A/N: I do not own OTH or the title of this chapter. But if you want to sue, I'll willingly give up my sister right now…

Chapter 13: Walking On Broken Glass

"Hales?" Peyton waved a hand in front of her dazed friend. "Have you been listening to a word I said?"

Haley swallowed guiltily. "I'm sorry, Peyton. It's just…"

"It's that guy, right? Nathan?" Peyton guessed.

Haley nodded as the two continued walking towards Haley's apartment. It had certainly been an eventful night. After fighting with Nathan (more like yelling at Nathan), followed by his storming off, Haley had joined Peyton and Brooke only to realize that Nathan wasn't the only Scott at the club that night. Lucas had joined his brother, and when he saw Brooke, he asked her to go get ice cream with him. Brooke practically melted, Haley remembered as she rolled her eyes, and agreed, and they walked out of the club hand in hand.

Now Peyton had agreed to walk Haley home and then get a cab from Haley's back to her own apartment. Haley was grateful for the company, but driven to distraction by her hectic night. And although Peyton tried to draw her thoughts away from Nathan, they just kept bounding back to that same, self-centered Scott.

Damn.

Peyton glanced at Haley from under her eyelashes. She noticed that Haley seemed different than she had only a few months before, when all three girls had been home in Tree Hill after graduation. That was before Jimmy James died. And now, Haley didn't only seem tired and stressed to her friend, but she also acted as though she was exhausted by the world. Which made sense: her world had totally turned upside-down in the course of a few weeks, and Haley had taken the punches life had thrown at her face and continued on. But the strain was evident. Her father was gone, her mother was away, and she was the head of a multi-million dollar company. At the age of twenty-two. And now, to top it off, she was fighting with her business partner. Whom she had a crush on.

Jeez, Peyton thought. I'm exhausted just thinking about Haley's life.

"Hales," she tried again. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Haley sighed so loudly the people walking in front of them turned around to look. "Oh," she cried. "What's there to talk about? I totally just made a fool of myself in front of the guy I li- in front of my business partner! And now he probably thinks I'm some lunatic! And," she gesticulated so loudly Peyton could have sworn she heard a sound come from the whoosh of her arms, "I let it slip about the marriage thing!"

"Wait, what?" Peyton asked, confused.

"You know that whole thing about how Dan wants me to marry Nathan and bring the company together, or something?" Haley said.

"Of course," Peyton replied. "How could I ever forget something as heinous as that?"

"Well, apparently Nathan didn't know about it," Haley sighed, blowing a piece of hair away from her forehead with the force of it. "And, stupid stupid Haley just had to go and spill the beans-"

"Wait, how did he not know of it? Was Dan planning on tricking him into the church or something?"

"Well, it wasn't a solidified plan or anything," Haley said woefully. "And Nathan was dancing up all over this girl and I was drinking and I got upset and, oh Peyton-" she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I just went up and yelled at him about it! I'm such a fool! He probably thinks I have some schoolgirl crush on him-"

"-Which you do," Peyton interrupted.

"Yes, thank you. But now he'll never take me seriously! And we're working on this huge proposal and I just knew he was a man-whore-"

"Haley," Peyton intervened. "First of all, let's get one thing straight. You're a genius. No-" she held up a hand against Haley's protests. "It's true. And because you're a genius, you can figure a way out of this. The thing is, Hales, you're Tutor Girl. Repeat it with me."

"Peyton!"

"Repeat it."

"I'm Tutor Girl," Haley mumbled. "But I don't understand what that has to do with anything."

"Okay, so my point is, you are going to be fine on the business aspect of this. You are working with Nathan, which is hard because you do like him. But Haley, crushes pass. You are a smart girl with a degree in business who is kicking ass running this company. So let's put that part out of our minds, okay? Now, I'm sure Nathan was a little shocked about the whole marriage thing, but remember, so were you. So just give him a little time. And I doubt he'll take seriously your little outburst. He's probably way too focused on the marriage part to be upset about the man-whore part."

"You think?" Haley asked in a small voice.

"Totally. And," she added almost triumphantly. "You kind of had a point. He is a man-whore. Brooke and I totally saw him scamming on that girl. Gross. Like I really wanted to see that girl's tonsils."

"I know, right?" Haley giggled.

"So," Peyton linked her arm through Haley's. "Let's get you home, and tomorrow, we can go out for lunch and have a great girls' day and Brooke can tell us all about how she hooked up with Lucas."

"Deal," Haley laughed as they neared her apartment. "Thanks, Peyt. You're a really great friend."

"Any time, Hales. See you tomorrow, around noon? I'll pick you hoes up."

"What a gentleman you are," Haley mocked.

"Ha, ha," Peyton said sarcastically as she hailed a cab. "See you!"

Haley walked up the four flights to her apartment. It was late, but she wasn't tired. She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. Fumbling for her keys, she then let herself in to the dark apartment. For the first time since her dad died, Haley was walking into an empty home.

She sat down on the couch and cried.

She woke up to a blinding headache and a consistent banging that took her a minute to realize it wasn't coming from her head. Standing up, Haley shielded her head with her hand and went to find the source of the banging.

Brooke.

"God damn, Brooke," Haley mumbled. "What the hell?"

"Oh, Hales!" Brooke squealed. "You're awake, thank the lord! I'm making breakfast." She swirled her hands to show off the kitchen, which to Haley, just looked like a huge mess. Following Haley's eyes around the disaster, she shrugged her shoulders. "Or, we could go out."

"Let's go for that. Peyton's coming over at noon." Haley wandered back over to the couch and stumbled down.

"Here," Brooke said, handing her two aspirin and a glass of water, "I know you always get a blinding headache in the morning when you cry yourself to sleep."

"How did you-"

"Uh, I'm your best friend, dumbass. Now, scooch over, I have some news." Brooke said cross-legged on the couch in front of Haley. "I totally slept with Lucas!"

"Already?" Haley downed the water gratefully and placed the glass on the table. "You've known him for like two weeks!"

Brooke shook her head in a self-mocking way. "What can I say? I told you I was a slutty drunk. Just like Mommy Dearest."

"Ew. And?" Haley encouraged more information.

"It was amazing. Oh, Hales, I think I really like this one."

"Brooke," Haley looked at her friend's glowing eyes. "I'm happy for you, Tigger."

"Thanks, Tutor Girl. Now," Brooke clasped Haley's hands in her own in a motherly gesture that made Haley smile. "What made my buddy so sad last night?" She asked in a quiet, thoughtful tone, "Were you thinking about your dad, Hales?"

"A little," Haley admitted. "I mean, I was thinking about what he always said about Nathan. He was so sure of Nathan's playboy character, and was always saying things like he came and went 'like a cat-burglar' through girls' windows after getting with them."

"Gross," Brooke wrinkled up her nose.

"And I don't think my dad knew anything about Lucas, either," Haley continued. "Because he was always so upset about the fact that Nathan was going to take over the company. He thought he couldn't handle it."

"You always said Nathan was a hard worker, though," Brooke pointed out.

"I know," Haley wailed. "I feel so confused! But my dad was adamant: he hated Nathan's lifestyle. And my dad was such a good guy, you know."

"He was," Brooke agreed readily.

"So should I just trust his judgment?"

"Hales," Brooke began, "I think you should make your own judgment of Nathan. Not based on his business, not based on his reputation, but based on his personality. How do you see Nathan?"

"Peyton thinks I'll just get over my silly crush," Haley said.

"Maybe," Brooke agreed. "Or maybe you'll come to realize your dad didn't know Nathan as well as he thought he did. Maybe you'll get to know him better."

"Maybe," Haley said, slumping her shoulders. "But after last night I doubt he'll ever talk to me again."

"Oh please!" Brooke rolled her eyes. "How many guys have I yelled at and then had sex with?"

"Too many to count?" Haley laughed.

"Funny, wise-ass. Now, get your hot butt off this couch and let's get ready for Peyton. I can't wait to tell her about me and Lucas!"

Haley mulled over Brooke's words as she heard her roommate humming from her bedroom. Brooke was right. Haley would just have to suck it up and get to know Nathan better before she judged him.

And she would start on Monday morning. If he was still speaking to her.

A/N: Please review! Please!