Peyton was tired. She had just made the long drive from LA to Tree Hill. She wanted to see a comfy bed, a hot shower and a meal that wasn't fast food. She pulled into a parking spot in the Tree Hill Hospital and put the Comet in park. She pinched the bridge of her nose as tears already started to burn in her eyes.
Yesterday morning she'd been living her life in LA. She was sitting in her office at work. She had been drinking coffee and listening to a demo some random band had sent in. Then her cellphone rang.
It was a doctor from Tree Hill. Her father had been in a car accident. She needed to come right away.
Her heart sank. The next hour was a blur as she and her co-worker Trinity looked up flights frantically. There weren't any available ones for the next three days. So she jumped in her car and drove the hours and hours it took to come back to Tree Hill.
She knew her father wasn't going to make it. She had come to say goodbye.
Her heart was heavy as she walked into the hospital. She gave her name at the nurses stations. They led her up to the ICU, where a doctor met with her right away.
Her father's injuries were severe. They had him on life support until she was able to come and say her goodbyes. They asked her if she had any questions… She didn't. She just wanted to see her father.
She sat down beside him and took in all the cuts and scrapes. He had been driving on the highway. Someone lost control of their car and slammed into her father's. His car flipped… She pushed those images from her mind.
Instead, she held his hand. She let him know she was there.
He had just retired last year. He came out to LA for a weekend to celebrate. They did all the tourist things and had great meals. But she cursed herself for not making it home more.
She stayed with him until the sun began to set. He was an organ donor. The hospital staff tried to wait as long as they could before they took him. But the time was up.
She silently said her goodbye. She brushed the hair out of his face. She kissed his forehead and squeezed his hand one last time. She let the tears flow freely, and tried to remember him. She was going to miss the fuck out of him.
She watched as they wheeled him into the operating room. His doctor gave her a small sad smile before following behind.
Fuck.
She thought about getting a hotel room for a few nights, but changed her mind. She wanted to go home.
When she pulled up in front of her childhood home, she was met by someone she hadn't expected to see.
"Hey P Sawyer." Brooke Davis was waiting patiently for her on the front steps. Peyton grabbed her overnight bag and met her with a hug. "B Davis. How did you know?"
"You think Peyton Sawyer is going to come back to town and I'm not going to know about it?" Brooke said, lightly. "I heard about your dad. I knew you'd be here. I'm so sorry."
"Thanks for being here."
It had been 5 years since high school. Brooke had lived all over and was running her own successful clothing line. Peyton was working for a recording label in New York. But they still talked everyday.
"Your friend from work… Trinity I think it was? She called me yesterday." Brooke explained, leading the way inside. "I have wine, pasta and chocolate." She went straight to the kitchen, getting out plates. Peyton wasn't hungry at all, but she appreciated that Brooke was here and trying to help her.
Peyton looked around the house. Her father had always been neat and tidy. Everything was clean and exactly where it should be. It was home. She was hit with a wave of emotion. She was glad she wasn't alone. "Will you stay the night?"
Brooke handed her a glass of wine. "I was going to stay even if you didn't want me to."
Lucas Scott was in his kitchen, drinking coffee when he saw the news in the paper. He didn't tend to read the obituaries section because he found them too depressing but the photo of Larry Sawyer caught his attention. It was a picture of him and Peyton, with Times Square in the background. The funeral was this afternoon. He grabbed his phone immediately. He wished he still had her number. Instead, he went to Brooke.
Lucas: Is she home?
Brooke:Yes, give her some space.
The last time he's seen Peyton Sawyer he'd left her sleeping in a hotel room after she'd turned down his marriage proposal. That had been years ago, but it was something he thought about every single day.
His life had changed a lot since then. He was a published author. He lived in his childhood home in Tree Hill. He was 3 months away from marrying his fiancee, Lindsey Strauss.
He shot Nathan a quick text message to see if his brother had any plans this afternoon, before going to the bedroom to get out his best black suit.
Lindsey came in a few minutes later, in a towel. She was flying to Seattle for a work trip later on that day, and was frantically trying to pack and get ready. "What are you doing?" She asked, eyeing the suit.
Lucas thought about lying. But Tree Hill is a small town. She'd find out eventually. "Peyton's father passed away. I'm going to the funeral this afternoon."
"Peyton… as in Peyton Sawyer? Who you wrote a book about it?" She asked, uneasy.
"We've talked about this. The book isn't about her. But yes… That Peyton. Nathan and Brooke are going too."
"Do you want me to try and postpone my flight? I could come if you'd like. Were you close to her father?"
Lucas met Larry Sawyer for coffee on the third Wednesday of every single month since Larry had retired. But he preferred to keep that between them. "He was a great man. I'd like to pay my respects." Lucas answered, avoiding the question. He gave Lindsey a quick kiss on the cheek before going to take a shower.
It had been three days since Larry Sawyer had died. They'd managed to get the funeral service put together pretty quickly. They planned a small service. Peyton didn't have much family around anymore. Brooke had picked her up that morning, wearing a couture black dress.
When they arrived at the cemetery she was pleasantly surprised at the amount of people that had come to say goodbye to her father. Several of his old co-workers had made long trips to Tree Hill. Lots of people from the community were gathered. And then she saw them.
Lucas and Nathan. They were standing in the back. Lucas offered her a wave, and Nathan nodded his head. Seeing them caught her off guard. She wanted to stop everything and go and hug both of them. Even Lucas.
Brooke heard her breath sharply. "I swear I told Lucas to keep his distance."
"It's okay." She whispered. "I'm happy to see them." She took her seat.
The service was a blur. She was a crying mess but managed to deliver a beautiful eulogy before tossing a dozen red roses on top of the casket and saying her real last goodbye.
Several people offered her their condolences and smothered her with hugs, cards and flowers before they trickled away. Peyton stayed in her seat, not wanting to leave.
Between the drive, the hospital and then trying to organize the funeral service she really hadn't had much time to comprehend what had happened and what she lost. Seeing the casket here in front of her, and a beautiful black and white framed photo of her father, made things set in. The tears came and she didn't fight them.
She thought it was just her and Brooke leftbut she should have known better.
Lucas enveloped her in such a familiar hug. His arms around her felt right. He still smelled the same. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and placed a hand on the back of her head as she sobbed into his white shirt. Her mascara left black streaks but he didn't care.
After a long time, he led her back to Brooke's car and helped her into the passenger's seat.
"Can I do anything?" He asked her. She silently shook her head. She looked exhausted.
He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to go home with her and help her into bed and hold her on one of the most painful days of her life. But he knew it wasn't his place.
He looked to Brooke. "Anything?"
"I think I've got it from here. I'll stay with her tonight." She looked at him like she could read his mind. "I'll text you if she needs anything, okay?"
Nathan and Lucas watched as they drove away. "Bro… it's going to be awfully hard to be the best man in your wedding." Nathan said.
"Why is that?" Lucas asked, with a tight chest.
"Because you and Peyton are far from done." Nathan gave his brother a sympathetic pat on the back.
Lucas didn't respond. He went home to his quiet house. Lindsey had left him some pizza in the fridge with a note saying how much she'd miss him. He grabbed a beer instead, and turned on the basketball game. He kept his phone by him all night incase Brooke or Peyton texted.
They never did.