Frozen in Ink

Chapter 1: One More Drink

"Excuse me please, one more drink. Could you make it strong? Because I don't need to think she broke my heart. My grace is gone. One more drink and I'll be gone"

- Dave Matthews Band (Grace is Gone)

The wedding is over, and Nathan didn't have to pretend to be happy for Luke anymore. In fact, he got to sink in his own despair while asking the bartender to pour him another drink. Haley told him she was done. She was done with his lies, the addiction he kept so close to his heart. He needed to be out of their house, he needed to get away from Jamie. He could no longer blame it on Nanny Carrie or anyone else. He could only blame himself. "Vodka, straight." He said tipping his glass. The bartender nodded and took the glass away. He was so sick to his stomach he couldn't move, he couldn't think. Right now, Lucas was on a plane, going to Hawaii with his new wife. He couldn't talk to him. And even if he could his brother would most likely not agree with him anyway. Lucas was Haley's best friend.

"Maybe we should spend some more time apart." Haley said breathing out a gush of air. "Hales I'm tired of this. I want to come home!" It was after Lucas and Lindsey's wedding reception and the two had gone upstairs to their bedroom to talk. Nathan wanted to talk about coming home; Haley had something else on her mind. "You can't Nathan! I'm sorry, but what you did was wrong!" Haley took her high heels off and pulled her hair back out of her face. "What else could I possibly say?" He asked his hands in his pocket. "There is nothing left to say Nate." Haley exhaled trying to stay calm. Haley pulled out the luggage from under the bed, the bed where they made love countless times, and cuddled up close so many nights to go to sleep. "What do you mean?" Nathan asked her tears coming up to his eyes. "Nathan," She breathed trying to keep her own tears from spilling out of her eyes. "I think you should leave, please just pack up the rest of your things and go." "Hales!" Nathan said putting his head in his hands. "For how long?" He asked. "For good Nathan. I want a divorce."

"Vodka." The bartender said placing the beverage in front of him. "Thanks man." Nathan said, and then gulped the beverage down. Nathan mind begin to wonder, after he called to the man for another round. He thought of his suitcase sitting in his trunk right now, he thought of Jamie, going to sleep right now, he thought about how much he'd give up for him. He thought of Haley and he thought of how much his heart was broken, and how maybe another drink just might be able to fix it.

"P. Sawyer! What the hell are you doing?" Peyton laughed as she stumbled into the house. "Well Hiyah Brooke!" Peyton said with a huge smile on her face. "You're drunk." Brooke said. "Noooo! I'm not dunk!! In fact I only had one or maybe seven margaritas. Brooke rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on mommy! I'm fine! Let's have a drink!" Brooke laughed at tumbled on the couch with Peyton. "Yeah. How 'bout some coffee?" "With Kailua?" Peyton asked, eyes shinning. "P. I know you're upset but c'mon..." "I'm not upset. C'mon that sexy new bartender is waiting." "I think I'm gonna sit this one out Peyt." Brooke said shaking her head. Peyton grabbed her purse and tried to straighten out the wrinkles in her dress. Brooke knew she honestly couldn't stop Peyton from walking out the door. She was twenty-two, a grown woman, for god sakes. "At least let me drop you off, you can't afford a DUI either." Brooke said putting on her brave face. And with that Peyton and Broke walked out of the house.

Brooke watched Peyton stumble out of the car and into the bar. Who had ever heard of an already drunk person, going into a bar to get even more wasted? Brooke brushed her dark brown hair out of her eyes and tried to hold back her tears. At Luke's wedding Peyton didn't see anything. She just sat at the bar drinking, until last call, which was about eight. Brooke had to leave, she felt sick watching Luke and Lindsey together, so she left, and asked Mouth to drive Peyton back home. She knew this was something Peyton had to go through. All she could do was be there for her, Because in her darkest hour, she'd need P. Sawyer but probably a few Cosmos as well.

Peyton stumbled into the bar, to find Nathan on a stool. She walks over and sits next to him. They don't speak, she just watches him drink, and he notices her green eyes on him. "How are you?" He asks turning toward her. "Not good." She admits. He smiles as he smells the alcohol on her breath. "Jeez Sawyer! How much have you had to drink?" Peyton rolls her eyes. "How about you? God you smell like a vodka bottle." "Peyton you smell too." Nathan says matter of factly Nathan motions the bartender. "Can we get some shots over here?" He asks. The man nods. "So are we celebrating?" She asks. "Something like that." Nathan says smiling.

The problem is that when you think some distant time ago, that you could never get any drunker, it's humanly impossible, think again. Peyton threw back another shot. She could no longer control anything. Just swallowing and telling Nathan all the things swimming in her mind. "And then she said she wanted a divorce." Nathan told her. "I'm sorry. She doesn't know what she's missing. You're great in bed." Nathan laughed. "I think that was part of my problem Peyton. All I wanted out of life was sex, I had a fucking affair. With our nanny! What the hell was I thinking?" Peyton tucked a piece of her curly blonde hair back behind her ear. "I don't know. But maybe it was a bad idea to come after Lucas. He obviously no longer loves me. He married her." Nathan shook his head taking another shot off the tray. "The problem is that it's all over. You and Lucas, me and Haley, It's done. It really hurts to know that I'll never be with her again. But I have a piece of her left." "What could that be?" She asked taking a shot off the tray and swallowing it. "Jamie." He said looking down at his lap. "But you…" Nathan started. "But I have his books." They both sat there in silence and thought which record of their relationship was worse. The one that was living or the one that would surpass time.

At 2 o'clock Brooke began to worry. She felt like a mother waiting for her teen to come home after staying out past curfew, but she never had a mother who ever really gave a damn anyway, so maybe she saw some worried mom do this on some TV show. Brooke sat on the couch and flipped through that month's issue of B. Davis. She then closed it and flipped the TV on. After a few minutes she flipped it back off. Brooke tried to remind herself that Peyton is a grown woman that she can take care of herself. But it breaks her heart to see her best friend like that. Brooke gets up and walks into Peyton's room. She knows what she's looking for, even it's exact place. Peyton swore they burned her last copy but Brooke knows better. She opens her top dresser drawer and moves Peyton's socks and underwear until she finds what she's looking for, Lucas's book. Brooke moves everything to back where it was before and closes the drawer. She looks back at Peyton's bed and frowns. To Brooke this new beginning seems like a bad start, because in the end of something like this it always leads up to someone's demise.

Peyton looks up at him, and smiles. This is what she wants, this is what she needs. Nathan reaches underneath Peyton trying to unzip her dress. The back of his car is more unfamiliar then it ever has been before. It's not the same car as in high school, but yet, Peyton feels like she should have been more prepared for this. Nathan gets the dress off of her and begins to kiss her neck. "Peyt." He says grin on his face as he nuzzles her neck. She's drunk to think about, whether this is wrong, and to drunk to even care. This is her release. For all she knows, Lucas is probably fucking Lindsey at this exact moment. She begins to work on the buttons of his dress shirt, and her lips meet his. Nathan runs his tongue over her mouth and she lets him in. Nathan arches his shoulder as his shirt is pulled off. The kiss deepens as more clothing is pulled off. The car windows are all steamed up leaving Peyton and Nathan giggling. "Peyton," He whispered, it's so loaded. Reminding her of the first time she ever had sex. Their first time. She nods. Then the car in the parking lot of Tric begins to rock back in forth. And so, history repeats itself again, for Peyton and Nathan. In the backseat of his car.

TBC