The next weekend, Lucas arrived at Nathan and Haley's house to find Haley grading some papers in the living room.
"Hey Hales." Lucas greeted as he took a seat on the couch opposite her.
"Hey Luke." Haley greeted, surprised to see him there. "What brings you by?"
"How would you and Nathan like to come out with the gang tonight for a little get together at Tric? Think drinking, dancing and laughing." Lucas suggested.
"Ok, sounds like fun. What brings on this little get together?" Haley innocently asked, taking in her friend's broody expression.
"Do I need to have a reason to hang out with all of my friends?" Lucas asks. On Haley's sceptical look he continues. "Ok, so I might have a reason. Well you know Jake is in town? I just feel like Peyton is slipping away and I need to do something to show her I'm still the guy for her."
"Oh Lucas. You know you don't need to prove anything to her. She's just hurt and confused. You need to give her time. Anyway, I thought you guys were trying the whole "just friends" thing?" Haley questioned.
"We are, we are. I'm not going to declare my love for her tonight Haley, I just want her back in my life and if a "friendly" get together is all I can offer right now, then it's the best idea I've had so far. Obviously kissing her didn't help." Lucas sighed, dropping his head in his hands.
"You guys kissed?" Haley exclaimed shocked but excited. "When? How?"
"It wasn't like that Hales." Lucas quickly explained. "It was like a 5 second thing and it is water under the bridge apparently. I think now I just give her what she wants, hope like hell Jake leaves town soon and let it go from there."
"Sounds like a good idea Luke. You guys can never stay away from each other for too long. Except of course for that whole 2 year fiasco, but you were on opposite sides of the country so that doesn't count." Haley quickly amended. Both of them turned to the doorway as they heard Nathan enter the room.
"Hey Nate, I just stopped by to let you and Haley know we are all heading down to Tric tonight." Lucas explained as he stood to leave. "I'm going to go round up the rest of the troops."
"Cool man, see you then." Nathan agreed.
"See ya Luke." Haley farewelled as Lucas left the house.
Lucas had gotten the word out that everyone was to meet at Tric that night about 9pm and so far most had shown up. Lucas had grabbed a table as soon as he arrived and currently seated were Nathan, Haley, Skills, Mouth, Millicent, Jake and himself. They were just waiting on Brooke and Peyton who Jake said would only be a few minutes longer as he had left them at the house to get ready, though Nathan and Lucas both knew from experience this meant at least another hour.
"Drinks?" Skills offered as he and Mouth stood from the table. Upon everyone's nod, the two left to grab the first round of drinks.
"No use waiting for the two girls." Lucas commented when Skills returned with a full tray.
"I told you they would only be a few minutes." Jake corrected. Nathan and Lucas shared a look and laughed. Upon Jake's confused expression, Haley explained.
"If they were only just getting ready now, we probably won't see them for about an hour."
"Oh." Jake replied, taking a swig of his beer.
Sometime during his fifth drink, Lucas finally spotted Brooke and Peyton walking through the door. Brooke looked stunning as always in a tight fitting blue mini dress paired with blue stilettos and her hair falling over her shoulders in soft waves. It was the blonde next to her that stole Lucas' attention and he had to remind himself that the aim of tonight was to prove he could be just friends with her, but judging by his reaction to her appearance that was going to be easier said than done. Peyton was dressed in a strapless black corset top with green piping, making her eyes pop, teamed with a dark denim pair of skinny leg jeans, making her long legs that had Lucas fantasising every night seem longer. Lucas was torn from his staring with a sharp poke in his ribs from Haley who gave him a stern look when he turned to her.
"Hello boys and girls." Brooke greeted as the pair made their way over to the table." Room for two more?"
"There's always room for two of the sexiest ladies in Tree Hill." Skills replied as he made room for the girls to sit down. Peyton laughed as she took a seat next to Jake and Brooke took a seat next to Nathan. Peyton greeted everyone around the table but got stuck at Lucas as she made eye contact with him that neither was willing to break.
"Who needs a drink?" Lucas suddenly asked, standing from the table and downing the remainder of his drink in one swallow.
"I think you should slow down, Cowboy." Commented Haley, noticing Lucas' eyes were beginning to glaze over. Lucas brushed off the comment as he motioned to the remainder of the table.
"I'll come with you, broody." Brooke offered as she led him to the bar.
"So what's going on?" Brooke asked as they leant against the bar waiting for their order.
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked, still staring at Peyton across the room.
"I mean exactly what the question implies I mean. What's going on with you and Blondie?"
"Nothing apparently. Did you not notice Jake is back in town?" Lucas asked bitterly.
"Yes. I also noticed the hundreds of tearful phone calls I got after you and she broke up. I also noticed the love sick expression she had on her face when we came back to town. And I also noticed that Jake is leaving tomorrow." Brooke explained. Lucas noticeably brightened at the last comment. "And I also noticed that you have had just a little too much to drink." Brooke continued.
Lucas shook his head. "Nah. Just trying to relax so I can be "friends" with the girl I'm in love with." He commented sarcastically. Brooke took a hold of his arm to get him to look at her because he was still focused on Peyton.
"Luke, listen to me. She loves you too, you know she does. Just give her time. You guys used to be really close friends, there's no reason you can't have that again."
"Where have I heard that before?" he scoffed.
"You know why you've heard it before? It's because it's true. Broody, you two will get there, just be patient."
Lucas sighed as he looked back to where Peyton was laughing with the group.
Peyton, Brooke, Haley and Millicent had progresses to the dance floor where they were shaking their stuff to the latest RnB track while the guys looked on from the table.
"I don't think friends stare at each other the way you're looking at Peyton, man." Nathan nudged his brother who hadn't taken his eyes off of Peyton all night. Lucas scoffed as he downed another drink before he stood.
"I'm gonna go pee." Lucas mumbled as he walked away.
"Thank for the info." Mouth replied sarcastically.
As Lucas was making his way back to the table, he could see that the girls had rejoined the group, but the curly blonde locks he was used to staring at was missing. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her heading to her office. Curious, Lucas followed.
"You always were a work a holic." Lucas commented as he entered the office and took a seat in the chair opposite the desk.
"You always were never good at holding your alcohol." Peyton replied, noticing his glazed look and slumped posture. Peyton pulled her desk chair over to sit in front of Lucas.
"Lucas, what's wrong?" She asked sympathetically, touching his knee for support.
"Nothing." Lucas sighed. "It's just been a really crappy week."
"And why has it been a crappy week?" Peyton asked, fearing the answer. Lucas sighed, making eye contact with her,
"You." He answered simply.
"Why me?"
"Where did we go wrong, Peyt?" Lucas whispered. Peyton stood, trying to create some distance between them.
"There are a lot of things that went wrong, Lucas. Just off the top of my head I would say the surprise proposal was probably a big one."
Lucas stood, quickly sobering as he took in her words and recalled the conversation her had heard in this very office last week.
"Yeah, about that supposed "surprise" proposal Peyton, the one you were apparently not ready for? Tell me, why were you ready to be married at 17 but not at 19."
Peyton turned to him shocked.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't act dumb. I'm talking about you asking Jake to marry you, but not saying yes when I proposed."
"Jake was different and you know it. I had nothing back then except two dead mums, and absentee father and 4 supposed friends who were too wrapped up in their own relationships to care. I didn't want to be a fifth wheel, I wanted a family and Jake could have given that to me."
"Is that what you think? That we didn't care? Peyt, we were just in high school, everything seemed like the end of the world, but we were all still there for each other." Lucas explained as he moved towards her.
"Why does it even matter, Lucas. I didn't marry him did I? I'm stuck in whatever the hell it is with you!"
"It matters because when I asked you, you said you wanted to wait, that you weren't ready. But then I find out you were ready to marry Jake at 17. It feels like the response you gave me was a complete lie."
Peyton reached out to take his hands into her own.
"It wasn't Lucas. Don't you see what we had was so different to what I had with Jake. I think in some ways I was insecure when I asked Jake. I wanted him to give me some sense of security. With you, I already was secure. I believed in our love and wanted to get the other things right first."
"We could have waited.' Lucas whispered. "You could have said yes and we could have just been engaged for the year you wanted. Not everyone is Nathan and Haley who get married the second the question is asked."
Peyton shook her head in disbelief. "Funny, that's not the way it came out of your mouth that night. It was like you were asking me to run away to Vegas and elope that night."
"Well you didn't mention a long engagement either. You wanted nothing to change for a year."
"Look, that night in that hotel 3 years ago I think we both got a lot of things wrong and didn't say a lot of things that needed to be said. But you know what? You shouldn't have regrets because whatever happened in the past is what makes you the person you are today."
Peyton suddenly rose to plant a sweet kiss on Lucas' mouth, surprising both of them.
"I've said it before Lucas Scott. I'm going to love you forever. You just have to believe in that and be patient."
Peyton squeezed his hands before walking out of the office.
"So everyone keeps telling me." Lucas mumbled as he watched her leave.
Author's Note:
You know what? I'm really not happy with this chapter I think I really got sidetracked, but I'm getting over this storyline and I think I'll end it very soon.