All We Will Never Know

Chapter 8 - Peyton

It was the first day of school, but that didn't stop the reigning North Carolina high school state soccer champions from starting practice. It was a good thing that Peyton remembered before Alexis pulled out of the parking lot. Not only was she the designated school yearbook photographer, but she also wanted to be there for Sam.

She adjusted the lens of her camera and snapped a shot just as the boys finished their scrimmage and huddled around the coach. She spotted Sam through her viewfinder and smiled. After nearly two years, the sight of him still sent a familiar spark through her entire body. A summer without him had only seemed to heighten the electricity between them.

Peyton watched as Sam ran a hand through his tangle of blonde curls. She felt a tingle deep in her belly, a sudden warmth coursing through her veins. He was so handsome, so hers. She let her camera dangle around her neck and leaned back in the bleachers. It was hard not to stare at him, especially after what he had confessed to her earlier. Though their first morning together again had not been perfect, after Sam had revealed the truth about his injury and their unforeseen future, it had ended on a positively high note. Peyton found herself biting her lip thinking about his strong but incredibly soft hands on the small of her back, the goosebumps on her skin when Sam had leaned into her just after the final bell rang, his lips only millimeters from her ear. With a voice as soft and sickly sweet as honey, he said: "Let me show you how much I missed you. Tonight."

Peyton was so anxious and excited and jolted with both ecstasy and nerves that she couldn't even tell her friends. Not now, anyway. If tonight was the night that she and Sam finally slept together, she wanted it to be special. They had waited for a reason, after all. And it would be. She just knew it. Their relationship was as close to perfect as she could imagine. He treated her like gold, that was the phrase her friends used. Most importantly, they loved each other. Though she had accepted Sam's wish to wait, knowing how important his religious morals were to him, she was eager to finally get her hands on him. It was a moment she had been dreaming about for quite a long time...

The shrill bite of the coach's whistle snapped her out of her daze.

Peyton directed her attention to the field just in time to see the team disperse, many of the boys taking their sweat-soaked practice jerseys off in the process. Her heart lurched when she spotted Sam's glistening, toned stomach as he slipped his shirt off and tossed it to the sideline. He took a long drink from his water bottle, the liquid splashing onto his face and dripping down his body. When he closed the lid and placed it on the ground, he looked up and caught Peyton's eye. She smiled at him, feeling a blush rise to her cheeks when he flashed her a wink before retreating back to center field.

"Okay, boys," Coach Wilmington clapped his hands together. "In order to ensure our advancement back to the state championship this year, I have added a new member to our team. Let's give a warm welcome to Darian Forrester, our new offensive coach for the season."

Peyton's breath caught in her throat. She would have recognized that name from anywhere. The tingling feeling in her gut was suddenly replaced with nerves. She shrunk into the bleachers and watched as he sauntered out of the shadows and onto the field. He wore black joggers and a plain white t-shirt that hugged his biceps and stood out against the deep caramel color of his skin. When he made his way to center field, he stood almost a head taller than everyone else.

Darian smiled, his blue-gray eyes reflecting the sunlight. "Hey, guys," he said. His voice was deep and raspy. "I'm glad to be back on the Everwood field, and I'm excited to assist you all this season."

The team cheered. They were elated, as they should have been.

Darian Forrester graduated three years prior, alongside three of his best friends. They were known at Everwood as the "four-pack." They were almost never seen without one another, whether that was on the soccer field, in the hallways, or at the latest weekend party. Among the rest of the four-pack were Will Armstrong, who was released from jail earlier this morning; Declan Carmichael, Alexis's Abercrombie & Fitch model older brother; and Peyton's own brother, Eric Ziegler. During high school, they were the epitome of popularity. If it wasn't for Eric and his status at Everwood, Peyton felt she would have never made it to where she was now. As the younger sister of a member of the four-pack, she also became associated fairly well with the rest of them; most notably Darian.