Part 70

The rain was still coming down heavily as Peyton eyed the café from the safety of her car. Every time the wipers washed away the spray on the windscreen she could see figures inside. Not many but enough to know she'd have an audience if she couldn't speak to Lucas alone.

At least she knew he was there, she could just barely make out the figure of the older Scott brother behind the counter.

So there was that.

She had tried the school and the gym before delaying things further by searching in the library for her ex but hadn't been able to find him. She'd tried though and that was the main thing. Brooke wouldn't have been able to tease her because she had tried.

Of course then she'd chanced driving by Karen's cafe. And sure enough, she caught sight of his blonde hair through the window as she drove into town.

It had taken her another fifteen minutes before the thought of seeing Brooke later had her turning around and parking up across from the building.

Her hands were sweating just thinking about having this conversation. Unconsciously she adjusted her jacket to cover the mark Brooke had left her sporting since this morning. She didn't like confrontations and lately that was all Lucas seemed interested in. Especially with her. So she wasn't going to take any chances of him actually seeing the mark.

She did want him to know she was dating Brooke now. And not just because Brooke deserved to be more than a secret, Peyton wasn't ashamed of their relationship in the least. But it was different with Brooke, when she'd dated Nathan the whole school had witnessed them making out at parties after games and sometimes just around the school halls, but Peyton would never treat her relationship with Brooke like that. The two relationships couldn't even be compared, she'd never been committed to anyone the way she was to Brooke.

Even her choosing Lucas over her friendship with Brooke at the time had become very public, just as Peyton's punch after the video of Brooke in bed with Nathan before prom had done the rounds by morning. Not to mention her fight with Brooke the day of the prom had been all over school a few hours later.

Those things had never bothered her before she was used to being part of the gossip around the corridors of school. She'd had to put up with it ever since her mother had died when no one but Brooke seemed capable of treating her normally.

Kids would whisper and stared when they saw her, then rumours had started over how her mother had really died. Those had stopped quickly after a few scathing retorts from Brooke Davis.

By then Peyton had learnt not to listen to the comments, she'd hear them, but she'd let them fall away without ever really touching her. It hurt too much otherwise and she had cried too much after her mother had died to let people who hadn't known her mother upset her like that.

But this was Brooke Davis she was with now. Brooke Davis who had literally been through hell and back in the last few weeks, some of it because of Peyton herself, so more than anything Peyton wanted to protect the other girl from the fallout of this moment with Lucas.

She cared what people thought in as much as she was able to, at this stage in her life the thoughts of her closest friends mattered more to her than classmates she was unlikely to see past graduation.

But Tree Hill was a small town and like all small towns gossip could remain in circulation for generations and Peyton was not going to have Brooke treated like trash. So she had to be the one to speak to Lucas before he heard it from anyone else.

Brooke had been right about that, things would be so much worse if he were to find out after it became public knowledge

Of course that didn't mean Peyton was looking forward to it. It may be a necessity, but it was one Peyton was reluctant to carry out. But carry it out she must, so with a weary sigh Peyton finally decided that she'd delayed the inevitable for as long as she could. With a determined look that was mostly for show she got out of her car and jogged across the road and into the dry warmth of the Karen's café.

Shaking the rain drops from her head Peyton glanced around quickly before walking towards Lucas who was behind the counter at the till.

"Peyton!" Lucas greeted her warmly as he noticed she was there alone. "Hey, how are you now that exams are over? Want a free soda to celebrate, maybe a coffee? I know, hot chocolate?" He offered eagerly realising that it had been a long time since he had spent any time with the blonde without anyone else from their group of friends.

Peyton shifted nervously and looked around again. There wasn't many people in and those that were weren't paying them any attention.

"Luke, can we talk? Privately?" Peyton asked quietly as she leaned on the counter. She didn't want to have this conversation out here in full view of possible onlookers.

Lucas' eyes lit up and he wiped his hands on the cloth he'd been using to dust down the counter between them as he nodded his head willingly. "Sure, we can go into the back office."

Peyton's gut clenched knowing he'd taken what she'd said the wrong way and now she wasn't sure being alone with him was such a good idea. She sighed and sat on the stool next to her even as Lucas started to head back only to pause and come back when he saw she wasn't following.

"Peyton?" He asked carefully as he wondered what was wrong. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

"I do, I just…" She just didn't want him thinking that this had to do with them possibly getting back together, that wasn't going to be a great start for where she needed the conversation to get to.

Which was explaining to Lucas that she was now dating his ex-girlfriend.

Yeah, how did she think this was a good idea?

Lucas made an encouraging noise and waited patiently for her to continue but when nothing more was forthcoming he placed his hand over Peyton's on the counter top and gave it a quick squeeze.

Peyton froze at the touch but Lucas had retracted his hand before she could react leaving her feeling guilty and even more apprehensive about talking to him alone.

Lucas smiled warmly at Peyton. "Come on Peyton, it's just me, you know you can talk to me about anything." He said trying to calm her obvious nerves.

"I'm dating Brooke!" She blurted out in a panic.

Lucas snorted, a smile still lingering on his lips as he struggled to understand what Peyton had just said. "What?" Dating? He swallowed as his stomach twisted at the guilty look on Peyton's face.

Peyton blinked and shifted nervously. "I'm with Brooke." She added quietly.

"You're with Brooke." He repeated with a confused look on his face.

"Yup." Peyton didn't know what else to say to make it clearer to Lucas.

Lucas frowned and stared at the blonde in front of him. The same girl that he had been dating until recently. "You're kidding me right?" He asked. "This is just a sick joke to get back at me isn't it? What do you want me to say Peyton? I've already apologised for upsetting Brooke!"

Peyton shook her head. "What? No." She replied unsure how to feel at having her relationship with Brooke called a joke.

"Why else would you being saying this?"

"Because it's true!" Peyton responded her voice raising in anger.

Lucas scoffed and threw down the cloth he held in his hand causing Peyton to flinch. He spun away from the blonde and brushed his hand through his hair. Then he turned back to his ex-girlfriend. She still had that same look of guilt on her face and it made his stomach drop.

"You're serious." He realised.

Peyton fidgeted and gave him a helpless shrug. "Yes, I am."

Lucas blinked and put his hands on the counter as he tried to concentrate on his breathing. "How? Why?" He muttered to himself.

Peyton rolled her eyes. "You really want to know?"

Lucas snapped his head up and glared at Peyton, he had been in love with her for years now and suddenly she was telling him she was involved with Brooke fucking Davis? Hell yes he wanted to know how that happened.

"Yes Peyton, I want to know how you can go from sleeping with Nathan Scott, to dating me, to suddenly deciding that pussy was your thing." He spat at her not caring if any of the customers hears him.

"Don't be crass." She told him with a frown.

Lucas bit down on his lip to refrain from saying what he really wanted to about Brooke. Instead he crossed his arms and waited, staring Peyton down until she looked away from him. "So go on, enlighten me." He urged her.

Peyton shrugged again, half wishing they were alone but thankful that Lucas would get too out of control with an audience. "You know we've always been close," She began. Then she paused and shrugged. "I guess almost losing her made me realise how much I needed her… how much I cared about her."

Lucas couldn't stop his face from screwing up in reaction. The idea of his two ex-girlfriends might have been a fantasy at one point in his life but now the thought of Brooke with his Peyton just made him want to throw up.

Peyton wasn't gay. There was no way Lucas could believe that to be true. Cheerleaders hooking up was one thing but to try and tell him it was a relationship? "This is insane! You're not gay."

"Well gee thanks for sorting that out for me." Peyton replied with a snort.

"Oh, come on, can't you see she's playing you!" Lucas asked Peyton.

Now it was Peyton's turn to scowl.

Lucas knew exactly what was going on and it pissed him off so much that he slammed his hands down onto the counter. "She did this." This was what Brooke wanted all alone, to break up his relationship with Peyton, she'd always been jealous that he had wanted the blonde first. "She broke us up!"

He groaned and grabbed at his hair, wondering why he hadn't seen this from the start.

Peyton glanced around suddenly aware that the few people that had been in the café had all slipped out as Lucas' outbursts continued.

"Brooke didn't do anything." Peyton told him with a shake of her head.

"Don't be so naïve Peyton." Lucas told his ex. "She's played you from the start. She's never wanted us together and you've just let her twist your friendship into some sick fantasy to keep us apart."

Peyton blew out a breath as she realised Lucas wasn't going to listen to anything she had to say. He was still so angry at Brooke that he wasn't even willing to hear what she had to say.

"Well I'm sorry you feel that way Lucas, but I just want you to hear it from me. I'm sorry I gave a damn." She said as she got up. She'd wasted enough of her time on Lucas Scott. But she'd promised Brooke that she'd tell Lucas the truth, whether he chose to believe her or not wasn't her problem.

Lucas glared at Peyton as she started to walk away from him.

"You slept with her yet Peyton?" He called out to her aware now that they were the only two in the café now.

Peyton stopped but didn't turn around. She could hardly believe Lucas had just asked her that.

"She's the biggest slut in town Peyton." Lucas continued but Peyton walked out of the door and into the rain. He watched on as she cut across the road and drove away in her black Comet.

"And she's playing you." He whispered as his eyes darkened. He couldn't believe Peyton had fallen for Brooke's game like this.

Brooke Davis.

He felt his infuriation rise just thinking about the brunette. He was convinced Brooke was toying with Peyton as part of a sick game to keep him away from the blonde.

Well he wasn't going to let her.

And with that thought he pushed a stack of cups and saucers onto the floor in a resounding crash as he let out a yell of frustration and anger.

xxxxxxx

AN/

Sorry it's a little short but Breyton next time to make up for it ;)

Thanks for reading!