"Luke?"
He looked up from his computer, managing a small smile. "Yeah?"
She'd just woken up from a three hour nap, her legs were still tangled up in his comforter.
"Do you regret saving me that day?" Peyton asked, still staring down at the ground. "The day of the shooting, I mean..."
Lucas's smile faded. Where had that come from?!
"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer." He drew out, coming to sit next to her. He reached down, taking her hands in his own. "If you ever ask me this again, I will throw you off a cliff."
She shot him a hard look.
God, I'm such a girl!
You love me.
Okay, that is so not fair!
You probably just wanna kiss me again.
"What do you think?" Lucas replied. "Of course I don't, Peyton. If I had to do that day all over again... I wouldn't change a thing."
Dude, shut up! Okay, I kissed you but I... I thought I was gonna die and you took care of me so... You know, we...
Yeah. I know. 'If I told you I love you would you hold it against me?'
Luke, when I said that..
"Really?"
"Really." He told her, squeezing her hand. "Peyton, if I hadn't gone back into the school that day, you could have died. I'm never gonna let anything happen to you."
Because I do, Peyton. But it's okay because, there's this other girl, I mean, you might know her, her name's Brooke Davis, and I am completely in love with her.
You don't know how good it is to hear you say that, cause I thought everything was gonna get weird again... And I really don't want it to. We're okay, right? You and me? We're good?
"God." Peyton muttered, throwing herself back against his pillows. "How did I get myself into this, Luke? What happened to me? How did I get so screwed up?"
"You're not screwed up, Peyt. You've had to go through more things in ten years than a normal person will probably ever have to in their entire life. And look at you! You're alive, you're breathing, you're beautiful, you're strong, and you can get through anything. But in case you ever forget that, just come find me. I'll be more than happy to remind you."
I've wanted this for so long.
Me too. And now we can have it.
No, no, no. I don't mean just that. I want this. You know? I want to be here. I want to have everything with you. I want it all. I want us, Peyton.
"Peyton?"
"Yeah?"
Lucas let out a long held-in sigh. "I'm so sorry.. I should have noticed that something was going on with you... I don't know how I didn't know."
Peyton responded by throwing her arms around his neck, holding onto him for dear life.
He didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her and hug her back.
"I promise." He muttered. "I will never let him hurt you again. I love you, Peyton, and I promise that I will always be there for you."
Trust me, you're better off anyways. Love sucks.
Nathan...
No. Think about it. Dan and Karen. You and Lucas. Me and Haley. You got it right, Peyton. People always leave.
Peyton Sawyer would always be in love Lucas Eugene Scott. She couldn't deny it, the butterflies she got in her stomach every time they hugged, or touched. She remembered what it felt like to hiss him, to feel his arms wrap around her waist, lifting her up to spin her around.
Okay, I am not arguing with you!
Oh, come on, Peyton that's what we do, OK? We have these inner conversations daily! Am I gonna look stupid? Am I pretty enough? Did Jake just want to get in my pants? Should Lucas be with me, instead of Brooke?
No, okay, you're wrong. Lucas and I are just friends and Jake loved me.
Whatever you say, cheerleader. Whine, whine, mope, mope, always the victim! My mom died, Jake left, Ellie lied! Boo hoo.
You really are a bitch, you know that?