Lindsey was in the kitchen, doing the dishes. She scrubbed the dishes, roughly; taking out her frustration on it. There were no words to describe how she was feeling at the moment. She thought it was best that she avoided talking with her husband, otherwise she may say something that she would later regret.
Lucas watch his wife, and how tense she looked. He knew it was his fault, and knew better then to go in there at this time, but he didn't comply, he needed to appoligize for his behavior.
She had been excited for their dinner with his brother, and his girlfriend. She really wanted to be friends with her, the girl that she had always admired from the book. He remembered the look on her face when she had told him that she and Peyton and decided to put the past behind them; maybe she had clung on to this hope because this was the only family she had left.
Lindsey could feel Lucas behind her. She e her teeth. "Could you please leave," she said sternly. Annoyed that he hadn't left her alone. He should know by now that it was better to give her space.
"Lindsey...I'm sorry," he tried begging her for forgiveness.
She quickly twirled around, "You ruined the night Lucas," she sneered.
"I didn't--"
She glared at him, "Don't give me that, I didn't mean to. Yes you did. And thanks to you I don't think Peyton is ever going to want to talk to me again."
"Oh come on, I doubt what I did is going to affect your friendship with her. Just because she hates my guts doesn't mean she hates you."
"So why'd you do it? You knew that tonight was important to me," folding her arms, wanting answer for his childish behavior.
"I'm trying to protect my best friend..."
She shook her head, "Bull, you know music is something that makes Hayley happy. No, you just wanted to poke shots at your brother. The question really is why do you want him to feel like he's no good. Is it because you always want to be the superior one? Or is it more to do with the fax that he's with Peyton, and the thought of her being with anyone else is killing you." When she had said Peyton's name there was no hate behind it, because she didn't blame her for this, she had moved on, and she could tell she was really happy; no this was more about her hubby, and his jealousy.
"ARH..." frustrated that it was back to this. "So you think I still have feelings for her?"
"Yeah, makes perfect sense, I mean the moment Peyton start hanging with Nathan, you basically cut him out of your life."
Getting close to her, caressing her face, "Lindsey I married you."
Lindsey held back the tears, holding back the sadness inside. He didn't try deny that he still had feelings, he just advoided answering it. Soon questions began run through her hear, it had her wondering if he would ever let her fulling in? If she hadn't found that ring would he ever even proposed to her? When was she ever going to be good enough?
Lindsey stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her. Jumped into her car, and drove off. She didn't know where she was going, but she needed to get away from him. Why couldn't he just have let her be, she thought.
Peyton opened the door, it was past midnight, only to find a crying Lindsey on the other side. She pulled her in, "Hun, what's the matter?"
"Me and Lucas got in a fight," she said as she sat down beside her on the couch.
"I'm sorry," she hated that she had cause tension between the newlyweds.
"It's not your fault. He had no right to treat you or Nathan like that." She took a deep breath, "He's still in love with you."
This girl must be mistaken, he married her. "No he's not."
"Yes he is. I can keep denying it, or I can just accept it and move on."
She was beginning to feel rather guilty, she had ruined everything for this girl in front of her. "He's just not use to seeing me with someone else, it's nothing else. I mean I did the same when I got back." Leaving out the fact that she had declared her love for him, and even kissed him. She knew Lindsey deserved some happiness to, and when Lucas lets people in it's great, amazing.
Either Peyton was trying to make her feel better or she was really naive when it came to Lucas, and his feelings for her. "You know if I hadn't read his book then maybe I'd believe that."
"That was such a long time ago, we were different people back then," putting her hand on top of Lindsey's, trying to assure her that she was the one Lucas loved and wanted.
"No, not that book; his newest one." Peyton looked at her confused, she didn't know he had wrote another one. "It's called The Comet; it's about a boy and his comet, but really it's an epic love story. Basically it's Lucas waiting for you to come back to him."
"No, it's just a story," why else would he have married her, she thought.
"No, it's not. If you read it, you would realize that I'm right. Even Hayley thought that, she just chose not to tell me after Lucas kept assuring her that it wasn't. I tried denying it, thinking that things would get better, but the truth is he couldn't even write until you came home. And that story was basically that story of you finally coming home to him."
This wasn't how is suppose to be, she had set him free, let him go,"I didn't--"
"Peyton, I don't blame you for this. It's not your fault, you moved on, and Lucas, he just can't seem to let go."
Now she began to cry, "I wanted the best for him, and in the end I really thought you were it for him."
"Me too," she said softly. "I know he hasn't been that nice to you lately, and I'm sorry for that. But don't let him, and his bitterness ruin your happiness." He had heard stories from Deb, about her life with Dan, and it seemed that Lucas was slowly turning into the man he hated. She would hate if he ruined the lives of the people around him.
"I won't," she wouldn't let him get in her way of her second chance to be happy. Nathan brought a smile to face, warmth to her heart, something that she hadn't felt since Lucas left her in that hotel room. "It's late, why don't you stay here for the night."
"Thanks for being a good friend," she said embracing her.
"Nate, you should have seen how fragile she was, sitting there on my couch, crying. He really has screwed her up," Peyton said, as the walked hand in hand towards his ex's house. She felt bad for this girl, she had done nothing to deserve this.
Nathan wasn't surprised that this happened, he knew it was a matter of time before he broke her heart. He ran from his feelings, ran from the girl he loved, marrying a girl that was easy. "Like I told you before, he would soon regret it. I knew he still loved you."
Becoming defensive, "Why does everyone keep saying that?" Why was it so hard for everyone to believe that he had moved on, fell in love with another?
Stopping her, he didn't want to burst her bubble, but she really needed to come to terms with reality. "Hun, are you really that naive? Can't you see the jealousy when he sees us together? Why else do you think he's been such an ass to us?"
Thinking back to all the stuff that had happened since she came back. "You're right. But he gave up the chance with me. I told him not marry her, but he did anyway. Just because he finds out that he made a mistake, doesn't mean he has the right to dictate my life. I was willing to let him be happy, to let him go, why can't he do the same for me?"
"I don't know," pulling her into his arms, kissing the top of her hair. "Now why don't we grab Jamie, and head to the zoo like we planned. Let's not let Lucas spoil our day."
Looking up at him, "You're right, he's not worth it."
Lucas looked at the empty room. She had packed up everything. She was gone, and this time he couldn't do anything from stopping her leave. What happened to marriage was forever, he thought. He had once remembered her saying that.
He sat on the edge of his bed, thinking about that events that only occurred hours before.
Lindsey slowly walked into the house, the place that she no longer felt home. Lucas was sitting on the couch, sitting on the computer, it was as if she hadn't left last night, as if they never fought. Did he even care?
She walked past him without a word. She couldn't live like this any longer, she wouldn't. She should have left the first time, she knew it then, she just didn't want it to end. He had given her the love she always longed for, only she was a fool to think that it was actually real.
Lucas looked up from his computer, to see her heading towards their bedroom. He put his laptop down, and quickly followed her. "Where were you, I was worried?"
"That's nice of you to care," she spat out, no looking at him, as she began to go through the closet, trying to grab all her belongings.
Drawing closer, putting his arms around her waist, "Lindsey I'm sorry. I know I was a jerk, and you're right I shouldn't have spoke to either of them that way."
Breaking free from his hold, spinning around,"Lucas that was barely what the fight was about and you know it!"
"I'm sick of everyone accusing me of having feelings for Peyton." Bring her into his arms again, running his hands up and down her arms, "I'm with you, I married you."
"But would you have even asked me if I hadn't found that ring?" wanting to know the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind.
He had to lie, anything to get her to stay, he needed her,"Of course I would have. I was just planning this special moment, I had wanted to do it at Christmas."
Lindsey then remembered something Peyton had blurted out in the Library, was it really true? "I don't believe you. I bet this is the ring that you proposed to Peyton with."
"What, no. Who told you that?" Had Brooke told her at some point, last night? He was out of lies he could tell. He began to panic, what was he going to do?
"Peyton--she saw it before the wedding, and said something."
Had she saw it in the hotel, he wondered. Kind of glad she did, this gave him the perfect opportunity to convince his wife otherwise. "She only said that because she was jealous of us. She wanted me and she was doing everything in her power to make sure that was possible." Pretty proud of himself, that he was able to think so fast on his feet.
"I know she still loved you, but I also know she was trying to let you go."
He was confused, "What are you talking about?"
"Well after she said that, later that evening she took it back, and said she was just jealous because she always wanted that ring, that it ring was the ring that Keith had given Karen."
Lucas was stunned, she couldn't believe that she had actually remembered that.
"I thought I was special, that I got the ring that meant so much to your mom, but really it was to stop me from leaving. But why?"
"I told you, because I can't lose you. I need you," leaning in to kiss her.
It didn't last more then a few seconds, before Lindsey back away, "No, you don't get to suck me back in again. I'm tired of not being good enough. I'm tired of trying to hold on to us for dear life, and you not letting me in. I need you to want me back."
Cupping her cheeks, "I do, I do."
Shaking her head, "No you don't."
"Stop telling me who I love," he yelled, getting frustrated.
"Then stop lying to me, stop lying to yourself. I don't deserve this, Peyton's right, I deserve a whole lot better," she screamed. No one deserved to feel like they weren't important, especially by the person they married, the person that vowed to love them for the rest of the days of their lives.
"So you went to Peyton about this?" What right did she have going to talk to his ex-girlfriend about their problems? "You know she probably bad mouth me because she's still trying to get me back."
"Get over yourself. Peyton is happy with Nathan, she doesn't need a man whose can't admit how he feels, or can't get over his pride just because she said someday."
Now he was raging that Peyton had turned her against him.
"I'm through with this. This marriage is over," as she started stuffing clothes into the suitcase on the bed.
"No, I won't have it, I won't sign," he stated clearly.
"Well too bad, daddy's old lawyer will make sure that you can't do anything to stop this. When I read The Unkindness of Raven's, I thought, now this is a guy I'd like to marry, that Peyton was so lucky to have someone as special as you. But now that I know you, you're nothing like that boy, and we're both lucky to be rid of you," she said with so much vengeance.
His life was a mess, and it was all thanks to one person, Peyton Sawyer.
Jamie walked hand in hand with both Peyton and Nathan, as they walked around the zoo. They had been there for almost an hour, and still the 4yr old boy had a lot of energy. "Come on, you two are being so slow."
They both just laugh at the little boy. "Alright, hold your horses," his father replied.
"I just really want to see the lions."
"Well I'm pretty sure they're not going anywhere."
As they came to the lions, Jamie jumped up the little bench in front, and watched the them, as they laid around. He turned around, "Peyton, could you draw me a picture of a lion so I can hang it up in my room at home."
Sitting down next to him, "I sure can. Do you want a mommy lion or a daddy?"
Glancing over at his dad, before looking back at her, "Defiantly a daddy, could we even have him playing basketball?"
Smiling at him, "Sure can."
"And it defiantly needs to be wearing a Raven jersey with daddy's old jersey number on it."
"Anything you want." This boy really looked up to his dad; Nathan had really grown into a wonderful father, and amazing guy, someone she always knew he could be. Peyton stood up, and put her arms around Nate's arm, "You've done good with him."
"And one day, when you're a mom, you'll do great too."
"Thanks. And thanks for letting me be apart of your family," leaning over and kissing him.
"Do you two ever stop?" Jamie asked. "Get a room?"
"You hang out with Brooke too much, little man." He was starting to sound like her, that couldn't be a good thing, Nathan thought, as he laughed to himself.
"Daddy, can we go see her? Chase and her have been letting me help out with the babies room."
"Not today son, she's working on something."
Peyton looked at him strangely, she hadn't mention on doing anything today, and she wasn't working today either, "She wouldn't mind Nate, I'm sure that she would love to see her favourite little man."
"Well when I talk to her about bringing him over for dinner, she mentioned that something was up and she didn't have the time. Maybe she had something to do with prep stuff with the baby."
"I'm glad she didn't con me into going. As much as I'm excited for her and Chase that they're having a baby and all, there's only so much I can take of baby stuff. She really likes to go overboard sometimes," she laughed.
"That is true," Nathan laughed.
"So if she's not taking him tonight while we go for dinner, who is?"
"My mom."
"I thought she was in New York?"
"She was, but she was missing me, and her favourite grandson."
Looking up at his dad "Dad, I'm her only grandson."
"And a cute one if you ask me," Peyton said.
Hayley saw Lucas staring at the glass in front of him. He was looking depressed. She wondered what had gotten him so down. She strolled over to him, and sat in the next seat, "So where's Lindsey tonight?"
He didn't even bother to look at her, "She's gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Had she gone to New York on business again?
"She left me. Didn't even say good-bye."
"What, why?" she was confused, she knew this girl loved him with her whole heart.
"I don't know. There was no note. She just packed her stuff and left me. Yet again, I'm not good enough."
Her best friend right in front of her, was so broken. She hated seeing him like this. "That's not true." He was just lost, and hadn't found himself yet.
"Peyton was right, everyone leaves."
"I'm right here, I haven't left."
"No, but Peyton did. Even my own mother and sister don't want to be near me," he cried. He didn't know if it was the alcohol that was finally getting to him, or the emotions that he never let out, that he had buried away.
"You know she needed to get away, Tree Hill was painful for her, she went out to find happiness with Andy. But you know she loves you."
"Well Peyton didn't seem to love me, she said no, and yet here she is playing house, with my brother no less."
"And whose fault is that? I don't think you're upset per say that Lindsey left, I think you're more upset because you have nothing to hide behind anymore. You just have too much pride to admit that you have feelings for Peyton, and it's killing you that she moved on, that she finally let go."
"I hate Peyton, she ruined my life. If she hadn't moved back, Lindsey would still be here."
"Lucas, when are you going to stop hiding you're heart?"
He chose to ignore her. He chose to believe that this jealousy that was bubbly up inside was nothing.
He took the glass the sat in front of him, and chugged it down. It burnt all the way down, but he didn't seem to care.
"Nate, I thought we were going out for dinner," she wined. She had dressed up all nice, only to be brought to his house. She was a little disappointed.
"Sawyer, trust me. This will be so much better," he assured her, as he pulled her into his house.
As they walked onto the living room, she was amazed. There was candles placed all around the room, and a little table in the middle awaiting them, with wine. She spun around, faced Nathan, "Is this why you had Brooke occupied today, she was helping you?"
"Yes. I thought since it was your birthday, I needed to do you something special for you."
"Thank you, you're really too good to me."
Pulling her into his arms, "Well a girl like you deserves the world," placing a kiss on her lips. "And I plan on making sure you get everything you want."
"What if I've already go it?" resting her hands on his chest.
"Then I guess my work has been accomplished," walking her over to her chair.
Later that night, they sat on the deck, staring out at the stars. It was a clear night. They sat cuddled under a blanket.
Peyton leaned her head against his shoulder, "After my mom died I use to sit outside, watching the stars, hoping for a shooting star, so I could wish that my mom was alive, that the accident never happen."
"I think that's actually the first time I talk to you."
"You remember that," couldn't believe he remembered that far back.
"Yeah, I had taken off from the house, after fighting with my dad, for the millionth time. And I walked to my favourite place, there you were sitting there, all wrapped up. We just sat there, like we're doing now. We didn't need to talk, was just nice having someone there."
"I Never told you this before, but that moment made my day," she smiled.
"Whys that?"
"Well because you were the cutest boy in school, and I had the biggest crush on you, and the thought of spending anytime with you, just made me giddy."
Nathan blushed, "Who knew a girl could actually make Nathan Scott blush," she said, in a mocking way.
"Shut up," swatting her lightly. "Do you ever think about the future?"
"Sometimes, you?"
"Yeah. I mean I love coaching basketball, don't get me wrong, but I wonder if I could get another chance at my dream."
Peyton looks over at Nathan, touching his face, forcing him to look at her, "Nate, if basketballs what you want, then go for it. Make your dream come true."
"Do you think I could still do it?"
"Yes, I mean it's not going to be easy, and you're going to have to work hard for it, but you should always do something that you love. Never live with regret." She believed in him, and his dreams, and she didn't think he needed to give up on it. That made him the happiest person in the world. He didn't say anything he, just took her face into his hands, and kissed her.
