What can I say? School sucks, work sucks, babysitting sucks. But I'm updating now, and I hope it was worth the wait. I'm trying to wrap this one up! Maybe 2-3 chapters left!

And you might feel the complication
And disappoint with aggravation
But settle down, there's always home
You can never be somewhere where you're alone

It had been three weeks since Lucas had even caught a glimpse of Peyton. He'd tried calling, texting, stopping by unannounced, emailing - he'd even had Haley try to talk to Peyton, but with no avail; she didn't want anything to do with him. He couldn't say he blamed her, he'd done an absolutely terrible thing. And oh, he was paying for it.

Every night he laid awake, dreaming of the night they'd spent together, the countless kisses, and sweet touches - it was torture knowing he had her, but had lost her because of one simple mistake. Knowing that his best friend was spending every night with her, and he couldn't go - it hurt tremendously. Haley had tried a few times to talk to Peyton, but even Haley couldn't believe Lucas had been so stupid to agree with Brooke about getting back together when his heard belonged to another woman.

So, the night that him and Peyton had gotten into the blowout fight, he had phoned Brooke right away, and ended things then and there - of course he hadn't exactly been truthful, he'd not revealed his feelings for Peyton, or that there was even another girl. He'd simply said he couldn't make something work when he was not really in love with Brooke. She'd hung up on him and hadn't called back since.

Not that it entirely mattered to him, he did hate to hurt Brooke in any way, shape, or form - but hurting Peyton was like tearing off a limb, he just couldn't live with that fact. He hated being the one that inflicted pain, and caused that dullness in her eyes.

He looked out the window, catching sight of the Comet pulling up to his house. He watched her turn the ignition off, bite her lip, and look to his window. She opened the door, but almost on second thought she closed it and ran a frustrated hand through her hair.

"Luke! Hey, I'm going out," Haley called from the doorway. As if on cue, her phone started ringing, and he looked to see, sure enough, Peyton was on her phone.

"Oh, you're here? Okay, I'll be right there," she mumbled, trying to be discreet.

"Tell her I said hi," he threw at her, sarcastically.

"Tell her yourself, she's right outside," Haley motioned to the door with her hands.

"You know she doesn't want to talk to me. I've tried, and nothing works."

Haley walked up to him, patted his cheek and sighed. "I know, Luke. But I can't be the go-between with you two anymore. It's been three weeks and I have never seen two people more miserable in my entire life. She loves you, Luke - she does. You need to work that magic that only you can do, and crack down that hard shell she's put up."

Lucas stood still in the silence of his room, listening to the faint closing of the car door as Haley hopped into Peyton's car. He glanced back out the window just in time to catch Peyton turn her head, sparing a look at his room once more, before speeding off.

And that… gave him all the hope he needed.

What it took, no matter the length of time, or distance he had to go for her… he was going to get her back.

--

Haley, while staring intently at her curly-haired friend, was twiddling her thumbs nervously, and tapping her foot on the floorboard of the black car.

"Stop it," was the dull reply that came from Peyton.

Haley raised a brow and shrugged. "Stop what?"

"Staring me down. I know you, Haley James, and you want me to speak about Lucas. Well, it's not going to happen. There's nothing to talk about."

"Okay, now see - that's where you're wrong. There is plenty to talk about. You love him. He loves you, why aren't you together?"

At this point, Peyton had parked the car, and was getting out to put quarters in a meter. "Do you not remember a little incident where Luke told me he wanted to be with me, but in reality, had already promised another woman his heart?"

Haley scoffed and dug a quarter out herself, filling the meter the rest of the way.

The girls turned and started walking in the center of Tree Hill, towards the Café.

"Okay - first of all, his heart? Never hers. Always yours. He made a mistake, he's a boy - he's bound to make plenty more," they shared a laugh at this. "But you can't punish him for every one of them, Peyton."

Haley turned her back as they were entering the Café, a smirk gracing her lips, waiting for the outburst.

"Excuse me? This wasn't something like he forgot our anniversary or took me to a lame movie. He told Brooke he wanted to be with her days before we slept together. He lied to me, Haley. He had me thinking he really wanted to be with me, when all along, he had Brooke waiting in the wings."

Haley ordered two coffees, and turned to rest her elbows against the counter, surveying Peyton's flushed state, and hands wildly flying about, gesturing with her angry words.

"Talk to him," she stated gently.

"You're a horrible person you know that? I told you I didn't want to talk about him, and you bait me into talking about only him."

Haley laughed, grabbing the two cups of coffee to go and leading the way back out of the Café. "Oh I know. I'm just terrible."

Peyton snatched her cup of coffee, and led them toward the river walk. "In my head, I know that he didn't do this on purpose - but it's like, how many times can I keep letting him in, only for him to break my heart?"

She saw Haley starting to speak, but she intercepted - literally and figuratively. Stepping in front of this girl who had become one of her closet friends, she sighed and looked her in the eyes. "First he confessed he wanted to be with me, and when I needed time to think about that, he ran off and shacked up with my best friend, and rejected me when I told him I wanted to be with him. Now here we are, months later - and she's coming between us again. Maybe… maybe he's better off with her. Maybe that is the way it's supposed to be."

Haley stood in shock in the middle of the street, watching Peyton's retreating figure. That couldn't be what she really thought. Could it?

--

Lucas was laying in the center of the only other place he'd ever considered home; the river court. His mind was racing back and forth between Peyton, Brooke, and all that had happened this past year.

Right here on this very court, he had defeated his half brother in a game of one-on-one, immediately throwing him into a world that had been unknown to him for the last 16 years: Popularity, partying, girls… namely Peyton and Brooke. He'd made so many choices this year; both good and bad. He thought back on all of it, and while generally he was a man that liked to live without regrets, he had a few. The biggest one: not giving Peyton the time she needed to accept the intensity of his feelings. And her own.

He knew that she was guarded, and took a while to let people in, and he had completely disregarded that; licking his wounds with her best friend, trying to gather the pride he had lost when Peyton had rejected him. He knew it was a terrible thing to do, but Brooke was beautiful, and fun, and let him just forget about the seriousness of life.

And then somewhere along the line, things had gotten too serious. And she'd fallen in love with him. It would be a lie to say he never had deep feelings for her; but love was stretching it, and he felt like a horrible guy for being with someone that long, and not loving her like she deserved.

His heart was still in the clutches of a broody, artistic blonde, and he couldn't imagine - nor did he want to - a time in the future when that would change.

He stood up, deciding not to dwell for the moment, and did the only thing that ever took his mind away - playing the game he loved.

After a few minutes of clearing his head, he stopped to take a deep breath, idly bouncing the ball between his hands and the pavement, glancing across the river, smiling when he caught sight of his best friend laughing and talking animatedly. Then his pulse sped up - because that flash of curls he loved came into view, talking to… Aidan?

Lucas opened his mouth, intending to shout, but held back and swallowed. Was she really talking to that guy he thought had disappeared from their lives. Instantly, jealousy and anger flooded his veins.

This was not going to happen. Not again.

--

Peyton watched as Aidan walked away, his shoulders slumped and generally looking like a rejected puppy.

She turned back around to find a grinning Haley, clacking her tongue. "So uh… what was that about?"

Peyton blushed and moved to throw away her empty cup. "Shut up."

Haley threw her head back in laughter and ran to catch up. "No, for someone who is trying to get over Luke, you're not doing a very good job - lying to other boys and telling them you're with him and all."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "I just didn't want Aidan to get the wrong idea. He's a really sweet guy, I just don't want to date him. Or anyone, for that matter."

"Anyone but Luuuke." Haley sang.

Peyton slapped her, gently, at the back of her head.

"Shut up."

--

"Hold on! I'm coming, I'm coming," Peyton half yelled, sleep tainting her voice, stumbling through the halls, still not fully awake.

She looked out the window discreetly, checking to see who it was and groaned in frustration - but couldn't stop the thumping of her heart.

"Lucas what the hell are you doing here?" She shouted through the door.

"Peyton, open the door!" He shouted back.

"I really don't want to talk to you, or see you - so I'd rather not. Now, if you could kindly move off my porch, I'd really appreciate that," she remarked sassily.

She could hear his groan of irritation, and tried her hardest not to break down and open the door, so she backed away, intending on heading to her room.

"No. Peyton, this is ridiculous. I love you. I need you… just please let me in."

The tears were forming at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Why? Why should I hear what you have to say?"

"Because I love you. Because I made a huge mistake… and I am paying for it every day by not being able to hold you, or touch you, or kiss you. Because I don't love her, and I made a mistake. Because I want to be with you, and I know you want that too. Because… I'll stand here all night knocking on this door and waiting for you."

The tears had flown over at the second 'I love you,' and she was pressed up against the door, her hand resting at the knob, ready to turn. He spoke once more.

"Because your really scary neighbor is staring me down and I think is about to come over here and threaten me, but I don't care. Because I love you, Peyton. And I know I've said it before, but I'll never stop saying it, because it'll never stop being true."

Lucas waited for moments on end, silence greeting him on the other side. He shrugged his shoulders and started to retreat, until he heard the click of the lock, and the door slowly being pulled open.

Tears were streaming down her face, and her hair was mussed from sleep. She was wearing a t-shirt that was way too big for her and sleep shorts. He'd never seen anything more breathtaking.

She tucked her hair behind her ears, shyly. "You can come in."

Lucas practically ran up to her, pulling her into his arms, not sure if she would push him away, slap him, or accept him, it didn't matter. He needed to feel her. Thankfully, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging tight. He buried his nose into her neck, breathing in that scent he could never get enough of.

As they stood in the doorway of her home, they both recognized they had a lot to talk about, so many issues to work through and solve. But right now, they were in each other's arms after 3 long weeks, and he'd said enough for both of them for now.

Peyton pulled away, causing a frown to form on his face, but he smiled once again when she slipped her hand through his and tugged him toward the stairs.

Quietly - almost so quiet, he might have missed it if he hadn't been paying attention - she whispered, with her back still turned to him and walking them to her bedroom, "I love you too."

She is flying out that door
He is dying for some more
And they're calling out to you
Did you ever think love could make it through?
The things you do come around
So it's not over now

Let me know what you think!