Hey guys, thank you all very much for the reviews! I enjoyed reading them. I know that you guys are starting to get anxious seeing as though the prologue is drawing near. The pieces of the puzzle will start to fall in place from here on out. The drama is also going to increase. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter and will continue to review. Thanks!


Chapter 51

March 22, 2008

"Oh my God, I think I'm going to be sick," Haley muttered. Her stomach was in her throat as she saw Nathan barreling down the court with the ball in his hand. There must have been four guys on him. But Nathan didn't let that stop him. He pushed through them, made it to the basket, and slammed the ball in. Haley, along with the rest of the crowd, started screaming. This, by far, was one of the most intense basketball games she'd ever witnessed. Duke and UNC were neck in neck in the fourth quarter—both teams fighting like hell for that championship trophy. The score was 78 to 80 with UNC currently in the lead.

"Go, Broody," Brooke shouted while waving her pompoms. He had managed to steal the ball from the opposite team.

"Crap," Peyton commented when one of the refs called a foul. Everyone in the crowd seemed to groan, as well. If Haley turned around, she was pretty sure that she would see Dan turning red and flipping out in his seat. He hadn't called Nathan in weeks. But of course, that still wasn't enough to stop him from coming to the championship game.

"That's complete bullshit!" Brooke exclaimed when UNC got the ball back.

"Come on, Nathan, baby. You can change it!" Melissa shouted. Haley rolled her eyes as she tried to keep her temper in check. Throughout the entire game, Melissa had been shouting terms of endearment to Nathan. She'd then look over at Haley with a provoking smile.

"Do you think anyone will notice if I go over there and strangle her," Haley muttered to Brooke and Peyton.

"Let's go, Scott! Get that sexy ass in gear!" Rachel yelled a second later. Haley saw Nathan look over at them briefly. He then shook his head before seeming to get his head back in the game.

"That's it. I'm taking them both out," Haley declared. She was seriously at the end of her rope dealing with those two bitches. She was just about to throw her pompoms down and beat their asses when Brooke stopped her.

"Tutor Wife, I know it's hard but just try to enjoy the game. Nathan knows you're his number one fan," Brooke advised. "You don't want to do anything now."

"Yeah," Peyton agreed. "Besides, this is the last game. You won't have to see those skanks for the rest of the semester. Don't let them ruin this for you." Haley nodded. Brooke and Peyton were right. This wasn't the time for her to get pissed off and jealous. She'd noticed Nathan glancing over at her on the sidelines every once in a while. He needed her support—especially with Dan's beady eyes burning into him the entire time. With that, Haley began to cheer even louder.

The clock was running down. They were only a few of points away from winning—or at least a couple to extend the game. Nathan looked to Coach K, Lucas, and then Jake. They'd already had the play they were going to use picked out. Nathan got the ball and dribbled it down the court. As expected, about three guys were immediately on him. Lucas was to his left shouting for him to pass him the ball. Nathan made a show of throwing it to him.

However, at the last second, he threw it sharply to the right between his defenders to a wide open Jake. It wasn't long before he was dribbling like hell down the court. Time continued to run out. Nathan could almost hear everyone holding their breaths as Jake made it to the basket. He did a lay up. The ball looked like it was going to roll off the rim. But nevertheless, it went in just as the buzzer sounded. A roar erupted from the crowd as the team rushed over to congratulate Jake and give him a pat on the back. They were tied with UNC. All it took was one more basket and they'd win.

Peyton, Haley, and Brooke all jumped up and down while hugging each other. The guys had done it. They actually managed to save the game. Haley noticed Coach K call the team into a huddle. Victory was so close they could almost taste it. Haley said a silent prayer for Nathan. It was crunch time. He was Duke's star player. The pressure was on as the whole game seemed to be riding on him. Whether they won or lost, Haley would be proud of him no matter what. He had worked so hard for this. The fact that he had managed to take the team this far was amazing and something to be admired for.

"This is it, boys. This is what we've busted our asses for all season," Coach K declared. "I know you have it in you to go all the way. You were born winners. That's why you're Duke Blue Devils. And when we leave this stadium tonight, you will be champions. Now get out there and make me and your university proud."

"Blue Devils on three," Tyler proclaimed. The guys all put their hands in the middle.

"One, two, three…Blue Devils!" they all exclaimed before heading back onto the court. As Nathan took his position, he found himself glancing over at the sidelines for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. His eyes immediately sought out Haley's. She smiled brightly at him before giving him a sexy and encouraging wink. Nathan grinned and found himself returning the gesture. He didn't dare stare into the crowd. He knew that his father had shown up to the game. It actually would've surprised Nathan if he hadn't. But he decided to push all thoughts of Dan out of his mind. He had a game to focus on. This was it. This was the moment Nathan had been waiting for. It was his chance to make up for last season and redeem himself.

UNC had the ball. Nathan made sure to stay on the guy he was guarding. He was pretty slick. Nathan didn't know what kind of tricks he was going to pull. The guy to the right had the ball. Jake was on him trying to find a weakness that would give him a chance to steal it. As Nathan watched his guy and the one with the ball, he noticed another player off to the side. He hadn't really done much all game, so he was mostly overlooked. But this time, Nathan paid careful attention to him. The guy with the ball glanced briefly at him and then back at the guy in front of Nathan. Something is definitely going on. If Nathan didn't know any better, he'd say that they almost looked as if they were going to mimic Duke's earlier play.

"Lucas!" Nathan called to his brother. He gave him a sign to watch that one on the side. Just as he nodded, the guy with the ball made a gesture of throwing the ball to Nathan's opponent. However, he quickly changed directions at the last second—much like Nathan had. The ball flew to the guy off to the side. Everything seemed to happen so quickly, afterward. Lucas ran to him and managed to stand in front of the receiver. He intercepted the pass. With the ball in his hands, he quickly dribbled to the basket. It wasn't long, though, before defenders were all over him. Nathan maneuvered between members of the opposing team.

It lasted only a few seconds, but he was able to get open. Lucas took the opportunity to throw the ball to him. Nathan caught it effortlessly and tried to dribble it the rest of the way. Unfortunately, the guys who'd been on Lucas before were now on him. Nathan tried to get around them but it was proving extremely difficult. It was almost like he was boxed in. He had no other choice. He had to take his shot. He closed his eyes for a second as he summed up all the strength and determination he had inside of him. A picture of Haley's beaming and encouraging smile seemed to flash before his eyes. Without a second thought, he released the fade away. As the ball sailed through the air, all Nathan could hear and feel was the loud and staggering thud of his heart in his chest. It wasn't until he heard the screaming and felt all his teammates hugging him that he finally realized that it had gone in.


Nathan had barely gotten out of the car before Haley pounced on him. After they'd won the game, he'd been bombarded by teammates, cheerleaders, Coach K, TV cameras, scouts, and a few fans. Not only had Duke won, but he'd also broken his record for most points achieved during a single game. There was a lot to celebrate. Unfortunately, he'd barely gotten a chance to hug Haley before people started demanding his attention. And if that wasn't stressful, he had to try extra hard to evade Melissa, Rachel, and his father.

"I am so proud of you!" Haley declared against his lips. He was taken by surprise so much that he actually fell backwards against the door of his SUV, slamming it shut. But he wouldn't complain. She was the one he really had wanted to be with after they won. His arms wrapped around her waist to bring her closer. "You were amazing."

"So were you," he replied out of breath. The girls' cheer routine had been incredible. Brooke had really outdone herself with the choreography this year. Their performance had been flawless. They actually received a standing ovation from the Duke fans once they were done.

"I knew you could do it," she mumbled. Haley tore her mouth from his to leave a series of open-mouth kisses along Nathan's neck. One of his hands became tangled in her hair as the other one slid down to her ass. He pulled her hips tighter against his causing them to grind together. Haley moaned when she felt how turned on he already was.

She moved her head away slightly and got on her tiptoes to seductively whisper in his ear, "I have a victory surprise for you upstairs."

"Then let's go," Nathan urged. His skin was already on fire—as well as other certain parts of his anatomy. As much as he loved standing there making out in the parking lot in front of their apartment, he couldn't really do the things he wanted to do to her there. He then quickly grabbed Haley's hand and led her up the stairs to the second floor.

Nathan, however, couldn't be parted from her for long. Once they'd reached the top step, he pulled Haley back to him and started to completely ravage her mouth. Haley dug her hand in his hair and gripped his shoulder for support. Her weak knees were starting to kick in. Nathan wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as he walked her backwards to their apartment door. It was kind of dark, but Nathan managed to locate the right key and stick it in the lock. His mouth still never left Haley's as he only deepened the kiss further. It was just as Nathan was about to open the door when he heard someone clear their throat, ruining the moment.

Haley jumped slightly when she heard the interruption. She then reluctantly tore her lips away from Nathan's to see where it was coming from. She glanced a little over to her left. It wasn't until the figures stepped out of the darkness that Haley was able to identify who it was. Oh my God.

"What are you guys doing here?" she questioned shocked as she stared at Anna, Megan, and Greg standing in front of her.

"We wanted to come see you," Megan stated with a smile.

"Yeah, since you'll be moving and not coming back to Honey Grove, we figured maybe we could come visit you now," Anna explained. "It's spring break next week. It's the perfect time for us to party and catch up with our best friend before we lose her."

"Oh, you're not losing me," Haley replied as she left Nathan's arms and went to hug them as greetings were exchanged. "Who's idea was this?"

"Mine," Greg spoke up for the first time. "We missed you, James." He then pulled her into a tight embrace. Nathan tried to keep his expression neutral. He didn't mind Anna and Megan coming to visit. Greg, however, was only there two minutes and already his hands were all over Haley.

"Actually, it's Scott now," he corrected. As soon as Greg let go of her, Nathan put his arm around Haley and brought her close. Haley looked between the two and could already feel the tension radiating off of them.

"Well, um, it's a little cold out here. Why don't we all go inside?" Haley proposed. They definitely needed to be distracted before they burned holes into each other with their death glares.

"That'd be nice," Megan said. Her teeth were chattering slightly.

"It looked like it was getting pretty hot a few minutes ago," Greg commented bluntly. His eyes were still glued to Nathan's.

"Yeah, sorry about interrupting," Anna apologized. Haley saw her discretely elbow Greg in the side. "We arrived about an hour ago, went to the hotel to drop our stuff off, and then just ended up here waiting outside for you guys."

"That's ok," Haley said as she turned to open the apartment door. "We just won the championship so we were kind of…um…"

"Celebrating?" Megan filled in with teasing smile. Haley looked over at her briefly.

"Yeah," she replied blushing. The door finally opened, and they all walked inside.

"Wow, that's great," Anna said. "Congratulations you guys."

"Thanks," Nathan replied giving her a small smile. "It was a close game."

"But Nathan made a very difficult basket at the end and won it for us," Haley beamed proudly.

"Lucky shot?" Greg questioned.

"Hardly," Nathan responded curtly. All the girls seemed to look at each other then. Haley was relieved see that she wasn't the only one noticing the hostility between them.

"Well, nice work, all-star," Megan laughed trying to lighten up the mood again.

"Speaking of nice, this place is pretty sweet," Anna commented.

"Thanks. I'm sorry it's such a mess. It's been hectic with midterms, the championship, and packing," Haley explained.

"Oh, that's ok. You should see my dorm room right now. I guarantee that you won't get even a glimpse of the floor," Megan said.

"You guys can take a seat on the couch," Nathan said as they entered further into the living room.

"Thanks," Anna commented politely as all three took a seat. Nathan and Haley ended up just sitting on the coffee table across from them.

"Why are you packing? I thought you guys weren't moving until May," Greg pointed out.

"We aren't. But our friend Brooke invited us to her…oh crap," Haley muttered when she realized the confliction. She looked to Nathan. "I forgot about Brooke."

"Who's Brooke?" Megan questioned.

"She's one of our friends," Nathan answered. "She invited us to her beach house in Tree Hill this week."

"See, I told you we should've called first," Anna muttered to Greg.

"I didn't know. Haley didn't mention anything about it before," he defended.

"Yeah, it was actually kind of sudden," Haley interjected.

"Oh, well, we don't want to intrude if you guys already have plans," Megan explained.

"No, that's ok," she retorted. She looked back over at Nathan. He inwardly groaned when he knew what she was going to propose. "Maybe I can talk to Brooke and see if you guys can come with us. From the way she talks, the house is pretty huge. I'm sure there's plenty of room."

"Really? That'd be great," Greg replied.

"How long are you guys visiting for?" Nathan questioned. He wanted to know just how long he would have to put up with Greg.

"Just for several days. Our flight home leaves early Thursday morning," Anna informed them. That's still torture, Nathan thought.

"Well, we're supposed to be heading to Brooke's tomorrow afternoon. Let me just call her now and see what she says," Haley stated while getting up to retrieve the phone.

"Haley, do you mind if I get a drink of water?" Megan inquired.

"No, go ahead," she responded. "There's diet soda in the fridge if you want to help yourselves to that, too."

"I'll have some," Anna chimed in. The two girls got up afterward to follow Haley into the kitchen—leaving Nathan and Greg alone to glare at one another in the living room.

"So…" Greg began. "…you finally did it."

"Did what?" Nathan asked. His intense gaze never parted from Greg's.

"Got Haley to trust you."

"Well, I am her husband," he pointed out. "If there's someone she should be able to depend on, it's me."

"'Should' being the key word there," Greg emphasized.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Nathan questioned with narrowed eyes.

"It means that even though you may have Haley convinced that you're a good guy, I don't believe it. Somewhere down the road, you're going to hurt her. And then it's going to be me who has to pick up the pieces."

"Oh, I don't think you have to. I think that you want to," Nathan accused.

"I'm her friend. I'll always be there for her," Greg declared.

"I'm not talking about you being her friend. Since you're being so honest with me, I think it's only fair that I'm honest with you," he began edgily. "I think you're full of crap. I see the way you look at Haley, and how you take any chance you get to touch her. I'm not blind. And I'm telling you right now, I won't stand for it."

"Well, Haley doesn't seem to have a problem with it," he countered. "And I'm not going to stop being affectionate with my best friend, because you're the jealous type."

"Actually, she is bothered by it. She just hasn't told you yet," Nathan replied. He could feel his anger building further. "But regardless, I wouldn't push me if I were you. I'm not jealous. I love Haley, and I trust her. You, on the other hand, are a two-faced punk. And don't think for one second that I'm not watching your every move—especially around my wife."

"You say that now. But there's no way that you'll be able to be around her 24/7. I've known her since we were little kids. She trusts me. You actually think that she'll completely drop me for you?" he challenged with a smug smile. Nathan was practically two seconds away from breaking this guy in half. He had some hell of a nerve. Nathan was just about to give him another piece of his mind when Haley's cheerful interruption, however, stopped him.

"So I called Brooke, and she said it was fine. It looks like you'll all be joining us," she announced as Anna and Megan followed her into the living room.

"I can't wait," Greg stated to her with a charming smile. "I'm sure it'll be a spring break never to forget." As Nathan looked between them, he couldn't help but think that Greg was right. It would be a memorable spring break. He just wasn't sure if it would be for the better or worse.


"Wow, that was impressive," Haley laughed.

"Yeah, they'll be remembering that for ages to come," Megan teased.

"I got pictures," Anna announced.

"Ha ha," Greg muttered sarcastically as he rubbed his sore back.

"I told you not to try it," Haley declared.

"Hey, I used to be an expert at skateboarding. I had that trick down pat," he defended.

"Yeah, like five years ago," Anna pointed out. They'd been walking along the pier near the beach that Monday afternoon when they saw some young boys skateboarding. Greg, in an effort to get in touch with is old adolescent self, decided to see if he still could attempt a few tricks. One of the boys had lent him his skateboard—eager to see what Greg claimed he could do was true. Unfortunately, it was five minutes later that Greg completely lost his balance and ended up falling flat on his back.

"Shut up," he mumbled as they finally approached Brooke's beach house.

"Do you need some ice?" Haley questioned.

"I'm fine."

"Oh, don't be so macho. I realize that you're trying to preserve what's left of your male ego after that totally embarrassing public display of…" Megan started to say.

"Just please stop right there," Greg interrupted as they walked through the front door.

"There you guys are! You've been gone forever," Brooke exclaimed.

"Sorry, we went for a walk down by the pier," Haley explained. "What's up, Tigger?"

"I found some cute shops at the other end of the beach. I was wondering if you guys wanted to go check them out?"

"Yeah, that'd be fun," Megan answered.

"I'll go," Anna added.

"Tutor Girl?" Brooke prodded.

"I think I'm going to pass," Haley answered. She wasn't really in a shopping kind of mood. And that wouldn't really help her and Nathan in their mission to save money. "But you guys go ahead." She didn't mind being left out. Haley was just glad that her old friends and new friends were getting along.

"Fine. You and P. Sawyer are no fun."

"Oh, Peyton's not going?" Haley inquired.

"No, she and Jake took a romantic walk on the beach or something," Brooke replied with a casual flick of her hand. "But let's go, ladies. I can hear a pair of pearl earrings calling my name." A couple of minutes later, the three girls left. Haley then walked into the kitchen. It was huge—just like the rest of the house. Brooke had definitely not been exaggerating about its size.

"You know, that sounds like a good idea," Greg commented a minute later.

"What does?" Haley questioned while taking an icepack out of the refrigerator.

"A walk on the beach," he answered. "It's a little windy, but it's a nice day out. What do you say?"

"Greg, you just took a hard fall. Do you really think that walking around some more is going to help that?" Haley pointed out.

"Ah, I'll be fine. Come on. We only have two more full days together. We need to make them count," he urged. Haley was a little hesitant at first. She didn't want Greg to hurt himself even more. But when she saw his pleading look, she finally gave in.

"Ok, let's go. But if you can't handle it after awhile, we're coming right back. Agreed?" she questioned.

"Yes, Mom," he mocked before putting his arm around her shoulders and leading them to the sliding glass doors at the back of the house. Just as they were leaving, they ran into Lucas and Nathan on their way in.

"Hey, guys, where are you going?" Lucas asked slightly out of breath.

"We're just taking a stroll along the beach," Greg answered while giving Haley a little squeeze. She gave him a small smile but didn't miss Nathan's intent stare at Greg's arm around her. Uh oh, time to do some damage control.

"So, what are you guys up to?" Haley questioned. She then discreetly moved out of Greg's grasp and walked to Nathan. "You're all sweaty."

"We, uh, we went for a run," Nathan replied distractedly. Haley nodded as she gave him a concerned expression that only he could see.

"We were just heading inside to clean up before lunch," Lucas added.

"Oh, ok. I guess we'll see you in a little while then," she said before pulling Nathan into a tight embrace. She then stood on her tiptoes and whispered, "I'll talk to him." Nathan threw her a grateful look as she pulled him in for a reassuring kiss.

"Haley," Greg urged after clearing his throat. She went to pull away, but Nathan tightened his hold on her and deepened the kiss. Automatically, Haley felt her mind get hazy. Nathan always seemed to have the power to take her away from everything. Even Greg's comments in the background began to fade slightly. It wasn't until Nathan finally ended the kiss did her senses start to return to normal.

"Haley," Greg said a little agitatedly. "We really should go."

"I'm coming," she replied in a slightly breathless voice. "As soon as the feeling in my legs returns," she mumbled softly to herself. Nathan smirked in response.

"Haley," Greg urged again when she still didn't move.

"I'll kiss you later," Nathan declared to Haley as he let her go. She nodded quietly while still trying to clear her brain from the fog. A second later, Greg was practically pulling her along. Nathan smirked as he continued to walk into the house.

"Was that really necessary?" Lucas laughed.

"Yup," Nathan said. His smirk grew even wider. Greg could trash talk and brag about his friendship with Haley all he wanted, but he'd still never have that affect on her.

"You know you enjoyed it."

"Actually, I had to fight the urge to gag. Seeing one of my best friends and brother making out is really not all that appealing," he replied. "But seeing Greg almost blow a gasket at the sight was pretty funny." Nathan had told Lucas all about him, and the way he was with Haley. After the tension-filled car ride yesterday to the beach house, in which only the women talked to fill the silence, Nathan needed someone to vent to.

"So, do you believe me now?" Nathan asked. "I told you that he was feeling more than friendship towards her." Lucas had thought that Nathan was just getting a little jealous by the whole best friend relationship between Haley and Greg. Nathan kept telling him that that was not the case.

"He's definitely vibing on her," Lucas agreed. "I actually thought he was going to pull out a gun or something. He looked pissed." Good, Nathan thought. It serves him right.

"Well, now he knows what it feels like. Did you see the way his arm was around her?" Nathan questioned a bit irritated. Just thinking about what he saw made his blood boil all over again.

"Yeah. I'm definitely keeping an eye on him, too," Lucas declared. "He seems kind of…tricky. I don't trust him around her."

"Thanks, Luke. I'd appreciate it," Nathan replied. The two bumped fists as they made their way upstairs.

"By the way, what time do you want to leave tomorrow?" he asked.

"Leave for where?" Nathan asked confused.

"To go to the Bobcats game in Charlotte," Lucas clarified. "The game is at eight o'clock tomorrow night."

"Oh, crap," Nathan muttered. "I completely forgot about that." He still had the Bobcats tickets Lucas got him for Christmas just sitting in his wallet. It was one of the final games of the season that many would kill to see.

"Well, it's nice to know that my gift left an impression," Lucas joked.

"I'm sorry," Nathan apologized. "There's just been so much going on lately with basketball, school, Haley and I moving, and then my parents' problems. It just totally slipped my mind."

"That's ok. You've had a lot to deal with, which is why you really need some time away. And what better form of relaxation than taking in a basketball game with your wise, caring, funny, handsome, smart..."

"Luke, shut up," Nathan laughed.

"…athletic, charming big brother?"

"You forgot to mention gay," Nathan added. He laughed harder when Lucas socked him in the arm.

"You know, I agree with Haley back when she hated you. You're an ass," Lucas teased before heading to his room down the hall.

"But at least I'm not gay!" Nathan yelled back. He then quickly ran into his own room—barely dodging the sneaker that Lucas had thrown at him. He laughed while shaking his head. He could already tell that he and Lucas were going to have fun at the game. Nathan still couldn't believe that he actually forgot about the tickets. But he was still looking forward to going. The only setback, however, was that they wouldn't be around to keep an eye on Greg. It was then that Nathan decided to talk to Jake before they left. And maybe even Brooke. She was usually pretty good at spotting any funny business that goes on. She'd know how to handle it. Because just like Lucas had said, Greg was tricky. And there was no way in hell that Nathan was going to take any chances.