"What's going on?" Nathan asked Rachel seeing her lying in bed.
She rolled over and gave him a pouty look, "Are you gonna break up with me?"
He sat next to her, looked into her eyes, and then turned away guiltily, "No…I don't know."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around him, "Nathan, I don't care what happened in the past. I get that you really liked her and that you're still getting over her, but I really like you" She paused, "My heart is in here, and I'm not ready to stop fighting for what we could have."
He looked up and wished that it was Haley saying those words, but life was cruel and here sat another girl that he just liked saying that she loved him, "I can't say that we'll be together forever, but I'm not ready to make any decisions."
She nodded, "Ok, if that's the best you can give me right now, I'll take it."
He kissed her forehead and stood up, "Everyone's going down to the beach, go join them. I'm gonna jump in the shower real quick."
She sat up on her knees so they were almost the same height, "Want me to join you?" She asked seductively.
He smiled politely and hugged her, "No, I'll meet you down there. But lets go to dinner tonight."
"Just me and you?" He nodded and left her sitting on the bed.
"There you are!" Brooke said as Haley came out of the house and laid her towel out next to the group.
"You've only been out here for like 20 min," Haley responded.
"It's been way longer than that!" Brooke whined.
Peyton laughed at her bickering friends, "In Brooke time that's an eternity," She joked.
Haley laughed, "Yea, yea. I forgot." She pulled off her tank top and her shorts and laid down next to her two friends, "What kinda lotion do ya'll have?"
Brooke tossed her the suntan lotion, "You've got to stop with that ya'll crap." She told her grinning.
Haley's mouth fell opening mock shock, "I don't even notice anymore," She said defending herself, "This is what happens when you're in the deep south for a couple of months and you spend a year and a half of your life with a few Texans."
"Was it fabulous?" Brooke asked.
Haley bit her lip to stop from beaming, she glanced at the three guys playing football in front of them closer to the water, "It was easily one of the best things I have ever chose to do," She couldn't control it any longer she let her smile escape and she beamed excitedly.
"Only one of the best things?" Peyton asked skeptically, "Man it would top my list."
"Please, she was offered opening act to JT, that totally beats Ciera," Brooke said to Peyton.
"I turned it down," Haley said staring at Nathan.
"What?!" Brooke yelled, "Are you crazy? Something like that only comes around once in a lifetime." She stared at the girl stunned.
Haley shrugged casually, "I didn't want to do it anymore."
Peyton shook her head, "Nope. I don't believe you," She stared at Haley for a moment, "You gave it up for Nathan."
Haley looked down and played with the sand, "I'm not gonna lie, I gave up the tour for him, yes."
Brooke knitted her eyebrows, "You are either the most romantic person I've ever met or you've got to be the stupidest."
"Brooke!" Peyton said shoving her playfully, "Just because Haley feels like to truly be in love you have to give something up, even though Nathan has yet to give anything up for her doesn't mean a thing."
Brooke held back a grin listening to Peyton speak, "Stop. Ok. I didn't give up my dream. I'm still gonna record a cd, and I'm going back on tour…eventually."
"Not soon enough if you ask me," Rachel replied walking up from the water and sitting next to Peyton.
"Ya know Raquel, you just keep amazing me," Haley replied.
She looked at her through irritated eyes, and dryly responded "How's that?"
"Well you can see that Nathan is about to dump you, but you just keep coming back for more," Haley stood up and waited for Brooke and Peyton to stop laughing, "If you'll excuse me."
The three girls watched as Haley walked up to the guys who were standing and talking, "Nathan's not gonna dump me." Rachel said trying to convince herself.
"Keep telling yourself that," Peyton responded standing up and following Haley.
Brooke waited a moment before standing up, "The sooner you realize that you never were even in his heart's radar the better for everyone involved."
"So what are ya'll doing for a honeymoon?" Haley asked Jake and Peyton who were cuddled up on the couch together. Nathan had taken Rachel out to dinner, and to Haley's surprise she wasn't at all concerned. Brooke was flipping through the channels and the group sent Lucas out to bring them dinner. The group forced her to stay, when she mentioned leaving to head home they all told her that would hate her if she left.
"We aren't going anywhere," Peyton said with a smile that told Haley she was sad but trying to act like it didn't mean much to her.
"Really?" Haley asked knitting her eyebrows, "Why?"
"Eventually we will go somewhere," Jake replied.
"It's just bad timing." Peyton said filling in the blanks.
Haley looked at the skeptically and Brooke glanced towards them, "She's lying."
"No I'm not," Peyton, protested, "Jenny is too young and you know…"
"Come on, just say it," Brooke said.
"Fine, we can't afford it right now." Peyton conceded and slipped further into the cushion.
"That's my fault," Jake said with a guilty look, "I've only been working part time at the café, and I haven't been saving."
Haley bit her lip, and watched as Peyton smiled up at him, "All that matters is we're happy." Then she pointedly looked at Brooke, "And Brooke should stop putting her nose in our business.
Brooke shrugged, "its just Haley. She's family." Brooke winked at Haley.
Haley grinned at everyone, "Excuse me," She stood up and ran up stairs.
"Where are you going?" Peyton called.
She came trotting back down the stairs holding her laptop and smiling, "I just wanted to get online."
"You're beginning to become more like Brooke everyday," Peyton muttered.
"Hey!" Both girls said in unison, "Hey!" Brooke repeated when she heard Haley say the same thing, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"She has the attention span of a third grader," Peyton replied.
"So just curious, not to drag up bad memories," Haley said glancing up from her computer and over to Brooke and then the newlyweds, "Whenever you do choose to go on your honeymoon, where do you want it?"
"I don't know…" Peyton said not wanting to play the game.
"Come on, it's not that hard." Brooke said getting into it, "When I have a honeymoon I want to go to Italy. So romantic, ewe or Paris."
"I don't think I want to go that far," Haley said smiling, "I think I'd be happy on a secluded beach anywhere with him."
"You coulda just said with Nathan," Brooke said laughing.
"A cruise?" Haley suggested.
Peyton shrugged and looked at Jake, "What do you think?" She asked him.
"I would love to go Europe, but maybe Hawaii, or even the Cayman Islands."
"That would be a fun vacation," Peyton said, "The beaches, the British atmosphere." She said dreamily.
"Oh, yea. The Cayman Island's would be fabulous," Brooke, said, "I can't wait to get married."
"What did I just walk in on?" Lucas said holding bags of food and laughing.
"We are talking about honeymoons," Brooke explained, "Where is you idea honeymoon?"
"Hmm, I think Europe because that's were all my favorite writers lived and we could see all the touristy stuff, and I think I would want to do it before I had kids."
Brooke grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck, "See this is why we are together…that same wave length," She said laughing and kissing him lightly on the lips.
"All done," Haley said grinning at Peyton and Jake.
They all glanced at her, "What?" Peyton asked.
"I've book a flight and a hotel for your honeymoon." She said closing her laptop.
"No you didn't," Jake said dumbfounded.
"Yes I did," She told them grinning, "I made sure that I booked it so that you would be able to do it on whatever date you want."
"We can't accept that!" Peyton said staring at her in disbelief.
"Well then the trip is going to waste, cause I'm not taking it back."
"Seriously, we can't take that, it's too much," Jake said.
Haley smiled more humbly, "I haven't gotten you a wedding gift, and I didn't make it to the ceremony or anything else…so please take this as the wedding gift, the engagement present, the bachelorette gift, and whatever else."
"No…" Jake began.
"Yes, and you know what?" They looked at her with raised eyebrows, "I'm not discussing this anymore."
"Haley…"
"I said no," She said with a finality, "You guys are my family, and I want you to have a great honeymoon, and you guys picked it out, you just let me pay for it. Stop and take the gift and have fun."
"We'll pay you back," Jake said standing up to hug her.
She let him hug her, "I wouldn't hear of it."
"Thanks Haley," Peyton said hugging her, "I appreciate it, but I really wish you hadn't."
"Nonsense," Brooke said breaking up the group, "The girl is a millionaire and she can spend her money however she'd like."
"Thanks Brooke." Haley replied walking away to get dinner.
"I think I'll just have a salad," Rachel said to the waitress.
Nathan glanced at her stunned, "Why aren't you eating?"
Rachel grinned, "With that girl back in the picture, I have to make sure that I look better." Rachel's grin faded, "I just want to make sure I can compete."
"Please…" Nathan began.
"You better not be standing up for her," Rachel warned, "The way she's been treating me…I mean I'm your girlfriend."
"It's complicated, and I'd like it if you cut her some slack." He replied with a stone face, "And while we are talking about this, it's not a competition."
"And if I can't lay off her?" She asked testing him.
"What?"
"What if she keeps pushing me?"
"Look at it through her eyes," Nathan said leaning forward, "She left after her dad died and we were her best friends. She comes home to all these changes…"
"Mainly, you and I?" She asked tilting her head.
He placed a hand over hers, "Rachel…"
She leaned forward and looked at him, "I get it." He looked at her confused so she explained, "I understand that you loved her and that she is obviously still in love with you."
"Ok."
"But what I need to know is that…I'm still in this." She paused and searched his eyes, "I need to know that just because she's back doesn't change the last few months we've had."
"I…"
"Don't you think we've gotten close?" She asked him.
He blinked, unsure where to go from here, "We have, but I made it clear that I wasn't able to fall in love." He paused, "In know it's not fair but…"
"Your heart can't handle another heart break, I get it," She looked deeply into his eyes, "I'm not the type of girl who falls in love anyways, but Nathan our relationship can't end like this."
"Who says it's over?"
"Your eyes," She said leaning in closer, "The way you look when she's around, that hurt look yet playful." She touched his cheek, "I have to know where you head is at."
He gulped hard, "I don't know."
She let her fingers linger on his lips, "Ok, but sooner or later your gonna have to face what you are feeling." She leaned back, "I think you know what the best decision is." The waitress dropped their food and refilled their drinks.
