Hey everyone, thank you all very much for the reviews! I'm sorry for the long wait. I just got done with school and finals last week. Then it was my brother's birthday. Not to mention planning for the upcoming holidays. It's been crazy! But I finally found the time to write this chapter. I probably won't be able to update this story again until after Christmas. So Happy Holidays, guys! And please review!

Chapter 26

Nathan cleared his throat and tried to appear normal once the shock wore off. He could see Damien, Tim, and Vegas looking around and assessing the situation. This unexpected visit of theirs could go one of two ways: either they would remain in line, causing things to go smoothly, or they would try to pick a fight, resulting in a disaster. Nathan, unfortunately, had a feeling that it would be the latter.

"Hey, guys," Nathan said in a casual voice. "What are you doing here?"

Damien shrugged. "You don't write, you don't call—"

"We missed you," Tim interrupted.

Damien sent an annoyed look at Tim as Vegas slapped him upside the head. "Don't be so gay, Dim," Vegas muttered.

"What he means is that we were starting to wonder if you fell off of the face of the earth," Damien corrected.

"Or went to jail," Tim added.

Vegas rolled his eyes. "Dim, shut up."

"Anyway," Damien continued, "There's only a couple of weeks left of summer, so we figured we'd come find you and see what's going on."

Nathan fought the urge to roll his own eyes. Almost three months had passed since he saw them last. If they were that concerned, why not try to contact him early on?

The answer was simple. They didn't actually care about him. They probably just waited until the real trouble was over so they wouldn't have to face the consequences of the mess they'd made. And now that that was gone—after Nathan had already taken the blame and served his time—they wanted him back. No doubt to do more stupid and cruel things like before. It was all about image and who you know in Oak Lake.

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine," Nathan replied casually.

"Are you sure about that?" Vegas questioned, eying the court.

It was then that Nathan remembered that they weren't alone. He followed Vegas' gaze and looked behind him. Lucas and the guys were only a few feet in back of him, their bodies tense and expressions hard. The girls were standing, too, now. However, Haley had moved up closer towards Lucas. There was no mistaking the worry and fear shining in her eyes. Nathan wanted nothing more than to walk over and soothe her. But he had more pressing things to take care of at the moment.

"I see you've been mingling with the village people," Damien commented as he glanced over at the guys with an arrogant look. "They wouldn't be my first choice, but I can't say I blame you. There's probably not that many better options out here in Suck Hill."

"If it's so damn beneath you, then get the hell out," Lucas spoke up. "You're not welcome here."

"Still hostile, too," Vegas said. "I'm surprised you're not carrying around pitchforks and shotguns in your hands. Isn't that what all common rednecks do?"

"How about I break your neck? That sound like a good alternative?" Skills retorted.

Tim scoffed. "I'd like to see you try, baller."

"Then why are you standing so far away?" Jake challenged. "Why don't you come a little closer? Or are you trust-fund bitches scared of ruining your manicures?"

"You wanna finish what we started in May?" Vegas shot back. "Because I guarantee it'll be you guys who crash and burn this time."

Nathan could see Lucas and the guy's eyes widen in fury at that comment. He then quickly cut in, "That's enough." He could already see this escalating into another dangerous situation. "Nobody's doing anything to anyone."

"Look, we didn't come to fight. We just came to get you," Damien declared. "You said you'd be done with that shitty café around this time, right? So there's no need for you to still be here. Let's just go home."

"He's not going anywhere with you." This time, it was Haley who spoke up. She'd made her way towards the guys and was standing next to Nathan.

Damien raised an eyebrow as he openly looked her up and down. He then exchanged looks with Tim and Vegas. Nathan could feel his fists tightening by his sides as they surveyed Haley like she was some piece of meat. He moved over so that he was partially standing in front of her.

"She can come, too, if she wants," Vegas added with a wink.

Haley just glowered at them as Lucas muttered something unintelligible under his breath.

"That won't be necessary," Nathan said. "It's just me."

"Nathan," Haley protested.

Lucas stood on her other side, staring at him like he'd lost his mind. "You can't be serious?"

"This is my issue to deal with," Nathan stated quietly. "I have to go talk to them."

"No, you don't," Haley murmured. "Stay here."

"Hales, this isn't the place. And no offense but having you guys around when I tell them won't exactly help things."

"I don't trust them," Lucas stated. "God only knows how they're going to react when you tell them you're not going back."

"I'll be fine. I can handle them," Nathan replied with a confidence he wasn't exactly sure he felt.

Revealing his newfound plans to his Oak Lake friends wasn't the most difficult task Nathan had faced this summer. But it certainly wasn't something he was looking forward to either.

"Nathan," Haley quietly pled while placing her hands on his chest. "Don't"

Nathan was well aware of everyone watching them right now. But all he could focus on was that same worry and fear reflecting in her eyes. He rubbed Haley's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I have to." Nathan then leaned in and quickly kissed her lips before pulling away and heading towards Damien, Vegas, and Tim.

They'd stopped at a gas station. Tim, apparently, had an insatiable craving for Twinkies at the moment. Meanwhile, Damien, Nathan, and Vegas stood waiting outside the car. No one had really spoken since the River Court. Nathan checked his watch. It was close to ten thirty. He told them to head for a diner that was on the outskirts of town. He'd tell them there.

How long does it take to get Twinkies? Nathan thought as a couple more minutes passed by. Tim had still not returned.

"So, you finally got her, huh?"

Nathan's head snapped up in surprise at the sound of Damien's voice. "What?"

"That waitress we saw before," he elaborated.

"Please tell us you're tapping that," Vegas jumped in.

"She's not like that," Nathan automatically defended.

"Sure she's not," Damien replied with a smug smile. "Anyway, nice work, Nate…although, I must admit I'm a little jealous. She was hotter than I remember."

"Who's hot?" Tim questioned as he walked towards them, his precious Twinkies in one hand and a bag of God only knows what in the other.

"The waitress that Nathan's doing," Damien answered.

Tim smiled. "Yeah, she was bangin'. And did you get a look at the other girls with them. They were all fine."

"I guess Hicksville has a few perks, after all. Huh, Nathan?" Vegas said, nudging him.

"I'm not sleeping with her," Nathan stressed. "And stop talking about her like she's some object. She has a name. It's Haley."

The guys raised their eyebrows as they stared at him curiously. Nathan held their gazes, regardless.

After a few seconds, Damien was the first to speak. "Okay. Whatever you say. Let's just get out of here, man. There's this killer party over at Tim's brother's house tonight, and everyone's been asking for you."

"Even that stacked blonde Tracy," Tim joined in. "You remember her. Right, Nate?"

Nathan shook his head. "No."

"Come on," Tim exclaimed, "Her boobs are huge. Not to mention she's got that—"

"I didn't mean her," Nathan said. "I meant that I'm not going."

"Why not?" Vegas questioned.

"I don't want to."

"Because…?" Damien prodded.

Nathan took a moment to collect his thoughts and figure out what he was going to say. "Look, I've got something important to tell you guys. I'm…I'm not going back."

Damien stared at him confused. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I'm staying in Tree Hill—permanently," he answered.

Damien glanced over to Vegas and Tim. They, too, looked bewildered.

"I don't get it," Tim announced.

"Are you high or something?" Vegas asked. "Why the hell would you want to stay in this shit hole?"

"Because it's my home—and it's not as bad as you think."

"Oak Lake is your home," Damien corrected.

Nathan could see that he didn't appear at all pleased by this new development. In fact, they all appeared downright pissed. "No, it's not."

"Is it because of that girl? Because, as I'm sure you know, there are plenty of women out there who are willing to give it up. You don't have to wait around for her. You can find someone even better. Tracy—"

"I don't want Tracy or anyone else. This has nothing to do with sex. I'm dating Haley, because I care about her. And yes, she is a part of why I want to stay," Nathan declared. "But she's not the only reason for this decision."

Damien shook his head in frustration. "Then why don't you explain it seeing as though I have no fucking clue where this is coming from." Vegas and Tim nodded in agreement.

"The guy you've known for the last three years isn't me. I don't care about money or parties or how many stupid, meaningless hookups I can have in a weekend," Nathan proclaimed. "Did you know that I lived in Tree Hill all of my life before I moved to Oak Lake? I didn't want to move, but my ass of a father forced me. He made me leave behind everything all because of his stupid obsession with a game," Nathan explained. He could see Damien opening his mouth to interrupt, but Nathan kept going. "And those 'rednecks' back there that we've always picked on, well, did you know that they're my friends? My best friends?"

"But—" Vegas started.

"I've known Lucas and Haley since I was seven years old," Nathan continued. "Lucas is practically my brother. Haley was my first and only girlfriend. They and all of the others were like family. But I screwed up and turned my back on them, and I've regretted it ever since."

"Nathan—" Damien said.

"And you know that café we burned down? Well, I used to eat there all of the time growing up. Haley and Lucas' moms owned it, and they were two of the nicest women I'd ever known. And I'm glad that I was forced to rebuild it, because it was the right thing to do."

Tim shook his head. "So—"

"And I'm sure you don't know any of that, because you never asked," he said. "But it's the truth. I'm sick of living a lie and being a bad person. I'm done pretending. While you guys were off enjoying your freedom this summer, I was working to get back mine. Now I finally have a chance to turn my life around, and I'm not screwing that up. That's why I'm not going back," Nathan finished. He felt slightly out of breath after his big spiel, but he didn't care.

He'd been holding in all of that for years, trying to be the rich, arrogant jackass his friends and father wanted him to be. It felt good to say that it was all bullshit. That he'd never been that person, nor wanted to be. Nathan had a history. He'd been a good guy once before. Nathan wasn't ashamed of that anymore. In fact, he was proud of it.

All that was left was for him to stop talking about being that guy again and to actually do it. The first step had been earning his friends and Haley's trust back. The next was what he was doing tonight as he faced Damien, Tim, and Vegas, admitting the truth. It wasn't an easy journey. Nathan knew all too well that nothing in life was ever really uncomplicated. But in the end, whatever the result, it was all so totally worth it.

Haley rubbed her tired eyes and yawned. She hadn't gotten any sleep last night. She'd been too worried about Nathan. The last time she'd seen or heard from him was at the River Court. Haley hadn't wanted him to go with Damien and the others. Everything was going well for him. She didn't want Nathan to be sucked back into his old habits because of those jerks.

Haley quickly finished getting dressed. She decided that she'd go over to Keith's house this morning and check on Nathan. She needed peace of mind.

"Haley! Taylor!" she heard her father call from downstairs.

Haley walked out of her room and met her sister in the hallway.

"What is it?" Taylor called over the banister.

"Get dressed. We need to leave right now."

Haley and Taylor exchanged looks before quickly going downstairs. "Dad, what's going on? Where are we going?" Haley questioned.

"Karen just called. There's a problem over at the café," he explained.

Taylor frowned. "What kind of problem?"

"It's been vandalized."

"W-what?" Haley asked, shocked.

"The police are there right now…we've got to go."

Haley and Taylor followed their father out of the house and into their car. It wasn't long before they were pulling up to the café. Haley could see a couple of police cars in front. Her eyes followed the path of the police tape and gasped.

"Oh my God," she heard Taylor mutter next to her. Haley couldn't help but think the same thing.

Jimmy parked the car, and they all got out. While he went to talk to Karen and the police, Haley and Taylor went to go inspect the damage. Their group of friends was among the numerous people just staring at it. The entire side wall on the right of the café was covered in graffiti. The various colors of spray paint spelling out mean and hateful words.

"So much for that grand re-opening tomorrow," Brooke muttered.

"Who did this?" Haley whispered, despite the gut feeling that she already had an idea of who the offenders were.

"I think it's pretty obvious," someone spoke up behind them.

Haley turned around to see Trent standing there. "The police were questioning Nathan for about an hour before you came," he said. He added a few seconds later, "I never trusted that guy."

Haley shook her head. "Nathan wouldn't do something like this." She was sure of it.

"Who else would want to target the café?" he challenged.

"Probably his stupid friends that showed up last night."

"Then he's guilty by association," he said with a shrug. "You are the company that you keep."

"He's different now," she argued.

"Really? The police talked to a witness who thought they saw a group of guys around here at three in the morning," he stated. "Was Nathan with any of you then? Can any of you vouch for him?"

"Since when are you a detective?" Lucas questioned, annoyed.

"Just pointing out the facts."

Haley's eyes narrowed as she felt the anger build up inside of her. "Well, you don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"You're right. He doesn't," a voice interjected. They all turned to see Keith approaching. "Nathan was home with me last night. And he talked to the police to give them information about who might have done it. So I'd appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut and stopped accusing my nephew of something he didn't do."

Trent swallowed nervously as Keith stared him down.

"Keith, where is Nathan?" Haley questioned. She had to see him.

"I think he's in the café—on the roof."

"Okay, thanks." Haley made a move to leave before turning back around. "Trent," she called.

"What?" he replied.

"Go home," she ordered. She'd had enough of his attitude all summer. He accusing Nathan of such a terrible act was the final straw. "We don't need you here anymore."

Haley then made her way into the café and up the stairs. As soon as she opened the door to the roof, she saw Nathan. He was sitting on the picnic table with his head in his hands. Haley quietly walked over to him.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

He looked up at her. "Hey."

Haley gave him a small smile before leaning in. She took his face in her hands while pressing her lips to his. The kiss was long and slow. Haley just wanted to enjoy the fact that he was there and okay. Thankfully, she'd worried about him all night for nothing.

Nathan pulled her tighter against him as his other hand made its way into her hair. Eventually, Haley wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him even closer. She felt her whole body shiver when his tongue traced her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Haley instantly opened her mouth for him.

"So, I guess you know that I didn't do it," he said with a timid smile after they finally broke apart.

"I never thought you did," she corrected.

He smiled again. "Did you want to sit down?" he offered.

Haley shook her head while tightening her hold on him. She didn't mind standing between his legs. She could see him better this way. "I'm fine." Her hand caressed his cheek. "My mind is more on you."

"Me. Why?"

"Well, your asshole friends did show up last night. Not to mention that you went off to talk to them. And now the café is vandalized and you're up here sitting by yourself," Haley pointed out, "I'd say there's a lot to think about."

"I'm so sorry about that, Hales," he apologized. "I feel horrible."

Haley shook her head. "It's not your fault."

"Yeah, it is. I finally told them everything last night. About my past and how long I've been pretending to be something I'm not. They really flipped when I said I was not going back," he explained as he thought back to last night. "They said all of these horrible things about you and Lucas. And then they said something about how my father would be ashamed if he could see me right now. That I was betraying them and him and all of this crap."

"Honey, they're idiots. They don't know what they're talking about," she tried to soothe. But she could still see how upset he was by all of this. Somehow, she got the feeling that it was more than just those guys that were affecting him. "What's really bothering you?"

Nathan sighed. "I just feel like no matter how hard I try and distance myself from Oak Lake that I can't fully get away. Especially now that I'm finally getting all of the things I've ever wanted, something just keeps pulling me back."

"Then fight it."

"I have been. I am," he replied. "But my friends showing up and then vandalizing the café to get back at me just proves how even if I'm not in Oak Lake, somehow that damn place and everything in it is always going to find me. It won't let go."

It had felt good confronting his friends and closing that chapter of his life. Nathan had thought it would be enough. That's why, afterward, it had surprised him when he still didn't feel completely relieved. Something was still weighing heavily on his heart.

Haley was quiet for a moment as she organized her thoughts. "Nathan, it's not Oak Lake that's holding on. It's you."

"Hales, I—"

"Just listen to me. You've got to be the one that truly lets it go. I know that your stupid friends showing up and ruining everything we worked so hard to rebuild is upsetting. But to me, it just proves how much you've changed," she explained. "It's obvious that you don't belong with them anymore, Nathan. You never did."

"But I—"

Haley put her hand to his lips. "You've come a really long way, and I'm so proud of you for that. But I think that you and I both know there's still something holding you back. And until you face it, and I mean really face it, you're not going to be able to move on with your life. It's always going to have that pull on you and make you question yourself."

Nathan kissed her hand before removing it and interlacing their fingers together. "So what do I do?"

Haley stroked his cheek and gently touched her lips to his. She then whispered, "Sometimes I think you need to go back in order to move forward."