Author's Note: Hey guys! Long time no see. This weekend I made a promise to myself that I would take time out once a day to work on a chapter update for my stories. For awhile I wasn't doing any writing and it really agitated me. I'm really sorry I left you all hanging but I'm back and better than ever. I hope you like this chapter; it's probably one of my favorites so far. I hope to be updating my other stories later on this week. Title is a song by Three Days Grace; if you haven't heard of them, go check 'em out. Anyways…enjoy! Reviews & ideas are really appreciated.

Chapter Nine: Lost In You

Karen was a very relaxed person, but she still wasn't going to allow her son and his…secret girlfriend to sleep in the same bed. So I ended up in one of the guest rooms down the hall from him. It wasn't too bad…the room was beautiful, but I felt sort of lonely. Here I was, in this huge house with someone else's family, sleeping in a room by myself. I spent a good twenty-five minutes staring at the peach colored walls before I couldn't take it anymore. After pulling the door open gently and peeking around the corner, I slowly stepped out of the room. With each step I prayed the floor would keep my secret. A light creaking sound was made and I silently cursed the floorboards. My body stiffened as I heard two voices; my mind was yelling at me to go back to my room, but my body wouldn't move. When my feet finally remembered how to work, they moved towards the voices.

"Stop it." Karen giggled lightly. "Everyone's asleep, we have to be quiet."

"It's not my fault you can't control your moans." I couldn't help but shudder slightly at what was taking place. Lucas's mother and father about to get it on…gross. "Besides, you know you love it."

"A little too much, maybe." I could hear the smile in her tone. Then there was complete silence, so I took that as my cue to continue on. As I slid past the bathroom, my curiosity overloaded all my senses. I peeked through the crack in the door and gasped gently. My hand flew over my mouth and I quickly hurried away before they could realize I was there. That was some intense kissing…tongues and hands all over the place… I couldn't believe it. Karen and Dan were having an affair? No wonder Karen had been so calm about everything. I remembered what she said… 'I understand. When you love someone, nothing else really matters'. How had I not put the pieces together? Shit. Was I supposed to tell Lucas or keep it hush? After a few moments of quiet contemplation I decided to keep what I had seen to myself. It was Karen's place to tell Lucas if she wanted to. After seeing that, I felt a lot better about going to sleep in Lucas's room.

"You awake, Broody?" I whispered, slipping into his room quietly. Luke immediately sat up in his bed, a wide smile on his face.

"Of course I am…did you really expect me to sleep knowing you were in this house and not in bed with me?" he asked, smirking at me playfully. I bit my lip nervously and moved towards him, slipping in next to him. His lips brushed against mine lightly, pulling me close to him. Lucas pulled us both down so we were lying next to each other, our mouths moving as one. I pulled away after a few moments, my fingertips tracing the muscles of his abdomen. "You okay?" he asked softly, running a hand through my hair. I nodded my head lightly, my gaze meeting his.

"Yeah, just over thinking things as usual." I admitted with a sigh.

"They aren't going to find out about us. Don't worry." he replied simply. It agitated me sometimes how he made it all seem so simple, but it also made me feel a lot more assured. "And even if they do, nothing's gonna keep me away from you." I couldn't help but smile and a soft blush crept onto my cheeks.

"You're too good for me." I whispered. Lucas laughed quietly and shook his head in disagreement.

"You have that backwards…you're too good for me." I looked up at him in surprise, shaking my head quickly. Me too good for him? Not at all. "Alright, how about…we're perfect for each other."

"Sounds perfect to me." I replied, pressing my lips against his. He cupped my cheek in his hand, a light smile on his face.

"We should get some sleep." he suggested. I merely nodded my head, sleep was a great idea. I shifted slightly in his arms, my head on his chest, my arm draped over his stomach. His hands met at my waist, I was completely wrapped in his arms. "Goodnight, Sawyer." he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to my hair.

"Night, Luke." I had so many different names for him, and I constantly bounced between them all. Luke was my favorite though; I was the only one who called him that. I let my thoughts settle and my eyes close. Within minutes I had drifted off, it was impossible not to with his arms securely around me.

--

The next morning I had slid out of his bed early. I didn't want Karen to know I had slept in his room so I made the bed in the guest room look like I had slept there. I decided to lay down for a bit, not exactly sure how long to wait until breakfast. At 8:30 there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I called out, sitting up in bed. Karen's head peeked around the door and smiled softly at me.

"Morning, Peyton. How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Really good actually, thanks." I replied appreciatively.

"Good, I'm glad. I brought some things for you…I know you weren't planning on staying."

"Thank you, Karen. I really appreciate it." I said, taking the items from her. There was a new toothbrush, a miniature tube of toothpaste, some deodorant, and things for the shower.

"I'm sure Lucas has something you can wear…feel free to take a shower, breakfast should be ready by the time you're done." She was being incredibly sweet to me, something I wasn't used to.

"I could never thank you enough for all this…I really do appreciate everything." I knew I was repeating myself but I wanted to reiterate my point.

"Don't worry about it. You're a sweet girl, and you make my son happier then I've seen him in quite some time." I couldn't help but blush lightly at her words. "I'll let you get ready…I'll see you downstairs." And with that she made her exit. I quickly got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, wanting to brush my teeth before going to see Luke. After brushing my teeth, washing my face, and toying with my hair, I headed to his room. I knocked gently, pushing the door open a bit.

"Good morning." He was already up and dressed for the day which surprised me a little bit.

"Good morning, beautiful." he replied, walking over to me. "I was disappointed when I woke up and you weren't there." His arms fell around my waist and I let my hands rest up on his shoulders.

"I didn't want your mom to know we had slept in the same bed…" I admitted sheepishly. He smiled softly at me, brushing his lips against mine.

"That's adorable."

"And that's a compliment I hope."

"But of course." He smirked at me and I grinned right back at him.

"Change of topic, I need a shirt to wear. I can wear the pants I wore yesterday but I need a shirt."

"Let me look." He pulled away and walked over to his dresser, looking through the drawers. I took this opportunity to close the door carefully. "This one shouldn't be too bad…plus, you'll like it." He tossed me a NOFX t-shirt and I smiled softly over at him.

"Thank you." I said simply, wrapping my arms around his neck. It was so easy for me to get completely lost in him.

"Anything for you." he whispered before our lips reconnected. When I kissed him, everything else faded into the background. No one else existed; it was just me and him in our own universe of sorts. I'd had my fair share of boyfriends, but being with Lucas was completely different. And it wasn't just because he wasn't all mine. When his tongue brushed against my lips I pulled away from him.

"I have to shower before breakfast…" I said reluctantly.

"You smell fine. Stay and make out with me some more." he said, a playful grin on his face. I turned away from him and laughed softly.

"I'd love to but I really need to shower." I replied, hoping he'd accept my answer.'

"I could shower with you." He brought his lips to my neck, pressing gentle kisses to my skin.

"Luke…" I whispered, subconsciously tilting my head to the side to give him better access. I felt him smirk against my neck; he was taking my actions as his sign to continue. His mouth caressed the skin, nipping gently at my pulse point. I gripped his shirt tightly, biting my lip to keep from moaning too loudly. The boy was good. He walked me back slowly towards the bed, laying me down and slipping his lips back onto mine. My hands slid under his shirt, running over the smooth expanse of his back. His hands brushed over my stomach, slowly shifting down and toying with the strings that were keeping my sweatpants around my waist. He managed to untie them in one swift tug. His fingertips slid under the waistband, moving back and forth gently. I grabbed his hand, entwining his fingers with my own. "Shower." I mumbled into his mouth.

"No…" he whined as his hands moved up my hips. He shifted his mouth, placing gentle kisses along my jaw. A giggle escaped my lips and I pushed him away lightly, moving out from underneath him and retying the sweats.

"Yes. I want to be ready before we all sit down to eat breakfast." I said, refusing to let him derail me more. He sat up on the bed, a firm pout on his face. "There'll be plenty of time for that later." I whispered in his ear, pressing a kiss to his cheek before leaving the room. I had wanted nothing more than to stay in that bed with him, but we were still around his family. I still had impressing to do. My shower didn't last very long; I didn't want to show up to breakfast late. I threw on the jeans I wore yesterday and the t-shirt Lucas gave me, fixed my hair, and made my way downstairs.

"Peyton, Peyton! Come watch the movie with me!" Lily exclaimed, rushing over to me and tugging on my hand. I couldn't help but laugh softly at her antics.

"What movie are we watching?" I asked curiously as she led me to the living room. Nathan was sitting in the recliner, seemingly engrossed in the movie. Lucas was sitting on the couch, smirking at me, patting the space next to him.

"Aladdin!" she exclaimed excitedly, settling down on the floor. I took the spot next to Lucas and his arm immediately wrapped around my shoulder. I rested my hand on his thigh and smiled softly at him. His lips brushed against my cheek and I blushed softly. Public displays of affection had never really been my thing, but with Lucas it was completely different. I leaned into him, focusing my attention on the television screen. Aladdin was one of my favorite movies, and I really didn't notice the time passing.

"Alright, time for breakfast." Karen called out to us. "Turn off the movie please." Lily bounced up and stopped the movie, looking back at Lucas and I.

"Peyton, will you sit next to me?" she asked hopefully. I smiled softly and nodded my head.

"Of course I will."

"Yay!" she exclaimed, racing into the dining room. I would never understand how little kids had so much energy all the time.

"She adores you." Luke whispered in my ear. I bit my lip gently, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. We stood up and walked hand in hand to the dining room. Lily sat up straighter in her seat, looking over at me with a smile. I walked over and sat down next to her, Lucas following close behind me and taking the empty seat on my other side. For the next few minutes there was no conversation; the only sounds were the clinking of dishes as food was passed around. Everyone started to eat, and the food was absolutely delicious.

"Karen, once again you have amazed me with your culinary prowess." Dan said, grinning wildly at her. I glanced back and forth between them, remembering what I had seen the previous night. How had no one noticed their flirtation? It didn't make sense to me. I merely continued to eat, deciding to leave it be.

"Why thank you, Dan. Only the best for my family." she replied, a flirtatious smirk dancing on her lips. I glanced over towards Keith and Deb and they didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"It's delicious mommy!" Lily added between mouthfuls of French toast.

"Thank you, baby girl. I'm so glad you like it." It was strange how comfortable I felt being in the presence of his family. I didn't even feel this comfortable with my own family. It was starting to seem like Lucas was supposed to be in my life. And at this point I couldn't imagine not having him.

--

After we had finished breakfast I said my goodbyes and promised to visit again soon. Lucas, of course, drove me back to Rachel's place. He parked the car out front, shifting in the driver's seat so he could look at me.

"Did you have an okay time?" he asked, a smile on his face.

"I had an amazing time…I love your family." I admitted.

"And they all love you." He slid his hand into mine, entwining our fingers. There was this slight sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna miss you…when do I get to spend time with you again?" He looked up at me hopefully.

"I'm gonna miss you too…" I said seriously, a slight sense of longing in my tone. "We'll see each other again soon, I promise you that." Lucas nodded his head, the smile had returned to his face. "I better get going…I need to change and shower again so I don't smell like you." I teased.

"Because smelling like me is such a bad thing." he whispered, leaning forward and capturing my lips with his own. There was something different about this kiss…it was sweeter, gentler. This last moment would need to tide us over for a while. I had no idea when we'd get the chance to spend time together again. "I'll call you." he said once we reluctantly pulled apart.

"Don't forget…"

"I could never forget you, Peyton Sawyer." he whispered. "I'll be seeing ya." I smiled at him, pressing my lips to his once more before getting out of the car. I got to the door and turned to look at him, smiling brightly. I blew him a kiss and walked into the house, my heart practically beating out of my chest.

"Details." I jumped slightly when I heard Rachel's voice.

"Jesus, way to scare me." I replied, running a hand through my hair.

"Details! Did you get along with his family? Do they know you two are sneaking around? You didn't sleep with him with his family there did you? Does he have any hot brothers?"

"One question at a time." I said with a laugh. "I did get along with his family actually. They're all really nice people. His mom knows, but she was actually really cool about it. We slept in the same bed but no I did not have sex with him with his family there. He only has a sister, but he does have this douchebag of a cousin that you'd probably be into."

"Douchebag cousin, huh? Interesting." Rachel said, clearly intrigued.

"He's transferring to our school. I'll introduce the two of you if you would like."

"Please and thank you." she replied excitedly. She never passed up a new sex-toy opportunity. The day she did would be the day hell froze over.

"No problem. Anyways, I need a quick shower before I head home…don't want to show up smelling like Lucas."

"And wearing his clothes." I glanced down at the t-shirt and nodded my head, lighting up at the mere mention of Lucas's name. "You are so into him." she said, rolling her eyes playfully. "I'm happy for you, P. Sawyer."

"Thanks, Rach…" I smiled appreciatively at her before she made her way into the kitchen. I headed upstairs, wanting to get home as soon as possible. Haley was clearly a bit suspicious of my story, so the sooner I got home the better off I'd be. It didn't take me too long to shower; just long enough to get the Lucas smell out of my hair and off of my skin. I grabbed one of the outfits I had bought the day before and quickly threw it on, pulling my hair back into a ponytail before heading downstairs. "I'm gonna head home; sort of calm Haley's suspicions." I said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Text me later, let me know what goes on."

"Of course. Love you bitch." I told her with a smirk before heading towards the door.

"Love you hoe!" she called out to me. I laughed softly and went into the garage, climbing into my car and trying to figure out my story in my head. I had gone out with friends. We went shopping, had dinner, the usual. Rachel didn't live too far from me so within ten minutes I was pulling into the driveway.

"Anyone home?!" I called out as I walked into the foyer, dropping my keys on the side table.

"In here!" I heard Haley yell. I followed her voice and saw her sitting in the living room.

"Hey. Where's mom?" I asked curiously.

"She went to go visit dad…she should be back in about an hour."

"Why didn't she call me? I would've gone with her." I said, a bit upset. Haley merely shrugged her shoulders.

"So what were you up to last night?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not much; spent some time with my friends. A little shopping, grabbed dinner, the usual." I said simply, shrugging my shoulders.

"Was that before or after you fucked my boyfriend?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Oh no… she knew.