Flash forward and we're taking on the world together
And there's a drawer of my things at your place
You learn my secrets and you figure out why I'm guarded
You say we'll never make my parents' mistakes
They spent the next six months in romantic bliss. Once basketball season was over, Nathan spent every minute with Haley and her friends, Brooke and Julian. He and Julian did not agree on anything at first but once they got to know each other, they became quite close despite their obvious differences. Haley was even helping Nathan move into his new apartment in preparation for his second year at Duke.
"Who's this?" she asked holding up a photo frame from a cardboard box. She and Nathan were sat on the living room floor unpacking his boxes.
"Oh that's Lucas and Peyton," he answered, taking the photo frame off her to look at.
"Peyton, you're ex girlfriend Peyton?"
"Yeah but she's also my brother Lucas' girlfriend of two years," he laughed at Haley's jealousy.
"You mean your brother is going out with your ex girlfriend and you're okay with it?"
"They had some weird chemistry for years and me and Peyton agreed that we were better as friends. It's no big deal." He placed the photo frame on the small table next to the couch. "Plus I've got an amazing girlfriend right here."
"You sure do," she agreed leaning in to kiss him quickly yet tenderly. "Didn't it get awkward?"
"With Luke and Peyton? Sometimes, being a third wheel is never good."
"Yeah I know how that feels." Nathan looked at her confused. "You know with Brooke and Julian."
"But they're not a couple and you didn't have a past relationship with Julian that I'm unaware of, did you?"
"Ha! No of course not. Julian and I have always been just friends but it gets annoying being stuck in between his and Brooke's flirty banter."
"What's with that? Why don't they just get together already?"
"Brooke got her heart broke in high school and ever since she's had all of these trust issues. She won't let anyone into her heart in case the same thing happens again. Julian has been by her side every day since Chad cheated on her and deep down she knows that he would never do the same thing but she just can't bring herself to be vulnerable with him."
"She knows how he feels?"
"I think deep down she does now, yeah. I just wish that she would let him in."
"They're almost as complicated as my parents except there is no love between my mom and dad, there never was."
"You've never really spoke about your parents. They're divorced right?"
"I don't have the best relationship with them. I guess me and my mom are okay now but I don't speak to my dad anymore. He was a jerk to everyone, including my mom."
"What happened to them?"
"They got together too young. They met in college and within a few months of them being together, my mom got pregnant with me. What she didn't know though, was that he had got his ex high school girlfriend pregnant and just abandoned her and her son."
"Lucas? So you have different moms?"
He nodded, "Things were awkward between me and Luke for years but we kind of came together in high school over our hatred for my dad. My mom and Luke's mom are best friends now so it worked out okay in the end but my mom had to go through a lot to get to the place where she's at now."
"Thankyou," Haley replied.
"For what?"
"For telling me all that, I like knowing about your life before me and all of your secrets."
"So tell me a secret of yours then Haley James," he suggested.
"Okay but we'd have to go to the cafe and we're unpacking."
"Well I fancy a break if you do?"
"What's this Hales?" He asked as they entered the empty cafe. They'd decided to take a break from unpacking.
"When I'm having a bad day or need to escape for a while, I come and sit at this piano." She stroked the black and white keys with her fingers. "I've never played in front of anybody before."
Nathan pulled up a chair next to Haley and nodded at her to continue. She took a deep breath and began to play the small piano, a dark and moody tune filled the room and then, Haley sang. Her voice blew him away. The passion and emotion that she sang with was beautiful to him.
It took several days for Nathan to move all of his belongings into the new apartment, even with the help from Haley, Brooke and Julian. He had even given Haley her own bedside cabinet to put her things in when she stayed.
"I should be getting home," Haley sighed. She was falling asleep on Nathan's chest on his bed. They had been watching 'Sixteen Candles', one of Haley's favorite films, but couldn't be bothered to move when the film finished. Nathan pulled her in tighter so that she couldn't get up to leave.
"But I'm comfy like this."
"Me too Nathan, but it's getting late and I don't want to drive home in the dark."
"So stay here with me," he advised.
"I would but I've ran out of spare clothes, I've stayed here the past-"
"I meant stay here permanently, like move in."
"Nathan, don't be ridiculous." Haley sat up and stared at him as he opened his eyes and looked at her intently.
"What?"
"I can't just move in with you."
"Why not?"
"Because we're in college and we've only been together six months Nathan."
"Hales, you're my family now and I want you to be here with me. You've practically moved in anyway, so let's just make it official."
"One bedside cabinet, that's all I've moved in."
"Oh yeah and what about the bathroom shelf with your entire make up collection and your clothes in my wardrobe and your CDs and DVDs mixed in with mine?"
"Okay so I forget to take my stuff home sometimes. It doesn't mean that we should move in together. It's something that married couples do."
"So marry me then," he proposed.
"What?"
"I love you Haley and I'm going to love you forever. So why can't forever start today?"
"Nathan, people don't get married in college."
"My parents did."
"And look how well that turned out."
"We're not going to make the same mistakes as them and you know why? Because what I feel with you Haley is not normal, I've never felt this way before about anyone."
"Well neither have I and I don't ever want to feel this way about anyone else."
"So I'm going to ask you again Haley James, will you marry me because I'm going to love you always."
"Always and forever?"
"Always and forever Hales," he confirmed.
"Yes," she nodded vigorously. "I'll marry you Nathan."
Haley fell back into the pillows and closed her eyes as Nathan caressed her cheeks with his thumb and kissed her lips lovingly. The start of always and forever...