A/N: Hey guys, I know I still haven't finished Switching it up, but I wanted to repost this story and change some stuff, so this is the new version, only a few things will change, so if you've already read it, sit tight, you'll see small changes, don't forget to review! They make me smile =) 3

Chapter 1

Suddenly everything has changed

"You're what?" Brooke spluttered over the glass of wine as her best friend's face reddened.

"I am marrying Nathan in a month's time," Haley stated firmly though she desperately needed her best friend's approval and wanted her blessing

"Are you pregnant?" Brooke asked cynically sipping the cool wine, then running her fingers over the rim of the glass. She felt a low, throbbing pain around her temples and she sighed turning back to the task at hand, "so are you?"

Haley blushed all the way down to the roots of her auburn hair and her eyes twinkled with mischief, "What if I am?"

Brooke began picking at her vegetables and said matter-of-factly, "So that's the reason he's marrying you."

Haley reclined

"Why couldn't it be because he loves me?"

"Nathan? Nathan Scott? Marry you? Right Hales, why would he when the whole female population is vying for his attention

"He loves me," Haley protested, "he was not just using me and this proves it." She held out her hand exposing the engagement ring. The diamond was huge and surrounded by tiny specks of emeralds.

"No," Brooke almost shouted, causing a few patrons to stare at them, "the only thing that ring proves is that he'd risk his everything not to end up with a bastard child."

Brooke watched on as tears sprung to her best-friend's eyes and felt guilty but only for a moment. How was she going to convince Haley that she was making the biggest mistake of her life? Nathan Scott did not love her, could not love her.

"Have you forgotten so soon what he and his bastard brother did to you?"

"Nathan had nothing to do with it and you know that, it was Lucas who did it all."

"But he believed it, and he left you heartbroken and cold at my doorsteps to cry your heart out."

Haley placed her glass down gently and stood up, shaking with rage and hurt.

"How dare you? I knew you wouldn't be pleased, couldn't be…but you didn't have to be a bitch about it. Do you think I'll forget what Lucas went through to dig up my past and to use it against me? Or would I forget Nathan's reaction when he found out? I will never forget how you comforted me but I equally won't forget Nathan's heart-wrenching apology and romantic proposal. And I sure as hell will not forget this."

The words formed on Brooke's tongue but she bit them back for they were spiteful.

Although she knew her intentions were good, she didn't want to lose her best friend whilst trying to protect her. Haley's fury, however was slowly building and she capitalized on Brooke's silence.

"I'm not even pregnant; I just wanted to see where you were going to take it. I've never been so disgusted in my life"

This time she did not wait for her friend to protest but she stormed out of the restaurant. She left Brooke not only to pay for the dinner, which Haley had offered to treat her to, but to ponder on her words.

The scene replayed in Brooke's mind continuously as her headache built. She ran a soothing hand through her mocha brown hair and sighed, her own hazel eyes filling with tears. Why couldn't Haley see that she was trying to protect her? She was always naïve, believing in true love and happy endings; Brooke left events as such for fairy tales. She had always had to be the level headed one as they tried to survive in life, having run away from the hell they called home at ages sixteen and seventeen. Although Haley was the elder, she rarely thought things through as Brooke did. Brooke bit at her bottom lip anxiously searching in her wallet for the cash to top the bill. Where was she to come up with a hundred dollars? Damn Haley for taking her to such an expensive restaurant and offering to pay but walking out leaving her when she knew she was near penniless, to cover the cost.

Although it had been seven years since they made that fateful exit from their lives Brooke was barely surviving. Sure they had come a long way from living on the streets but living from paycheck to paycheck was hardly what she would call being successful.

Still searching through her wallet, she could only find ninety-eight dollars. She almost shouted in fury, what the hell was she to do now? Rummaging through the pouches of her bags, she further located another dollar. If she were not so ill at ease and frustrated she would have laughed at the irony of her situation but instead she placed her head against the silk tablecloth and cried.

"Miss," a soft voice interrupted her flight of misery. He seemed a bit anxious, but then again she would not have expected him not to be. How many waiters came across crying women during their shifts? Crying women who would eventually inform them that they were a dollar short of topping their bill?

Brooke slowly lifted her head and gazed around the restaurant, there weren't many people left and she got the impression they were about to close. How long had she been like that? She fixed her hair the best that she knew how and rubbed her red eyes.

"If it helps," the waiter replied softly as he collected the champagne glasses, "he probably didn't deserve you anyway."

She would have smiled then, "Thank you but I haven't just been broken up with."

"Oh," was all he said but his disbelief was evident.

"My best friend and I had a massive fight," Brooke forced a smile, "and she walked out. That was bad enough but we had promised we'd split the bill and now I'm a dollar short."

"Oh," he replied once more but Brooke could hear the laughter in his voice, You're telling me that you cried for about forty-five minutes because you are a dollar short?"

"And I had a massive fight with my best friend," Brooke quickly added.

The waiter, whose name tag proved him to be Marvin, reached forward and collected the money.

"I'll put on the difference," he said with a smile.

"Really?" Brooke asked, "What do you want me to do in return?"

Living on the streets had taught her that, no one did anything because they wanted to but because they wanted something in return.

"Well for one you can go to the bathroom and fix yourself up and go home and quit worrying."

Brooke smiled, "Thank you."

"No problem," he said softly as he turned away, "we all have our bad days."

Brooke walked slowly to the bathroom and washed her tear stained face. She looked at her reflection; she was hollow and cold, she sighed that's what she had eventually become, that's what she had had to become to survive all those years. But Haley was different, how was that? How did she manage to hold on to the hope that maybe life would be better? Brooke pondered on those thoughts as she made her way to her small, very old car. What she needed was a long nap, and then maybe she could sort herself out and call Haley in the morning.

x-x-x

"Is this some kind of way to make me pay for what I did?" Lucas asked coldly as he nursed his whiskey.

"Why do you have to be so cynical?"

"I'm not cynical Nate," Lucas said with a sigh, "I'm worried about you."

"Haley is an amazing woman and you know it. She adores me and you know that too and I love her with everything I've got. How can you deny me being happy now that we are about to get married?"

Lucas glared at him, "With a track record like hers? How could you even convince yourself that she's worthy of you?"

"How did she convince herself that I was worthy of her?" Nathan shot back

"Please… spare me," Lucas retorted staring around the bar. Everything here was overly expensive and that was the way they lived. That was the way they were born to live, why was Nathan so intent on diverting from their standards? His brother was as naïve as a newborn baby when it came to women, how could he not spot her ulterior motives? How could he not see that she was up to no good, in love with nothing but his money?

Lucas sat forward tapping his fingers against the crystal glass that held his whiskey, the only thing keeping him level-headed at present. He stared at his brother coldly.

"Listen to me now Nate, and listen to me well. She's after nothing but your bank balance…"

"She already knows it," Nathan interrupted smartly becoming angry himself

"Nate," Lucas stated as gently as he could, "I'm only looking out for you."

"Yeah," Nathan all but shouted, "just like you were only looking out for me three months ago."

"It was factual."

"Yeah, but you twisted it in every way possible almost having me lose the only person who truly matters to me."

Lucas sighed sipping his whiskey wishing desperately for something stronger.

"What did the pre-nump look like," he asked finally and almost shouted when Nathan's eyes widened with disgust.

"I wouldn't think of having Hales singing a pre-nump."

Lucas drained his glass and turned to Nathan "When she gives you bliss for three months then turns around and cuts you like a blade. Hurts you so bad you don't know whether you are going or coming. Do not even think for one second that I will be there to offer my support. Do not think for one second that I will bring myself to give a damn."

Lucas' eyes were filled with fury as he removed himself from the table. As he walked to the door Nathan called after him, "Does that mean that you won't be my best man."

Lucas glowered at him before exiting the bar with a massive slam of the door. Nathan eased back into his chair and laughed, the tone of Lucas' words was a bit unnerving but he knew they held no true meaning. Whatever happened, his brother would always be there.

After a few minutes, he called for his check and went around front to meet his limo. He wished he had chosen to drive to the bar. He needed the speed of his Jaguar to take his mind of the unsettling anger Lucas had evoked in him. He smiled to himself when the driver started the limo. He had something more potent, lovelier, and more exotic to help him relax. Removing his Blackberry from the pocket of his jeans, he dialed Haley's number.

"Hello."

The flirtatious comment he was about to say died in his throat. Yes, her smoky voice had caused his stomach to knot as usual, but he could hear something in it. Something he was sure someone who did not know every pitch and intonation would have missed.

"What's wrong babe?"

She sniffed, "I had a massive fight with Brooke, she doesn't approve."

Nathan sighed, "Yea. I have a feeling Luke wasn't too happy about it either."

He heard a weak laugh, "I'm not sure why you thought he would be."

"He'll come around."

"How can you be so confident Nate," Haley protested. He could envision her in his mind, probably sitting on her worn couch – her auburn hair cascading down her back.

"We'll talk later okay? I love you."

Haley sighed, "I love you."

"I love you more."

He laughed, knowing that the juvenile game they often played would often make her blush. But instead of trying to explain how much more she loved him, Haley laughed,

"How about you come around here and I'll show you how much I love you."

No further invitation needed.

"Tim," he said pressing on the intercom, "Take me to Haley's.