Nathan sat under the old dogwood tree that was only yards from the soft ocean waves that crashed onto the grey rocks of Haven's shoreline. The dogwood had only just started to bloom, with its light green leaves, still missing the pink blossoms on its branches. Nathan leaned his back against it, his hand reaching out absentmindedly to pick one of the white lilies that had grown in patches around the dogwood. If there was a prize for rotten judgment, he supposed he'd already won that. What had he thought would happen when he had gone to see Duke? "No man is worth this aggravation", he muttered to himself, twirling the lily between his right thumb and forefinger. He was tired of the bickering that had become recurrent between him and the sailor. It was ancient history; he'd been there, done that.

"Who do you think you're kidding, Nathan?" Nathan looked to his left to see Audrey walking up to him. She looked down at him, grinning. She had been there when Nathan had gone to see Duke earlier that day. "He's the Earth and Heaven to you." Nathan opened his mouth to object, but she continued. "You really do try to keep it hidden, but I can see right through you." She squatted down and stared him in the eye, and to Nathan, it did indeed feel as if she could see into his very soul. "You're awful at concealing it. I know exactly what you're feeling and who you're thinking of."

Nathan turned his head away, shaking it. "No chance."

"Oh, Nate. You should see yourself around him. You swoon, you sigh over him… Why do you keep denying it?" Audrey laughed.

Nathan stood up, looking out to the sea blankly. "It's too cliché." The lull of the afternoon waves was dulled as Nathan drowned out everything around him. I thought my heart had learned its lesson; that Duke and I just aren't made to get along, Nathan thought. But it feels so good to pretend. Get a grip, Nate! Unless I'm just dying to cry my heart out.

Audrey interrupted Nathan's thoughts. "How can you deny it? How can you possibly dismiss your feelings for Duke like that? Nathan, I saw you hit the ceiling, so face it like a grownup! When will you finally own up that you've got it bad for him?"

"Duke? No way, no, no, no!" He started to walk away from Audrey, trying to get away from her statements. He walked down the grassy hill and onto the rocky shore.

Audrey followed right behind him. "Either give up, or give in. I see the way you look at him, the way you smile. You're in love with him."

This scene won't play. "No, I'm not. Lalalalalalalala…" Nathan turned back around, clasping his hands over his ears and babbling loudly to let Audrey know he wasn't listening.

Audrey rolled her eyes. Nathan could go from tightly professional to childishly immature in a matter of seconds. She stepped in front of him, forcing him to look at her. "Read my lips", she pointed to her mouth, "You're in love!"

Nathan pulled his hands off his ears, and sidestepped her. "You're way off base, Parker. So just get off my case, okay?"

"Shut up", she replied. Both cops came to a stop in the shipyard. Nathan hadn't even realized where he had been going, and Audrey had simply followed him there. Audrey gave Nathan a look, before glancing ahead of them, at Duke's boat. "You don't have to be proud, Nathan. It's okay that you're in love."

Duke picked that moment to appear on the deck of his boat. He grabbed a bottle of water and downed it before he noticed Nathan and Audrey standing below him. He grinned down at Nathan.

Nathan tried to frown, but found that his lips moved upwards instead. He sighed. He couldn't say it out loud just yet, but at least he could admit it to himself; he was completely in love with Duke.