CHAPTER 31

Day twenty-one

Lucas couldn't understand how he'd gone this long without Peyton. Everything about her intoxicated him and even after three weeks he still couldn't believe that she'd gone. Any second he was expecting her to walk up to him with a smile she knew he loved… he closed his eyes tightly and then re-opened them.

Everyday this week he had decided to walk to and from school it gave him time to appreciate the good weather they'd been having, but also because he knew that when he got back to the house it would be empty and he'd end up wallowing in his own self pity. He breathed in deeply and looked around; Tree Hill High School was full of students leaving after a day full of working and being stuck in doors. He reached for his ipod in his pocket, took it out put the buds in his ears and turned up the music. The Honorary Title blared in his ears and one line in particular, halfway through the song, made him pause and shake his head at the irony,

'I love you and I miss you, what else is there to say…'

He skipped the song quickly and without taking a second glance back started walking shoving his hands into his pockets on the way.

Haley watched him go with an unreadable expression. Nathan walked up beside her and kissed her cheek but she barely recognised it.

'What's up Hales?' He asked.

'I'm worried about Lucas.' Haley admitted.

'What's Broody done now?' They turned and saw Brooke reaching them, her face held a solemn smile of greeting.

'Has he spoken to either of you lately?' Haley asked and Nathan and Brooke both shook their heads.

Haley sighed, 'He's took it hard.'

The other two didn't need to ask what, they both knew that it was Peyton's departure,

'Haven't we all.' Nathan said quietly, a note of bitterness in his voice.

'You know its different Nate. He loves her and he's closing us all out.'

'What can we do about it?' Brooke asked.

'Well unless you can erase people's minds and make him forget that this summer even existed then I doubt we can do anything.' Nathan sarcastically retorted.

'There has to be something…' Haley insisted.

'Have either of you spoken to Peyton lately?' Nathan asked.

Haley shook her head but Brooke said, 'Yeah, I spoke to her last week.'

'What?' Nathan said surprised.

'I sent her an email cuz I felt bad. You know, we're all here she's all alone in Los Angeles…' Nathan nodded guilty. 'I asked her how she was doing, how LA was for her after good ol' Tree Hill etc…'

'Has she replied?' Haley asked.

'Yeah. It was hard to decipher her tone through an email but I think she's pretty crushed to be honest. She asked about you two and…Luke. But I had a feeling she found it hard to talk about him.'

'This is so messed up.' Nathan groaned.

'What can we do?' Haley asked and neither could think of an answer to give her.

Nathan frowned at the floor. It was hard for them and yet, really, they'd only been outsiders to the love that was Lucas and Peyton and so he couldn't even begin to imagine how Lucas was feeling right now. He felt a pang of guiltiness at the thought of Peyton all alone in LA… what could he do?

Friday. The rest of the week had been filled with the three friends trying their hardest to take Lucas' mind off things; although anything they did say seemed to trigger off a memory of some sort of his time with Peyton. It didn't take words to trigger anything anyway because she was constantly in his thoughts. Day and Night.

Lucas sighed as he flung his school bag onto his bed. He needed something, anything to take his mind off his girl. He eyed his laptop warily; ironically his girlfriend's departure had done wonders for his inspiration. Of course, anything he wrote was full of heartbreak, longing and sadness… but somehow it helped him to vent his emotions.

Opening his laptop he realised he hadn't actually turned it off this morning after his bout of early morning inspiration; he looked at the word document with a sigh and read the last paragraph over again…

It was more than just a comet because of what it brought to his life. Direction, beauty, meaning. There were many who couldn't understand and sometimes he walked among them but even in his darkest hours he knew in his heart that someday it would return to him and his world would be whole again and his belief in god and art and love would be reawakened in his heart.

He sighed and ran a hand over his face.

Metaphorically he could argue that it was about a scientist and the sky.

Realistically he'd argue that it was about Peyton Sawyer.

He'd gotten the inspiration a week ago when he'd lain on their spot on the beach alone looking up at the stars, he'd sworn he'd seen a shooting star and he'd turned his head to the side wishing that one person was lying beside him. His mind had wondered and he remembered Peyton talking about her car, her Comet, she'd expressed her love for it and warned that if anyone touched it she threatened them with actual bodily harm. He remembered bursting into laughter thinking she was joking until he realised she was deadly serious. That was probably one of the times he realised he was in deep trouble, it was one of the times he realised that he was falling for Peyton Sawyer and her quirky ways…

After he'd deduced she was serious he remembered laughing at how possessive she'd been about her car but looking back he realised that Peyton was and probably always would be his Comet.

And he was just waiting for her to return to him…

What could he say? He was a masochist and he knew it.

Peyton walked through her apartment door with a sigh and dropped her school bag to the floor almost instantaneously. She strode down the hallway and into her room placing a vinyl onto her record player. She closed her eyes as the lyrics washed over her with another sigh before turning it up slightly and ambling back down the hall and into the kitchen. She hated being in this apartment all alone and since her dad had left on a trip a week ago she'd been just that.

Larry had made sure she was okay before he left, although she was far from it. She'd convinced him however, that she was fine and she was glad when he took the job. Truthfully it was tiring trying to convince everyone everything was hunky dory when her heart felt like it was slowly splitting in two.

It was hard leaving Lucas, it was hard coming home and it got harder everyday.

She opened the cupboard, just for something to do, and eyed the bottle of vodka in front of her. She'd never truthfully been that person, a person who drank to take away their troubles. Of course, she'd done just that when her mother died but she'd never go back to it. She'd sworn that a year ago.

She wouldn't weaken. She couldn't do it to her Dad again.

She remembered the words he'd told her about six months ago when she'd broken up with Jake. He'd been worried that she'd slip back into her old ways and although she'd assured him she wouldn't it still made him worry,

He'd said, 'I can't do it again Peyton, I can't. Last time was like hell and back and I've never felt so lost… so helpless. I didn't know how to help you, I didn't know how to take away the pain I desperately wanted to get rid of for you. I knew I was letting your mother down completely and I just- never want it to happen again because I love you Peyt.'

She smiled faintly at the words now. She was never going to put her dad in that much pain again, however much she was hurting on the inside.

Peyton sighed for the umpteenth time today. She truly was past it, she'd grown up. She shut the cupboard door with a bang and half a smile. Her thoughts drifted to Lucas, he would have been proud of her… she knew that. She didn't deserve his adoration but she got it unconditionally, she let out a breath and grasped the counter.

She loved him so much that it physically hurt. She closed her eyes and wondered fleetingly how he was getting on in Tree Hill and whether he ever thought about her.

Three weeks seemed like a long time… her summer in Tree Hill seemed like a lifetime ago…

Lucas walked aimlessly around his room. He couldn't sit down and yet he had nothing else to do. Every task he tried to put his mind to it inevitably wondered to Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer. He was sick of everyone shirting around him. Nathan, Haley and Brooke were masters at it, that's why he was purposely avoiding them. But even Skills and Mouth and some of the River Court guys were doing it too. Everyone was acting like this summer never happened, like they'd never known Peyton Sawyer. He knew it was hurting his three closest friends but they never mentioned her to him once.

He didn't want it to be like this. He didn't want to forget the summer and he didn't want to pretend he hadn't known her. Least of all, he didn't want to pretend that he wasn't in love with her. Because he was.

He was physically drained because Whitey (his coach) had been pushing them hard in basketball. Evidently he really wanted state this year, but it left his muscles sore. However he also knew his mind was too full to sleep. Maybe basketball was the answer. Surely that'd do him some good, wear him out even more. He pulled open a drawer where he kept his 'Keith Scott…' hoodie, he began to pull it out and somehow he smelt a whiff of Peyton. He closed his eyes and breathed in. Of course... she'd practically lived in this hoodie. He'd never seen a simple and unflattering piece of clothing look so good on someone before and the thought of her wearing it in his minds eye made him smile.

It looked so real that when he opened his eyes he half expected to see her standing in front of him with a wide smile. He was disappointed however and his face fell into a frown before he pulled the hoodie out of his drawer completely and rather aggressively.

Something fell out with it and he frowned at the white envelope on the floor.

Stooping slightly he picked it up and felt his heart beat faster at the writing, it was hers spelling out his name. He breathed in deeply, his heart doing somersaults in his chest.

It took him minutes until he finally mastered the energy to open the envelope without having a heart attack during the process. At its contents he found his knees give out so that he sank down onto his bed, sitting with it in his hands, his heart breaking all over again…

Nathan's finger hovered over the send button on his laptop. He scanned the page once more and took a deep breath before closing his eyes and letting his finger drop. His laptop beeped and he opened his eyes to see that his email had been successfully sent. He only hoped it would be enough.

With that done he picked up his basketball, twirling it in his hands for a moment, and headed over to his brother's house for some much needed healing time.

Peyton stirred her 'Paley' with a shadow of a smile. Thinking of Haley, Brooke and Nathan didn't hurt as much as thinking of Lucas. Even so it still hurt. She was glad that Brooke had gotten in touch though; it was good to hear from her. She understood completely why the others hadn't however. Especially Lucas.

Sipping her beer and ice cream concoction she looked over at her laptop as it beeped indicating she had an email. Involuntarily her heart did a somersault in her chest, was it… could it be? She shook her head, by thinking that way she was only setting herself up for disappointment. She double clicked on the little bubble and choked on her drink,

To; Peyton Sawyer

From; Nathan Scott

No way! Nathan Scott had sent her an email. It took her a minute to process but when she did she immediately abandoned the drink and clicked on the message before reading on,

'Hey there Sawyer,

[Insert false cheeriness here] How's LA treating ya?

I'm sure you're rolling your eyes right about now. But seriously, how are you doing?

I've got to say that Tree Hill ain't the same without you Sawyer! Neither is our little group but most of all… neither is Lucas. I'm sorry for bringing him up because I have a small inkling of how this might make you feel. But I just thought I'd let you know that he's thinking about you, everyday. Probably more than we even realise.

I'm sorry I'm probably really bumming you out right now…

Well what might make you laugh is I walked into the apartment the other day and Haley was sitting at the counter drinking one of those awful things that you made with her; she called it a 'Paley'. Just so you know, I'm rolling my eyes as I write this. Seriously what is it with you two and that horrible thing?

But I think it shows that she misses you too, like the rest of us. It's hard Peyt, for us, I can't even imagine what it's like for you.

So I just want conformation that you're okay. Just a simple email back even if it just says, 'Nathan, I'm fine' at least then I'll be able to sleep soundly!

I'm always here if you need to talk, remember that.

Love

Nathan.'

Peyton's tears overflowed with a laugh. It was so typically Nathan. His personality shone through, he was so charming and yet caring at the same time. She pressed reply straight away, wiping away some of the wetness on her cheeks,

Hey Nate…

She'd just pressed send when there was knock at her door, knowing it would be Jake she called out for him to come in.

'Hey.'

Peyton turned around quickly, 'Hey.'

Peyton looked at her former boyfriend. He'd been around ever since she'd gotten home and although she felt a familiar sense of happiness at seeing him again it was nothing to what she knew she'd feel if Lucas were here.

The simple fact being that she was in love with her current boyfriend and nothing would change that, not even the reappearance of her ex boyfriend. She'd told him all of this, in a nicer way of course, but he still stuck around insisting that he'd be there for her and although she loved him for it, she didn't need it…all she needed was Lucas.

Jake smiled, 'Right, so I've come to take your mind off things.'

'What things?' Peyton asked innocently and she saw Jake roll his eyes.

'Just come out with me and have some fun. You don't even have to like me. Just get out of this apartment.' Jake smiled and Peyton couldn't help but chuckle. She couldn't deny him that. Anyway it might be good to get her mind off Lucas for a while, maybe the ache in her chest would lessen slightly.

'All right…' She muttered, pulling on her jacket and shutting her laptop for good measure before following Jake out of the apartment.

Nathan forced a grin before pushing open his brother's door, without knocking, and bouncing his basketball into the room.

'Luke, I thought we could go shoot some hoops, you know… like old times…' He stopped and the grin faded as his brother's tortured expression stared back at him. The tears in his eyes alarmed Nathan more than anything else…

'Luke.' He said again, but this time it was softer as he sat down next to him. His eyes were drawn to the paper in his hands. Lucas passed it to him and Nathan's heart constricted slightly, it was a picture of Lucas and Peyton sitting on the beach a bubble over them saying, I'm going to love you forever Lucas Scott.

Nathan gulped and turned to the letter, he wasn't sure whether he wanted to read it. Instead he looked at his brother. All along he'd been trying to brush the situation under the carpet and try to forget about it. What he should have been doing is simply talking to Luke.

A problem shared is a problem halved, right?

Before he had a chance to say anything Lucas looked at him and Nathan was surprised that his tortured expression had changed to something more hopeful. It was obvious why as the words tumbled out of his mouth in a hurry shocking Nathan completely out of his inner debate,

'I've got to see her Nate. I'm going to LA.'

I'm kinda evil for giving you a cliffhanger aren't I? lol Sorry. But i do hope you liked this chapter, no LP :( But i needed the chapter to get to where the stories going!! :D

OTH is getting really good. All the drama is building up and the next five episodes look really good, judging from the promo. But fingers crossed Lucas and Peyton get married, have a baby that is healthy and on top of that Peyton's fine. I mean, seriously is it too much to ask?! :P

Peyton making a 'memory baby box' was heartbreaking :( On a lighter note i loved the song that was playing, Save you. :) Its a shame we have to wait another two weeks for an episode now :|

Anyways I was and still am enormously grateful to the reviews i keep getting for this story. They make me so happy and because of the great response for the last chapter i went on a bit of a writing spree and wrote about ten pages... i have to look over it all and decide what to put where but it was the reviews that inspired me ;) So thank you!!