This is my second one shot. The idea just came to me and i hope you all like it. It is completely AU. Keep in mind in this fic Lucas and Haley do not know each other. Read and review please.
"You're ready to get married in three days baby?" Nathan asked his glowing fiancée once they stepped off the plane from Los Angeles.
"If it's you I'm marrying." Madysan answered linking her fingers through her fiancée's.
"Honestly I cant wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You're it for my, I know that for sure." he told her before stopping in the middle of the crowded Tree Hill airport to kiss Madysan with dozens of camera's flashing around them. It was practically the story of the century for Tree Hill, LA Laker Nathan Scott, and Supermodel Madysan Walters were getting married Saturday in Nathan Scott's home town of Tree Hill. The entire town had began celebrating. Tree Hill had never had so much press in the small towns history. After posing for a few more pictures, Nathan escorted his soon to be wife out of the airport into their hired car flanked by Nathan's brother Lucas, and best friend Clay.
Meanwhile, Haley James was sitting at Karen's Café serving customers as usual. Her heart breaking more than usual with the news that Nathan Scott was coming home to marry his girlfriend. Haley looked back and knew that this could have been her right now. She could have been the one to marry the man she loved, not the gorgeous supermodel, but she had to ruin that, a few years earlier. Haley remembered the night that Nathan had proposed to her, it was right before they went off to college. It had been raining out, and they were laying on a blanket outside letting the rain fall on them. He had rolled over onto his side and asked her to marry him. She had declined and had regretted it everyday since. Haley came to the sad realization that it was over now. She had no hope of ever getting the man she loved, he was starting a life with the woman he so obviously loved.
Nathan was getting settled into his hotel room when Lucas and Clay walked in.
"So tonight's your bachelor party, what are we doing? You said you wanted something low key." Clay asked.
"I was thinking we could just go to Tric and have a couple beers." Nathan suggested.
"Sounds good to me." Lucas said.
"Yeah me too. Although I would prefer something a little more crazy." Clay replied.
"I don't even really want a bachelor party. I am marrying my dream girl , there is nothing that could make that better." Nathan insisted.
"Good for you Nate." Lucas said slapping his brothers shoulder. Nathan smiled at them, while somewhere in the back of his mind a very different face was conjured up.
Later that night, Nathan was getting ready to go out with Lucas and Clay. Madysan watched from their bed as Nathan buttoned up the light blue shirt over his sculpted physique.
"Okay babe, I'm gonna head out. I wont be too late." he said going to kiss her goodbye. Madysan wrapped her arms around Nathan's neck to kiss him goodbye.
"Now remember you are getting married the day after tomorrow. I can only imagine the hordes of crazed female attention you are going to be getting tonight. So please before you do anything think of me first." she said before punctuating her speech with a kiss.
"I wont be late. You should be more worried about Clay if I were you. He cant get enough of the ladies." he said before kissing her softly again. Madysan flopped back down onto the bed and picked up her book as Nathan left the room.
Nathan, Clay and Lucas were sitting in a corner booth in Tric. Nathan and Lucas were marvelling at how much the bar had changed in the past couple years. It was now set up as a restaurant where the waitress/bartender came around to take the orders. Karen was doing an incredible job running it still. The club was busy.
"What can I get for you?" an eerily familiar voice called to them.
"I'll get a beer." Clay called out over the silence.
"Yeah me too." Lucas said.
"Haley?" was all Nathan could say.
"Oh my God. I cant be here. I have to go." Haley said fleeing the table.
Lucas and Clay looked at Nathan with questions in their eyes.
"Guys I'll be right back. I have to deal with something." Nathan said standing up to follow Haley.
Haley first went to the bar manager.
"Chase. I have to take my break. I just seen someone I had hoped to never see again." she explained.
"Go Haley. I can tell whatever it is, is bothering you. Go deal with it. Take all the time you need." he told her kindly.
"Thanks Chase." she said before walking outside.
Haley leaned against the wall and tried to steady her breathing. Nathan wasn't supposed to be where she was. She wasn't supposed to have to deal with his engagement and marriage to a stunning, kind, funny supermodel. She was supposed to live in silent misery for the rest of her life, but apparently that wasn't to happen.
"Haley can we talk for a minute?" Nathan asked softly.
"Why are you here?" she asked weakly.
"Hanging out with some friends." he answered half truthfully.
"Don't lie to me Nathan. Your wedding is all over town." she told him.
"I'm sorry Haley. But remember you were the one that turned down my proposal. Do you remember that night?" he asked raising his voice slightly.
"Of course I remember/ That was the worst night of my life. The one day I wish I had a do over for." she said tears springing to her eyes.
"Haley…" he started saying.
"No. Don't Nathan. You cant be out here with me. It's not fair to Madysan, its not fair to you, and its not fair to me because I know there is nothing that can become of us." she said the tears falling freely now. It hurt Nathan to see her cry like that. He didn't know what he was thinking, maybe he wasn't, but he leaned in and ever so softly pressed his lips to hers. Haley pulled away as if she were shocked.
"Nathan. You shouldn't have done that. You are getting married the day after tomorrow to a woman that loves and trusts you. Don't betray the woman you love Nathan. I have to go." she said walking away from him.
Nathan watched her leave, confused about the thoughts going through his head. He sat outside for a few minutes, trying to clear his head. Knowing that it was no use, he headed back inside to where Lucas and Clay were waiting.
"What took you so long?" Clay asked curiously.
"I just had to take care of something." Nathan said.
"Did it have something to do with the waitress?" Lucas asked knowingly.
"Yeah. We used to date, until I proposed and she rejected me." he explained.
"Harsh." Clay replied sending his extra beer over to Nathan.
"Now drink up. You need this." he had before taking a drink of the cold amber liquid.
"Nah. I don't want it. You drink it." Nathan replied. Clay and Lucas looked at Nathan concerned. He had never been one to act like this. This girl must have done a number on him. They weren't sure if he was over her, or if he was just settling for Madysan.
A couple hours later Nathan quietly opened the door to his and Madysan's hotel room. Silently he made his way over to their bed where he climbed in beside her.
"How was your evening Nate?" she asked sleepily.
"It was interesting." he replied.
"Nathan what's wrong?" she asked hearing the tone in his voice and becoming instantly worried.
"Nothing. I'm fine. I just seen someone who I used to know." he tried to reply.
"Oh. Well did you invite her to the wedding?" she asked.
"How did you know it was a her?" he asked curiously.
"The way you were acting. I think you should invite her." Madysan said.
"Maybe. I don't think she would want to be here." he said.
"It's your choice. Anyway I'm going to go back to sleep." she said rolling over onto her side and immediately lapsing into slumber. Nathan laid there awake thinking of his options.
The next day, Nathan opted to spend his day in the hotel room, hoping to avoid seeing Haley. Knowing that if he seen her he would be back where he was last night. It had taken a few hours but he had managed to convince himself that marrying Madysan was the right thing to do. He convinced himself that he had never loved another person more than he loved Madysan. That marrying Madysan was the only choice. He was sure that seeing Haley again would change that. While Nathan lounged on the bed watching TV, Madysan wandered around Tree Hill. She tried to imagine Nathan living here, Nathan as a child wandering down these streets. She was trying to distract herself over the weird way Nathan was acting last night. She couldn't put her finger on what was bothering him, and that bothered her. Madysan walked past a quaint coffee shop called Karen's Café and decided to stop. She noticed that there was a pretty brunette standing behind the counter.
"Hi welcome to Karen's Café. How can I help you?" Haley said.
"Hi, can I get just a black coffee to stay?" she asked.
"Sure." Haley said before getting her the coffee. Madysan watched while Haley turned around and started organizing cutlery. She was shocked though when Haley bent down to pick up something from the floor, and saw the "23" etched into her lower back.
"That's the same number that my fiancee has for basketball." she observed referring to Haley's tattoo.
"Oh. Yeah. 23 is still Nathan's number?" she asked in awe.
"Yeah. He refuses to give it up. He says there is a personal link for him through that number. You too I guess." she said.
"It was his number when he played for the Raven's." Haley told Madysan.
"Oh. That makes more sense now. Why did you get it?" she asked curiously.
"Ummm. We were friends, and I got it to support him." Haley said half telling the truth.
"Oh. That makes more sense now. Are you coming to the wedding?" Madysan asked kindly.
"No. I cant make it. I have to be here." Haley said .
"Oh that's too bad. But I better get going, I have things to do before the wedding tomorrow. Nice meeting you…um…" Madysan stopped trying to see if she knew the girls name.
"Haley." Haley told her.
"Haley." Madysan repeated before exiting the café. Haley had wanted so much to hate Madysan, but it turned out she was great. It was easy to hate someone who stole your life, but when that person was as nice and perfect as Madysan then it was hard to hate them. Haley went back to her work and silently prayed for the strength to get through tomorrow when her Nathan married another woman.
The day of the wedding was perfect. The sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky but Nathan was nowhere closer to figuring what he needed to do. He knew what he was going to do, he just didn't know it was the right thing to do. He wondered whether marrying someone because you should marry them is the right thing to do. Nathan didn't know. As the time of the wedding drew closer, Nathan grew more nervous.
Madysan was getting ready for her wedding. She couldn't wait to be Scott. As her mother put the flowers up in her hair she glanced at her father. There were tears in his eyes. She had waited for this day her whole life, and here it was. When the music started and her bridesmaids started walking down the aisle Madysan took a deep breath and clutched her fathers arm. When the wedding march started Madysan looked Nathan in the eye. She saw him smile, but the smile never reached his eyes. She remembered asking him a few hours ago what was going on with him. He said he nothing. He was perfectly fine. She was definitely leaning towards something being wrong with him. One didn't act like this on their wedding day when one wasn't upset about something. She placed her hand in Nathans and squeezed it tightly. He forced a smile at her. The preacher started talking, when he got to the part where he asked if Nathan would take Madysan to be his wife, dozens of images of Haley started running through his mind. After his little slideshow, Nathan had an image of his wedding day. He saw a beautiful woman dressed in white with flowers in her hair. When he lifted up the veil tom Nathan's surprise it wasn't Madysan under it. It was Haley. His images all lead him to one realization. He was, and would always be in love with Haley James. Nathan looked at Madysan and squeezed her hand, he looked to the preacher who nodded discreetly to try and get Nathan to move along. He then glanced at the audience where so many friendly faces sat. Not one of them was Haley.
"I cant." Nathan whispered.
"What?" the preacher asked not believing what he just heard.
"I'm sorry. I cant marry you Madysan. There is a girl I love very much. And I need to be with her. I am so sorry Madysan. Please know that I love you, I just cant be with you. I wish I realized it sooner. Haley is where I belong." he said passionately.
"It's okay Nathan. I'm not mad. Just go and get the woman you love." she urged Nathan towards Haley. Madysan sat down at the alter and looked at her parents. They both had tears in there eyes. Madysan got up and walked back down the aisle, intending on going back to Karen's Café to tell her that Nathan was in love with her.
Nathan walked into the café and saw Haley sitting on a stool against the counter. "Haley." he called softly. Haley turned around to glance in his eyes.
"What are you doing here? Where is your new wife?" she asked.
"I am here because I needed to see you. And I didn't get married. I couldn't. For me, it was always just you. I should have waited for you." he insisted.
"Nathan. I should have accepted your proposal." Haley said tears swimming in her eyes again when Nathan said those words to her. Just when he was about to kiss her, Madysan walked through the doors.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to be here when you guys got back together. You do look like you should be together." she stated smiling.
"Haley James, I love you. I want to be with you." he said.
"I want to be with you too Nathan Scott." Haley said tears trailing down her face. Nathan turned around with a huge smile on his face. He pulled the chain from around his neck and carefully pulled the diamond ring that had resided on that chain since Haley had rejected him the first time.
"Haley James, will you do the honour of spending the rest of your days with me? Will you marry me?" he asked with tons of conviction. Haley looked at the ring and gasped. "Is this…is this the…" she asked not able to talk.
"Yes, this is the ring I proposed to you with the first time. Now Haley will you marry me?" he asked.
All Haley could do was nod her head before throwing her arms around Nathan's neck.
"Congratulations Nathan, Haley. I fully expect an invitation to your wedding." she said before walking out of the café. Nathan ducked his head and tenderly pressed his lips to Haley's.
"I love you so much Hales." he stated.
"I love you too." she told him.
"Always?" he asked hoping for the correct response.
"And forever." she answered.