I grab my beach bag, stuffing the towel under me into it haphazardly while hanging on tight to the leather book in my hands. Why I didn't bring my cell phone out here with me I have no clue, but it's probably for the best, I wouldn't be able to hear very well anyway with the waves lapping against the shore.

Tossing everything onto the nearest chair I grab my phone off the kitchen counter and speed dial the familiar number. I'm not sure what I'm going to say to Peyton exactly, but I need to talk to her about this. I'm desperate to find out what's in that journal, but not without her knowing I at least have it.

"And here I thought I'd be bugging you." Peyton picks up on the third ring, not giving me nearly enough time to figure out how I'm going to ask her if I can essentially invade her privacy.

"Doing what exactly? I'm bored already." Not really, but I think I probably would be if I hadn't been thrown into an emotional tailspin by her ex boyfriend. Which brings me to a big crux in the whole thing. If I really do bring this up, I'll also have to tell I ran into Jake here. I don't want her thinking I just stole it from her. But then she'll start asking me all kinds of questions about him. And I'd rather not be the bearer of her bad news.

"Ok, what's wrong?"

"I'm really beginning to worry about that. You're starting to know what I'm thinking before I even do." It's not worrisome, comforting actually, but not when I'm trying to stall.

"Brooke."

"Ok, well I guess I'm just gonna have to come right out and say it." I take a deep breath, trying to quickly figure out the best way to tell her.

"Oh this doesn't sound good." I can hear the worry creeping into her voice.

"Lets just say it's not the easiest situation we've ever found ourselves in Missy Blonde Girl." I try to ease up the rapidly declining mood, with little success.

"Ok now I know it's bad, if you're referring to it as a 'situation'."

To tear the band-aid off quickly about Jake, or slide that into the conversation a little later on, that is the real question.

"How come you never told me you kept a journal?"

"So that's where it got to!" Oh great, she already knows it's missing.

"Bottom of my overnight bag to be precise actually."

"When did you find that?" At this point she just seems curious, although I can sense some nervousness in her voice. Which just makes me wonder all the more what's written inside of it.

"Last night, right before you called me."

"Wait. What? If you just found it out there, how did it get in your bag to begin with?" I'm sensing a little skepticism from my best friend, which I suppose is understandable.

"Jake."

"Jake?"

"Jake."

I can totally picture the look on her face, curiosity creeping around but mostly just entirely overwhelmed. It brings a small smile to face, which only makes me want to be back in Tree Hill again.

She breathes out a long sigh. "Ok, I think you better start from the beginning, because this is making all kinds of sense that's not."

I echo her sigh, taking in a deep lungful of air to explain the entire 'situation' to her. "I found the journal in my bag last night, the one that you rushed to the airport to give me."

Which in and of itself is very odd. I could have gone the whole summer without it, nothing that incredibly important in there. At least that's what I thought. Who would have known all of this drama could come from that one little choice Peyton made in bringing it to me at the terminal.

"It was in THAT bag?" Was that the sound of Peyton's hand connecting with her forehead?

"That bag. Anyway, I had just opened it to look for something I could wear to bed since I didn't feel like unpacking everything. Instead of silk boxers I found leather when I reached in. And then that's when you called."

"And you didn't think to tell me last night?" If Peyton's tone is any indication there is some REALLY good stuff in that thing.

"Well between our apparently newly developed flirt marathons and the fact you're mother might be back from the dead, it kinda slipped to the back of my mind." Well that was a tad bit more harsh than I would have liked.

She's quiet for a moment, before she starts softly muttering, I think more to herself than to me. "I didn't put it in there, I know I didn't."

I stop her before she starts going over every minute detail of the last how many days, wondering how it got into my luggage. "No you didn't, Jake did."

"How do you know that?" I could lie, I really could. The note is proof enough of his involvement. But I really don't want to, she needs to know where Jake is and what he's doing. As horrible as it may be for her to hear it, maybe she can finally have some closure.

"There was a note inside, addressed to me." Before she can jump down my throat for even opening it, I tell her the rest. "And Jake told me himself."

Peyton lets out a small gasp of surprise. "You saw him?"

I nod my head, quickly realizing that she can't actually see me. "Of all the places in this country, we both ended up on the same beach this morning."

"How is he?" Peyton quietly asks.

"He's with Jenny." I know that's what Peyton was most worried about, him never seeing his daughter again. But I don't want her to get her hopes up, so I continue quickly. "Nikki's out here, and they're together. And Peyton, I know what you're thinking, but I doubt it's like that. He just needs to do this to make sure that he can be with Jenny. Nikki just unfortunately comes with the package." I honestly don't know what I can say to sugarcoat it for her. Maybe there isn't anything TO say.

"He's not coming back, is he?" She sounds sort of resolved, like she had been expecting this, which is somewhat surprising to me.

"I don't think so sweetie. I'm sorry Peyton." I wish so much I could be there to just hold her right now. It's bringing tears to my eyes, the desire is that strong to comfort her.

There's silence for a while, I can hear her sniffling a bit but that's all. I give her as much time as she needs.

"So he took off to California, hooked up with psycho-bitch, but before that he stole my journal, the most private thing I have, stowed it away to give to you, and wrote you a note. Let me guess, to read it?" Hurt Peyton has given way to angry Peyton. Oh boy.

"Pretty much."

"Did you?" I knew what she was asking, and I can't say I'm surprised she'd think I did.

"No, I didn't." She breathes a small sigh of relief, and I'm thankful that she at least takes me at my word. "That's actually what I was calling you about."

"You want to read it, don't you?"

"Only if you give me the ok. I won't go any farther than the first page, where I found the note, if you don't want me to."

Silence again. I'm beginning to hate it. "What did the note say?"

I wasn't expecting that. I'm faced with another to lie or not to lie decision again. I'm starting to hate that too. "He told me to read it."

She laughs a little, but I can tell how hollow it really is. "I kinda figured that one out Brooke. But I'm pretty sure it said something else. Especially if HE read it before giving it to you."

I take that in for a moment, really comprehending what it means. She knows what she wrote in there. Jake's not completely blowing smoke, which means that she's feeling this too. And from the sound of it, has been for a long while. I was skeptical about just what was in there from Jake's little note. Guys can interpret things entirely different from how they're meant to sometimes, and I think I had convinced myself that it wasn't as serious as he was insisting it was. But if I'm understanding Peyton right, then I was completely off.

I find myself being flooded with a sense of total clarity and peace, without having a read a word in Peyton's dramatic handwriting. "What should it have said?"

"Brooke, please, don't play games with me, it's already been a stressful summer and we're only two days into it." I can hear the weariness in her voice. She really needs to get away from Tree Hill, it's turning my poor Peyton into just a shell of her normal self.

"Come out here." I blurt it out, although it's not like we hadn't discussed her visiting me in SoCal. But I'm pretty sure she didn't think I'd be asking her this soon.

"What?"

"You heard me. Pack a couple bags, get on a plane and come out here." I'm getting excited just at the thought that Peyton could be standing right next to me twenty four hours from now.

"I think I'm getting whiplash." Peyton mutters, and I have to laugh at the thought of the exasperated look I know must be on her face.

"I'm serious P.S. I want you to book a flight right now. Go online and do it."

"Why?" How can she ask that?

"What do you mean, 'why'. I suddenly need a reason to see you?"

"When you're on the other side of the country, yes, you do." There's still that level of nervousness, making her voice waver slightly.

I sigh, deciding that I'm just going to put everything on the table. I've always been the more emotionally available of the two of us, and I'm resigned to making the first move here. It's not that much of a leap of faith though, because I know Peyton. And without even reading the journal, I know that this is the right step for us. I can feel right down into my soul.

"I want you here with me Peyton." I don't think she was expecting me to be that blunt.

"You really haven't read it?" Her voice is barely audible, I have to strain to hear her. I can feel how scared she is, I can hear it in the timbre of her voice. But it just convinces me more that this is the right choice.

"You know I didn't. But I don't think I even have to." I look down, tracing my fingers over the inscription she's written into the face of the journal, who knows how many years ago now.

"And you want me to come out there?" The fear is more than evident this time.

I smile, my typical Peyton, ever the skeptic. "More than anything. Please Peyton." I hope I don't sound like I'm begging, although I'm willing to go there if it gets her on that plane.

"You're sure?" She sounds exactly like the eight year old that asked me to stay with her that first night after her mother had died. She was hesitant and scared and I simply nodded my head and climbed into her oversized bed next to her. She cried herself to sleep that night, my hand rubbing circles on her back, desperately trying to assuage her pain in any way that I could. I don't think it helped much that night, but I've spent my life since then doing my best to be there for her, whenever she needed me.

All of that has led us to here.

"I'm positive. I've never been more sure about anything in my life Peyton. Trust me."

The silence has returned and I'm holding my breath, hoping on everything that she's willing to take the leap with me.

"I'll look for a flight tonight then." I let out a huge relieved sigh, the smile splitting my cheeks must look incredibly goofy, I can only imagine.

"Great! Let me know when you're coming in and I'll meet you at the airport." I'm sure she can hear the excitement just dripping off my tongue.

"Ok." She's still hesitant, I can tell. Getting her out here is only the first part of the battle. But I'm more than up for the challenge.

"Get cracking then P Sawyer. Expedia, Orbitz, Travelocity, whatever it takes, just get your cute butt out here by tomorrow."

She lets out a nervous little giggle. Just as we're about to hang up she shocks the hell out of me.

"Read it Brooke."

I'm speechless for a moment.

"Are you sure." But only for a moment.

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." I can almost see the good natured smirk crossing her lips.

I laugh a little, my fingers starting to tingle in anticipation where they still sit on the leather binding. "If you insist then."

We say our goodbyes, with her promising to let me know all the details once she gets them straightened out. I'm only half paying attention though, because my eyes can't seem to leave the countertop.

Peyton's coming out here to be with me, and I have her blessing to read her innermost thoughts. This is shaping up to be THE summer to remember.

I rummage around in the refrigerator for something light to eat, grabbing a bottle of Fuji out of the side shelf as I close the door. Balancing a turkey sandwich on wheat in one hand, Peyton's journal in the other, and my water under one arm, I trudge up to my bedroom. Opening the remote skylight that I found this morning, I plop myself on the bed, getting comfortable for what I can only imagine is going to be one hell of an enlightening afternoon

Hope this one is a little longer for ya'll. I think next part might be the journal entries. I think. ;) Thanks for hanging in there with me, I hope you're still enjoying it and I haven't lost any of you to boredom or my constant knack for teasing. lol