A/N: I do not own One Tree Hill

This is it...The final chapter.

I left for LA the following day, with Nathan still in my head, but I knew that this was a business trip and had to learn to focus on Mia and the label. I was successful in focusing on work, and was able to find another band for my label. They are an awesome band who actually came from North Carolina, so they are happy to have a label and I am happy to find a new great act to manage. But this new signing kept me in LA for two weeks longer than planned. I had focused on work for the first week, but struggled with the second two. I began calling Nathan at night after dinner, I was afraid that three weeks without conversation would ruin the great connection I was feeling. Our conversations were normally limited to about 10 minutes. The one we had last night sticks out in my head. It is replaying in my head while I fly back to place I call home.

"Hey Nate, how's Tree Hill tonight."

"You know it is lonely around here without you. How's LA?"

"It's not home, I am so glad I get to come home tomorrow, leaving here was one of the best things I have ever done. I don't know how I managed this big city life for those years. I'm a small town girl. So catch me up, what has happened in the last week?"

"Well, where do I begin? Haley left to go visit her parents wherever they are now. Brooke has been giving me evil looks all week because you have called me and not her. She said to tell you best friends call each other and that if you want to be her date to fashion week then you better call her tonight, but she still loves you."

"That sounds like Brooke; I guess I will call her when I hang up with you." I laugh thinking of Brooke giving Nathan mean looks.

"Lindsay came back to Tree Hill for good. I think her and Lucas are finally back on track. He seems happy."

"I am glad they are happy. I know Lindsay must be too, you could tell how much she loves him. Well Nate, I need to call Brooke now I guess, I'll call you when I land tomorrow though. You better be there."

"Ah Sawyer, you know I love ya too much to miss it. See you tomorrow."

And then silence overtook the line. Nathan had hung up immediately after saying it, but the words wrung in my head several more times. I know he said casually in a partially joking manner, but it still felt so good to hear those words from him. And now it is I who doesn't want to talk about the kiss we shared, I don't want to have to go on if he doesn't love me back in the way I want him too.

"Hey Nate" I hear Lucas say and turn around to see him and Lindsay enter my house.

"Hey guys, what's going on?"

"Not much, we just haven't seen much of you lately, wondering how you are doing."

"I am good. Life is great right now." That is if Peyton feels the same way about me. I still can't believe I used the word love the other night, even if it was a joking manner. I know how scared she can be to let emotions take control. She has always been afraid of love, and needing another person that much. Heck, now I have probably given her a reason to stay in L.A. forever.

"Uh Nathan, hello?" I look up to see Lindsay waving her hand in my line of sight.

"Yeah."

"What's going on with you, little bro? You are awfully distracted just now."

"I know, since Peyton left a few weeks ago, I keep drifting off thinking about her. It is getting worse."

"She seems to have that effect on you Scott men..." Lindsay said it so snidely. I know Peyton was an issue between her and Lucas, but Lucas chose her, what more does she want?

"You know, I realize Peyton wasn't that nice to you, and that she did some things she is not proud of, but you didn't exactly help her feel welcome in her hometown either. I mean can't you move past this. You're with Lucas now, right? Not her." I felt my anger rising but I can't let anyone talk bad about her in front of me; they both know how I feel about her at this point.

"Nate, man, calm down. Lindsay didn't mean anything. Right, hon?"

"Look, Nathan, I'm sorry, you're right. Lucas and I are good now, so it doesn't even matter anymore. And besides you are going to be my family one day, so I will learn to like her for you. Hey, maybe we'll be friends one day even."

"I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have snapped, but I really miss her. Plus I don't know if she is going to return the feelings for me. I guess I am on edge. But anyway, her plane arrives in about an hour, and the game starts soon after so I think I should probably shower and get ready."

"Alright, but relax okay. Everything will be okay. Good luck tonight okay."

"Thanks, Lindsay. See you guys later." They walked out the door and I immediately called Brooke. I wasn't lying about the evil faces she had been sending my way, but she was sending them because it reminded her of high school when it was just us three. She thought the faces made it more official. She had actually been a great help to me. And she had agreed to help the day go through smoothly.

"Brooke, are you sure you can do all this for me?" I ask half waiting for something to go wrong.

"Nathan, chill dude. I've got P. Sawyer wrapped around my finger, I told her about all the great bands that are going to be at fashion week, so I should be able to cover your ass when she gets moody that you aren't going to pick her up. And I won't tell her anything about where we are going tonight." I panic again thinking about how angry Peyton is going to be that I'm not there when she lands.

"And don't worry; she won't be mad when she finds out your surprise."

"Thanks, Brooke; I am glad we are friends again too."

"Yeah, it would be awkward otherwise, since you are so in love with her."

"Yeah, but does she feel similar?

"Oh God, I have to walk in circles with you two. How many times to do I have to tell your feelings aren't one sided. Now go get ready or you won't be there to surprise her later." I hang up the phone thankful for Brooke's reassuring comments.

So I arrived at the airport, and I can't seem to find Nathan anywhere, I don't understand because he promised me he would pick me up. Oh God, I hope nothing has happened to him.

"eeek. P. Sawyer. I have so missed my best friend…Look…" she says while holding up her ring finger. "Owen proposed."

"Oh Brooke, that is so fantastic." I say while we do a little dance in the middle of the airport hallways.

"I know, well lets go."

"Wait, where's Nathan? He was supposed to pick me up. He's okay right?"

"Yes, he is fine, but he called me and said he was just too busy, and asked if I could do it."

"Oh" I say obviously disappointed. Something else must have been more important.

"Don't get that face, he is busy with something very important, and besides I have missed you so you can just get a smile on that pretty little face of yours or I will leave you in this airport to walk all the way home."

"Aw Brooke, I am glad you are here. I missed you too."

"I know, just not as much as your lover boy."

"Brooke..."

"Don't even try to deny it. You told me before you left remember. Now let's go. We are on a schedule."

"Okay" I say while she drags me out of the airport.

A few hours later, she had put in what she deemed a smoking outfit, and we were in the car again.

"So where are we going?"

"I can't tell you, you will find out soon enough." She is giving me a smirk, like she knows something big that I don't, which I guess she does. She knows where we are going so that is one up on me.

A few minutes later, we pull into a crowded parking lot. She then leads me to a gymnasium, where apparently a basketball game is going to be played. I am confused because we do not know anyone who plays anymore, and she asked me to dress up for a sweaty gym.

"Brooke, come on, I don't get what this is all about. Why are we here, and why did you make me where this?"

"Oh Peyton, just sit down and wait, would you? You never did have any patience."

The game is over, and I am surprised by my own bodies strengths; a few weeks ago I would have never thought I could have played basketball again, but it was Peyton who gave me words of encouragement. Even though it was a local pickup game, and I only played for 10 minutes, I still scored two shots and I know this is just the beginning to my new basketball career. I want to find Peyton now so I can thank her for everything she has done for me. I see her standing by Brooke.

I tap her shoulder lightly waiting for her to turn around. She turns around and I see tears running down her face.

"Peyton, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Nothings wrong, its just I am so proud of you. You have come so far in such a short time." She wraps me in a tight hug, and I don't think she is ever going to let go.

"Oh I missed you so much. You know I have you to thank for all of this. I have practiced everyday since we went to that club. I figured out that I did want basketball in my life. It is a part of me. So thank you so much for that. I couldn't have, or wouldn't have done it without you."

"I missed you too, and I am glad you got this back in your life. You deserve good things. Man, I am being such a girl, crying and getting emotional. You should have stopped me."

"Why? I am glad to see you care so much."

"Oh Nate, of course I care."

"Good, because we still have to talk about that kiss."

"Nathan." But I cut her off.

"No wait, just listen. I want to say this before I chicken out. I don't take that kiss back. I wanted to kiss you, it was the best thing I could have done. I just didn't want you to hate me for blurring lines. I spent so long thinking that you were in love with Luke. I didn't know how to be around you. But Peyton, I never stopped loving you. Ever. And when those gorgeous lips of yours were on mine, my world made sense for that brief moment. Life was like it was supposed to be. If you don't feel the same, I'll understand and you can forget everything I just said, because I need you in my life even if it is just as a friend."

"Nathan, I don't know.., I mean…" At a loss for words I do the one thing that will make him understand what I want to say. I lean up and plant my lips firmly in his. Knowing that my world makes sense too when we are like this. I pull back and continue my thoughts with a clearer mind. "Nathan, I never stopped loving you either. All these years have been a charade. I am just glad you feel the same."

"You know you are so beautiful right now."

"Shut up, I already told you I loved you back, now just kiss me again would you?" I say closing the gap between us.

"Ooh still bossy I see, nice." I hear him mumble through the kiss. And it feels just as good as it did all those years ago. Our lips fit perfectly. He is my other half, and I have finally put my feeling out there only to find that he feels them too. In this moment, no one else is present. There is no crowd of people. We are not in a hot sticky gym. Brooke is not watching us, smiling at the transparent happiness in our faces. It is just us, and

And I know that life is perfect, and everything is in its place because she loves me too.