Thank you for all the awesome replies, you guys. I know my updates have been way overdue, but life has been so busy that I was never satisfied with anything I wrote. I had some free time tonight and came up with this. I hope you like it!

As usual, constructive criticism is always welcome and appreciated.

--Sera

Disclaimer: Don't own a thing.

"… Let me down …"

For most of the first two hours of the car ride, it was pretty silent. Lucas kept glancing at Haley at the corner of his eye every now and then, wondering if she was alright. She was curled up in a ball and her back was turned to him so that her gaze was supposedly out the window.

Lucas desperately wished she would say something – anything. He had tried numerous times to get her to talk about it, but she couldn't. Every time he tentatively brought the topic up, her big, brown eyes would widen and be full of such heart-wrenching pain that he would eventually just desist. Of course there was always the option of just steering away from the topic, but of all people, Lucas knew how even harder it was to keep it all in. It would gnaw her from the inside if she didn't talk about it. He knew that talking about what happened still hurt her immensely – and he honestly couldn't blame her.

Nathan was Haley's first and only love. She had given so much to him – practically everything. Lucas personally thought that Haley had given too much, which explained why she was so broken now. But in a relationship like theirs – with the most unconventional beginning and bitterest ending – one of them was bound to get hurt. Lucas only wished it hadn't been his best friend.

For years, ever since they were little children, he had protected Haley like she was the most fragile and delicate thing in the world. He had screened dates for her, made sure that her prom date wasn't some disgusting pervert, threatened any guy who would inappropriately touch her, told her to go change when her outfit was too short – he had done it all. Lucas felt immensely guilty that he wasn't able to protect Haley when she met Nathan and there she was now, suffering from his mistakes.

Lucas honestly felt he had let her down – that he had let their fifteen-year-long relationship down from one stupid answer of, "Okay."

If only he could take it all back.

"It's one date, Lucas." Haley told him.

"No, Hales – I mean it." Lucas answered without even looking up from the textbook he was reading. It was barely a month into the semester, but Lucas wanted to get a head start on reading the assigned literature. What had happened to the girl who used to force him to do it?

"What the hell, Luke? You're starting to sound like my dad!" Haley exclaimed exasperatedly. When he didn't respond, she cursed under her breath and added, "You're worse than my dad! At least I had friends!"

Lucas finally tore his gaze from his textbook and looked up at her. His best friend was so incredibly beautiful in her simple sundress, and she had no idea what effect she had on guys – specifically hormonally-imbalanced college guys. "Haley, there is a big difference between me and the guys at that party. Your dad knows it, and I know it. It's time you do, too."

"I am not a kid, Lucas! I am eighteen years old, for chrissakes and I know what I'm doing!" Haley shouted.

"No, you obviously don't because if you did – you wouldn't be all dressed up for him." Lucas spat out the last word of his sentence rather bitterly.

"His name is Nathan, and he's your brother."

"He's dead to me."

"You don't even know him like I do. If only you'd give him the chance – give me the chance –" Haley began.

"Give you the chance?" He repeated incredulously. "Haley, I gave you the chance when I let you agree to what he wants!"

"You do not dictate my choices, Lucas! I am tired of you running my life like you own me. I have my own life, and own choices to make – and this is what I choose to do, whether you want me to or not. You can't keep shielding me like some little kid, because it's been years since I've been one. Let me live my life, Lucas. Let me learn from my mistakes." Haley pleaded.

"That's just it, Haley! This whole thing is a mistake waiting to happen!"

"Then let me commit the mistake! Let me deal with it my way – in my terms!"

"Don't you mean his terms?" Lucas asked her coldly.

Haley shook her head at him in disbelief. "You don't know half of it, Lucas. As far as I'm concerned, you can sit there and assume all you want, but I know what I'm getting myself into, and I know what I'm doing."

Lucas fixed his gaze intently on her as he slowly asked, "Do you really?"

If she was hesitant, her brown eyes did not show it. In fact, there was nothing but certainty and determination in her eyes. "It's one night, Lucas – and if I don't like it, I'll end it right away. I promise."

Her gaze was so intense – and full of that stubborn pride Lucas had always been a sucker for – and after a few tense moments, he reluctantly nodded. His voice was almost inaudible as he replied, "Okay."

The car came to an abrupt halt in front of a rather huge, white house with a wide, neatly trimmed lawn. At first glance, someone would think that the house was deserted because except for the fact that it looked brand new, it was practically untouched.

Lucas did not need to honk the horn because only a few moments after they parked at the sidewalk in front of the house, the front door flew open and instantly, a dark-haired girl happily bounced outside, and once she saw Lucas standing there, she immediately ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms.

Haley slowly got out of the car, rolling her eyes when she saw that the two were already shoving each other's tongues down their throats.

"You have no idea how many times I've done that ever since Brooke and I became friends," remarked a tall, slender girl who just came out from the house. She had blond, curly hair that framed her face and she had a mildly amused look on her face, as if she was already used to seeing the PDA. She had a cool vibe to her, maybe from the leather jacket, or the art materials sticking out from a pocket in her bag. "I'm Peyton."

Haley smiled, taking Peyton's outstretched hand. "I'm Haley."

"Ahh, so you're the oh-so famous Haley. Lucas told me a lot about you," another voice said, completely surprising her. He was rather tall with curly brown hair and warm, dark eyes. He had a laidback feel to him, and Haley instantly knew that they were going to get along great when she spotted the guitar case he was carrying. "I'm Jake. Maybe Lucas has told you about me."

Haley liked how easy-going he was and teased, "Actually, he hasn't mentioned a word about you."

"Hey, that's not true! Don't listen to a word she says!" Lucas suddenly protested right after he quickly pulled away.

The dark-haired girl went up to Haley and flashed a dimpled smile. "You must be Haley – the amazing best friend Lucas talks endlessly about."

"And you must be Brooke – the 'insanely hot girlfriend' Lucas keeps mentioning." Haley said, grinning back.

Brooke clapped her hands together excitedly as she squealed, "Ooh, I love her already. She sits with me in the back!"

Laughing at Brooke's sudden declaration, Haley let her loop her arm into hers, as Peyton did the same on the other side. "Lucas said you used to tutor in high school. I'll call you Tutor Girl from now on."

Peyton chuckled at the confused look on Haley's face. "Brooke likes nicknames."

"Correction – I own nicknames, Goldilocks."

Peyton cringed. "Like that one,"

Lucas couldn't help but appreciate the smile on his best friend's face, and the sound of her laughter. It felt like years since he had seen or heard it.

But just as quickly as it came, it disappeared when Haley's eyes fell on the sprinkler system in Brooke's lawn. The mere act of watching the water fall on the grass brought sudden tears into Haley's eyes, giving her the same old sickening feeling at the pit of her gut. As much as she tried not to think about it, the memories came flooding like water from an open dam.

Nathan and Haley were lying on the blanket spread out on the grass of the football field, kissing passionately as water from the sprinkler system fell on them. Neither of them knew how long they had been kissing, or if anyone saw them.

Haley pulled away, breathless as she wiped off the water from his face. She gently cradled the side of his face with one hand as she gazed into his beautiful, blue orbs. "I love you, Nathan."

And like all the other times she said it, she was met by a sudden, cold gaze and disturbing silence.

Liked it? Hated it? Please tell me what you think.