Chapter 3
"Uncle Skills?" Not getting a response Jamie tugged on his Uncles jacket trying to get his attention. "Uncle Skills?"
"What's up J-man?" Skills said turning his attention from the conversation he had been having with Mouth to look at the little boy sitting by his side.
"I need to pee" Jamie said squirming slightly in his seat.
"Erm, well..." Skills stuttered. He was good with kids but not with this sort of thing.
"I can go by myself" Jamie said eagerly.
"Oh. Good. Yeah. Come back as soon as you're done" he warned.
"You got it!" Jamie quickly scuttled out of the pew and made his way to the back of the church where the toilets were located.
Having made his way back from the cemetery Lucas was now stood at the front of the church by the alter, Nathan his best man by his side.
The church had filled up Lucas's friends and family on the right hand side, with his mother sitting in the first pew the space beside her where Keith should have been sat empty. Lucas paused his scan of the church his eye's hovering over that empty seat; he couldn't help the anger that rose up in his chest. The man he looked to as his father was not here to witness this day because of the actions of the man who actually along with his mother gave him life, Dan Scott. The name alone was enough to give him chills and make his hands ball into fists, he still, 5 years after finding out what happened in that god forsaken school hallway could not fathom his biological father's actions. Oh how different this day had turned out then he had imagined when he was a young boy.
Resuming his scan of the hall before him Lucas turned to look to the other side of the church where his soon to be wife's family sat in all their finery.
Lindsey's mother smiled lovingly at him which he returned in sort. The stately older woman had come to love him dearly for bringing such happiness into her daughter's life. He hated that he had to divert his eyes quickly feeling a bit of a fraud.
He was Lindsey's first choice. He was the one who made her heart flutter and smile at the thought of their life together of the children they would soon have.
But Lindsey was not Lucas' first choice of wife. Not that he would ever admit that to her or her mother. For the future that Lucas dreamt of involved blond, curly haired, blue eyed children a perfect mix of their parents. He knew however that would only ever happen in his dreams, but God did he cherish those dreams. The reality was that there was no chance of it ever happening so he had decided to settle for second best.
Lucas took a deep breath berating himself for the thoughts that were running through his head on his wedding day. He had to get a grip. Peyton had been gone for 5 years. Yes they might have been the longest and saddest 5 years of his life and something told him that the years to come would not be much easier, but he had come to terms with the fact that he would never see or touch her again. So why now, on the day of his wedding to Lindsey, sweet, caring , lovely Lindsey could he think of nothing but Peyton.
His mind flashed back to the day his world had literally come falling down around him.
It was nearing the end of the summer after senior year. They had been blissfully happy for the last couple of months but the day that she would have to leave for LA was slowly looming. Trying to put the thought of her leaving out of his mind and determined to enjoy their day together Lucas jogged up the front steps to her house. He raised his hand to knock on her door but got no response. Chuckling he reached out to open the door, not surprisingly it was not locked.
Opening the door he was met with the sounds of her music blaring out. Typical Peyton he thought to himself as he made his way to the stairs.
"Peyt, baby you up there?" he called out so as not to startle her. He got no response so continued on up the stairs.
Lucas was half way up the stairs when he noticed a smudge of crimson of the magnolia wall. His heart started beating faster, something was not right. He took a slow, cautious step. More crimson. This definitely wasn't paint. It was blood, Peyton's blood and it was everywhere!
He sprinted into her room but stopped dead in his tracks his blood running cold in his veins. Her room was ransacked. The shelves broken into pieces, her beloved records strewn across the room, pictures smashed on the floor, her desk and computer hurled across the other side and more blood, so much blood...
He screamed out her name "Peyton!" frantically searching for her. He dialled her mobile in vain only to her it ring from inside the room. Tears were now pouring from his eyes. He thought his heart was actually going to explode. Where the hell was she?
He had called the police. They had come, taken photos, finger prints, interviewed him and everyone they knew but there was no sign of her. Bulletins showing her story had been aired nationwide begging for information of her whereabouts. But nothing ever came to light.
Although her body was never found and they never knew what actually happened to her the coroner ruled that from the amount of blood found at the scene she was dead.
Lucas was pulled from the scene from 5 years ago that still haunted his every waking and sleeping moment into the present day as the church organ's chimes sounded through the old building.
First came Lily scattering pink petals, followed by Hayley smiling happily clutching a bouquet of flowers. Finally the doors at the back of the church opened, the organ chimed the first notes of the bridal march and Lindsey appeared, her hair scraped severely back into a bun her eyes dancing with joy.
Lucas had turned to look at his bride, to wait for her to make her way to him. His heart stopped. He blinked, once, twice. He must be dreaming, it couldn't be real...
There she was towards the back of the church, looking breathtaking, angelic even, in a simple white dress that fell to her knee.
His mind must be playing tricks on him he thought. He couldn't wait anymore, couldn't just stand there. He took off down the steps leading from the alter two at a time.
The congregation let out a series of "aws" thinking that he couldn't wait for his bride to reach him and that he was going to her, but they fell into a shocked silence as he pushed past the bride and continued down the aisle.
Lindsey froze the smile dropping from her face. "Lucas" she cried out turning to look after him "Where are you going?" She fell to the floor her gown pooling round her.
Coming to a stop he reached his hand out to touch the beauty in front of him, fear that this wasn't real gripping every inch of his being, fear that his mind was indeed playing a cruel trick.
His voice was thick with emotion as he whispered "Peyton?"
She nodded, tears pooling in her eyes just as they were in his. "Luke..." God her voice was like music to his ears.
He reached his other had to caress her soft cheek not daring to believe that she was standing here in front of him. Tears gathered in his eyes making them sparkle.
In the distance the church doors opened again. "Momma, momma she's got a gun!" Jamie ran into the church closely followed by a crazed looking Carried pointing a gun wildly.
Bang!
Screams sounded from all around as people dove for cover.
Peyton's face turned from one of pure joy to one of pain in mere seconds as she crumbled to the ground a red stain soaking her white dress.