Two days later, Peyton sat behind the bar at Tric, a book balanced on the wooden surface while two men worked on fixing the ice machine. She had agreed to come by and watch the place while the repairmen came since there had only been lunch appointments available, the busiest time of day for the café. Besides, she had been trying to finish the book all summer and with just a week left until school started, she was determined to see it through. The entire club was quiet except for the men's sporadic conversation about the baseball game the night before. Peyton enjoyed the silence after the chaos that had ensued in her life since she had told half of Tree Hill that she was going to have the great Nathan Scott's baby.

She smiled to herself as she thought about the lanky brunette basketball star. There were still so many questions left unanswered, but she no longer worried that he didn't want her or this baby. Nathan had made it abundantly clear that whatever plans he had for the future included her. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the scholarships started coming in, and then they would have to seriously consider where their future was going to take them. She had never really thought about college much, insisting that maybe it just wasn't her. Becoming pregnant had actually started to change that. Peyton had goals for her life, but none of them had ever included a diploma. However, she wanted her son or daughter to understand that nothing was insurmountable and that she could lead the life she had always dreamt of and still be a mother.

Her phone buzzed from the bar, rattling along in time to the ring tone she had meticulously chosen for the caller. "Hey, Baby," she greeted Nathan, a blush creeping up her neck when one of the repair guys grinned at her knowingly. "I was just thinking about you actually."

"About me or about the other night?" he teased her, images of their night at her house flooding his mind. Nathan hadn't had any real time alone with Peyton since she had kicked him out of bed before the sun rose. The last thing either of them wanted to chance was an uncomfortable run in with her dad at the breakfast table. "I mean, I knew it was that memorable, but to know you're still thinking about it two days later…I have to admit, I'm impressed with myself, Sawyer. Who knew that my sexual prowess would still get to you after all these years?"

"God, you are so full of yourself," she huffed sarcastically, her voice thick with her stifled giggle. "Actually, I was just thinking about college and basketball and college basketball."

Nathan ran his fingers through his dark locks anxiously. His father had finally broached the subject with him this morning, wondering if he was still headed for Duke or if they should start looking for scouts at schools that Peyton was interested in. "Don't remind me. My dad's on me about it."

"Nate, don't let him get to you," she murmured softly, wishing that she was there to wrap her arms around him in reassurance. "You have to figure out what is best for you. You are an amazing basketball player. I'm sure you're going to get so many offers that you won't know how to weed through them. Just let them come to you. You'll have time to worry about it later."

"We will figure out what is best for us," he emphasized. There was no way Nathan had any intention of making such an epic choice without her. "Peyt, I meant it when I told you that it was you and me. Whatever I do, wherever I go, you and our baby are going to be right there with me. We'll find a college that has a great childcare program and offers the music classes you want to take. As long as I have my family and get to play basketball, I honestly don't care where we end up anymore."

She knew that that wasn't exactly true. He had always dreamt of wearing the proud blue of the Duke Devils and winning a NCAA championship. She wouldn't let him lose his old dream or his new one. "I can take classes anywhere. There will always be childcare. You need to find a basketball school, Nate. That's what I want."

"We don't have to decide this right now," he reminded her, wishing to put it off for as long as he could manage. "I was actually calling to see if you wanted to hang out tonight. My parents are going out of town to some conference, so we have the beach house all to ourselves. I was thinking a little pizza, a couple movies, the sofa, you, me. What do you think?"

Peyton was jarred slightly when she heard a door slam. Her eyes met a familiar pair gazing back at her nervously. "I think that sounds like a date," she managed, despite the prying glare of her second unwelcome visitor this week. "Hey, I have to take care of something. I'll call you when I get out of here so that we can make plans."

Nathan was worried by the nervous inflection in her voice but brushed it off. He would know if something was wrong. "Alright, make sure you call me as soon as you're done, okay?" he asked softly, wanting her assurance so that he wouldn't worry too much in the mean time. "Hey, I love you."

"I love you, too," she returned before ending the call. Peyton dropped the phone back on the bar before looking over at Haley. "Haley James. What brings you by?"

"Haley Scott," she corrected the blonde curtly. No matter what had happened, she still retained Nathan's last name and she hoped a part of his heart. It was hard hearing Peyton declare her love for her ex-husband, especially knowing that he had been the one to say it first. However, she hadn't come here to fight with "the other woman." She was here to make amends. "Karen told me that you were here. It's my day off, but I wanted to come by and talk to you about something."

"Haley, Nathan and I are together. I'm not going to fight you for him," she insisted immediately. If that was what the former tutor was after, she was definitely barking up the wrong tree. As much as she cared about Nathan, she wouldn't go through another romantic triangle like the mess she had entangled herself in with Brooke and Lucas last year.

Haley shook her head as she sat down a few stools away from Peyton. "It wouldn't be much of a fight considering Nathan doesn't want anything to do with me," she admitted as she fidgeted with the retro napkin holder in front of her. "I'm actually here to apologize for the other night. I know that I put both you and Nathan in an awkward position, but I hope you can see why it was so hard for me."

Peyton nodded politely. She knew that if the situation were different and it was Haley who'd ended up pregnant with Jake's child, it would have been a very bitter pill for her to swallow. "I understand it, Haley, but that doesn't make it okay," she pointed out. "It's not so much what you said to me. It's the fact that it hurts Nathan. The last thing he wants to do is break your heart, even if you already broke his. We both know this is hard. It's not easy for anyone."

"That's exactly what Brooke said," Haley grinned. Peyton smiled at the mention of her best friend. Brooke was having a hard time seeing her two closest friends at odds over what should be a happy occasion. "She actually made me see that I can't blame you for what happened. It's about time that I start owning up to my part in it. If I hadn't left, Nathan would have never turned to you. If I had showed up earlier or if I had come back or followed him to camp…I pushed him toward you. I see that now. I regret that it happened because it should have been him and me in this situation. We were supposed to have always and forever, you know?"

Despite herself, Peyton slid down a few stools and rested her hand on her former friend's. "It's not like this is what I planned either," she confessed. "I was completely past my relationship with Nate. It was ancient history. I knew that you two were happy together, and I had found this really great guy who loved me. Just because we didn't last forever doesn't mean that we didn't love each other. Nathan cares a lot about you. You will always be something to him that I couldn't be."

"You don't have to be nice to me, Peyt," Haley managed through her tears. "I was a bitch to you. I know that I said some really awful things."

"I know what kind of person you are, Haley. You didn't mean them, you were just hurt. We do and say things in anger that aren't really us," she commiserated. Peyton had been there more than a few times. "I'm not saying that it's okay, but I forgive you. We both do. The only thing I really want to tell you is that you can't try to come between us. I'm not going to let you. It's not just about him and me anymore. This child is involved."

Haley couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy as Peyton rested her hands over her stomach. It would only be a few months before it would be physically evident that the blonde was able to give her husband what she hadn't. "I don't want to hurt Nathan," she promised. "I've already done too much of that."

"Thank you," Peyton said quietly as she removed her hand from atop Haley's and returned to her previous stool. "The other thing I should ask of you is not to put Luke and Brooke in the middle. I know that Luke is your best friend, but he's Nathan's brother. It's not fair to him to have to choose sides. We also happen to have Brooke in common. I know that she would never abandon me, not even for you. I just don't want her to have to make that choice."

"I would never do that to either one of them," Haley promised. It wasn't that she hadn't through about it and had even probably insinuated at times; however, she knew that Lucas and Brooke loved all three parties involved. She couldn't imagine asking her best friend to go against his brother. Lucas would never abandon her, even for Nathan. She was sure of that. She just didn't want to have to test the limits of his loyalty. "There's actually one other thing I should probably tell you."

Peyton looked up at her, so many things flying through her head. There were a million little bombs that Haley could drop right now that would send her world out of orbit. "Oh," she exhaled nervously. "What's up?"

"Nate and I had signed an extension on our apartment before I left on the tour. I tried talking to the landlord, but I couldn't get out of it," she explained. "I can't really afford the rent, so Karen is going to let me stay with her and Luke. I was wondering if maybe you and Nathan wanted to take over the lease once you get on your feet. I'm sure that he isn't going to want to stay with his parents for too long."

They hadn't even started talking about living arrangements. It seemed too strange to consider living in the little place he had shared with Haley. "I just don't think that's a very good idea," Peyton shook her head. She knew she couldn't do it. "But maybe you don't have to live with Luke. Brooke is going to need somewhere to live once her house is finally sold. The two of you could be roommates."

"Are you sure you'd be okay with that?" Haley asked skeptically. "I assume you would want to come over and hang out with your best friend. Would you be fine if I was there?"

"I'm sure," Peyton nodded thoughtfully. "I don't want to hold any grudges. As long as you respect my situation with Nathan, we shouldn't have any more problems. We might not go back to being friends right away or anything, but I don't want to hate you either. You both need an affordable place to live. I'll talk to Nathan about signing the lease over to Brooke this week."

"Thank you, Peyton," Haley said genuinely. "This is weird, by the way."

Peyton laughed. "I know."

"Alright, well, I should probably get back to Karen's. Lucas is supposed to take me shopping for new clothes. I can't believe we finally start our senior year next week," she declared as she started toward the door. "Thanks for hearing me out, Peyton."

A bright ray of sunshine flooded the dim bar as Haley left the club. One of the repairmen magically appeared with a completed invoice ready for her signature. After sending the two men on their way, Peyton quickly went to work locking up Tric. As she turned off the lights and scrounged in her back for the keys to her beloved black convertible, she waited for Nathan to pick up the ringing phone. "Hey, Baby, I'm on my way to you."