Chapter Three: Shot Right Through My Heart

Chapter Note: This chapter's title is from Hawthorne Heights' "Silver Bullet." It's an awesome song in the acoustic version so I would highly suggest you all check that song out.

When Peyton left his room yesterday morning Lucas was just shocked and fearful. Lucas knew that Peyton must've figured out his underlying feelings for her, but he didn't expect her to act as rashly as she did. His emotions were entangled with 'what ifs' that caused to him to be on edge the rest of that day and into the following night. His anxiety and heavy heart caused him to bite his nails excessively and pace much more than often.

He was so scared that he just ruined his relationship with his best friend. Lucas didn't know what overcame him when he was on top of her! It was like old feelings he had marooned just fled back through him unexpectedly. She was the most important aspect of his life and if he lost her then he lost the only thing that made him smile and made his heart leap. He couldn't lose her.

She had not so much as peek out of her room since it had happened. Lucas knew what she was doing though; she was brooding and sketching like she always did when a dilemma faced her. It tore him to pieces though. He knew that the longer she was in there the weaker their bond will become because she would build a looming wall between them.

"I'm an idiot!" Lucas whispered to himself for what seemed like the eightieth time since his old feelings evaded him.

At the moment, Lucas was sitting on his bed at an odd angle so he could stare at Peyton's bland white door to see when she would emerge. He had slow, melancholy music playing that he saved for heartbreaks or terrible catch-22s. "She Has No Time" by Keane eluded his senses and made his heart weigh even heavier. Wallowing in his own misery never seemed to help the situation, but it did help him evaluate the circumstances more even though through muddy waters.

Becoming irritated and restless, Lucas gave up on watching Peyton's immovable door; it started weeding away his hope for reconciliation. Instead, he went over to his door and shut it half-heartedly. He walked back over to his bed and slumped back down on it as his headache was becoming nastier. Staying up for almost twenty-four hours straight had not helped his cold much, on contrary, it made it entirely worse.

He looked over at his night stand and looked for some Tylenol to relieve his headache, but didn't find any. As a result, Lucas gingerly laid down and stared up at the ceiling blankly. A certain memory from junior year overwhelmed him.

-Flashback-

A bright, sunny morning would've painted a beautiful portrait of a happy day, but it somehow wasn't that realistic. Yes, Peyton had finally ruled out that her father wasn't dead after all, but that was soon overshadowed when she saw that her bracelet was missing.

They got in her car and sped back to the murky motel room that they had shared last night anxiously awaiting five o'clock to come upon them. When they got there, Peyton hastily tore at the sheets and blankets looking for her silver bracelet her father gave her.

"It has to be in here," she says earnestly out loud. A few seconds later she stops rapidly searching and picks up the bracelet.

Lucas feels some relief pour over him. He knew how much that bracelet meant to Peyton and if she had lost it, all sense of comfort would have escaped with it.

"Got it?" Lucas asked as she got off the bed and turned towards him as her fearful emotions start to get the better of her.

She nods slowly as tears start to swell up in her eyes and her chest starts to heave.

"Hey it's okay," Lucas says softly as sympathy starts to overwhelm him, "Everything's okay now, okay?"

He brings her soothingly into a hug for reassurance and support. Peyton was really like glass even though she acted tough on the outside to protect herself, so Lucas knew she needed this comfort.

Slowly, Peyton starts to shove off of Lucas to break the hug as she looks up at him. Her hazel distorted with tears show so much passion alone; his heart starts to beat heavily for her. Then suddenly, the unthinkable happens, Peyton lunges for him and kisses him. The kiss itself was mind-blowing and it caused to blow the top off the lid that encased his feelings for her and that he had had for at least a few months now.

Again, like the hug, Peyton breaks away and looks up at him hopefully and fearfully. Endearment soon causes Lucas to blackout all other worries and feelings and just follows his heart for the first time since the Scott party where he and Peyton finally their guards down. Warmth pours over his heart as he slowly starts to take her jacket off.

By the look on her face, Peyton seemed a little shocked, but then he could tell by the intense look in her eyes that she was feeling the exact same way he was feeling at that moment, free. As he finished taking her jacket off, they kissed again. The feeling that soared through his whole body was amazing causing his heart race with its speed.

Hastily, he whipped his jacket off and discarded it onto the floor without a second thought. The kiss was just so intoxicating and perfect, Peyton was perfect. He slowly sat her down as he broke from the kiss. He leisurely started to take off her jade-green shirt with ease and ravenously bent down and brought their lips together again. Lucas wasn't able to compare this passion fueled moment to any in which he and Brooke encountered. This was real and intense when his and Brooke's were fabricated and just physically based.

Luke then slowly started to lay he and Peyton down while never breaking from their kiss. Feeling her heart race like his was, was more elating and mesmerizing than the actual kiss itself now. He knew her feelings were matching his way beyond just a physical urge being fulfilled.

Gently, Lucas broke the kiss and moved down to her stomach amazed by its smoothness and he kissed it tenderly. Then he unhurriedly took off his baby blue t-shirt and laid back on top of Peyton. Their eyes made contact and each of them smile at one another contentedly. Finally, they kissed each other one again escalating emotions and racing hearts even more.

The touch of her bare skin against his sent chills up and down his spine causing his senses to fail. He leisurely pulled away from the affectionate kiss and started to kiss her neck sweetly. Soon afterwards he leans back and is stopped suddenly by Peyton's voice.

"Ow. Ow. My hair," she whispers slightly with pain entwined with it.

Lucas lowers his head a little, "Sorry." He smiles out of humor in the situation.

Peyton laughs lightly because of the uncoordinated state as she unintentionally tickles his neck as she unclasps his necklace bringing them even closer.

She then untangles the necklace from her hair and Lucas starts to feel a sinking feeling in his stomach once he sees the necklace. His smile slowly starts to disappear when Brooke finally occurs to him.

Peyton smiles up at him, "There."

"Brooke," Lucas says sullenly as he looks down at her.

Her smile fades a little making it awkward looking, "What?"

He thinks of a way to make his response a little bit more clear. "Brooke gave me that necklace." Lucas looks away slightly and then back down at Peyton seriously, "You know um… we should start heading back," practically shoving his heart back into solitude.

"Yeah," her awkward smile is still in place. Luke can tell she's confused, hurt, and shocked, but she's maintaining her cool.

"Okay," he says softly as he gets off of her finally and begins to clothe himself.

-End Flashback-

Out of no where, the phone rang. It caused Lucas to jump out of his skin because he was practically day dreaming and was rudely interrupted of it.

He groggily rolled over to his other night stand and picked up his black phone.

"Hello?" He tired asked as he brought the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, deathly ill friend!" Haley greeted cheerily, which made Lucas sick to his stomach since he was in the middle of wallowing in self-pity and she was ruining it. "You know that's the rumor flying around on campus, right? That the star player, Lucas Scott, is too sick to play this Friday's game against Duke, our biggest game of the season."

Lucas huffed loudly and then replied, "Hi Hales."

"Okay, what's wrong?" She asked right away sensing his irritated tone.

He rolled back onto his back and stared up at the ceiling trying to think of ways to avoid telling Haley what was wrong.

"Ugh, nothing. I'm just a stupid-ass idiot!" He said half-heartedly. "But let's not talk about it."

Lucas knew Haley wasn't going to let it slide, she never did. "No, Luke. You need to get it off of your chest."

"Haley," he said a little harshly than he intended so he paused to compose himself. "I just don't feel like talking about it right now or ever really."

"Whatever! Just give Peyton the phone then."

This time Luke didn't know what to do. He didn't want to go over to Peyton's room and act as if nothing had happened because something did happen. And, he didn't want to act edgy around her either.

"Call her cell," Lucas said roughly running his hand through his jagged hair.

Haley didn't respond at once, but came in a few seconds later probably with a smile on her face. "Ah, so your 'problem' has to do with Peyton seeing as you won't give her the phone."

"Hales!" Lucas replied impatiently as he through his hand up in the air out of exasperation.

"Alright, alright. I'll call Peyton and leave you alone to brood. Bye." Haley said defensively.

"Bye," Lucas said in a weary fashion.

He softly ran his fingers over his lips as if the daydream had been real and Peyton had just kissed him. The memory was as ripe as it had been that fateful day when their emotions finally clashed. He hadn't felt that real since then and thought he probably never would.

Then at that moment, everything came together like a puzzle before his eyes. He knew why he treasured that memory so much and why he wanted to kiss Peyton the morning before. Lucas had never gotten over Peyton; even when he chased after Brooke their senior year all he could help to do was compare her to Peyton's certain endearing attributes. And now here he finally understood the depth of his feelings for his best friend, love.

But right when he was starting to feel content, his heart dropped again when he thought of Peyton's escape the morning before. Frowning at the scene replaying in his mind Lucas turned over onto his right side and looked at his closed door brooding on why Peyton left so hurriedly. There were so many possibilities and knowing Peyton so well as he did, he knew that it was just as confusing to her as it was to him.

Slowly but surely, Lucas started to fall into a restless sleep as the music started to fade into the background of his mind.

Author's Notes:

Alright, I hope you all liked this chapter! It actually took me a while to get it to a point where I'm pleased to leave it this way, which took a few hours. The reason why I added the Flashback from "Crash Course in Polite Conversation" in is because I'm trying to compare how similar the two scenes are, the motel scene to my original L/P awkwardness. Hopefully that shows you the parallel clear enough.

Also, I needed Lucas to find out about his feelings about Peyton in this chapter. Even though last chapter made it seem as though he was clearly aware of what was happening, he didn't. Like I have in the beginning of this chapter, it shows that he had no idea what came over him to want to kiss his best friend and put their relationship in jeopardy.

Again, I hope you all liked this chapter. If you didn't and thought that I rushed the story somehow, please tell me that! I need to know how everyone feels about this story especially if you have constructive criticism. You all are awesome readers and I'm so lucky as to have you all read my story/stories. I hope I hear from you all soon!