Do you really think you deserve this happiness?
The voice awoke Peyton from the sound sleep she was enjoying. She turned slightly and felt him beside her. She would find herself doing that, reaching for him in her sleep. Making sure it wasn't just a dream – a cruel trick. Yes, he was there, like he had been for the last two months.
The warmth of his body calmed her, chased away her fears. But the voice was coming more frequently. Maybe it was because the wedding was just weeks away and finally all her dreams were coming true. Dreams she believed would never come, dreams she believed she didn't deserve.
But they had. He had called her in an unsure voice and asked her to be with him. To forget the pain and the past and build a future together, and she couldn't deny him or her heart. Some would probably call her weak for answering his call and coming to him so quickly but when you get your chance at happiness, if you know in your heart it is what will make your life complete, how can you deny it?
Peyton knew she didn't deserve this happiness. Not after all that had happened but she was adopting his philosophy. He had said he wanted to be selfish with her and she wanted to do the same. She had dreamed ever since that night in the hotel room for a second chance and she had gotten it and before she knew it she would soon be Peyton Scott, wife of Lucas Scott.
All was right with the world. That should have been her first clue that her world was about to come crashing around her.
Peyton hung up the phone in her office and shook her head. Lucas sounded funny. He sounded happy, sounded a bit confused but also sounded a little drunk. "Come out of your office and into TRIC, baby," he said with a bit of a slur. "Someone wants to meet you. He is handing me an offer I can't refuse."
She sat in the chair at her desk for a few minutes trying to wrap her mind around the strange call only to finally decide to go out into TRIC and see what was going on. Since Peyton's record label Red Bedroom Records' offices were in the back of TRIC it was a short walk to find her fiancé.
Walking out into the busy bar, Peyton was swarmed with the sound of a heavy beat of music mixed with the muffled sounds of people drinking and having a good time. She immediately spotted Lucas. He was wearing that brown flannel shirt he loved so, the one she had tried to sneak and giveaway last week. He had snatched it from the Goodwill box, claiming it was his lucky shirt. She smiled as she watched him carefully hang it back in the closet, vowing to snatch it back when he wasn't looking.
Lucas was leaned over the pool table eyeing his shot. She slowly crept up behind him and just before he was about to shoot the ball with the pool stick, Peyton reached around Lucas' waist and drew him away from the table.
"Hey, baby," she whispered in his ear.
Lucas' shot was wide as the white cue ball smacked into the side of the pool table missing the collection of balls.
"Oops, I guess I messed up your shot," she said seductively.
"It's okay, darlin'" he said turning to her. "You can make me miss anytime you want."
Lucas leaned into her and kissed her soundly. Peyton drank in his kiss, his touch, his warmth. It was if she was savoring every moment.
"So, this is your girl," a male voice said breaking the mood.
"Yeah," Lucas said spinning Peyton around. "This is my fiancée, Peyton."
"Funny," the voice said again. "I don't see an engagement ring. To me that means fair game."
Peyton felt her heart stop. That voice. The way he spoke. The memories came flooding back. Julian.
She didn't want to face his direction but she willed herself to turn. And when she did she was staring into the face of her past. The man she had used to try and forget Lucas with, the man who was the father of a child that never was. The one person that could jeopardize the happiness she craved so with Lucas.
"Lucas," Peyton said in a whisper. "I will be back in a moment. I have to go to the bathroom."
"Baby," you okay," Lucas said his voice laced with concern. Lucas rubbed his hand through her hair. "You are as pale as a ghost."
"I'm fine," Peyton said trying to reassure him. "Be back in a sec."
Peyton hurried to the back of TRIC and to the bathroom. She went to the row of sinks and turned on the facet, cupping water in her hand and splashing her face. The cool water trickled down her face as she tried to calm her nerves.
"Why, Peyton," a familiar voice said. "You look like you have seen a ghost."
Peyton jerked her head up to stare into the eyes of Julian who was standing beside her in the ladies room.
"What are you doing here," Peyton said in an accusing tone. "What do you want?"
"Come on Peyton," he baited. "You know what I want."
"No I don't." Peyton's voice was laced with venom.
"Your Lucas has an amazing book and I am an amazing producer," Julian said. "I am going to turn his book, your life story, into a movie."
Julian moved closer to Peyton and took her arm. She tried to jerk it from his grasp but he held on tighter. "But I bet he doesn't know one part of the story. Our part. How you almost had my baby."
"Get out," Peyton screamed. "You arrogant bastard. Just get out."
"Okay," Julian held up his hands. "I am leaving here. But I am not going anywhere. I had time to think. And I think I liked having you around Peyton. I was a jerk to you all those years ago. And I think I am going to make it up to you."
"No thanks," Peyton said. "You were someone to make me for forget Lucas. Why would I need you when I have the real thing back?" It was meant to put a dagger in his heart and stop his swaggering tone.
"We will see who gets the dagger in the heart," Julian threatened. "Oh, don't worry. I am not stalker number two for you. I have bigger plans."
With that Julian walked out of the bathroom and left Peyton to stare after him. She heard the words in her dreams again.
"Do you really think you deserve this happiness?"
"I guess I don't," she told the voice as she stared at herself in the mirror. "Maybe I never did."