After a few hours sleep Peyton could stand the hunger no more and decided that now was breakfast time, 3.30pm. When she strolled into the kitchen she was met by a grinning Brooke and a mountain of pancakes. She knew she was about to be grilled. She took a seat at the counter as Brooke poured her a cup of coffee and dished out some pancakes and Maple Syrup.

'So P Sawyer, how was last night?'

'It was great, just what I needed,' she grinned, being deliberately evasive.

'Details.'

'We had sex.'

'That's not details; I want to know how good it was, how many times it happened and where!' Brooke cried indignantly.

Peyton giggled and gave in.

'It was great Brooke, I lost count of the number of times around 4 am and it happened in his apartment. All over his apartment.'

Brooke was grinning like a lunatic as Peyton got stuck into her breakfast.

'So, was this a one off or will there be a repeat performance.'

'I don't know, I mean it was great, so hot. I think I just needed to get it out of my system though. It's been a long time since I did anything crazy. He wants to make it kind of an arrangement but I think I'm going to say no.'

'Why?'

'I don't know. I only did this because I was horny, that's been dealt with. Also, I think I just needed to prove to myself that I had a one night stand in me, that I haven't become a boring workaholic, old before my time. Anyway, at least now I know he's there if I ever need a booty call!'

'That's cool; you've got the whole independent woman vibe going on. I've gotta say it's an improvement on how you've been the past couple of months,' Brooke said carefully.

'I know and don't worry, you won't ever see that miserable, pathetic Peyton again. I killed her,' she laughed.

Brooke was truly pleased for her friend.

'Enough about me, how was your date with Owen?'

Brooke immediately started grinning again; she had been in a state of bliss all day and dying to share it with her best friend.

'It was amazing. Would you believe after me getting all dressed up and excited about the mystery destination we ended up at the fair? It was awesome Peyton; I haven't had so much fun since high school. We rode the ferris wheel, ate cotton candy and he won me a stuffed panda bear. Seriously, 

who would have thought that Brooke Davis would enjoy that kind of date? He's so sweet and funny, and did I mention HOT?' Brooke was gushing and it was Peyton's turn to grin.

'B Davis I do believe you are swooning.'

'When I started flirting with him I seriously just wanted to get in his pants but I'm glad he resisted. I just can't stop thinking about him!'

'I can tell. When are you going out again?'

'He has Wednesday night off so I'll see him then. I might have to make a surprise visit to Tric before then though. I don't know if I can go that long without seeing him and I need to scare off the competition. My new DKNY dress should take care of that!'

Peyton laughed out loud, it was so great to see Brooke this excited about a guy. Most of the guys in her life had been a disappointment but she had a good feeling about Owen. Brooke grew quiet and Peyton could tell something else was on her mind.

'What did Lucas want this morning?' Brooke asked softly.

'Oh, you know, to tell me he broke up with Lindsay and that he still loves me,' Peyton stared down into her coffee mug. She still couldn't believe this morning had happened. When she looked up she saw Brooke's mouth hanging open in shock.

'What did you say?'

'The same thing I've been saying these past few weeks, I don't want him in my life.'

Brooke became eerily quiet for a moment and Peyton knew she was trying to decide how best to word something. She knew Brooke would eventually give up and just ask in her own uniquely blunt fashion.

'You sure that's a good idea?'

'After the crap he's put me through these past years I'd say it's the best idea I've ever had.'

'Peyton, I supported your wish not to see him because I knew it would kill you seeing them together. That's not the case now; you're doing this out of anger. It's understandable but it could backfire. He could decide that he has a better shot with Lindsay after all. Then you could lose him for good.'

'I already have! Brooke I lost him the night in the hotel room when he decided I wasn't worth waiting for! He can go back to Lindsay for all I care. They can have lame-ass, boring dinner parties and have ugly babies, and they would be ugly!' Peyton was surprised by her own outburst. Brooke chuckled slightly.

'What I'm trying to say is don't close the door on that part of your life, you might find it's never open to you again. I could kick his ass for all the crappy things that happened with you guys but that's all you're remembering right now. A relationship is bound to look doomed when all you let yourself remember is the bad stuff. You should take a little time and think about everything, the good the bad and the ugly, about your time with Lucas. There was a lot of good there too P Sawyer.'



'I know, but you know how hard it is for me to let someone in at all Brooke. How do I keep letting him in when all I get is hurt?'

Peyton was now crying softly and Brooke wrapped her arm around the blonde's neck and rested their heads together.

'Nothing worth having comes easy, honey. You should know that better than anyone. All I'm saying is that if any couple can make it through something like this it's you and Lucas. Possibly Nathan and Haley also. Maybe me and Owen soon.'

They both laughed at Brooke's attempt at lightening the mood.

Later that night Lucas was on his way to Nathan and Haley's house for dinner. He knew they wouldn't be surprised at his news, he had told them he was breaking up with Lindsay but he needed to talk to them about Peyton.

When dinner was served and he had finished telling them the details of the break up he noticed someone was missing.

'Where's Jamie?'

'He's at Deb's house, nice of you to only just notice by the way. I'll tell him about this,' Haley laughed.

'Sorry, I'm completely wrapped up in my own stuff just now.'

'Yeah, how are you doing?'

'I'm fine about the break up,' he sighed. 'I don't think Peyton will ever want anything to do with me again though.'

'Lucas, she's angry. She has every right to be angry but she will come around.'

'How do you know that Hales? What if she never does? I know I don't deserve her but I can't imagine my life with anyone else.'

'Luke, this is a girl who risked her strongest friendship for you, twice. She has turned herself upside down to make you love her the last few months and you proposed to Lindsay. You don't get over love like that but you also don't forget rejection like that quickly. Suck it up and stop complaining. If you need to jump through hoops for her for a while you'll do it with a smile on your face.'

'I wouldn't mind doing anything she asked to win her back. The problem is she's not asking. She doesn't want me in her life. She's seeing someone else,' he sneered. 'She came home this morning, obviously after a wild night. God, I bet it's that Chris guy from the band. What the hell is she doing with that loser! She can do better.'

Nathan laughed and shook his head.

'Like my genius wife said, suck it up!'



'Lucas, if she doesn't want you around her right now you should respect that. It might make her realise she misses you. And she has every right to be dating; she had to watch you and Lindsay. I doubt it's the guy from the band though. All you can do right now is what she asks.'

'Or, you could do the typical Lucas Scott thing. You could ignore what she says and do stupid and over the top things to make her see what she's missing,' joked Nathan.

'You're right Nate,' he said with surprise and jumped up from the table. 'Sorry guys, I gotta go. I'll stop by tomorrow to go over the team line up. Bye.'

'Luke wait...I was kidding...Lucas.'

When Lucas arrived home he immediately began rummaging through drawers looking for the old flash drive. He found it and plugged it into his computer. When he found the file he wanted he started printing. Page after page began spewing from the printer and he sat down to work on a letter to go with it.

The document printing was his second novel. He had never told anyone about its existence and Lindsay still thought the book he was working on now was his second. He had never wanted anyone to know about this though, it was too personal.

The book had been written shortly after the break up when he wasn't sleeping. He sat up night after night pouring his heart into it. He wanted her to have it. From his conversations with Peyton it seemed like she thought he hadn't taken the split as badly as he did. She would read this and know that wasn't true. She would find out how he had pined for her, cried with the pain of losing her, hoped for the day they'd reunite. She would also realise that he really had thought she was saying no to his proposal, that she was happier with her life in LA than her life in Tree Hill with him. He would make it clear in his letter that he no longer felt that way but it might explain to her why he had never tried to get in touch with her afterwards, and why he had settled for Lindsay.

As he settled in for a long night of writing he felt lighter than he had in years. If this didn't work he had a hundred other grand gestures he could try. He was the master of grand gestures.

Thanks for all the great reviews.