Howdy, all. Wow, this chapter was a real bitch to write. I'm not sure why...it just was. I think it turned out okay in the end, you all will be the judges of that ha ha! So, we get more history of the Julian/Peyton relationship and the reason for their break-up, some Brucas, some Jamie and a confrontation. I'm glad this chapters out, because I'll finally be able to start moving things along at a quicker pace.
Again, a shout-out to those wonderful people who reviewed last time, or added an alert. I really do appreciate it!
Chapter 21 - Bad Blood
"I'm losing sleep...so I walk these dirty streets. I hear bad blood run through this neighborhood. I don't get it. This bed ain't filled with romance; this life ain't living. It's screaming in my face...I'm on my knees much too late. I don't believe that man needs God, thank God. And all night long, the city's dreaming. I can't forget you - you're all I got, my love." - Supergrass
"Is there a possibility that Sawyer is my daughter?" He kept a steady gaze on Brooke, awaiting her response.
She was silent for a few moments, staring down at the floor.
"Brooke?" he prodded. "Please...I need to know."
Brooke closed her eyes and when she re-opened them, they glittered with unshed tears. "Yes." She said, very quietly.
Julian sat in stunned silence, for a moment. He might be a father. The father of Peyton's baby. A baby who was currently being raised by a man he loathed. "How long?" he asked, harshly.
Brooke stared at him, confused. "What?"
Julian gritted his teeth. "How long have you known? How long has he known?" He knew by the expression on Brooke's face that he was scaring her, but at the moment he didn't care. The white hot rage surging through him made rational thought all but impossible.
"She – Peyton – told Lucas last week. Not that you were Sawyer's father, but just that she wasn't Luke's daughter...she lied to him too, Julian. She kept this a secret from all of us." Brooke pleaded with him. She just hoped to God he didn't find out about Peyton's plan to have Jake adopt Sawyer once she left Lucas. If he found out about that, she wasn't sure what he would do.
Julian shook his head and got to his feet. He crossed the room in three strides and stared out the window. It was starting to rain. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down. "Where is he?" He seemed composed, but Brooke could hear the ferocity in his tone. His body was nearly shaking with rage.
Brooke closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "He should be down right away."
Julian looked over his shoulder at Brooke. Anger burned in his eyes; his gaze cutting through her like a hot knife. "I think Professor Scott and I need to have a chat."
Brooke just nodded and stood up. She moved towards the door and paused. He had turned back towards the window, staring at the downpour outside. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to ease his anger; but she couldn't find the words. Instead, she left the room. She needed to get Jamie upstairs and away from the heated discussion that was sure to follow.
Julian listened, hearing Brooke's footsteps as she retreated down the hallway. He exhaled sharply, and braced himself against the window frame for support. In a few short minutes, he would be talking to Lucas Scott – the man who had stolen everything from him – Peyton, dreams of marriage, family, love, security and perhaps, his own daughter. And the real kicker was that Lucas Scott had no idea how much he and his stupid book had destroyed his life. He leaned his forehead against the window; the cool glass soothing his aching head as memories flooded his mind. His shoulders shook as he remembered the day everything with Peyton got shot to shit. The day Julian Baker was finally broken.
Los Angeles – 2 Years Ago
Julian looked at his watch. He'd finished just in time. Peyton was due home from work at any minute. He gazed around her small apartment at his handiwork. Lit candles were placed strategically on every surface – the coffee table, on the bookcase, the kitchen counter; even on top of the TV. Five dozen red roses – a dozen for each week they'd been reunited – were gathered in a large bouquet on the dining table. Champagne and two glasses were ready on the coffee table. It looked pretty damned romantic – perfect for a proposal.
He just hoped Peyton would accept. He let out a nervous sigh.
The past four months had been rough, to say the least. Even though it took the devastating loss of their baby to bring them back together, the pain was worth it. The loss strengthened their bond and their relationship was strengthened. They discovered that they truly were in love – they were meant to be together. The Lucas Scott obsession was just an aberration; Peyton just needed to get her adolescent fantasies out of her system before she could commit to him, completely. They were ready; he was sure of it.
Julian heard footsteps sound just outside of Peyton's door and he smiled. It was time.
Peyton opened the door, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight before her. "Julian, what's going on?"
"Do you like it? I wanted to surprise you." Julian hoped he hadn't gone overboard and freaked her out. It wasn't exactly his style, but knew for a fact she responded best to grand gestures.
Peyton dropped her bag on the floor and looked around the apartment, an ecstatic smile lighting up her features."I love it. And I love you."
Julian crossed the room in two long strides and gathered her in his arms. "I love you, too." Peyton stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently on the lips. Julian pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. God, how had he managed to be away from her for almost three months? It seemed impossible that he'd been able to function without her in his life. He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers, staring into her sparkling green eyes.
"So, what's the occasion?" she asked.
Julian smiled and shrugged. "I just have something I want to ask you."
"Oh?" Peyton gazed at him curiously.
"I need to do this right." Julian took her hand and led her over to the couch and sat down beside her. "I love you, Peyton. The moment I first saw, I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. We've gone through so much and I think we've both come a long way. I want you, I need you and I honestly know I can't live without you." Julian knelt down on the floor in front of her and pulled the ring out of his pocket. "Peyton Sawyer, will you marry me?"
Peyton stared at him, in astonishment. Her eyes had widened and her lips had curled into a tentative smile. Julian's eyes roamed her features, trying to read her expression. He knew he was taking her by surprise; she needed time to consider his question. He smiled at her reassuringly and waited for an answer. Seconds dragged by, and Julian began to worry. Still, he maintained his smile even though his heart was racing. Why wasn't she answering him?
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity – "Julian...I would love to marry you."
Julian exhaled, relieved and his heart rate began to return to normal.
"But before you put this ring on my finger, there's something you should know." Peyton patted the spot beside her on the couch.
Julian's smile faded slightly and he reluctantly joined Peyton on the couch. He tried to look into her eyes, but she kept her eyes fixed on her lap, her face hidden behind her blonde curls. Julian sighed, wondering what bomb she was going to drop on him this time. He reached over and took her hand in his. He waited, unconsciously fiddling with the engagement ring in his other hand.
"I lied." She whispered softly.
Julian stared at her, bewildered. "About what?" His heart beat began hammering in his ears. He hoped to God her next words were not going to include the name 'Lucas Scott.'
Peyton raised her head and looked at him, tears glimmering in her clear green eyes. "About the baby."
Julian pulled his hand away from hers. "What do you mean? You were never pregnant?"
"No! I was pregnant." She hesitated, rubbing her hands up and down nervously on her jean-clad thighs. "I lied about the miscarriage."
Julian frowned. "Okay..." he said, slowly. "So, you're still pregnant then?"
Peyton shook her head. "You're going to hate me," she whispered, tearfully.
"Just tell me, Peyton. I'm confused, here. We've established that you've lied about something to do with the baby. You didn't lie about being pregnant, but lied about miscarrying." Julian's heart leapt at the thought that there might still be a baby. "Are you still-"
"No," Peyton cut him off. She turned to face him, tears running down her face. "I got an abortion." Her voice hitched and she began sobbing.
"What...why would you – I don't understand." For the first time in a long time, Julian was at a loss for words. She had an abortion without telling him? And then she covered it up by saying she had a miscarriage? Julian just stared at her in disbelief. This could not be the woman he fell in love with. He leaned forward, tears flooding his eyes. He buried his face in his hands, as the engagement ring slipped out of his grasp and fell on the floor. He took a few deep breaths, but he felt as if the air had been sucked out of the room. The grief over his lost child was resurfacing – instead of feeling sadness and regret; he felt an overwhelming sense of pain and betrayal. The feeling was so crushing, he couldn't think straight.
"How could you?" He managed to choke out before intense, gasping sobs racked his own body. He couldn't stand to even look at her.
Peyton was still sobbing violently. He could tell by the way her breath hitched and the thickness in her voice. "I was scared and alone...I thought you hated me."
Julian raised his head, staring straight ahead. "I never hated you, Peyton. If anything, I loved you too much."
She winced and drew away from him. "I just...I thought it would be for the best, so we could move on-"
"To Lucas? Had to get rid of any trace of me, isn't that right? What happened, Peyton? Did he not want you and that's why you crawled back to me?" He spat out, bitterly.
"No, Julian, no! That's not what happened! I haven't spoken with Lucas in ages, I swear." She placed her hand on his shoulder and Julian jerked away from her. It was as if her touch burned him.
He stood up and turned away from her. It physically hurt just to be in the same room as her. He couldn't see her, smell her or hear her – her presence was making him physically ill, he was so angry and upset. "You can understand if your word means shit to me right now, Peyton."
"I regretted it as soon as it was over...it was the worst mistake I've made in my life." She cried out.
"You should have thought of that beforehand. You should have talked to me about this decision, Peyton. It was my baby, too! I had the right to know what you were planning. And why the fuck did you lie to me about it? How the hell is that even justifiable?" Julian slammed his fist against the wall, ignoring the searing pain that travelled up his arm from the force of the impact.
This scared her – even without looking at her, he could tell. "I- I lied because knew you'd hate me. You have to believe me; I'm so so sorry, Julian. I love you so much...I don't want to lose you." Peyton scrambled to her feet, and drew up beside him, letting out a heart–wrenching cry when he moved away from her.
"Are you listening to yourself? Do you honestly think I want to be with someone who has lied to me and ripped my heart out of my chest? I already gave you another chance and got royally fucked for it." Julian made his way to the door. "I'm done."
"Julian, wait!" She screamed.
"No, Peyton. I can't even look at you. I don't know you..." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I was willing to give you everything I had – my heart, my life, my soul. I would have done anything for you."
Peyton stood in front of him, tears streaming down her face. "We can still have it all...we can get past this."
Julian shook his head. "It's too late for that. Nothing can fix this."
"Don't leave me!" She threw herself against the door, trying to block his path.
Julian gently but firmly took her by the arm and pulled her away from the door. He opened it and glanced back over his shoulder one last time at the woman who had stolen so much from him. "It's over. I don't want any more to do with you. Stay the fuck away from me."
He slammed the door behind him, and walked quickly down the hall, ignoring Peyton's pleas for him to come back, to talk. He picked up his stride as he heard her footsteps behind him. He meant it when he said he wanted nothing more to do with him.
Peyton Sawyer was now dead to him.
Jamie was sitting in the family room, playing with some Hot Wheels. Brooke smiled, watching him for a few moments. "Hey, Jimmy-Jam."
Jamie looked up, beaming. "Hi, Auntie Brooke. Is Julian okay?"
Brooke's smile softened at her Jamie's concern for someone who was a stranger to him. "He's okay, but he needs to talk to your Uncle Luke. Let's go upstairs and tell him. Then, you can show me that new game your dad bought you."
Jamie raised his right eyebrow in an uncanny imitation of his godmother. "NBA Live? Auntie Brooke, you don't like basketball. Or video games."
Brooke stifled a laugh. The kid had her pegged. "Well, let's go upstairs anyway. Seriously, Uncle Luke and Julian have lots to talk about and we should stay out of the way."
Jamie looked up at her, perturbed. "Is there going to be more fighting?"
Brooke bit her lip as she met Jamie's troubled blue eyes. It had been a tough week for him – sometimes, it was hard to forget that he was only six. The constant drama was starting to take its toll. She reached her hand out to him and offered him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "They have to talk about some grown-up stuff...hopefully, they'll act like grown-ups."
Jamie frowned, squinting up at her thoughtfully. He knew she had skirted his question, but he took her hand and allowed her to lead him upstairs.
Lucas frowned, squinting thoughtfully at the blank screen on his laptop. He had the urge to write – but the words were not coming easily. In fact, they weren't coming at all. He was full of nervous, pent-up energy. Being with Brooke had eased his mind; whenever she was around, he was able to forget the outside world and lose himself in her. Her presence soothed him and he knew he had the same effect on her. When they were together, they could take on anything. But when he was without her, his anxieties and insecurities resurfaced.
With a frustrated sigh, he closed his laptop and put it aside. Brooke had gone downstairs to check on Jamie after their shower. Maybe he should join them – they could watch a movie together while they waited for Julian to awaken. Lucas got to his feet and wandered over to the window. He stared outside at the rain pouring down, lost in thought. It was raining hard, just like it had been one week ago when he returned to North Carolina. He leaned against the window frame, thinking of how much his life had changed in one week – seven days. These past seven days had brought him pain and had turned his life inside out. But he wouldn't trade the past week for anything since those events brought Brooke back to him. He smiled as he felt her arm encircle his waist.
"Hey, Broody." Brooke's raspy voice pulled him from his musings.
Lucas smiled down at her and kissed her gently on the lips. He tried to deepen the kiss, but was surprised when Brooke pulled away, giggling.
"Ewwww! Gross! You kissed her, Uncle Luke!" Lucas turned to see his nephew jump up on their bed, staring at them with disgust.
Brooke placed her hand on her hip. "And what is so gross about kissing me, young man?"
Jamie rolled his eyes, jumping up and down on the bed a couple of times. "You're a girl, Auntie Brooke."
Lucas burst out laughing. "Trust me, J-Luke, kissing girls isn't gross." He winked at Brooke, smirking. "You'll see when you're older."
Jamie flopped down on the bed, looking far from convinced. "Why do I always have to wait until I'm older to find out stuff?"
Brooke laughed. "That's just the way life goes, buddy. You learn more as you grow up. Anyway, go set up your game. I'll meet you in your room."
"No, I want to stay here with you guys." Jamie pouted.
Brooke shrugged. "Okay, but you won't like it – I'm probably going to be kissing your Uncle Luke and you think that's gross."
Jamie scowled and rolled off the bed. "Don't be long Auntie Brooke." He paused at the doorway and shook his finger at them both. "And, no making babies. Or else I'll tell Mommy." Then, he turned and ran off down the hall.
Brooke and Lucas shared an astonished look, before bursting into laughter, again.
"He is too funny." Brooke leaned against Lucas' chest, still giggling.
"He seems a little grouchy today." Lucas commented in an amused tone.
Brooke shrugged. "Well, he and Julian are all buddy-buddy, now. He's probably a little upset because he thinks you guys are going to be fighting."
Lucas frowned, squinting at her. "Am I missing something?"
"Well...yeah." Brooke sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. Lucas remained where he was, staring at her from his perch on the windowsill. "Jamie let slip that Sawyer is two months old and Julian went kind of ballistic. He knows that Sawyer might be his...and he wants to talk with you."
Lucas remained silent, digesting Brooke's words. He wasn't looking forward to having a heart-to-heart with Julian. The man hated him; absolutely hated him. He wasn't sure how to deal with his irrational anger. Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay." He finally said, quietly. "I'll try to keep it civil. For you and Jamie and Hales...but if he pushes me-"
Brooke walked over to him and put a finger on his lips. "You'll be calm and collected. Remember, he's heartbroken, angry, confused and hurt. I don't know what happened between him and Peyton, but whether you like it or not, you have something to do with it. Keep that in mind when that famous Scott temper starts to rear its ugly head." She took her finger away and lightly grazed her lips over his.
Lucas relaxed at her touch. "How do you do it?" he whispered.
"Easy. I reach up and just brush my lips against yours, like this..." Brooke kissed him again, and drew away, her eyes twinkling.
Lucas let out a quiet laugh. "You know what I mean. You make everything better."
Brooke leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You do the same thing for me, Boyfriend." Reluctantly, she raised her head and stepped away from him. "I'd better go see Jamie before he wakes up Tutor-Mom and tells her we're too busy making babies to look after him." Brooke's smile faded. "If it gets intense, I'll be right upstairs."
Lucas nodded, placing a kiss on Brooke's forehead. "Let's get this over with..." They walked out of the bedroom, arms around each other. They shared a final kiss before Lucas headed down the stairs to have the long-awaited talk with Julian.
Julian sighed in frustration. Brooke had been gone for at least twenty minutes, now. Maybe the bastard was hiding from him. He should be scared to face him. Julian stared outside, listening to the rain pound down on the roof. He blinked back tears, remembering the day he found out what Peyton had done. How she had aborted his baby without even telling him. How she lied to him, letting him think it had been an unfortunate accident. After that day, he vowed never to let Peyton Sawyer back in again.
It was a week after he walked out of Peyton's apartment and out of her life. He tried to pretend she had never existed, but it wasn't easy. She called him incessantly – on his cell, at home, at his office. He decided to stay in a hotel because he couldn't stand going home – that house held too many painful memories. And he knew Peyton would show up there, wanting to talk to him. He wanted to cut her out of his life completely, but she wasn't making it easy. Peyton even turned up at the studio where his newest movie was being filmed. Of course, security barred her from coming on the lot. But, still she showed up first thing in the morning and waited all day for him. If he wasn't so furious with her, Julian would have been flattered by her tenacity. Instead, it was wearing him out.
Julian sighed and sat back in his chair at his office. He sipped at his bottle of water and tried to relax. He was exhausted. He hadn't slept more than a couple hours a night since he left Peyton's apartment. Thoughts of Peyton, the baby, her lies and her obsession with Lucas circled constantly in an endless loop. Julian rubbed the side of his face, tiredly and stared at the stack of phone messages on his desk. He knew the majority of them were from Peyton. Without looking at them, he gathered up the slips of paper and tossed them into the garbage. Maybe he should get away – Hawaii maybe, or Australia. Somewhere Peyton wouldn't be able to follow...and he could be left alone.
His ruminations were dashed when the phone at his desk rang. He stared at it, wondering if he should bother answering or let it go to voicemail. There had been some problems with a certain Academy award-winning actress and her on-the-set demands, lately...Julian sighed and picked up. "Baker," he barked shortly into the phone.
"Um...Julian?" A tentative voice questioned.
Julian closed his eyes. Shit...why had he allowed his assistant to go home early? "Peyton," he mumbled. "What do you want?"
"You've been avoiding me."
Julian leaned back and sighed. "Can you blame me?"
A long pause. "Honestly...no."
Julian listened to her ragged breathing. She was crying. "What do you want, Peyton?"
"I-I need you, Julian. My life is falling apart. I lost my job...I'm lost. I don't know who I am anymore," she sobbed.
Julian opened his eyes, shaking his head, incredulous. After all they'd been through, she actually thought he'd come rescue her? Un-freakin'-real. "I'm not Lucas."
"What?"
"I'm not Lucas," he repeated. "I'm not going to rescue you. This whole situation is your own doing, Peyton. You chose to lie to me. You have to face the consequences of your actions." Julian said, softly, hoping that some of his words would get through to her.
"Julian, I love you. Can you please give me another chance? I'm begging you!"
Julian exhaled. "I'm so tired of this Peyton...I told you that I was done. I don't want to be a player in your self-created drama anymore. I just can't do it."
"So, it's over. You're leaving me." She seemed astonished that he wasn't going to go running back to her like a love-sick puppy.
"You left me a long time ago."
Silence. And then: "I found the ring, Julian. Do you want it back?"
Julian hesitated. Did he want the ring? Not really. It was of no use to him, now. He also had the feeling she was using it as a thinly veiled excuse to get him to come over to her apartment. "I don't care what you do with it. If you want to, pawn it for cash. You'll need it since you got fired."
"That's it? After two years, that's all you have to say."
"What more do you want from me, Peyton? You've pretty much bled me dry – there's nothing left. I just can't deal with you anymore. Not now, not ever. Can I make myself any clearer?" Julian said, despairingly.
"People always leave; why shouldn't you?"
Julian slumped forward on his desk and started laughing. He laughed harder than he had in as long as he remembered, but strangely, there was not one ounce of mirth in his laughter. "I cannot believe you're saying this. Do you even hear yourself?"
"Julian –"
"Good-bye, Peyton." He hung up the phone and rested his head in his hands. He sat there for a few moments, considering their final conversation.
Julian gave himself a mental shake and opened his laptop. He was going to do something for himself for a change; something to erase the pain and anguish of the last year. He booked himself a one-way ticket to Sydney, Australia. He would leave in the morning. Julian got up and left his office, feeling lighter than he had in a week.
When he arrived in Australia, he went straight to the Gold Coast; Surfer's Paradise, to be precise. Gorgeous beaches, sun and surfing was exactly what he needed to start feeling like himself again. Julian rented an apartment overlooking the ocean and spent his days on the beach and his evenings checking out the nightlife. He hadn't hooked up with anyone, but he was beginning to feel somewhat happy again. He was there for about two weeks when he got a text message from a friend of his – Peyton was engaged to Lucas Scott. Apparently, he turned up at her place out of the blue and proposed. And, Peyton had accepted – only hours after their last conversation.
Julian was hurt by the news - how could he not be?
Lucas Scott had come to the rescue once again.
Lucas stood in the doorway to Nathan's den. Julian was standing across the room from him, staring out the window. He hesitated before raising his hand to knock on the door.
"Lucas. How nice of you to finally grace me with your presence." Julian greeted him without turning around, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lucas cleared his throat and entered the room. "Julian," he hesitated, trying to figure how to start a conversation neither of them really wanted to have. "How are you feeling this morning?"
Julian finally turned, glaring at Lucas. "How the fuck do you think I feel? I've got a wicked hang-over; I woke up in your brother's house – no idea how I got here, by the way; and now, it turns out I might have a daughter that until this morning I knew nothing about. I'm peachy keen. How are you, Professor?"
Lucas could already feel his temper rising. He clenched his jaw before replying to Julian's sarcasm. "I'm just great. Last week, my fiancée informed me that my daughter wasn't mine before dying; and not only that, she was cheating on me with one of my oldest friends. Then, her drunken ex-boyfriend, who I knew nothing about before yesterday, shows up at my brother's house accusing me of ruining his life, when he was the one who fucked my fiancée behind my back and disappeared to L.A. with her for a week. " Lucas spat out the words ruthlessly, as Julian just smirked at him. He clenched his left fist – he wished he could wipe that self-important smirk off Julian's face.
"I think it's ridiculous that you still feel betrayed by Peyton's infidelities when you were in love with Brooke the whole time. You did a lot more harm by loving Brooke while hanging on to Peyton than if you'd just fucked her or some other random slut a few times. But, at least Peyton got to know what it was like to be with someone who loved someone else. Part of me is glad that she finally got to feel the pain she put me through." Julian wandered around the room, stopping to pick a framed photograph off the bookcase.
"You don't get to talk about Brooke – do not even mention her name. She has nothing to do with this." Lucas growled, as he walked over toward was Julian. He snatched the photograph away from him. It was a picture of him, Nathan, Haley, Brooke and Peyton back in senior year. The girls were in their cheerleading uniforms and he and Nathan were wearing their jerseys. They were all smiling; happy.
"That's rich. You broke her heart twice to be with Peyton – your 'true love always' – and as soon as you had her, you decided you just had to be with Brooke. You flip-flop more than a freaking politician." Julian sneered. "You ripped my life apart, Scott. And for what? Before you wrote that fucking book, Peyton and I were happy. We were happy; she was happy, just like she was in that picture. Then, of course, you had to get your masterpiece published." Julian shook his head. "I acknowledge that we did have other problems; but the inescapable truth is that the root of all of our issues can be traced back to you and your little vanity project. And I hate you for it - for ruining my life, for breaaking her, for all of it."
Lucas swallowed hard, trying to think of a response. He could feel Julian's hatred of him radiating off of him in waves. Before he could collect himself, Julian continued, taking the picture back from Lucas.
"She was never like this with you, was she?" Julian whispered. "The woman I saw last December was nothing like the girl I fell for four years ago. But once you got through with her...well. Maybe I would have been able to let it all go, like Brooke once did, if you'd actually made her happy." Julian's tone hardened and he turned away. "Peyton and I broke each other, too. Maybe we damaged each other beyond repair. In December, I was finally able to get closure. She wanted me. She said she loved me; that she wanted to be with me. But there was no way I could go back. So, I said no."
"You used her." Lucas said, sharply.
Julian let out a harsh laugh. "You're so self-righteous. Weren't you using her the entire time because you thought all hope was lost with Brooke? Yes, we made love. I still loved her, Lucas. God help me, I always will. Unlike you, I wasn't willing to completely destroy myself or the woman I claimed to love. Like I said, too much had happened between us for us to go back. I was just smart enough to realize that." Julian walked towards the door and paused, staring at Lucas with an icy expression on his face. "I'm going to contact my lawyer. I'd like a DNA test done as soon as possible. If Sawyer is my daughter, prepare yourself for the fight of your life. I let you take her mother from me, damned if I'm going to let you take my daughter away, too."
Julian turned and left the room. He made his way down the front hall, relieved to find the front door. He stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. Julian stood in the shelter of the front porch, recovering from the confrontation that had been three years in the making. As angry and as distraught as he was, he couldn't help but feel elated at having gotten the better of Lucas Scott. He pulled his cell phone out of his jacket and called a cab to come pick him up. He needed to get back to the hotel and clear his head.
Lucas sat down heavily on the leather couch in Nathan's office. He realized he was still clutching the photograph Julian had been so interested in. He placed it on the end table next to the couch and buried his face in his hands. Julian had been right – he was a selfish ass; bouncing back and forth between Brooke and Peyton as it suited him. Now, there would be hell to pay. Julian would make sure of it.