It had been one week since they had moved into their new home, and they were loving every minute of it. Lucas had helped Peyton set up an area where she could draw in one of the spare rooms. She was in there now, hovering over her sketch pad, her mind drawing a blank. "Hey you" Lucas whispered as he leaned down and kissed her cheek gently.
"Hey..." she responded with a sigh as she gazed back down at the empty page. "I keep thinking…and I just come up with nothing" she shook her head as she played with the pencil between her fingers.
"So don't think about it….just draw." he kissed the top of her head lightly before turning and walking out of the room. She watched him walk away and let a smile play on her thin lips. She looked back down at the blank page and let her hand take over. It was about an hour later when Lucas peeked back into the room to see the small blonde completely oblivious to everything but her work. He smiled to himself before walking off down the hall.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he sat on the couch watching TV. He looked up at her and smiled as he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her deeply before pulling away. "Your too far away" he pouted in her direction and she laughed before walking around the couch and sitting on his lap.
"Better" she questioned seductively as she wrapped her arms around him again.
"Much" he leaned into her, joining their lips once again. She pulled back and leaned her forehead against his.
"I came in here to tell you that I was going out, not to make out." she laughed lightly as she pressed her lips against his for a brief second.
"Yeah…but you have to admit…the latter seems like much more fun." He raised a brow hoping to make her stay.
"True…but I have to get something down before the place closes. We can continue this later…I'll make it worth the wait" She was dangerously close to him but she refused to let him any closer. She enjoyed playing a tease and she loved the looks he gave her when she continued to pull away.
"Where are you going anyway" he questioned still attempting to kiss her. The more she turned him down the more he wanted her, but he could tell he wasn't getting anywhere.
"It's a surprise so you'll just have to wait and see. I'll be back in about an hour" she pushed herself away from him and got to her feet, his hands still resting on her waist.
"It better not be more than an hour…I don't wanna be away from you that long" he pouted again, hoping it would earn him a kiss but he had no such luck. Peyton just laughed at him as she walked towards the door. She put her shoes on before reaching for her bag on the side table. She looked down to see her bag missing before she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Looking for this…" Lucas looked down at her with that goofy grin she loved.
"Yes" she said as she snatched it out of his hands and she was surprised when he didn't move it out of her reach. "Thank you" she said sarcastically as she stepped closer to the door.
"Peyton…" She turned back around only to come face to face with her husband. She didn't have enough time to react because his lips were instantly pressed against hers, slowly pulling her away from reality. She tossed her head back as Lucas lined her neck with kisses and hoisted her onto his waist. Her legs automatically wrapped themselves around him as she let her purse fall to the ground and her arms snaked around his neck.
Lucas pressed her back against the door as he found her lips again. He pulled her legs from around him and set her gently back on the floor. He pulled away from her and she watched as he picked up her purse from the floor and then handed it to her. She slowly took it from him and waited for him to speak. "You can go now" he said calmly before kissing her gently one last time and walking back towards the couch. "I love you"
"Ohhhh fine Lucas. I guess we'll actually be sleeping tonight" She watched he visibly sighed. "I love you too" She cooed as she grabbed a large envelope off the table and walked out of the house, towards her car. She threw her bag into the passenger side and gently laid the envelope next to it before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the car. She pulled out of her driveway and couldn't stop the smile that was quickly growing on her face as she thought about the drawing she had hidden inside the envelope.
A few minutes later she pulled up in front of a small store in town. She grabbed the picture and quickly went inside. As she walked towards the front desk her eyes scanned over all the hand made wooden frames. "Hi" She said calmly as she approached the man behind the counter.
"Hello…how may I help you" he gave her a warm smile which she returned.
"Umm…I'd like to get this framed" she handed him the envelope and watched as he slowly and carefully removed the picture she had drawn earlier. She smiled as he nodded his head with a sense of approval.
"This is really good" he said as he looked up at her and gave a small smile.
"Thanks" she said shyly, she had never been really good with compliments, especially when it came to her art.
"I have the perfect frame for this…" he said as he stepped from the behind the counter and walked to the side wall. The blonde watched him as he reached up on the top shelf and pulled down a rectangular frame. He handed it to her and she gazed over the dark mahogany wood. It was smooth as her fingers traced the intricate design that was lightly carven into the bark. "You like it…." he raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah…this is gorgeous." she mumbled, still studying the frame.
"Beautiful frame for a beautiful piece of art. You have a lot of talent." He informed her as he moved back, to the register. "its on sale for $20" he said as he looked at the tag and rung her up. He took the frame from her and carefully opened it and then used the same care to set the picture in the right position. "Perfect" he commented as he closed the latches and flipped the frame over, allowing Peyton to admire her work.
"Thank you so much" she smiled again as she handed him the money.
"It's no problem" he replied genuinely. "Have a nice day"
"You two" she called over her shoulder as she headed back out the door, frame in hand. She slid back into her car, eager to get back to Lucas. She pulled out of the parking spot and headed home, a smile on her face.
It only took seconds for it to happen, she didn't even know what was going on until it was too late. She approached the light just as it turned green and she drove her car through the intersection, but she barley made it halfway across. The SUV that had been traveling in the other direction had sped through the light which had just turned. Peyton heard the screeching tires and the twisting metal before her body felt the pressure pushing her out of the seat. She could feel the thick seat belt cutting into her neck before it finally snapped allowing her body to twist into the passenger seat. Her legs remained caught beneath the steering wheel, held captive by the indented metal of the door.
Her car slid through the street like a child's toy as the back windshield flew out and shattered one the pavement. The car continued to fold inwards, crushing her, letting the screeching metal ring through her ears as glass showered over her. Her neck snapped the side as the car jerked began to fold from the passenger side as it slammed into the car that had been waiting at the light. As she finally stopped moving, she tried to focus, tried to keep herself awake as her eyes caught the frame that was now splintered with the class broken and cracked. She spotted her picture and watched as a red line dripped from her body to the paper. It splattered on the glass, staining it crimson before seeping through the cracks.
Her eyes traced the various images she had recreated, all scenes from her and Lucas's past together. Images of him hold her, wiping away her tears, them smiling and laughing together. The center of the page held a large image of the two blondes gazing at each other with smiles tugging on their lips. The center image was filled in with color to make it stand out and a caption was neatly scripted at the bottom center. "It's more than an illusion". She gave it one last glance before her body betrayed her and her eyes shut as she grew weaker and colder.
Lucas looked away from the TV and towards the clock, causing him to frown. Peyton had promised him that she would be back in an hour…it had been nearly two hours since she left. He had tried to call her cell but it went to her voicemail. He took a deep breath and turned back to the TV, hoping it would make the time pass faster. Minutes later he anxiously reached for the phone as it began ringing. "Hello" he spoke quickly but he sighed deeply when the voice on the other line wasn't Peyton's.
"Hello is this Lucas Scott" her voice was very professional causing him to assume she was a telemarketer.
"Yes" he said dejectedly into the receiver.
"This is Hudson Memorial, we have a Peyton Scott here and her registration lists you as her husband" the calm in her voice made his mind swirl with all sorts of thoughts.
"She is my wife….is she alright…what happened?" He couldn't make himself move from the upright position he was maintaining on the couch.
"She was involved in a three car collision. She's in the emergency room at this moment. Are you aware of our location" her calm demeanor was beginning to piss him off. Here she was telling him that his wife was in the ER and she sounded like she was describing how glue sticks to wood.
"Yeah I know…" he hung up the phone and forced his feet to move as he stood and rushed out the door. Once on the road he immediate dialed Brooke's number.
"Hello" he could hear the cheeriness in her voice and knew that he was about to change that.
"Brooke it's Lucas…Peyt was in a accident, they have her down at Hudson Memorial. I'm on my way there, you don't need to come I just thought you should know and I wanted to ask if you could let everyone else know for me" She could sense the desperation in his voice.
"Of coarse…Lucas everything gunna be fine" she tired to reassure him while also trying to reassure herself.
"Thanks…I gotta go Brooke" He didn't wait for her response before hanging up the phone and continuing down the road. The only thing on his mind now was getting to Peyton and making sure she was okay. 'What the hell can I do for her?' he questioned himself as the first tear slid down his cheek from fear of losing her.
He pulled up to the hospital minutes later and ran through the entrance. "Peyton Scott" he said out of breath as he used the nurses' station to hold himself up.
"Mr. Scott?" the nurse questioned as she looked up at him and watched him nod. "She's in the room down the hall but you can't go in there. You can wait in the waiting room or in the hall." she gave him a warm smile before he retreated down the hall to wait.
He took a seat in one of the hard plastic blue chairs set up against the wall. He leaned down and set his head in his hands as he attempted to calm his body down and gain control of his emotions, his attempts were useless however. He looked up nervously when he felt a hand on his shoulder about ten minutes later. "Hey…any word yet"
"Nothing" he shook his head as she sat down in the unoccupied chair next to his. "I told you that you didn't need to come Brooke."
"Of coarse I did. She's my best friend Lucas, she always has been. It just wouldn't be right if I sat home knowing she was here. I would never be able to live with myself. I need to be here for her, for myself and for you." She wrapped her arms around him as he placed his head back in his hands.
Five Hours Later
The group sat in the hall, surrounded by a deafening silence. Haley was tucked deeply into Nathan's side as they stood against the wall. Brooke and Karen remained on either side of Lucas trying to comfort him but continually getting nowhere. Larry had sat a few chairs down from those three, away from everyone. He pushed everyone away when they tried to talk to him. He had already lost his wife from a car crash, he hated to think that he was going to lose his daughter the same way.
They all watched as doctor's and nurses came in and out of her room repeatedly, bring in new supplies they needed. Time seemed to get slower and slower with each minute and Brooke could swear the pale yellow walls were beginning to close in on her. She hated hospitals and she hated seeing Peyton in the hospital. A shiver traveled down her spine as she stood from her seat.
"I'm gunna go get some coffee does anyone else want some." she watched as they all nodded with the exception and Lucas and Larry who didn't seem to acknowledge her question. Karen mouthed to her to get them some and nodded in agreement.
Haley soon took Brooke's seat next to Lucas and hugged him as tightly as he would allow. Nathan walked up to Brooke who was beginning to go. "I'll come with you" she looked back as him and then continued walking down the hall with him at her heels. "How you doing?" he questioned as they rounded the second corner and made their way into the elevator.
"I could say that I'll been better but I think that might qualify as an understatement." She gave a small smile and a bitter laugh as they neared the cafeteria.
"Brooke you should go home…Allison needs you" Nathan rested a hand on her back as her watched tears roll down her cheek.
"I called Charlie already, she's asleep. Nate I can't leave 'till I know she's okay." Nathan wrapped his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. She pulled away and wiped her eyes and composed herself as she grabbed some of the coffee and waited for Nathan to pick up the rest. She knew she needed to be strong, she couldn't let herself fall apart now. They paid for the coffee and returned downstairs.
"You all can go home…" Lucas spoke for the first time since they all arrived. "Get some sleep"
"No…besides bro…even if we did go home we would all be to worried to sleep. Doesn't make sense, we're gunna stay." Nathan commented as he took a seat in an unoccupied chair. It was almost one o'clock in the morning but they were all on edge. Brooke paced the floor nervously, occasionally tying to see if she could get a glimpse into the room but then giving up and returning to her pacing, her heels clicking with each step.
"Brooke you're gunna drill a damn whole through the floor and that damn clicking is getting on my fucking nerves, stop pacing." Lucas spat bitterly as he glared in her direction before tearing away from his mother and Haley. He walked to the other side of the hall and leaned against the wall, resting his hands on his knees as he stared down at the floor.
"Luke, man calm down, things are gunna be alright, don't take it out on everyone here. Brooke's just worried like the rest of us. You need to relax bro…" Nathan rested a hand on Lucas back sending the older brother over the edge. Lucas lifted his body up and his fist immediately crashed into Nathan's jaw.
"Don't tell me what I need to do alright. That's not your wife who's been in that room for over five hours. That's not your wife who's life is on the line" he glared down at his younger brother before turning and punching the wall with more force.
"Lucas" Nathan began as he wiped blood from his mouth. He watched as his brother ran his hands through his hair.
"Look I'm sorry bro…I didn't mean to do that...I just…" Lucas turned back towards the wall and leaned his head against it, his heart racing.
"It's alright…don't even worry about it." Nathan rested a hand on Lucas's shoulder briefly before going back to sit down. They all looked up at the adjacent room as the door opened and were disappointed to see a nurse rush past them.
"Brooke I'm sorry I snapped" Lucas turned to face the brunette who just smiled and nodded in his direction. She watched as the nurse swerved around her and re entered the room, leaving the door open just wide enough for Brooke to catch a glimpse of the monitor. Her eyes followed the green line slowly grow straight just before the door closed. They all looked in her direction as her cup hit the floor and the coffee spilled onto the hard tiles and spread into the tiny cracks. That was when they heard monotone ringing echo in their ears. Their eyes focused on the closed doors as the brunette dropped to her knees, her denim jeans quickly developing a deep brown stain.
Okay you guys...there is only one chapter left after this!!!!