Tears welled in Peyton's sparkling green eyes as she remembered that day. Wiping them away, she turned around in her chair to stare out the window of her penthouse office. She tried in vain to refocus her thoughts back to the latest demo to hit her desk. The search for new talent was an endless journey. As one of the youngest A&R reps on the label, Peyton was always consumed with her work. It was hard for her to find time for much outside of work, and what little time she did have was once again being spent on the phone with Lucas.
After almost a month of not talking, Lucas had called her drunk late one night. He had told her that he missed her and loved her. Peyton had been too lonely to admit that she just didn't feel the same. Instead, she had lied to herself and to him and reciprocated his feelings. Besides, with an entire country between them, it was easy for them to keep living their separate lives. Lucas was busy writing most nights. Peyton had wondered at first if there was another woman. It would have made it easier if there was. However, she knew that his only mistress was his work. After everything that had gone on with the two of them and Brooke in high school, he would never put her through that again.
As she wiped away the absent tear that had slipped from her eyes, the telephone blared from her desk, snapping her out of her daze and bringing her back to reality. Peyton glanced at the caller identification and then at the framed photograph on her desk. She forced a smile automatically without realizing that there was no one there to see her. She seemed to be doing a lot of that these days. Peyton knew that she should be happy to hear from him, but every time the phone rang, a little part of her wished that it was someone else…wished that it was Nathan.
"Peyton Sawyer," she answered curtly, absently tucking a loose curl behind her ear.
"Hey, Peyton, it's me," the familiar voice said on the other end of the line. Peyton knew that she should feel comfort at the sound of his voice, but she only felt lonelier. It was hard to have him reaching out for her when all she wanted to do was go further inside herself. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm not going to be able to make it out this weekend like I thought. There's this tournament in town, and one of the teams want to book my mom's café for a family dinner or something. I have to stay and help out."
"Can't she get someone else to take care of it? I mean, that is what she has employees for, Luke," Peyton pointed out. She really couldn't stand the idea of another weekend in her loft alone. It gave her too much time to think and remember.
"There isn't anyone else who can help her with this right now. Everyone else has had to work a lot lately since my mom was sick with the flu," Lucas explained. "It's been busy. They deserve some time off, too. Besides, I could use some time to write. You understand, don't you, Peyt?"
She wanted to say that she didn't understand, she needed him to be with her in Los Angeles with her. It was the only way she could convince herself that she was in love him, too. However, that wouldn't be fair to Lucas, especially considering all the times she has had to cancel on him because of work. "Sure, Luke, I understand. It's fine. I'll just pick up some movies or go out and see some bands," she lied. Silently, she prayed that Lucas would hear the sadness in her voice and tell her that he had changed his mind.
"Great, you're the best!" he exclaimed before muffling the receiver to answer someone in the background. "Look, I've gotta run. I'll try to call you later if I get time."
"Bye, Luke," she said softly.
"Peyton, I love- " he started to respond as she hung up the phone. Looking back out the window, Peyton knew that she had to get out of there. As the air in the room suddenly turned hot, she felt stifled in her spacious office. Grabbing her jacket and handbag, she quickly made her way out of the office and outside the sidewalk. Dodging the traffic on the street, Peyton headed to the one place she knew that she could make sense of the mess that was her life. She needed to find a bridge, and she needed to find it fast.