Chapter 20 She's in Love with the Boy

Lucas awoke to find her hazel eyes staring at him, as though in great confusion and grand contemplation. Her left hand, adorned now with the antique ring, lay contently on his chest. Their legs were intertwined as a result of the need to feel close and her inability to sleep soundly. After sleeping in the same bed with her for several months, Lucas likened it to sleeping with a human sized eggbeater, forever tossing and turning. Their relationship had not yet been physical but they sometimes had to remind themselves of the other's presence.

"You're still here." Peyton's voice was content and still thick with sleep but in it Lucas recognized strains of doubt.

"Get used to it. It'll be a constant morning theme for the rest of our lives. I'm not going anywhere." This answer gave her some sort of peace and she smiled contently before snuggling against him, her blond curls splayed across his arm and chest. Reality didn't hit their cloud until the holidays closed in.

Peyton knew she was going to burst as soon as she saw her best friend, so they decided to send Haley and Nathan to the airport to pick up Brooke, Karen, and Larry. They had all decided that Thanksgiving dinner would take place in her and Lucas's apartment, considering that it was a bit roomier than the other Scott New York apartment. She paced around the apartment, straightening things that had been perfect since the day before and putting finishing touches in the various rooms. They rumpled Lucas's bed up a little bit and made sure to change the dusty sheets, just to make the appearance that he was actually sleeping there. Haley was the only person outside of Peyton and Lucas who knew about the sleeping arrangement and also the only person beside Nathan to know about the engagement. The engagement clear in her mind, Peyton yelped when she realized that the vintage sapphire ring was perched on her left ring finger, a clear indication of the secret they wanted to keep until dinner. They thought that perhaps a nice Thanksgiving dinner would calm the parents and cause them not to get too upset with the news.

She was stuffing the ring into her pocket when Lucas entered the living room laden with pillows and blankets. Their guests were staying for three nights and they were all staying with Peyton and Lucas. The thought was that Brooke and Peyton would stay in her bed, Karen on Lucas's bed and Larry and Lucas fending for themselves between the love seat and pull out sofa.

"It's not for long," Lucas said when he saw her distraught expression after removing the ring. "We could tell them tonight—"

"No, we'll stick with the plan," Peyton said quickly. The plan was the only thing keeping her sane at that moment of uncertainty. Lucas set the pile of blankets in the corner next to his bed and walked a few steps to put his arms around her. She lay against his chest, listening for a moment to the reassuring sounds of his heartbeat; it was something that had put her to sleep so many times. "I'm going to miss you while they're here."

Lucas groaned as he realized what she was saying. He was not looking forward to sleeping in the same room with Larry Sawyer after he told the man he meant to take his daughter away. "We should have told them to get a hotel room."

"That wouldn't have been suspicious," Peyton said dryly. "Besides, Brooke still would have insisted on sleeping in my bed.

"You two aren't doing that anymore when we're married."

"It's harmless."

"Not when you've got a husband to be sleeping with."

"Lucas—"

"Peyton—" It was a mock argument, one that ended in a deep kiss. It may have lasted longer had they not heard Haley's key in the door. They jumped apart just in time but must have looked guilty because Brooke gave them both a look of skepticism before running at Peyton and hugging her.

"Hey, P.Sawyer. I've missed you! You look as great as ever. What else did we expect? Lucas! How goes life in the big city?"

"Good Brooke," he said with a smile as he leaned down to hug her in greeting. "Hey mom." The next few minutes were filled with greetings and hugs and ended in an awkward silence as they all stood amidst the suitcases the three guests had brought with them.

Dinner that night was simple fare but completely uncomfortable for the newly engaged couple. Brooke made an incredibly large deal out of Peyton not having a boyfriend yet and told the two Scott brothers that they should be introducing her to the other guys on the basketball team. Peyton answered that she was trying to focus on school and although that was a satisfactory answer for the parents, Brooke didn't believe it for a second. They played a card game after dinner and talked for the longest time about classes and the basketball season. It was past one in the morning when they finally retired to their respective beds.

Peyton was surprised to find that, half an hour later, she couldn't fall asleep; she and Brooke had grown up sleeping in the same bed but now it didn't seem to be enough familiarity to lull her to sleep. She got up and crept into the bathroom, the only room where she could turn on the light without waking anyone else. Not sure what else she could do without waking the entire apartment, she settled on a bubble bath and an old book. She kept several of her favorites in a basket under the sink and there was always a classic or two lying around thanks to Lucas.

She seriously hadn't thought the running water would wake anyone so late at night but she hadn't taken her clothes off before a soft knock sounded at the door. She opened it a crack and saw Lucas staring through the slim space between the door and the frame.

"What are you doing?" His voice was a whisper, but she still pulled him inside, not wanting to chance waking her father and Karen.

"Taking a bath, what does it look like? What are you doing awake?"

"Your dad snores. And it's not as endearing when he does it."

"I don't snore."

"Whatever you say."

"You can leave now," she said with a glare.

"I'm awake now."

"Too bad. I'm taking a bath."

"I'll join you," he said mischievously.

"Are you crazy?" She whispered with an amused grin. "My dad's in the next room. He'll shoot you if he finds you in here."

"They're all sleeping like logs. They've had a long trip."

"Nice try," Peyton said dryly, but with small smirk. "But no way. I'm not feeling particularly suicidal today. You're just going to have to go back—" As she whispered, Lucas sat on the floor with his back against one wall, his feet on the cabinet, and opened one of his books that had been sitting on a stool. "You can't stay in here."

"I need light to read. You have light in here."

"You're crazy," she said with a roll of her eyes. Nevertheless, she pulled the patchwork cloth shower curtain halfway around the tub and was soon soaking in raspberry bubbles while Lucas pretended to read War and Peace for the fifth time. "I'm getting out," she said after almost an hour of soaking. "Close your eyes."

"Peyton, we're going to be married—"

"We're not married yet. Close your eyes." Reluctantly he did, only to pretend to peak just as she stepped out of the tub and wound a soft bath towel around her. She saw the eyes flutter open and kicked him. Luckily for them both, he remembered the late hour just in time to stop himself from yelling out. In a stroke of luck that they would talk about for years to come, they somehow got out of the bathroom that night without getting caught. That's what they thought, at least, until Peyton climbed back into bed.

"It's about time," Brooke muttered as she rolled over and hogged more of the covers. Peyton never did have the opportunity to question her about the comment. She assumed it meant that Brooke had been waiting for her to return from the bathroom but a small part of her knew that Brooke wasn't stupid; she had known for quite some time that Peyton and Lucas were eventually going to become a couple.

They all awoke early the next morning and mostly watched as Haley helped Karen get the turkey into the oven. Peyton may have offered to help but the other two women just seemed so capable that she didn't want to interfere. To add to that, Brooke wouldn't have allowed her to do something so domestic. Brooke Davis was in town and she intended to use every minute of time she was allotted with her best friend. They all decided to dress up a bit for dinner that night; it seemed that the occasion warranted skirts and blouses that required ironing and shirts that buttoned. Peyton slipped on her ring, as she was getting dressed for dinner and actually forgot about it after entering the kitchen and living room area. The table had been set beautifully and Karen was busy arranging the last few items. Haley handed a basket of bread to Peyton who, in turn, handed it over to Karen.

What the older woman saw caused her to drop the entire basket on the plush carpet. The basket hitting against the chair made enough noise to catch the attention of everyone in the apartment. They all watched as Karen reached and took hold of Peyton's left hand, her eyes focused on the antique-set sapphire.

"Lucas?" She voice broke in complete confusion as she said his name. Lucas and Peyton exchanged looks of fear and Haley attempted to maintain complete innocence. Lucas crossed the room quickly and stood next to Peyton.

"You okay mom?"

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Karen, there's something we want to tell you. Everyone, actually. We were waiting for dinner—"

"Should I sit down or go and get my gun?" Larry posed the question as he too walked over to them and commenced staring at the ring.

"We're engaged," Peyton said with one quick breath. The quicker she spit it out, the faster they could get on with the fall out. If Karen's stare was any indicator, she apparently thought Peyton had lost her mind.

The title is from Trisha Yearwood's "She's in Love with the Boy."