They arrived at Peyton's gallery on the quaint street in Tree Hill. He wandered around looking at all the pieces and Peyton hung back waiting to see what he would say.

She stood by the doorway and watched him carefully examine every piece. It was nice having him here, here with her. What would it be like to have him here all the time? What if he got that coaching job? They could see each other any time they wanted, that made her smile. But then it her happiness quickly faded. She was sure Lucas wouldn't want to spend all their time at her place. No, if they were going to do this, whatever it was, they would have to be seen in Tree Hill.

Uh, she shook her head to clear her thoughts. He didn't even know if he was getting the job, best to cross that bridge when they get there.

For now, Lucas Scott was in her gallery and she he was all his. No one asking questions or shooting disapproving looks no questions about how he looked like Liam. Just Lucas and Peyton, in their own little world.

Lucas had stood forever at a small painting near the back of the gallery. Peyton slowly walked toward him and when she grew closer she could see which one he was staring at. She blushed slightly, it was one of hers.

"I love this one," Lucas pointed his finger at the painting. It was a painting of a large oak tree and below it was a tombstone. "I know you are going to think I am weird, but it calms me. Ya' know?"

It calmed her as well, it was a look into her soul. Lucas was looking at her soul.

He peered closer at the painting and noticed Peyton's name. "You did this," he asked sounding impressed.

"Just one of the few pieces I put in her that is mine," she admitted. Peyton took the small painting from the wall and rubbed her finger over the painted tombstone. "It is a painting of where my mother is buried. I painted it on the 10th anniversary of her death."

"I can see your heart in it," Lucas told her and took the painting from her hands. "I can see your soul"

He understood, knew why she painted this. Liam had just laughed at her when she showed him. He said it was kind of morbid and then tabbed his finger on the tip of her nose. "Brooke is right," he had chided her. "You are dark sometimes."

But Lucas, he saw it. He saw her in a way that Liam never did. And then that familiar wave of guilt washed over her. She was comparing them again, and there were days that feeling she always got when she thought of Liam wasn't there, it was replaced by her feelings for Lucas. Was she betraying Liam or moving on with her life? That was the rub.

"You should take it," Peyton placed her hand on the small frame and pushed the picture in Lucas' hands.

"No way," Lucas handed it back to Peyton. "This is a part of you, I could never take it."

"Maybe you already have a part of me," Peyton said. He eyes grew wide after she said those words. Did she just say that to Lucas Scott?

"What?" Lucas was confused, or he pretended to be. Did Peyton just say he was gaining a part of her soul – admitting the connection was there?

"No really," I want you to have it. "You were the only one to truly understand what it meant to me when I painted it. You can hang it in your new office when you get that job, because you are going to get it."

"What have you got a bug in the athletic director's office?" He joked, trying to bring some levity to the intense situation.

"No, I just have a feeling," Peyton said as she took Lucas' hand in hers. "And I want to be the first one to give you something for your office."

"Then I accept," Lucas said. He tucked the Painting under his arm. "But on one condition. When I move into my office you come help me hang the painting."

"Deal," Peyton promised. She lifted up her hand holding his and maneuvered it into a shake.

Lucas squeezed her hand and then rubbed his thumb over the top of hers. Damn, it felt good to touch her. He un-tucked the painting from under his arm and laid it on the side table. Brazenly, then Lucas unclasped his hand from Peyton's and drew her close to him. He wrapped his hands around her waist.

"I know this situation is messed up," Lucas began. "I know we have only known each other a few short months. And I know I am the ghost of someone else to you.."

"Lucas," Peyton tried to stop him but he reached up and put his finger to her lips.

"And I get that," Lucas continued. "But I am me. I am Lucas Scott. And this man wants to get to know you – not as your husband's long-lost brother or Karen's other son. Just Lucas, and I wanted to see if that was okay with you?"

Peyton stared up at him and he could see tears forming in her eyes. Damn, he had screwed this up. He had been so patient, and he had plans to continue that patience. But he saw her standing there telling him about her painting, seeing all the pain she had gone through and knowing he wanted to make it all go away. And he had taken a leap of faith, the first of his life. And he had fucked it up.

Just when Lucas thought he had made the biggest mistake of his life, he watched Peyton shake her head softly and hear her say "Okay."

"Okay," now Lucas could feel tears in his eyes as he pulled her closer.

"Okay," she answered back and she laid her head on his chest.

Lucas placed his index finger under Peyton's chin and lifted her face up to his. He leaned down, watching her green eyes grow closer and wider, and he placed his lips on hers. It wasn't the wild passionate kiss he wanted, he felt that was too soon. It was sweet and chaste and it tasted like a promise. And Lucas hoped more then anything that, even though he wore the same face as her dead husband Liam, that the kiss didn't taste like yesterday.

Peyton drank in the kiss. Lucas was so soft and gentle with her and let her direct the kiss and how far it would go. When he stepped back she felt a cold chill, longing for his warmth.

"We should go," he said. He held out his hand to Peyton and she slid her palm into his. Lucas used his free hand to pick up the painting she gave him.

They didn't speak about the kiss on the ride home. In fact they barely said a word. Peyton drove and Lucas looked out the car window watching the scenery of Tree Hill fly by.

When they arrived at Peyton's house, Lucas walked her to her door. He leaned down and kissed the edge of Peyton's mouth, the same spot he had longed to kiss earlier that night when she had the marina sauce from their pasta dinner on her cheek.

"I had an amazing time," Lucas told Peyton. "And I hope to have more," he added with a wink.

"Me too," Peyton said as she leaned her back against her front door. "I want to know the minute you hear anything about the job."

"The second," Lucas said as he backed away from her. He was down her steps and halfway to down the walk when he turned to see her still watching him walk away. He waved at her one last time and she waved back.

Lucas wasn't sure but he thought he might have done a half skip to his car. There are days that stand out in your life, ones that become more then just a blur of a string of endless days. A vignette of tiny moments that shape who you are and what your life can and could be, Lucas believed today was one of those days.

Another one of those days came a week later when Lucas got a call from Harris College. He got the job. He was going to be the new Head Coach for Harris and more importantly, Lucas was going home to Tree Hill.

Lucas called Peyton just minutes after hanging up with the athletic director. Her voice was breathless and he could tell she had run to the phone.

"Hey," Lucas said when she answered. "So, yeah, I was hoping you could hang a painting for me."