Previously on People Always Leave:

Julian: Listen my trip is being cut short, so ill be back at around four, I was thinking maybe we could go for dinner and then back to your place?

She was happy he was coming home but she couldn't shake the feeling of the memory of Lucas.


Lucas glanced down at his watch for the hundred time today. He was feeling very nervous.

This was it, no turning back. He took in a sharp inhale of breathe. Today was the day he would see Peyton and he hoped today was the day she'd forgive him.


She heard a soft knock on the door. She glanced back in the mirror. She finished applying her make-up. She heard a knock again and then she heard the shower turn on. She sighed, she had hoped Julian would get it. She quickly gave last minute touch ups to her hair. She walked swiftly to the door realising whoever it was, was not going to wait forever. She opened the door and stood frozen as she seen the figure standing in the door way. She couldn't move or talk with shock. Both people just stood there no one said anything. Finally Peyton couldn't take it any longer and she broke the silence.

Peyton: What are you doing here Lucas?

He could hear the bitterness in her tone. Her face was neutral so he wasn't sure if she meant to sound so bitter but still it hit him like a ton of bricks. She noticed the far away look in his eyes. She saw the way after she spoke his face dropped a little. She honestly didn't mean to sound so bitter it just came out that way. Maybe it was the shock of seeing him again, or the fact that she was with a guy who was truely amazing and yet she could not help but think of Lucas Scott everyday. She realised she was now drifting out and into her own world. One that was mainly occupied by Lucas Scott and always had been.

Peyton: Luc?

Her tone was softer this time. He snapped back to reality he gave her a quick smile to let her know he was still there. She began to feel little butterflies in her stomach as he smiled. It was amazing after all this time what one of his smiles will do to her.

Lucas: I just wanted to see you.

He said it in half a whisper. His tone was husky. She smiled at him, she didn't really mean to it just sort of happened. She looked straight in his eyes, she could see he was trying to read what she was thinking. If she was honest she didn't even know what she was thinking. She quickly dropped eye contact with him it was becoming to intense for her. She felt arms wrap around her waist. She leaned her head back a little to see Julian standing there with just a towel around his waist. She took an inhale of breath, she remembered that they had a guest standing just a few feet away. Her gaze flickered back to Lucas. She could see the hurt in his eyes. He tried to hide it and if she were anyone else she wouldn't have noticed, but she wasn't anyone else, and she did notice. She felt bad and guilty but she knew she shouldn't. He had broke her heart over and over again and now she moved on. That was something he would have to live with. As if sensing the tension Julian offered out his hand to Lucas.

Julian: Hi you must be a friend of Peyton's. I'm Julian.

Lucas looked down at the man's hand. he looked up at Julian almost as if he was studying him. He took a deep breath and shook the man's hand.

Lucas: Hi Julian. I'm Lucas.

Julian: Would you like to come in?

Peyton's head snapped up. Did Julian just invite Lucas in to her home? She must be hearing things. Her head began to spin. Lucas noiticed Peyton didn't want him to come in, she probably never wanted to see him again. He smiled softly at the two of them.

Lucas: No, thank you. I really should be off. It was nice seeing you again Peyton, and it was nice meeting you Julian.

He looked directly into Peyton's eyes and with that he turned and left. Peyton stood there for a moment with the door open before closing it. She felt tears pricking up at the corners of her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. She didn't want Julian to see them. She didn't want his questions, questions she couldn't answer. She looked up at him and smiled.

Peyton: Dinner?

She decided if she spoke first it would be harder for him to question her. He narrowed his eyes slightly at her. He knew better than to talk about something she obviously wasn't ready to talk about, so he just left it and nodded. He sent her a heart winning smile, and kissed her softly on the forehead as he turned and walked into her bedroom to dress. She let a sigh escape her lips and sunk slowly to the floor. She didn't know why but it was comforting to sit on the floor. She leaned her head back against the door, she let her eyes fall shut. And there he was again, his blue eyes searching her green ones. She heard foot steps approach her and heard Julian laugh. Her eyes shot open to see Julian staring down at her laughing. She realised it looked like she went for a nap on the floor. He reached out his hand to help her up which she gladly accepted. She quickly grabbed her bag and was ready to go. She could see he really wanted to know who Lucas was and why he was here. She just couldn't bring herself to bring it up. She was scared he would leave her and she would be heart broken all over again. Then she began to wonder if her heart had ever truely healed after Lucas left her. She felt Julian wrap his arm around her, knocking her out of her thoughts. She sighed with relief, she was beginning to get lost in her thoughts of Lucas and she knew that was wrong. Her and Lucas were over and she was with Julian, and that's just the way things were. She repeated this over and over in her head but for some reason her heart just could not agree with her.