Chapter 7

Haley slipped on the ring and it was perfect fit. She for the first time has fallen in love and it felt so great. She keeps it on as she goes to her bed and falls asleep.

The next morning she found Nathan in front of her house not Peyton.

"Nathan? Why are you picking me up?"

"Geeze I thought you would be excited."

"I am." Haley gets in.

"I see you liked the ring." Nathan says holding her hand. "It looks good on you."

"Thanks. I love it."

Nathan smiles at her. "This is so crazy. Nathan Scott and Haley James together."

"Why is that so crazy?"

"Cause I never thought I could have such a beautiful and wonderful girlfriend until now."

"You gotta stop doing that Nathan."

"Stop what?"

"Stop making it hard to wait."

"Haley I am not going to pressure you to give it so soon. But why did you give it up to Lucas and now it's so hard for you to go all the way with me."

"Because Nathan sex is a really big deal to me and I didn't just give it to Lucas. It took me 11 years to give it up to him."

"I will wait forever Haley."

"I know and sometimes I feel like it's not fair to you."

"No Haley it is fair, but it isn't fair to you for me to keep asking you when your ready."

"Nathan it's ok for you to ask."

"Just tell me when you are ready please."

"I will Nathan. I promise."

Peyton and Lucas had decided to spend their lunch up in the library cause Peyton wanted to draw and Lucas wanted to read his new book. As Peyton draws she can't help to look up and glance at Lucas. She keeps staring till he looks up at her she quickly looks back down at her drawing. She looks up again and sees him staring at her. She laughs.

"What?" Lucas asks.

"Nothing."

"Tell me."

"No I just like watching you read like you liking to watch me draw."

"Yeah ok." She goes back to drawing. "So what are you drawing anyways?"

"Something."

"I want to see." Lucas says trying to look over at it, but she pulls it close to her so he couldn't.

"It's nothing."

"Peyton let me see. Please."

She finally hands it to him. He finds that she was drawing him standing towards her and her back towards him and him saying 'How did I get the chance to fall in love with you?'

"So whats this mean?" Lucas asks. "Why are you turned away from me?"

"I don't know. It's just a stupid drawing." Peyton says standing up and walking out to the hall.

"Wait stop Peyton."

"Stop Peyton Stop that's all I hear from you anymore. Stop telling me to stop and let me move on."

Lucas stands their confused as hell. "What are you talking about?"

"Forget it." Peyton walks away.

After school she walks out to her car.

"Hey Peyt!" Nathan yells before Peyton leaves the parking spot.

"Hey Nate what are you doing?" Peyton had decided still not to forgive Nathan, but to be cool with him.

"Nothing just heading to practice."

"Cool."

"Yeah and I have a big favor to ask you."

"Ok what?"

"Could you give me a ride home after practice?"

"Yeah sure what time should I be back?"

"Umm.. in a hour? Sorry I didn't drive the car, cause it was making a weird sound this morning so mom took me."

"Oh it's fine I will come back and get ya."

"You sure?"

"Yeah See ya."

"Ok thanks bye."

Nathan runs into the gym and Peyton goes home.

A hour has passed and Peyton is sitting outside waiting for Nathan. She watches Lucas come out and look at her. For once in her life her heart literally felt dead like it didn't want to work anymore. He gave her the meanest look possible. Her thoughts all crashed when Nathan opens the door and gets in.

"So how was practice?"

"Same."

"Yeah Lucas was full out yelling at me in the locker room when I told him you were giving me a ride home."

"Why?"

"I don't know you know Lucas."

"Yeah."

A couple of minutes down the road Peyton looks over at Nathan.

"So how have things been lately you know since we've been broken up?"

"Ok I guess. I'm getting a scholarship for basketball and we more than likely are going to the play offs."

"Oh really. That's good."

"Yeah. How about you?"

"I've been great. Things are going much better in my life."

"That's good to hear I guess."

"I still miss you Nate."

"When you broke up with me. I was so scared that I wouldn't be able to find someone just like you. That I wouldn't be able to love someone as much as I loved you, but then Haley came into my life and she is the total opposite of you and I didn't mind. I started to realize not everyone is like you. You are so unique, in a good way I mean."

"You be good to that girl Nathan. She's the only one I feel like I can trust right now and she's so nice. She doesn't deserve to have her heart broken."

"Come on Peyton you know me."

"Yeah I know, but everyone is changing and we haven't talked for like 2 months so I don't know anymore."

"Yeah."

"I don't know if you care or not, but when I hated you all that time it was to hide the fact that I missed you so much."

"Why? I was such a bad boyfriend."

"No you weren't I mean yeah you were when you cheated on me, but Nathan you were honestly the best thing that had happened to me. I mean you were there for me when I needed you, you comforted me, and you were my escape when I needed out."

"I kept thinking to myself 'Did this really happen? Did we really break up?'"

"Do you regret it?"

"I use to, but now that I have Haley I don't. I mean I loved you so much,but I think it was for the best. I think we kinda connected only on a sexual level you know?"

"Yeah, but hey I wasn't complaining."

"Me either. That's why it's getting so hard for me to wait for Haley to be ready for me. I keep screwing up cause with you I never had to wait, but with Haley I keep going to far and she has to stop me."

"That's good that she's that way. Because when she does decide to have sex you will know that she saved herself for you and that makes it all so much specialer."

"Yeah, but that's it I'm not her first. Lucas was."

"Your kidding."

"I thought you knew."

"No."

"Oh well he was."

"Oh, well that sucks that your not her first."

"Yeah I think that's what made our first time together feel so special?"

"Yeah I know I'm so glad we saved ourselves for each other."

"Me too. Do you ever have regrets?"

"No."

"Me either I'm happy with my first."

Nathan looks at her and smiles.

Peyton stops at his house.

"I guess I will see you tomorrow." Peyton says as he gets out of the car.

"Yeah thanks for the ride."

"Anytime."

He gets out and runs through his door. Peyton just sits there and watches him then she leaves. She drives home to find Lucas on her porch. Peyton gets out of her car and walks slowly over to him.

"I always thought to myself if I find that perfect one for me I would love her and she wouldn't need anyone else except me."

"Lucas do you think I'm cheating on you?"

"With Nathan? Yeah."

"OMG Lucas I'm not. Why would you think that?"

"I wonder Peyton."

"If I can't take a guy home without you thinking I am cheating on you then we can end this right now."

"Is that what you want Peyton?"

"No Lucas I can't believe we are even having this conversation."

"Will you please make me understand the drawing and tell me what it means?"

"I was trying to draw out all my fears ok and my fear was you telling me you loved me. I made myself turned away from you cause I couldn't look at you when you said it, cause I was scared that you would see all the pain inside of me."

"What pain?"

"The pain of everything I was feeling. Me being scared, shocked, and excited. All these feelings came at me at one time and it was weird."

"You didn't seem scared."

"I know and that's why I hide things with a smile. I don't want people to know my emotions."

"You shouldn't do that Peyton. Let people in your mind let them see what you see."

"I can't and I won't."

"Ok." Lucas stands up. "I'm going to go help my mom with some stuff I will see you tomorrow."

"Your not mad at me are you?"

"No." With that he walks away.

Peyton goes up to her door and looks back as she watches Lucas walk to his car and drive off.