A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing, I felt bad about how long I took to updat last time, so I updated as quickly as possible this time. I hope you enjoy it, and as always thank you for reading!

Chapter 12 – Scattered Tears

There are only a few moments in life that you know that you will look back on and know that it was a moment that changed everything. Sometimes for the worst and sometimes for the better. Recently I have had my fair share of worst, and it is nice to finally have a moment that I will always treasure. Being on the beach with Nathan holding me in his arms is perfect, and if I could even stop time, now would be when I would do it.

The silence was nice, but I knew that eventually we would have to talk about everything that has happened between us, and to me since. We didn't talk on the beach though, instead he stood up, and I was sure that he was going to walk away, but he reached down and took my hand to help me up, and didn't let go until we were in his car.

We drove in complete silence until we reached my house. I wanted to say something so bad but just couldn't find the words. I got out of the car and closed the door, and wondered if he was going to come in with me, or drive away and forget that any of this happened. After a few seconds I decided not wonder anymore, it is time that I take control of what happens to me. I walked around to his door and opened it, and somehow found the courage to break the silence.

"Do you wanna come in? I really think that we should talk." I held my breath as I waited for his response and was happy when he unbuckled and stepped out of the car.

As we sat next to each other on the couch silence once again overwhelmed us. But this time it wasn't peaceful, it was awkward, and as much as I don't want to talk about everything that happened, I know that I need to suck it up and face it.

"I am really sorry Nathan, for everything." He looks at me and urges me to continue with his eyes. I turn my body to face him more and let the words that have been stuck floating around in my head come pouring out. "The thing with Lucas, it meant nothing, and I wanted to tell you that after it happened but I was so confused. After you and Brooke left the room, I talked to Luke, and it seemed as though we had something between us, and it took me a little while to figure out that I did love him, but only as a friend."

"Then why did I hear that you were dating him?"

"Because, we decided to give a relationship a try, but then I talked to Teresa and she made me realize what a mistake that I had made. But before I got the chance to tell Luke that we couldn't be together Brooke had found out that we were dating." I wipe away that tears that are flowing down my cheek and look him right in the eye. "I didn't want to hurt you Nathan, and I still really care about you, but it was just to hard for me to be in a relationship. And it's not that I didn't want to be, it's just that I was so sure that you would realize that I wasn't good enough for you and that you would leave me. So I ruined it myself." He looks at me slightly confused.

"That doesn't make any sense Haley. How is it any better that you end the relationship than if I did. Not that I was going to."

"I don't know Nate. I just thought that it would hurt less if I was the one who ended it. But I was wrong, and I am so sorry Nathan. If I could take it back I would. I really care about you, and these past couple of weeks I have really missed you." The tears are streaming down my face at this point. I didn't even know how much I missed him until he was sitting right he with me. I was so stupid in everything that I did. I really thought that I was protecting myself, but it turns out that I was just hurting myself more. "Do you think that you can ever forgive me Nathan?"

He looks at me, and his expression is unreadable. I silently pray that he will be able to forgive me, and at least let me be his friend. He takes both of my hands in his and looks into my eyes in a loving way.

"Of course I can forgive you Haley. I was hurt when it happened, but I have had time to think about it now, and I know that everyone makes mistakes. I sure have. I really care about you Hales, and I am sorry too."

"For what?"

"For not realizing how broken you were. I fell for the act that you put up and I should have been able to see that underneath it were slowly crumbling." I look up at him, and am surprised that he is so understanding. Every word he is saying just makes me like him more.

"Nathan, it's not your fault, I hade months to perfect my act, you couldn't see through it because I didn't want you too. But it's different now, I am different. I don't want to hide anymore. I am at rock bottom, and completely shattered, and now I am ready to start piecing everything back together. I just hope that you will help me do it." He pulls me into his arms and I start to fell better already.

"I will always be here Haley, no matter how hard you try to push me away." I smile and feel like a huge weight has been lifted form my shoulders. Of course there are still two more weights names Luke and Brooke. But this is a start. "Oh ya, and Haley, what happened that made you run out of that party so fast?"

"Some of my stupider decisions caught up with me." He looks at me confused but just nods his head. "I tell you all about it later, but right now, this moment is just too perfect to ruin." We sat their together on my couch just holding onto each other for at least an hour, before we finally broke apart, since he had to go home, and I needed to sleep. But before he left he gave me a quick kiss and a promise to call me later. Maybe things would work out.


Ding Dong

I slowly dragged myself out of bed and went to answer the door. Who knew that crying at the beach all night was so tiring. I open the door and am surprised to see Teresa standing there. She gives me a small smile and I open the door wider so that she can come in.

"Hey. I um, just wanted to come by and make sure that everything was okay." I give her a warm smile to let her know that I am not going to bite her head off. "You know you kind of freaked me out last night, the way that you just sprinted out of the party. You sure do know how to make an exit."

"I'm fine. I had been avoiding feeling anything, and it just all came pouring down on me at once. And I freaked." She nodded her head and we both stood their awkwardly. "Oh, and thank you for stopping me from making another mistake. I haven't had any real friends lately and it means a lot that you were there for me."

"Oh, no problem. I am sorry, though, that I gave you a lecture and stuff, it isn't really me business anyway."

"No, that was fine, in fact, that was exactly what I needed. You have been a really good friend to me Teresa, and I hope that I can start being one back." She smiled and walked over to me giving me a hug. I returned it and was so glad to have her as a friend.

"so, who would have thought that the two of us would become friends?" I pull away from the hug and give her a genuine smile.

"Sometime, life surprises you."


This was going to be hard, Nathan was the easiest one to get to forgive me, but Brooke, well I will be lucky if she doesn't slam the door in my face. After Teresa left I spent some time thinking about how lucky I am to have her, and how much I don't deserve it.

I know that Brooke hates me right now, and that it will be hard to even get her to listen to me. But we need to word out everything that has happened between us, and it goes way past just what happened between me and Lucas. Before Tina died, we were inseparable, but after that I just threw her out of my life, and I don't think that either one of us has forgiven me for it.

We are best friends, through the good and the bad and I need to make her see that we can work through this, and that if we just trust each other, because as great as it is to have Nathan and Teresa backing me up, I really need Brooke to help me get through this.

It is completely selfish of me to even ask Brooke for help now, after everything that I have done to her. But I know that sometimes in life you need to be selfish, and you need to ask for help, no matter how hard it might be.

Finally getting the courage I knock on her door, missing all of the times that I would just burst through it and into her arms…

"Brooke, Brooke are you home?" I opened her front door and closed it behind me as I waited for her to answer. I ran up the steps and almost collided with her as she ran down them. She immediately pulled me into a hug when she saw the tears on my face.

"what happened Hales?" She led me down the stairs and we collapsed onto her blue fluffy couch together.

"My parents called, and guess what? They can't make if home for my birthday. I know that it is so stupid to cry, I mean I am almost 16 years old and I am crying like a baby just because of my stupid parents."

"You are not a baby Haley James. You are one of the strongest people I know. And forget your stupid parents, you have me. I am going to make sure that your sixteenth birthday is a day that you will always remember." She hugs me tighter and I feel completely safe.

"I love you Brooke, you are like the sister I never had." She laughs at me and replies.

"You have three sisters Hales."

"I know, but you are the one that I never had, which is one that I actually like." She laughs and shoves me away, before getting serious.

"We're family Hales, and no matter what we will always be there for each other."

The door swings open and Brooke looks at me surprised. I take a calming breathe and look her in the eyes.

"I need you Brooke, and I know that you hate me right now, but you are my family, and I can't survive without you." I wait for a reply, but don't get one, so I continue. "I made so many mistakes, more than you even know, because I was hiding form all of the pain that I felt. I am ready to stop hiding and face it, but I need you Brooke. I am still your best friend, and I just hope that you are still mine. I need you Brooke, and I am so sorry for everythi…" I don't get to finish because she slams the door in my face, leaving me to walk down her long pathway and to my car alone. I thought that I had hit rock bottom, but it turns out that there was even farther to fall.


Thank you for reading, and please review with what you thought about it. I will not be able to update until at least Wednesday, but I will definatly have it up by Friday.