a little water please
I taste you all over my teeth

The ride to Peyton's house was mostly a quiet one. The evening had been filled with so much emotion that they both just needed to sit back and breathe. Jake drove because Peyton was too distracted, too shaken, too exhausted. He tried to keep his eyes focused on the black pavement stretching out before them, but he kept feeling her eyes on him. He would occasionally look over to her. She would shyly grin, then either look ahead of the car or stare at the few houses along this road. She wondered who lived in those houses. What were their lives like? Were they lonely? Were they happy? Or worse, were they indifferent? She was actually beginning to feel like the person she used to be…years ago. Before her mom left…before anyone left. She again glanced over at him. He slyly glanced back at her and asked, "What?"

She just couldn't believe he was really there. He came back for her. No one had ever come back before. She gathered up the nerve to say, "In case I haven't told you, I'm really glad you're back."

"Really? I never would've figured that one out," he said in that wonderful, sarcastic manner of his. "And in case I haven't told you, I'm really glad to be back."

She smirked and turned back to the passing houses. "Yeah. Good to know."

They finally ended up at her house around 1:00 A.M. She said, "So, I guess that you probably need to get back to Jenny."

"Not really. My mom said she'd take care of her for the night. Unless you're just trying to get rid of me," he said jokingly.

"Well, I was trying to be subtle, but so much for that."

They both chuckled. Laughing. It felt good. Something that neither one of them had done for awhile.

Peyton suggested, "Well, if your mom has everything under control, do you want to come in? Maybe have some coffee? Eat some disgusting leftovers? Talk?"

"Hmm…come in – yes. Coffee – only if you make it right. Disgusting leftovers – if I can't identify them, then no. Talk – I would love to."

"Fair enough," she replied.

They pulled out six different flavors of Ben & Jerry's, two spoons, and then sat down on top of the kitchen counter. They talked about a little of everything. Jenny started walking a month ago. She had started learning a few words. Jake had been working odd jobs here and there around Savannah. Peyton told him about Nathan and Haley's marriage and about her job at TRIC.

"So that's how you met him?" he asked.

"Rick?"

Jake nodded.

"Yeah, but can we please just drop that. For tonight. I'm just really tired. We can delve into all of the sordid details another time. I'm not up for it now."

He paused for a few moments, thought. He looked at her. He saw how exhausted she was. "Okay," he sighed. "Dropped – for now. But we're going to have to go there sometime."

"We will. Just tonight…I need to rest."

"Okay." He paused to think about what he should do. "Well, thanks for the ice cream, but I guess I should go so you can get to that rest," he said as he hopped down from the counter. "I'll see you tomorrow," and he turned around to leave out the kitchen door.

"Jake – wait."

"Yeah," he said as he stood in front of the door.

"Would you stay here? Tonight? Please? I just…I'm tired of being lonely. Just stay…keep me company?"

He heard her wavering voice. He turned around to face her. The moonlight flowing in through the window illuminated the tears welling up in her eyes. He couldn't leave her – not again.

"Sure," he whispered.

As she walked out of her bathroom in her pajamas, Jake said, "You know, I seriously don't mind sleeping in a chair or on the floor."

"And I seriously don't mind you sleeping in the bed. I'd actually rather you sleep there. I just need…I really need to know that you're here."

"Okay."

They lay together on the bed in silence for awhile. Peyton rested her head on his chest, his chin propped on top of her head. It felt good – being close to someone again.

He looked around her dark room. It was so her – artsy, dramatic.

Then she timidly asked, "So, that kiss. Are we going to talk about it?"

"What about it?"

She paused to think about what she wanted to say.

"Did you mean it? I mean, I need to know exactly what you're thinking. What you're feeling."

"Of course I meant it. I had to come back here because I missed you so much. At first, we were friends, and I was totally fine with that. But after spending so much time with you…I don't know…I guess what I felt grew beyond friendship. Then that day at the pier - when I left, when I told you goodbye - it was the hardest thing I've ever done. I knew that it'd be hard, but I didn't expect for it to be like that. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted more. I needed more. And I needed it to be with you. So, here I am. What are you thinking?"

Peyton quietly gathered her thoughts for a few seconds. "I'm thinking that the kiss meant something too. I mean, I love our friendship, Jake. But when I saw you with your bags that day, when I saw you leaving…I suddenly realized that I wanted it to be more too. And I've been so lonely, not wanting to open up to anyone, because I wanted it to be you. I wanted to open up to you."

A few moments of silence passed in the room before Jake asked, "So, what do you want to do? Are you ready to try this? A real relationship?"

Quiet.

"Yeah…I say that we try it. And you?" She propped herself up on her elbow so that she could see his face.

A grin came across his mouth. "I say we try it."

He raised himself up so that he could kiss her. She lowered herself down to meet him. They both breathed out sighs of relief, of happiness, of understanding. Peyton ran her hands along his arms. They were so strong, so powerful. He ran one hand along her waist and her side, the other along the side of her face. He could smell her perfume in her hair. She moved to kiss his neck, his chest, his stomach. They wanted to know everything. They wanted to know every thought, every fear, every square inch of each other.

"Jake…" she sighed out.

"Yeah…" he voiced between kisses.

She raised herself up so that she was sitting back on her feet, looking at him as he sat up. For a few immensely long seconds, they just stared at each other. They looked past each others eyes…they looked to each others souls. Peyton reached down, and lifted off her shirt. He stared at her. Almost in disbelief. She was tearing down that wall that she spent so many years building up. She looked vulnerable. I can't do this to her.

"Peyton, we really don't have to do this tonight. We have time."

"So you don't want to?" she asked, embarrassed.

"No, that's not it," he said as he reached out to grab hold of her hand. "It's just that it's been a really emotional night. I just want to make sure that I'm not taking advantage of the situation…of you."

"Jake. Trust me. It's okay. I really want this. Okay?"

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure. Just…please promise me that you'll never leave me."

"I promise."

She leaned in towards him, kissed him. She raised his shirt off over his head. They continued searching every inch of each other – with their hands, with their mouths, with their tongues. They continued to undress each other so that they were as close as two beings could possibly be. Together, they tore down that wall that had always been between them. They became intertwined with the blankets, with each other. They laced their fingers with the others. They felt each others hearts beating. They felt each others breath. They felt each other.