BRIEF NOTES:
I'm really glad a lot of people like the flow of this story. I'm highly encouraged by your support, and I'll do my best to make this story worth reading.
Again, thank you all.
This chapter will be dealing with a lot of flashbacks, primarily to explain all the questionable gaps in the previous chapter.
Enjoy.
DISCLAIMER:
Same same. I still don't own OTH.
CHAPTER SIX
His boy. In the years he spent away from here, he couldn't deny not knowing this child. Peyton had called to inform him of her pregnancy, after all; but he also remembered her saying she wouldn't go through with it. Only to find out 11 months later that he was indeed father to a baby boy, from his mother, no less. The shock and the anger had driven him to phone Peyton and tell her how much he hated her – so much so that he had accused her of purposely wanting their child to relive the misery of his own fatherless childhood.
Despite his physical presence in his brother's doorway, his mind traveled back to the days he never even wanted to recall.
4:30 p.m. – His lit history paper was due by 6… and not a single word had graced his inspiration.
He was thankful for getting accepted into NYU, and he would walk through a bed of nails if he had to just to stay. After all, it wasn't everyday that this messed-up Tree Hill boy got the opportunity of a lifetime. He sighed, even with pressing deadlines and heavy demands, Lucas knew things were doing better for him and his family.
His phone buzzed as the vibrations reverberated on the table. The name on the caller ID had him thinking twice about answering.
"Hey Blondie."
"Hi Lucas."
It had been 5 months since they last saw each other; and though they tried their best to keep the relationship alive, distance still found ways to challenge them. During the first weeks, they called each other everyday, promising their love and loyalty. But as the adjustments to their new environments set in, so began the arguments – petty or otherwise. Since then, the daily calls had reduced… until such time that even a short text message out of the blue had become a surprise.
He was too caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't sensed the apprehension in her voice. "I'm glad you called…seems like we haven't talked at all this month."
"Right. I… Lucas, I need to tell you something."
In his book, the statement "I need to tell you something" never meant anything good. The last time someone had said those words to him, the man who fathered him was convicted of first degree murder.
Hesitantly, he asked, "Is something wrong."
The other end of the line had fallen silent. For a second, Lucas thought it had gone dead.
"I'm pregnant… with our baby." The words were spoken with such silent resolve, and yet it had hit him like a runaway train. He felt nauseous.
The only thing that came out of his mouth was a flimsy "Oh." He heard Peyton chuckle a little at that, and he supposed his reply reminded her of the night she professed her love to him.
But her voice grew serious in a heartbeat. "You've always been honest with me, Luc, and now is not the time to lie. Please tell me, how do you feel about this? And please, tell me the truth."
He composed himself in a heavy sigh. "Like I really don't need this right now."
From his end, he couldn't see the tears that started to fall from his girl's eyes. But somewhere inside of him, he knew saying those words had hurt her. Nevertheless, she had asked for the truth – and she did not deserve anything less.
"I… I understand." Her voice was choked, like something had lodged in the back of her throat. "Don't worry, babe. I'll take care of it."
Lucas froze. She did not just mean what he thought it meant.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, Peyton." Even if he hadn't meant to, he hurt her. But she knew he couldn't be that man… not with him still recovering from his own pain.
He heard her sniff. It pained him to know he caused her sad tears. "Don't worry, Lucas. I'll be great with this. I promise."
Her sarcasm was wounding, but he guessed he deserved it. It was then that he knew he couldn't do this to her anymore – the hurting had to stop, before they came out hating each other.
"I can't do this anymore, Peyton. We have to stop hurting each other before it gets worse."
The other line had fallen silent again. He had to finish this before he lost his courage.
"I wish I could be the guy I used to be… but I lost him when I found the pain Dan inflicted on me and my family. Right now, I'm in this limbo where I don't know how I'm gonna turn out. And you can't be with me when all of this is happening because I always end up hurting you, even when I don't mean to. I love you, Peyton, and maybe when all of this is better you and I will find each other… and maybe then I can be the man you need me to be. But right now, I can't have this… and I'm sorry."
He was about to press end when Peyton finally spoke. "Okay."
He closed his eyes, not wanting to feel the agony he heard from her.
"Goodbye, Blondie."
With the single push of a small red button, it was over. In the silence of Lucas's room, the only audible sounds were that of his tears.
"The date is February 8, 2009. Announcing the arrival of Delta Airlines Flight 4749 from Atlanta…"
Lucas anxiously anticipated his mother's emergence from the arrivals area. Four days ago, he was hesitant to let her go to Tree Hill, knowing all too well how difficult it was for her to cough up the courage to take that trip. But she had been adamant about taking up Haley's offer to buy in on their café's ownership; she said it was the practical thing to do – since they were away and Haley had done so well managing the café for them. He had to agree, thinking it would be one way to let his mother heal.
His face lit up at the sight of his mom. He carried his two-year-old sister and stepped quickly to her. They immediately enclosed themselves in a hug.
"Thank god you're back, ma. Kaitlyn's been nothing but antsy since you left. If I fail midterms, it'll be all her fault."
Karen Roe laughed it off. It felt good to see her children again.
The drive to their house was silent but uncomfortable, as if something hung in the air. Lucas dismissed the thought; his mom was probably just tired from the trip. Little did he know that in a matter of minutes, his life would be turned upside-down.
The bags were unloaded and Kaitlyn was deposited inside her playpen. Karen had made coffee, silently wishing she could put a cup of strong bourbon in it. Her confession needed courage, and she wasn't sure if she had any left.
Lucas picked up on her tension. "What is it, ma? Did something happen in Tree Hill?"
Now or never, she thought. "Honey, when I went back to negotiate with Haley, a new business deal kind of presented itself to me…"
"Aww, mom… did you sell out?"
"Not exactly. Haley and I agreed on what was planned, she gets 40 of the ownership. We still have Karen's as our own."
Now he was confused. "So if everything went ahead as planned then what else could you have dealt with?"
"I signed Tric over to Peyton."
"YOU WHAT?!" His voice exerted a little more volume than necessary, but Karen wouldn't be fazed.
"Peyton owns Tric now. She needs it more than we do."
Lucas's eyes grew wide in annoyance "Does she now? And you didn't even sell it to her or anything, did you? You just gave it away like a cookie. That's really great, ma… I mean, really. I didn't know you had the heart of Mother Teresa." He began to walk off.
"She needs it for her son, Lucas. Your son."
That held him in place. He did a 180 and looked at his mother. His face turned ashen and his body iced over.
"It's true, Lucas. When I came to meet Haley at the café, she walked in carrying her son with her. She didn't know that I was there. We were both just as shocked to see each other. When we got to talk, I asked her why she told you she got rid of it… she denied it, son. She said she never told you that. You have a son, Lucas – a beautiful 11-month old baby boy who's turning one next month. I know they're getting by okay, from what she and Haley told me. But Haley also told me she knew Peyton was too proud to admit struggling, that's why I decided to sign Tric over to her. She didn't even want it at first, but I made her see my point. I know she didn't mean to hide this from us, but whatever her reasons, they aren't important now. What's important is that we do right by her and your son."
The narration made Lucas's blood boil. He retreated from the kitchen and headed to his bedroom. His instincts numbly picked up his cellphone and dialed her number.
Two rings and her voice came on. "Lucas?"
"YOU SAID YOU GOT RID OF IT PEYTON!" He was yelling, but he could honestly care less.
"I NEVER" Her voice started off just as loud but had calmed in an instant "said I'd get rid of him."
"You lied to me!" He refused to listen.
She remained steadfast. "No, I didn't."
"I'm going there." The statement was instantaneous, it was his instinct speaking.
"We don't need you here right now, Lucas."
We don't need you. That was all he heard. Rage had taken over at the mere mention of the words don't, need, and you.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? You're punishing me because of what I said when you told me you were pregnant! How could you do this, Peyton? You know I didn't grow up with a father! You know I promised myself I would never do what that ass of a man did to me! But no, you're deliberately depriving me of a chance to do things the right way. Well you know what? FINE! I will never again acknowledge the fact that you and I bore a child. As a matter of fact, you may as well forget that I am part of that baby's life."
"Lucas, that's not what I --"
"Save it, Peyton. I don't want to hear anything more from that lying mouth of yours."
Click.
Once again, the simple push of a tiny red button ended the rest of his hopes for him and her.
Reality had set in again, reinstating him to his current position at Nathan's front door. The flashbacks seemed like they lasted for hours, but they had only actually covered a matter of seconds.
It was the crashing sound of breaking glass that brought him back to earth.
