Author's Note: I bring four chapters today! LOL

brathanfan- Glad you loved it lol. Dan is up to no good that's for sure!

He crept up the stairs silently. He wanted to surprise her for once. The girl was like a rock nothing could scare her or catch her unexpectedly when it came to him. It was as if she knew what he was up to without even questioning. All she had to do was look in his eyes and the surprise would already be revealed. Once just once he wanted to catch her off guard.

He slightly leaned against her door post. Her back was towards him as she sat in her chair staring at her computer. Slowly he crept towards her trying not to make a peep.

"Hey," Peyton called out without even turning around.

Lucas winced. Damn she got him again.

"How'd you know?"

"You're the only one I know that tries to catch me unexpected. May I remind you tip toeing doesn't make a difference if your wearing 5 pound Lugz boots," she turned herself around still sitting in her seat, "plus I saw your reflection on my screen."

Luke nodded and quietly chuckled. Boy was she good.

"You left me a message on my cell?"

"Yeah," her face changed from a smile to a frown, "we need to talk."

Lucas noticed her change in expression as well as the tone of her voice. Something was bugging her and he knew it couldn't be good.

"Yeah sure," he moved over to her bed resting on its edge, "what about?"

She sighed, "us Lucas, we need to talk about us."

He looked confused, somewhat frowning. You could tell from the lines that formed on his forehead. Not very noticable because he's still young but enough to see a difference.

"What about us Pey? We're good right?" he was babbling, "you still like me?"

"Lucas of course I like you, more than you can imagine. When I'm with you I feel in place, like everything I'm doing is right and it feels good," she got off her chair and sat beside him, "you and me? We're way past good, we're great."

"Okay so what then?"

"It's just I don't want to...I-I."

"This is about Brooke isn't it?"

She hung her head low and nodded. When she looked up tears were cascading down her face.

"She's my bestfriend and I just can't do this to her again. I-I did it to her once and that whole experience tore us apart. I saw the side of her that only people that meant nothing to her saw, and it was devestating. It was as if I was no one to her, just a nobody. Do you know how it feels to be given that look? I mean it's okay when you don't know the person but when your bestfriend since forever gives it, you know it's just it's," she broke out into a hysterical sob.

Lucas could feel her pain. He did after all have to relive it with them. They all grieved during that period, but somehow it seemed Peyton was really hurt by it and since she was enduring pain he couldn't help but feel it as well.

"Pey it's okay," he embraced her in his arms, sheltering her with his warm body, "I hated that time too. I hurt two people that I really care about for my own selfish reasons. I shouldn't have put you two in the middle. It may have seemed like I was stuck in between you guys but really it was me who hovered over you and Brooke. It was my fault you and her had that big dispute. It was because of me she gave you those lifeless looks. Blame me."

She whimpered a little, making silent noises.

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I was being too stubborn and I pushed you away. No wonder you moved to Brooke. She's great and I was just I was so complicated. I shouldn't have interfered, but me and my dumb self did and I hurt you both."

Lucas put his hands on her face and rested his own on hers.

"Listen what's done is done. Trust me it wasn't your fault, it was no one's. We all had feelings we were unsure of. We didn't know how to express them as well as the time to let it all out. I guess it just seemed to come all at once. We're young and we were all new to that feeling. We didn't know."

"Luke but it's happening again. What happened last year is repeating itself. We're going to go through it again; you, me, and Brooke."

Lucas sat up placing his hands on his lap.

"I know."

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"What are we going to do?"

"I can't help what I feel for you Peyton."

"Neither can I," Peyton was flustered. She put her hands over her face and sighed, "but Brooke, Luke I can't do this to her again, I just can't."

"Even if it means we shouldn't see each other anymore?"

She started tearing again.

"I don't know, why does it have to be like this? Why can't it just be easy for all of us?"

"Because nothing is ever easy when it comes to love and baby if I knew the answers I would tell you in a heartbeat."

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know, but what I do know is," he tooke her face in his hands again wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "I can't deny my feelings for you."

She started to louden her whimper.

"But Brooke," she whispered.

"Pey I know that was a tough time for you and her. I don't want either of you two to hurt like that again, but if that means erasing whatever we have in order for that, then I don't think I can. We can't shun what we have away, it would kill us both and I know Brooke may or may not get hurt but we have to tell her."

"But what about last time?"

"That was a long time ago. The difference between then and now is that I'm not going out with Brooke anymore the similarity is you and me hiding our feelings again. Peyton if she was your bestfriend she would understand."

Lucas took Peyton in his arms and cradled her. Kissing her softly on her forehead as she continued to sob. It was getting softer but they had a lot to think about and a lot of decisions to make. It was going to be long evening.