AN: Hey guys I just wanted to say a quick thanks to all the WONDERFUL
support! I soooooo appreciate it ~ you all are my hero! Haha. (Now I just
have to hope you all like this one as much)
Description: Haley comes face to face with the biggest challenge of her life...telling her ex-boyfriend that she might be having his...or his brother's...child. Also Lucas tells Peyton...
Disclaimer: I own nothing, blah.
The bridges we burn: by grace
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Haley was groggy and nauseous, standing behind the counter at the café. The food looked both divine and revolting, and she didn't know whether to barf or eat everything. She was contemplating stealing a cookie when Nathan stepped through the door, the bells jingling with warning.
Everything froze, including Haley's insides, as Nathan stood framed in the doorway, looking into her eyes. He was going to apologize. She wanted to hear his apology. She wanted everything to be better. But she couldn't sit there and listen to it without thinking of the fact that she was pregnant, possibly with his brother's child. She felt nauseous again at the thought. Damn morning sickness.
Haley stepped away from the counter and took her apron off. Her hands were shaking as she did so. She stepped in back, where Karen was sitting over some paperwork.
"Karen? Can I take my break now? I don't feel very well..."
Karen took once glance at her, and nodded, concern etched in her eyes. A lot like Lucas's, Haley thought briefly as Karen left. Haley stood and stepped out from the back room, heading towards the bathroom.
She couldn't tell him now. She just couldn't.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. The warm weight threatened to overpower her, but she couldn't breathe and shook off his hand, instantly wishing that it were around her waist instead.
"Haley..." His voice sounded in her ears and a tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't even stop to face him but ran straight into the bathroom. And she had no intention of ever coming out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
FLASHBACK: Tim's party (Lucas remembers this, not Haley)
Their bodies were intertwined, the heat and passion between them unfamiliar but completely desired. Their legs and arms were tangled in a comfortable embrace; their kisses were feverish and sensual. Lucas couldn't imagine that he kissing his best friend. Could feel so damn good. Haley. His Haley.
Kissing Haley reminded Lucas of warm childhood memories of the two of them. Just an extension of their friendship, was all. Hurt and pain throbbed through him as he remembered the reason he had come to the party in the first place. To forget about Peyton and Brooke.
He kisses became even more feverish, but still gentle as he tried to wipe away the memories. He wanted something simple, and he knew he was going to get anything but that if he didn't stop.
But a passion that had been building up inside of him threatened to explode, and he couldn't take his hands from her body. They ran their own path, as if they had been waiting for this, it was supposed to happen...
Haley's breath smelled of beer and Lucas wondered for a moment what she could be thinking. Her eyes fluttered delicately as he lifted her shirt over her head, pausing for a moment, reveling at the beauty of Haley, even in her drunken state. She was swaying a bit, awkward. Lucas could handle his alcohol usually, but right then he didn't know how, he didn't care...
They melted back into each other and Haley's words came out in a hushed whisper that sent shivers up Lucas's spine.
"So long..." He didn't know exactly what she meant. They had come up here so that they could talk about Nathan. But comforting hugs had turned to drunken kisses, unsure, full of questions, needing answers that they weren't sure existed...
END OF FLASHBACK (tbc)
Lucas's mind was still racing as he worked that afternoon in Keith's garage. The same scene, fresh in his mind, wouldn't stop replaying in his head. That night.
He wasn't using his bad arm, but he was still managing to get a fair amount done. He was just finishing his second oil change when Peyton came into the garage, her face set in a determined way.
"Hey." She greeted him. He wiped the grease off his hands.
"Hey."
She frowned. "What's wrong?"
He shrugged, not sure if he wanted to tell her or not. The girl he had loved for so long...and now had no chance with. Ever. The thought made him dizzy and he looked at her with a new light. "I've got a lot on my mind." He finally managed.
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
Peyton stepped back, looking confused and slightly offended. "Oh. Well, I was just dropping a strip off...thought I'd come by to see...if you wanted to talk or anything." Her eyes gleamed and Lucas thought he heard a hidden meaning in her words. "Maybe not. I guess I'll see you later."
"Peyton wait." This was too hard. He had to tell her.
She turned with a curious glance and came over.
"You...you'd better sit down for this." Peyton's eyebrows furrowed and she sat beside him on a bench.
He couldn't look at her. Flashes of them together ran through his mind and he stared at the ground painfully. He fiddled with the dirty rag in his hands, and Peyton waited for him patiently.
"Well it can't be good. Otherwise it wouldn't be so hard to say."
Lucas shook his head and looked into Peyton's sparkling eyes, so full of hope and life. "Just...do me a favor. One more time, before..." He trailed off and looked at her lips, which were twisted into a worried frown. "Just..." He closed his eyes and felt her lean towards him. He kissed her gently, shivers rippling through his body.
They parted, and Peyton's eyes remained closed for a second, savoring the moment. Lucas watched her painfully. Peyton's eyes opened and focused on his again, full and warm.
"Lucas, what's this about?"
She was so beautiful. Damn her for making this so hard.
"I'm pregnant."
"Excuse-me?"
"I mean, Haley is."
"Omigosh." Peyton's mouth opened in shock. "Are you serious? Haley? Tutor girl? But...who's the father?" She asked, paling, already knowing the answer.
"I am."
Peyton was silent. She looked at her hands, biting her lips again. Her eyebrows were furrowed again and she looked confused.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure."
"But when?" She asked, her voice shaky.
Lucas looked away. "A few weeks ago, at Tim's party. We...we got a little drunk and things went a little too far...I'm so sorry...I-I really....I really wanted things to be different..."
"I know." Peyton's voice was unsure, questioning. But she looked at him and the pain in his face told her all she needed to know. He didn't love Haley like that. She stood and looked at the ground, avoiding Lucas's searching stare.
"Sounds like you have a lot to think about," She said, and he knew she meant not only about Haley but about where he would fit into her life. Whether he would be with Haley from now on.
Lucas said nothing.
Peyton looked at him once last time, and their eyes connected. At that moment a flood of emotions rushed through Lucas and he felt dizzy. He saw them together, how they had been together, how they might have been together...he saw all possibilities that might have been or could be and for a moment he was lost in his thoughts. In that moment that seemed like an eternity her eyes never left his.
A single tear leaked from Peyton's eye and she turned and left, leaving a dizzy Lucas in her wake, as sad and confused as ever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peyton sat that night, with her knees curled into her chest, tears still running down her face, uncontrollable. She didn't make a move to wipe them from her eyes. She allowed them to trail cool paths down her smooth cheeks, enjoying the way they made her feel numb.
She had a dozen sketches littered around her bed. She took careful time to survey each one. None of them were perfect, but they all held a little part of her. There were a few of Lucas's face of pain. She had failed miserably the first few attempts at capturing the exact expression he had scarred her mind with.
There were a couple that she liked of Lucas being with her, hold her hand or with his arms around her. Then there was a few with Haley, her faced rough and blotchy, as Peyton couldn't bear to spend much time on it. As she surveyed this one, she let her mind wander a few months into the future, to where Haley would be having Lucas's baby and Lucas would be bound to her forever, as Peyton knew that he wasn't the kind of guy to leave her.
"Forever." She whispered the word aloud to the empty room, the dark shadows mocking her and her misery. Falling into the familiar feeling of loneliness, the shadows seemed to swallow her, capturing her in the quiet, familiar night.
She let the sheet drop to the floor, her hands and her face slipping together and her face falling into her knees. Her shoulders heaved with the sudden intensity of loneliness, the thought of never being with Lucas again.
She fell asleep like that, not realizing that the object of her affection and turmoil was watching her from his computer screen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So how was it? Didja like it? Hehe well let me know. I appreciate all reviews, I really do. Next chapter is almost done and it will be out soon. I hope you enjoyed this one...I aim to please!
Oh, and I forgot to mention this, and I dunno if it really matters, I think you might have figure it out, but Brooke is not pregnant with Lucas's child.
That's it! Much luv!
Description: Haley comes face to face with the biggest challenge of her life...telling her ex-boyfriend that she might be having his...or his brother's...child. Also Lucas tells Peyton...
Disclaimer: I own nothing, blah.
The bridges we burn: by grace
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning Haley was groggy and nauseous, standing behind the counter at the café. The food looked both divine and revolting, and she didn't know whether to barf or eat everything. She was contemplating stealing a cookie when Nathan stepped through the door, the bells jingling with warning.
Everything froze, including Haley's insides, as Nathan stood framed in the doorway, looking into her eyes. He was going to apologize. She wanted to hear his apology. She wanted everything to be better. But she couldn't sit there and listen to it without thinking of the fact that she was pregnant, possibly with his brother's child. She felt nauseous again at the thought. Damn morning sickness.
Haley stepped away from the counter and took her apron off. Her hands were shaking as she did so. She stepped in back, where Karen was sitting over some paperwork.
"Karen? Can I take my break now? I don't feel very well..."
Karen took once glance at her, and nodded, concern etched in her eyes. A lot like Lucas's, Haley thought briefly as Karen left. Haley stood and stepped out from the back room, heading towards the bathroom.
She couldn't tell him now. She just couldn't.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. The warm weight threatened to overpower her, but she couldn't breathe and shook off his hand, instantly wishing that it were around her waist instead.
"Haley..." His voice sounded in her ears and a tear slipped down her cheek. She didn't even stop to face him but ran straight into the bathroom. And she had no intention of ever coming out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
FLASHBACK: Tim's party (Lucas remembers this, not Haley)
Their bodies were intertwined, the heat and passion between them unfamiliar but completely desired. Their legs and arms were tangled in a comfortable embrace; their kisses were feverish and sensual. Lucas couldn't imagine that he kissing his best friend. Could feel so damn good. Haley. His Haley.
Kissing Haley reminded Lucas of warm childhood memories of the two of them. Just an extension of their friendship, was all. Hurt and pain throbbed through him as he remembered the reason he had come to the party in the first place. To forget about Peyton and Brooke.
He kisses became even more feverish, but still gentle as he tried to wipe away the memories. He wanted something simple, and he knew he was going to get anything but that if he didn't stop.
But a passion that had been building up inside of him threatened to explode, and he couldn't take his hands from her body. They ran their own path, as if they had been waiting for this, it was supposed to happen...
Haley's breath smelled of beer and Lucas wondered for a moment what she could be thinking. Her eyes fluttered delicately as he lifted her shirt over her head, pausing for a moment, reveling at the beauty of Haley, even in her drunken state. She was swaying a bit, awkward. Lucas could handle his alcohol usually, but right then he didn't know how, he didn't care...
They melted back into each other and Haley's words came out in a hushed whisper that sent shivers up Lucas's spine.
"So long..." He didn't know exactly what she meant. They had come up here so that they could talk about Nathan. But comforting hugs had turned to drunken kisses, unsure, full of questions, needing answers that they weren't sure existed...
END OF FLASHBACK (tbc)
Lucas's mind was still racing as he worked that afternoon in Keith's garage. The same scene, fresh in his mind, wouldn't stop replaying in his head. That night.
He wasn't using his bad arm, but he was still managing to get a fair amount done. He was just finishing his second oil change when Peyton came into the garage, her face set in a determined way.
"Hey." She greeted him. He wiped the grease off his hands.
"Hey."
She frowned. "What's wrong?"
He shrugged, not sure if he wanted to tell her or not. The girl he had loved for so long...and now had no chance with. Ever. The thought made him dizzy and he looked at her with a new light. "I've got a lot on my mind." He finally managed.
"Care to share?"
"Not really."
Peyton stepped back, looking confused and slightly offended. "Oh. Well, I was just dropping a strip off...thought I'd come by to see...if you wanted to talk or anything." Her eyes gleamed and Lucas thought he heard a hidden meaning in her words. "Maybe not. I guess I'll see you later."
"Peyton wait." This was too hard. He had to tell her.
She turned with a curious glance and came over.
"You...you'd better sit down for this." Peyton's eyebrows furrowed and she sat beside him on a bench.
He couldn't look at her. Flashes of them together ran through his mind and he stared at the ground painfully. He fiddled with the dirty rag in his hands, and Peyton waited for him patiently.
"Well it can't be good. Otherwise it wouldn't be so hard to say."
Lucas shook his head and looked into Peyton's sparkling eyes, so full of hope and life. "Just...do me a favor. One more time, before..." He trailed off and looked at her lips, which were twisted into a worried frown. "Just..." He closed his eyes and felt her lean towards him. He kissed her gently, shivers rippling through his body.
They parted, and Peyton's eyes remained closed for a second, savoring the moment. Lucas watched her painfully. Peyton's eyes opened and focused on his again, full and warm.
"Lucas, what's this about?"
She was so beautiful. Damn her for making this so hard.
"I'm pregnant."
"Excuse-me?"
"I mean, Haley is."
"Omigosh." Peyton's mouth opened in shock. "Are you serious? Haley? Tutor girl? But...who's the father?" She asked, paling, already knowing the answer.
"I am."
Peyton was silent. She looked at her hands, biting her lips again. Her eyebrows were furrowed again and she looked confused.
"Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure."
"But when?" She asked, her voice shaky.
Lucas looked away. "A few weeks ago, at Tim's party. We...we got a little drunk and things went a little too far...I'm so sorry...I-I really....I really wanted things to be different..."
"I know." Peyton's voice was unsure, questioning. But she looked at him and the pain in his face told her all she needed to know. He didn't love Haley like that. She stood and looked at the ground, avoiding Lucas's searching stare.
"Sounds like you have a lot to think about," She said, and he knew she meant not only about Haley but about where he would fit into her life. Whether he would be with Haley from now on.
Lucas said nothing.
Peyton looked at him once last time, and their eyes connected. At that moment a flood of emotions rushed through Lucas and he felt dizzy. He saw them together, how they had been together, how they might have been together...he saw all possibilities that might have been or could be and for a moment he was lost in his thoughts. In that moment that seemed like an eternity her eyes never left his.
A single tear leaked from Peyton's eye and she turned and left, leaving a dizzy Lucas in her wake, as sad and confused as ever.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Peyton sat that night, with her knees curled into her chest, tears still running down her face, uncontrollable. She didn't make a move to wipe them from her eyes. She allowed them to trail cool paths down her smooth cheeks, enjoying the way they made her feel numb.
She had a dozen sketches littered around her bed. She took careful time to survey each one. None of them were perfect, but they all held a little part of her. There were a few of Lucas's face of pain. She had failed miserably the first few attempts at capturing the exact expression he had scarred her mind with.
There were a couple that she liked of Lucas being with her, hold her hand or with his arms around her. Then there was a few with Haley, her faced rough and blotchy, as Peyton couldn't bear to spend much time on it. As she surveyed this one, she let her mind wander a few months into the future, to where Haley would be having Lucas's baby and Lucas would be bound to her forever, as Peyton knew that he wasn't the kind of guy to leave her.
"Forever." She whispered the word aloud to the empty room, the dark shadows mocking her and her misery. Falling into the familiar feeling of loneliness, the shadows seemed to swallow her, capturing her in the quiet, familiar night.
She let the sheet drop to the floor, her hands and her face slipping together and her face falling into her knees. Her shoulders heaved with the sudden intensity of loneliness, the thought of never being with Lucas again.
She fell asleep like that, not realizing that the object of her affection and turmoil was watching her from his computer screen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
So how was it? Didja like it? Hehe well let me know. I appreciate all reviews, I really do. Next chapter is almost done and it will be out soon. I hope you enjoyed this one...I aim to please!
Oh, and I forgot to mention this, and I dunno if it really matters, I think you might have figure it out, but Brooke is not pregnant with Lucas's child.
That's it! Much luv!