No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue

I could not foresee this thing happening to you

The sun streaming through the window roused Peyton from her sleep. Sitting up, she stretched, and looked over to the empty side of the bed seeing the note on the pillow.

She picked it up and opened it.

Hey you, Morning. I made some coffee for you, but depending on what time it is when you see this, you might not want it. Meet me at my house at 11:30, I have plans for us. Nothing special, but don't be late.

Lucas

P.S. Lunch Plans so don't eat too much before you get here.

She couldn't stop the smile that broke on her face. "I have plans for us" she re-read the line out loud. Don't eat? She looked over at the clock, 8:38. Well she could do that, maybe.

She jumped off the bed and ran down the steps to the kitchen. Grabbing a cup from the cabinet, she grabbed the coffee pot and breathed in the scent. Nothing woke her up like coffee.

She filled the cup with the black liquid and turned to look out the kitchen window. The day was just beginning, shaking all the darkness away, coming alive. With a smile, she thought that the same could be said for her.

She took a sip of the coffee, grimacing at the stout flavor. Lucas liked his coffee strong, she remembered, smiling slightly at the memory of the last time she had drank coffee with him.

"You look happy" he had told her, as they watched Pete and Brooke talking about making eggs. She remembered smiling at him and saying the same. It was amazing, she thought as she leaned her hip on the kitchen counter and continued to look out the window, the lies we tell others, tell ourselves.

She hadn't been happy, she had been struggling to find that feeling, the one she had lost so long ago.

"The feeling you get when you are with him" the voice in her head smirked. Smiling, she could help but think that something had changed ..awakened.

Shaking her head, she pushed away from the counter allowing one last glance out the window.

Holding the cup strongly so she wouldn't spill it, she ventured back up the stairs. Walking into her bedroom she remembered she was supposed to talk to her dad. So she went straight to the computer and signed on.

Seeing that he wasn't on yet, she sighed and took a sip of the coffee. Looking down, she spotted her sketch pad on the corner of her desk. For the first time in a long time she had the itch to draw. Reaching over to grab it, she searched the desk for a pencil. Finding one hiding under her keyboard, she flipped the book open.

Closing her eyes, the picture came to her. The image so clear she wanted to get it down before it faded, before time distorted the memory.

The thing about drawing was that you needed inspiration to draw. Needed something that made you ache to draw. Whether it be a good thing or bad thing, something had to rouse the hunger in you to capture the moment on paper.

Having felt cold, she hadn't been motivated enough to want to draw anything. Something had changed that, she thought with a ghost of a smile on her face. Or rather Someone.

Pausing, she looked at his face and smiled.

Her fingers flew across the paper, making the shapes come together quickly. Using her pinkie to shape here and there, she lost herself in the scene before her.

((Ping))

She looked up to see her dad's IM "Hey honey, Sorry I am late. Been really busy. The webcam is out. One of the guys knocked it off the table last night"

She lay her sketch pad back down on the desk.

"Sorry about that Daddy, so are you good?" she quickly typed worried that he may be lying about the webcam being broken. Ever since the scare of loosing him she couldn't help the anxiousness that welled inside her.

"I am fine, Peyton, Promise."

Sighing she felt her body relax. "Okay, so are you still coming home on Wednesday?"

"Yes, Wednesday afternoon"

She was glad he was coming home "Good, you owe me a movie and dinner. Cause you flaked out last time"

"I remember. I am ready. So are you and Brooke staying out of trouble?"

Peyton's smile quickly faded, he didn't know. He had left before the rehearsal dinner. Not wanting him to worry about her, she typed "You know I don't get into trouble"

Well it wasn't a lie, she just wasn't telling him the whole truth. She didn't want him to worry about her, after the shooting he was almost over protective. As if she hadn't functioned all these years without him under her all the time. She didn't want to sound ungrateful, but some breathing room was nice.

"Sure. I know. Are you sure everything is okay there?"

She looked down at the drawing remembering what he had said to her last night and quickly typed "I am sure."

"Good. I have to go. I'll try to get on in the morning, if not definitely the next day."

"Okay Daddy, I love you and be careful"

"I will. Love you too." He signed off.

She sighed and looked up at the clock, "Oh well, he said not to be late, so that means be early, right" she giggled as jumped out of the chair and went to take a shower.

As she pulled up to the curb in front of Lucas' house, she glanced at her watch, 11:03.. definitely early. Smiling she looked in the rearview mirror, checking to make sure her hair wasn't all over her head. She loved riding with the top down, the feel of the wind on her face. The freedom of it. But it could do a number on one's hair, she thought with a grimace as she smoothed it back down with her hands.

Stepping from the car, she stood with one foot on the pavement and one on the rocker panel of the car. Glancing up at the porch, she took a deep breath. She was more nervous than usual at the idea of being around him. It was as if something had changed over the past two days.

She could have sworn last night when he held her that it was more than a friendly hug. Could he have feelings for her too, she wondered as she closed the door to her car. Did he long to see her, hear her voice, the way she craved those things with him?

Was that the reason for all this? The reason he was always there.

Just then lyrics to one of her favorite songs played in her mind. "Every minute from this minute now, We can do what we like anywhere, I want so much to open your eyes, Cause I need you to look into mine.."

Hope fluttered in her as she walked up the steps to his door. At the last step she paused, seeing the door to his bedroom stood open.

She smiled at the thought of what he had planned for them. As corny as it sounded, just being with him was special enough for her.

She made the last step and turned to stand in the open door way.

The sight before devastated her. There they were in the middle of his bedroom, their arms around each other, Lucas and Brooke. Her head resting on his shoulder, exactly where hers had been the night before.

Stifling a sob as so not to be seen, she turned and ran down the steps to her car. Once inside, she allowed the agonized cry to escape her.

How could she have been so stupid. She thought as she started the car and pulled away from the curb. She should have known that his gesture was only one of friendship. That his true feelings were for Brooke.

She didn't think it possible, but her heart actually hurt. All her life she had heard the term "broken heart", but until now she never realized how true it was. The ache spread throughout her chest making it difficult to breathe.

The tears streamed down her face as it occurred to her how the drive over had been filled with happiness and the drive home with hopelessness.

Dragging herself into the house, she flung herself across her bed. Feeling like a fool, she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Brooke was back. For a while she hadn't even thought about her, as if she was just a memory. She had gotten lost in her and Lucas' world, the one where he was around and cared for her..

Shaking her head, "Dream world" she quipped, "and I just got woke up." Well as long as she was awake she needed to do something to take her mind off of them.

Glancing across the room, her eyes fell on the closet doors. Setting her jaw, she sat up on the bed. "First things first.."