A/N: So this will probably be the longest chapter of this story so enjoy :D

Chapter Nine: Blame It On That Red Dress

The banquet's hall was crowded with men and women their piercing eyes claiming the figure on top of the balcony. The set up couldn't be any more cliché with the Cinderella moment Peyton thought while she made her way down; each step leading her to the bottom of the spiral stairwell the limelight spotted on her frame from across the room. There couldn't be more of a 'look at me, look at me' moment then at this current second.

Her delicate fingers slid down the white banister her left hand hooked into her husband's right arm the diamond that sat on her left hand glittering in the light as Julian moved in motion with her as if whispering 'right foot, left foot'. If keeping up appearances was so simple then the smiles on their faces looked anything but fake to those who didn't personally know the couple.

"Well, P. Sawyer…" Brooke said huskily. "Don't you look stunning?"

Taking the last step the friend's bodies intertwined together; red dress meshing with the purple.

"It is from this amazing designer I know. You might know her; the names B. and Davis ring a bell?"

"Oh, yes, she's fantastic. In fact I heard this very rose colored dress was one of a kind made especially for her very best friend."

The two women joked their body's arms apart. Peyton looked around the group that had begun to gather. It consisted of the core five plus two extra.

"So are these things always this boring?"

Nathan asked scratching the side of his arm where Haley had swatted him once the words left his mouth.

"Pretty much, but wait a couple hours and it'll get kind of amusing." The group gave Peyton a confused look. "Two words: Open bar."

Lindsay didn't acknowledge anyone other than Lucas and what had kept his attention so focused. Her blue orbs focused on his and his eye's desire; the pretty girl in the pretty little dress.

'Borrowing' the Scott men Julian led them to some very interested investors who would either make or break the movie; the old rich geezers wanting to know more about how the brother's became close prevailing against their father's sins.

"You and Julian are the perfect couple, here."

At Lindsay's statement Brooke huffed as if saying 'yeah right' which earned her an elbow to the arm by Peyton.

"Thank you, Lindsay."

"No problem. The both of you really look like you're truly in love."

If anyone should have wondered it shouldn't have been Haley, but she did her thoughts leading her to think if her friend was trying to tell Peyton that or herself. The arrow sure as hell wasn't pointing toward her blonde friend.

***

"But, Nathan, what I don't understand is if that you had this pure hatred for Lucas how on earth did it go away in less than a year. It doesn't sound possible."

This guy named Alexander Farrell began to ask, apparently Julian had informed the two that he would be making a huge donation in the efforts to make Lucas' novel into a movie.

"For the tenth time, Lex-"

"It's Alexander."

Nathan mumbled about the guy being bald and looking like Superman's nemesis so he would be called Lex and that earned him a disapproving look from Julian; thankfully the guy's hearing wasn't perfect.

"Right, Alexander. Like a said before, Dan Scott isn't the nicest person. You read the book." He shook his head from left to right. "Well than I suggest you read it before you invest a boat load of money into this project."

"Well, what about you, Lucas? Why did you forgive Nathan?"

"He got on the 'I hate Dan Scott' bandwagon."

Lucas mentioned; he was an articulate writer when it came to typing his next chapter, but when it came to actually speaking you wouldn't think that this young man comprehended the words he wrote; the words that touched so many souls.

Quickly realizing that this had been a bad idea Julian thanked the generosity of the older man and led the brother's away back to where they were most useful; to their group of friends.

"How about you stay here for the rest of the night?" Julian spoke hurriedly walking through the crowds of people to meet and greet his newest client. "I'll go make the negotiations while I point you out to the people who agree you're the biggest sensation since the Twilight Saga."

The moment Lucas had returned Lindsay led him to somewhere they could talk, privately. The two dove through small groups and zigzagged passed about a dozen people as he followed her all the while his hands were cupped with hers.

"Uh, Lindsay, what are we doing in the woman's bathroom?"

"We're here to talk because all night it looks like something's been on your mind."

She didn't look at him face to face, but stared through the mirror right above the counter top. Gazing into his eyes she tried to find any form of love; and she did find it, but it wasn't the kind of the she was looking for. Truth be told she wanted the same exact love that he had shared between Peyton.

"I think it…" He shoved his hands deep into his pockets, a classic Lucas Scott move. "I know it would be best if we just ended things right here and right now."

"And why is that?" She wasn't about to let him get off that easily. She wanted a truthful answer so that later on in life she wouldn't have to deal with the 'what ifs' like everyone else.

"Because you can do better than-"

"Cut the crap. And especially cut the chivalrous speech that always ends in 'it's not you it's me' or my personal favorite 'we can still be friends' and tell me the real reason."

"I still love her!" he blurted out. "I'm still in love with Peyton!"

Rubbing her temples she refused to look into the blue eyes she thought she loved.

"God, Lucas, I left him to be with you!"

Her words weren't above a whisper, the exact opposite as it echoed through the empty bathroom the words replaying themselves while they bounced off the walls.

"What?"

"George!" Her palm slapped against the black granite in frustration. "I left George to be with you! To be with YOU! And all you care about is your precious Peyton. So you got your wish, this relationship is over!"

"I don't think this really ever was one."

The sentence stung Lindsay's heart. She couldn't believe that Lucas had actually said those words to her, but thinking back on it she couldn't help but agree as she watched him walk out the door. The sound of a door click open caused Lindsay to whirl around. There had been a bathroom stall hidden around a corner while a pair of heels clinked against the tile floor.

"Don't mean to sound rude of anything, but you know there's this well known saying." Brooke turned the corner making her presents known walking to the porcelain sink and soaking her hands in foamy soap. "Never leave the guy you love for the guy you like because the guy you like will leave you for the girl he loves." Drying her hands with a clean towel she grabbed the lipstick from her bag and dabbed it onto her fading red lips. "Translation: You shouldn't have left Gerogey boy for Lucas because you should have known that Luke would have left you for Peyton in a heartbeat. Again I'm not trying to sound rude, but it's Lucas and Peyton the epic love story and all."

Brooke, too, walked out of the room not another word said from her or from the woman whose heart might have broken because of Luke and Peyt.

Walking back towards the hall his eyes immediately found the person he had been looking for; the one in the red dress. It felt as if his feet had been hovering across the floor because now he stood next to her and surprising she had been alone; no husband no friends just her.

"Peyton?"

"Hey, Luke, so you just missed it. Abram just tripped and spilt his drink across Mr. Farrell. This by far has been the earliest he's gotten drunk." She laughed his favorite laugh, but when she noticed his serious tone her happy expression became just like his. "What's wrong?"

"Can I talk to you for a second? Somewhere less crowded?"

He pleaded and she would be lying if she said his behavior didn't freak her out just a bit. They really hadn't talked about the kiss they shared last night.

"Of course, follow me."

She led him up the staircase at the corner of the hall almost invisible compared to the main one in the middle of it all. Trying to calm her nerves she counted each step finally reaching to twenty they had come to the top. Following Peyton Lucas noticed there was a short distance of less than a hundred feet that led to large double wooden doors, but before that there was nothing just the cold ground underneath them. She had defiantly been here before as she pulled the door's handles up and pushed them in a grand ballroom hid behind the doors; empty from the world beneath them.

"This place is amazing."

Lucas noted while he entered the room the only things occupying the empty place was the large chandelier that was brightly lit and the mirrors that were from floor to ceiling on every wall.

"It is pretty great isn't it? I found this place a couple years after moving here. It use to be an art gallery and whenever I had some free time I'd come here and spend hours just admiring the artists and their work wondering if I'd ever draw or paint anything that would mean something to anyone just as much as how the paintings that use to be displayed on the canvases in this very room helped shed some light when I was in my darkest of days. Music never meant the same to me after you-after everything that had happened and all that I had left was art."

Peyton suddenly felt his breath on the nape of her neck and she slowly turned. She didn't pull away when his fingers intertwined with hers, she didn't stop him when his hand brought her arm to drape across his neck, and she didn't whine when he pressed his free hand against the small of her back.

"Peyton, everything you ever put together with marker and paper always meant something." He whispered. "Your art did matter, to me."

She didn't protest as he moved his hand from her back and caressed it across her cheek and jaw line, purposely keeping their other hand intertwined in a knot. She didn't complain when his intense blue eyes stared straight into her soul. She didn't mention the feeling in her knees when he was this close.

"I love you, Peyton."

"I'm married. You aren't allowed to love me anymore."

It's a good thing her head beat her heart to the punch line. Head: one. Heart: zero.

"I'm in love with you."

"You have a girlfriend."

She chose to ignore his words. Head: two. Heart: zero

"No I don't."

Head: two. Heart: One billion.

"I refuse be your rebound girl, Lucas."

Head: Three. Heart: One billion. Only 999,999,998 more reasons to go.

"Like you ever could be. You do remember Brooke and Lindsay? Both of them were after you; not the other way around. I couldn't have you so I settled for Brooke. I made a huge mistake in shattering my dreams so I told myself Lindsay was enough."

"You can't tell me you didn't love them, Luke."

"I did, but I was never in love with them. Believe me when I say that I've never been in love with anyone other than you."

Closing her eyes she felt his nose graze gently across hers all the while her lips could feel his lips mouthing 'I'm in love with you' over and over again. The sudden 'loves' and 'yous' were stopped when she locked her lips against his. She hated it when he made her do things she shouldn't be doing, but she also loved this and she loved them. This kiss wasn't at all like the one they shared at the restaurant in the private room; feverish. It was slow and steady as if they had all the time in the world. Her red dress wrapped around the black suit made it look like a work of art bringing the only reason was to bring these two bodies closer together. Breaking apart the next moment was shared just between the two blue eyes lovingly gazing into the puddles of green.

"Divorce him."

He wasn't sure if he made it sound like a question, demand, or request, but the sudden outburst made her step away from him. And she wondered how he made it sound like the easiest thing to do because she sure as hell hasn't been trying to do that for the past two weeks.

"You can't do that. Just because you broke up with Lindsay doesn't mean I'm going to automatically end my marriage to Julian."

Even though it was what she had wanted to do when she realized there was no more Lucas and Lindsay. The two couldn't even combine their names because they didn't fit well together. They couldn't sound cute when Brooke called them Leyton or even Naley.

"I can't do that, but you can give me give us hope when you do the most naturalist thing in the world. When you do this."

He repeated her actions and crashed his lips onto hers. Her head went into overdrive. 'Tell him.' 'Leave him.' 'Julian might find out and where does that leave you?' 'Have fun in an office with a shrink' 'Maybe he can help you in your divorce' 'Divorce? That's not going to help you when a certain husband finds out' 'Lie to him' 'And what? Shatter his heart, again?' 'It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all.' 'He does like that whole Shakespeare stuff' 'Once this is all over maybe you can work on being with him, but until then the easiest way might be to fib'

"Because I love him."

Yes the easiest way was to get one obstacle out of the way at a time. He wanted to ask if she was in love with him, but the sound of someone clearing their throat caught both their attention. It was him. The guy she said she loves.

"Peyton Lucas is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine."

It was Peyton who spoke walking away from Lucas and towards Julian. It sure looked like Lucas wasn't able to say a word as his eyes were glued only on the girl in the red dress. His expression was one that was never seen by anyone because no one had ever felt the way he was feeling at that very moment; not heartache, but heartbreak.

Julian had muttered something into Peyton's ear which had left the two men alone. She looked back taking one last glimpse at Lucas and headed down the hallway and down the steps both Julian and Lucas watching her before she disappeared down the stairs.

"I'd really appreciate it…" Julian began making his way next to the other male in the room "If you stopped reenacting your junior year in high school with my wife."

***

She watched as he printed the letter 'B' on the papers. This game was getting old fast and she just couldn't wait till everything was finished.

"You should have seen the look on his face when you told him you love me. He looked sadder than a puppy."

He handed the papers to her the boyish grin smiling back at her. If it was one thing she was getting tired of it was him and his enjoyment at seeing Lucas suffer.

"Why are you even doing all of this?"

"I guess you could call it revenge."

"But why? What did he ever do to you?"

"Do you think it's easy sharing your heart with someone else? Or how about every night when you talk in your sleep? 'Oh Lucas I'm so sorry' and 'Lucas I love you' and the one that tops it all 'Yes, I'll marry you, Lucas'. Every single night since I've moved in with you there was never a day that went by when you didn't say his name and never a night when you never even mentioned me or my name."

A/N: So now you have the real reason why. Jealousy much? Push the green button and be a love and share the love :D *wink wink*