AN-Hi guys! Thank you for the awesome reviews as always, you don't know how much that keeps a writer going and inspired. We are officially in the final stages of the story. I have to admit I'm a little sad. I had so much fun writing this story and I will be sad seeing it come to an end. Anyway, enough of my ramble. I hope you enjoy this chapter, the next one is the biggie.

Chapter 54

Operation Get Haley

Nathan was a little knocked off his center when he had seen Riley kissing Haley that day in the hospital. He naturally went into one of his pissed off moods but soon realized how he really didn't have any right to be pissed about it. Haley was not his girlfriend no matter how much he wanted her to be. He promised her he would be a better person when she was unconscious, going off half cocked throwing all his rage and frustrations out on Riley would not be a good start to the person he wanted to become. He figured he needed to win Haley back into his life and hopefully his heart. It was his turn to fight for her and Nathan planned on coming out with guns slinging just to prove he was worthy of her. She deserved no less. He needed some help big time with his plan on getting Haley. Things had to be perfect when he told her that he was in love with her. He wanted the night to be something she always remembered for the rest of her life. Whipping out his cell phone, Nathan hit the speed dial for Jake figuring he could get Haley out the house while he set everything up without worrying if Haley would ruin her own surprise. Nathan tapped his foot impatiently waiting for Jake to answer as the ringing in his ear began to make him go out of his mind. Why couldn't people pick up the damn phone on the second ring, he loathed cell phones, but carried one at his parents persistence.

"Hello," Jake said finally answering.

"Jake, it's Nathan."

"What's up?" Jake asked looking to his girlfriend who was laying upside down tapping her bare feet against the headboard of the bed as she listened to some music.

"I was wondering if you could do me a big favor. I need your help with Haley," Nathan said. "I have been racking my brain with ways to tell her that I love her, but nothing quite seems good enough. I figured I would just surprise her with a romantic dinner, candlelight, flowers, basically the whole nine yards before I spring it on her. What do you think?"

"I think she'll like it," Jake said sincerely. "But what does that have to do with me?" he asked hunching his shoulders as Peyton was now eyeing him trying to make out what he was talking about.

"Well, I was planning on setting the whole thing up here, but then I realized we would probably get interrupted by my parents or Luke. I figured with the James' gone, I could convince you and Peyt to give us the house to ourselves for the night. I want to set everything up over there in an hour or so, and I was wondering if you could get Haley out of the house for a while. It would really be a big help."

"Nathan, I would love to help you, but I'm not exactly Haley's favorite person right now. Maybe Peyt could take her out," Jake said.

"No, it has to be you. I need Peyton's help," Nathan said before Jake's words registered with him. "Wait, why wouldn't you be her favorite person? You're her best friend."

"We kind of got into it at the hospital. Well that's not exactly what happened… I kind of yelled at her," Jake admitted embarrassed at the way he had treated his best friend during the time she needed him most.

"Why the hell would you yell at her?!" Nathan asked getting very protective. "She's not well, Jake. How could you do that?!"

"Nathan, you are not telling me anything that I didn't know. I feel like shit as it is. I was just frustrated and I took it out on Haley. I want you together, trust me. I just wish you both would stop with the games and realize what you have staring you in the face. Love like that doesn't come around that often, don't take it for granted."

"I am making this happen, Jake. Will you help me?" Nathan asked. "I can't do this without you."

Jake sighed heavily knowing that taking Haley anywhere meant getting her to forgive him. He was surely ready to give her an apology, he just wasn't sure that she was ready to accept it.

"I'll help, but you so owe me man," Jake said.

"I owe you," Nathan said happily. "Thanks Jake, you are a good friend."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You just make sure you treat her right."

"I will Jake, I give you my word. I'll see you later," Nathan said clicking his phone shut. He had a lot of work to do if he wanted the night to be perfect.

"Who was that?" Peyton asked Jake once he hung up.

"Nathan. He needs our help." Jake told his girlfriend.

"With what?" she asked.

"He wants to plan a night in with Hales, just the two of them. He needs me to get her out of the house for a bit while he sets up here. I guess he also wants your help with all the details. I'm just worried that she won't agree to walk across the street with me let alone go somewhere for an hour or two."

"Jake," she said sitting upright bringing her hands to cup his cheeks. "You worry too damn much. You know when we were kids I was always jealous of your relationship with Hales," she told a surprised looking Jake. "I was. Somewhere in my heart I just knew that no matter what, my sister would always have you in her corner. I wanted that. I think it was part of the reason I fell for you. Seeing how much you loved my sister, it made me love you", she sincerely said. Jake gave her a grateful smile never recalling loving her more then he did in that moment. "Haley loves you, Jake. She may be a little angry, but it's nothing you two can't work out."

"I'm glad that you're so sure," he said. "I'm afraid she'll roll me over with her wheelchair, maybe beat me with her crutch," he joked.

"Possibly," Peyton giggled amused at Jake's obvious fear of little petite Haley. "But you know it comes from a place of love. Go talk to her, baby. Get her to go out with you so that Nathan can set up whatever he needs to. You both need this."

"Ok," he agreed. "But if my body goes missing, you know why," he said pecking her lips as he stood from the bed.

"Eh, don't worry. I'll make sure she buries you somewhere nice," Peyton smiled brightly at her boyfriend.

"Thanks," he laughed leaving the room to retrieve Haley.

Walking down the hall and descending the stairs, Jake arrived nervously at her temporary room to see the door slightly open. He didn't know whether he should knock and wait for her to answer, or to just barge in like he usually did. He always would get a playful scolding from Haley about respecting her privacy, but deep down she could care less. He was her Jakey, he could have barged in when she was in a towel and it wouldn't have been weird for either of them in any way. Deciding he should feel out the situation, Jake tapped lightly on her door hearing her voice come out soft and exhausted giving him permission to enter. He slowly pushed the door opened to see her sitting against the headboard of the bed with her face buried into some book, probably some sappy romance novel Jake figured. Haley loved a good romance.

"Hey," he said. Haley lifted her eyes to see that it was Jake nervously standing in her doorway.

"Hey," she whispered back, turning her attention back to the book. Jake breathed a small sigh of relief when Haley hadn't seemed angry or made any requests of him to get out of her room. Pushing his luck just a tad more, Jake took a seat next to her on the bed staring at her intently.

"So, are you still pissed?" he spoke.

Haley smiled at him before shaking her head. "I'm not mad, Jake. I overreacted and I'm sorry. I guess it was the stress of everything exploding finally. You are the one person that I can count on for the truth, and when you didn't tell me about Brooke knowing the truth, it hurt," Haley said.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just wanted to protect you for a while longer. I haven't been the best friend to you as of late Hales, I wanted to fix that."

Haley sat her book down saddling up beside Jake as she laid her head on his shoulder. "You've been the best friend, Jake. I haven't necessarily been the most truthful person recently. How could you know something was wrong if I didn't tell you? You're not exactly a mind reader. I'm the one that's sorry," she said.

"How about we're both sorry," he said kissing her forehead. "I love you, Hales."

"I love you too, Jakey," she said happily.

"Great," he smiled. "How about you come out for a while with me? I need something from the store, and you could use the air after being cooped up in the hospital and now your room. What do you say Hales? Come with me," Jake asked.

"Jake, do you really think Peyton is going to let me out of her sight? I don't know who's worse, her or my parents. As much as I would love to break free for a few, I don't think it's happening."

"What if I told you that I can guarantee Peyt will release you, would you agree then?"

"Yeah," she nodded eagerly.

"Well then Ms. James, we are on our way," Jake smiled watching her eyes go wide.

"OK, did you kill my sister?" she joked.

"No, but I kind of already had the ok beforehand," he laughed.

"You didn't even know if I would say yes," she laughed.

"I did, you can't resist my charms."

"Oh please, you are about as charming as a bed of nails," Haley said. "I love you anyway."

"Good thing," Jake said lifting her out of bed. Haley was able to walk on crutches, but her parents had been extremely overprotective since the accident pleading with her to use her wheelchair for a few days. Haley reluctantly agreed not in any mood to argue with them, so now she was stuck feeling restricted in that stupid thing.

"Ready my lady?" Jake asked.

"Yep," she said as Jake pushed her out of the first floor room her parents had set up for her until she was more capable of using the stairs. They were off to god knows where, Jake hadn't a clue. He had told her needed to go to the store, blanking on a reason for getting her out the house. He was doing his part, now all Nathan had to do was have things ready when he returned with Haley.

"So," Peyton said. "What's the plan, hot shot?" Nathan looked up from one of the dozen flower arrangements he had delivered to Haley's house. He hated that name that many became accustomed to calling him around school. It wasn't his fault he was so popular and good at everything. He just didn't need to be reminded of it every second of every day. Peyton knew better than anyone how much he loathed it, but she still insisted on using it finding the name endearing all the while having the small advantage of pissing Nathan off.

"Peyt," he groaned. "You know I hate that."

"I know," she laughed. "Back on topic, the plan. What do you have in store for my sister… you know besides drowning her in her favorite flower?" she said assessing the extreme amount of flowers in the room.

"Honestly, no clue. I'm sort of just winging it. I thought we would have dinner, maybe watch a movie, and then I could sort of ease my way into it."

Peyton looked shocked. "Ease your way into it? You don't ease your way into telling someone that you love them, especially when that person has waited for so long to hear those words."

"You tell me then. How do I do this?" he asked.

"I don't know, never have been in your position before."

"Thanks, you are mountains of help," Nathan said feeling the stress of the situation take over his body.

"Hey, you could be doing this all by yourself, be grateful," Peyton said.

"I am. This means a lot to me that you and Jake would help."

"Anything for Hales…and you," she smiled. "I take back what I said a minute ago by the way."

"What's that?" he wondered.

"You don't need any big gestures. I'm sure just telling her will be enough."

"I hope so," he said. "I saw her with Riley the other day," he told Peyton. "It just looked comfortable, like maybe she decided to stay with him. I may have already lost her. It would serve me right for the way that I treated her" he admitted sadly.

Peyton burst into laughter seeing Nathan pitifully sulk as he stared at her in shock.

"I'm glad you think that this is funny," he said kind of hurt.

"That's not why I'm laughing," she said. "Nathan, in all of the years that you have known my sister, has she ever given up on something so quickly?"

"No, she is the most determined person I know," he chuckled.

"What makes you think that this any different? What you saw that day was Haley telling Riley she could only be his friend. She told me herself. Haley doesn't care for him in that way, she loves you. She knows it, you know it, hell, even I know it. Both of you have waited long enough for this, you deserve happiness."

"She deserves happiness. Once that happens, everything else will fall into place. I believe that," he said. Nathan continued moving around the room setting up lots of scented candles, the fragrance mixed well with the natural aroma of all the flowers. Things were coming along and within an hour or so he would lay it all out on the table for Haley. The thought scared him out of his mind wondering what type of reaction she would have. Would she be happy, mad? Would she even care what he felt anymore? He sure as hell hoped so. He could feel his heart about to explode in his chest with anticipation. However Haley reacted it would have some affect on him whether it be good or bad, for his sake he prayed it was good.

UP NEXT-Nathan tells Haley he loves her. How will she react?

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