"Peyt….Peyt…Peyton…" Nathan waved his hand in front of my face and laughed when I blinked hard and nearly fell off the stool. "You okay" he was still laughing as I nodded in response.
"Nate…do you mind if I take off for a bit" I asked him suddenly.
"What's up" he stopped what he was doing and looked over at me.
"It's nothing…there's just something…something I need to do" I grabbed my bag off the bar and stood up.
"Yeah…I'll be here when you get back…have fun." He waved me off and I quickly walked out of Tric and into Tree Hill.
--Later That Night at Tric--General POV—
Haley walked into the club with a smile on her face. She had gone down to Charleston for the day to check out some aspiring bands. She was in charge of booking the music for the club and she enjoyed every minute of it. She wasn't supposed to be back until tomorrow, but the last two groups had canceled so she was able to return home. She was hoping to surprise everyone with her early return.
"Hey…have you seen Nate" she asked on of the waitresses.
"Ummm…he's…around here somewhere" the woman responded slowly. Haley looked at her funny but shrugged it off.
"Okay…I'll just go in the back and wait for him"
"Haley…" the brunette turned around. "I'm sure I saw him come out here not that long ago…"
"Okay…still, I think I'll go in the back and wait...and Kristen…switch to decaf…please" the brunette spun around and walked into the back of the club. She stopped when she heard her husband's voice on the fire escape and someone else's.
"So what about Haley...you know…your wife….the mother of your child….hell what about your daughter. Where are they anyway"
"Well as far as my wife…she's great and gone for tonight and tomorrow…down in Charleston on business. As far my daughter…she's at Karen's with Sam. I love my family and I always will…but it doesn't stop me from wondering off sometimes."
"I get what you mean…it's like no matter how hard you try…you find yourself in the same position you told yourself you wouldn't be, like you just wanna know what could've been."
"Yeah…but enough with the depressing stuff…how about some fun" Haley looked through the small crack in the door to see her husband pull a blonde to her feet. The woman had dirty blonde hair just past her shoulders. Every strand was in it's proper place. She wore low rise jeans and a red halter the showed off her toned stomach. Haley had always felt beautiful around Nathan but as she looked at the way her husband was staring at this other woman she couldn't help but question how he looked at her.
"Sounds like a plan" The other woman began to turn around but Nathan grabbed her by the waste and pulled her body into his.
"I thought we were gunna have fun" Nathan raised a brow as Haley felt the tears slide down her cheeks.
"Why Mr. Scott are you trying to seduce me…"
"Is it working" Haley turned around and ran back into the main part of the club. She wiped the tears from her eyes and put a smile on her face as she approached the bar.
"Can I have a shot…of anything…as long as it's strong." The guy nodded and handed the brunette a double shot of tequila. She slammed the glass down and looked up at the guy. He got ready to pour her another shot when someone covered the glass and stopped him.
"Tutor wife…we all know that you can not hold your liquor. Double shot of that stuff is more than enough for you" Haley glared at the smirking brunette. "Whoa…okay how about you tell me what's wrong and if I can't make it better then you can kill me with you eyes" Brooke held her hands up in defense and watched as Haley dropped her head in her hands.
"He's cheating on me…I saw him on the fire escape." Brooke's jaw dropped as she watched the tears fill her friend's eyes. Her eyes wandered past Haley and to the younger Scott brother who was busy chatting with some blonde he had just appeared with. She saw Nathan take the girl by the hand and whisper in her ear. She could tell from the girls movements that she was laughing. She leaned up and kissed his cheek before walking off.
"Excuse me…I'll be right back" Haley turned and watched as Brooke stormed over to Nathan.
"Hey Brooke" Nathan greeted…his smile disappeared when Brooke slapped him hard across the face. "What the hell is your problem?"
"My problem…I'm not the one screwing some bimbo behind my wife's back." The brunette hissed.
"What…okay where the hell did that come from" Nathan shook his head in confusion before focusing on the pissed off girl before him.
"Don't play dumb…Haley just saw you two outside." Nathan looked down before letting out a bitter laugh. He grabbed Brooke's arm and dragged her towards the DJ booth. "Get your slimy hands off of me."
"No…after all this…I want you to meet my bimbo…"
"I don't wanna…whoa" Brooke stopped dead in her tracks as she caught sight of the girl skimming the CD collection.
"Okay…please don't go postal on me or anything it was kinda just a spur of the moment decision"
"Bestest friend…what…. happened to your hair" Brooke played with her hands as she continued gaping at the former blonde.
--Flashback—
"Nathan" Peyton called out into the empty club later that evening.
"Yea…hello" the younger Scott raised a brow.
"I know it's drastic…but I just needed a change…something different." She walked closer to him with a worried look on her face.
"It's different…definitely different" Nathan mumbled as he took in her new appearance. Her hair was straight but that wasn't shocking because it had been earlier. It was also more brown now but that wasn't what shocked him either. It was the fact that her hair was about half it's former length that left him speechless. "But I like it"
"Okay then" she smiled as he wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't worry…it doesn't look bad at all…it's look good. Makes you look more mature" he stood up straight and pushed his shoulders back as he said the last part, causing her to laugh. "The outfit's nice too…a little more revealing then this big brother would like…but nice. She laughed again. She was wearing a red halter with a drooping neck line. It wasn't too low but it did show some cleavage. The bottom cut right above her navel. Her jeans were dark and cut low. They sat tight on her hip bone and hugged in all the right places.
"Thanks Nate." She shook her head as they made their way to the back of the club. "I went shopping…figured a new look should include a new outfit" she shrugged her shoulders before picking up a bag and bringing it out to the front.
"So do you have any idea when you're heading back." Nathan inquired as he began pulling stuff out of the box.
"Actually I'm not going back. I'm making the right decision and I'm doing what's best for me for the first time in four years"
--End Flashback—
"Well…"
"You cut your hair…I mean it looks good and all…it looks great in fact…but you cut your hair…I loved your hair…long…I miss it"
"Okay…well you obsess over her hair I'm going to go find my wife and bring her over her to see my bimbo"
"Hey…why am I a bimbo" Peyton turned to face Nathan as she pouted.
"Umm…Haley kinda saw you two on the fire escape and didn't realize…it was you…and yea" Brooke bit her lip as Peyton threw her head back. The blonde was pulled into a tight hug suddenly.
"Peyton…I'm so glad it's you. I mean I'm so glad you're here because I missed you like crazy but I'm really glad it's you." Haley pulled back and looked at the blonde before pulling her back into another hug.
--Flashback—
Nathan and Peyton found their way onto the fire escape about an hour after Tric had opened for the night. "Thanks for coming out here with me…I guess I'm just not use to all the noise anymore." The blonde smiled as they sat on the stairs.
"It's no problem…I'm usually out here at least once a night…just to get away for awhile. I usually wind up regretting it though"
"Why" Peyton watched him shrug,
"I don't know…I guess it just give me the chance to really think about things and sometimes I wind up thinking things I don't want to."
"Like what" the blonde inquired
"Mostly about how my life could've been like." He admitted as he looked over at the blonde.
"How do you mean"
"I mean…what if I had followed my dreams and jumped at the chance to play professional basketball. It's what I always dreamed of and what I always thought my life would be. I just can't stop wondering what my life would be like if I had chosen that path."
"I get that… So what about Haley...you know…your wife….the mother of your child….hell what about your daughter. Where are they anyway"
"Well as far as my wife…she's great and gone for tonight and tomorrow…down in Charleston on business. As far my daughter…she's at Karen's with Sam. I love my family and I always will…but it doesn't stop me from wondering off sometimes."
"I get what you mean…it's like no matter how hard you try…you find yourself in the same position you told yourself you wouldn't be, like you just wanna know what could've been." Tears began to burn behind her eyes but she shoved them back.
"Yeah…but enough with the depressing stuff…how about some fun" Nathan stood and reached his hand down. Peyton stretched her good hand up and let him pull her up. He watched the pain show in her eyes. There was something distant in her eyes…something that made her appear extremely alone even with so many people there for her.
"Sounds like a plan" Peyton began to turn around but Nathan pulled her back and she couldn't help but laugh at the seductive face he had.
"I thought we were gunna have fun" Nathan raised a brow and watched her smile at him. That's what he had been hopping for…something to get rid of whatever deep rooted emptiness and sadness the conversation had dredged up.
"Why Mr. Scott are you trying to seduce me…" She had lowered her voice for the desired effect and watched as he struggled to maintain a straight face.
"Is it working" a hint of laughter escaped in his voice.
"Well…to be perfectly honest with you…not at all" she shook her head and finally broke out laughing as did he.
"You always did know how to put people down Sawyer"
"What can I say, I'm good at it." she shrugged as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.
"Now how about we really go and have some fun now…just like we used to…you know…dance the night away."
"It's no fun by yourself…and you don't dance if I remember correctly." Peyton raised a brow at him and waited for him to respond.
"Your memory severs you well but I know a certain brooding brother of mine that I sure wouldn't turn down an offer to dance…especially not from you."
"Nathan…"
"Peyt…he's really missed you over these last few months. I mean we all have…but...it's not the way he does. Peyt you're the first person he's looked at that way he does since Amy. I know my brother and I know what that look means."
"Nate…please…I can't do this right now"
"No one's asking you to marry him….it's just a dance" Nathan swung his arm around her neck as they walked back into the club. "Just think about it" She nodded as they strolled back into the mass of people.
--End Flashback—Peyton's POV--
"You mean you're really glad I'm the bimbo" I joked and I watched Haley shrug.
"I guess" she smiled sheepishly as we both laughed.
"It's alright…I'm glad I was the bimbo too…cuz I really don't wanna have to beat the shit out of Nathan" We laughed again as she leaned her body into Nate's, her red eyes now full of happiness.
"Two things…why are you a bimbo and what happened to your hair" I looked to my side to see Lucas playing with my hair. I batted his hand away and he just laughed.
"One…I just am…two…I just need a change." I waited and for some reason his opinion was important to me.
"Change is good" I smiled with relief as the words left his mouth. I listened as a slow song came through the speakers. It was an old Lifehouse song titled "You and Me".
"Come on…" I watched Nathan pull Haley onto the dance floor and wrap his arms around her waist.
"Care to join them" I looked up at Lucas. The words had just left my mouth without me even thinking about it. But it was just a dance…Nathan had even said it was nothing but a dance.
"Love to" he smiled down at me as he reached for my hand. Our fingers intertwined as we moved to the center of the room. His arms slowly slipped around my waist as I place mind behind his neck. I laid my head on his shoulder as we swayed back and forth to the music. It felt strange having him touch my bare back, actually it gave me a warm tingly feeling that I'm not sure I like.
"Hey…guess what" I whispered into his chest.
"What" I could feel his voice vibrate through his chest and I smiled as I spoke.
"I'm not leaving" I could feel his heart rate increase and it made me think about what Nathan had said earlier.
"You're not?"
"Nope…I'm staying right here in Tree Hill." He took my hand down from his neck and looked at it….more like he looked at what wasn't there…my engagement ring. "We broke it off…wasn't working…so"
"It doesn't matter right now…we can talk later" he whispered as he set my arm back around his neck and his arm back on around my waist.
"Okay" I whispered I a leaned into him, my head falling back in its place against his chest.
"Peyton" his voice was almost childlike and my mind began racing with anticipation. There were things I want him to say but at the same time things I know I'm not ready to hear.
"Yea" my voice equally small
"I…I'm glad your staying…I missed you" I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Maybe Nathan was wrong, but then what was I supposed to make of last night.
"I missed you too" it wasn't until now that I realized how much I really did miss Lucas over the last ten years…it wasn't until right now that I realized just how good it felt to be in his arms again…not just safe…but all around good.
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
Nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
All of the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words, you got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off you
Something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right
Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of
You and me and all of the people
With nothing to do nothin to prove and
It's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you
What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
The song is 'You and Me' by Lifehouse
