He sat. Alone in his room, he just sat. Looking at the sterling silver necklace he gave to her, his mind raced. Why was he acting like this? Why hadn't he treated her better this past year? And as he questioned himself, he became more and more confused. Why did she look back at him? That day, that one day he mustered up the courage to ask her out, why did she look back? Why did her beautiful green angelic eyes meet his dim blue ones?

"Angel eyes, why do you look back?"

He loved her. A lot. More than basketball, more than his reputation. More than life itself. But he hadn't told her. That night, that beautiful night on their seventh date, he hadn't told her. He was struggling with words when she said it. "I love you, too, Nate." She had said, stopping his stuttering. She somehow knew he had loved her all along.

"And all this time, how did you know that,

I'd be here

in this world all alone..."

She had saved him. She had been his escape. The one thing he knew he could always count on: Peyton Sawyer. He meant a lot to her, too, he knew it. He had to. They'd shared so many secrets, confided so many insecurities, and spent so many nights in each others arms. The things they did and the way they acted...they couldn't do those things with anyone else. He remembered the night she told him she thought she was pregnant. He was so happy, even though it was scary. He fell asleep that night with his arm wrapped protectively around her stomach. Even though it was just a false alarm, he had imagined their life together. And they were happy. He didn't know what had happened in this past year, but after their wonderful summer together, the school year had changed him.

And after an hour of arguing, she had ended it. Just like that.