A/N: I do not own One Tree Hill. Sorry I am horrible at updating on any kind of a schedule. I am behind on reading too. I wrote this one in a couple of different sittings so it may be kind of choppy. Thank you everyone who has reviewed, alerted, etc. YOU ARE GREAT!
PS: the double line represents a week jump in time.
"Peyton, you don't have to go you know?" He said while putting a new shirt on. She could see every muscle in his chest as he did so. "Peyton?" She had drifted off thinking about how much he had changed since she saw him last in Tree Hill.
"Yeah, sorry. I…" she stole one more glance at his chest. "got distracted. I do really need to leave. They are probably worried about me by now, I need to go and at least talk to them."
"You never did tell me why you were so upset last night. You know I am here for you. Especially after everything you did for me." He stopped what he was doing to look her straight in the eye, letting her know how much he meant the words that he was saying. She couldn't help but think how unlike Lucas he was. He didn't normally say things he didn't mean. She knew he said 'sorry' a lot when they were dating in high school, and he didn't always mean it, but he had dropped that habit after they quit dating.
"It doesn't matter. I have to go, okay? I'll see you around." She quickly got up and pressed her lips to his cheek.
He could help but think about how soft her lips were, and his mind began to wonder. "Okay." Somehow the woman before him had managed to get him from hot and bothered to a sobbing mess in just two short days, all while having her own personal problems. She was there for him like no one else could be. Skillz had tried, but Peyton was the one who knew how to get in his mind and help him heal. He only wished he could find a way to do the same for her. He was broke from his thoughts when he saw her beautiful eyes staring at him and her hand patting his cheek in the same spot previously graced by her lips.
"Don't forget to shave." She said it with a smirk, and his heart, as well as his face, smiled. Everything would be okay, even though the curly blonde had slipped out the door, and he was left realizing he hadn't gotten any of her contact information, nor her any of his.
When she stepped outside the door of his apartment, she was overwhelmed with emotions. She kept her hand on the door for a moment having a battle with herself. Part of her wanted to go running back in and tell Nathan all of her fears about the world. The other half didn't want to make his life outlook any grimmer than it probably already was. She had no idea how the child had died those years ago, but to find out Nathan ran a red light only made her thoughts drift back to her mother. The pain she felt as a little girl knowing her mother was never coming home again never really went away. How could a little girl lose her mother at the age when she needed her the most, and how could a family lose the most important thing to it, a beautiful innocent child. These are the reasons that Peyton couldn't believe that the world was beautiful. It was all about finding pleasure in the moment, because if you left it up to life it would stab you in the back. She finally decided it wasn't worth it to burden Nathan, and made her way to Chris's apartment.
When she walked in, she was surprised to see Rachel still there. She was asleep on the couch, while Chris had fallen asleep, quite awkwardly, in the adjacent chair. She shut the door quietly, and when she turned around she heard him speak.
"Finally, you are back. Are you okay?" He was genuinely concerned for her, and to be honest, she didn't know how to take it.
"Yeah, I didn't mean to make you guys worry about me. I've been across the hall."
"Using this to your advantage, Sawyer, to get Nathan in the sack." The red-head slowly began opening her eyes, wondering what kind of reaction her comment would get from the blonde. She was sad to see no smile grace her pale face, only more sadness. "Sorry, that was stupid; I was just trying to be funny."
"No, it's okay. Nate just needed someone last night. He is going through a lot." She looked at the floor trying to avoid tears.
"And you aren't?!" Chris said, letting his jealousy bite through his raspy voice.
"Chris, don't okay. I am fine, besides it made me feel useful, and quite frankly I've been feeling like life is pointless."
He wanted to take back his comment after seeing the way it hit her, but couldn't. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I am just worried about you after everything that happened."
"I understand. I'm sorry I made you guys worry last night. I am not used to having people around who care about if I make it home." She said thankful for the friendships that were forming with the two before her. "Listen, I have to go to work and try to keep my job. After last night, it won't be easy."
"Sawyer, where have you been, I have been calling for my coffee all morning." He held up his empty red mug. "What are you still doing standing there? Coffee!" She went to the hall way and grabbed the pot, taking it into his office.
"Here you are sir." She said as she finished pouring the black liquid.
"The band told me about last night. You left them; they wanted you to hang out with them some more. We gave you a chance with a big band because we thought you could handle it, but I see that was a mistake so get used to that coffee pot. By the way, Jeff wants to see you, he's the one with the power to fire you; I would kiss his ass if I were you. Oh yeah, he said that Haley girl you got him interested in refused to sign with the company."
Haley didn't sign. After everything Peyton did in order to get her an offer with the label, she wouldn't sign. I guess that wasn't Haley's fault, she didn't know about any of it. But still, how could she not. She walked down the hall to see Jeff, knowing all too well what he would expect in order for her to keep her job.
Nathan wiped his wrist across his forehead in an attempt to remove sweat. Practice had been extremely strenuous the entire week as the Lakers prepared to meet the Mavericks in their game in two weeks. They had a good run in the '07 season and coach was worried. "Scott!"
"Yeah Coach." He said it hoping to show some enthusiasm for the sport, but if he were truly honest with himself he didn't have any. He hadn't since the night a week ago when he broke down in his apartment with Peyton. He had to strain just to keep focus in practice, and he thought for sure that the coach was going to call him out on it.
"In my office, we need to talk." He said it with absolutely no emotions, and Nathan was almost certain he had screwed things up. He wasn't ready to lose his career. Even though he didn't have any enthusiasm for it right now didn't mean that he didn't still love the sport.
He quickly followed his coach down the hall into his nice office. You could tell that the coaching job paid off well. The walls were adorned with plaques from when the coach was a player on the same team. He had the latest technologies. The picture on his desk revealed a lovely family, and his car wasn't too shabby either. "How are you feeling about your game, Scott?"
"Good, coach. I think my jump shot is getting strong, and my accuracy is improving." Even if he didn't feel on top of his game, there was no reason to let anyone else know that. Sometimes a good bluff will get you where you want to be.
"Jenson's knee is not going to be better in time for the Mavericks. We were planning to put in Johnson, but things have changed and we are trading him. How do you feel about starting?" Nathan could feel his heart beating in his chest. He knew it would happen one day. But this was only the third game of the year, and he was a rookie.
"Great, I'm definitely ready. This is what I've been working towards since childhood."
"All right. Practice starts an hour earlier for my starters and an hour later. And we put in three hours on Sunday. We cannot lose this game. Remember that."
"Thanks, coach. I won't let you down!" He said practically jogging out of the office.
"Peyton, it has been a week, are you ever going to talk about it?! It's not good to hold it in." the redhead said to the brooding blonde staring out the window. At nights when she returned home from work, the woman who used to spend her time painting had taken to staring blankly out the window. Rachel tried to get her talk, but had only succeeded a few times. "Peyton…?"
She looked at the woman she now called roommate and friend. In one of their conversations, they decided that Rachel should just stay. She was trying to get back on her feet and Peyton barely made her part as it was. "Look, I know you are worried, but I'm fine really." She plastered the fake smile she had perfected over the years.
"Okay since you aren't going to talk about that, why don't you tell me why you aren't taking any of Nathan's calls? He has only called three times every night trying to get a hold of you. And on top of that you have been here, sitting in that spot. What is going on?"
"I didn't give him my number for a reason. I didn't want him to call me."
"Maybe not, but Skillz is his best friend, and you did give HIM your number. Besides, you said Nathan needed you that night so why aren't you going to talk to him again."
"He was going through some stuff, and I don't want to bring any more problems into his life than he is already experiencing." She said it regretfully; she wanted to be more of a help to him, but she didn't want to make him any more depressed than he already was. Besides with the way work was going, she wasn't going to be cheering anybody up. It didn't help that the man who lived on the other side of LA's downtown district reminded her enormously of a man she had imagined forever with.
"You know what, Skillz told me that the day you left his apartment, after you spent the night, he saw Nathan the happiest he has been since high school. So by ignoring him, you are just putting him back in his depressed mood."
"It is better this way." That was all the blonde could say. She didn't really feel like talking. She didn't really feel anything at all. Not that she wanted too.
"Fine, suit yourself. But he is starting in the Maverick's game, and he would really like it if you showed up. By the way, Haley is coming by at six; she stopped by while you were at work. She said she has some things she has to talk about. I'm out." The redhead grabbed her purse and slammed the door behind her. Being nice with Peyton wasn't getting her anywhere. She really just wanted her to be okay, but she didn't know how to make sure of that.
Peyton just leaned her head back and closed her eyes, hoping that Haley would come and go quickly so that she could just be alone again.