My Saving Grace

Chapter 18 The Worst Day Since That Day

Sometimes bad things happen, but sometimes good things happen too.

The week had gone by slowly. Owen's parents had actually come home for his funeral. Riley almost didn't go, but she wanted to say her final goodbye. His parents didn't speak to her and barely even acknowledged her presence. She was disgusted by the way they pretended to grieve. She knew that they never really loved their son from the stories that Owen had told her.

No one knew that Peyton was pregnant besides Brooke. She wanted to wait until things got better around the house. Both Preston and Riley were dealing with a lot, and she wasn't ready to make her big announcement.

Things got worse when Riley's grandmother, Linda, came to town.

Right after the funeral Lucas had let Riley walk home alone. She didn't want to be around anyone and needed sometime to think.

Lucas was sitting on the couch when he heard a knock at the door. He was shocked when he saw his ex wife's mother. They had never really been fond of each other. "Linda," he couldn't believe that she was actually in Tree Hill. "What are you doing here?"

She made her way into the house. "I'm here to see my granddaughter. Where is she?"

"She went for a walk."

She was appalled, "I heard what happened to her. She shouldn't be out alone."

"How did you find out about the accident?"

"Well not from you that is for sure. I had to read about my granddaughter almost dying in a newspaper and magazines." She was upset with him.

"I thought you were in London."

"I have to go back in a few days. I'm going to take my granddaughter with me."

"What?" he wasn't going to let that happen. "You are not taking my daughter anywhere."

"If Riley wants to go with me you should let her. It is obvious that you are not doing a very good job taking care of her." She snapped at him. "She could have died. You need to let her go with me. I can take care of her."

Riley walked in. She had been crying that was obvious. "Grandma," she was also shocked to see her.

Linda ran towards her daughter. "Oh hey honey, I have missed you so much."

"What are you doing here?"

Lucas couldn't believe that he was helping his daughter pack her things to move to London. He had lost her once because of his lack of responsibility and commitment, and now he was about to lose her again.

He walked in her room to see that she had most of her bags packed. "Oh hey dad I'm almost done packing."

He nodded his head, "That's good."

"Dad I know this is hard for you, but thanks for letting me do this. I need this. I need to get away."

"I wish that I could say or do something that was going to make you stay, but I'm not going to stop you from doing something that you really want to do. I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm gonna miss you too, but I just don't think I can stay here. London will be a great distraction, and I'll be sure to call you all the time."

He was trying to hold it all together. "I'm gonna go ahead and take these bags down. You guys are going to leave soon."

"Yeah," she half way smiled. It had been a really rough week for her, and when her grandmother offered to take her to London to live she just couldn't pass it up.

She turned when she heard a knock at her door and saw Preston walk in. "Isn't there something I can say to make you stay?"

"I'm going to miss you Preston, but I don't want to be here anymore."

He hugged her. "I'm going to miss you so much. We've become so close. I hate to lose you."

"You aren't losing me. I'm not dead." Chills ran up and down her back when she said that. It made her think of Owen, but then again everything made her think of Owen and how much she missed him. "I'm going to call you every chance I get."

She still couldn't help but shake. Her heart was still breaking every single day that she had to live without Owen. She thought that if she left town things would get better and her heart would stop breaking.

……………………..

Lucas walked downstairs with her bags. Peyton met him half way. "She's almost ready," he told her.

"I can't believe that you aren't making her stay."

"I can't make her stay Peyt. I think that she needs this."

"She doesn't need this Lucas." Peyton shook her head and looked into her husbands eyes. "I'm gonna go say my goodbyes."

When Peyton walked upstairs she saw the embrace between Preston and Riley. "Hey guys."

"Oh hey mom," Preston smiled. "I was just telling my sister goodbye."

"Yeah that's nice. Could you take that bag downstairs for her?"

"Sure," Preston could tell his mom wanted to talk to Riley alone. He walked out of the room.

"You're finished packing." Peyton observed.

"Yeah," Riley shrugged.

Peyton noticed that she wasn't taking the picture of her and Owen. "You know that is a really good picture of you."

"Yeah I just don't think it is such a good idea to take it."

"He will always be apart of you Riley. I think your father is making a huge mistake by letting you go."

Riley sighed, "I need to go Peyton. I have too many bad memories in this town."

"Well as far as I can see you have a hell of a lot of good ones too." Peyton told her in a cold tone. "Trust me Riley running away isn't going to help. When the reality really sinks in that he is gone you are going to need your family."

"I'm going to be fine. Going to London will take my mind off things."

Peyton shook her head, "It doesn't matter where you are Riley you're still going to hurt, and I don't think that your grandmother is going to be there for you."

"She was there for me when my dad wasn't."

"Your father loves you that is why he is letting you go. He thinks that if he doesn't let you go then he will be hurting you, but I think you are making a huge mistake. If Preston wanted to leave me I would lock him in his room so fast his head would spin, and I have a good mind to do that to you."

Riley didn't say anything.

"But I'm not because it isn't what your father wants. He wants you to make your own decisions." Peyton walked to the door. "You belong here with your family. We need you and you need us." She turned back around and touched her stomach, "You better at least make plans to come back in nine months."

Riley raised one of her eyebrows. "Nine months?"

"Yeah if all goes according to plan your little brother or sister will be born." She smiled.

"You're pregnant?"

"Yeah but I haven't told your father yet."

"Wow," Riley couldn't believe that Peyton was going to have a baby. They had been trying so hard for so long. They deserved it.

"I was hoping to have your help, but I understand you need to get away from the town that hurt you so badly."

Peyton walked out of the room, and Riley sat on the bed. She had flashes of Owen. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't get him out of her head. Her phone rang. "Hello."

"Hey, have you left yet?" Katie's voice was heard on the other end of the line.

"No," Riley sighed.

"I am so excited that you are going to London. I'm actually kind of jealous."

"Why are you happy that I am going to London?"

"You don't have to be around your father anymore. He is such a loser."

Riley's blood began to boil. "My father is not a loser."

"Oh come on, he doesn't love you."

"He loves me more than anything in the world."

"Whatever, I'm just glad you are finally getting away from that lame town. You are so much better than that."

"You are such a bitch."

"What?"

"I love this town. You know you once told me that I changed, and it is a damn good thing that I did because I would hate to think I was anything like you. This town made me a better person, and my father helped with that."

"What has happened to you?"

"I grew up. Maybe you should try it sooner rather than later."

"I cannot believe you are acting like this."

"I can't believe we were ever friends. Please lose my number I never want to talk to you again." Riley hung up and looked around her room. She knew exactly what she had to do.

………………………………

Lucas was downstairs staring at Linda. He never liked her and he never would.

"Where is that granddaughter of mine?"

"Maybe she is coming to her senses." Peyton smiled deviously. She hoped her plan had worked.

Riley walked downstairs with her purse.

"There she is," Linda smiled. She was excited about taking her granddaughter away from Lucas. She didn't like him at all. "Are you ready to go?"

"Actually," Riley stopped and looked at her father. "I'm not going to London."

Lucas, Peyton, and Preston all smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

"What?" She looked more than displeased.

"I'm sorry grandmother, but this is where I'm supposed to be. I can't runaway from the things that have happened to me. It doesn't matter where I am I still lost someone that I loved with all of my heart. I'm going to need my dad."

"He has never been there for you."

"But he has more than made up for that. He is the best father a girl could ask for. He loves me and I love him, and I love this family and I love this town, and I don't want to go to London." She had tears running down her face. "I want to watch my little brother or my little sister grow up."

Lucas looked at Peyton, and Riley realized what she had said. "Um…."

"Peyton," Lucas gave her the eye.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" Lucas had a huge smile across his face.

"Wow," Preston chimed in.

"I'm sorry but this is my life, and it might be hard at times but I'll get through it because I'll have my family to depend on. We can always get through anything as long as we have each other." She gave her grandmother a hug. "Thank you for the offer. It was nice of you to think of me, but the last thing I need is to be away from my dad."

"Fine," Linda pulled away from the hug. "It was always your decision to make. I would have loved to have you."

"I know, but it isn't right."

"Right," she gave her one last hug. "Call me if you ever need anything."

"I will. I promise."

Linda walked out of the house.

Lucas hugged his daughter. "I'm so glad you decided to stay."

"Me too," she bit her bottom lip.

He looked at Peyton. "You're pregnant and you didn't even tell me."

"I was waiting for the right time."

"Sorry I ruined it." Riley apologized.

"It's okay." Peyton smiled. "Are you happy?"

Lucas smiled back at her, "You know it." He rubbed her stomach. "I couldn't be happier." He gave her a kiss. "We're going to have a baby." They kissed again and Preston hugged his mother.

Riley walked upstairs. She couldn't handle all the lovey dovey moments. She knew that she made the right decision by staying in Tree Hill, but her pain from losing Owen wasn't going away. Sometimes she wished that he wouldn't have saved her. That he would have just let her die, but he didn't and now she had to learn to live without him.

Okay so this chapter was supposed to be a little different than it actually was. I wanted to show that Riley is upset, but she is trying to stay strong becuase that is what Owen wanted her to do. I was going to make Linda a bigger part in the story, but I lost my vision that I had for her, and I just used her to show that Riley needs her family more than anything, and leaving would have been a horrible thing.

I wanted to thank you guys so much for reviewing. I was so afraid that you guys were going to give up on me because I killed Owen. So it was nice to see that you didn't.

I can tell you that the next chapter is really interesting, and I can't wait to get it finished so I can post it.

Let me know what ya thought. I can't wait to hear it.