Epilogue

"The dawn is breaking, a light shining through
You're barely waking, and I'm tangled up in you

I'm open, you're closed
Where I follow, you'll go
I worry I won't see your face light up again

Even the best fall down sometime
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find you and I collide…"

"Collide" -Howie Day

Peyton woke that morning feeling like nothing could possibly touch her. None of her sadness, her guilt, regrets or doubts could intrude here. This was perfection. While she laid there, letting the sun warm her face, her father's words came to mind.

"Just promise me that when you pick the boy you're going to be with…"

She turned her head and met eyes with Lucas, who grinned. A flurry of moments suddenly flashed in her mind; passion, hunger and love she'd never experienced before. Kisses on her neck, on her stomach, and her chest. Kisses and touches that made her heart thunder in her chest all over again at the mere memory of them. They had finally joined together as one, and it had been beautiful.

"Good morning," Lucas greeted softly, trailing a finger over her cheekbone. Warmth flew through her at his touch.

"…it's someone who respects you, someone who makes your heart race…"

"Morning," she returned, curling up to his side. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he replied. "I was just thinking of getting up and taking you to breakfast."

Peyton smiled, burying her face in his chest. "Can't we just stay like this for a while?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled.

"Of course we can," Lucas replied, tucking a piece of hair behind Peyton's ear. He brought her face up gently and tenderly kissed her lips. "I don't mind staying like this at all."

Bringing her hands up to his chest and resting herself there, Peyton breathed out a sigh very slowly. She was still trying to convince herself it was real. It had actually happened. And it was worth every second she'd had to wait.

"Use your head…"

"So, last night was really nice," Peyton told him, still smiling. "I hope you thought so too."

Lucas chuckled. "Oh, believe me, I thought so too."

She traced a finger on his chest, asking quietly, "So…what does this mean?"

"Well," he started, "I'm hoping it means we're together now. If that's what you want. I hope you didn't just, you know, use me for my great body."

She swatted him jokingly and rolled her eyes. "That's what I want, smart ass."

He smiled. "Then that's what it is."

Her lips curved upward again and she leaned up to kiss him, a little happy shiver running through her as she did so. They were finally together. No extra baggage included; they were just together.

He kissed her a little deeper and said, "I love you." She took a moment to feel the words, and then let her face fall in as she turned away.

Puzzled, he repeated, "Hey, I love you."

Peyton shrugged, responding, "Yeah, you're okay. You're right, though, I'm really only after your body." She looked at him with a playful grin.

"Oh, is that right?" Lucas shot back, mock-offended. "Well, what if I did this?" He attacked her by tickling her ribs, and she erupted into giggles.

Pleading with him to stop, she grabbed at his hands, but he was too quick for her. "Say it first!" he told her above her laughter. "You have to say it!"

Adeptly catching his hands, which were now trying to wriggle free, she touched foreheads with him. "I love you, too," she said seriously. "But you will pay for that."

"…and follow your heart."

Lucas's laughter and cries for help were the next sounds that filled the room, and she knew that she'd followed her dad's advice. She knew who she wanted to be with, and she'd followed her heart. She'd followed it home.

-------

Two weeks from their first time together, Lucas and Peyton were sharing a slice of pie in Karen's Café. Peyton couldn't remember ever feeling happier. They'd been inseparable for two weeks, and she felt closer to him now than she ever had before. She'd retained her friendship with Haley, and the two of them were going to a concert in a few days. That made her happy as well, but there was still one small thing. And it had just walked into the café.

"Brooke!" Peyton called, catching her friend's attention. Brooke was standing at the counter, waiting for a coffee to go. She hadn't seen Peyton and Lucas upon walking in, but when she turned her head, she smiled and walked over.

"Aren't you two, like, betraying your brooding kind with how much you're smiling right now?"

Peyton blew past the joke as Lucas chuckled a little, and she inquired, "How are you, Davis?"

"Not bad," she answered. "I was just going over a few new cheer routines at school and needed a pick-me-up. Hence the coffee. Which by the way, come Monday, you better get your ass to practice, P.Sawyer, because I'm turning into Cheer Camp Bitch to get ready for the senior pep rally. I can't do it without my right-hand girl."

Peyton gave her a thumbs-up sign, glad that Brooke was focusing on being cheer captain again. And that she was Brooke's right-hand girl again, through it all. They'd been able to settle for forgive and forget, on both sides. She was just glad they'd been able to patch things up, even if they were still working on it.

"Brooke, here's your coffee," Karen shouted from the counter.

"Oh, that's me. Wanna go up with me?" Brooke offered, looking specifically at Peyton. She gave her the nod.

"Sure, why not?" Giving Lucas a, "be right back" sort of look, she walked up to the counter with Brooke, out of earshot.

Wrapping her hands around the plastic cup, Brooke was smirking at Peyton in a coy fashion. "Word on the street is you two are officially an item," she said, her eyes flicking from Lucas back to Peyton. "Is it true?"

Peyton paused, looking back at her "boyfriend" (although she found it weird to call him that now), then to Brooke. All she had to do was nod as her cheeks turned a faint shade of crimson. Brooke couldn't pretend to be overjoyed, but she was genuinely glad to hear it. "I'm happy for you two," she told Peyton. "I really am. You deserve it."

Brooke had been surprising Peyton left and right lately, and this time was no different. She welcomed the change in attitude, but it was still a little jarring at first. "Thanks, Brooke," she answered. "I appreciate that."

Bringing Peyton into a quick hug, she said, "Okay, I really have to get back to the gym now, but I want you to call me later. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Kay, bye." She headed toward the door, with a word of goodbye to Lucas, and was gone.

Heading back to the table and sitting down, Lucas commented, "Girl talk?"

"Yeah," Peyton affirmed, scooping up another piece of cherry pie and eating it a little messily. "Nothing of real interest."

Nodding and taking a sip of water, he seemed to suddenly have a revelation. "I meant to ask you," he said excitedly, "have you applied to any colleges yet?"

The question took her by surprise. Amidst all the angst and drama, she'd completely forgotten about college. Brooke had brought it up once, but she hadn't even considered her own future. The school in Georgia she'd had in mind was now out of the picture, but she still wanted to go to a place with a strong art program. What if Lucas didn't have the same one in mind? "No, I haven't," she replied eventually, appearing a little abashed. "Have you?"

"I haven't applied yet," Lucas began, "but I want to go to UNC. Keith left a college fund for me, so we can afford it. And I looked into it a few days ago, and they have an awesome art department."

"Really?" Peyton said, thrilled to hear it. "Maybe I'll have to check it out, huh? We can apply together."

"That was my plan."

She reached for his hand, and held it tightly in hers. "That sounds perfect," she told him tenderly.

Lucas held a soft smile for a few moments, then snickered and finally laughed aloud. Peyton didn't understand. "What? What's so funny?"

He made a motion to the corner of his mouth and, while trying to stifle another laugh, asked, "Need a bib?"

Turning to the café window, she found that she had cherry filling gathered in the corner of her mouth. Bright red and embarrassingly obvious, like the color her cheeks were turning. Scrunching her face in annoyance, but also faint amusement, she reached over and hit him with the back of her hand. "You should've told me sooner, jerk!"

He laughed some more and started to wipe it off with his napkin, then leaned over and kissed her. "Tastes good," he commented, a crazy simper still present on his features. And as much as Peyton wanted to stay annoyed, it was impossible. She started to laugh as well.

Somehow, every element of that day, from her encounter with Brooke to these moments with Lucas, made her feel happier. For once, she felt completely at peace with her life.

And that was a feeling she wouldn't give back for the world.