Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine.
Authors Notes: Chapters are going to become more sporadic as I continue to work on Don't Let Go, but I still love this story and I'll update as soon as possible.
Chapter 5It had been a few days since Lucas had seen Peyton, he spotted her across campus one day and they made eye contact for a brief moment but she looked away quickly and became absorbed in the lunchtime crowd. He'd left her messages after that night, but since the first three had gone unanswered he didn't bother to leave anymore. Haley was the one who noticed the change in his demeanor, he barely spoke to anyone including her. He kept to himself during class, ate lunch alone at the far end of campus away from everyone else and after school he walked home by himself.
Home was where he was currently, alone in his room. Sometimes he'd read a book or attempt to study. But today he was lying on his bed just staring up at the ceiling, trying to decide how he felt that day. It had become his daily ritual, trying to decipher the emotions that invaded his head. Sometimes it was anger or bitterness and other days it was sadness and rejection, but most of the time he just felt empty. He didn't want to be sitting in his room alone feeling sorry for himself because he knew he must have looked pathetic, but she consumed his every thought. All he seemed to be able to think about was her, how much he missed her, how much he needed her. But he couldn't help but be a little angry at her, after all she was the one who left him.
The door to his room suddenly opened and none other than Haley James herself came barging in, slamming the door shut behind her. It startled him at first and he jumped to his feet.
"Damn Haley! Knock much" he yelled after her.
"If I had knocked would you have let me in." Lucas just shrugged his shoulders and sat back down on his bed. "Yeah that's what I thought. I'm worried about you Luke. You haven't talked to anyone in over a week. I'm your best friend, why can't you talk to me about what's going on?"
"Because I'm having a fine time throwing myself a pity party, and right now you're crashing it."
"What happened the other night with Peyton?"
"I don't really want to talk about it." He said firmly.
"Whatever happened, she's really upset. She won't talk to me either, I just want everything to work out between you two."
"Well guess what Haley, everything didn't work out between us. You want to know what happened that night? Let me tell you." Lucas was quick to his feet, his body tense with frustration directed wrongly at Haley. "She came over to my house just as I finished packing my stuff, she told me how she felt and I told her how I felt. Then we went on a date and to the movies, and everything was going good Haley. It really was." His voice softened as he remembered the night. "If I wasn't sure I loved her before that day, I was sure ten minutes into our date. She looked beautiful and I just loved being with her. We had a great night up until the minute Brooke showed up."
Haley shook her head. "What did she have to say to you guys?"
"Just the usual stuff. We're both cheaters, I'm an asshole. She called Peyton some pretty nasty stuff in front of a bunch of people on the sidewalk. And Peyton hit back, she stood up for herself and told Brooke off. But Brooke still has this damn hold on her. When she was done yelling at her Peyton just turned and walked away from me, she said she couldn't be with me because it hurt Brooke and then she left me standing on the sidewalk."
"I'm sorry Lucas." Haley sat down on the bed next to him.
"I didn't know what to do afterwards. I just sat on the curb, trying to figure out what and the hell had just happened. I must have sat there for an hour, before I came home. It just hurts Haley."
"Have you talked to Peyton at all since?"
"I've left her messages and e-mails, she turned off her webcam. I even went by her house the day after but she wouldn't answer her door. She doesn't want to see me Haley, what am I going to do Haley?"
"I've never seen you like this over a girl before."
"It's different with her, I really miss her Haley."
"I know you do Luke, and that is why I'm going to help you get her back."
"Thanks for the offer Hales, but I don't think it's going to happen."
"Luke just listen to me, I think the only way to get through to Peyton is with Brooke's help. She's the reason Peyton left you. Maybe if Brooke knew how much you cared about Peyton she'd help in some way."
Lucas shook his head. "I don't think so Haley. Listen, I've got some studying to get done. I'll call you later though."
"Are you going to be ok?"
"I'll be fine."
"I want you to think about what I said." She hugged him goodbye.
"Goodbye Haley." He grinned.
He shut the door behind her and laid back down across his bed, an arm shielding the daylight seeping though his windows from his eyes. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that Haley was probably right about everything. He knew in his heart that he would do absolutely anything to get Peyton back, even if that anything was a confrontation with his scorned ex-girlfriend.
Lucas arrived at Brooke's house an hour later. He took a deep breath before knocking, he stepped back from her door and waited for her to answer. He'd be lying if he'd said he wasn't nervous, anything could happen when it came to Brooke. He anticipated the door being slammed in his face after she refused to speak to him.
When the door suddenly swung open he held his breath. She stood in front of him, her arms folded across her chest. He cleared his throat and stepped forward just a foot. "I was hoping we could talk."
"You have got to be kidding me." She leaned against the doorway. The look she gave him was sly and manipulative and it was plastered across her face. "I don't have anything to say to you."
"I figured you wouldn't want to talk to me, I can understand that. All I really need is for you to listen to what I have to say. Just two minutes and then I'm out of your hair forever."
Brooke narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, you have two minutes. And then when you're two minutes are over, you can turn around and walk your ass right off my porch."
Lucas nodded. He knew she wasn't letting him talk because she cared. But this was his last chance with Peyton and he had to take it.
"I must have told you 'I'm sorry' 50 different times. And I really did mean it every time. Peyton and I never meant to hurt you, we never wanted to hurt you. But I care about Peyton very much, she means a lot to me. I need her in my life Brooke, and I know that's hard for you to hear."
"Do you love her?" Brooke asked suddenly.
He was thrown by her sudden question. "I do, I love her very much. I hope you know how much she loves you Brooke."
"Excuse me?" Brooke shook her head. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"That night at the movie theatre after our little confrontation, Peyton dumped me. She left standing on the sidewalk and told me she couldn't do it."
"So what the hell does that have to do with me?"
"It has everything to do with you Brooke. Peyton dumped me because she knew how much it hurt her best friend to see us together."
"Did you ever stop to think that maybe she dumped you because that's what Peyton does"?
"No, I didn't" he said angrily. "She told me that no matter what, she'd be hurting someone she cared about. And for some reason she chose you. After all those things you said to her, after the way you treated her the past few months, she still chose you. I'm not going to pretend to understand it, my only choice is to accept Peyton's choice. Haley said I should come over here and try to make you understand, but that's not what I'm going to do. I'm not going to beg you to talk to her, to somehow get me a second chance with her. I'm here to remind you how great of a friend you have. She was completely unselfish, sacrificing her own happiness for yours. I hope you know how lucky you are to have someone like Peyton in your life, or should I say used to have. I would give anything to have what you what you threw away with her." He turned and walked away when he was finished, leaving Brooke standing, speechless, in her open doorway.
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