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Chapter Two: I Haven't Got a Brain, Only Straw

FLASHBACK

"Julian..."

Peyton whispered into the phone. Her heart was aching.

"I know you're probably asleep but...I want you to know that I'm in LA. I'm...I'm right outside your apartment. If you're awake and you get this. Please...let me in. I have to talk to you."

She hung up. She was sobbing.

If this didn't work out like she had envisioned. If he didn't come through for her...she didn't know what she was going to do. Two rejections was more than she could handle.

She then heard the song "Somebody Loved" by the Weepies playing.

It was her phone. She quickly answered it. "Julian?"

There was silence.

"Julian?" she said, with more urgency in her voice.

"Yeah, it's me.." he responded.

Before he could talk she started to say, while crying, "Julian, please! Please let me in, I need to see you! I miss you so much! That's why I came back! Let me in, please..."

Her speech was almost indecipherable through all of her tears.

Julian paused. 'Why is she here, now?' he thought to himself. It seemed strange. Why didn't she fight for me right when we broke up?

He beeped to let her in.

Within 30 seconds, she was at his door.

She looked a mess, like when they had first met.

Which made him think 'Lucas'.

"Peyton," he said, his voice thick with annoyance. "Is this about Lucas? Because I don't want to hear it.."

"No! It's not," she buried her face in her hands.

She tried to compose herself.

"Julian...I'm here because I realized..."

She could barely believe what she was even saying.

It was hard for her to say it as if it were the truth.

She stared at Julian. "I don't love Lucas."

She bit her lip. "I love you..."

Julian was pretty sure she was lying. But a part of him wanted so much for it to be true. She was funny, smart and beautiful. She had potential to be someone remarkable. To him, she was remarkable, until Lucas got in the way...

Screw it.

He took her in his arms and suddenly their lips met. He was only going to hold her, but Peyton seemed to want something else. She kissed him like she was starving....like she was a force that couldn't be contained.

She threw her arms around him and pushed against him with her thin body. She was weak but her actions were strong. Julian felt like he was in a blur.

It was like she had made up her mind and he couldn't have stopped her even if he wanted to.

They fell on the bed.

"I love you," she said, forcing herself to believe it.

"I love you too," Julian said, feeling almost like a zebra being devoured by a lioness.

And then it happened.

And it was exactly like she had envisioned.