Chapter 7

Peyton and Lucas were downtown now looking for their daughter. "Do you know where she might have gone?"

Peyton shook her head. "I'm sure she's with that Jay kid, but I don't know where he lives or where they would go."

"Well, why don't we go and have lunch. I'm sure she'll turn up sooner or later."

"You're right. No point in letting her ruin our day." Peyton agreed.

The two ex-sweethearts walked down the street and stopped at a little café. "This good?" Peyton nodded and followed him inside. The had an enjoyable lunch and caught up with each other.

Meanwhile, Riley and Jay were walking down the river bank. "So tell me about yourself." He said as he skipped a rock.

Riley sat down on the bank and watched him as he searched for another one to skip. "Well, what do you want to know?"

"What makes you tick?" He sat down next to her.

"I don't know." She said shyly, not really knowing how to answer. Jay smiled, and slowly leaned in to kiss her. She smiled, and he kissed her again.

"Come on." He jumped up. "Let's get out of here."

Peyton and Lucas were just finishing up lunch. The waitress brought the bill, and Lucas handed her a credit card. "I can pay for my half." Peyton offered, but Lucas waved her off.

"Don't worry about it." It was weird he hadn't really really talked to Peyton in 15 years. When they broke up they had each just accepted it, and went their own ways. Every time they talked or saw each other it was about Riley. But, despite the years it still felt like they were the best of friends.

They headed off towards home, but on the way Peyton stopped and showed him her office. "It's amazing isn't?" She asked as they walked around the large building.

"Yeah, it's great Peyton. I'm so proud of you." He smiled, and Peyton could have sworn that for a second it was like they had never even broken up. She was transformed back to 15 years ago, back before everything had changed. She smiled back, and Lucas felt the same.

They walked back to the house. They both sat on the couch and began reminscing about the old times. They were having such a good time that they didn't notice the time flying by, and when the door did finally open they were laughing so hard they barely noticed.



Riley stood quietly staring at the floor. She knew she was in trouble. "Riley Elizabeth!" Peyton stood up. "Where the hell have you been?!"

"Out." Was the only reply Riley gave before she headed for the stairs.

"Hold it!" Peyton's tone made her daughter stop dead in her tracks. "Look at me." Riley turned around to face her mother.

"You knew we had plans today, and plus you're grounded. You not supposed to leave the house. So I want to know where you were." Lucas was sitting on the couch; he felt kind of awkward. He didn't really know his place at the moment.

"No, I didn't have plans, you did." Riley said defiantly. "Now leave me the f alone!"

That was the last straw. Lucas had heard enough. "You do not speak to your mother like that." He said sternly as he stood up next to Peyton.

Riley stared at her father. "Oh, that's right you're still in love with her. Right, Dad? Isn't that what all those poems and stories meant?" Peyton turned to look at Luke, confused. Luke just looked at the ground, like a scared little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "That's what I thought. " Riley murmured as she walked upstairs.

Peyton was still staring at Luke when they heard Riley's door slam shut. "So what was that all about?" She didn't know whether she should laugh or not.

Luke finally looked up into those beautiful green eyes he had missed so much. He knew exactly what his daughter was talking about. He had poems and stories that he had written all about Peyton. All about how he had never stopped loving her; all about how he wanted her back so badly. As he stared into her eyes he said the one thing he had longed to say for years. "Peyton, I still love you."

It was almost a whisper, but Peyton heard it loud and clear. "What?" She didn't try to hide the confusion on her face.

"The truth is I never really stopped loving you. I swear I didn't."

"Luke, you broke up with me. Remember? You said that we just weren't clicking anymore. Remember?" Her voice was getting louder with every word.

"I know. I know, but the truth is Peyton the only reason I broke up with you is because I knew it was for the best for you."

She shook her head. "So crying my eyes out for months, and being all alone with a newborn was the best thing for me?" She asked on the verge of tears.

"You broke my heart Luke."



"I know,but I had to. I wanted you to succeed, and you did." He couldn't sound happier as she broke down into tears. He pulled her into a hug, but she pushed him away.

"You have to go Luke. I can't do this right now." He nodded.

"I'm in room 202 at Hotel 8 if you want to talk." He said quietly as he shut the front door.

Peyton stood staring at the door. She couldn't believe what Luke had just said to her. She went to her bathroom and washed her face. She couldn't think about that right now. First she had to deal with Riley.

She could hear the music before she even started walking the stairs to the attic. She knocked on the door, and waited, but there was no answer so she knocked again. Riley answered this time "What?" She said with as much attitude as she could muster.

"Excuse me?" Peyton said walking in the room, but Riley didn't pay any attention as she sat back down at her laptop. Peyton was getting pretty sick of this. "Okay, well you're grounded which means no computer," she shut the laptop and picked it up, "and no cell phone."

"I'm only grounded from leaving the house!" Riley began protesting.

"Well, that was before you left the house. Now give me your cell phone." Her face and tone meant business. Riley went to her nightstand and picked up her cellphone.

"Here." She handed it to her mother.

"Thank you," Peyton said as she grabbed the cellphone, "and since you disobeyed your punishment it starts over. So two weeks from today is when you'll be ungrounded."

"But, Mom that's not fair." Riley whined.

"No, you know what's not fair? What's not fair is not knowing where your daughter is?" Peyton let the words soak in. "Now the punishment stands. Clear?" Riley nodded. "Good."

It was almost 1 in the morning when the knock on the door woke him. He stood up, still groggy and walked to the door. Meanwhile outside Peyton Sawyer was staring at the door that read 202.