Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thank you for being so patient with me and my decision to re-write this story. I think you all will enjoy it to the fullest this way and hopefully you will all like the changes I've made.

A big thank you to my beta, Maggie, for helping me with the re-write! She's bettered my writing ability and definitely helped me add quite a few nice touches to this story. I hope this is all worth that wait! And if you think you've already read the first chapter I've made a million changes so you'll definitely want to read it! I'm hoping to get chapter to up at the end of this week! Enjoy!

Summary: He never thought he'd fall in love. Not in high school, and not with his best friend, but that's exactly what's happened. Now he doesn't know if he'll ever be able to tell her - or if there's a chance of her ever feeling the same way. Or is it all just a case of too little, too late?

Chapter 1: Holding Onto Dreams And Never Letting Go

A dream is a wish your heart makes when you're fast asleep.

"Nathan? Lucas?" Haley James called as she walked into the Scott mansion and plopped down on the burgundy sofa, waiting for one of her two best friends to appear.

Haley was the picture of perfection even though most times she was unaware of her own natural beauty. She had wavy blonde hair that reached the middle of her back, honey brown eyes, and a personality most girls would kill for. She was sweet, smart, and much like her longtime best friend, Lucas Scott.

Haley had been friends with Lucas since grade school and from their first moment together, they became inseparable. Lucas was the broody bookworm whose love and talent for basketball had landed him a spot on the Raven's his junior year. His dirty blonde hair and gorgeous baby blue eyes could hold any woman's attention. He hardly shared any features with his half brother, Nathan Scott, who had lucked out in getting dark brown hair, intense blue eyes, and a body that closely resembled that of Greek God.

During their junior year of high school, Haley had started tutoring Nathan before and after school at the Market Street Docks. Back then, when he'd walked up to her carrying his "breakfast of champions" - a box of crackerjacks and a cup of hot coffee - she never imagined that he would become one of her best friends. .

She still remembered the feeling of his fingers grazing her skin when he slid on the colorful bracelet he'd gotten from the box of caramel corn snacks. It was then that Nathan Scott had unknowingly gotten under her skin, and even to this day, she still wore the trinket on her left wrist whenever she could get away with it.

Back then, Lucas and Nathan could barely spend a moment in the other's presence without coming up with some snide comment that sent the other into a tailspin. If it hadn't been for Haley's influence, Nathan and Lucas may have never gone from being bitter enemies to brothers and then even to friends.

But friends they became, and gradually Lucas and Haley became a part of Tree Hill's elite with Nathan, Brooke Davis, Peyton Sawyer, and Jake Jagielski.

Brooke was the head cheerleader and most popular girl in school. Every girl wanted to be her and every guy wanted to be with her. She had thick, luscious brown hair and a dimpled smile that could get her anything she ever wanted. Brash and bossy at times, no one could resist the Davis charm. In fact, Brooke had been the one that forced Haley into cheerleading for the Tree Hill Ravens. And even though she denied it, Haley loved being there to cheer on her favorite two basketball players.

Then there was her other best friend, Peyton Sawyer. She was also a cheerleader, but with curly blonde hair and entrancing hazel eyes. She had a darker quality to her, something that showed through in her drawings and attitude. She was known for her artwork, which also held that soulful passion that thrived in every fiber of her being.

The last member of their group was Jake Jagielski, father of Jenny. He had light brown hair and was a fellow high school basketball player to both Nathan and Lucas. His girlfriend ended up pregnant in their sophomore year. She gave birth to their beautiful daughter and took off without a word, leaving Jake to raise a baby on his own at the tender age of 16. With the help of his parents and friends, he became a caring father and an amazing boyfriend to Brooke.

Haley was ripped from her thoughts when Nathan shuffled into the room in his flannel, black and blue pajama bottoms and paper thin wife beater. "What?" he asked, a hint of playful impatience mixed in his voice. He didn't bother to greet Haley, she was as much a fixture in his home as his own brother had become.

A small smile appeared on Haley's lips as he entered the room, one that looked as if it held secret thoughts that shouldn't be known by the outside world. Of course, Nathan couldn't help but entertain the possibilities that she just might be thinking of him.

"Can you get me a blanket? It's freezing in here," she smiled sweetly, her eyes twinkling in the dimly lit room.

"James, you're getting to be worse than Lucas," Nathan teased as he tossed her a fleece blanket from one of the nearby cabinets before plopping down beside her on the couch.

"Where is Luke?" she asked curiously, wrapping the blanket around herself snuggly, still shivering from the cool air blowing from the vent above her head. Nathan always complained about the house being too hot, so Deb kept the air on high all day long, especially now that it was mid-June.

"Uh, I think he went to go pick up Brooke, Peyton, and Jake," Nathan shrugged easily as he reached across Haley to grab the remote. He was obviously a second too slow, because she quickly swiped it beneath the blanket, a devious smile playing on her lips.

"Haley, give me the remote," Nathan pleaded in a child-like voice. He'd already missed over an hour of the summer basketball camp Duke was holding for its previous year's players and he was determined not to miss any more of it. It happened to be the first year it was televised and he wanted to see what he'd be in for next year.

"I have no idea what remote you're talking about. I haven't seen a remote," she insisted, keeping up the act as if she knew nothing.

"That's it. Next birthday, big, pink, scary-ass clown on your doorstep," he pouted, his arms instantly folding across his chest. Haley could see the 10 year-old Nathan shining through and in that moment, he never looked more adorable.

She quickly narrowed her eyes at him in attempt to look angry, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink as she stuck her tongue out in his direction. "Nathan Scott, you know I hate clowns! And pink!" she shrieked as he pounced on top of her. In one quick move, he had her pinned down and squirming beneath him. His hands slowly slid down her body and tickled her waist, making her squeal and laugh in response.

"Nathan… please… oh God… please stop!" she begged through her fit of giggles. Her face had turned many shades darker than the pink it had been only moments before.

"You shouldn't stick your tongue out at people, Haley. Somebody might bite it off," he scolded lightly as he continued to tickle her sides, a wide smirk spreading across his face as he watched her squirm and attempt to get away.

"I always knew Nathan liked to be on top!" Brooke declared triumphantly from the doorway before she walked over to the loveseat adjacent to the couch Nathan and Haley were currently wrestling on and sat down, bouncing back up slightly because of the springs beneath the cushions.

Nathan's body immediately tensed as he turned to face the mouthy brunette. "Bite me," he ground out before crawling off Haley and motioning for her to hand him the remote. Haley sat up slowly as she dropped the remote in his lap, her ponytail loose and her clothes in disarray, yet she still seemed beautiful to him.

'Stop it!' Nathan internally yelled at himself, unable to keep thinking these thoughts about his best friend. Because that's exactly what she was, his best friend. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Who's gonna bite Nathan?" Jake questioned as he walked in, holding Jenny in his arms. She was as much a part of their group as any of them, and all of the teens loved her as if she were their own.

"That'd be Nathan," Peyton grinned as she plopped down on Jake's lap a second after Jenny vacated the position. Jenny had already wiggled out of her father's arms and ran across the room, jumping onto Nathan's lap.

"Uncwle Nathan!" she squealed in delight, her tiny arms wrapping around his neck as she left a noisy kiss on his cheek.

"Now, isn't that a sight," Lucas snickered as he strolled into the room, a small grin on his face as he watched his brother interact with the tiny girl. There had been a day where he could never imagine Nathan interacting with young kids, but there he was, enjoying himself in the company of a 2 year-old.

Lucas dropped onto the couch beside Brooke, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. The two had been together most of junior and senior year and were stronger than ever after the school shooting took place. The two had formed an unbreakable bond that no one would ever have the strength to come between.

"So, what were you two doing earlier?" Lucas' eyes wandered to the pair sitting on the couch. Haley sat Indian-style, her head resting upon Nathan's broad shoulder while he smiled down at an amused Jenny. Lucas shot Brooke a bemused look; Nathan and Haley were quite a pair, even though they would never admit that there was anything more than friendship between them.

"She wanted me," Nathan stated simply, his eyes never parting from the little girl in his lap. Haley smacked him upside the head, an annoyed look gracing her porcelain features before grinning at Jenny.

"I stole his precious remote, so he started tickling me," she pouted, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Nathan rolled his eyes good-naturedly before wrapping his free arm around her and squeezing her tight.

"Ow! Nathan, you're going to crush me!" She squealed and wrestled to get away from him, only causing him to hold onto her tighter.

The rest of the group, including Jenny, laughed at their silliness. Everyone watched Nathan and Haley grow closer over the years, and they all wondered why neither Nathan nor Haley would take the next step in their relationship. The pair instead would dismiss any feelings towards the other, and always chalk their overtly flirtatious behavior up to innocent banter between friends.

When Haley finally broke free from Nathan's strong grasp, she hastily rose from her seat on the couch and headed towards the door. She tried to act cool, but she was fidgety and jittery, too much close contact with Nathan always made her feel like she was about to lose control. They were just friends, something she had to keep reminding herself of more often lately.

"Tutor girl, where are you going?" Brooke asked, her words laced with concern for her friend. Haley turned around to see the worried looks gracing both Brooke and Lucas' features. She knew what they both thought of she and Nathan's friendship, and she had to remind them time and time again that he only saw her as tutor girl, best friend.

"I'm just going to the bathroom you guys." She rolled her eyes, her infectious smile returning to her face, the glow of happiness resigning in her eyes.

They all smiled in returned, but failed to notice Nathan's attempt to lock eyes with her before she returned on her journey through the house and to the bathroom.

Nathan's brow furrowed in confusion. 'What the hell am I doing?' he asked himself internally just before he returned to the interaction he was enjoying with the adorable girl sitting in his lap. He had to push those kinds of thoughts about Haley to the back of his mind or he would end up in trouble.

"How about some ice cream, Jenny?" he asked with a grin, Jake's eyes flashing to his daughter who immediately clapped her hands excitedly.

"Yeah!" she squealed and hopped up from Nathan's lap, grabbing his hand in the process. "Come, Uncle Na-tan!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." His laugh was the genuine, hearty kind you rarely ever heard. He held onto her hand as she hurriedly lead him out of the room and into the kitchen.

He pulled the double fudge chocolate ice cream from the freezer, a pure white china bowl from a nearby cabinet, and a spoon from the drawer on the other side of the kitchen. He had always hated the way his mom laid out the appliances in the kitchen. All the ingredients he needed we never anywhere near each other.

He pried off the lid of the freezing cold ice cream bucket and scooped out a big chunk of the frozen treat. Jenny's eyes widened and lit up with excitement. Jake was always so health conscious with Jenny because she had been so underweight as a baby. He wanted to make sure she got all the right nutrition and no unnecessary things like sugar. Of course, Nathan had always ignored that rule when it came to Jenny. He spoiled that little girl rotten and for whatever reason that was the only time Jake let Jenny break the rules a little.

Jenny pulled the bowl close to her chest using one hand, the spoon in the other as she scurried off to the living room, jumping into Lucas' arms the minute she reached him.

Nathan just laughed and sealed the lid to the ice cream before tossing it carelessly back into the freezer. He turned around to find a smiling Haley standing near him, her elbows resting on the counter as she watched him move around the large space.

"Can I help you with something, Miss James?" he inquired, his fake British accent worse than ever. But she'd always laughed when he used it, so he made it a point to do so whenever appropriate.

"Nope." She shook her head, the smile he'd seen so many times before still firmly in place.

"Care to join me in the living room then?" he grinned, holding his arm out for her to take. When she declined and moved to stand in front of him, a serious expression washed over her face.

Nathan grabbed for her hands, encasing them in his own, rubbing her knuckles with his thumb as she spoke. "Nathan, I-I need to tell you something," she revealed quietly, the inner battle she was fighting with herself becoming clear as day.

"Haley, you can tell me anything. You know that," he reassured her, his blue eyes piercing her brown ones. He could tell she was uncontrollably nervous under his gaze, but his curiosity was getting the best of him. "Haley…"

"I'minlovewithyou," she blurted out, pulling her hands from his and covering her mouth with them. "Oh, my God," she whispered, taking a step back from him almost as if she would be burned if she got too close.

The words rolled around in his head. 'Did she just say she's in love with me?' he wondered to himself, almost dismissing the possibility until he saw the fear in her eyes. He quickly composed himself, reaching out to grab her arm and pull her flush against his body.

"I love you too, Haley James," he whispered, swooping down to catch her lips in their first kiss. Her lips pressed back against his, his searching tongue silently begging for entrance to which she soon granted.

"Nathan, get up!" Haley yelled from her position near his window as she pulled open his curtains to reveal the blinding sunlight hidden behind them. The sudden sound along with the stream of light broke Nathan out of the dream he had been so immersed in only moments before.

"Shit!' he yelled back just as loudly, startling her enough to make her take a step backwards. He rubbed his eyes and tried to focus as he realized that Haley was in his room, but that that the world he was fantasizing about was nowhere near reality.

"Jesus Nathan! You scared the hell out of me!" She put a hand over her heart for a dramatic effect as she flopped down onto the bed beside him.

"You don't think you scared me?" he asked incredulously as he tried to get his pounding heart back under control, and the cause just happened to be the very girl sitting next to him as well as the very real dream he had been having about her.

"Oh, what? Did I wake you up from a good dream?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, the infectious smile playing on her lips like it had done so many times before.

"You have no idea," he muttered under his breath before pulling the covers back, revealing his plaid boxers as he pulled himself into an upright position.

"God, Nathan. Put some clothes." She rolled her eyes jokingly and slapped his bare chest lightly before hopping up off the bed. She left a quick, bittersweet kiss on his cheek before waltzing out of the room to find Lucas, who usually spent his time in the Scott kitchen.

"That girl is going to be the death of me," he mumbled into the empty room as he grabbed a white button down shirt and a clean pair of jeans. He made his way into the bathroom, turning the shower on as he stripped off his boxers. The minute the cold water hit his skin, his body cooled and relaxed.

He took a seat on the shower bench, letting his head rest in his hands, recalling every detail of his dream.

Before Haley, Nathan had no one he could truly rely on. He hated his brother, had a non-existent relationship with his father, and cared for his drug addict of a mother who thought about no one, but herself.

When Haley walked into his life, he felt that he had found his saving grace. She understood him in ways no one else could and she accepted him for who he was. But she also changed him in ways he could never repay her for.

Over the past two years their friendship had grown and developed into something so much more than he could have ever imagined. An unconditional love had bonded them together, though both refused to acknowledge it until now.

More often than not, Nathan had to remind himself that Haley didn't think of him as anything more than her best friend.

As he let the water wash over him, he thought back to the last time he'd seen his grandmother, the one that always seemed to spout off words of wisdom whenever she felt necessary. Remembering the last bit of wisdom she gave him, his eyes widened as he realized how true her words had been.

"Behind every dream, lies a truth."

-- hides under the desk --

What'd you guys think? It's my first attempt at writing this story with my heart in it completely so I'd really like your honest opinions! Whether they be good or bad, I'd like to have them.

Brittany