BRIEF NOTES:

Thanks for the reviews. :D I'm glad you like the story so far. There'll be surprises coming along, so watch out for that.

Italicized paragraphs are flashbacks. :D This chapter deals with the first – how Peyton gave him away.

DISCLAIMER: Same as always. I don't own OTH.

CHAPTER TWO

Lucas listened while the mother and daughter conversed. He smiled when Karen told the fidgety four-year-old that they were almost there, as he knew that they would be making one more hotel stop for the night. After all, driving nonstop with a toddler in the back was immediately out of the question when they planned the trip.

He averted his eyes and fixed them on the road ahead, leaning against his seat and letting the girls' voices lull him into sleep.

Before he knew it, Lucas was back in the room with red and black walls. He knew where he was, but he didn't know why he was there. He turned and saw the scene he knew he could never erase from himself. He was a witness to his own flashback.

His back leaned against her headboard as he held her close, her back to his chest. It was a quiet afterglow as they were both content to just lie in each other's arms – for the moment, anyway. Deep inside of him, though, emotions scampered all over the place.

Sensing his disquiet, she stirred. "Luc, please tell me what it is." Her eyes bore into his soul. It was amazing how well they read each other like that.

There were only two people in this world who he found extremely difficult to lie to – Her and his mother. He smiled a little at the thought, but very quickly wiped it away. His next words weren't the easiest to spill. He breathed a heavy sigh. "Mom wants to leave Tree Hill." He said without even looking at her. He didn't need to; he already knew how she would look.

Before she even thought of saying anything, he cut her off – hoping his next revelations would put her to ease. "But she isn't making me go. She said I could stay, continue with UNC as planned, and be with you. So I said yes." He still wasn't looking at her… he couldn't… because even he could not confirm if this was the proposition he wanted.

"You have to go with her."

That made him look at her. Her eyes were glistening with tears that threatened to fall, and it hurt him like hell to see her like that. "I already told you, baby, I'm not leaving you."

"You need to, Luc." Her words were said with such tenderness, it was hard to associate it with the Peyton Sawyer they both knew very well.

"Why are you pushing me away again, Peyton?"

She took his face between her palms, forcing him to look at her. "Listen to me, Lucas. I love you, with all of me. And this little world that we have here, away from everything else that's happened and is happening outside of my bedroom door, is everything I ever dreamed of being. It's great, we're great. But this isn't how the world works. I love that you can talk to me, that everything we between us is totally open, but we can't be this way forever. We aren't the only two people in each other's lives, Luc. It's killing me that Karen has to talk to me just to ask how you are. You can't close yourself off to everyone else, especially not to your mom and your baby sister. You need to heal, baby, and you need to do it with them. Maybe going away for a while will help you more than staying, and if that's what it's gonna take then you should do it – you have to."

He saw honesty in her eyes and sincerity in her words, but he was still scared. "People always leave, right?" He muttered bitterly.

"I'm not making you leave, Lucas." She breathed deeply as she tried to choke back the lump forming in her throat. "I'm asking you to go and heal… and when you know that the pain your father's sins left is no longer holding you prisoner, come back; because I'll be waiting right here." When he held no response, exasperation took over her. She got off the bed and put his shirt on.

He knew it took her everything she had to say those things to him. He had already made his decision, but he needed to see if she genuinely meant every word she just said. He sprang from the bed, only briefly pausing to dress himself, and caught her by the hand before she walked away. He turned her to face him and this time, he really looked at her… and he saw everything he needed to see – truth and love.

"Thank you, Peyton."

She smiled as the tears began to fall.

His heart clenched at the sight, but they both knew each had to remain strong for the other. He held her and whispered, "I love you, baby. I'm coming back for us."

She held onto him tighter. "I love you too, Luc."

They hugged quietly for what felt like an eternity, until they knew it was time. He had to head home, and she needed to compose herself. Their lips met in a mating that mingled sadness with hope. It was after all, their last kiss for the time being. When it ended, they stared without speaking and slowly released one another.

He moved towards the door, but paused as he reached the door frame. He faced her, and with all the courage it took for him not to cry, he said the words that held dreams for the both of them.

"I'll be seein' ya."