Sorry it took so long for me to update. The truth is these chapters have been written and posted at One Tree Hill Central message board for awhile, but everytime I went here my computer would crash or the site didn't work, so I'm just getting around to posting them. The good news is there's two chapters and I'm working on the next now. Thanks everyone for all of your feedback and I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 14
Peyton sat at the bar across the room, watching Nathan closely as he moved around the kitchen. She noticed a difference in his manner. He used to be so sure and confident in his motions. She knew most of it was an act, but now, even the act was gone. She wondered if it was just her presence or if he was always like that now.
"So?" Nathan said setting the drink in front of her. He was partly annoyed, but mostly scared because of her presence. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be gone, living a life with some other man, someone who made her "happier than she'd ever been", at least that's what she had said at the time. He had made himself hate her, but seeing her now, it changed everything.
"How have you been?"
"Cut the crap, Peyton. Just tell me what you want and then let me go."
"Oh, do you have to be somewhere?" She asked absently.
"You know that's not what I mean." He answered flatly.
She nodded. "I miss you, Nathan."
"You already said that."
"I know. I just...I was wondering..."
"If I missed you?" He finished for her. She nodded and locked her eyes on his. "I don't really think that's a question you have a right to ask anymore," he said and walked off.
She followed quickly. "Damn it, Nathan. Why do you always have to play these games."
"I play games?" He returned, his voice rising. "So, I'm the one that plays games. You showing up out of no where, that's perfectly normal, an everyday occurrence? Peyton, I haven't seen you for I almost two years and now you're at my house, telling me how much you missed me and looking..." He stopped, afraid of what he had almost said. Peyton eyed him carefully. "You came here, you tell me what you want from me and then I'll tell you to leave. If you want to torture yourself, go ahead, but the outcomes going to be the same." Peyton's eyes were still locked with his. "I'm done."
"Are you sure?"
"I just said I was."
"But how do you know?"
"The last two years pretty much tell me so."
"This isn't about the last two years, Nathan. This is about now." She took a step closer to him. "And now, I want to be with you and if you tell me to leave, I will. But only if it's because you really don't want me, not because you're afraid."
"I'm not afraid."
"Nate, I think you've forgotten how well I know you," she said taking his hands in hers.
"I didn't forget," he said quietly.
"I didn't think so," she whispered and pulled his lips down to meet hers. Nathan quickly responded, his body remembering everything about kissing her. What she liked, what she didn't. How much he liked it when he felt her nails lightly digging into his skin. She fit and it felt good.
------
Haley awoke to the smell of coffee and cinnamon. She walked through the house and found Steven in the kitchen, cooking like a mad man. At the moment, he was squeezing the juice out of oranges.
"What are you doing?" She asked walking to him.
"You're up already?"
"It's after eleven," she said glancing at the clock. "You don't have to do this."
"I told you we could try and make things perfect and I meant it."
"You do know that I wasn't talking about coffee and cinnamon rolls."
"I do, but it's the little things, right?" She smiled, remembering when she told him that girls cared more about the little things than the big.
"Right, but at least let me help." He kissed her forehead and handed her an orange.
----
Lucas lay still, Brooke wrapped tightly in his arms. He watched the rising and falling of her chest as she slept. There was something serene about the scene and the constant movement against his body made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
After a few minutes, she began to move more and awaken parts of his body that should not be awakened unless there were activities planned. Her eyes fluttered open after awhile and she immediately smiled when she saw his face greeting her.
"Morning."
"You really shouldn't move so much."
Brooke couldn't help but giggle. "I thought you liked that."
"Not when you're still sleeping."
"Well, I'm awake now," she said kissing him and then pulling the sheet back over the both of them.
Chapter 14
Peyton sat at the bar across the room, watching Nathan closely as he moved around the kitchen. She noticed a difference in his manner. He used to be so sure and confident in his motions. She knew most of it was an act, but now, even the act was gone. She wondered if it was just her presence or if he was always like that now.
"So?" Nathan said setting the drink in front of her. He was partly annoyed, but mostly scared because of her presence. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be gone, living a life with some other man, someone who made her "happier than she'd ever been", at least that's what she had said at the time. He had made himself hate her, but seeing her now, it changed everything.
"How have you been?"
"Cut the crap, Peyton. Just tell me what you want and then let me go."
"Oh, do you have to be somewhere?" She asked absently.
"You know that's not what I mean." He answered flatly.
She nodded. "I miss you, Nathan."
"You already said that."
"I know. I just...I was wondering..."
"If I missed you?" He finished for her. She nodded and locked her eyes on his. "I don't really think that's a question you have a right to ask anymore," he said and walked off.
She followed quickly. "Damn it, Nathan. Why do you always have to play these games."
"I play games?" He returned, his voice rising. "So, I'm the one that plays games. You showing up out of no where, that's perfectly normal, an everyday occurrence? Peyton, I haven't seen you for I almost two years and now you're at my house, telling me how much you missed me and looking..." He stopped, afraid of what he had almost said. Peyton eyed him carefully. "You came here, you tell me what you want from me and then I'll tell you to leave. If you want to torture yourself, go ahead, but the outcomes going to be the same." Peyton's eyes were still locked with his. "I'm done."
"Are you sure?"
"I just said I was."
"But how do you know?"
"The last two years pretty much tell me so."
"This isn't about the last two years, Nathan. This is about now." She took a step closer to him. "And now, I want to be with you and if you tell me to leave, I will. But only if it's because you really don't want me, not because you're afraid."
"I'm not afraid."
"Nate, I think you've forgotten how well I know you," she said taking his hands in hers.
"I didn't forget," he said quietly.
"I didn't think so," she whispered and pulled his lips down to meet hers. Nathan quickly responded, his body remembering everything about kissing her. What she liked, what she didn't. How much he liked it when he felt her nails lightly digging into his skin. She fit and it felt good.
------
Haley awoke to the smell of coffee and cinnamon. She walked through the house and found Steven in the kitchen, cooking like a mad man. At the moment, he was squeezing the juice out of oranges.
"What are you doing?" She asked walking to him.
"You're up already?"
"It's after eleven," she said glancing at the clock. "You don't have to do this."
"I told you we could try and make things perfect and I meant it."
"You do know that I wasn't talking about coffee and cinnamon rolls."
"I do, but it's the little things, right?" She smiled, remembering when she told him that girls cared more about the little things than the big.
"Right, but at least let me help." He kissed her forehead and handed her an orange.
----
Lucas lay still, Brooke wrapped tightly in his arms. He watched the rising and falling of her chest as she slept. There was something serene about the scene and the constant movement against his body made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
After a few minutes, she began to move more and awaken parts of his body that should not be awakened unless there were activities planned. Her eyes fluttered open after awhile and she immediately smiled when she saw his face greeting her.
"Morning."
"You really shouldn't move so much."
Brooke couldn't help but giggle. "I thought you liked that."
"Not when you're still sleeping."
"Well, I'm awake now," she said kissing him and then pulling the sheet back over the both of them.