'How was Lucas?'

'Jake' She shakes her head and looks away in irritation as she takes her earrings out.

'What?' He's just as irritated.

'Don't do that' He's not being what she wants right now. She wants him to come and stand behind her. Wants his arms to wrap around her waist. Wants him to tell her he's proud of her as Lucas had earlier this evening but she knows she's dreaming in thinking that will ever happen because he's busy blaming her for his daughter's misdemeanours. Not that he'll ever verbally say that. His eyes say it all.

'Don't do what?' He feigns ignorance. He knows exactly what she means but he can't seem to help himself because he can't not grill her when it comes to this.

'Make a fight with me' She warns. Her head is aching from having to mingle with people all night and her heart is aching over Jenny. She's exhausted.

'I'm not. He's been away on tour. I saw you two talking earlier and was interested in knowing how he's been getting on' He's sat on the bed and watches her slip her heels off and rub at her aching feet. On any other day he'd tell her to come sit next to him and let him do that. Not today though.

'No you're not' She bluntly alleges. She knows he doesn't have an ounce of interest in Lucas Scott's well being.

'No. No I'm not interested in how he is' He agrees. She's right and his calmness falters. He stands. 'I'm wondering why whenever he enters a room you're guaranteed to be next to him within five minutes' He spouts.

'God Jake. How many times do we have to have the same god forsaken conversation?' She wonders in exasperation.

He sighs and stares at her for a long minute. She's wearing a red dress that is just the right combination of sexy and sophisticated. He's not been able to stop staring at her all night. He knows he's not the only one but that doesn't usually matter because he's the one she comes home to. 'I'm sorry' He eventually apologises because he recognises that this shouldn't be an issue anymore. He really does. She's proved where her loyalties lie. She has, but he's still not convinced on her heart, even after all this time. 'I can't...I still...I just...seeing you two I...'

'I'm married to you. I'm your wife. Yours. If you don't trust me now, after all this time I really don't know what more I can do' She crosses her arms across her chest because this conversation is always tiring but seemingly never over.

'Not physically cheating doesn't make emotionally cheating okay' He quietly mutters. She hears.

'He's. My. Friend' Her irritation is quickly transcending into anger but she composes herself because she's going to have to break this to him sooner or later. 'If you must know we were talking business, okay?'

'Business' He echoes.

'With everything going on with Jen there's obviously going to be collateral damage but Julian and I were discussing the best way we can keep that to a minimum for the label'

'Shouldn't I be involved in that conversation-'

'Honey don't act like I'm sneaking around behind your back here. It's Julian's job to help me figure this out, not yours-'

'I'm aware that it's not my job but was foolish enough to think that as your husband you might want to confide in me'

'I am confiding in you right now! I'm just trying to take away any stress I can Jake. I know you're going to want to be here so you can be close to her. You can't work right now. Mia can't go on tour- she needs to finish the album...that leaves me-'

'No. Absolutely not. We decided you were done touring until Indie's older. She didn't handle it at all well last time, she needs you. So does Sawyer.'

'I'm well aware of that but I can fucking work and be a good mother' Her eyes are fierce because this is a sore subject. She's had her concerns in the past that her children may suffer due to her work commitments. Concerns that he's fuelled at times in his belief that she should be at home more. And she knows he supports her, she does know that. He tells her what a wonderful mother she is but he's also voiced quite heatedly in the past that touring isn't something she should be doing with two young girls.

'I didn't say that you can't do both'

'You might as well have'

'I don't see how you touring right now is going to help our family Peyton. I want you here. I need you as much as the kids do. You know how difficult Sawyer has been recently'

'And what do you think me dropping all my commitments is going to say to them? Things get tough sometimes, you don't just drop everything and let people down. You work fucking hard and you get through it with the support of your friends and family. That's what we're teaching them right now'

'I'll tell Indie that when she's crying for you because you're not here to kiss her good night'

'God, don't be a fucking dick Jake! Do you think I like being away from them?! Of course I fucking don't'

'Then don't go. You've not even got an album to promote. You can use this time to find new artists-'

'Julian can handle that... He wants me to tour Ravens' She blurts. Rip it off like a band aid.

His expression is stony. 'So that's where he comes into this' He shakes his head in utter disbelief. 'No. Way'

'It'll be laid back- I made Julian swear it wouldn't be an insane schedule. I'll only be gone a week at a time at most and the girls can come with me when it's convenient-'

'You're not fucking touring with him Peyton' He wavers his hand at her irately. 'Not that fucking album. No way. Absolutely not'

'Don't talk to me like that' He's pacing and she rakes her hand through her hair. 'Babe come on. Don't be ridiculous'

'Ridiculous? Ridiculous is you pretending he's not still fucking in love with you Peyton!'

'Jake come on! He had a date with him tonight, what about that shouts that he's in love with me to you?' She argues. Because if she argues it enough maybe it'll be true. They both know it won't.

'You think that changes anything? He still only has eyes for you!'

'So what?!' She exclaims. 'If you're right, so what? I'm a big girl. I can say no! I chose you Jake. I still choose you' She edges over to him. Her hands run up and down his chest.

'How would you feel if I'd written an album with another girl I'd been in love with and suddenly announced I'd be touring it with her?'

'I'd acknowledge that it's a part of your life. That it's art. That it's music. And I'd trust in our love for each other enough not to make an issue out of it, especially if your motivation was to help our child' She declares. 'Baby come on. I have to do this for Jenny, for the label- this isn't just about us, people's jobs are on the line. I'm doing this for them. For you.' She kisses the underside of his jaw. He stands rigidly. 'You know how much this label means to me. You know how hard I've worked in getting everything up and running and getting people to take me seriously from a business point view and not just as an artist. I can't fail at this Jake...If he tries anything I'll let you hit him' She proposes, a jesting lilt to her voice. 'I promise' She husks, her hands latching round his neck, her nose brushing against his. He knows that's not a promise. Knows if he ever resorted to violence when it comes to Lucas Scott that she'd loose the plot. He knows because he's been involved in altercations with the man in question in the past. It hadn't impressed her then and he knows it won't now.

He inhales. Her familiar perfume is like a sedative to his rage. 'I really want to be pissed at you right now'

'I know but why be pissed when you can be doing other...things to me' She drawls. The last week has been hellish to say the least and he doesn't want to argue. They've both said things they don't mean. They've both been in pieces over the nineteen year old that's gone into rehab. Something neither of them imagined they'd be doing and then on top of all that they've had to spend the evening pretending none of it is going on in an effort to prevent a media circus. 'This week has been horrible. Please, let's just forget this shit storm for a while' She pleads.

'If he tries anything...'

'He won't if he knows what's good for him' She murmurs.

He lifts her abruptly and she shrieks as he spins around and pushes her down onto the bed in all of a second. 'You know how much you're asking of me right now?' He crawls up her and her fingers smooth over the crease on his forehead. 'I've got enough on my fucking plate without having to deal with this'

'We've got enough on our plate' She corrects. 'I'd not be asking you to go along with this, I'd never have even considered this if I felt like there was another answer babe' Her voice husks. 'You know I'm right... I know this is going to be difficult for us but I love you' She answers. 'It'll be alright, okay?' She locks her legs around him. 'Okay?'

'You're so beautiful. I don't know what I'd do without you Peyt'

'You don't have to think about that' She hums.

'Do you know what you've been doing to me all night'

'I've got an idea' She smiles, she thinks he's talking about the dress he's pawing at.

'No you don't' He's certain she has no idea because if she did she'd stay away from Lucas Scott. It's that simple.

'You can thank Brooke for the dress, she thought you'd approve' She drawls.

'Oh I definitely approve' He knows what she's doing. He's not a fool. Knows that he's just been seduced in order to end their disagreement. She does it frequently and he welcomes it because jealousy isn't something he deals with well but being with her in this way helps ease his doubts and worries because for a moment he can kid himself that she's all his.

He kisses her then. His hands moulding over her a little rougher than usual. His touch is predictable. He's always like this after she's been near him; wrought up with envy. A desire to stress who she belongs to, like if he fucks her hard enough she'll remember that she's married to him. But they both know who she'll go to when she's next upset about something.

And it's not her husband.

It never is.