This is my first fanfiction on here! And I hope it's good, I know it gets a bit sucky in the second bit but I tried – leave a review if you think it's good or message on my insta yeetnaley !

Harps xo

The Right Path

"The hardest part about saying goodbye is having to do it again every single day," – One Tree Hill 6x04

Haley Scott let out a sigh, rubbing her forehead and taking a sip of her wine for the tenth time that night. She had just put her son to bed, but not without a fight. Like every night, Jamie insisted on having his father tuck him into bed when he knew it was impossible - especially when his father is in Seattle getting ready for a basketball game. Haley loves her husband, and she is proud of him, but it was hard rising a five year old boy on her own and even harder when she had just gotten her job as an English teacher at Tree Hill high school.

She didn't usually let the day take a toll on her like tonight, but she figured with the events she dealt with today she was allowed to take a break. Sure, drinking wine late on a school night probably wasn't the best idea, and sometimes (tonight particularly) she wonders if Nathan should have gone to Seattle in the first place. Another sigh, and another sip of wine. "Hey, you reached Nathan Scott, sorry I can't get to the phone right now. Leave a message." Haley closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, remembering when she wasn't waiting by the phone for his call, when he wasn't across the country. She found it bittersweet when she reminisced, sweet because it was like he was there with her, with Jamie. Like he was home. Bitter because he wasn't there with her, he wasn't there to tuck Jamie in, and he wasn't home.

She wonders if he ever calls Seattle his home. He must do, I mean, why wouldn't he. He's only here when it's not basketball season and when he isn't at training. Haley looked at her phone again, he never misses a call. If he doesn't pick up, he'll call back. Tonight, however, was a night where he hadn't called at all. Haley refused to let her mind wander; she pushed away the thoughts of Nathan with another woman. It was a scandal once, and she remembers seeing it in a magazine, Nathan Scott's Secret in Seattle. She recalls the way her heart beat faster, the way she knew he wouldn't do that because he's Nathan. Her Nathan. The same Nathan she had been married to since she was sixteen. Then she thinks of how he had called her that very moment, because he knew that it was a Friday, and she does grocery shopping on Fridays. And she knew that instant that it was just a tabloid rumour. And he was still her Nathan – across the country or not.

Still, tonight would be one of those nights where she never got to hear his voice. One of those nights where she'll never hear him call her "Haley James" even though it's been Haley Scott for over five years. Haley put the glass in the kitchen sink, and checked her phone once more. There was text, just not from Nathan. Instead, it was from Lucas Scott (who's been her best friend for her whole life, and Nathans brother) telling her to go to sleep. Haley let out a small chuckle because of course Luke would know that she was waiting around for Nathan's call. She knew after calling her, Nathan called Lucas, but if Luke wasn't worried then she figured that she shouldn't be either. But she couldn't help it.

That night, like all nights after Nathan left for Seattle, Haley went to sleep alone.

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Nathan Scott let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. He had grown it out a bit, so some of it fell onto his forehead; he thought back to how his beautiful wife said longer hair would suit him. Right now wasn't the time to be thinking about good things though. Especially not his wife who would be so disappointed in him.

"Damn it, Nate!" his coach yelled, throwing a magazine onto the desk, "I had to pay a whole damn lot of money to make sure this wasn't published, I can't keep saving you ass like this!"

Nathan picked up the magazine and studied the images carefully, cringing at how angry he looked. "Look, coach," he started, "I wasn't gonna hit him!"

"Then why did you?" His coach threw his arms about like a mad man.

"I just… he was talking about Haley!" Nathan blurted.

"C'mon Nate you can't jeopardize your career over him saying a few things about your wife,"

Nathan shook his head, looking down at his shoes. Being yelled at by his coach took him back to high school, when his old coach often yelled at him for being stupid. But this time around, Nathan didn't think it was stupid. "You don't get it, Coach," he said quietly.

"Then tell me, Nate, 'cos you're on suspension now,"

Nathan blanched, "What?" He stood up, "You can't let that happen!"

"I damn well can! Sit down!" Nathan obliged and looked at his coach, "You can tell me what happened so we can shorten this suspension or we can keep you out for the rest of this season and the next one,"

Nathan fell back in his seat and threw his head back, "It was a bar fight,"

"Nathan, you know what Haley told me before you came here?"

Once again, the raven haired boy watched at his coach, "No,"

"She told me to make sure you don't end up in a bar brawl damn it!" His coach's voice rose with each word.

Nathan pinched his nose as he told his coach about what happened.

The team had just won a big game and were finalists in the playoffs, Nathan and his teammates were in a bar celebrating the big win.

"Hey, smile a little Nate!" A good friend, Tony Battle, said as he sipped his drink. Nathan gave him a polite smile, but really he just wanted to be with Haley and Jamie. They had only spoken for an hour yesterday and Nathan was truly missing her like always. He stared into his drink, thinking about how one time in junior year, he had taken Haley to his dad's beach house and they had gotten drunk.

Two boys had waltzed into the bar, recklessly swinging the door open. "Dude, she is so fine!" One of them exclaimed.

Nathan took a glance towards them, they seemed to be looking at a magazine, he rolled his eyes and looked back to where the team were currently arm wrestling.

"She's so not! She looks fat," Nathan heard the friend reply, he simply ignored them. He continued focussing on the arm wrestles, until he heard that same friend say the name "Haley Scott,"

Nathan turned around properly this time, and looked at them, "Hey, are you blind?" The first boy asked his (very wrong) friend.

"Are you telling me," His coach started, "You got into a damn bar fight because two boys said they wanna… you know, with Haley?"

Nathan sighed dejectedly, "No," He admitted, "I got into the fight because one said she was wrong to stay with a loser like me – and I know I should've ignored them, I just… I was drinking and I was missing her and I thought 'what if I really am no good for her' because I know I'm not! And she threw away her damn singing career for me, coach!"

His coach sighed this time, rubbing his bald head, he looked at a pained Nathan, "Look, Nate, this isn't gonna be easy to clear – and it was a damn idiotic thing to do, I mean you punched two boys!" Nathan opened his mouth to protest, but his coach put his hand up to silence him before he starts, "But… I will see what I can do. For the next few months you need to be home, with your son and your wife, Nathan,"

The basketball player nodded his head, and left his coach's office.

/