Hey guys thanks for reading & reviewing. I hope you like this one – this chapter broke me up.

too much, too late

Chapter 3

'What d'ya mean too late...' he said half-laughing as she let them in.

An uneasy laugh, almost fearful laugh.

She threw her keys on the nearby table. She missed. She seemed especially nervous, erratic even. She was rushing about even as she talked to him, half-talked to him. Throwing off her shoes, putting on high heels, clearing away empty cartons of milk. He sat down on the sofa as he watched her slim body rush in and out of rooms.

'I'm in a rush today,' she said. 'Maybe we can talk about this some other time...'

'Peyton I...'

She was off again. Running upstairs.

'Give me a sec,' she shouted.

He didn't mind. She was probably just bothered about something. He was used to Peyton being like this, things people would call issues, he just accepted. Loved even. They made her her. He noticed a familiar photograph on the mantlepiece – the whole gang. Way, way back in freshman year. Before Haley had left with Chris, back when he was still just friends with both Brooke and Peyton, back when Nathan was still, well – a jerk. Then again, thought Lucas, Nathan had obviously remained a jerk – but that was another story. And there he was - a skinny, scrawny blonde boy from the Rivercourt – as Whitey had called him. And Peyton, the cheerleader with that tight-lipped smile sitting beside him.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

He turned around. She was wearing a black low neck dress, her hair tied back roughly, wisps of her fringe falling off her face.

'You're wearing unmatching earrings,' he teased.

Peyton looked ruffled. Roughly she pulled off her one pearl one diamond. 'Listen Lucas I really don't have time for this today, you should have called I...'

'I did call,' he reached out and grabbed her right arm. 'I must have left at least 10 messages.'

'After you didn't call for 6 months,' she said softly.'And before that it was 4 and a half. And before that I don't know how long. 3 calls Lucas, 3 calls in 2 years and 1 pathetic postcard.'

She sighed deeply, holding her forehead in her other hand.

'Peyt I'm sorry...' he hushed. 'It's just Brooke, she was having a breakdown. Before that was the miscarriage and I couldn't leave her side. I needed to be focused you know?'

'Yes,' she breathed. 'I know.'

'And I couldn't come back to Tree Hill, not after what Nathan did to Haley...'

'She left him first...'

'But she came back...'

'But it was too late.'

The silence between them, the tension. You could cut it with a knife. It never used to be like this. They used to agree on everything, believed the same things, loved the same things.

'I don't wanna fight about this Peyton, I'm back here for us. That's why I've come back, to start things over...'

'Please stop Luke...' Now she was pulling away from him walking towards the fireplace.

'No, it's all the truth, I want everything Peyton...' he cried.

'Please Luke...'

'I love you.'

Another silence. Slowly, so slow you could almost hear time ticking away Peyton turned. She looked up at the love of her life through teary green eyes.

'I'm married Lucas,' she said raising up her left hand – almost like a sign of surrender.

'To Nathan.'

The door slammed shut, slowly Peyton felt her body crumble to the floor, her heels cutting into her skin beneath her. She crawled, inching along the wooden floorboard to the phone.

Ring ring.

'Hello, Nathan Scott speaking.'

'Nathan, I don't know if I can make it for the dinner with your parents tonight, I'm not feeling so well.' She gripped the phone as she choked back the sobs.

'Oh... okay no problem, I'll come back early for a take away?'

'No, no you go ahead, I'll be at home sleeping... I'll be a bore anyway.' She covered the mouthpiece as the sobs escaped her throat in heavy, unfamiliar, guttural sounds.

'Okay sure thing babe. See you later.'

'Bye.'

And there, crawled up on the floorboards, hugging a worn out old photograph for dear life, a broken, empty, lost girl cried herself to pieces.