| "Peyton?" Ayzlin said quietly as she entered his room. "Hi, I'm over here." She walked in front of his bed where he was laying. "You've been crying," he observed. "I'm scared about what's going to happen to us. I know we both don't want it to end, and you just gave me the ring, but Peyton, what if we can't keep up the long distance thing?" "Listen, I don't even know if I'm moving back with her," Peyton said, pulling Ayzlin into his arms. "I'm really confused. She's the one person I've wondered about the most in my life. I felt really empty when I was old enough to understand she wasn't coming back. But, then you came along and I didn't feel as empty. But, Ayzlin, she's a part of me. Someone I've been wanting to connect with for the past fifteen years." "I can't lose you," Ayzlin said. "I can't lose you either." Peyton just held her until she was done crying. ============================================================================== The next day, Ayzlin woke up early to get to rehearsal. She needed something to take her mind off of everything else that was going on. "Ayzlin, good, you're here," Justin exclaimed as Ayzlin walked into the studio. "Why? What's wrong?" "We can't find Drew," Nick said. "And no one would know where he was better than you," Jeff supplied. "Well, I just talked to him last night. After that... he went to bed and I went to talk to Peyton." Just then Drew walked in the door. "Hey guys, I brought doughnuts." "Drew, you're a geek," Ayzlin said. "What? What's up with you?" "Next time you go get doughnuts, try informing someone, or turning you phone on," Nick said. "Oh, sorry." Drew pulled his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. "Better?" They all laughed. "All right you guys, I've got to practice. Either sit and watch or get out." They chose to stay and watch. She was not only an awesome singer but an great dancer. Meanwhile, Peyton was talking to his mother about whether or not to leave. "I want to love with you, I really do. But, I'm scared and confused about what would happen to Ayzlin and me. I love her," he explained. "Peyton, your dad says you've had trouble with past girlfriends. Tell me about that," she replied. "What does that have to do with anything?" "Just tell me." Peyton thought for a minute. "After I understood you weren't coming back, and then got interested in girls, I left alot of them because I didn't want another girl who I cared about to walk out on me." "Is it like that with Ayzlin?" Megan inquired. "No. It's different. For the first time, I'm not worried about when I'm going to have to leave her. I'm more worried that she's going to leave me before I know it." "It's your life. You can't let love keep you stuck in one spot. If you went back to Florida with me, you never know what could happen. You could do very well in school, you could get a great scholarship. You could meet someone new." Peyton thought for a minute. "I don't want to meet anyone new. It hurts to bad to leave the girl I love now." "Did you just make a decision?" "I think so." Ayzlin was joking around with the guys when Peyton knocked on the open door of the studio and stuck his head inside. Ayzlin looked over and saw him standing in the doorway. Her heart skipped a beat like it always did when he was around. "Hey baby, what's up?" she greeted him. "I need to talk to you- alone." The guys took the hint and walked out into the hall. "What is it?" Ayzlin asked, looking in Peyton's eyes. She didn't recognize what she saw. "I made my decision," he told her. Ayzlin then knew the look. She shool her head. "I can't believe this. And you always thought I'd be the one to walk away." Ayzlin turned and ran out into the hall. "Ayzlin! Wait!" Peyton yelled after her. Ayzlin ignored him and ran down the stairs, brushing past the guys. Chapter Eleven |