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Chapter 3

"So, why can't I come with you?"

"Andy, honey, we talked about this."

"Not really. You just said that you were going."

"I have to go."

"But why haven't you asked me to go with you?"

Haley searched through her travel bag. "Where the hell did I put my ID?" The pair was standing in the airport. Her plane was set to board in an hour, but she still had to go through security. And with it being so strict these days, it could sometimes take a while—hence why she was here so early.

"It's in your billfold."

"Where's that?"

"You put it in the outside pocket," he reminded her.

Haley checked the pocket and, sure enough, he was right. "What about my plane tickets?"

"They're in your hand."

"Oh. Right."

Andy took her by the shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Haley, I know that something is bothering you. The only time you're this frazzled is when you have a deadline or a show. And seeing as though neither is happening at the moment, I think I have a pretty good idea about what it is."

Haley felt her nervousness heighten. "You do?"

"You haven't told your parents about the engagement yet, have you?"

She felt a small wave of relief wash over her. "It's only been a couple of days."

"And yet you're getting on a plane to Tree Hill right now when all you have to do is call."

"I can't tell them something like this over the phone."

"I understand that. I do. But what I don't understand is why you won't take me with you. In all the years we've known each other, I haven't met them once."

"I know that. I've invited them up to New York, but they've never been able to come," Haley explained.

"So let's both go down to North Carolina and see them. I'll book my own flight right now."

"Andy, I know how badly you want to meet them." She brought her hand to his arm and rubbed it soothingly. "And you will eventually. But right now it's complicated, and I have to do this alone."

"Haley—"

"I won't be gone long. A day or two at the most," she told him. "And I'll see if I can get them up to New York this time to visit."

He stared at her for a moment with inquisitive eyes. "Is there a reason you don't want me to go to Tree Hill?"

Haley swallowed hard and tried to think of something to say. She hated lying to Andy. She really did. But if she wasn't careful, this whole thing could turn into a bigger fiasco than it already was. And that's the last thing that she wanted or needed right now.

"Of course not," was all she came out with.

Andy was silent for a few more seconds before he shook his head and smiled. "I'm sorry. I'm being paranoid, aren't I?"

"It's okay."

"No, I am. It's just that…in all the years we've known each other, sometimes I can't help but wonder what's going on in that beautiful head of yours." He ran a hand through her hair.

"Andy—"

"I know your past and family is a touchy subject. So you go do what you have to do. I'll be waiting right here when you get back. We can talk then."

"You're too good for me. You know that?" Haley said, meaning every word. He was definitely one of the most kind-hearted men she'd ever known.

"I know. But I'm willing to overlook that," Andy teased with a grin.

"Well, don't let it go to your head," she quipped back.

"Don't worry. I won't." He checked his watch. "You better get going. You don't want to miss your flight."

"Okay." Haley leaned in to give him a kiss. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Haley grabbed her other suitcase. "I'll see you soon. And I'll have my cell phone if you need to get in touch with me."

"Okay."

She gave him one more kiss goodbye before heading towards the security line. Haley took a deep breath. She wasn't even on the plane yet and already she could feel her hands shaking.

"God, help me," she mumbled.


Nathan turned up the air conditioner in his truck. It was early in the afternoon and already the humidity was terrible. It was always hot in the spring time, but never like this. He could only imagine how unbearable the summer was going to be.

He wondered if a barbecue was such a good idea for today. Karen and his Uncle Keith were throwing one at their house, and everyone was invited. Keith was Dan's older brother. He'd been in love with Karen ever since high school. He'd been there for Karen when Dan had abandoned her. Keith had helped her through her pregnancy and with raising Lucas. Nathan really respected his uncle for stepping up. He was more of a man than Dan could ever hope to be. He was also the only father figure that Lucas had ever known.

Karen and Keith had remained friends for the longest time. It wasn't until Lucas and the rest of them were juniors in high school that the pair started dating. They got married at the beginning of their senior year. Nine months later, Keith and Karen's daughter Lily was born. She was one of the cutest kids Nathan had ever met. And that said a lot seeing as though Nathan had never really liked kids to begin with.

Nathan pulled up in front of their house a few minutes later. He got out of his truck and walked around to the passenger's side. After letting Duke out, he grabbed the two cases of beer he bought and shut the door. He didn't even bother knocking on the front door. Nathan knew that everyone was in the backyard already. He could hear their voices.

"Hello," Nathan called as he rounded the corner.

"If it isn't my favorite nephew," Keith shouted from his spot next to the grill.

"Hey!" Lucas objected.

Nathan chuckled. "You always say that when I bring beer."

"It's not a real barbecue without it."

"Keith, are you watching those burgers?" Karen asked as she came outside with a bowl of potato salad in her hands. In tow were the rest of the girls with more food. They placed it on the long table situated on the deck.

"Nathan! Nathan!" Lily exclaimed as she came barreling out of the house towards him.

He caught her in his arms and picked her up. "Hey, how's my favorite girl?"

"Better now that you're here," she said. "Lucas won't play tea party with me."

"He won't?"

"That's not true," Lucas denied. "I said I couldn't right now. Later we can."

Lily shook her head in defiance. "Not uh."

"I did to."

"Did not!"

"Did to!"

"Did not!"

Lindsey walked up to her husband, laughing. "Honestly, Luke, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were Lily's age."

"I've come to learn that no matter what the age, there's no way siblings cannot fight," Karen added with an amused smile.

"That's for sure," Nathan threw in, earning him a glare from Lucas, as well. He returned his attention to the tiny brunette in his arms. "Of course we can play. But I think it's almost time to eat right now. So why don't you go back inside and get everything ready. I think tea will taste better with dessert, don't you think?"

Lily nodded, pleased by the suggestion. "Okay."

Nathan placed her back down on the ground.

"Ooh, you brought Duke." She walked up to the Chocolate Lab and started to pet him. She giggled when he licked her face.

"Make sure you set a place for me, too, Lily," Brooke added. "And I want to sit next to Mr. Giraffe this time. He's a much better talker than Mr. Bear."

"Okay. Be right back, Duke." She patted the dog's head one more time before racing back into the house.

"That girl is one little ball of energy," Peyton mused.

"Poor thing. She's bored without Jenny around to play with," Keith stated.

Nathan looked over at Jake. "Where is Jenny, by the way?"

Jenny was Jake's daughter. He'd had her with his girlfriend, Nicki, during high school. Jenny was seven years old—one year older than Lily. Nicki was a couple of years older than Jake and had claimed that she didn't have time to take care of a baby. She needed to go back to college. It ended up being a lie. Nicki never went back to school. She just took off without a word and left Jake to take care of their daughter.

Luckily, Jake had Peyton. She babysat for Jenny often. The two had become close, as well as Jake and Peyton. They started dating after Jenny's first birthday. The couple had been together ever since.

"She slept over her friend's house last night and wanted to stay for the day, too. I'm picking her up at five."

Nathan nodded and opened the case of beer. He passed one to Jake, Peyton, Brooke, and Lindsey. When he came to Lucas, his brother shook his head. "No thanks."

"Come on, you're not still sore about the tea party, are you?"

"What is it? Bag-on-Lucas day?"

"Don't mind him," Lindsey interjected. "He had a case of writer's block this morning and has been in a bad mood ever since."

"On second thought, I do think I need that beer," Lucas muttered.

"Who wants a burger and who wants a hot dog?" Keith asked the group. They all started to place their orders.

"Nathan, honey," Deb greeted as she emerged from the house.

Nathan kissed her cheek and took the large bowl of fruit salad out of her hand. "Hi, Mom." He put it down on the table.

"I'm sorry I missed you the other night at Tric. We were so busy."

"Don't worry about it." He shot a look to Brooke and Peyton. "I was detained anyway."

Deb smiled. "Why do I get the feeling that this has to do with a woman?"

"Don't you start that, Scott. Kate was hot and you know it," Brooke asserted.

"Once you get past her feet."

"Her feet?" Deb questioned, confused.

"They were huge."

"They were not!" Peyton argued.

"She kept stepping on me under the table," he fired back.

Deb put a hand to her mouth to hide another smile. His mother was well aware of his dating preferences.

"Well, I—"

"How about we don't get into this now," Jake suggested.

Karen nodded, and Nathan was thankful for the distraction. "I agree. The food's all ready. Let's eat."

"Good. I'm starved," Brooke declared. She glanced at Nathan once more. "But I will find the perfect girl for you yet, Nathan Scott."

Nathan just rolled his eyes and ignored the comment. It was just Brooke being Brooke. The girl was stubborn as hell. That would never change.

Everyone grabbed a plate and filled it with the delicious food on display. Afterward, they sat at the table located on the patio. It had an umbrella to block out the blaring sun.

"God, it's hot out," Lindsey commented. She took a big gulp of her beer and started to fan herself.

Brooke took a hot dog off of her plate and fed it to Duke. "Here you go, boy. Are you hungry?"

"Brooke, you do know that you're not supposed to feed dogs from the table," Lucas pointed out.

She shrugged and smiled. "It's not like he lives with me."

"Thanks," Nathan muttered.

"Mommy, can I play with Duke?" Lily asked.

"Take one more big bite of your hamburger. Then you can go."

Lily did as instructed. "Thank you!" she replied with her mouth full. She took off before Karen could scold her.

"Jenny does the same thing," Peyton commented. "I'm always afraid she's going to choke."

"When you have kids, all you do is worry," Deb said.

"Amen to that," Karen agreed.

"I'd like to have kids someday," Lindsey stated. "What do you think, Luke?"

"Sure."

"What about within the next two years?"

Everyone smiled and snickered when he almost choked on his burger.

"You know what? I think I need some more potato salad." He quickly got up.

"Keep working on him," Keith encouraged as Karen rubbed her shoulder.

Lindsey stabbed at the fruit in her plate with determination. "I intend to."


Haley watched the road intently as she drove. Her flight had landed a little while ago. She was now in her rented car, continuing her journey to Tree Hill. Haley had a map beside her on the seat. It sat unopened. Haley had thought that she would need it. She hadn't been to North Carolina in years. Not since she left.

But somehow she was doing just fine without it. The fact that she remembered the layout so well was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, at least she wasn't lost. On the other, if she could remember the intricate roadways so well, there was no telling what else she'd recall once she arrived in Tree Hill.

The thought caused a shiver to run up Haley's spine. She exhaled, trying to release the mounting tension in her body. She could do this. She had to do this. Haley had worked too hard and come too far in her life to fall apart now. She was just going to go to Tree Hill, get what she needed, and then return to New York as soon as possible. This was a long time coming, she had to admit. But it was necessary. Haley was done putting her life on hold.

Her phone rang next to her. Haley pushed the button on her Bluetooth to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Haley, it's Millie."

"Hi, Millie."

"Where are you?"

Haley glanced around at the scenery passing by. "Miles from normal."

"What?"

"Nothing. What's the problem?"

"You were supposed to do that interview today with that journalist from Glamour. Remember?"

"Oh crap!" Haley exclaimed. She'd forgotten all about that stupid interview. Who schedules an interview on a Sunday afternoon? Really. Didn't the guy have a life? Why did she agree to even do it in the first place?

"He's already here at your office. He's been waiting for an hour now."

"I can't make it."

"Why not?"

"I'm not exactly in the state right now."

"Where are you then?" Millie questioned in an apprehensive voice.

"North Carolina."

"What? Why? How come I didn't know about this?" she panicked in a hushed voice.

"It was a spur of the moment decision."

"Haley, you're a big designer now. You can't go places without at least letting me know. What am I going to tell this guy?"

"First of all, relax. I won't be gone long," Haley instructed. Millie was usually more put together. But when she was under too much stress, she tended to freak out. "Second, just tell him that I'm very sorry about not being there. Let him know that I had a family emergency that needed my immediate attention. Then reschedule the interview for later in the week."

"What kind of an emergency?" Millie asked. "Is everything all right?"

Haley sighed softly to herself. "No. But it will be."


"I can't have anymore. I'm stuffed."

"Are you sure?" Lily questioned.

"Positive," Nathan answered. "That's the best tea I've ever had."

"I have to agree," Brooke added.

Lily beamed with pride. "Thanks!"

Nathan checked his watch. It was getting later, and he knew that he should probably head home soon. He had work early tomorrow morning. There were still a lot of preparations to be made for the basketball camp.

"I've got to go, Lily. We'll have to do this again sometime."

"Okay."

Nathan hugged the tiny brunette before following Brooke back outside to the patio. "I'm going to head out," he told the group.

"I'll make you a plate to take home," Karen said.

"You don't have to do that," he objected.

"Nonsense. Someone's got to feed you."

"I can actually cook, you know."

"Just not well," Lucas quipped.

"I can see now why Lily didn't want to have tea with you."

"Hey, I—"

Lindsey put her hand on his chest. "Babe, let it go."

Nathan held back a laugh when Lucas slumped in his seat with a pouty look on his face. His brother was always brooding. It's why Brooke had nicknamed him "Broody" in high school. She still called him that to this day.

"Thank you," Nathan said when Karen came back outside with a plate of leftovers for him.

"You're welcome. I'll give you another plate on Friday. There's going to be so much food we're not going to have anywhere to put it."

"What time is Lily's birthday party again?" Brooke asked.

"It starts at four o'clock." Karen glanced at Nathan. "You're coming, too, right?"

"I'll be there."

"Good."

Nathan gave Karen a hug. "Thanks again." He hugged and waved goodbye to the rest of his family and friends. Afterward, he called Duke and made his way back to his truck. The drive home was fairly short. There wasn't much traffic on the roads on a Sunday evening.

Once home, Nathan took Duke for a quick walk before entering the house. He went to the refrigerator and put away the plate of leftovers before grabbing another beer. He hadn't had that much over Keith and Karen's. Besides, it wasn't like he was going anywhere else tonight. He could afford to get a little buzzed.

Nathan plopped on the couch moments later and turned on the TV. ESPN was already on, showing the highlights from the NBA playoff game he'd missed earlier. Duke jumped up next to him and spread out along the rest of the couch. Nathan rubbed his neck and back. It wasn't long before Duke was snoring softly. Nathan chuckled quietly. Jake and Lucas had been playing with him earlier. It had probably worn him out.

Nathan settled more into the couch. He lifted his feet onto the coffee table and rested his head back. He tried to watch the game highlights but found his own eyes growing heavy. Maybe Duke had the right idea. He could use a little nap himself. After all, Lily's tea parties were always intense. Nathan smiled, amused at the thought.

He'd just started to drift off when he felt Duke shift next to him. Nathan opened his eyes and noticed that Duke was sitting up and looking towards the front door. He barked once before jumping off of the couch. He looked out the living room window and ran towards the door, barking loudly some more.

"Duke, what's the matter?"

Duke was scratching at the door now.

"What the hell has gotten into him?" Nathan muttered to himself and got up. "You want to go outside? Is that it?" He started to open the front door. "Did you hear something?"

Duke started barking all over again. Nathan followed his line of sight to see a petite woman standing in the driveway. His eyes raked over her figure. She had chocolate brown hair and wore a sleeveless black top, dark blue skinny jeans, and black heels. A black tote bag was slung over her shoulder. Overall, she looked like one tight little package—a thought that surprised him. He gave her the once over again and couldn't find anything wrong with her that jumped out at him.

Nathan tried to get a good look at her face. But with the distance and sunglasses she was wearing, it was hard. The woman's stance tensed, and she crossed her arms. It was then that Nathan realized that Duke was still barking.

"Quiet, Duke," he ordered. He glanced back at the brunette. "Sorry about that. He doesn't bite. I promise."

When she still didn't say anything or move, Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes," she finally answered. She removed her sunglasses and placed them on top of her head. "For starters, you can get your stubborn ass down here and give me a divorce."

Nathan blinked a couple of times in shock. It couldn't be. "Haley…?"