Peyton got along really well with Megan and they were becoming friends, fast. She even convinced the girl to try a new flavor of ice cream. While they were eating one of Peyton's friends from high school, Amber, walked in.
"Peyt!" Amber yelled.
"Amber!" Peyton got up and rushed over to her friend she hadn't seen in months. "Long time no see! What's up?"
"Oh you know just traveling, partying, spending daddy's money."
"So nothing new." Peyton laughed.
"Nothing with me. You on the other hand seem to have lost your ever loving mind."
"What do you mean?" Peyton asked confused.
"The fuck are you doing here with that whore and a half?" Amber motioned to where Lainey and Megan were currently sitting. What they didn't know was that Lainey could still here them.
Peyton wasn't sure how to tell Amber that they're about to be engaged so she decided to lie and exaggerate her feelings a little to try and save her reputation with the girl. "Ugh, I have to be here. My dad is forcing me to interact with her for business reasons. Trust me I'd rather let a cat scratch my eyes out if that was an option. I'm just thinking of it as charity for the less fortunate since she wasn't good at making friends." Peyton scoffed thinking that Amber was the only one who heard her. She felt bad for saying that about Lainey because she actually was starting to like the girl, but she wasn't ready to admit that, to herself let alone other people, yet
Lainey felt a pang in her chest. Peyton's words hurt. She was hoping that the two were on track to becoming friends, but apparently everything Peyton had said about being friends was all a lie. Tears started to well up in Lainey's eyes and she no longer wanted be there so she picked up her ice cream and ushered Megan towards the door.
Peyton saw Lainey just as she was about to walk out the door. "Howard, wait up. Where are you going?"
Lainey turned around with tears still in her eyes, and Peyton finally saw them and it made her hurt inside. "I'm taking Megan to her house. Get your so called friend to give you a ride home because your 'charity case' is leaving without you. C'mon Megan you deserve a better friend than someone who's going to talk behind your back right in front of your face."
Lainey and Megan walked out leaving Peyton stunned. She felt bad when Megan wouldn't even make eye contact with her, but she felt even worse seeing the hurt in Lainey's eyes.
"Damn dramatic much? It's almost like she actually believed that you were becoming friends." Amber laughed.
"Shit!" Peyton facepalmed herself. "I didn't think she could hear me."
"Why does it matter? It's not like you actually planned on becoming friends with her did you?"
"My dad's going to kill me for fucking this up."
"Just tell him that she did it, and then it'll be her word against yours."
"No, I can't do that. She's going to her house where her parents are and they'll ask what happened and then they'll call my dad. There's no way I'm getting out of this unless I make it up to her before she tells her parents."
"Oh well. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Where's Scott?"
"I don't know. We broke up."
"Really? I thought you guys would be together forever."
"Yeah, but things happened and now we aren't together." Peyton said. Technically she wasn't lying. They did break up because things happened, but it had nothing to do with Scott and everything to do with this engagement her dad forced her into.
"I should really go. I need to try and get ahold of Lainey and fix this before she ruins everything."
"Good luck babes! Let me know how it goes." Amber said.
Peyton walked out of the ice cream shop looking for Lainey, but she was already gone. She tried calling her but was sent straight to voicemail. She tried texting her and got no response. She eventually called for a driver to come pick her up and take her to the house.
She figured Lainey would be in her room with the door shut blaring music, but when she walked by her room the door was open and the light was off. Lainey hadn't come home. She waited the whole night for Lainey to come home, but she never did.
She tried calling at various times throughout the rest of the day and night, but was always sent straight to voicemail. Peyton ate dinner in the kitchen alone, other than that she didn't come out of her room. At 9:00 Chef Rue came up to Peyton's room and knocked on her door.
"Peyton, dear."
"Yes?" Peyton said looking up sadly.
"I just wanted to come up and tell you that I made fresh creampuffs if you would like some. Also Lainey cal-"
"What did she say? Did she ask for me?" Peyton interrupted, hopeful.
"Actually no sweetheart she didn't. She asked for me to remind you that you guys have an interview with Drew Stetson tomorrow for his morning show. She said you need to be there by 6:30 because you guys are the first guests. I was going to tell you when you came downstairs, but you haven't left your room since dinner, and I'm getting ready to head out. Are you ok?"
"I-..." Peyton trailed off not wanting to answer the chef's question. "Is she not coming home tonight?"
"I don't know. I asked her when she thought she'd be coming home and she said that she didn't know. I also asked if she was ok and she said that she needed some space, but wouldn't tell me why. Did something happen?"
"No... well yes actually, but it was all my fault. I may have been talking to a friend from high school and said some mean things. I didn't mean them, and I didn't think she could hear me. But she ran out with Megan before I could explain. I feel terrible that she heard me. I never wanted to hurt her, and I only said that stuff because Amber was already bashing her, and I knew Amber would make fun of me and tell me off if I told her that Lainey and I were engaged."
"Why didn't you stand up for her instead?"
"I couldn't. Amber went to school with us. All she knows is our rivalry. I also couldn't just tell Amber that we worked it out because we are engaged. No one outside of our families knows yet. I think that's what this interview is for tomorrow. But how are we supposed to do an interview as a couple when she won't even talk to me?"
"No offense Peyton, but can you really blame her for not talking to you? Not only did you talk negatively about her, but you did it while you were out together, you did it right in front of her and her little sister, and now you're expecting her to just dismiss it because you didn't mean for her to hear it. I don't know how you are going to get through this interview, but you might start by trying to apologize beforehand."
"I've tried calling, I've tried texting, I've even left her voicemails, but haven't gotten a response. How am I supposed to apologize when I can't get ahold of her?"
"Do you know where she is?"
"No, all she said when she left the ice cream shop was that she was taking her sister home."
"Have you tried going by her house?"
"No, but if I show up and she's not there or hasn't told them then I will be in trouble for messing everything up."
"Peyton, sweetie, you might have to bite the bullet on this one and think about Lainey's feelings over your own feelings or consequences you might receive. You messed up, not her. This is your mess to clean up."
Peyton didn't say anything she just looked down at her lap in defeat.
"Did she drive her car?" Rue asked.
"Yes" Peyton answered still looking at her lap.
"So go by her house and if her car isn't out front don't go up, but if it is then go up and ask to speak with her. Make something up if you have to, but you can't sit here and wait for her to come to you or it will be too late."
"What do I do if she isn't there?"
"Go by her favorite places. Try contacting her friends. Trying anything is better than sitting here doing nothing."
"I'm not doing nothing. I've tried calling her."
"If you've been calling since you got home then you've been calling for 4 hours, and if she hasn't picked up by now she isn't going to at all. You know that, so sitting here calling knowing she isn't going to answer is the equivalent of doing nothing." Rue scolded.
"You'd make a really great mom." Peyton chuckled.
"Honey, I raised 3 beautiful children that I wouldn't trade for the world. I was an outstanding mother, and I feel like I have two more kids of my own now. I can't help but think of you and Lainey as my adopted children, even though you aren't really kids anymore."
"Thanks Chef Rue."
"Please sweetie just call me Rue."
"Thank you Rue."
Peyton left the house in a vehicle of her own in search of Lainey. She didn't know much about any of Lainey's favorite places, but she did know who her friends were and where they lived. Eli and Mackenzie only lived a few blocks away from each other so she decided to check there first. She didn't see Lainey's car at either of their houses so she made her way to the gated community where Lainey grew up. Peyton had been to this community a few times before to visit friends so she had no problem getting through the gate. However, when she pulled up to Lainey's house her car was no where to be found. She decided not to stop incase Lainey hadn't told them. She drove around town for a bit looking for places Lainey might be. She even went by the girl's workplace, but she was no where to be found.
Peyton soon gave up her search and went back home. She was hopeful that Lainey might have shown up in her absence, but was sadly mistaken when she walked through the door with still no sign of Lainey anywhere.
"Did you find her?" Rue asked as Peyton walked into the kitchen.
"No" Peyton said walking over and picking up a creampuff.
"I'm sorry dear. I'm sure she'll show up eventually, and you'll see her tomorrow for sure because you guys have that interview."
"Yeah, but I can't really talk to her about it during the interview." Peyton went over and grabbed another creampuff from the bar before heading upstairs and saying, "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning Rue."