Chapter 23

-Three Months Later-

Haley let out a deep breath, glancing down at Macey as they approached her new classroom.

Third grade. Wow.

How was her little girl in third grade already?

It brought tears to her eyes to think about.

Macey had changed quite a bit over the summer. She'd gotten a little taller, her hair a little lighter.

She looked different than she had the previous year when she'd entered the second grade.

She was eight now. Wow.

Turned eight three weeks ago.

"I wish Aunt Brooke could be my teacher again," Macey commented, glancing up at her and smiling slightly.

"Oh, me too," Haley laughed, rubbing her back. "But I know you'll like your new teacher."

"What's his name again?" She asked quietly, raising her eyebrows.

"Mr. Strong," Haley replied, nodding at her. "Let's see if he lives up to his name, yeah?"

Macey entered the classroom slowly, smiling at her brand new teacher that was standing just inside the room, greeting his new students and their parents.

He certainly looked like he lived up to the name.

Macey's new teacher was... Whew. Handsome.

Tall. Blonde. Muscular. His shirt was fitted and he was wearing it well.

His smile was very friendly.

Perfect teeth. Beautiful green eyes. No wedding ring. Maybe just what she needed to forget about... Whatever his name was.

She was surprised by her own thoughts at the sight of him.

"Hi, what's your name?" He greeted Macey, a wide smile on his face.

"Macey Bowen!" She hummed, nodding up at him.

"Nice to meet you, Macey. I'm Mr. Strong," He said, nodding at her. His eyes moved to Haley, smiling at her as well. "And you are?"

"Haley, Macey's mother," Haley replied, shaking his hand.

"Nice to meet you as well, Haley," Mr. Strong said, giving her hand a very light squeeze before releasing her. "You can call me Adam," He said quietly to her, nodding. He glanced down at his clipboard, scanning the seating chart. "Okay, Macey. Your seat is second row from the front, first column on the left," He said, pointing over. "Can't wait to get to know you."

Haley smiled, leading Macey over to her desk, tapping her name tag once they found it.

"Here you are, Mace. Third grade," She said, letting out a deep breath. "My baby is growing up."

"Mom," She whined, before smiling up at her. "I'm still young," She reminded her.

Haley smiled, beginning to pull her pencil case and notebooks out of her bag.

Macey began to help her, glancing at the door occasionally as new students would come in.

She gasped after a moment, her eyes going wide when she saw the young boy that just entered.

Haley followed her gaze, one of her biggest fears for the day coming through.

In came Nicholas Scott, with Nathan following closely behind him.

"Nicky!" Macey screeched, causing a few students and parents to look in her direction quickly.

Nick's eyes went as wide as hers, skipping Mr. Strong completely and running in their direction.

The two met in the middle, each wrapping the other in a tight hug.

Haley's gaze met Nathan's very briefly, before she looked back at the kids.

He looked really good. Better than Adam Strong did. Dammit.

He'd grown his facial hair out over the summer, and he looked good with it.

He was still rocking the suit, which didn't surprise her. He'd always been fit, but she could see his biceps straining against the material.

He was tan. A new haircut. He looked incredible.

It wasn't fair that he looked that good.

And Nick... Seeing him and Macey together once again brought tears to her eyes. Macey asked her for the first month every single day what was going on. But she'd stopped asking.

"Hi Nick," Haley said softly, smiling down at him sadly.

"Hi Haley!" Nick said, smiling up at her. "Looks like we're in the same class again. Isn't that great?"

"It is," Haley confirmed, nodding at him. Her eyes flicked over to Nathan very briefly, watching as he spoke to Mr. Strong.

"I have so much to tell you," Nick said, hugging Macey tightly again. "Will you eat with me at lunch?"

"Of course, Nicky. You're my best friend," Macey said, smiling brightly at him.

Haley couldn't watch this anymore. She felt sick.

"Okay, I have to go now. I'll see you guys later, okay?" Haley said, resting her hand on Macey's shoulder, leaning down and kissing her forehead. She waved at Nick, before hurrying out the door.

Haley was walking as fast as she could down the hall, because she knew was was coming. She figured the faster she moved, the less likely it was to happen.

She'd made it all the way out to her car, even gotten into it.

Just when she was about to close the door, a strong arm reached forward and grabbed the door, holding it open.

"Haley," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.

"God, Nathan. What do you want?" She asked him quickly, keeping her gaze forward.

"You haven't answered any f my calls," Nathan said quietly, clearing his throat.

"Well, I didn't really want to hear from you," Haley said, finally looking over at him. "What? Did you request Nick be put in Macey's class?"

"No," He said, shaking his head. "That just happened."

"I still don't really want to talk to you, Nathan. Okay?" She said, letting out a sigh.

"Are you ever going to talk to me?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"You broke up with me, Nathan. I don't think there's anything else to say. No let go of my door," Haley said, nodding curtly at him.

He let out a sigh, releasing his grip and taking a step back.

Haley slammed the door shut, not waiting another second and driving away.

This was perfect. Just perfect. Now she was going to have to see him again.

xxxx

Haley sighed as she picked up Macey's room.

She'd asked her plenty of times to clean it up the previous week, but nothing happened. And she happened to need a stress reliever, so she'd decided to just do it herself this time.

Macey was so messy. At the moment, it brought a smile to her face. It wasn't always like that, but thoughts of her daughter were just what she needed.

It was true, Nathan Scott had been calling her. Nearly every day of the whole entire summer he'd tried to call her.

She never answered or declined, she just let it ring. Why she had not blocked his number, she wasn't sure.

He'd started calling two weeks after the day they parted ways, and hadn't stopped. He never left a voicemail, never called more than once, but it was consistent.

Macey had been so shattered for most of the summer.

She couldn't understand what had happened, and why she couldn't spend time with her best friend.

She'd been so excited the previous night, not because of the excitement for the new day, no. Because she was going to see Nick again.

It hurt Haley to have to leave the little boy that she'd grown to love.

But it was what she had to do for herself.

Nathan's logic still made no sense to her.

How was that what was best for Nick and Macey?

She still rolled her eyes at the memory of their final conversation, until today.

He was so arrogant.

Haley let out a deep breath, beginning to clear off one of Macey's shelves.

She smiled as she began to look over the various drawings she'd collected.

Her eyebrows raised when she found a small, folded up paper, hidden beneath all of the drawings.

She unfolded it curiously, biting her lip at what was written in colored pencil and crayon.

The two different handwritings.

The crayon was clearly Macey's, but the colored pencil...

Haley read the date and let out a deep breath. It was dated for just before her and Nathan had started working on the spring festival together.

Must have been Nick with the colored pencils.

The title of it was "How to become brother and sister"

That hurt. A lot.

Haley sucked in a deep breath, taking the "contract" and walking to her own bedroom.

She sat down on the bed, reading the first point. Crayon. Macey's idea, of course.

1. Sign them up for the Spring Festival together.

That one had worked.

2. Ask for play dates. A LOT.

Nick.

3. More play dates.

Macey.

4. Become boyfriend and girlfriend.

Nick.

5. They fall in love and get married.

Macey.

Some five step plan, huh?

Haley glanced at the TV that now resided in her bedroom, her eyes rolling.

Guess it worked out pretty well. Except for step five. And step four was more of a three and a half.

She never watched the damn TV anyways. She'd only gotten it for him, and well... He'd broken up with her before he could even see it.

Kids were way too smart. Especially their kids, apparently.

She looked sadly at the paper in hand once again, feeling more tears prick in her eyes.

It wasn't fair. She'd gone the last half of the summer without spilling any tears over him, and she saw him for one minute today, and felt like a mess all over again.

Haley looked at her closet, letting out a deep breath. Some of his clothes still resided there.

Not many, but some. It was funny how he had clothes at her house, a toothbrush in her drawer... But they weren't official. She was nothing to him.

Maybe that wasn't true, but that was what she'd convinced herself into.

That was the only thing that made sense in her brain.

Or maybe he'd just really been done with her and used the kids as an excuse.

But why would he call her? Why keep calling her?

She missed him. A lot.

It wasn't fair that he broke up with her, violated her trust and her personal items, and she missed him.

Haley had not been able to remove his pictures from her phone or his clothes from her closet. She still had a note he'd written her in her nightstand.

Haley let out a deep breath, folding up Macey's paper once again, biting her lip.

So much for moving on with Mr. Strong.

xxxx

Nathan made the familiar trek down the empty school hallways, shoving his hands into his pockets and letting out a deep breath.

He stopped once he reached the door, sighing and looking at the name plate.

Mrs. Baker.

Okay.

He could do this.

He glanced at his watch.

It was just after four, so she was probably leaving soon.

Maybe he could catch her in a good mood.

He stepped in slowly, letting out a deep breath.

Brooke glanced up, looking back down, before looking up again quickly.

"Oh, no. Not you," She said quickly, shaking her head at him.

"Brooke..." Nathan began, letting out a deep breath.

"I suggest you leave, Nathan. Because I'm not going to deal with you or whatever you have to say," Brooke said, rolling her eyes.

"Please listen to me, Brooke," Nathan begged, looking down at her and sighing.

"Take it up with someone else," Brooke said, letting out a deep breath. "You can't be silent for the whole summer then suddenly want to talk to her."

Nathan's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"Silent for the whole summer? I've been trying to call her every day for the past two months," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"What?" Brooke asked, frowning at him. "Really?"

"Yes," He said, leaning against her desk.

"Well... That doesn't matter," She said, shaking her head slowly.

"Please, you have to convince her to talk to me, Brooke," Nathan said, running his hand through his hair. "Look at me. I'm a mess without her."

"Maybe you should've realized that when you still had her," She replied quietly, shaking her head. "It's not my place to get involved, Nathan. I'm her shoulder to cry on, and I'm not going to turn her back to the person that made her cry in the first place."

"I can't have her see me the same way she sees..." Nathan stopped himself, looking down and letting out a deep breath.

Brooke's eyes softened on him, "As who? Peter?" She asked him, beginning to gather up her stuff to leave for the day.

Nathan looked at her quickly.

Did she know? Did Haley finally tell her?

He felt pride surge through him, despite the situation. She did it.

"She told you?" He asked her, clearing his throat.

"She did, but she didn't have to," Brooke said, grabbing her purse out from underneath her desk. "I know Haley. I know when her light is gone. Not to mention I was there for some of the uncomfortable questions he'd ask," She said simply, letting out a deep breath. "But she told me everything."

Nathan nodded, brushing his hand over his face. "Look at me, Brooke. I have a beard. Look at my tie. It has a random stain on it. I have an upgrade on my phone and I haven't used it because I'm scared I'll lose pictures of her, or her phone number. Please."

Brooke sighed, looking at him. "I actually kind of like the beard. If you trim it up a little bit," She said, shutting down her computer.

He chuckled quietly at her response, rubbing his hand down his face. "My hair was getting shaggy and I got it cut this weekend because I knew there was a chance I'd see her today. Just give me something."

"She doesn't think you're the same as Peter," Brooke confirmed, beginning to head out of her classroom, Nathan trailing quickly behind her.

Nathan let out a sigh of relief, nodding at her. "Good," He said softly. "Will you help me, Brooke?"

"I won't," Brooke said, shaking her head. "But I'll talk to her. I won't push her hard. I'm going to tell her you came by though."

"I tried to talk to her today but she wouldn't let me. Maybe if you do it then she'll be more willing," He said, following her down the hall.

"I'll see what I can do, Nathan. But know that I don't like you right now, so I don't know how it's going to play out," She said, shrugging. "I'm not going to get involved, or hurt my friendship to save whatever it is you're going for here. I'll bring it up, if she shuts it down, then so be it. It's not my place."

"Thank you," Nathan said, grinning at her.

"Where's Nick anyways?" Brooke asked, raising her eyebrows and glancing at him.

"His mother picked him up," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "I had a meeting that went until 3:45 and I hurried here right after."

Brooke nodded, letting out a sigh. "Well, I know she misses him a lot."

"He misses her," Nathan said, clearing his throat and stepping forward to grab the door for Brooke. "I was a jerk, Brooke."

"I know," Brooke said, letting out a sigh. "You don't have to explain yourself to me, Nathan. Just save it for her, okay? I love her but you don't owe me any apologies. I just want her to be happy."

Nathan nodded slowly, letting out a deep breath. He walked Brooke to her car, grabbing the door and pulling it open for her.

"You really think the beard looks okay? I haven't tried to grow one since I was 22, and it looks terrible back then," He said, shaking his head.

Brooke laughed, rolling her eyes and getting in her car, tossing her stuff onto her front seat. "Trim it up a bit and then we'll see. Have a good evening, Nathan."

"Thanks again, Brooke," He mumbled, closing the door and waving at her.

He smiled slightly as he began to head over to his own car, shoving his hands into his pocket.

It wasn't much, but it was a start.

He was going to do it. He had to win her back.

He'd damaged nearly every relationship in his life since losing her, including his with Nick. And he couldn't do it anymore.