Disclaimer: I don't own anything

--

Peyton put the car in park and turned it off. She stepped out and walked to the door, getting her keys out. She was about to put the keys into the lock when she noticed it was broken. Scowling, she looked in through the window, cd's were everywhere. The place was trashed. She pulled her cell phone out, her hands trembling.

--

Nathan walked down the stairs and back to where Peyton was standing in the doorway.

"Nobody's here, but the place is trashed." He said.

She nodded. "I don't know why they would do this. I didn't have any enemies back home or here. They must have been going for the cd's. But, why would they trash my apartment upstairs?"

He shrugged. "I don't know either." He took a deep breath and pulled out his own cell phone. "I'll call the cops. Why don't you call that guy?"

"Jack?"

"Yeah, him. Where is he anyways?"

"Looking for a job,"

"At this time of night?"

"He was going to a bar afterwards. I was going to meet him there after I talked to you, but I needed to get my cell from my apartment so I stopped by and found this."

He nodded.

Twenty minutes later had Peyton sitting by Nathan at the cashier table and the police roaming through the store, looking for any kind of evidence.

"You Peyton?" An Officer asked her.

"Yeah, Peyton Sawyer." They shook hands.

"I'm Officer Nelson; I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, yeah go ahead."

"Did you have any enemies? Here or where you moved from?"

Peyton shook her head. "No, that's why this is so strange."

He nodded and wrote stuff down in his notepad. "Can you think of anyone who would intentionally try and harm you or your store?"

"No,"

More writing. "Can you tell me the full story again, please?"

"I was at Nathan's," She pointed to Nathan. "I came home in my car and I was about to put my keys in when I noticed it was broken so I looked in through the window and saw it like this. I didn't want to go in there by myself so I called Nate."

"Did you move anything around?"

"No. It was just like this."

He nodded. "Thanks for your time."

"You're welcome,"

The door to the store opened and Jack ran in. "Peyton!"

"Hey Jack."

"Are you okay?" He gave her a hug. "I came as soon as I got your message."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nathan roll his eyes, sighing.

"Yeah," She answered, ignoring Nathan's childish antics "I'm fine."

"What happened?"

She repeated the story.

He eyed Nathan, before nodding hesitantly. "Okay, well, have they found anything?"

"No," Officer Nelson said, returning. "Nothing of evidence. We'd like to do another overview in the morning, so if you don't mind we'd like you to stay somewhere else so you don't mess with anything?"

"Yeah, sure. We'll just go to a hotel."

He nodded and walked over to the other officers.

"You don't have to stay in a hotel Peyt; you can stay over at my house." Nathan said.

"I'm not so sure, we should do that." Jack replied.

"I didn't say you could stay over. I said she could stay over."

"I definitely don't agree with that."

"I'm not trying to sleep with her, dumbass, I just don't like you."

"I think we already figured that out. But thanks, I think we'll stay at the hotel."

"Guys!" Peyton exclaimed. "Stop arguing. I will decide for myself where I want to stay."

They both sighed heavily before turning to her.

"Well, you are not staying with him!" Jack said, firmly.

Peyton's eyes narrowed. "You know what?" She turned to Nathan. "I will stay with you tonight, thank you."

She stood up and walked out the door to her car, Jack following her.

"Peyton!" He grabbed her arm, turning her around.

"What, Jack?"

"You cannot be serious!"

"Oh I am very much serious! I was having a little difficulty deciding where I should stay but you helped me decide. Thank you."

"Peyton, you cannot stay with him!"

"Why not, Jack?!"

"Because he's another guy!"

"Oh, calm down. Nothing's going to happen. I'm not the one to cheat, remember?"

She got in her car, and looked to Nathan who was grinning in the store. "You coming?!"

Nathan, still grinning like a madman, walked to his car.

--

"Thanks." Peyton said as she took the sheets from Nathan. She unfolded them and started to put them on the guest room's bed.

"Sorry for not having the room ready."

"It's fine. Really, I don't mind."

He nodded and sat down on the couch, watching her.

She finished the sheets, and then sat next to him. "Thanks for letting me stay,"

"Oh, it was my pleasure. Seeing that guys face, priceless."

"Why do you not like him?"

"Did you seriously just ask me that?"

She smiled slightly, before looking down. "I know, I just..."

"It's okay, you don't have to explain. I get it."

"You do?"

"No, I just don't feel like fighting with you again."

She nodded. "I would apologize for that, but I'm not really sorry."

"Yeah, me neither."

She chuckled as her phone went off.

"You gonna get that?" he asked after the tenth ring.

"No, it's Jack and he's been calling ever since we left. I answered the first two but I'm kind of tired of listening to him."

"I'm kind of tired of seeing him"

She glared at him.

"Sorry."

"Let's talk about something else."

"Ok…how 'bout why you called me and not Jack? I mean we had just yelled at each other."

She took a deep breath and shrugged. "Honestly? I have no idea. You were just the first one I thought of."

"I guess I should feel pretty good about that huh? I'm not sure what Jack would have done if you called him."

"You used his name!"

He chuckled, rolling his eyes. He stood up, looking back down to her. "I'm gonna go to bed, my room's right down the hall, call me if you need anything."

She nodded and watched him leave.

--

The next morning, Peyton walked downstairs to the kitchen where she found Nathan at the stove, making pancakes, and Lindsey and Paige setting the table.

"Peyton!" Paige exclaimed, running over and giving her a hug, "Did you spend the night?"

"Yeah, I needed a room and you're dad let me stay in the guest room."

"Come on, Peyton!" The little girl grabbed Peyton's hand, dragging her upstairs. "I gotta show you my room!"

Lindsey set the plates on the table before walking over to Nathan after they disappeared up the stairs.

"You totally slept with her!" Lindsey whispered.

"What?!"

"You and Peyton! You slept together!"

"No, we did not sleep together! She needed a place to stay so she stayed in the guest room just like she said. I wouldn't sleep with someone when you two are home!"

"So, should Paige and I stay over at Grandma's tonight?"

"No!" He exclaimed, flipping a pancake. "She'll be back at her own place tonight,"

"Why wasn't she there last night? Did she and what's-his-face get in a fight?"

"Her place got robbed; the police didn't want her messing with anything so she stayed over here."

"What about her boyfriend?"

"At a hotel."

"You really didn't sleep with her?" Lindsey asked, after a moment.

"No! Now drop it!"

She sighed. "Aunt Brooke is taking Paige and me shopping today."

"Didn't she already spend all of their money?"