A month after the signing of the divorce papers, Peyton's label was up and running, and so was her relationship with Chase. They were going on three or four dates a week, and it meant her kids had to make dinner for themselves, but they didn't mind, because their mom seemed happy. Brooke was a little weirded out by the fact that her best friend was dating her ex, but then, Peyton had been married to her ex, so it wasn't too bad. Nathan and Haley were happy that she was moving on, and Peyton did her best to avoid Lucas. She had even begun to allow the kids to drive themselves to their father's house every other weekend. The school year was drawing to a close, and Peyton had decided that she wouldn't be teaching the next year, choosing instead to focus on the label.
Of course, as much as she tried to avoid Lucas physically, she couldn't avoid the fact that most of her thoughts were about him. She missed him, greatly, and even if she had given the ring back, the tan line still hadn't faded from her finger, and the marks would neve r fade from her heart. She would forever remember Lucas Scott, and all the memories they'd shared, and when they received the divorce papers in the mail in about five months, it would be even more real than it already was, and considering they were both seeing other people, it was pretty real already. "Hey, you, where's your mind?" a voice broke Peyton out of her thoughts.
Shaking her head slightly, trying to get Lucas out of it, Peyton focused on Chase, standing in front of her. She smiled. He didn't incite butterflies, or make her heart speed up, but she really was happy to see him. She leaned across the counter and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. She was picking up the morning shift at the Café because Karen's employee had a family crisis, leaving the brunette who she still considered a mother, even if she wasn't really married to her son anymore, shorthanded. Peyton had offered to do the work because it was Saturday, her day off, and because she had always enjoyed spending time at the Café.
The girls, mainly Brooke, had declared it a girls day later, though, so when the afternoon person came in and relieved her of her duties, Peyton would be forced to go shopping with Brooke and Haley. "I know you've got a girls day later," he paused, noticing the look she sent him. "Brooke told Owen, who told me," he was quick to explain, and she nodded understandingly. "Anyway, I was thinking that when you're done with that, we can have dinner together, you and me?" he asked, cocking his eyebrow in a curious and not a bit cocky way.
Smiling widely, Peyton wanted to agree, but then remembered her prior arrangement. "I kind of made my kids promise to be home tonight, so we can all have dinner together, since it's been a while," she confessed and his face fell slightly. Biting on her bottom lip, she tried to figure out the best way to rectify the situation. The smile returned to her face when she realized the perfect solution. "Why don't you join us? They've be en begging to officially meet you for a while now, and I think it would be the perfect idea," she suggested, smiling the smile she knew he couldn't refuse.
The brunette didn't even want to refuse. He agreed, and then placed another kiss on her lips before leaving, due to the fact that some customers came into the Café. Peyton went back to work with a smile on her face, one that was still there a little while later, when Haley and Brooke entered the Café. The person had already come to relieve her and she was sitting in a booth by the door, waiting for them. "Do I really have to go along with this? Can't we have a girls night pigging out on ice cream and bad movies or something?" she whined, not really wanting to go with Brooke Davis to the mall, but wanting to spend some time with her girls regardless.
Both Brunettes shared a smile, but Haley was the one to answer. "Of course you have to do this. We are in desperate need of a girly day," she said with a firm nod. "Besides, Mama's in desperate need of some new clothes," she said, placing her hand on her belly that wasn't even showing yet. The petite brunette was only three months pregnant. Peyton and Brooke both looked at her in disbelief, before the three of them started laughing. "Okay, okay, I haven't gained anything yet. In fact, I might have lost a few pounds so far. The point it, though, I'm going to be gaining soon, and neither of you will want to be around me if I have no clothes to wear," she said with a firm nod.
With that, the three women left the Café, laughing as they piled into Peyton's Comet. That was Peyton's condition. If she was going shopping, they had to take her car. The three best friends chatted throughout the whole drive, and the talking didn't stop when they reached the mall, and Brooke began dragging them into every possible store. Haley kept up with her for a while, but a few hours into the trip, she started complaining about needing some food for the baby. Peyton started complaining, though only half seriously, five minutes into the trip. Eventually they convinced Brooke to stop in the food court.
While they were on the way there, Peyton noticed a couple, standing outside a store a few stores away from where they were. The girl was hanging on the guys arm, reaching up and kissing him in between parts of their conversation. Peyton didn't even need to do a double take to recognize that it was Lucas and Lindsey. Stopping short, Peyton could remember days she spent doing the very same thing with Lucas. She could see Lindsey's baby bump, and the sight brought back a memory of her and Lucas.
FLASHBACK
The familiar shiver went down her spine as Lucas leaned down, placing a kiss on her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed as her husbands arms wrapped around her, joining on her enlarged stomach. She was only four months, but she was definitely gaining weight already, and a lot of it. That was to be expected, though, since she was having six kids. When the doctors first told her, she was shocked, but then, that had always been a possibility going through the fertility treatments. It was unexpected, but she and Lucas were completely overjoyed. They were currently shopping, for some maternity clothes for her, but Lucas was more distracting her than helping her.
As he stood behind her, his lips working magic on her neck until her found her spot, she stood there, eyes closed, enjoying every minute of it. She loved when he showered her with attention, especially when she was pregnant, because it let her know that he was still attracted to her, even though she looked like a whale. Of course, every time she said that, he told her she was the most beautiful pregnant woman he's ever seen. "Lucas," she murmured, but he didn't stop. "Luke, you have to stop now. We're in public," she scolded, not really wanting him to, but forcing herself to pull away from his lips anyway.
Smirking at her, he stepped up so he was next to her again, and took her hand as they stood in front of the store window, "You know you love it, my beautiful, amazing wife," he said, bringing her hand up to his lips for a soft, gentle kiss. She giggled and blushed, but opened her mouth to dispute his claim. He brought his free hand up to place a finger on her lips. "Don't even lie and say you're not beautiful. Have you looking in a mirror lately," he said, his smirk turning into a charming smile as he openly checked her out.
Blushing even more, Peyton reached up and quickly kissed him, grinning when he placed his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. Reluctantly, she pulled away, giggling. "As much as I love this side of you, we really have to shop for some clothes. I can't wear your clothes forever," she said, because she was wearing a pair of his sw eat pants, a tee-shirt of his and his Keith Scott Body Shop sweatshirt. She turned back to the window, trying to decide if she really wanted to go in the shop. He played nice, just standing next to her with his arm around her waist, but she couldn't help it. A few seconds later she was pulling him down to kiss him again.
END FLASHBACK
For some reason, Peyton feels the need to walk up to Lucas. She sends Brooke and Haley a look, and they both retreat into the nearest store. Then she starts walking toward the blonde and his girlfriend. Lucas spots her and murmurs something to Lindsey before he begins to head towards Peyton, leaving the brunette behind. The walk towards Lucas was a lot longer than Peyton expected, or maybe it just felt that way. It was really the first time she'd seen him since the signing of the papers, and she didn't hate him like she had expected to.
Memories of the past washed over her, and she couldn't help but wonder about how Lindsey treated him. She remembered the days he used to come home from practice and collapse on the couch because he was exhausted, and she would rub his feet, just to be nice. She remembered the times Lucas had stayed up late, playing PS2 with the boys even though it was past their bed time. She remembered how Lucas liked her to massage his scalp after he got his hair cut. There were little things like that she remembered doing for him, and she couldn't help but wonder if Lindsey did those things for him. Sure, the couple looked perfect together, at least in Peyton's scorned mind, but did Lindsey know him like Peyton did?
Then there was Chase. Chase was a great guy, and he was great to her, really he was, but the little things, he just didn't know yet. Sure, they'd only been together a month, but she could remember all the things Lucas used to do for her. When they wer e at their high points, he would always call her in the middle of the day, even when they were in the same school, just to say hi, and that he loved her. Sometimes he would buy a bouquet and when he would get home with it he would knock on the door, so he could present it to her when she opened it. She also remembered all the times he kissed her on the forehead, just before sex, because he knew she loved it. They were little things, but they were things Chase didn't even know she liked.
When they reached each other, Peyton smiled softly. She raised her hand in greeting, but she wasn't really sure what to say. Lucas met her gaze, and she found herself unable to look away. She missed him so much, but at the same time, she kind of wished Chase was there, so Lucas could see that she'd moved on. She missed Chase, but not in the same way she missed the blonde. She wished that it could be the same way, but it never would be. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You guys look pretty great together," she said, like it wasn't killing her inside. Something told her that he knew how she was feeling.
Trying to pretend he wasn't concerned for her, he smiled, but neither of them looked back at the brunette he had just walked away from. "Thanks," he said. He desperately wanted to ask about Chase, but he wouldn't allow himself to. As much as he wanted to ask, he also didn't want to know. He wasn't sure he could handle the information. All Haley had told him was that Peyton and Chase were going out. She hadn't told him if they were serious, of if the guy was treating her right, or if Peyton was falling in love with him. He couldn't ask any of that without sounding like he wished it was her he was kissing every time he kissed Lindsey, even if that was the truth. 'Not as great as we were,' was what he really wanted to say to her comment, above all else.
With a smile in return to his thanks, she shrugged, as if it was no big deal. As if she hadn't really wanted to add, 'but not as good as we looked together.' Nope, she couldn't add that, not without proving to hi m and herself that every time she hugged Chase, she wished it was Lucas who had his arms wrapped around her. She knew no one would compare to Lucas, and it was unfair of her to think that Chase would. It was unfair to herself, and to Chase. Hell, it was unfair to Lucas. She also knew that Lindsey would never love Lucas like she did, even if they were together for the rest of their lives, and had many more kids.
In a way, Lucas knew that too. He knew that Lindsey would never love him like Peyton, and he knew that Lindsey just didn't compare to the blonde in front of him. She never would. Peyton Sawyer was one of a kind, and there would never be another, and he wouldn't want there to be. Lindsey probably knew that, too, but she never said a word, because she felt like she could love Lucas better than the blonde woman, even if she was wrong. Lucas also knew that Chase would never love Peyton like he could. He had meant it when he had said that he would love Peyton until he died, even if he had lost sight of that for a while. He had just forgotten, and now that it was gone, he was reminded forcefully of it.
They both truly wondered how they got there, in the mall, while he was with another woman, and she was dating another man. To be honest, both of them knew that they would never forget everything they'd been through, and neither of them wanted to. They'd forever hold onto all the memories, in the hopes of keeping their love alive in their hearts, at least. Even if they were both forced to move on, because of Lucas's stupidity, they would always love one another. They had shared dreams and fantasies. And now they had lost a love that they had both believed was meant to be, and they both desperately wanted it back.
Both of them were too scared to say anything, though, even though both of their thoughts were along the same lines. So they stood in silence for a long moment, before they waved at each other. Peyton turned and walked back to her friends, who had subtly left the store moments after entering it, and watched the whole scene, and Lucas walked back to his pregnant girlfriend, wishing that he didn't have to walk away from the true love of his life. Peyton was wishing the20same thing, even if neither of them would ever admit it, not even to themselves.
When she made it back to the two brunettes, Peyton had to force herself not to look back, but found herself glancing back anyway. Lucas and Lindsey were walking the other direction, Lucas's eyes focused straight ahead as he listened to Lindsey talk about something. Just as soon as Peyton reached her friends, and turned her attention to them, Lucas looked at her. He saw Peyton link arms with a brunette on either side of her and begin walking back the way they'd been coming from. As Lindsey kept talking, he tried to follow the conversation, but his mind was firmly on the blonde walking away from him. Peyton was having the same problem as Brooke and Haley told her they'd decided to go out to eat instead of eating in the food court.
~*~*~
Upon hearing a knock on the door, Peyton called for someone to get that. There were eight other people in the house and she shouldn't have to answer the door when she was previously occupied with cooking dinner. They had eaten take-out way too much in the past month, starting with the day Peyton had come home with Chinese food, and told her kids that she was one step closer to being divorced. It had increased from there, as Peyton had put more and more time into the label, and her relationship with Chase. Once upon a time, she had only rarely let her family eat anything but a home cooked meal, but there wasn't enough time in the day anymore to live as a single mother, teacher, girlfriend and label owner and still have time to cook dinner every night.
The front door opened, and Peyton could hear it from the kitchen, but she couldn't hear what was said. She did hear when her daughter yelled through the house, though. "Mom, your boyfriend's here," Marissa, the ever-so-subtle one, shouted from the front doorway as she let Chase into the house. She directed him to the kitchen and then returned her attention to her cell phone as she went ba ck to the living room. Chase entered the kitchen a few moments later, bearing flowers and smiling as he saw Peyton at the stove, apron wrapped around her waist, stirring something in a pot and trying to put something in the oven at the same time.
Letting go of the spoon, and shutting the oven after she got the pan into it, she smiled as she noticed the flowers. "Oh, Chase, they're beautiful," she said, referring to the flowers. They were her favorites, and she turned the burner down a little and wiped her hands on her apron before reaching underneath the sink for a vase. She rinsed it out and then put some tap water in it before putting the flowers in it and walking them over to the dining room table, where she placed them in the middle after moving her center piece over. She moved through the kitchen fluidly, and Chase had to wrap an arm around her waist, holding her still so he could kiss her.
Instantly, she wrapped her arms around her neck kissing back when he tried to pull away. "Mmm, thanks for that, too," she said with a grin when she finally let go. She had to quickly move to get the pot off the stove, before it burned, and she stirred it a little bit more to make sure it didn't stick to the bottom. Then she moved over to the counter, where the makings for a salad sat. She chopped the vegetables and put them in the bowl to mix them as she waited for the pan in the oven to be finished. He sat on the stool on the other side of the counter, watching her as she worked. "It's someone's turn to set the table, and y'all better know whose turn it is," she called to her children, letting them know it was time to set the table, and dinner would be in a few minutes.
Both Ainsley and Seth entered the kitchen and got the plates and silverware and glasses needed to set the table. Peyton slid the bowl of salad to the edge of the counter so one of the kids would grab it and set it on the table. The dressings soon followed it, ranch dressing, 1000 island dressing and Italian dressing. She put the spaghetti noodles that she had pulled off the stove into a large bowl, and poured the meatballs and sauce, which had been simmering on the stove, over the noodles. Then she moved that bowl to the edge of the counter, so the kids could take that too. Moving to the oven next, she grabbed a couple of pot holders and removed the pan of garlic bread from the oven, moving the bread to a platter she had pulled from the cupboard and then putting the pan in the sink before turning off the oven.
Dinner went smoothly. There were minimal sarcastic comments, and, considering they were her kids, that was good. Most of them seemed to take to Chase, and they all seemed to like him, as a person. There were just some of her kids that still wanted her to get back together with their dad, and that made it impossible for things to be perfect, but they went better than she had thought they were going to go. "So, Peyton, where's your mind been all night?" Chase asked later, when Peyton was walking him to the door. He had noticed that her mind wasn't completely in the conversation all through dinner, and sometimes he had caught her staring at nothing, her thoughts obviously far, far away from the dinner table.
Truthfully, she had been thinking of Lucas, and that scene at the mall all through dinner. She had been thinking about it all day, in fact. She couldn't tell Chase that, though, or maybe she just wouldn't. Sighing, she led him outside and pulled the front door shut behind her. "I've been thinking about the label," she lied, forcing a smile that Lucas would definitely recognized as fake, but Chase, if he did notice, didn't say anything. "It was fun tonight, really. Thanks for coming," she said, leaning over to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. She didn't have to stand on her tip toes to kiss him, like she had to do with Lucas.
Inwardly cursing herself, Peyton realized she had to stop thinking about Lucas. She didn't think about Chase nearly this much. Maybe that was a problem. She would have to consider that, later, because she just didn't want a confrontation. She waited until he had thanked her for the dinner before she spoke again. "I'll see you later, Chase," she said, before she slipped back into the house. She walked into the kitchen, only to find that someone had cleaned it all up. Smiling to herself, she went to the living room, with a glass of wine, and just watched some TV for a little while before going to bed.
A/N: I forgot to mention this last chapter and I'm sorry. Someone asked me why I didn't use the name Summer, when I used other names from the O.C. Well, just because she didn't name one of her kids Summer, doesn't mean there won't be a Summer in my story. I might throw one in here just for you. It was nothing against the character, her name just didn't happen to come to my mind when I was naming them. I didn't mean any offense. Anyway, y'all might wonder why I'm posting on a Saturday instead of tomorrow, but that is simply because I don't know if I'll have computer access tomorrow. So, y'all get my updates a day sooner! Aren't y'all happy? You should show me how happy you are by leaving lots of reviews(hint hint). Thanks for the reviews for last chapter. I do appreciate them, a lot.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all.