but she didn't take any steps towards him or take any back. The palm of his hands cradled her face delicately as he whipped the tears from her cheeks. Skin touching skin and electricity flowing between each touch. His heart broke for the love of his life. He made her think twice about their love, their love that was written in the stars and he hated himself for it. His lips mere inches away and the feeling was electrifying.

"We certainly are a bitch." Out of the corner of Peyton's eye she noticed the figure that was herself dressed in the Halloween costume from so many years ago. She wanted to groan, this could not be happening. Stupid subconscious. "Looks like you've been keeping up. So you want to make me go away, huh. Well that's easy, where's Julian?"

Peyton quickly pulled away from Lucas' touch. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she gasped for it. Lucas almost had her; he was this close and now he was right where he had started. He wanted to touch her again and brought his hand up to touch her arm tenderly.

"Peyton?"

"I…I'm with Julian."

Her words crushed him as she went out to look for the other man.

***

Julian had ignored Brooke all night and she wondered why. He downed another scotch never turning his attention to the brunette as he spoke.

"I thought a best friend was supposed to look out for the one they love. Keep them safe and away from heartbreak. You're not a best friend, Brooke Davis, you're more like a frenemy."

He finally turned to look Brooke in the eye and she could feel the anger radiate off of him. She wanted to ask what he was talking about, but he beat her to the punch as he got closer and hissed.

"What kind of friend agrees to help the person who shattered her best friend into a million pieces."

Brooke flinched at his testomy, she could smell the alchol on his breath, the strong stench of scotch. Peyton had walked up to the table and she could have cut the tension with a knife.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

It was Julian who answered her question, maybe a little too quickly. Peyton looked as he headed of towards the bar for another drink and she noticed her best friend look almost guilty.

"Brooke."

Her voice was stern and Brooke knew she needed an answer, she just wasn't sure if Peyton would like the response.

"Julian might have over heard me saying that he wasn't the right guy for you."

"What do you mean by might have."

"Well…" she hesitated. "Not really a might have, but he totally heard me."

"Brooke, what were you thinking? You can't go around saying stuff like that. I finally found someone who makes me happy. A guy that you yourself approved of nonetheless. You're supposed to be on my team."

Peyton didn't let Brooke explain herself as she met Julian halfway and led them to a quite area. A copy of 'An Unkindness of Ravens' sitting on top of a table and Peyton smiles as she delicately touches the top of the cover.

"Do you think it's lost on me that that book was written by your ex-boyfriend? It's practically a love letter to you."

Peyton felt horrible. Right now she could cut off all ties with Julian, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. He was good to her and she didn't know if she could let Lucas Scott back into her heart the same way again.

"It's just a fictional book, Julian; words that have no truth to them at all. Nothing makes more money than a made-up love story."

She said them to him and said them to herself trying to convince the both of them. He asked if she meant it and she nodded her head slightly.

'Did she really mean it?' Lucas thought as he stood behind a pillar away from both their views. "How could she mean it?'

A/N: So not the way you wanted it to end, but trust me in the end it will totally be worth it! :D So i totally had to add Peyton the angel of death! i love that Peyton! i was youtube and found the video and could not stop laughing!