Say You'll Never Leave

Peyton lay upon her bed tears streaming from her cheeks her face buried into her pillow. He had left, she watched him walk out into the street and vanish before her own eyes. He had barely been with her for twenty-four hours. The only thought she could hang on to were their last hours together. They made love; she could still feel the heat of his body enveloping her. She could still feel his strong arms wrapped around her, holding her tightly. Everything had changed in just a few minutes; she pushed him away, the boy who she loved. He was gone.

Brooke arrived sometime later standing between the door frame, frowning slightly at the curled up figure that was Peyton. Closing the distance in three strides, she sat at the edge of her bed lightly brushing Peyton's shoulder.

"Hey Peyton. Is everything okay?" she whispered concerned her fingers brushing back the blondes bangs.

Peyton rolled over to look at Brooke. Her eyes were red from crying and her nose was running. "Jake was here."

Brooke paused raising a brow, "Wait, if Jake is here, isn't that a good thing?"

Peyton sighed turning back over and burying her face back into her pillow. "No he was here, as in he left." she grumbled into the pillows.

"Oh." was all Brooke could manage, "So how did it go?" she whispered leaning closer to her friend.

Peyton paused remembering their final hours together. The memory instantly brought tears to Peyton's eyes.

--

"Peyton what is this?" Jake repeated again throwing the plastic bag on to the bed his eyes never leaving hers. Peyton merely stared back at him unable to find words to come up with an excuse.

"Peyton." he said again firmly.

The tears came then without warning, she fell to her knees burying her face into her bedspread. It came around full circle, first Lucas, now Jake. How many times was she going to mess up before she lost everyone who loved her most.

"Please Peyton, please tell me it isn't yours. Tell me that you are holding it for someone and you're getting rid of it soon. Please Peyton, please tell me it's not yours." he pleaded moving around the bed to kneel beside her.

She shook her head looking up at Jake wiping her eyes, "I don't want to lie to you Jake. I can't lie to you."

Jake's head fell as he cradled it between his hands. "Peyton." his voice trailed trying to find words to express how he felt. Hurt, shocked, they barely scratched the surface. Peyton fell back on to the ground, tears beginning to fall from her eyes yet again. She could feel it, she was about to lose the one solid thing that she had, the boy who made her happy, who made her feel whole. She was losing him, and there was nothing she could do or say to make him stay.

"Jake." she whispered touching his shoulder lightly. He looked up to her meeting her green eyes. She pressed a light kiss to his lips pausing before she pulled away.

"Peyton, I can't." he replied shaking his head.

Her face fell again, "Why not Jake? I'll throw out the drugs and we can pretend like you never found them and we can crawl under the covers and never leave the bed." she pleaded stroking the side of her face.

Jake shied away rising to full height and paced along the opposite of the bed. "Peyton we can't. We can't change the past and we can't continue on like nothing happened. You have a problem Peyton. This is obviously why Lucas called me."

"Lucas called you?" she interrupted with a whisper bringing her gaze upwards.

"That doesn't matter Peyton. What matters is you have a problem. But I can't stay her and help you with it. I have a daughter Peyton. I have two lives that I have to look after. I can't stay here and help you get over your addiction. I have two jobs Peyton and they barely keep me afloat now."

"Then why did you come back?" she whispered her eyes falling back to her bed.

Jake sighed rubbing his forehead furiously. "Lucas asked me for a favor. He said you weren't doing so well. I never planned to stay long. But I also didn't plan to find what I found."

"Please, don't leave, stay for the rest of the day."

Jake shook his head, "I'm sorry Peyton. There are people here who love you, I love you. You can't push them away, they want to help you. I only wish I could. No matter what Peyton I love you and leaving you like this kills me inside. But you need to get better, you need to heal. I can't help you with this as much as I would, I can't."

He circled around the bed kneeling on one knee next to Peyton. She turned to face him, tears still falling freely from her eyes. He pressed a light kiss to her lips. "Remember I love you." he whispered then disappeared from the room.

She watched him from the window crossing her arms over her chest. He looked back up to her frowning then continued down the street. She watched him walk until she could no longer see him. The tears came then as she collapsed upon her bed, face buried into her pillow.

--

Without getting much information from Peyton, Brooke left her friend with a light hug and whisper of reassurance. She lay there again, her eyes boring into the ceiling. She did not move for a long time, time seemed to just pass her by. The morning seemed to so far away and last night even further. Time was not a factor anymore; she already knew she was running short. She could not run from it forever.

It was sometime during the night that Lucas plucked up the courage to go visit Peyton. Jake had left him a voicemail about his departure, and it was no surprise to Lucas that Peyton was probably a wreck. He sighed as his hand clasped around the doorknob to the front door as turned it. His first initial thought was to turn around and not look back. There was no way she wanted to see him right now. However, he continued on making sure his footsteps were light as he made his way up the steps. He paused between her doorframe, frowning at her curled up figure.

"Peyton." he whispered weakly taking a step inside.

She did not move or even make a motion that she acknowledged his presence, she merely laid in her bed her eyes still fixated upon the ceiling.

"Peyton please talk to me. I never meant to hurt you." he whispered again. She turned to face him her face blank and unmoving, not even a blink. Lucas moved closer joining her upon the bed pulling her close to him in a hug.

"You were right Lucas, I have a problem." she whispered burying her cheek into his chest. She sighed weakly knowing he was right all along. Had she just listened to him the first the time she could have saved herself a heartbreak.

"I never meant to bring it up like I did. I shouldn't have sprung it on you like that." he replied stroking her hair.

They lay like there for awhile, Lucas holding Peyton in his arms listening to her breathing while she listened to rhythmic beat of his heart. It all felt so good, it felt like it did before he knew about her problem. She felt safe again, she felt whole again. Everything felt good again, but she knew there was more that needed to be said. Only could she hope that she was truly ready to fight her addiction.

"Lucas, I'm ready to quit. I'm ready to get help. I'm ready to stop being so god damned dependent on drugs. I'm better than this. I know I am." she felt him pull her tighter to his chest. "Listen Lucas, I'm glad you confronted me. I'm glad you found me. If you hadn't I'd probably end up dead. Now I know I'm ready. I'm confident that I can beat this. I want to be happy again. I want to feel again. I want to feel whole again, like I do right now in your arms."

A smile tugged at the corners of Lucas' lips as Peyton finished her speech. It was everything and more he wanted to hear. Truly, he believed that she was ready and he was ready to stand by her every step of the way. Consequences be damned he was going to help her in every way possible.

"You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that Peyton. Every one has missed you. They're ready to help you too. I'll be here Peyton, through thick and thin I'm going to help you get better."

Peyton smiled stroking his cheek feeling his warmth spread through her finger tips warming the entirety of her body. "Thank you Lucas. You really are a great friend."

Lucas smiled pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He laid with her up until he had to leave to make it home for curfew. He pressed a kiss to her brow before he left leaving Peyton smiling on her bed. As she fell asleep, she fell asleep with a smile upon her face and happy dream in her head. For the first time in a long time she felt good like her life was finally starting to take a turn for the better.