"Rise and shine, Darling," Larry said, opening Peyton's curtains.

Peyton blinked through the sunlight, shielding her eyes with her hand. She had slept in her own room that night, knowing her father would wake up extra early to tell her happy birthday. She didn't want to risk not being in her bed when he showed up. Lucas had promised to see her once she was up though.

"Good morning, Father," Peyton replied.

"Happy Birthday, Sweetheart. How does it feel to be a woman? Eighteen is such a huge age!" he exclaimed.

"I don't feel any different," Peyton admitted.

"Right. Well, it's going to take a little while to sink in. I'll let you get ready for the day. Then, you can come downstairs and eat the breakfast I had specially made for you."

"Thank you," Peyton smiled, giving him a hug. "I'll be down in a little bit."

He walked out of her room, shutting the door behind him. She walked over to her bathroom, eyeing the dress she had hanging form the closet door handle. A smile came to her face, remembering the day Brooke helped pick out that dress. She entered her shower, enjoying the feel of the water against her skin. When she stepped out, she quickly dressed, then headed downstairs. Walking into the dining area, she immediately spotted Lucas. He smiled his perfect smile of his, making her want to melt.

"Peyton, you look gorgeous," Brooke yelled, running over to her to give her a hug.

"Brooke, I didn't expect you to be here. You're never up this early," Peyton teased.

"Well, I was going to sleep in, Nathan had me up all night," Brooke whispered. "But, I'd do anything for my best friend."

"Oh, Peyton. You look beautiful," Mia told her, walking into the room.

"You do look amazing, Peyton," Lucas commented, making Peyton blush.

"My daughter always looks fantastic," Larry grinned.

"This is nothing. You should see the dress we've picked out for her to wear for the party tomorrow. You're going to blow a socket," Brooke announced.

"Brooke, I hope you don't mind me asking who you're talking to. Because I sure hope it isn't me," Larry responded. "That's my daughter, and I do not think of her in such ways."

"Of course not, . I was talking to Mia. Mia is always talking about how the sight of Peyton gets her going," Brooke lied, causing Lucas and Peyton to burst with laughter.

"It's the hormones," Mia added, going along with the lie.

"Alright," Larry said, obviously uncomfortable. "That's a little strange Mia, but my wife went through the same stage."

The laughter died, the room becoming silent. Peyton stared at the ground, not wanting to think about such sad things on her birthday.

"I'm sorry," Larry apologized. "I didn't mean to put everyone in a bad mood. Let's all just cheer up now. Peyton, we've made your favorite breakfast."

"Thank you," Peyton said, taking her seat next to Lucas. He smiled at her, grabbing her hand for comfort. "I love french toast."

"Me too," Lucas smiled. "It's my favorite as well."

"Before we dig in," Larry said loudly. "We have a special cake to eat."

Mia walked back into the dining area, holding a white frosted cake. On top, were seventeen candles, brightly lit. She placed the cake in front of Peyton, and everyone began to sing. Peyton blew out the candles, watching Mia serve everyone a slice.

"What did you wish for?" Brooke asked her best friend.

"I can't say, or else it will never come true," Peyton responded.

"So, let's go over the plan for today and tomorrow, shall we?" Larry asked. "Great. For dinner, we'll all meet back here, except Brooke will have brought Nathan. We'll all get a good night's rest, then wake up and get ready for the party. It will be in the ball room. People should start arriving around 7:00 pm. That'll give everyone plenty of time to set up and get things ready. Any presents will be opened tomorrow at the party, so you'll have to wait on opening your gifts, Sweetie. Any questions?"

"Yes," Brooke answered. "What do you have planned for today until dinner?"

"Today, I've arranged for you and Peyton to go to the spa. Everything's completely paid for, so don't worry about bringing your purses."

"What about Lucas?" Peyton asked.

"Don't worry about him either," Larry replied. "I have a special task that will keep him busy."


"What is this task you have for me?" Lucas asked, sitting down in his usual chair in the library.

"Well, I have just a small question before I tell you," Larry explained. "Remember this has nothing to do with what I'm going to ask you, it's just for me to know."

"Alright," Lucas said.

"OK. I guess I'll just ask away." He gave a nervous laugh. "So, how firm are you standing on not helping me out with breaking up Brooke and Nathan?"

"Pretty firm, Sir," Lucas replied, speaking seriously. "I hope you're not still planning on separating them."

"No, not at all," Larry mumbled. "Now, what were we supposed to be doing here?"

"You said you had a task for me," Lucas reminded.

"Right. Um... I was just going to see if you could help me with the last minute details concerning Peyton's party tomorrow. I just want everything to be perfect for my little girl."

"Of course, Sir. What can I help with?"

"Well, everything is pretty much taken care of. I just need someone to clean out the attic."

"The attic?" Lucas repeated.

"Yes. You see, children will be attending the party tomorrow. We expect the party to go on for quite some time, so the children will get tired. They cannot just fall asleep anywhere, so I'd appreciate it if you could clear it. There will be beds up there for them to rest on, of course. We have spare mattresses we bring out during times like these."

"Why not just use one of the guest rooms?" Lucas asked.

"Those rooms will be locked and completely off limits. I do not want anyone occupying themselves in there. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I'll get on it right away," Lucas assured, walking out of the library.


"So, what did you and my father do today?" Peyton asked.

She was sitting on Lucas's bed, reading a random book form her father's collection. Lucas was sitting at his small table, reading one of his favorite books. He looked up at her, smiling.

"Oh, nothing. I was just telling him about how much I love his beautiful daughter."

"Really?" she asked, playing along.

"Yes," he confirmed. "I could have gone on and on, but he stopped me saying he had heard enough."

"You're funny," she told him, moving to the edge of the bed.

"You think so?" he questioned, closing the book and walking over to her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him for the first time all day. She was not supposed to be with him tonight because he had insisted that they wait until everyone stopped celebrating her birthday, and could walk in at any moment, but she did not listen. He, of course, could never tell her no.

"Peyton," he said, once they pulled apart. "There was something that he said."

"What?" she asked.

"He asked me if I was still unwilling to break Brooke and Nathan up. I said yes and he changed the subject," Lucas explained.

"I cannot believe he is still on this!" Peyton exclaimed. "I'm going to talk to him tomorrow."

"No, Peyton. If you want to talk to him, do it the next day. You don't want to cause a huge scene in front of all those people. You and Nathan are not getting together. I promise. You are staying right here, with me."

"I love you," she said, their lips meeting.

Peyton kissed him, placing a palm on his face. His hands held her against him, their kiss deepening. She opened her mouth, his tongue automatically sliding in. Their tongues wrestled together, their kiss anything but gentle now. She could feel her body temperature rising. She began to suck on his bottom lip, earning a moan from him. He pulled away from her, moving his lips to her neck. He sucked on her weak spot he had found some time ago, the moan now coming from her.

His lips found their way back to hers, kissing her roughly. He broke apart, kissing her neck again. He began to kiss lower. His lips met with the skin on he shoulder, then collarbone, then right above her breasts. He stopped himself, knowing he needed to stop. He was at the part of his day he hated the most. He was surprised to hear her whine, bringing their lips back together.

"Peyton," he scolded. "We need to stop."

"Why?" she questioned.

"Because I fear I won't be able to control myself if we continue."

"It's alright," she assured. "I'm ready."

"Peyton-" he began.

"Really, Lucas. I've been thinking about this for awhile. I really want to do this." Her eyes told him she was serious, but he couldn't bring himself to move. "Lucas, it's alright. Today, I turned eighteen. There's nothing I'd rather do more. This is what I wished for."

"Really?" he questioned, still feeling doubtful.

She nodded her head and moved back in to kiss him. She pulled away, upset that he hadn't kissed her back. She saw that his eyes were closed and he was breathing heavily. He looked as though he was trying to control himself. She watched his eyes slowly open, filled to core with lust. Before she could say or do anything, he had her pinned to the bed. He showered her neck with sloppy kisses, causing her to writhe underneath him. His hands traveled up her body, and for the first time, he felt her breasts.

Sure he had felt them before, but he had never felt them. His hand would rapidly brush across one, but it was nowhere near to how his hands were now. He cupped them, filling his hands completely. She took that moment to run her hand across him through his pants.

"Oh, God. Peyton, I need you. All those nights-"

"I know," Peyton interrupted. "I need you too."


I know I made that scene short, but I have a longer love scene planned for the next chapter. Sorry about the long wait on updating. Hopefully, I can start updating sooner. Shout out to my friend, Davina. She encouraged me to get this chapter done. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please review.