Okay guys. More reviews and more people on alert. Wow I am starting to feel the pressure to make this story good. I struggled with the first half of this chapter but I think the second half makes up for it. I'm looking forward to getting the three girls together properly and interacting with one another.
It's late for me so no time to proof read so I hope it makes sense.
Thanks again to all those who are reading.
Chapter 10
Brooke had dashed away in an instant to answer the cries of her little girl. After a few minutes passed and Peyton realised, that Brooke was going to take longer than a few minutes, Peyton made her way back out to join the rest of the crowd. Everyone had taken their seats at the table, and the guys had started to dish out the hot food.
Peyton sat herself down in the vacant seat next Jamie at his request. The kid had taken a definite shine to the new blonde. Brooke came out and joined them eventually with her little girl, sitting themselves down at the other end of the table from Peyton. The group tucked in to their food and chat flowed freely amongst the group. Peyton kept her conversation mainly to herself and Jamie who was playing 101 questions with her. What basketball team did she support? What was her favorite colour? Did she like rabbits called Chester?
Then came the questions that started to get the others attention.
"How long are you in Tree Hill for?" asked Jamie loudly.
Peyton noticed Lucas and Brooke in particularly stop their own conversations to listen in.
"I'm not sure Jamie, but I am not in a hurry to go back to LA." she answered, while seeking out Brooke's eyes.
"But what about your job? Are you on holiday?"
"I don't have a job at the moment. I guess you could say I'm on a very long holiday."
"When we go on holiday we go to DIsney World, its much more fun than Tree Hill. You picked a silly place to go on holiday," Jamie said innocently.
"Oh I don't know about that, I'm having fun with you right?" Peyton said ruffling Jamie's hair lightly.
"What exactly was your job out in LA," came the question from Lindsay, who was shot a death glare from Lucas.
"Uhm I produced music and signed acts new acts," she answered rather shyly.
"Oh don't under sell yourself," piped up Skillz girlfriend, Jodie, "I read all about you in the Tree Hill Tribune. You are the girl from the small town who made it big."
"Well I don't know about that," Peyton began to reply but was cut off by the girl again.
"I thought it was impressive that Skillz introduced me to a published writer, then an NBA star, but you defiantly take the prize for most successful. The paper said you sold your label for over 500 million dollars!"
Peyton turned a shade of red, embarrassed as those around her chin's hit the floor at the revelation.
"If I had that sort of money I sure as hell wouldn't be hanging around in Tree Hill," Jodie finished off.
A hush fell over the table, an agonizing wait for someone to speak, thankful Jamie broke the silence,
"Mama is that a lot of money?" he asked
"Yes sweetie it is."
"Cool, Aunt Peyton it's my birthday soon and I really want a Playstation 3 but mama said its too expensive," he exclaimed, " Maybe you can get me a gift....if you like me that is."
"James Lucas Scott!" came the cries in unison from Nathan and Haley.
"What?" he asked innocently.
"Guys it's fine," Peyton interjected.
"No Peyton it's not fine. Jamie you need to come with me son." Nathan instructed leaving the table and escorting Jamie into the house.
Aware of the awkward tension, Brooke tried to break the tension, "Okay guys who wants dessert!"
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After dessert, which was an assortment of pie, cake and ice cream for the kids, and general chit chat which thankfully left Peyton out of the conversation and spotlight, people started to makes their excuses to leave. Peyton followed Haley and Lindsey's lead and helped clear up the food while Brooke said goodbye to her guests, while Nathan and Lucas played with the kids.
"You don't need to help Peyton, we have this." Haley stated.
Peyton was slightly taken aback at the bluntness of her comment, and took it as a hint that perhaps her time was up, and she should be the next to make her excuses.
Grabbing her bag, she said a quick goodbye to Jamie, who was busy running around the garden chasing Elizabeth who was giggling wildly. Jamie stopped his chasing and ran crashing into the back of Peyton as she was heading back into the house, and wrapped his arms around her legs.
"Wait Aunt Peyton, don't go. Come and play with me and Elizabeth. She will like you, cause I do," Peyton couldn't help but feel her heart warm at Jamie's sweetness, but she knew staying any longer in the present company was not a good idea.
"I'm sorry kiddo I really need to leave."
"But when will I see you again. You're not leaving Tree Hill again are you?"
"Not yet."
"Good you can come play at my house one day then, right mama?," Jamie asked excitedly looking at his mother and Brooke had walked on to the porch.
"Come on Jamie, let Aunt Peyton go," Haley asked her son.
"She can come and play though, can't she? Please!" he said almost begging.
"Maybe sweetie, depends if Aunt Peyton wants to," she finally replied looking at Peyton questioningly.
"Your Aunt Brooke has my number Jamie. You get in touch when you want to hang out. I'd enjoy it very much," she said prizing the child off her legs and giving him a friendly ruffle of his hair. She looked up sheepishly finding Brooke's eyes, "I think its time for me to leave."
"I'll walk you out," replied the brunette.
"See you later Haley, tell Nate I said good bye."
Brooke followed Peyton into the house. Not a word was uttered until they reached the front door. Peyton turned to face her.
"Thanks for inviting me over Brooke. You have a lovely warm home, I'm so proud of you."
Her hand gripped the door handle, pulling it open and stepping out into the sunshine, when suddenly she felt a hand on her's.
"Wait," came the hushed reply, stopping Peyton in her tracks. The hand lingered, and the hairs on Peyton's arms raised with the tingling sensation that coursed through her body, her heart rate increasing the longer the contact remained. Steadily she turned to face Brooke, eyes staring at one another questioningly. Then Brooke simply leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Peyton's cheek, holding the moment for a few seconds, before stepping back, smiling coyly at Peyton.
"Thanks for coming P. Sawyer."
Peyton, still in a daze by the sensation of having her lips on her again, smiled goofily at Brooke, words failing her.
"I'll call you later, yeah?" Brooke enquired timidly.
"Y...ye...yeah," Peyton stuttered, her breath caught somewhere deep in her pounding chest.
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Later turned out to be five hours. Peyton was on her bed with the new purchased sketch pad in her lap. She had not drawn for so long, but was surprised to see that she hadn't lost her natural ability. She was startled when the hotel room phone rang loudly, the shrill piercing her ears. The voice at the other end was unmistakable in its huskiness.
"Hi Peyton," she uttered timidly.
"Hey Brooke. I wasn't expecting to be hearing from you so soon," Peyton confessed.
"Yea well I had planned on playing a little harder to get."
Waiting for some sort of longer confession, Peyton paused, the silence slowly eating away at her. She racked her mind for the next thing to say, but it was blank. She wanted to say 'she missed Brooke' or 'i wished I could be with you right now' but she knew it was not the right time for such disclosure of feelings, so instead the vacuum of silence continued.
"I.....I...I just put Elizabeth to bed, you know otherwise I would have called earlier," came the words to break the tension.
"Oh...uhm that's ok. Is uhmmm she a good sleeper?" Peyton replied blurting out the first thing in her mind. It seemed appropriate. The staff she had with kids always raised the topic of sleep when they talked about their kids for hours on end. Peyton could almost see the bemused smirk spread on Brooke's face at the attempt to discuss child care issues.
"She's not bad once she is sleeping, it's just the getting her to sleep that's the hard part. She is pretty insistent on at least two bed time stories and one song."
"You singing? That I would like to hear," giggled Peyton softly in reply.
"Believe it or not I'm better when I am not singing drunk at the karaoke," came the mockingly sarcastic reply.
"Well I just hope your song choice is more appropriate these days. I don't think Maneater is a bedtime lullaby.," hit back Peyton swiftly.
Peyton enjoyed listening to the laughter emitted from the ear piece. She had forgotten about all the wondrous things that made Brooke perfect. Her husky voice, her soft smooth skin, her deep brown easy and laughter that made the world feel like they were sharing her happiness.
"I forgot about the gift your brought for her."
"Oh that's okay..."
"Peyton," Brooke said quickly cutting her off, "She will love it, as much as I did.....do."
"I'm glad. I thought it belonged back with a Davis. I know what it meant to you all those years ago. I know she will never need that little monkey to comfort her the way we did."
"Pey," croaked Brooke softly.
"Brooke, I'll never forget the day you gave me that silly purple monkey. You told me how it always made you feel safe and some how less alone in the world. You loved it more than anything, yet you were willing to give it up for me."
"Only cause you need him more than me," Brooke interjected hastily.
"You made me feel love in my darkest time. I never thought a stuffed monkey could help me get over the death of my mum, but it did help me. I knew in that moment that you loved me and that was enough to keep going on. I kept it close to me religiously for the next few months, clinging on to it for comfort, but really I kept it with me because it reminded me of you. I tried to return him to you, years later and do you remember what you said?"
"That I didn't need him," Brooke replied choking slightly on the sobs she was trying desperately to hold in, "Not when I had you."
"Yea," Peyton smiled gently, "But do you remember what else you said after that?"
Brooke paused, she remembered, but the words were stuck in her throat and a low sob was the only thing to escape through her lips.
" You told me to keep hold of him until we had our little girl for him to look after. I pray that Elizabeth will never really need him the way we did."
"They are small words but know that they are weighted heavily with gratitude, when I say thank you. I ....I know its."
"Brooke it's okay....its okay. Let's just keep moving forward yeah?" Peyton asked timidly.
"Would you like to come meet Elizabeth properly and maybe give her the gift yourself?"
"i'd love that," replied an over awed Peyton.
"Tomorrow afternoon maybe, once I get off work around 4. Is that okay?"
"Most definitely," came the enthusiastic response.
"I'll look forward to it, and this time I promise there will be no reunion."
"Even better," Peyton joked.
"Good night Peyton."
"Good night Brooke."