The bell over the door jingled signaling new customers. Peyton looked around, the cafe looked the same. A little upgrades here and there, but the busyness and hustle and bustle still continued. She scanned the room unable to see the two people she was actually dreading.
"Peyton!" She turned to see Bevin running towards her. "Oh my god Peyton its so good to see you! Brooke said you were coming."
"Hey home wrecker," Skills said behind her. Peyton rolled her eyes clearly not outliving the nickname he dubbed her when she messed things up for Lucas and Brooke the second time. After Bevin let go Skills went in for the hug. Peyton noticed Haley run off to the corner where Jamie had been sitting with Victoria and Ted. Her stomach in knots knowing Victoria was Victoria and a low blow would be coming her way.
"How have you been? Hows New York? We cant believe its been so long since you've been back here," Bevin said.
Peyton thought hard on how to answer these questions. How's New York? Terrible. How have I been? It feels like I've been shot in the heart the love of my life is marrying my "perfect" best friend. "New York is great. The bands, the music stores are endless. I love my job. I've been really moving up at the record agency." Truth be told she hated her job. She did pretty much the same thing she was doing in California and still hated it. She wasn't lying though about the live bands and record stores. To get the heat off her she asked the dreaded question looming over her, "So where is the happy couple to be?"
Bevin jumped in, "Oh my god Lucas is so sweet. So as you know Brooke is closing the shop for a week so it has been insane."
"Baby take a breath," Skills said.
"Sorry I'm just so excited for Brucas!" Peyton cringed hearing the couple name yet again. "Anyways, Lucas stole Brooke away from the store and has her up on the roof for a private lunch so she can relax fully. It's so cute Skills baby why haven't you done that for me?"
"My snow bunny I watch The Notebook with you once a week." Bevin slapped him in the arm laughing. She gestured Peyton to the corner where she could see the high school reunion that was going to drive her insane. At the table she could see on one side was Nathan, Mouth, Keith, and Tim. On the other side she could see Ted, Victoria, Jamie, Haley, and Bevin and Skills moving towards it.
"Look whose here guys!" Bevin screeched.
"Aunt Peyton do you know everyone?" "Sawyer how you've been?" "Peyton." The table in chorus welcoming her back with open arms. This hurt her heart a little knowing she was there to ensure this wedding didn't happen. And not only would she hurt Lucas and Brooke, she would hurt all these people. There is always going to be casualties when it comes to war. She just didn't expect this many.
"Ok perfect, we pretty much have the whole wedding party here we can discuss the rehearsal dinner while Lucas and Brooke are still on the roof," Haley explained. At this point, Victoria had not spoken a word. Her eyes grilled Peyton the whole time. She was wondering if Victoria knew how obvious she was being.
"Who else are we missing?" Peyton questioned.
"Well Millie, but she is next store helping out. And..." Haley was cut off.
"Aunt Rachel! Uncle Jake! Jenny! I'm so glad you're here. Mommy can Jenny and I go on the roof to see Aunt Brooke and Uncle Lucas?" Jamie shouted running up to the couple jumping into Rachel's open arm. Rachel and Jake walked over with the kids in their arms. "Hey party people," she said looking at Peyton with an eyebrow raising. They put both kids on the floor. Jake spoke first, "Peyton it's been so long. How are you?" He opened his arms to give her a hug. She let go of him and turned to look at the little girl. God she hadn't seen her in years. "Hi Jenny. I'm Peyton. You got so big!" Jenny smiled showing several missing teeth lifting up her hand. She opened it showing five fingers. "I'm 5." Then she turned around and lifted her arms to Rachel signaling she wanted to be lifted up. "Mommy, can I go upstairs with Jamie?"
A smile instantly formed on Rachel's face. Discomfort instantly filled Peyton. What the hell was going on. Why was Jenny calling Rachel mommy? But then it dawned on her. When they walked in, Jake was holding Jenny with one arm and holding Rachel's hand with the other. Why was he holding her hand? She was nauseous. The headache she had on the plane seemed to be coming back. Her mouth started to water and she thought she might vomit.
"Excuse me guys I am going to run to the bathroom." Peyton darted away no one noticing the uncomfortably as she ran to the bathroom, or so she thought. She splashed her face with some water and looked at herself in the mirror. First Lucas and now Jake? This was truly going to be the week from hell. She splashed her face one more time and heard the door open. The person walked up next to her turning on the water and washing her hands. She then took out a lip gloss and reapplied smacking her lips together. Neither one of them making eye contact with each other.
"So Sawyer, welcome back. Plan on trying to ruin the Brucas wedding?"
"Rachel, I don't know what you're talking about." She turned to look at Rachel with arms crossed refusing to back down.
Rachel popped her gum. "Listen here. I sat here senior year watching Brooke die when you betrayed her for the second time. I'm well aware of what you said to her at the Naley wedding. Just because she has forgiven you doesn't mean I have. I've watched Brooke and Lucas build this amazing relationship from the ashes and I will be damned if you think you are coming here and going to derail this week. Do you understand me?"
Peyton stood there eyeing Rachel. Who was she to talk to her like that. Rachel turned towards the door not needing an answer. At the last second she turned around. "Oh and by the way, stay away from Jake. He knows what you did. He couldn't figure out why I hated you so much and the bitch I am told him. Would you be surprised he didn't think you were the backstabbing bitch like I knew you were. Don't worry though, not everyone at that table knows, but I'll let you know that loyalty to Brooke is there. I will do anything and I mean anything to ensure she walks down that isle to say I do to the man she loves. And you will be gone, back to your pathetic life in New York."
"Fuck you Rachel."
"Ouch Peyton. You hurt me," she mocked her dragging a finger down her cheek pretending to cry and then grabbing her heart mockingly. "Better get back out there. We are finalizing the rehearsal dinner plans. Haley wants to reenact scenes like she did at theirs. At least this time no back stabbing best friends will be saying they love taken men." Then Rachel walked out the door.
Peyton was going to go crazy. This is not how she imagined things. She needed to pretend she was the good bridesmaid and get back out there. She walked out the bathroom and noticed the lunch bustle had subsided and it seemed the only people in there was the wedding party. She saw Karen had been able to make her way over sitting next to Victoria. As she approached she heard Victoria say, "Haley there is no limit on what Brooke and Lucas will have. Anything you need you know Ted and I can pay for." Ted went into Victoria's bag taking out their checkbook. "Haley tell me how much you guys need." She had to have been in the twilight zone. Ted and Victoria willing to do anything for Brooke? And Lucas? Karen put her hand on the checkbook pushing it away, "Let Keith and I help. You guys have offered so much." Victoria looked at Karen putting an arm around her, "Karen you are my friend and now will be our family. Stop it. Family helps family, when the little babies come you can whip out the check book." Victoria said glaring at Peyton. Here we go again with the baby talk. Jesus christ what is wrong with these people? Victoria and Brooke? Babies ?! Mother and grandmother ? They don't have a maternal bone in their body.
As she went to sit down Jamie and Jenny came running in. Haley yelling, "Jamie no running in grandmas cafe!" "Jenny no screaming in grandmas cafe." In unison both kids yelled, "Uncle Lucas is coming !" Turning around towards the stairs, Lucas descended "Where are my monsters?" It was the first time she had seen him in a few years. He looked the same. A little bit buffer, you could tell he had been working out. His hair short, just the way Brooke loved it. She remembered one time when they were dating he cut his hair. With a frown she told him she loved his long hair. Then Brooke walked in with her whole Broody I love the short hair look. His piercing blue eyes looked around searching for the kids not noticing her arrival yet.
She got brought out of her gaze when she suddenly heard, "P SAWYER YOU'RE HERE!"
** Clarification. In this story, Jake had Jenny with Nikki at 22. She left him to be a single father. Haley and Nate had Jamie the same time. They are both 5. Peyton and Jake did date in high school. She did say Lucas's name in her sleep and he broke up with her. In the emails Haley and her exchanged she would send pictures of the kids and sometimes FaceTime.