AN: I apologize profusely for neglecting this story…but I couldn't come up with anything for a long while. I'm still working out the rest of story. I just wanted to put something up to let anyone still reading this know that I do plan on finishing this story – I always finish things I start, it just may take a while. Sorry.
So in case you've forgotten what's happened thus far in the story, here's a quick recap.
Recap:
On the night of the Raven's Ball, Lucas and Peyton overcame Rachel's antics and got back together. They ended up leaving Nathan's after party early so Peyton could make a confession and Lucas could make a promise:
"No, I am. It's not the sex I'm scared of…it's what's going to happen afterwards," Peyton nervously fidgeted with her fingers, "I don't exactly have the greatest track record when it comes to relationships after sex. And I'm scared that it'll change us too and I don't want it to change. I don't want to lose you again, Luke,"
With one hand, Lucas covered her playing hands. There wasn't any reason for her to worry and he wanted her to know that. "No matter what happens, Peyton, whether we do this now or later, I'm not going to leave you. I know what it's like not to have you in my life and I'll do anything to make sure it doesn't happen again. I promise,"
"You promise?"
"Yes. I promise,"
"You do know that a promise is forever?"
Lucas laughed and nodded, "Than I guess it means that you'll just have to put up with me, forever,"
"I think I can handle that," Peyton smiled and took Lucas by his shirt. She pulled him down to her, continuing where they left off.
Meanwhile, Jake skipped the party because of fatherly responsibilities. Taking advice form her best friend, Haley went over to Jake's with the intention of telling him that she got into Stanford but is scared for losing him. However when she arrived at Jake's door:
"I'm just tired of taking things slow. I want to take things…take us to the next level,"
He reached out and touched her cheek. There was something else. He could feel it. "I do too. But you have to tell me why,"
Haley shrugged, "I just want to,"
Jake sighed, "Well, we'll still have to wait anyways. I um…I don't have any condoms."
And for our other couple, Nathan and Brooke are just blissfully happy, experiencing being in love for the first time.
Chapter 26
Brooke watched her best friend walk into the café holding the hand of her boyfriend's with intense interest. Lucas whispered something into Peyton's ear. Peyton smiled then whispered back to him. A second later, they shared a laugh and a quick kiss. Brooke smiled at the two and waved them over.
Before either of the two blondes could wish their friend a good morning, Brooke wasted no time on the pleasantries and cut right to the chase.
"Well, I guess I wasn't the only who had sex last night."
Their bliss had turned into shock. Both Lucas and Peyton stared at her like deer caught in headlights on a dark road. With blushing cheeks, Lucas looked worriedly around, in hopes that his mother was not within earshot. Luckily, Karen wasn't to be seen in the busy café.
"Umm…bacon and eggs, scrambled, coming right up." He kissed Peyton on the cheek and excused himself as fast as he could, trying to avoid the conversation.
"Brooke!" Peyton finally exclaimed with a backhand slap to Brooke's arm.
"What? I was only stating the obvious."
"Oh really, now?" Peyton sat down.
"As a matter of fact, yes. The two of you haven't stopped smiling and whispering sweet nothings ever since you walked in. It was like no one else in this place existed in your little after-sex world."
"Well at least someone has an after-sex world." Said another female voice.
Brooke and Peyton exchanged surprised glances before watching Haley plop herself down on an empty chair at the table.
"Um, morning, Hales?" Peyton greeted questioningly.
Brooke, on the other hand, leaned in with interest, "Oooh, juicy gossip for breakfast. Spill. Now! So why didn't you and Jake have sex?"
For some reason Brooke's forwardness still surprised Peyton, "Brooke! A little more subtleness and a little less volume. Not everyone here needs to know about our sex lives."
"Fine," Brooke lowered her voice a bit, "But we can't help Haley if we don't know what happened last night, can we?" Brooke explained before turning her attention back to Haley. "So…what happened?"
Dressed only in a pair of jeans and an undershirt, Jake left the bedroom and headed back to his room. As he entered his bedroom, he roughly dried his hair with his towel. He smiled when he saw that Haley was awake. She was sitting on his bed with her back to him.
"Hey, you're up." he said.
Haley didn't move nor respond to his presence.
"The shower's free if you want to take one," he tossed the wet towel on the bed and crawled on the bed over to her. Jake kissed her on the cheek. She still didn't move. "Are you still mad about last night?"
Haley turned and faced him. Her eyes were wet with tears. She shoved a small box against his chest, "I thought you said you didn't have condoms,"
Jake looked at the box of condoms that he kept in his nightstand. He didn't know what to say.
"If you didn't want to sleep with me, you could have just told me. Why did you have to lie to me?"
"Haley, come on. That's not it,"
Haley stood up and grabbed her jacket.
"What? You're just gonna go?"
"Yes,"
Jake leaped off the bed and took her by the hand, "Don't go, please. Just…let's talk about this,"
From across the hall, Jenny started to cry. Jake cursed under his breath. He knew he had to tend to his daughter.
Haley took her hand back. She closed her eyes and shook her head as reality sank in. "You have to take care of Jenny."
"And then you just walked out?" Brooke gasped. "K, I know I'm no relationship expert, but even I know that you and Jake need to talk before you can have sex. I mean Jake isn't some Joe Schmoe off the street. He's a decent guy who respects you and knows that you want to wait for the right time, so obviously when you do a complete 180 and jump the guy, he's gonna get scared,"
Haley glared. Being known as respectable girl was one of the last things Haley wanted to hear at the moment. "Pre-sex talk? When have you ever done that?"
"Hey, we're not talking about me. We're talking about you."
The curly blonde sighed before adding her two cents in, "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Brooke's right."
Brooke squealed with delight and clapped her hands. It wasn't too often for Brooke to hear that she was right. "Um…excuse me, but could you repeat that?"
Peyton rolled her eyes, refusing to repeat it. "Hales, last night wasn't just about sex, was it?
"What do you mean?" Haley suspiciously eyed Peyton.
"I mean does last night have anything to do with Stanford by any chance?"
Brooke was befuddled, "Stanford?"
"Haley, all I'm saying is that Stanford is a good thing for you. And Jake knows that. He understands that in like four months time, our lives are going to completely change. Give him the chance to work this all out with you,"
Haley shook her head. Even though her friends meant well and were probably right, it wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear. It frustrated it her, and already being in an emotional and irrational state, Haley let her thoughts out without even thinking.
"I can't believe Lucas told you. But then again, Lucas was never really good at keeping secrets unless they were his own. I mean, otherwise he would have told you that he got an early acceptance to UNC."
"Lucas got in to UNC?"
"Yep. And did you tell him you got into the Art Institute of Chicago?"
Peyton didn't answer and she didn't have to.
"Hmm, well I guess Jake and I aren't the only ones who need to talk," Haley made her point.
Brooke, who had been sitting quietly for the past ten seconds, finally found the opportunity to say what she was thinking, "Is anyone going to tell me who Stanford is?"
"So you going in, man, or are you gonna stare through the window all day?" Nathan asked as he walked up beside Jake.
Jake shoved his hands into the front pocket of his sweatshirt as he stared at Haley inside the café.
"Haley's in there."
"Yeah, so is the rest of the gang. We agreed to meet up for breakfast, remember?"
Jake nodded but didn't move an inch.
"Wait, did something go on between you and Hales?"
"We had a fight this morning."
"This morning, huh?" Nathan nudged Jake, "You and Haley…"
"Slept together, yes. Had sex, no."
"Well, no wonder you fought," Nathan laughed but quickly stopped when Jake sent him a glare.
"Joke," Nathan quickly said, "So, uh…what's the problem?"
"Honestly, I don't know. But I think she's hiding something and I don't know what to do."
"Be there for her."
"What?"
"Just be there for her, man. She's probably scared and until she tells you what's wrong, Haley needs to know that you'll be there no matter what. Don't push her away."
Jake looked at Nathan. He couldn't believe that it was Nathan who was standing next to him and wanted to help him with his problem with Haley. Nathan Scott, Haley's ex-husband, was probably the last person Jake would ever think of asking for help with his girlfriend. It should have felt strange and awkward, but it was the exact opposite because Nathan was also a friend and was speaking from experience.