This is my first naley story, so please be gentle. I don't really want too give much away. Haley is back in Tree Hill after the tour, and her relationship with Nathan is a lot more confusing than she could have ever imagined. This is a more organic story about how they try to live apart only to realize that it is impossible to fight the presence of the other one in their lives. It's that lovely rocky road to reconciliation… with a lot of confusion, anger, humour, angst, and most of all, love.

Just a note – this first chapter is simply setting up the story. I'll be taking it in its own direction. . .

Hope you all enjoy, and please tell me what you think! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am poor, so please don't sue.

Chapter 1

The lights slowly illuminated the stage as Chris Keller pulled out his guitar, sat on a stool, and sang his final song for the evening, "Missing You". It was a cover he had been dabbling with for the past week, claiming it had been special to him. Haley didn't understand why he chose this venue to debut his new cover. Neither of them felt a connection to Illinois. They had no family in the area. No friends. They hadn't even had time to connect with any fans prior to the show. So, Haley asked herself, as he started playing his guitar and the first couple of notes captured the attention of their audience, why now?

Bruce, their lighting technician, turned on all of the lights, illuminating the audience. Haley looked out into the crowd and looked at all of the people, staring intently at her fellow musician. Some swayed. Others raised their cellular phones in the air much like a lighter. Others sang along. Some even looked downright bored.

I'm still standing here, and you're miles away. . .

Then it happened. Her eyes started to fill with tears. She started to comprehend Chris' intentions for playing this song in this strange city.

And I ain't missing you at all since you've been gone away

I ain't missing you no matter what my friends say

The emotions she had been ignoring finally revealed themselves in this moment. He chose this song in this city BECAUSE they didn't know anyone. They were far away from home. They were alone. There was no one in that audience who they recognized; who she had recognized. He wasn't with her. As she continued to experience this epiphany, a group of girls started to watch her. They whispered to their friends. She knew they were commenting on her tears…

Haley had lost control. The sobs had invaded her body, and they would not go away. She missed him. She didn't let herself feel the pain. She numbed it by rationalizing that this was her dream. Was it? Was it worth losing her friends over? Her family? Her love? How could she be seduced by the fame and fortune of this tour when she knew how much she hurt Nathan? What was she thinking when she took off her wedding ring? Why didn't she beg Nathan to stay when he visited her? Who had she become? Was it a person who she liked? Who she was proud of?

Before Chris ended the song, she ran off stage. This was too much. She couldn't be here anymore. She ran to her dressing room and started to pack her belongings. She was done with the tour. She had to be.

"Haley!!" She heard her name called, but she ignored it. She could barely breathe at the moment. No words could be formed.

"Haley!! What are you doing?" There he was, Chris Keller: the one who gave her this opportunity; her only true friend at the moment.

"I. . . can't . . .I," she struggled. . .

"Haley, tell me what's wrong," he demanded.

"I miss him," she whispered.

"You what?"

"I miss him!" She informed him, finally finding her voice. "I need to go home Chris. I can't be here anymore. This was wrong."

"We have been through this, Haley. This is your dream. This is a one and a lifetime opportunity. You can't throw it away."

"Like I threw away my marriage?"

"That's different. Nathan didn't get it. He didn't support your dream."

"Yes, he did. He encouraged me, and what do I do? I kiss you. I run off with you when I knew he was hurting. I was acting so childish and selfish."

"So this is it? You're giving it up. Haley, we were offered record deals. This is our chance. Don't throw it away for him. Don't go back."

Haley looked him in the eye. He was right. This was her beginning. She could be a real musician. She could be someone people looked up to, cared about, and supported. She could be someone important. She stopped putting her clothes in her bag and sat on the couch, taking a deep breath.

Chris sat next to her, taking her hand in his. "How do you even know Nathan hasn't moved on? He wanted an annulment, Haley. He wanted out of the marriage. What if you give this up only to learn that he gave up on you?"

"It's a chance I have to take. I have to try and fix this. I have to see if we can work this out."

"You hurt the guy, Haley. He's not going to forgive and forget."

"I know. I know it won't be easy, but I can't do this without him. I can't be a singer without his support. I can't sing for these crowds every night and not love him. I can't stop the ache in my heart from not seeing him, and I'm done trying to."

"Then maybe you should go home," Chris sighed. He let go of her hand and took her bag in his hand. "If you're not willing to put everything you have into this, then this is not for you. This is not a business for the weak. You've been nothing but a whiney bitch since Nathan's accident, and I'm actually getting tired of hearing about it. So go. Go home, Haley."

She looked up at him, shocked by his words. Was he truly giving up on her? For months, he had convinced her of the importance of this tour and how salient it was for her career to prosper. "Are you pulling some type of reverse psychology on me?"

"No, I'm just tired. It's pretty clear where your heart is, Haley. I can't make the pain go away. I even offered you a night of Chris Keller loving and you refused."

Haley smiled at this.

"I don't understand why you wouldn't want a piece of Chris Keller. All the ladies do."

"I'm sure they do," Haley laughed. His ego always amused her. She knew it was a defense mechanism. "I guess this is goodbye."

"I guess so," Chris replied and pulled her into a hug.

"Thank you for all of this. As hard as it's been, I'll always remember the tour as one of the greatest moments in my life."

"Are you sure you're not just talking about sharing a bus with me?"

Haley have him a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yes, it was all about you!"

"I knew it!" He laughed. "Good luck."

Haley then looked around, took her belongings, and headed towards the door. "I'll need it."

She stared at the wall of her former apartment, the one she had shared with Nathan, recalling the moment where everything had changed for her.

"Haley?"

She turned when she heard her name. "Brooke, hi."

"Hi," she greeted carefully. "What are you doing here?

"I . ."

"Are you back? Is the tour in tree hill? Has Nathan seen you? Does Lucas know?!!?" Brooke demanded all in one breath, causing Haley to let out a small laugh.

"Yes, I am back. No, I left the tour. No, he hasn't and no, he doesn't know." Haley responded in the same manner Brooke asked her questions.

"I missed you, Tutorwife!" Brooke laughed. They always had fun teasing each other.

"Missed you too, Tigger," she smiled. It was nice that her first encounter with her "former life" was positive.

"So, why are you here?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"I mean I know, but I'm not ready to talk about it. It just makes all of it more real, you know?"

"Ya," Brooke sighed. "But seriously, why are you in my apartment?"

"Oh," Haley let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I thought. . . I guess I had nowhere else to go. My parents are in California. The rest of my family has been out of Tree Hill for a long time. I didn't know where to go."

"Why didn't you go see Nathan?"

"I did. His mom told me he was in Florida until tomorrow, and then she slammed the door in my face."

"Oh."

"I know I deserved it."

"I'm not going to disagree." Brooke told her.

"I made a lot of mistakes, Brooke. Leaving for the tour was one of the stupidest things I could have done."

"But you loved it. . .right?"

"I did," she confirmed, "but I always loved Nathan more. And he doesn't know that."

"Ya. . "

"I made such a mess out of everything.. I wish.."

"Brooke?! Are you in there?" Lucas called as he entered the small apartment, shocked to see his best friend standing in the centre of the living room. "Did I just walk into the twilight zone? Let me try this again." He then left the apartment, yelled out Brooke's name once again, and still saw Haley.

"You can stop now," Haley smiled at his confused expression.

"Are you back for good?"

"I think so."

"You think??" Brook asked.

"I'm back for good," she confirmed. She was simply scared of her confrontation with Nathan, but she couldn't let that push her out of Tree Hill.

Lucas took that opportunity to wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight embrace. "Thank God!!!"

Haley laughed at this. "I missed you so much, Luke. No one could ever replace my best friend."

"I missed you so much. Tree Hill hasn't been the same."

Brooke looked at them and then decided that she was intruding on some much needed "Lucas and Haley" time, so she made an excuse about needing to go furniture shopping and ran out the door.

"So, you just left the tour?" Lucas asked as they left the apartment after Brooke and walked toward the nearest park.

"I left a couple of months ago. I came back to Tree Hill to learn that Nathan was at High Flyers and that there was no apartment, so I stayed with my parents. I joined them as they continued to tour the country in their RV." Haley laughed.

"Why didn't you come see me?"

"I was a mess, Luke. When I found out Nathan had left, I knew that I needed to use that time to pull myself together again."

"I could have been there for you, Haley."

"I just needed to be with my family again."

"I get it," Luke sighed. He hated the fact she didn't come to him when she felt her world was falling apart. He would have taken care of her.

"I'm sorry. I know I should have talked to you. I'm sorry I ignored you all summer and didn't tell you I quit the tour. I've been such a horrible friend."

"Haley. . . "

"I have. I didn't tell you I was leaving. I haven't even talked to Peyton or Brooke (other than today) since I left. I became someone who I wasn't proud of."

"I understand that," Lucas smiled, remembering when he had been ready to leave Tree Hill when he became someone he wasn't proud of.

"I know you do."

"So what now? Lucas asked.

"I don't know. I guess we take senior year by storm like we always planned to."

She was back. This was the only thought that went through Nathan's mind as he saw Haley walking down the hall of their high school. When did she get back? Why didn't he know about this?

"Nathan," he turned to see Tim behind him. "You ready to partay Tim-style?!?!"

"What the fuck does that mean?" Nathan wondered as his eyes were still focused on his 'wife'.

"It means we're gonna get crunk!!" And then Tim proceeded to do a dance to illustrate the meaning of "crunk".

"Just say we're going to party, Tim." Nathan sighed in frustration. He needed to stop trying so hard.

"Are you in? Jamal has pimped his 'rent's beach crib into party central." Tim informed him.

Nathan simply laughed at this. "Wow, man. You really don't get it to do?"

"Get what?"

"Never mind," Nathan was not in the mood to, yet again, tell his friend that he's a white rural hick who listens to too much rap.

"Your boo is back."

Nathan simply rolled his eyes at this. Haley was back. Yes, he knew that. She was within walking distance. . . "Tim, go away."

"Ok, bro. We'll chill later." Tim then walked off and Nathan took this opportunity to confront Haley.

"You're back." Wow, you're back? He couldn't think of anything better to greet her than with the obvious? Smooth.

"Nathan!" She looked at him, pretending to be shocked by his presence. In reality, she knew he had been watching her, and she was waiting for him to make the first move.

"You didn't feel it was important to tell me . . ." He was angry. How could she come back to Tree Hill and not even call? They were still married. She fucked up the annulment by writing "I love you" on the paper and then by not speaking to him until now. How messed up is that?

"This isn't the place to . . . "

"To what?"

"To fight."

"I don't want to fight with you, Haley. I just want some answers."

"Ok." She was nervous. She wasn't ready to be confronted by him. She didn't even have her morning coffee yet.

"So?"

"So, what?" Haley asked. It was too early for this.

"You didn't feel the need to tell me you were back?"

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I was scared to see you again. I was being a coward . . ."

"Obviously," he mumbled.

"I miss you," she whispered.

"Don't," he stopped her.

"Don't what?"

"Don't do that. Don't act like you care. I don't know why you're here, and I can't believe that I even cared for a second. Just stay out of my way, Haley."

She looked at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Nathan. . ."

"I can't deal with this now."

"We need to talk about this. I.. have so much to tell you. . ."

"I'm sure you do," He responded and then left. What was he thinking when he confronted her? He was not.

Haley stood in the hall, watching his retreating figure. She knew this wouldn't be easy. Chris told her that. Her parents told her that. Her sister, Vivian, told her that. Lucas told her that maybe some distance would be best. Brooke gave her a push up bra to entice him. Sadly, she loved Brooke's advice most. She didn't think it through since the wires were digging into her chest.

"Tutor-roomy!!" Brooke called out. "Stop adjusting the bra! It's not woman-like." She whispered that last sentence into her ear.

"It's really digging . . ."

"Stop!"

"Sorry," Haley sighed, placing her arms at her side and giving Brooke a look meant to ask 'happy now?'

"I saw Nathan looking pissed. Not that it isn't normal, but I figured it had something to do with you."

"Yeah, he came over to talk and then got mad and stormed off," she recalled and then pulled Brooke towards their first class.

"At least he talked to you, right?"

"I guess," Haley frowned. Haley looked inside the class to see Nathan already in a seat in the back. Great, her first senior class was with her husband who hated her. What a great start.

"This party tonight . . ." Brooke started but then noticed she had lost Haley's attention to the blue-eyed boy sitting in the back pretending to read. "Haley!" She called out and smacked her arm.

"What?"

"Party. Tonight. Beach. You're going. No arguments. Now, sit!"

"Bossy much?" Haley asked, rolling her eyes.

"You weren't listening to me. I don't appreciate it when I don't have your undivided attention. I'm Brooke fricken Davis!"

"I apologize your highness, Brooke fricken Davis," Haley laughed. She appreciated that Brooke could still bring a smile to her face.

"You better be sorry. Shopping after school. One moan, and I whip that ass of yours. Got it?"

"Got it!" Haley saluted and then turned her attention to the teacher as he began the class.

"Looking hot!" Brooke told her when she modeled the twentieth dress. "Finally, we have a winner!"

"I don't know. It's not really me."

"It's a total rock star look!"

"But I'm not a rock star," Haley reminded her. Why did she keep defining as an artist when she had clearly quit?

"Whatever. Looking hot is now your new thing. Nathan won't know what hit him!"

"I don't want to play games with him . . ."

"Stop acting all noble and let your husband get turned on!" Brooke said in frustration. This obviously was not the best tactic since Haley threw the dress at her and ran out of the store.

When Brook followed her, they both saw Nathan walking down the street with a few of his basketball buddies. Of course, now that she was back, the 'gods' would not give her a break. Karma. Fucking karma.

Nathan, however, did something that shocked her. He continued laughing with his buddies and passed by her like she didn't even exist. She paused for a moment. What the fuck was that?

"Ok, let's go buy that dress!" Haley yelled out as she ran back in the store.

"That's my tutor/rock star roomy!!" Brooke called out in a proud tone. This was definitely going to be interesting . . .