45

It was nine-oh-five in the morning when Jessica heard her telephone ringing. The piercing shrill awoke her from a fitful slumber, and a wonderfully naughty dream of her and Brad Pitt on a secluded beach. She blindly reached for her phone. "‘Ello?" she mumbled into the mouthpiece, yawning.

"Have you read the front page of today’s paper yet?" the male voice on the other end of the line demanded.

Jessica groaned and sat up in bed. "Eric? Is that you?"

On the other end he groaned with annoyance. "Of course it’s me, Jessica. Now, did you see the paper yet or not?"

"It’s nine in the morning on a Sunday. Do you really need me to answer that question? What the hell is so damned important that you felt the need to wake me up? I was having a really good dream!"

"Just look at it."

"I’m still in bed, Eric, and I’m not about to walk around in my pajamas in front of my mom’s creepy boyfriend. Just tell me what’s got you so bent out of shape," she stated, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

He picked up the paper, finding the paragraph that sent him over the edge only a few minutes later. "‘During a speech at last night’s fundraiser, Mayor Thurston announced to the attendees the impending marriage of his youngest child Brandon to Peyton Kendall. The couple, who has been seeing each other for several months, became engaged on June fifteenth. No wedding date has been set as of yet." Eric exhaled loudly. "Is it some kind of joke?"

She sighed, knowing that her friend was going to be even more upset when he found out she already knew of Peyton’s impending nuptials. "Trust me, it’s no joke."

"What do you mean? Did you know about this?"

"Yes. Peyton told me the next day," Jessica admitted.

"This is totally insane," he remarked. "If they got engaged on June fifteenth, that means it happened right before graduation. Which is almost two months ago! Why didn’t Peyton tell me?"

"Because she knew how you’d react. Just like this. Be honest, Eric, if she’d told you about it, what would you have said to her?"

"I’d have told her she’s crazy."

"And you wonder why she kept it from you," she responded sarcastically.

Eric slammed the newspaper onto the table, causing his coffee mug to shake. "How can she say yes to him? Peyton barely knows him. You can’t date someone for less than a month and decide to spend the rest of your life with that person!" he exclaimed. "Especially if that person is Brandon Thurston. With his reputation, Peyton has to be out of her mind to think he’d be faithful to her."

"I don’t think you’re giving him enough credit."

"And another thing I don’t understand is your reaction to it. How come you didn’t flip out when she broke the news to you?" he wanted to know. "You’ve wanted him for years!"

"Because I’m still following the advice you gave me back in May. Peyton is my best friend, has been since the first day of kindergarten. She deserves some happiness in her life, and if it happens to be with Brandon Thurston, so be it. Remember those words? I sure do. Looking back since May, can you honestly say you don’t believe his feelings for her are real?" He didn’t answer right away. "Well?"

"I don’t know."

Jessica wanted to strangle him through the phone. If only it were possible. "Brandon’s hopelessly in love with her, he told me so himself. I can’t believe you don’t see it."

"He’s an asshole and he’ll break her heart. Brandon’s only after one thing. Once he gets her in bed it’ll be all over."

"You’re the asshole if you think that."

"Unless he *has* to marry Peyton," Eric mused.

She narrowed her eyes at his statement. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Well, think about it, Jess. Everyone knows his reputation, he can’t keep it in his pants. The guy is practically a sex addict. Suppose he charmed Peyton into his bed, thus garnering another notch on his bedpost. Only this time he managed to give her a little more than she bargained for. A baby. So now Peyton is pregnant with a baby Thurston and being the good Catholic girl she is, she needs to get married. Brandon proposes because his family forced him to do it. Gotta keep up the good public image for the Mayor. Now both of them are trapped in a loveless marriage with an innocent baby on the way."

"Do you want to know what I think of your theory? It’s total bullshit. You’ve been sitting around watching too many of your mom’s lame-ass soap operas. Now, I’m only going to say this once, and then I’m going to get testy. Peyton and Brandon are in love, even someone who’s completely blind could see it. Do you want to know how he proposed to her? He made her a romantic dinner – a homemade dinner, mind you – at his grandmother’s house two days after her birthday. Afterwards he got down on one knee and asked Peyton to be his wife. And like the smart girl she is, she said yes. Peyton knows Brandon better than anyone and she’d be able to tell if he wasn’t being sincere. How do you think she’d react if she knew what you think the real reason for their engagement was? I don’t think she’d be too happy, do you?"

"I just don’t think Brandon’s in it for the right reasons."

Jessica shook her head. "I give up, think whatever you want to think. But I don’t think Brandon is going to go through with a marriage just to get Peyton in the sack. Because she refuses to sleep with him until their wedding night. That’s a hell of a lot to go through for a quick roll in the hay. So much for your asinine theory."

***

"Can I ask you a question?" Peyton asked Brandon on Sunday afternoon. They had made themselves a picnic in the woods overlooking the ocean, the sunlight filtering through the trees.

"Go right ahead."

"Who is Rachael Warren?"

Brandon paled, hearing the name of his ex-lover. ‘How could Peyton possibly know who she is? I’ve never mentioned her before,’ he thought. "Why?"

"She came up to me at the party last night, after we came back from the storage room. You were in the bathroom doing your thing when she introduced herself. She implied you two used to be an item," Peyton informed him. For the most part she’d put the pieces together herself, but wanted her fiancé to fill in the blanks.

‘I’m going to kill the bitch.’ "That would be using the term loosely. We were never, *ever* an item," he explained. "Her dad is the Democratic Majority Leader in Smithfield and my father asked me to invite her to a few social events over the course of the past two years. He hoped it would help him get on Mr. Warren’s good side, garnering some support in the Democratic community. But I never had a relationship with her, and Rachael and I were never an item.

"Friendly sex was the extent of any relationship we ever had. It’s not something I’m proud of, Peyton, but she and I were nothing more than casual lovers. We’d call each other if we needed to get laid, simple as that. No strings attached. Like I said, I’m not proud of it. That’s the type of person I was."

She took a labored breath, almost afraid to ask him her next question. "And now?" she asked, turning her back to him. She didn’t know if she could look at him.

Brandon pulled her into his arms, situating her between his legs and nuzzling her neck with his lips after he’d pushed her long hair out of the way. "Now I have you. I haven’t needed to call Rachael Warren for anything since the day I met you. You’re the only girl whom I ever want to be with. Physically, emotionally...you are it for me. The living end."

"So you don’t call her anymore to have sex?"

He slipped his hand inside her blouse. "I don’t need her anymore. Whenever I need something to get me through the night, I only have to think of you."

"I’m sorry," she apologized, feeling his fingers tickling the tiny hairs of her stomach.

"For what?"

"For not being able to give you what you need. For not sleeping with you. I can’t imagine how much this is hurting you."

Brandon nibbled on her earlobe. "Don’t apologize. You have your beliefs and I accept them. I can wait until our wedding night to make love to you, Peyton. Besides, there are other things we can do to pass the time until then. Not everything is about sex. This is about love this time. I’m not giving that up for anything."

***

46

"Do you have everything you need?" Mrs. Kendall questioned her daughter. The family carried up the last of Peyton’s boxes and placed them on the floor of the dorm room she would be sharing with Jessica.

The teenager nodded her head. "Yep, I think so. It’s not like I can bring everything I own anyway. But I’ve got all my major necessities."

Mr. and Mrs. Kendall weren’t quite ready to leave their only child. Even though the college she’d be attending was only twenty-five miles away, they felt like she was going to be living on the other side of the world. Going away to college was a big step, and they knew it would be only a matter of time before Peyton was married with a family of her own. It was hard for them to accept that their little girl was growing up.

"Maybe your mother and I should stay and help you unpack your things," her father suggested.

"You know, I think I’ll be all right. Jessica will be here in a little while with her things, I should wait for her before I decide where to put everything. And I’m pretty sure Brandon’s coming by later to move the furniture for us."

Mr. Kendall sighed heavily. He didn’t like the idea of his daughter dorming at the same college as her fiancé. There were too many opportunities to give in to temptation, particularly with no adult supervision. "Peyton, I am sure you’re aware it goes without saying you know enough to be careful when you’re with him."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dad, it goes without saying, so you don’t have to say it. I’m always careful and I know enough to stop when I’m supposed to. And Brandon does, too. You know, just because the two of us are here doesn’t mean we’re going to go wild and crazy and do something stupid. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Brandon and I aren’t sleeping together."

"We trust you, honey," Mrs. Kendall reassured her. "Your father is just worried about you, that’s all. Don’t take it so personally."

"I know, I know. But I don’t want you guys to worry so much. Have I ever let you down before? No. My judgement is not going to be clouded just because I’m three towns away from you."

"College is a different world. A lot is going to change; more is going to be expected of you," Mr. Kendall informed her.

Peyton understood what her father was getting at. "You mean Brandon’s going to expect more of me, right? More *from* me? Well, Dad, it’s my decision how much of me I give him, isn’t it? I’m eighteen years old and I can make my own decisions about my body and what I choose to do with it. If I decide to go to Brandon’s dorm room and have sex with him, that’s my choice and I will live with the consequences of my actions."

The door opened and Jessica walked in, carrying a cardboard box labeled CDs. The moment she entered the room she felt the tension in it, and knew without asking what the subject was. "Um, should I come back?" she wanted to know.

"No, it’s fine," her best friend told her. "My parents were just getting ready to leave. Weren’t you?"

Mrs. Kendall took her husband’s hand before he could respond. "Yes, we were. Peyton, call us if you need anything. Even if it’s just to talk. Okay?"

"Got it." Walking over, she hugged her mother warmly before tentatively wrapping her arms around her father. "I’ll be fine, Daddy. Have a safe drive home."

"Will do. And be careful," her father said, staring searchingly into his daughter’s blue eyes.

"I always am, you know that."

Jessica waited until the Kendalls left the room before speaking. "Okay, that was nice and full of tension. What the hell did I just walk in on?"

Peyton dropped to her bed. "Another almost-lecture from Mom and Dad about the merits of abstinence. They think I’m going to lose any semblance of self-control the moment they leave."

"Do you think you will?" Jessica questioned.

"Not a chance. Brandon and I have been alone plenty of times and we haven’t lost control yet. I’m actually enjoying this stage of our relationship. We’re at the groping and exploring stage, which is loads of fun. I’m happy to stay here for a while. But whenever my parents start in on me about Brandon’s reputation and my innocence and naivete, I’m so tempted to haul ass to his dorm room or wherever he is and just do it with him so they’ll get off my back about it."

"Probably not the best attitude to have," Jessica remarked.

She nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I know. Doesn’t mean I’m gonna take advantage of being nearly thirty miles away from either of our parental units. Just think of all the stuff we can get away with. No curfews, no one to tell us what to do and best of all, no Mom and Dad to constantly lecture me about being engaged to him at such a young age. Brandon and I can do whatever we want."

"Ooh, watch out. When the parents are away, Peyton Kendall will play."

***

Brandon held the door open for Peyton as she walked inside his dorm room. He’d been on campus since early that morning, unpacking all of his belongings so he could help her with hers. Once they finished, the couple headed back to his dorm room to be alone while Jessica napped.

"Wow, nice dorm," Peyton commented when she entered. "You and your roommate really went to town with the decorating." She looked around. "What, no pictures of half-naked women on the walls? I’m disappointed in you two."

"Nope. And I did all the decorating myself. I just found out this morning I’ve got this room all to myself for the semester."

She raised her eyebrows. "How did you manage that one? Did he find out who his roommate was going to be and demand a transfer?" she teased.

Brandon laughed at her joke. "Yeah, right. Seriously, though, I guess whoever he is decided not to dorm after all. So I’ve got my own room, with plenty of privacy for us. I’m thinking about getting a futon and pushing the two single beds together to make a double. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. But what do you need a double bed for?" she asked innocently.

"For when my beautiful fiancee sleeps over. A single bed might be a little too crowded for two people. Unless she has an objection to staying overnight from time to time."

"That’s awfully presumptuous of you, you know that, right?" Peyton grinned, pulling him close to her for a kiss. "I guess we’ll just have to play it by ear, won’t we?"

"I guess we will," he agreed, nibbling on her lips.

***

47

Smiling to himself, Brandon walked into the lecture hall for his second class of the day. He’d signed up for Introduction to Child Psychology on a whim the day before, knowing full-well that his fiancee would be in the class as well. He thought it would be fun to have at least one class with her so they could spend more time together.

Searching the room for her, Brandon found Peyton sitting in one of the center rows of the lecture hall. ‘She’s going to die when she sees me,’ he thought as he made his way to her row. "Is this seat taken?" he asked, knowing she hadn’t seen him come up behind her.

"Nope, go right ahead," Peyton answered, not even glancing up from her book. It took her a good five seconds to realize it was Brandon who had asked the question. "Brandon, oh my god! What are you doing here?"

He put his books down on the table and bent down to kiss the top of her head. "I’m taking this class this semester as one of my Gen Ed requirements. There were only a few seats left in here and I knew you were in it, so..."

"So you thought you’d keep an eye on me, make sure I’m behaving myself," Peyton joked, flashing him a smile that melted his heart.

"Gotta make sure no one’s trying to steal my girl."

"Never gonna happen. If anyone tries, all I have to do is show whoever he is my engagement ring and tell him my fiancé is big and scary. That always works," she told him.

Brandon narrowed his brown eyes. "It always works?" he repeated. "So, this happens on a regular basis?"

She smirked, loving seeing the reactions she could evoke from him. "Oh, all the time. At least two or three times a week. But it seems all I have to do is show them a picture of you and they run off screaming in the opposite direction. Works like a charm and makes for great entertainment."

Brandon knew she was only teasing, though he didn’t doubt that other guys were asking her out. He’d have been jealous if he didn’t believe in Peyton’s fidelity. She would never cheat on him just like he would never cheat on her. "Good, I don’t have to kill any of them."

"Funny. How was your first class this morning?" she wanted to know.

"Pretty interesting. Literature and Law with Professor Colfield. The reading list is going to be killer, though. Great Expectations, Hamlet, The Scarlet Letter...thank god it’s the only lit class I’m taking this semester or I might just go insane."

"Haven’t you read those before? They were Junior English requirements at James Madison."

"Do Cliff’s Notes count?" he asked.

Peyton dropped her head in her hands and shook it in disbelief while Brandon laughed at her. "Please, Brandon, please tell me you’re only kidding."

"Relax, I *am* only kidding. I may not have been Honor Society material like you and my sister, but I completed all of my required reading. Doesn’t mean I understood any of it, but I did it." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Just between you and me, I might be in need of some extra tutoring."

"Really?"

"Definitely. And I’m a slow learner, too, so we’re talking long hours of intense studying in my bedroom. I think better there than in the library," he said.

She bit her lip, deciding to play along.. "How’s the pay?"

Brandon placed his hand on his fiancée’s upper thigh, squeezing gently. "It’s unbelievable."

"When do I start?"

***

From across the crowded university café, Rachael watched in disgust as Brandon and Peyton ate lunch together. It made her want to throw up seeing the engaged couple holding hands across the table. She wanted to smack the smug smile Peyton wore right off her face. They weren’t right for each other, Rachael knew that just by looking at the two of them. And it was only a matter of time before Brandon realized it, too. Then she’d have him right where she wanted him. All he needed was a push in the right direction.

After ten minutes of shooting dark looks at them, Rachael saw Peyton stand up to leave, gathering her books in her arms. She waited a full minute before heading for Brandon’s table, where he sat alone reading a book.

"Want some company?" she asked, announcing her presence.

Brandon lifted his eyes from the book, spotting Rachael standing behind the chair Peyton had vacated a minute earlier. "Not particularly." He focused his attention back on the book.

"I saw you with your girlfriend. You two make such a...cute couple," she commented, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice when she said the word "cute."

"Peyton is my *fiancée*," he corrected her. "Get it straight. She’s not my girlfriend, she’s my fiancée; my future wife. I suggest you use the proper term."

Rachael chuckled. "Ooh, someone’s grouchy today. What’s the matter? Not getting any from your little cupcake? Oh, that’s right. You’re not."

"And you would know that how?" Brandon demanded.

"From her. I ran into her at the charity fundraiser two weeks ago. Wanted to congratulate her on making the catch of the century," she drawled.

He glared at her. "Congratulate her? That’s not your style and we both know it. You’re not the type to concede defeat, so cut the crap. You purposely sought Peyton out that night to rub our past in her face, even after I told you to stay away from her. She told me all about your conversation. Am I right?"

"When are you going to see she’s not right for you?" she asked him. "Every man has needs and it’s fairly obvious she’s not fulfilling yours. A girl like that can’t keep you happy, not the way I can. She’s too pure."

"You don’t know anything about it. Or us. Or what makes me happy these days."

Rachael rubbed her bare foot against his leg, smirking slightly when Brandon pulled it out of her reach. "But I know you intimately, despite what you might think, Brandon. I know what makes you tick, what makes you scream and what makes you moan. Some pure little virgin can’t do that. You crave excitement and danger. What’s her idea of danger? Talking above a whisper in the library?"

"Shut up. I love her and Peyton is all I need. I don’t need sex."

"Is that what you’re telling yourself these days? Maybe if you keep saying it you’ll start believing it. ‘Cause I sure as hell don’t."

"You can leave now." Brandon didn’t know how much longer he could hold himself back from slapping his former lover.

She stood up. "Fine, have it your way. Oh, by the way, I saw her engagement ring at the fundraiser. It’s so tiny. Where did you find it, at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box?"

Under the table, he fisted his hand. Rachael didn’t have the right to make snide comments about his grandmother’s ring. "I haven’t heard Peyton complaining about the size of it. The ring holds a lot of sentimental value, not that I need to explain myself to you," he responded tightly.

"I just expected more from you, that’s all."

"If Peyton wants a bigger diamond, all she has to do is ask and I’ll buy her one."

Rachael raised her eyebrows at his words. "Wow, you’re really naive when it comes to love, Brandon. You should know that the size of a woman’s engagement ring is directly proportionate to how much her fiancé loves her. The bigger the diamond, the more she means to him."

"If that’s the case then I should have gotten her the biggest diamond on the face of the planet because that’s how much I love her. I guess I’ll have to run that by Peyton. Thanks for the tip." Picking up his books, Brandon got up from the table.

She stared at his retreating form. "Guess it’s on to Plan B."

***

48

"What are your plans for tonight?" Peyton asked Brandon the following Monday morning. "They’re having a Tom Hanks film festival at the Student Theater starting at seven. Sleepless In Seattle and Forrest Gump are being shown. Wanna check it out?"

"I can’t," Brandon declined, picking up his coffee cup and taking a sip of the hot, caffeinated beverage. "Professor Colfield assigned the first ten chapters of Great Expectations and expects a two-page summary by Wednesday. So I’m going to stay in tonight and try to get it all done. I’m sorry, Peyton."

She shook her head, giving him a lopsided smile. "It’s okay, I understand."

"Are you sure you’re not mad?"

"Not at all. We spent the whole weekend together, so I can imagine you’re probably sick of me. Besides, me being around you tonight will only distract you," she said, snuggling next to him on the couch in the library.

Brandon put his arms around her. "I’m never sick of you. But you would be distracting when I’m trying to concentrate. I can tell you all I’d be able to think about is how much I want to kiss you and touch you and feel you..." He lowered his head to the crook of her shoulder and left tiny kisses there.

"Mmm..." she moaned. "Don’t even start that, Brandon. Keep it up and we’re gonna have to head back to your dorm room. And I’ve got class in twenty minutes. Probably not the best time to start something."

"You’re right. I’ll make you a deal, Peyton. You let me study in my room tonight and we’ll do something special this Saturday. We’ll spend the whole day together. Maybe take a ride down the coast or something," he promised.

Sitting on the couch behind them, hidden from their view, Rachael stuck her finger down her throat, making a silent gagging sound. Listening to Brandon and Peyton act all lovey-dovey made her sick to her stomach. She’d spent the last six days trying to come up with a plan to break them up and steal Brandon for herself. Hearing the two of them talking, she knew tonight would be the perfect time to put her plan in motion.

"Sounds like a plan," Peyton agreed. "Maybe I could spend the night, too, if that’s okay with you. I don’t want to impose."

"I’d love it."

"Well, I should head to class. I have to walk to the other end of campus for this damn Astronomy class. Biggest pain in the butt, let me tell you," she complained. Craning her neck, she quickly gave her fiancé a peck on the cheek. "See you tomorrow."

Brandon nodded. "I’ll give you a call later tonight if I finish my reading early."

Behind them, Rachael grinned evilly. ‘Not if I have anything to do with it,’ she said to herself.

***

At nine o’clock, Brandon was interrupted by knocking at his door. The interruption annoyed him, he was almost finished with his reading and wanted to get started on the essay he needed to write about the book. He was hoping to get it all done that night while it was still fresh in his mind. The last thing he needed was to be sidetracked.

The knocking continued as he slowly made his way to the door. "Hang on a minute!" he called, pulling his shirt over his head, covering his bare torso. When he opened the door, who he found on the other side surprised him. "Rachael. What are you doing here?"

"I have an emergency," she told him.

"How did you know where my room is? I don’t recall ever telling you where I live, much less that my room is in Pennington Hall," Brandon stated.

‘He has to make it difficult. So like Brandon,’ Rachael thought. ‘Not that I like things to be easy anyhow.’ "Okay, so I asked in the Administration Office and they gave it to me."

Brandon shook his head. "No, I don’t think so. They don’t give out that information to just anyone, they’re sort of stalker-phobic that way. And now I know why, because of people like you. So, how did you *really* get my dorm info?"

"Fine, I followed you one afternoon last week. Are you happy now?"

"Ecstatic. What the hell do you want? I thought I made it clear I don’t want to see you. I’m engaged, remember?"

"I told you, I have an emergency."

"Your idea of an emergency is breaking a nail. This better be good, Rachael. I was in the middle of doing my reading."

She sighed. "It *is* an emergency, Brandon. I locked my keys in the car after my last class. And I need someplace to stay tonight. You’ve got that couch," she said, pointing to the black futon situated across the room. "Think I can stay here?"

"You can call your parents and have them pick you up."

"I already called them and they aren’t home. They went to some party or something and they probably won’t be home until really, really late. I’m so tired, all I want to do is crash."

Brandon didn’t feel comfortable letting Rachael Warren spend the night in his dorm room. Mostly because he didn’t trust her. "Don’t you have anyone else you can stay with? Or someone who can drive you home?"

"I don’t have anyone, Brandon. You’re the only one I know around here and besides, I don’t have my house keys, they’re locked in my car with the rest of my keys. Please, please, please let me stay here."

Against his better judgement, Brandon relented and let his ex inside. "Keep quiet while I’m working and stay on this futon at all times. If you even get within a foot of my bed tonight, I’ll kick you out on your ass so fast your head will spin. Understood?"

Rachael nodded. "Yes, sir. But I have one more favor to ask you. Do you have a shirt I could wear to bed?"

Groaning loudly, Brandon walked to the closet and yanked a white t-shirt off its hanger. "Here. Now leave me alone."

***

Early Tuesday morning, Peyton held a bag of bagels from the dorm cafeteria and two cups of Starbucks coffee. She wanted to surprise Brandon with breakfast, knowing he was probably still sleeping, or really tired. He deserved a treat for working so hard.

She knocked lightly on the door, not wanting to disturb the people in the dorm across the hall. The door opened a few moments later, and Peyton nearly dropped the bagels and coffee she held when she saw who opened it. Rachael Warren stood inside the room, clothed only in a white t-shirt and a smile.

"Hi, Paige," she greeted.

Peyton’s heart pounded in her throat and she bit back angry tears. "It’s *Peyton*," she said harshly. "Where’s Brandon?"

Rachael could see Peyton’s face turn crimson, imagining the thoughts going through her mind. ‘This should be easy. She’s already halfway there and all I said was hello.’ "He’s still sleeping. Poor thing wore himself right out last night. He stayed up forever. So did I, for that matter."

Looking over Rachael’s shoulder, she saw her fiancé sprawled across the bed on his stomach, the covers rumpled around his waist. She couldn’t tell if he wore anything underneath.

From where she stood, it was fairly obvious what had gone on the night before. And the smile on Rachael’s face only confirmed her suspicions. "No..."

‘Yes! Jackpot!’ "I’d hate to wake him up, do you want me to tell him you stopped by?"

She shook her head, shoving the breakfast she’d brought toward Rachael. "No. Don’t – don’t tell him anything." Peyton turned to leave, but whirled around to face Rachael once again. The redhead had won. "Scratch that. Tell him it’s over."

***

49

Peyton refused to cry until she was in the privacy of her own dorm room. People were already looking at her, giving her strange looks as she ran from Brandon’s dorm to hers in Marvin Hall. Not that she particularly cared what they thought, she was too angry and hurt to give them any thought. All she wanted to do was lock herself in her room and cry until she couldn’t cry anymore.

She slammed the door shut behind her, then put her face in her hands and let the tears fall freely. It killed her inside to know her fiancé had been unfaithful to her, especially when it was with his ex-lover. Gathering her strength, she dragged her feet across the floor to her bed before sitting down on the edge of it. She picked up the framed picture of herself and Brandon she kept on her bedside table and heaved it against the wall. The frame landed with a crash on the ground, the glass protecting the picture shattering.

When she walked into the room after her shower, Jessica didn’t know what to say upon seeing her best friend on the bed crying. "Did I miss the tornado that seems to have hit our dorm room?" She bent down to pick up the picture frame.

Peyton only sniffled, not looking at Jessica. She was too upset to talk.

"And I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Brandon did something to seriously piss you off, considering this picture is the only thing on the ground. What happened, Peyton?"

"I...he...she..." The words just wouldn’t come out.

The blonde sat down next to her, putting her arms around Peyton. "What happened, Peyton?" she repeated. "What did Brandon do to you?"

"Went to bring him breakfast...never called me last night...wanted to surprise him...found *her* there..." she choked out.

"Who’s her?"

Peyton’s bottom lip trembled, tears continuing to roll down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. "Rachael Warren. His ex."

"The one he used to get together and have sex with?" Jessica remembered Peyton telling her about their run-in at the charity fundraiser earlier that month and Brandon’s explanation of the relationship.

She solemnly nodded. "Uh-huh."

"And she said they slept together?"

"Pretty much, but it was fairly obvious what was going on without her having to say anything. He-he was laying in bed naked a-and she was only wearing his t-shirt."

"Oh god, that’s awful! Brandon is scum for doing this to you."

Peyton rested her head on her best friend’s shoulder. "Why is this happening to me? I-I thought Brandon loved me, thought he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. God, I’m such a fool!" she sobbed.

"This isn’t your fault, Pey. It’s his. He’s the one with the problem, he’s the one who can’t keep his raging hormones in check. Don’t blame yourself at all."

"I feel like it *is* my fault, though. I-I knew h-his reputation with women when I got involved with him and I just ignored it. He-he swore to me he’d changed. It’s m-my fault for b-believing him."

"No!" Jessica argued. "It’s not your fault. I told you that. The guy’s a dog for treating you like this. I have half a mind to bitch slap him until he cries like a wussy man! How could he do this to you? Every time I saw him, he looked so much in love with you." She scoffed. "That man must be a hell of an actor to have us fooled like that."

"Was it some sort of game B-Brandon was playing? To m-make me fall love with him a-and then break my heart? You know, I thought Nick hitting me was bad, but this feels so much worse."

Jessica wanted to kill Peyton’s fiancé. She, like her best friend, believed he had changed for the better. Never did she think for one second he would treat her like this. "I’ll kill him. Next time I see that bastard, he is going to get a piece of my mind," she stated.

Peyton shook her head. "No, Jessie, don’t do that. I-I need to take care of this myself. If I don’t, it’ll eat me up inside. Just not today, though. Today I’m gonna stay in here and cry until the pain is numbed."

***

With a groan, Brandon opened his eyes and adjusted to the bright morning sunlight in his bedroom. Glancing around, he tried to find out why it was so bright; he could have sworn he closed the curtains before going to bed. When his gaze fell upon Rachael sitting on the futon sipping a cup of Starbucks coffee, he exhaled loudly.

"What the hell is going on?" he mumbled, sitting up.

Rachael turned to look at him, smiling slyly. "Morning, sunshine. I finangled breakfast for the two of us."

"Why the fuck are you still here?"

"My parents aren’t picking me up for another hour. I thought we would have a nice, quiet breakfast together. I got bagels and cream cheese and Starbucks coffee," she informed him.

"I don’t want anything. Actually, I do want something. I want you out, right now! You can wait for your parents in the library or the Student Union...hell, you can wait for them by the side of the road for all I care. Just pick up your crap and get out," Brandon ordered.

She stood up. "That’s not very hospitable of you, sweetie."

"I’m not your sweetie, Rachael; I never was and I never will be. Get it through your thick head. My heart belongs to Peyton."

‘That’s what you think,’ she thought. ‘Just wait until your precious Peyton dumps you. We’ll see who you turn to. And I’ll be right here waiting for you.’

***

The next day after their Child Psychology class, Brandon sought out Peyton. He’d been trying to talk to her all day Tuesday but she never returned any of his calls or opened her door when he stopped by the dorm. When she didn’t sit with him in class, instead choosing to sit in one of the back rows of the lecture hall, Brandon determined that she was avoiding him. He chased her down the hall, hoping to find out what was bothering her.

"Peyton! Stop for a minute!" he called, reaching out to grab her upper arm in order to stop her.

She whipped around, shaking off his touch. "Don’t touch me. Don’t *ever* touch me again."

Brandon was genuinely confused. "What’s going on? Why are you acting like this, Peyton? You haven’t returned any of my calls and you didn’t sit with me in class."

"How observant."

"Talk to me."

Peyton shook her head. "I don’t want to talk to you. There’s only one thing I want to do at this moment. This." Lifting her right hand, she slapped her fiancé across the cheek as hard as she could.

In shock, Brandon touched his stinging cheek and stared at Peyton. "What did you do that for?"

"Don’t pretend you don’t know. Tell me, how long has it been going on for, huh? How long have you been screwing Rachael Warren behind my back?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t slept with her since we started going out. You know that, Peyton," he told her.

"I know that’s what you keep telling me. But do you actually expect me to believe it when she opens your bedroom door at seven in the morning wearing nothing but your t-shirt?" She choked back the angry tears and the lump in the back of her throat. "It’s a bit difficult to believe."

Brandon tried to touch her again but Peyton backed away from him. "I’m not sleeping with her. If that’s the impression you’re under, I’m afraid you’re sadly mistaken."

"No, you are the one who’s mistaken. I’m nobody’s fool, least of all yours, Brandon. If you can’t handle not having sex in a relationship, you’re dating the wrong girl. We wouldn’t even be having this conversation if I’d given it up, isn’t that right?" she questioned. "Once you finally get me in bed, that’s the end of us, isn’t it?"

"You really don’t know what you’re talking about." ‘Does she really think I cheated on her?’ "Can you please let me explain what you saw yesterday morning?"

"Oh, I’m sure you’ve got one hell of an explanation. And I have no desire to hear another one of your lies," she spat.

He sighed. Convincing her that he was telling the truth was going to be difficult, especially since he knew how stubborn she could be. "I’m not lying, Peyton. I’ve never lied to you," Brandon swore.

"All you’ve ever done is lie to me. ‘I can wait until you’re ready.’ Bullshit!" she screamed. People walking down the hall turned to look at them. "I didn’t give it up, so you fucked the nearest willing body! Big surprise it happened to be your ex, whom you used to have sex with on a regular basis."

"Would you listen to yourself? You’ve lost your mind."

"No. I’ve got my senses back after months of being blinded by you. Everyone was right about you, Brandon. You haven’t changed one bit. You played me." With a deep breath, she pulled off her diamond engagement ring, dropping it in the pocket of his t-shirt. "You can have your stupid ring back, I don’t want it anymore. It obviously meant more to me than it ever did to you."

When she turned to walk away, Brandon’s strong, stoic facade slipped away, leaving behind a broken man standing in the middle of the hall. "Peyton! Don’t do this! I love you!"

She just ignored him and turned the corner.

***

50

"How are you holding up?" Eric asked Peyton Thursday afternoon. Jessica had told him the day before what Brandon had done to their friend, and it angered him beyond comprehension.

Peyton shrugged her shoulders, focusing on the ham and cheese sandwich he’d brought her. "I’ve been better. Still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that Brandon and I are over."

"I can’t believe he did this to you," Eric stated. "Okay, I *can* believe he did it, but after all the times he told me and Jessica and anyone who’d listen how much he loves you, it’s still a hard pill to swallow. Why would he cheat on you?"

"Oh, I know why he slept with that Rachael girl. Because I wouldn’t have sex with him. So he decided to get it from someone else. Do you want to know what hurts the most?" she asked, tears burning her eyes. She couldn’t keep herself from crying whenever she talked about it. "Him lying to me for months. Telling me he loves me and his willingness to wait for me to be ready. He told me he could wait until our wedding night to make love...god, I let him touch me in places I’d never allowed Nick to."

Eric made a face. "Um, Peyton, I think that was a bit of an overshare."

"Sorry. I’d like to know how long it’s been going on for. Was this the first time? Or has it been happening for months?"

"I wish I had an answer. But with your permission, I’d like to kill him with my bare hands."

She laughed for the first time in over forty-eight hours. "I think you’re going to have to get in line, Eric. Right behind Jessica. Me, I want to forget this whole chapter of my life. Although Brandon’s not making it easy on me by calling every half hour and leaving messages on the machine. Here, listen to the most recent one."

Leaning over, she pressed the PLAY button on the answering machine. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Brandon’s voice over the speaker. "Peyton, it’s me. Again. This is the fifth message I’ve left for you and I hope you return this one. You have to understand this is a big misunderstanding and if you call me back or pick up the phone, I can explain what really happened and you’ll see. Please, Peyton, I love you. We can work through this. Just call me back when you get this message."

Peyton pressed STOP and looked at her friend. "Now do you see what I have to put up with? I can’t take this much longer, him calling all the time. Why can’t he just admit he screwed up and let me move on with my life? I gave him back the engagement ring, he knows we’re over."

"I’m sorry. I wish this hadn’t happened to you," he expressed.

"You’re dying to say ‘I told you so’, aren’t you?" she questioned. "You hated the idea of me dating and most of all being engaged to Brandon. Our breakup must have you jumping for joy, Eric."

He shook his head, not quite understanding why Peyton was reacting this way. "No, I’m not jumping for joy at all, why would you think that? I may not have been Brandon’s biggest fan, but I saw how happy he made you. All I want is for you to be happy, even if it means being happy with him. And you know what, Peyton? This is his loss, not yours. Brandon didn’t know how good he had it until he lost it."

"That doesn’t make me feel much better about the whole situation, though. I almost feel like I’m to blame for it, even though Jessica says it isn’t my fault. I wonder if things would have been different if I’d just slept with him. Maybe he wouldn’t have cheated on me with Rachael," Peyton said.

"Don’t even say that. You made the right choice. He made his bed and now he has to lie in it. It’s his problem if he can’t handle it."

"Sometimes I wonder." She sighed. "Anyway, thanks for stopping by, Eric. Do you mind, though, if I take a nap? I haven’t gotten a lot of sleep the last two nights."

He nodded. "No problem. Call me if you need anything."

Upon opening the door to leave, he saw a wrapped package sitting on the ground in front of the dorm room. "Um, I think you’ve got a gift." Eric bent down to pick it up. "It’s got your name on it."

She took it from him. "Thanks, I’ll open it later. And thank you for stopping by. You made me feel a little better."

As she closed the door behind him, Peyton fingered the package. It looked small enough to be a thin book or a light picture frame, but she didn’t get a chance to find out because of the pounding on the door. ‘Man, Eric must be dying to find out what’s in here.’ When she opened the door, there stood an unfamiliar man holding a dozen red roses. "Can I help you?" she asked him.

"I’ve got a delivery for Peyton Kendall," he said.

Peyton raised her eyebrows. Nobody had ever sent her roses before. "I’m Peyton Kendall."

"Sign here." He thrust a clipboard toward her. After she’d signed her name, the man handed her the flowers. "These are for you, you’re a pretty lucky lady. Have a nice day."

Closing the door once again, she smelled the flowers. The sweet scent made her smile, the aroma filling the entire dorm room. Reaching inside the bouquet, Peyton found a card. When she read the words, she nearly dropped the flowers on the ground.

I LOVE YOU...FOREVER. – BRANDON

As much as she wanted to, Peyton didn’t have the heart to throw them out. There were far too beautiful and she loved roses. Of course Brandon would send her red roses, he knew they were her favorite flowers. But she knew what he was trying to do, he wanted to wear down her defenses. Only this time it wouldn’t work. Peyton refused to fall for it.

***

// Maybe I didn’t love you
Quite as often as I could have
Maybe I didn’t treat you
Quite as good as I could have
If I made you feel second best
Girl, I’m so sorry I was blind
You were always on my mind
You were always on my mind \\

// Don’t say what you’re about to say
Look back before you leave my life
Be sure before you close that door
Before you roll those dice
Baby, think twice
Baby, think twice for the memories
For the fire and the faith that was you and me \\

// All your life you’ve waited for love to come and stay
And now that I have found you
It must not slip away
I know it’s hard believing the words you’ve heard before
Darling, you must trust them please
Trust them just once more
Baby, goodbye doesn’t mean forever
Let me tell you goodbye doesn’t mean we’ll never be together again \\

Peyton pressed the NEXT button on her portable CD player. The package that had been dropped at her dorm room contained a CD with a photo of her and Brandon on the inside cover and a note saying that every song expressed his feelings for her. If the flowers weren’t torture enough, the CD proved to be pure hell.

// Girl, you’re looking fine tonight
And every guy has got you in his sight
What you’re doing with a clown like me
Is one of life’s little mysteries
So tonight I’ll ask the stars above
How did I ever win your love?
What did I do?
What did I say?
To turn your angel eyes my way \\

// I am amazed when I look at you
I see you smiling back at me
It’s like all my dreams come true
I am afraid if I lost you, girl
I’d fall through the cracks and lose my track
In this crazy, lonely world
Sometimes it’s so hard to believe when the nights can be so long
And faith gave me the strength, the strength to carry on
You are the love of my life \\

// I don’t know what it is that makes me love you so
I only know I never want to let you go
‘Cause you started something, can’t you see?
That ever since we met you’ve had a hold on me
It happens to be true
I only wanna be with you \\

// If you’re not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you’re not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?
I’ll never know what the future brings
But I know you’re here with me now
We’ll make it through and I hope you are the one I share my life with \\

// Time, I’ve been passing time watching trains go by
All of my life
Lying on the sand watching sea birds fly
Wishing there would be someone waiting home for me
Something’s telling me it might be you
It’s telling me it might be you
All of my life \\

// Can you imagine us making love?
The way you would feel the first time that we touch
Can you think of it the way I dream of it?
I want you to see you like I’m seeing you
It’s a picture of perfection
A vision of your love
Your lips upon my lips, can you picture it?
Your fingertips on my fingertips
Your skin upon my skin
Would be the sweetest sin
That would be the sweetest sin \\

// I know you think that I shouldn’t still love you I’ll tell you that
But if I didn’t say it, well I’d still have felt it
Where’s the sense in that?
I promise I’m not trying to make your life harder
I’ll return to where we were
But I will go down with this ship
I won’t put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I’m in love and I always will be \\

Laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, a solitary tear fell out of the corner of Peyton’s eye. If she hadn’t hated her ex-fiancé enough at that moment, she found she had another reason to hate him even more. For making her realize she’d always be in love with him, too.

***

TBC...

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