Nothing In My Way
Part Three

A turning tide
Lovers at a great divide
Why do you laugh,
When I know that you hurt inside?
And why do you say
It's just another day, nothing in my way
I don't wanna go, I don't wanna stay
So there's nothing left to say?
And why do you lie
When you wanna die, when you hurt inside
Don't know what you lie for anyway
Now there's nothing left to say
A telltale sign
You don't know where to draw the line
--Keane

The next week of Peyton's life was a blur. Brooke was talking to her more than usual and somehow she had dragged Peyton on several different shopping trips that left Peyton a few hundred bucks shorter in her bank account with slightly slutty clothing. She was putting up with it just because she had kissed Lucas. She felt like if she could make things right with Brooke then things would be just fine with Lucas. Except that things weren't. In fact, they were worse. Neither of them spoke to each other for an entire seven days. Peyton was too afraid to even glance in his general direction let alone talk to him. He didn't deserve for her to talk to him anyway. She didn't know how he had gotten home from the store and she didn't really care. The point was that she had actually had the strength to leave him there and, slowly, Peyton was starting to forget him. He was disappearing into the background shadows of her life, kind of like he was just another inanimate object that she encountered in everyday life. She was yelling herself not to miss him and it was working slowly. Peyton had the patience if it meant that she could rid herself of Lucas Scott and all the sins of their past. Her days were planned around a routine, but she didn't mind. She was falling back into her usually way of living: not living at all. She didn't go out with friends and her nights were spent drawing in her room or talking to her dad on the phone. It was during this time that Peyton realized just how alone she was. Her only friends were and had been Brooke and Lucas. Peyton had no outer connection to the world through different acquaintances. However, Peyton had always been the loner type so it didn't bother her much. In fact, the only thing that bothered her at all was that absolutely nothing caused her to scowl or frown. She was immaculately invisible and it wasn't affecting her. If she spilled something on her favorite shirt or if she bumped into someone at school Peyton wasn't fazed. She went through the week after the kiss like a ghost. Anything and everything she touched seemed un-blemished, like she had never been there. It was like Peyton was the living dead. In many ways, Peyton could have been mistaken for a ghost or vampire simply by how she was living. She haunted her dorm, slipping in and out of rooms so she didn't disturb anyone, even if she knew no one was home. The only time she was actually awake was at night. She didn't need sleep anymore. She watched the clock tick by, her head filled with so many thoughts that it went blank. Peyton's focus had left her body and now she was an empty shell in a somewhat worthless world. Suicidal was not the world for it. She was more or less just fine with life as it was. She didn't feel any overwhelming need to change it, so she didn't touch it at all.

Everything changed on the eighth day of her so-called "fast" as Brooke had named it so lovingly. Peyton was busy being ghost-like in her room when she heard yelling coming from the living room. Striking curiosity in her long-lost mind, Peyton rolled off of her bed and crept into the living room, watching the scene play out in front of her. But no one saw her-no one noticed the blonde's prescience. Brooke was crying and Lucas' featured showed the distress he must have been feeling. "Brooke! You can't keep doing this, okay? You can't yank me around like I'll always come back. If you leave this time, I'm not coming back. I'm not trying again. You've gone too far this time. I mean, why not cheat on me with someone I don't know? Why did it have to be Ben?" Peyton's breath caught in her throat. They were breaking up because of Chris, that guy from school? Peyton felt slightly guilty for not knowing about her best friend's affair. Cheating was something you told your best friend about so they could talk you out of it and Peyton had no idea it had ever occurred. "Lucas! I don't care anymore. Leave. Get out! Get the hell out!" Brooke yelled, collapsing to the ground in tears. It was only then that Lucas caught Peyton's eye and her heart stopped. Something in his eyes told her that it wasn't just about Ben. Something told her there were be more and for the first time in a week, Peyton felt alive again. There was nothing in her way now from getting to Lucas. From having him back. Lucas looked at Peyton for half a moment more before he exited the dorm, slamming the door behind him. Peyton ran to Brooke and scooped her up off the ground, concealing her crying friend in her arms. Brooke's body shook against Peyton's, soaking her black tank top through. Peyton didn't know how long they sat there, on their knees as Brooke cried, but Peyton didn't care. Brooke was hurt and she had to be there for her, no matter how much she was thinking about her ex.

------------------

"Peyton." Brooke's soft voice woke her up. They'd fallen asleep on the couch watching late-night movies to comfort Brooke's mind.
"Tell him when he comes over to take the stuff that's his and if he takes any of mine I'm going to kick his ass. I'm going out-I don't want to be here when he gets here."
Peyton reacted quickly, registering that "him" spoken with such hatred meant Lucas. Only Brooke could rebound so fast after a break up to say she would kick his ass if he took any of her stuff.
"Alright, I will. When is he coming over?" She asked, playing along for her best friend's sake. Brooke shrugged,
"Don't know, don't care. I'll be back at six and you're taking me out for a night on the town." Peyton laughed lightly, liking the way a laugh felt since it had been so long.
"Alright, I'll see you then, skank."
"Bye, slut."

Peyton fell back onto the plush couch, closing her eyes for a moment. What seemed like two seconds turned into an hour and she was jolted awake yet again by the door opening. Was it six already? Peyton glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was only noon. That mean it had to be... "Lucas." She whispered. "So now you choose to talk to me." Lucas shot at her wryly. Maybe she did deserve that, but the fighter in Peyton wasn't going to stand for it. She got off the couch, her tank top askew and her hair messed up. She hadn't felt so alive in days and, even as she stood there all dirty and disoriented, she wouldn't have traded this feeling back for the world. Nothing was in her way! Oh what a feeling. If she wanted to she could just grab Lucas and kiss him all over, just like she had always wanted to. "We need to talk." His voice interrupted her happy thoughts and soon the smile she hadn't known existed was gone from her face. "Then talk." She heard herself say it with her bitchy tone, but she didn't feel the words. It was like she didn't mean it. Was she really going back into ghost-mode already? "That kiss meant something to both of us and you know it, Peyton. You know it in her heart. Just, tell me something, what the hell does your heart want anymore?" His words cut through her like the sharpest knife and the feeling of the wind being knocked out of her lungs without any force startled her. "My heart? Lucas, all it has ever wanted was you." His smile gave her hope and they moved closer until their lips were inches apart and then-

BAM

Peyton sat up, looking around. What the hell was going on? Where was Lucas? "Peyton! I'm going out. I'll be back home at six and then you're taking me out, okay? Lucas is outside to pick up his stuff so I'll take the fire escape. Love you, skank. Be ready at six! Bye." And, with that, the real, living Brooke Davis had fled the house out of the fire escape. Shaking her head, Peyton threw the covers off and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth. If it hadn't actually happened then why could she smell him on her? Splashing some water on her face, Peyton brushed her teeth quickly and ran her fingers through her hair shakily. It hadn't been real. None of it had happened in her amazing dream. Why couldn't it really be real? And why the hell hadn't she known it was a dream? She could feel the heat from his breath on her cheek and his gently hand caressing her face. But it wasn't real. It had never happened. "Peyton! I need your help." Swallowing hard at the familiar words, Peyton exited the bathroom to meet Lucas who did look like he needed some help. "What's up?" She asked and Lucas didn't notice her sudden speech that had been absent for a week. i It wasn't even foreshadowing. Great. /i "Hand me that box." He asked, not looking at her. Was he really being so casual? So many thoughts raced around Peyton's mind and the familiar feeling of being alive came back from her dream. Handing Lucas the empty box, their fingers touched and she dropped it. "Sorry." She said quickly and retrieved it from the ground. Lucas took it from her, obviously careful to make sure that their fingers didn't touch this time. "Lucas, we need to talk." Peyton's voice was surprisingly strong and now it was his turn to drop the box. "Fine." He dusted his hands of their imaginary dust and sat on the arm of the couch with a dead stare into her eyes. "Let's talk, Peyton. Let's talk about me kissing you because I wanted you and then you kissing me back, only to leave me when I answered the phone when Brooke called." He was playing the spurned lover card. Two could play at that game. "Did you expect me to stay and drive you home to your girlfriend so you could have your stupid sandwich and fuck her? Lucas, no, I wasn't going to do that. If that kiss had even meant something to you then you wouldn't have answered the phone. I had meant something to you then you would have stayed and kept kissing me." Lucas laughed at her, shaking his head. He was laughing at her. "Peyton, if I had meant something to you then you wouldn't have left me three years ago." It was odd how the exact same feelings from the dream were reciprocating now. The wind was knocked out of her again and her posture slumped as she stood. "I left you because of Brooke. She loved you, Lucas, and I wanted to be the good friend for once. I loved you so much, but I loved you enough to let you go. And you were happy with Brooke once you found your way back." Her voice was taking on her signature weakness that it always got when she was about to cry. She saw him tense up and almost stand the moment he heard the tears at the back of her throat. She was crying now, standing there and crying in front of her love. In a split second, Lucas' arms were wrapped around her and was whispering into her hair, petting her head and holding her tight. Her cheek was pressed against his chest and she cried openly as her tears soaked through his shirt. In that moment, she felt safe though her heart was breaking all over again. She knew there would be more to come with Lucas Scott; that he would take up a huge part of her life soon and she couldn't escape that. But she didn't want to.

Lucas had held her for a long time and then they had slowly separated, un-tangling their arms from around each other. They moved silently about the room, gathering his miss-placed things and putting them into boxes. He was moving out, leaving her behind in a way. They had classes together, but now Peyton was unsure of what they were or what they could be. Maybe she could just go with the flow and see what Lucas did first.

Brooke showed up at six and Peyton was ready, sparkles on her eyes and blush on her cheeks. Brooke took about two seconds to get fabulous and they went out, just like Brooke had told her they would. Even if it was on a Monday night.
"Peyton, I just have to thank you for not judging me. I know you know about Ben by now and I know you know that I cheated on Lucas." She let out a soft sigh and took Peyton's hand in hers. "You're a great friend and I'm sorry we've drifted this year. We used to be so close. Tell me, Peyton, what's going on with you?"
Brooke was talking a mile a minute so Peyton resorted to focusing on her last question.
"Nothing's going on with me. I'm alone as ever." She meant it as a joke, but melancholy Brooke looked at her with concerned eyes. The expression changed on Brooke's face to a knowing one and Peyton could tell that Brooke knew Peyton loved Lucas. A soft smile appeared on her lips and she squeezed Peyton's hand, a short quick squeeze for comfort.

"Peyton, he's yours now. You can have him."

A/N: Thanks SO MUCH for all the amazing reviews. I hope this chapter did not disappoint and I can assure you that the next two or three are going to be the best. Peyton's going to have to win Lucas back and I'll even touch more upon Brooke and Peyton as they get closer and learn to accept who they are really meant to be with-Lucas and Ben. I may even write some about how Brooke feels about this and how she's more happy with Ben and why. All I'm saying is that the next few chapters are probably going to be a slight bit more slow as I let the story unravel in my head. Thanks to all the people who stayed 'till the second chapter-you rock!

--Haleigh.