They sat in silence for several minutes and neither girl was uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, they were both quite content at the moment.

"Hey, Peyton?" Sadie asked as she turned to look at Peyton.

"Yes Sadie?" She too turned to look at Sadie.

"Are you really in love with me?"

Peyton nodded slightly, "yes Sadie I am."

Sadie's eyes began to fill up with tears, "even though you know I may never love you the same way?"

Peyton searched Sadie's eyes hoping to figure out what was going on behind the scenes. 'What is she thinking? Why is she asking this?' "Yes Sadie. It's kind of like waiting for a ship to dock at the airport. But I don't exactly have control over who I fall in love with. The same way I don't have control over who does or does not fall in love with me."

"I think it is possible to influence a person to fall for you."

"I really don't think it works that way Sadie."

"Maybe it does. Maybe if someone is very persistent, and a really good person and friend to someone else. You know, show them kindness, love, affection, help them through difficult times. Maybe those things can change someone's opinions and eventually they slowly fall in love with that person. So much so that it confuses the fuck out of them but they know that they cannot live without that person. They need them. They love them."

The more Sadie spoke, the harder it became for Peyton to breathe. 'Why can't she just say what she means?! Why must she be so fucking vague?!'

When Peyton did not respond, the tears flowed freely down Sadie's cheeks. Peyton had no recourse but to look away. 'Why is she playing with me like this? She knows how I feel about her. Is she trying to get me back for all the times I harassed her? What sick joke is she playing?'

"Peyton?" Sadie whimpered.

"What's your point Sadie? You're not making any sense!"

"Peyton, don't you get how hard this is for me?"

"And what about me?! Huh? Don't you think this is hard for me?! You're fucking with my emotions Sadie!"

"And you're not fucking with mine?! I'm trying to tell you something that is hard for me and you're making it ten time worse!"

"That's great Sadie, blame me! You always find a way to blame other people!"

"So you're not being difficult right now?"

Peyton did not answer.

"Peyton! I'm trying to tell you something!"

Peyton snapped her head around to glare at Sadie, "yeah, well, I don't want to hear it!" She proceeded to push the swing as far back as her feet could reach and began swinging as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Peyton could not comprehend what was happening. She did not want to misconstrue Sadie's statement. She did not want to get her hopes up. She could not deal with the pain of being hurt. Again. She was content with just being friends with Sadie and dealing with her own feelings accordingly. The same she did with Kimberly. She was sure that eventually she would have gotten over Sadie but now she goes and does this. Right after sending a song saying that she could never love her the way Peyton wanted her to.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Sadie was crying and her heart was breaking because of Peyton's cruelty toward her. Peyton felt guilty and she hated herself for treating Sadie that way but she too was confused and hurting.

Peyton shut her eye tightly as she continued swinging. 'What the fuck am I supposed to do?!'

When she opened her eyes, Sadie was gone. She panicked a bit. Part of her wanted to fly off the swing and run after Sadie but another part was afraid of what would happen if she did that.

While she was deliberating on the best action to take, she was suddenly jerked to a stop before the swing was twisted around so that she was now facing Sadie. Sadie stood there, towering over her, holding tightly onto the swing's chains to keep Peyton in that position.

Ever so slowly, Peyton lifted her head and her eyes met with Sadie's. There was so much emotion in both girls' eyes that no words were necessary. They both looked deep into the other's eyes trying to read and understand what was going on beneath the surface of the other.

It came as a total shock to Peyton when Sadie bent down and kissed her firmly on the lips. When she pulled away and stood upright again, a few tears escaped her.

Peyton stood then and wiped Sadie's tears away with her thumbs before sticking her hands in her pockets; never breaking their eye contact. Ever so slowly, she raised her hand and gently cupped Sadie's face. When she was sure that she was not making a bad move, she slowly leaned closer to Sadie as she kissed her softly.

She pulled away and looked Sadie in the eyes again. When she saw no protest there, she went back in for another kiss. This time though it was not quite as soft. It was firmer, like the one Sadie had given her.

As she deepened the kiss, Sadie's arms found their way up and around Peyton's neck resting comfortably on her shoulders. Peyton smiled into the kiss at this action and decided to make a move of her own. She moved her hands to Sadie's waist, receiving a combination of a gasp and a moan from Sadie because her hand accidentally grazed Sadie's breast in the process. She took advantage of that gasp, slipping her tongue into Sadie's mouth earning her a proper moan this time. She couldn't help but smile again as she pulled Sadie closer to her causing their bodies to touch slightly.

Both girls were startled and pulled away from each other quickly as if they were doing something wrong when Peyton's phone rang out.

"For fuck's sake!" Peyton yelled. "Why?! Fuck!"

She pulled out her phone to see it was Mrs Dexter calling her, she answered quickly and tried to hide the annoyance in her voice, "hi Mrs D."

"Peyton, we gave you a curfew. It is half an hour past that." She said it firmly but not angrily.

"Shit... I'm sorry. I didn't realise the time. I'm coming now. Sorry Mrs D."

She hung up and slipped her phone into her pocket looking at Sadie, "uhh... we have to go..."

Sadie nodded and the two left the park wordlessly.

It took only five minutes to get home and only when she parked the car and opened her door did Sadie speak to her, "you sure it will be okay?"

"What?"

"Me spending the night here."

"Yeah. Don't worry, Mr and Mrs D are good people. They know I left to see you because you were upset so I don't think they would mind. They'd understand why I brought you. Trust me."

Sadie smiled, for some reason she felt that she could trust Peyton. They got out of the car - Peyton insisted on carrying her bag for her - and quickly made their way to the front door. It was almost one in the morning after all.

"Peyton? Is that you?" Mr Dexter called from what sounded like the kitchen.

"Yeah. I'm coming." She called back as she turned to Sadie with a smile, "come, let's go meet them."

Peyton could not stop the smile that formed on her face when she looked at Sadie admiring the house. She looked almost in awe.

It was not a fancy house or anything but it was large. There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fairly large kitchen, a dining room, a living room and a washroom. The yard was fairly large as well with a lovely garden courtesy Mrs Dexter and a patio with a chair swing and a couch.

When they entered the kitchen Peyton spoke first, "hi, I kind of took the liberty of bringing Sadie home... As you know, she was upset and such and so I didn't want to leave her home alone tonight. Is that okay?" She looked between Mr and Mrs Dexter unsurely.

They both smiled, "of course it's okay Peyton. Your friends are welcome here."

Peyton smiled and introduced them to Sadie and vice versa.

"So girls, would you like some cereal or hot chocolate before you go to bed?" Mrs Dexter asked them with a warm motherly smile.

Sadie smiled a bittersweet smile remembering how her mother used to smile at her like that. She looked to Peyton as she answered, "I would love some hot chocolate please." She turned her attention to Mr and Mrs Dexter, "thanks for welcoming me to your home. It is lovely."

Peyton smiled as she watched Sadie and Mr and Mrs Dexter interact. She was brought out of her thoughts when Mr Dexter called her name a bit loudly, "huh?"

"Would you like anything?" He questioned.

'Yes, I would like to finish what Sadie and I started that was so rudely interrupted.' "Oh... uhh... cereal? Please. Thanks."

"Why don't you girls go sit in the living room. We'll bring the stuff in a moment."

They nodded and Peyton showed Sadie around downstairs before leading her to the living room where they sat silently and just a tad awkwardly waiting for Mr and Mrs Dexter to arrive and ease the tension between them.

Soon they were all done with their snacks and the two pairs bid each other goodnight as they went their separate ways. Mr Dexter turned around and called Peyton. When she turned in response he said with a grin, "no funny business."

She smiled shaking her head, "I won't."

"Do want to take a shower?" She asked Sadie as they entered her bedroom.

Sadie nodded in reply so Peyton went about getting a towel, boxers, t-shirt and pajama pants. "You can borrow these. Follow me." She said as she left the room and walked over to her and Kimberly's bathroom. She placed the towel and clothes on the counter next to the sink and spread her arms, "use anything you want. I'll give you a toothbrush." She went into a cupboard and pulled out a brand new toothbrush handing it to Sadie, "pink okay? It's the only colour we have."

Sadie smiled brightly at Peyton. "Pink is fine."

"Okay, so I'll leave you to it. You know where my room is." Peyton said as she double checked that Sadie had everything she needed before leaving, closing the door behind her.

Sadie stood there for a moment in shock. When she got over that she went about her shower as she thought to herself, 'Peyton is such a sweetheart! I don't deserve her. Especially after the way I have treated her... I wonder if she will ever forgive me?'

When she was done and she walked back into Peyton's room she found Peyton sitting on the edge of her bed giving her the most adorable smile ever.

"You look so much better than me in my clothes," Peyton said as she stood, "the pants is a little too long but hey, too big is a fit right?"

Sadie smiled broadly, "I highly doubt that I do." She pulled the neck of the t-shirt up to her nose and inhaled with an almost dreamy smile, "they smell like you..."

"They're clean though."

"I know they are silly. But they're yours so they smell like you."

Peyton scrunched up her nose, "I don't have a smell."

This caused Sadie to chuckle, "that's what you think."

Peyton smelled her own clothes. She was confused, she didn't smell anything.

"Just trust me okay? You have a smell and I love it."

This caused Peyton to snap her head up and look at Sadie, "uhh... we should go to bed now. We have school in a few hours..."

She shifted giving Sadie access to the bed. She walked over, grazing Peyton's arm with her own as she climbed into the bed. Her arm tingled where it touched Peyton's and she wanted more. She wanted to hug Peyton again. She wanted Peyton to hug her.

"Okay, well, goodnight Sadie." Peyton called as she began heading to the door.

"Where the hell are you going?!" Sadie cried.

"The couch."

"Why?!"

Peyton shrugged, "Kimmy's asleep and I don't want to wake her by getting into her bed."

Sadie sat up and crossed her arms, "I am not asleep. You won't wake me if you get into this bed."

Peyton became flustered, "you... you..."

"I want you to sleep here Peyton. It is your bed after all."

"You sure?" Suddenly Peyton was unable to be her usual smart mouthed self.

Sadie nodded and lay back down moving over some more. Peyton unsurely walked to the bed and climbed in making sure there was at least a foot of space between them. In other words, she was practically falling off the bed.

Sadie rolled her eyes at Peyton's behaviour.

"Peyton?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm cold."

Peyton sat up, reached across Sadie and pulled the blanket over her. She lay back down as she asked, "better?"

Sadie rolled her eyes once more as she huffed, "no."

Peyton turned her head to look at Sadie who's head was already turned and looking back at her. "It's a thick blanket. And it really is not that cold."

"Oh my god Peyton! I'm not really cold." She kicked off the blanket.

"Then... why'd you say so?" Peyton was genuinely confused.

"Who's being naive now?"

"Huh?"

"I want you to hug me silly! Geez..."

Peyton was no less than shocked. "R...really?"

Sadie nodded, "yes Peyton..."

"You sure?"

Sadie sighed, "get your butt over here and wrap your arms around me!"