It Doesn't Do Well to Dream

Chapter 25

A honeymoon obviously wasn't happening after the wedding, but Peyton and Lex took a few days off of work, officially, just for show. Lex used the plant's delicate state as an excuse for them not to leave and jet off somewhere. And it wasn't exactly a lie either.

Now Peyton sat in a little office, more like a commandeered study, that she made for herself a few doors down from Lex's office. It was convenient for when he had his own phone calls to make or an at-home meeting.

At the moment, Lex was at the plant and she kept herself busy with finishing up some internal memos. Peyton drummed her fingers on her desk as the easy work allowed her mind to wander.

The wedding had been a whirlwind, she was now Peyton Luthor, and between the paperwork for her name change and the lingering rush of the day itself, she found herself still processing everything. She caught sight of her own reflection in the mirror on the far wall and furrowed her brow.

She hadn't forgotten the hairdresser's comment. Annalise's story was more concerning and puzzling in its potential connotations, but a tattoo on her head was more immediately verifiable.

Peyton already tried to look for herself as she took every hairpin out of her wedding hair and combed out the hairspray, but it was impossible for her to see. She would have to ask Lex. And she would, when he got back. She'd ask him to check and she'd finally ask him for the names of those doctors she forgot to bring up before the wedding.

But most of her simple work was done and her thoughts kept swirling and she was feeling impatient. Peyton sat back from her laptop and eyed her cell phone. Could she try to wheedle any information out on her own? She tapped her phone and chewed her lip.

What would her parents say?

Peyton dialed her mom and sat back as she tried to quickly come up with a natural line of questioning before her mom picked up.

"Peyton!" Her mom answered. "How are you, darling? Doing well, I imagine. I didn't expect a call so soon."

"I'm home alone and thought I'd say hi," Peyton said. "How are you and dad doing?"

They made small talk for a few minutes; Peyton listened as her mom told her all about a recent luncheon with her friends and an upcoming fundraiser she planned to attend. She was eager to see one particular couple because their son was being released from rehab and she had just the place to recommend for them to go and "recover" from such an ordeal.

"Is that such a good idea?" Peyton asked.

Her mother let out a confused little scoff.

"Whatever do you mean, darling? Of course it's been such a stressful time for all of them, it'd be good to get away."

"Right," Peyton agreed blandly. "But imagine if I were getting out of rehab. Would you want suggestions like that from people if you didn't ask?"

"Don't be silly, Peyton, you would never be capable of such a thing."

Peyton seized her opportunity and stood up to pace the room.

"You never quite know a person," she said, voice lilting up. "I could have done some crazy things. Went to parties, joined in on some cliff diving, done some drugs.... gotten a tattoo."

That garnered a larger scoff from her mom.

"Well now you're just being ridiculous."

"Am I?" Peyton scratched at the top of her head and stared in the mirror. "The hairstylist at my wedding seemed to think I had one."

The line went eerily silent. A band tightened around Peyton's chest when she couldn't even hear her mom breathe.

"What did she say?" Her mom finally managed.