A/N: I thank you for all the wonderful reviews you have given me. The next chapter I post will be the last for this fic. I plan on posting it by Saturday before leaving for vacation. I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was probably one of the most difficult parts to write in the entire story. Also, a reminder, writing in italicize refers to flashbacks.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or any of it's characters, never have and never will.


By the time I reached the parking lot, I was completely drenched. Somewhere between my realising what a big mistake I was making and my running away from Nathan without looking back, it had started to rain. Heavily, might I add. Sitting in the driver's seat, I let the tears flow. My life was falling to pieces all over again. The days after signing the divorce papers, I had been a mess. Seven years later I found myself in the same position once more. I hated myself for doing this. Why did Nathan have to kiss me? Why didn't I push him away when he did? Why couldn't I resist temptation? I realised I wasn't as strong as I thought myself to be.

Not wanting to go back into the state of depression as I had been in not so long ago, I decided that keeping busy was the best way to go. After all, if it hadn't been for law school and later this law firm, I would never have been able to move on with my life. On second thought, had I really managed to move on? If I did then why hadn't I had a single steady boyfriend since Nathan? Every time I managed to get close to someone, I broke it off saying that with my hectic work schedule I really didn't have time for relationships. Was that really it or was I just running away from my problems?

As I pulled open my purse, hoping to remove any remnant of the events that just passed, my eyes fell upon the documents I'd taken from Dan's deposit box. Reopening the envelope, I took out the photograph that I'd seen earlier. It turned out to be my wedding photo. The years of storage and lack of care had forced the picture quality to deteriorate quite a bit but there was no doubting it, this was indeed our wedding photo. I remember it clearly. We'd gotten married by the beach with Karen and Lucas as witness. With my job at the café and Nathan's at Hot and Twisted, we didn't have enough money to hire a photographer so Lucas had done the honours.

Just when we were least expecting it, Luke snuck up on us and took that picture. Remembering that day, I couldn't help but smile. We looked so happy in photograph. Gazing into each other's eyes, strolling across the beach hand in hand, it turned out to be the best picture either one of us ever had.

I turned the image around to find sequence of numbers carelessly scribbled on it with red ink.

1002304

What could it mean?

Not knowing what to make of it, I moved on to the file.

It all made sense now. I was no doctor but based on the reports, I was more or less certain that Dan's heart condition had gotten worse. He was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy, an effect of HCM that weakens the heart's passages ultimately leading to heart failure.

Long story short, Dan Scott was dying.

Knowing Dan Scott he hadn't told a soul about his condition. Maybe the guilt of screwing people over finally got to him, hence the desire for a second chance. The bastard would have gotten what he deserved, an agonizing death. If the killer hadn't gotten to him first, fate sure would have.

A mysterious number, an old check, and Dan's medical report, that was all that was left of Dan Scott. Were these just a pile of facts, part of Dan's life, individual meanings and simply a coincidence as a whole or were they all somehow linked together? And even if they were, did it have any relation to his murder?

***

"Haley bear, whatever happens to us, promise me one thing, you'll never have any regrets. You'll move forward and never look back. Just know that we will always love you no matter what. Wherever we are, we'll be watching over you. I love sweetheart" said the woman softly, blowing a kiss as the life slowly seeped out of her, leaving her body as a reminder of what used to be.

"Mommy! Mommy don't go. Daddy, please don't leave me please please please" pleaded the teary eyed young girl, slowly drifting into a state of unconsciousness.

Haley woke up to an unknown place gasping for air. Upon further inspection, she realised she was still in her car, sitting across from the entrance of her apartment building. When did she reach home and why was Lucas's jacket in the passenger seat? She looked around to see any of sign of how she'd ended up here but she couldn't find any. Just as she was about to give up on the mystery, she caught a glimpse of Lucas in the rear view mirror.

"Hey, glad to see you're up" said Lucas handing over a cup of coffee as he settled himself in.

"Lucas, how did I end up here?"

"Hales you had another blackout. How are you feeling?" asked Lucas as he checked my forehead to see if I had a fever.

"I … I'm fine" I replied truthfully.

"Nathan called me. He said he was worried about you and asked me to make sure you were okay. I searched all around looking for you. When I came here, I found you asleep in this car ".

I don't know what came over me but for some reason I really needed my best friend right then. Putting aside my coffee cup, I pulled Lucas in for a tight hug. Letting his warmth envelope me, making my problems disappear.

"I've missed you Luke" I whispered burying my face into the crook of his neck. Sure my back was aching from the rather awkward position we were in but it didn't matter. I was in my bestfriend's arm and that's all the mattered.

After sometime, Luke pulled back

"You look terrible, how about you go inside and take some rest", he said softly, gazing into my eyes filled with warmth and protectiveness. No matter how screwed up life got, Lucas would always be there to make it better.

"You're not going to come in?" I asked, slightly disappointed. With the case and Lucas's various basketball gatherings we rarely got any time to spend with each other.

"I'd love to but I told Brooke we'd go out tonight and I'm already late", he replied with a sly smile.

That's when it clicked, tonight was the night.

"So you're finally going to propose", I asked excitedly. Nothing would make me happier than to see my two best-friends bound together in matrimony.

With the sweetest smile imaginable, he affirmed my suspicion.

"Wish me luck"

"Oh come on. Brooke's been waiting for you to propose since the day you got back together during freshman year. Of course she's gonna say yes"

"I hope so. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" he asked still concerned in true brotherly fashion.

Was I going to be okay? I didn't know. Just because I was still hung up on the past didn't mean I had to bring everyone else down with me. Forcing myself to cheer up, I urged him to go on. Brooke would be waiting.

I helped Luke catch a taxi and waited until I'd seen the cab disappear into the distance. Tonight was going to be a night to remember for Lucas and Brooke; I wished them the best of luck.

As I stood in front of my apartment building, I felt completely lost. It felt like the apartment and everything inside it belonged to some other girl. A girl who was pure and honest, not a killer like me. Instead of going inside like I should have, I found myself walking back towards my car. I needed to clear my head, and driving around aimlessly usually did the trick.

When I finally found the strength to return home, it had become quite late in the night. The entrance hall was completely dark. Emma, the receptionist must have left early. Given the dreary weather, who in their right minds would want to stay here? The only thing in sight was the glare of the digital clock behind the counter which indicated that it was now 11:35 pm.

I walked into the elevator, the bright lights forcing me to squint. I hated being alone, especially on days like these. Being alone gave me the chance to reflect on things, the chance to overanalyse every detail and in the process become more miserable than I was to begin with. I walked into the corridor past the mirrors, afraid to look inside. I didn't want to see my face. I didn't want to see the red rimmed eyes and the smeared makeup. The truth is I hated to see myself vulnerable.

I walked into the dark hallway, trying to fish for my house keys, my cell phone being the sole source of light. Looking up, I realised I wasn't alone. There leaning on my apartment door sat Nathan, asleep and unaware of the kinds of turmoil I was going through in that instant. Why was he here?

Setting aside my purse, I bent down to wake him up.

"Nathan … Nathan wake up", I whispered.

Nothing.

Reluctantly, picking up his drooping head with one hand and using the other to shake him I continued to call him "Nathan, Nathan get up"

Thankfully this time he heard me.

"H… Haley what am I doing here" he asked rather loudly.

"Shh … you'll wake up the neighbours. As for your question, you tell me. What are you doing here?"

His eyes were glazed and speech slurred. He was drunk.

Opening the door, whilst supporting Nathan's tall frame turned out to be a difficult task indeed. After sometime I heard the door click, and proceeded to guide him towards the couch. Once he'd settled in, I asked him again:"Nathan why are you here?"

I pushed a cushion under his head and sat down on the carpet awaiting his answer.

"I wanted to see you" he replied looking into my eyes.

I don't know why but seeing him like this terrified me.

"Why"

He moved away a strand of hair covering my eyes and continued "because I was worried about you".

I didn't like where this was going.

"I'm fine Nathan".

I tried to help him as he struggled to sit upright but he was much too proud to take my assistance.

"Are you really?"

"Yes", I replied somewhat off balance. I was afraid to look at him. One glance and he could tell everything I was thinking. I don't know if he still had that ability but I had no intention of finding out.

"I look at you and I see Chris Keller's face. Why did you do this to me Hales"?

I didn't know what to answer. Looking up, I realised he wasn't looking for one.

"I look at you and am reminded of the pain you caused me. I convince myself that you mean nothing to me but my heart just won't follow. I so badly want to hate you but I can't".

"Why are telling me all this"? I asked, tears threatening to spill out. It killed me to see him hurting, more so knowing that I was the cause of that hurt.

"When you're with me, I remember that day at the beach when Dan caught us drinking. I remember our tutoring sessions, our wedding. I remember every detail of our life together and my heart breaks to a thousand pieces".

"Stop it", I yelled. "Stop it!"

But he didn't stop. He continued to bombard me with his words. Everything I wanted to hear from him but just couldn't.

"Not a day went by in these seven years that I didn't think of you."

Using his thumb, he began wiping my tears, placing a kiss in their place. My body went still. My brain stopped functioning, and my heart began beating faster and faster. I couldn't breathe. My throat constricted and my entire body began to ache for him. And yet I stood motionless.

He then said the one thing that he and I both knew would break me completely.

"I still love you", he whispered looking into my eyes with utmost sincerity.

Before I could process anything, I felt his lips on mine and the rest of the world faded.

He loved me. He still loved me.

But the more important question had been left unanswered. Had he forgiven me?

A few hours later

NATHAN's POV

I woke up to find myself in an unknown location. The faint glow of the headlights in the streets below were the sole source of illumination.

Where was I? How did I get here?

I tried to get up but found myself being held back. That's when it all came crashing back. The bank, the kiss, the drive to Haley's apartment, it all came back, too many memories, too fast. To make matters worse, I found myself stuck with a splitting headache, and stiff back. Oh what I wouldn't give for a shower and a warm bed to collapse on.

What time was it?

Careful not to wake her, I extracted my arms from Haley's grip and somehow managed to slide out of the bed soundlessly.

How could you let this happen?

Suddenly I felt a cool breeze pierce my skin. A window was open and I found myself to be stark naked. I didn't feel any regrets about what happened, nor was I proud of my actions.

What are you going to tell Haley? What about Peyton, your fiancé?

With the help of the different pieces of furniture, I managed to find my clothes, get dressed and eventually guide myself towards the exterior of her apartment. The right thing to do would be to leave a note for her but what was I supposed to say?

Everything I said was true but I'm sorry I can't be with you. Please understand?

The murder, the trial and now this, the more I wish for things to be simple, the more complicated they become. If only I could tell her the truth maybe things would be simple then. Who am I kidding? The truth would make things worse. The truth would blow her mind. Not only would it break her but it would break me too and I just couldn't let that happen. No, I'd have to keep this farce going for a little while longer. It's for the best.

HALEY's POV

A couple of hours later I woke up feeling the happiest had felt in years. I didn't want to think about morality and I didn't want to think consequences. All I wanted was to enjoy being in the arms of the one man that I loved with all of my heart. As I tried to get closer to him, wanting to feel his body near mine, what I found instead was me hugging a pillow.

He couldn't just leave could he?

I walked from one end of the apartment to the other with Nathan nowhere in sight. That sinking feeling in my stomach just got immensely stronger.

It was a mistake. Our time together meant nothing to him.

He was drunk and babbling, he was going through a lot of stress and he just spouted out whatever came to him.

How could I have been so stupid? Two steps forward and three steps back. Great going Haley!

I carefully picked up the pile of yesterday's clothes, placed them in the closet and settled into my jammies, feeling angry at myself and at the world.

***

A couple of days went by and I felt strangely numb. I hadn't the courage to face Nathan and hadn't the time to speak to anyone else. I didn't feel guilty about what I'd done and I wasn't hurt by Nathan's actions. Yes, short note would have been convenient but in a way I could understand Nathan's frame of mind at the moment. He had a different life now, he had to do right by Peyton no matter what.

The date of the next hearing was fast approaching and I was no where near where I had to be to ensure a strong case for Nathan. A part of me wished Nathan had never entrusted me with his case, life would have been so much easier then. I was so distracted in my thoughts that I didn't hear the ringing of my cell phone until some random stranger took the liberty of pointing it out.

"Haley, Charlie here"

Charlie was my friend over at the local video store. Blockbuster employee by day, computer genius by night, and his expertise had come in handy time and time again over the years.

"Hey Charlie, were you able to recover anything?" I asked, biting my nails, a nervous habit of mine. After that trip to Dan's penthouse with Nathan, I'd gone back once more in search of the missing videotapes.

If Dan Scott's residence was eerie at night, then it was downright tragic by day. Haley was determined to locate the clues that would help solve the case. FBI had arrived minutes after the fire searching the place through and through and yet there was something still missing. Aside from the bottle with Nathan Scott's fingerprints, little was recovered from the scene.

Haley ran her finger over the walls, feeling the pieces of wallpaper now having been burnt to a crisp. Cliché as it may seem, Dan was the kind of guy from the old Sherlock Holmes novels, sinister at heart, keeping his innermost possessions hidden behind bookshelves or in secret compartments. Just as she was about to give up on finding the footage, she came across Dan's walk in closet. Once having been filled with Armani suits and basketball memorabilia, like everything else in the house, it too had perished in the fire. That's when it hit her, what better place to nurse your paranoid fantasies that to keep them safely tucked away in your closet along with every with other evil deed you've committed over the years. Haley walked past the burnt articles of clothing and found herself peering through the ventilator slits. When Nathan wanted to hide something from her, he'd always put them in the ventilation pipes. At the time it had seemed like a stupid idea but now she realised just how useful it could be. Using a thin piece of metal laying on the black flooring, she pried open the cover and poof as if by magic, the light of hope that she was searching for popped out of nowhere. There were three disks and what looked to be some sort of computer part, just lying there, waiting to be seen, waiting to tell the story they'd longed to tell since day of the fire.

"Actually, I was able to recover almost everything" he replied cautiously.

"And …?"

"And I think you should watch this" responded Charlie, clearly shaken. Why hadn't it noticed it before? The hint of nervousness in his voice, obviously it must have been something big.

"I'll be right there Charlie", I replied, rushing to get to my car, having come up with some feeble excuse dropping my groceries and rushing past the cashier line-up.

I whizzed past the afternoon traffic and by some miracle managed to find myself a parking space just outside Charlie's apartment. The door opened almost instantly as if he was just waiting for me. Charlie was a laid back kind of guy, brilliant but awfully careless.

As he welcomed me past his dump of an apartment, covered with piles clothing, papers and random pieces of food lying around, I had the strong urge to regurgitate. Was it from the anticipation of what I was about to find or was it because of that putrid smell that seemed to soak up the entire apartment?

Charlie opened his laptop and proceeded to open the file in question. Would what I see make my darkest fears come to life? "I was going through the disks just like you said. For the longest time I couldn't find anything. The disks have video feedback only up to an hour before the party".

"So what happened? I thought you found something", questioned anxiously.

"I did. When I couldn't find anything on the disk, I decided to go through the hard drive. It was pretty badly burned but I was still able to recover some stuff", he replied excitedly, typing away some sort of code sequence I couldn't even begin to understand.

"I had a lot of trouble trying to get in because of the encryption but I finally managed to crack the code. I'll tell you this much, whatever the Senator was hiding, it sure must have been something big –"

"Wait a minute, how did you know this had something to do with Senator Scott's case".

For a split second, he stopped typing and looked to me with a twinkle in his eyes.

"You'll see"

And with one last click, I began seeing Dan Scott's penthouse through the eyes of the culprit. The picture was rather hazy due to the amount smoke that covered area but it was pretty easy to make out. A black shadow appeared and disappeared, dragging Dan's body through the ground, leaving a pool of blood as he travelled.

"Can you slow it down a bit?"

"Sure", replied Charlie as he went frame by frame, zooming in to give a clear view of Nathan's face, who at the time was completely unaware of how in that few moments he was about to throw his entire life out the window.

Those eyes, so blue, so innocent, and yet harbouring one of the biggest truths of our time. I've always been a strong person; it would take something really big to have an effect on me. And this, this just completely blew my mind. I felt my knees wobble. I located the nearest couch and simply collapsed.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked worriedly as he went about finding me some water.

When it came to work, I didn't let emotions get in the mix, so it was natural for Charlie to find my reaction rather odd. I didn't care what he thought though. All I could think of was how could I have been so wrong? I'd always prided myself on my instincts but now I wasn't so sure. I was confident that Nathan couldn't have killed Dan, in spite of the evidence Rachel Gatina presented at the arraignment I was sure that they'd gotten it wrong. That the Nathan I knew couldn't have committed such a gruesome act. How could I let this happen? How did I let my willingness for Nathan to be innocent cloud my judgement like this? The day I passed my bar exam, I'd promised myself that I'd only fight for those who deserved it. Before every case, I made it clear that at any point in the trial, if I discovered that the allegations were true, I'd leave the case right there and then. What was I going to do now? Was I going to abandon Nathan once again during his time of need or was I going to go back on my word?

"Haley, are you sure you're okay?"

"I … I'm fine", I whispered in between gulps.

"Charlie, this information … what you just saw. It mustn't go out of the room. You got it?"

"Of course, I'll keep my mouth shut", he said with a reassuring smile.

"Thank you"

***

I walked out of Charlie's apartment straight to my car and back to the office, feeling entirely numb from head to toe. Just then, in the worst possible time, I got the call I least desired:

"Haley, its Rachel here"

Trying my best to gain my composure, I responded void of emotion (or at least I hoped): "Yes Rachel, what can I do for you?"

"I know you said you wanted to take this to trial but I was hoping you would reconsider. We could settle this out of court. You know make a deal and save Mr. Scott the trouble of having to deal with the media madness. What do you say?"

If you'd asked me just minutes ago, I would have completely blown her off saying that we didn't need to settle for a deal but now I wasn't sure. Whatever decision I made, it had to be for Nathan's best interest but right now I wasn't sure I was the right person to take that decision.

"Look Rachel, I'm kind of in the middle of something. Would you mind if I called you back? Thanks" and I disconnected the call, not giving her a chance to react, or rather pry into things.

I'd have to face Nathan and I'd have to convince him to take whatever deal the prosecution offered. There was no other way.

It felt like I was having an out of body experience. My body was processing mechanically, taking the steps that needed to be taken to minimize the damage while my mind was just following along, barely able to grasp what happening and was going to happen in the near future.

Before I knew it, I'd managed to drive all the way across town and found myself in front of Nathan's house. Without hesitation, I walk toward his doorstep, pulled out the door key from underneath the flower pot and let myself in. I didn't stop until I'd found him in that monstrosity that he called a house.

I walked into to his living room and threw the disk containing Dan's apartment's video footage on his coffee table.

He looked at me questioningly.

"Nathan what the hell is this?" I asked utterly furious.

"You tell me" he replied with the famous Scott smirk.

He picked up the disk and placed it in the DVD player. Just as I expected, the moment the footage came alive on the screen, Nathan's face drained of colour. He looked at me wide eyed and baffled "Where did you find this"?

That controlled expression, betraying the multitude of emotions that were no doubt running through his head, didn't seem appear as I assumed it would.

I'd hit the jackpot as they say.

"That doesn't matter. Do you have any idea what kind of a situation you've put me in?"

"Y … You can't show this to anyone!" he declared, shaking his arms vigorously, as if any moment someone was going to come and take him away.

"Nathan, I have to submit this information to the prosecution. I … I could lose my bar license if I don't", I replied helplessly.

Clearly shaken by the revelation, Nathan placed himself on couch and looked up averting my eyes: "I know I'm sorry. I can't ask you to do that."

Letting go of my own emotions of a little bit, I sat beside him and brought his hands to my own. "Nathan what happened that night?" I prodded softly.

"I already told you".

I looked at him disbelievingly. After all of this he was still sticking to his false statement?

"Well you lied. I think we've established that haven't we?"

At that he, pull away his hands and gazed out towards the window. I was determined to seek out the truth from him. I'd had had enough of the lies. Even a five year old could understand that something was off. Deb, Keith, Peyton, Karen, and who knows how many others, they were all in it together. I was now only beginning to understand just how deep this plan of Nathan's ran. What was this big secret and why were they so adamant on keeping it hidden from public?

"Nathan, what made you do it? Why did you kill him?"

"I didn't kill him" he replied forcefully.

"Then who did?"

When he wouldn't look at me, I gently turned his face to look at mine. I wanted him to look at me when he told me the truth.

I waited for him to respond but he remained silent.

That's when it occurred to me. He wasn't the one who'd done it. It was someone else. But who?

"Nathan who is it?"

Nothing

"Nathan please tell me"

Again nothing.

"Nathan, I'm your lawyer. If you don't tell me the truth, how can I help you?" I questioned desperately.

He stood up and walked towards the window. Why couldn't he understand? Why couldn't he just let me in?

"Nathan who are you trying to protect?" I asked once more, resting my hand on his shoulder. He was battling with himself, I could tell. But what he didn't know was just how much his turmoil was hurting me. I wished we could run away. Away from the law, the media, everything. I wish it could be just the two us like it had been during our tutoring sessions. What I wouldn't I give to go back to those days. Life was so much simpler then.

After sometime, he asked: "what happens now"

"What happens is that either you tell me the truth or we setup a meeting with the prosecution and we settle on a plea bargain."

"How long"

I couldn't believe it. He was going through with the plan. He would go to jail but wouldn't out the real killer. If it had been any other situation, I would have admired him for his loyalty. But this was plain stupid. He was putting his life in jeopardy for what? A bloody murderer? Why?

"This state doesn't offer the death penalty so your sentence could be anywhere from 8 to 15 years with or without parole, depending on what the prosecution charges you with."

He looked to me as if he'd lost the battle. Rolling his fist into a ball, he swept his arm across the fireplace mantle, pushing all of its contents onto the floor. He looked at his hand, examining the scratches, and bits of glass piercing his skin.

"You're bleeding", I declared, shocked at my own words.

Was he even listening to me, I wondered. He just stood there unmoving.

I tugged at his arm, being careful not to step in the shards of glass; I guided him towards the bathroom. As we walked through the narrow corridor, I noticed the trail of blood we were leaving behind. Watching the solitary drops of blood taint the pristine white flooring, brought in me this odd sense of familiarity. As if I'd been through this before. Blood and me, we were old friends or should I say enemies? I'd been covered in it on the day of the car accident and then again sophomore year when Nathan and his goons had managed to thrash Lucas so badly. Yes, blood and I, we were friends alright. Just the sight of it, red and viscous, sticking to my palms, coupled by the metallic smell, made my stomach churn to this day.

I walked into the bathroom, searching for a first aid kit but much to my dismay there was none. I took his hand into my own and gently pulled at the bits of glass embedded into his flesh. No matter hard I tugged, Nathan didn't flinch, not once. It was like he was frozen, so deeply engrossed in his thoughts that the world outside the realm out of his own didn't seem to exist for him.

Satisfied with my work, I wrapped his hand as tight as I could with a towel, and guided him back towards the nearest room.

This room, like every other in the house, was cold and uninviting. The white sheets and the bed's metallic frame, reminded me of a hospital. This lack of passion in every sense, from the rooms to Nathan, himself, had I been the cause of it? Back in high school he'd been so lively, so hopeful, in spite of all the nonsense he'd faced. What happened to that boy?

"Thank you", he replied, as we settled ourselves on the bed.

"You're welcome", I replied, forcing myself to smile. As much as I wanted to tell him that things would be okay and I'd be there to help him through it, I couldn't. I didn't want to betray him, not again.

An awkward silence filled the air.

I wanted to ask him again about the case but I was afraid to provoke him. For some reason I began to cry. I couldn't explain it; this burst of emotion came out of nowhere. I kept thinking of his injured hand and the look in his eyes the day he'd broken down in front of me in this very house and I began to cry. A steady stream of tears flowed but I didn't attempt to stop them.

Nathan glanced at me and he just understood. He flicked away the droplets of tears with his thumb and brought me into his arms.

"Shh…"

I didn't care if I was making his shirt wet or the fact that he was engaged to someone else. I just wanted to be with him and I didn't care of the consequences.

"I don't want you to go to … to", I couldn't bring myself to finish the sentence.

I don't want you to go to prison

"I know", he replied softly, pulling me even closer, if that's possible.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, but it didn't matter. When it comes to Nathan and me, time and space were irrelevant.

After sometime, when I'd finally managed to calm down, he spoke: "You really don't remember do you?"

Intrigued, I sat upright and he followed, "remember what?"

"The night of Dan's murder"

What was he getting at?

"No, why?"

For a moment, he remained silent, as if fighting one last battle before finally coming clean about what happened that ominous night.

"It was you Haley", he declared, blowing out a sigh of relief, as if a large burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

NATHAN's POV

She looked at me, confused. There was no easy way of saying this. How do you tell someone they've done something wrong when they have no actual recollection of it?

"What was me?" she asked apprehensively. One look into her eyes and I could see the fear. One look and I'd known that she'd fully understood what I was implying but I suppose it was easier for her to feel confused than to come to terms with what I was telling her.

"It was you who killed him, Haley. You", I confessed.

I went to touch her and she jumped out of bed as if I was fire.

"No!" she replied forcefully. I wondered who she was trying to convince, me, the person who'd been witness to the entire incident, well … most of it, or herself, the one responsible. My bet would be on the latter.

Just when I thought the day couldn't get any worse, I felt the signs of a splitting headache coming on. God I need a drink

"No, you're wrong", she said softly, shocked by her own voice, clearly in denial.

I couldn't look at her in that moment, the look of disbelief, the pleading glances, begging me to say that it was all a joke.

Except it wasn't.

I couldn't help but have the urge to laugh at my own predicament. After spending the last month and half, bearing the brunt of Haley's actions, I'd thought this was as bad as it could get but I was wrong; I hadn't the faintest idea how to make her understand. It's because of this that I'd wanted to take the fall and I was still going to regardless of what Haley had to say. Somewhere deep inside, I just knew that it would be wrong to keep Haley away from the truth.

After what seemed like eternity, Haley managed to calm down. She wiped her tears, looked at me solemnly and said "tell me what happened". From the look on her face, I could see her inner strength return to surface. A long time ago someone had asked me of all the girls I could have been with, what made me choose Haley. I'd told him that I admired her. I admired how she could be so unyielding regardless of the obstacles that came into view. At a time when I was young and highly impressionable, Haley had taught me how to be my own person without following my father's every command. She acted as a shield of sorts, protecting me from life's bitterness. In a way, seeing what she'd done to Dan, I'd thought it was my turn to return the gesture.

Taking a deep breath, gathering as much courage as I could, I began: "It was late at night. The party was long over. …". As I looked up, I realised she was gone. I walked to the window and watched her car, zoom away.

It was over. It was all over.

As much as I hated it, my life was once again in Haley's hands. When she left the first time, my world fell apart. I became this bitter person to whom the world didn't matter. It took me years and years to come out of that state of mind. And just when I'd finally gotten over everything and began moving forward with my life, she came back again to break me down all over again. What was it about Haley that made me so weak? After everything that happened, why was I still willing to take the fall for her without a moment's hesitation? Wasn't love supposed to make you stronger? Then why did Haley's presence always make me feel more powerless than I'd ever been before?

The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound. - Maureen Duffy

I wish she'd quit running. I wish she'd just talk to me. No matter what happened, she always kept it inside. It's what worried us, me, Luke, Karen, all of us. She always kept it inside, like a soda bottle, the pressure just kept building and building. We were afraid of what would happen when that pressure crossed the threshold and finally exploded, like the cap of a coke bottle after its been shaken vigorously. I always knew that those suppressed emotions would come out someday but I hadn't expected it to erupt in such a profound fashion.

On the other side of town, a girl with shimmering blonde hair stood alone in a barren road way, beside the soothing river scenery, watching the sunset, feeling as if she'd had the ground pulled out from underneath her. Could it be true? Could her hands have been tainted by blood? Had she committed the unspeakable? Was she … was she a … a murderer? She looked at her hands, her honey skin glistening under the twilight sky. Her fingers, long and sturdy, her palms skilled and steady as a rock, who could tell they were capable of performing a vile act such as this? For a brief moment, she felt like she got a flash of her hands, vibrant red and incriminating. Was it a glimpse of her past or simply an illusion, a case of her mind playing tricks on her? What ever it was, it unsettled her greatly. She rushed toward the beach, the feel of sand tingling her senses; she wanted to wipe it off. She wanted to wipe off the stains, the accusations, the lies, she wanted the wipe it all of. She rubbed and rubbed but the blood in her hands just wouldn't go away. The more she tried, the worse it got. The image of her bloody hands forever imprinted in her skull. It would go on to haunt her till death.

If it hadn't been for the look on Nathan's face, never in a millions years would Haley have believed an accusation such as this. In a way it all felt like a dream and in a way it didn't. In a way it made more sense than anything else in world. Nathan had no reason to put the blame on her unless it was true. And even if it had been some ploy to implicate her into the case and free himself in the process, what proof did she have? After exhausting all options, she had yet to remember what happened that night or the events that took place thereafter.