More of their past is coming to light now as you'll see from the flashbacks in this update. Just so you know the flashback at the beginning and at the end all happened on the same night.

Enjoy and let me know your thoughts 😊

⁛Chapter 6⁛

November 2013

'What's up in Nathan and Haley land?' Brooke said as she pushed herself down onto the carpeted mat beside Haley.

'Are we that obvious?'

'About as obvious as the way you're swallowing whatever sticky substance is in that plastic cup and the how he huffed down the stairs earlier…'

'Is this about you and Chris again?'

Haley nodded. 'I kind of threw it back in his face by saying I never thought he' be the kind of guy to continue the ruse he had with Rachel.'

'Had been the key word there.' Brooke said. 'They're not seeing each other anymore, actually neither of you are seeing them people anymore so why are you fighting about it?'

'We're not fighting exactly.' Haley said as she took a sip from her cup.

Brooke just smirked shaking her head to herself. 'You know it would take you two to be the only two people on this planet that end up having a squat with each other because you both care too damn much.'

'Caring too much isn't a bad thing Brooke.'

'Maybe not but you both need to give each other some breathing room to make your own mistakes.'

Haley smiled. 'Thanks.'

'For what?'

'For making sense for a change…' Haley said giggling softy as Brooks gasped. 'Go on, get out of here. Go make up with your buddy before you lose another friend for that comment.'

He was right where she thought he'd be, sitting there sipping away on a can of distasteful cheap beer. Haley nudged in beside him, the equally distasteful punch still lingering in her red party cup. 'I think we hold each other at too high of a standard.'

Nathan chuckled slightly at her words as he nodded in agreement. 'Maybe we both just need to chill out a little I guess.'

'Yea that's what Brooke said.'

Nathan raised his eyebrows as he glanced down at Haley. 'Brooke given advice?'

Haley smiled. 'Yep, things are bad.'

They both laughed softly at that. Brooke would kill them.

'We are finally away in college; this is supposed to be fun…you always said that I don't have enough fun.'

'Yea well I didn't think fun would come in the form of a ginger spreading her legs.'

'Real nice Hales...'

'I'm sorry.' Haley said nudging him on the shoulder again. 'She doesn't like me...'

'She's threatened by you, maybe if you were a little more forthcoming...'

'She's a total bitch Nathan…' Haley sighed. 'What does this even matter haven't you two called it off?'

'Yea she's away visiting her dad in Vermont until the start of next semester so...'

Haley held back what was on her mind, there was no point throwing gasoline on a fire that was already dwindling out. She just hoped when Rachel did come back around Nathan wasn't so willing to let her jump right back in because it certainly sounded like the only reason they called it off was because she would like the option to sleep with someone in another state.

'I'm sorry about what I said, you're right…. I don't know Chris enough to say those things. I just…'

'Nathan, it's not like I just dropped my skirt and had sex with him…'

Nathan grimaced. 'Ok I didn't need the visual.'

'Maybe I care too damn much...' He mumbled then.

Haley giggled at that and Nathan just looked at her curiously. 'That's funny?'

'No…you know you just remind me of Brooke sometimes…'

Nathan gaped. 'Take that back Haley.'

She just giggled more.

'Take it back Haley or I'm going to tickle you…'

'You're going to tickle me on a rooftop?'

The look he gave her had her jumping up quickly and backing away from him.

'We're nothing alike…in fact we're completely opposites, how could you even say that?' He said flabbergasted.

'Well the way you're getting yourself into a tizzy now reminds me…'

'Don't finish that sentence.' Nathan said this time smiling along with her realising how personally attacked he felt.

'So, this is freedom eh...' He said then looking around.

'Sitting on the roof of some random frat house drinking god knows what, yea I guess it is.' Haley mused. 'Roofs seem to be our thing.' She stated as she sat back down beside him.

'Maybe we should rethink that considering we're tipping back alcohol these days.'

'We're responsible young adults Nathan Scott.'

'Yea I guess I am.'

Haley swatted him on the arm 'Says the guy who was necking from the juggler in the kitchen earlier.'

'Just having fun.' He said giving her an exaggerated wink.

Haley giggled as she rested her head on his shoulder. 'Roofs can still be our thing though yea?'

'Yea.' he said, 'You're the only person I ever want to be on a roof with Haley.'

She giggled even more, the alcohol lacing her veins preluding her giddiness. 'And you're the only person I'd never push off a roof Nathan Scott.'

'I should hope not.' He goaded her shaking his head at her silliness.

'Let's always be like this.' she whispered quietly

November 2018

'Oh honey, you look lovely.' Lydia said smiling as she hugged her daughter.

'Thanks mum.' Haley said as she smoothed her hands over the white material of her dress. It was a chic white mini dress with three quarter length sleeves, simple yet classic and very much her style. 'Don't tell anyone I got changed in the bathroom at the airports.' She teased.

'Nobody will know the difference.' Lydia winked. 'Come on you don't want to be late to this party.' She teased.

'How is Jeremy?' Lydia asked as she pulled away from the airport.

'He's good, he seems to be snowed under with law applications, he's very busy right now.'

'So are you honey and you still found the time…'

'Mum…' Haley sighed knowing exactly where her mother was going with this again. 'Jeremy came back with me the moment I found out about dad's accident, he just dropped everything and left.'

'I know Haley-Bob but…'

'There's no buts mum we're doing the best we can while we're apart…'

'I understand that you just don't seem…. happy.'

'There's been a lot going on.' Haley said softly.

'I know but this is more than your dad's fall, you know that.'

'I'm ok mum.' Haley said softly. Lydia gave her a doubtful look. 'I am.'

'How are things with Nathan?'

Haley felt her stomach tighten at the mention of his name. Nathan. She hadn't seen him for three weeks, not since the night of the costume party. Things had felt a little different. Not different enough to give her a false sense of hope but enough for her to want to try with him.

'They're civil I guess.' Haley said.

Lydia smiled. 'I met him the other day, he was walking that puppy down at the docks. He's really turned into a fine man Haley.'

'Mum…' Haley cringed shaking her head.

'What he has? I mean you used to think or else you wouldn't have…'

'Can we not have this conversation?' Haley halted her.

Lydia smiled at the blush painting her daughter's cheek. 'Ok but you look out for them arms today Haley-Bop my goodness they're so…'

'Mum…'

Lydia laughed. 'Ok I'll stop.'

'Somehow I don't believe you…'

'He has really filled out though in comparison to that boy that used to climb in your window…'

Haley just leaned her head back against the car rest the urge to cover her hands over her ears strong.

The day was long and the party hadn't even begun.

XXXXX

'Oh, thank god you're here, someone I know.' The curly blonde said as she grabbed Haley by the arm towards her high table.

Haley laughed softly as Peyton practically huddled them into a one of the tables in the corner.

'That bad?'

'They're like vultures Haley and as soon as they find out who I am i.e., basically the girl not from around here they bitch about a woman standing about two feet across from them.'

'Well you should fit in just fine then.'

Peyton swatted her and Haley laughed grateful for how normal things felt between them especially after that night Haley told her the full story. It had certainly been interesting waking up the next morning as Brooke divulged to her that she'd gone and told the whole tumultuous tale to Peyton in her emotionaly drink infused state.

Peyton didn't look at her any differently that morning, nor did she now. That she appreciated, it was an easy kind of friendship, the kind she had struggled to form for herself in Sacramento.

'So how was the sunny south west?' Peyton asked her as she handed Haley a complimentary class of champagne of her own.

'It was busy.' Haley said. 'I spent a lot of time packing and seeing Jeremy when I could.'

'You tell him you're coming home for good?'

Haley nodded. 'He get's it but I'm not sure he wants to.'

'What do you mean?'

'I think of the both of us Jeremy thought I'd be the one to stay in Sacramento holding the forte down almost.'

'While he goes off to law school doesn't seem fair.'

'He wasn't putting that on me intentionally, but subconsciously I think he figured that's how it was going to play out. Now it's just…' Haley's words fell away from her as she took a sip of her drink.

'How did you leave things?'

'Like we always do, saying everything is alright when it's not. That's just it though, we've always been so laidback from the start and when the big things come which I know every relationship has to deal with it's like we just don't deal with them because we don't need to…'

'Are you saying what I think you're saying?' Peyton said cryptically.

'I guess I am.' Haley shrugged. 'I'll figure it out, now I just need to take my mind off things.'

'Well I'm your girl. Tell me what's the big deal with this white party anyway.'

'The town council do it every year, there was this bad accident on Molina bridge years ago, young twins lost their lives and we wear white every year to commemorate two angels taken way too soon. The money is going towards the construction of a new playground in Tree Hill in their memory.'

'That's a lovely way to remember them.' Peyton smiled. 'And Jake couldn't quite tell the story like that. All he told me was to wear white.'

'Men eh?' Haley said. 'It's such a pity that towns people use an occasion such as this to gossip.'

'When don't towns people gossip?' Peyton mused.

'True.'

'Hello ladies…' Jake said with an easy smile as he approached them. 'You two hiding out?'

'Speaking of towns people gossiping.' Peyton teased.

'I can't help it the ladies love me.'

'I think she got you man…' Nathan mused as he noticed the berry lip stains on Jake's collar.

'Dammit…'

Peyton fussed over cleaning Jake's collar as Nathan and Haley's eyes met.

'Haley.' Nathan acknowledged her with a curt smile.

'Hi Nathan.' She said softly.

Meanwhile Peyton just found the whole thing amusing, the way Nathan rather overtly checked her out, if he was trying to be covert about it well it took his eyes about ten seconds to travel back up to Haley's face. She smiled. 'How about we go check out that raffle see if there's any trips, we can win that allow us to take a 3-year-old?'

She took Jake's hand and walked away realising the other pair hadn't even noticed. Friends my ass.

Well he never used to look like this at the white party.

Holy crap. Damn her mum's earlier words were messing with her head. Why did he have to show up like this? The crisp white shirt now cuffed up at his elbows fit his frame to perfection not to mention the way he had it tucked into cream style khaki pants. He was sinfully handsome, truth was Nathan always had a handsome streak about him, yea they may have been best friends but she wasn't blind. However, now just looking at him and feeling the stirring in her body, it's like his mere image was corrupting her.

Good god she needed to get it together.

Nathan tried to shake his head of his thoughts, realising he was acting like a god damn teenage boy when it came to getting all hot and bothered over a girl's figure in a tight dress. Only it wasn't just any girl, it was Haley, his Haley and she was a woman for Christ sake not a girl and she looked like…well she looked like that.

He could actually feel his cheeks heating up and another particular problem growing in his pants.

That had never happened around her before.

Nathan subconsciously stepped in closer to the table to cover himself just as a woman called out to him. 'Nathan…. there you are..'

He jumped a little knocking Haley's glass of champagne in the process.

'Oh crap. I'm sorry…'

'It's ok…' Haley said rather bemused now by his fluster. It would have been cute if only things didn't feel so weird between them.

'Oh my gosh Haley James is that you?' The blonde woman asked.

'Yes, it's me…Hi Sherry…' Haley said as she grabbed a tissue from the table to wipe the spilled drink down.

'Oh, I wouldn't know you, look at you.' She gushed smiling at the semi awkward pair. 'And seeing you two together after all this time.'

Nathan and Haley equally cringed at her sugar sweet words.

'You know the rumours were that you two eloped there for a while with your sudden disappearance.'

Haley fought back the eye roll meanwhile Nathan seemed to be vastly interested in the timber ridges of the table suddenly.

'Well, you know what they say about rumours Sherry?' Haley replied not so sweetly hoping the woman would get the message.

'Well you two do look so well together.' She said.

'Were you looking for me Sherry?' Nathan said then saving them both from the sheer uncomfortableness of this moment.

'Oh yes your father was looking for you. I tell you that man is aging like a fine wine, hold onto this one Haley he has good genes.'

That hit a little too close to home.

Nathan practically flinched and Haley noticed it. 'Nathan…' She began softly.

'I've got to go.'

About the only thing that could make him laugh today was the image of Dan Scott in a white suit.

Still laughter was the furthest thing from him as he approached him, the familiar defensive dread coursing through him.

'Hello son.'

'What do you want?' Nathan said cutting to the chase.

Dan smirked that twisted, familiar calculating smirk. 'Who says I want anything with you?'

Nathan bit his lip as he slipped his hands into his pockets knowing full sure his dad was aware he was working overtime to not react.

'I was looking for your mother actually.'

Nathan crossed his eyes at that 'What do you want with mum?'

'Oh, you know just adult stuff.'

It wasn't lost on him that his father used to say that all the time to him as child nor was it lost on him that he specifically said that to him right now to remind him that he still was.

'Whatever…' Nathan said not giving Dan the satisfaction of his reaction.

'Haley is looking well today.'

But of course, his father knew how to keep manipulating those strings.

'What's it to you?' He couldn't help but quip.

Dan laughed smugly. 'I just noticed she's blossomed into a lovely young woman. Are you to here together?'

'No, we're not.' Nathan answered curtly.

'Ah I see…' Dan mused. 'She doesn't know. I mean if she did, we'd call this a sympathy date…'

'Don't…' Nathan began only his father cut in.

Dan put up his hands as if completely innocent. 'You have your secrets, I have mine.' He gave his son a pat on the shoulder as he walked away.

XXXXX

He wasn't sure when exactly he'd walked over here and ordered a drink but the fairy lights glistening the entire garden area told him night was drawn in.

He shouldn't be drinking, he knew that. But tonight, just felt a little harder than others.

He'd like to blame it on his dad that would be the easy thing to do.

That was also only partially it.

It was strange having Haley here after all this time.

It was always their tradition to leave this white party early and go play mini golf in their fancy formalwear on top of Karen's roof, if they were lucky, they'd nag a bottle of drink.

They never really saw what was coming their way. They had been young and oh so naive.

He didn't want to be here anymore.

Nathan swallowed back the rest of his scotch before climbing off his stool. He glanced around spotting Brooke and Lucas slow dancing by the fairy lights.

Despite his troublesome thoughts he painted a tepid smile on his face as he approached them. 'I'm going to cut out you guys…'

'Not you too….' Brooke pouted as she continued to sway with Lucas.

Lucas just smirked. 'You ok to get home man?'

'Yea I'm actually staying back in mum's so…'

Lucas nodded.

'Ok well I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow.'

'Don't forget we have that charity game…'

'I know you've it stuck to the fridge all week Luke.'

'Aw he's just getting practice for when we have kids soon.'

Nathan chuckled at the way Lucas' eyes bugged out.

'Take care of yourself big brother…' Brooke teased him.

Nathan glowered and she smirked, she knew hated when she called him that.

All her movements felt slow and dragged as she closed the car door and fumbled with her clutch to look for her keys, she cursed herself for not remembering to take her jacket out of her luggage as the late November air chilled her aching bones.

It had been a long day and the conversations with the townspeople only added to the weight resting on her shoulders since her trip back to Sacramento.

Maybe she could get a handle on the past if her present wasn't so equally tumultuous.

Speaking of the present.

'Hey…' Nathan said stepping out of the shadows of her porchway.

Haley jumped back her hand covering her chest. 'Jesus... Nathan…' She said startled as she observed him standing there, his shirt a lot more crumpled now, his hands scooped low in the pockets of his dress pants, hair rested all matt and flat reverting him to that boyish quality she used to know and adore.

Her heart sputtered even if she didn't want it to.

'Were you drinking?' Haley said as he observed his slightly glassy, red-rimmed eyes.

'Maybe…' His voice was dry and weary.

'How did you get here?'

'Some paths you don't forget…'

Their eyes met 'You probably shouldn't be here Nathan.'

'I know.' His voice was raw, vulnerability clipping his edges, something she was sure only presented itself considering the alcohol flooding his veins.

'Then why are you?' Haley said softly folding her arms over herself as she swayed slightly against the proch railing she was unsure if it was from absolutely exhaustion from the day or nervousness with having him here like this.

And this close to her.

She was no stranger to being in his presence drunk and a drunken Nathan always said what was on his mind. Maybe that's what made her nervous.

'I miss you, Haley.' He spoke so quietly as though admitting would somehow make her disappear again and when she looked at him, she wondered if it was possible for her heart to break twice at his broken image, a desperation simmered inside to reach out and soften the worry lines that crinkled his forehead.

She didn't know what to say.

Taking her silence as something else entirely Nathan clumsily stumbled back…'I should go…' He slurred slightly as he began to move away from her.

She was worried about him. 'Nathan…. wait.' She called for him.

He turned to her his eyes clouding with tears much like her own.

'Don't go.' She said her lip trembling as she watched him step closer to her again, every single nerve ending in her body seemed to be hyper aware of him in that moment.

She knocked softly on his door; a familiar rhythm that would let him know it was her.

It most likely wasn't fair on him to be here, he had been so tired from the game tonight he left the party early. And yet the longer she stayed there the more her thoughts seemed to eat her from the inside. Here was the only place she could come to, right now it was the only place that made sense.

He frowned at her as he pulled the door back, raking his hand through his messy bed hair, his grey t shirt rose up in the process giving way to the slight trickle of hair that nipped from his belly down his naval.

Haley quickly glanced away.

'What are you doing here?'

He had left the party; they'd said goodnight on that rooftop almost two hours ago. 'Is everything ok?' Nathan said then when she didn't answer him right away.

She smiled at his ever concern for her.

'I didn't tell you the real reason Chris and I broke it off…'

'What did he…did he leave you after you slept with him…?' Nathan said worriedly catching the apprehensiveness rolling off Haley in waves.

'No, it wasn't that…it' wasn't.' Haley said stopping him.

'Then what was it Haley?'

'I couldn't go through with it.' Haley admitted then halting him entirely. 'I was scared…' She looked into his beautiful blue eyes shining with concern for her.

His defensiveness slipped away entirely as he caught the shame that seemed to linger in her voice. 'You just weren't ready Hales.'

'That's just Nathan, I am ready. I wanted to with him, I did…. I'm just afraid I won't be good enough and he'd leave me after it anyway, not that it matters cause it's done now and that's completely on me..'

He could see the tears threatening to spill over. 'Hales….…' Nathan held onto her by the shoulders waiting patiently. She was staring at the carpet. 'Hales look at me.'

'I know you don't want to hear this but Chris wasn't the guy, Haley. Because if he were you wouldn't have felt that magnitude of self-doubt….'

'What if it's always like this?' Haley said as her eyes glazed over with tears.

He could never understand how a girl so outwardly confident, charismatic, and vibrant could hold such insecurities, didn't know where she got them from and wished so badly, he could take them all away from her.

'Don't cry….' He said as his thumb came up to swipe at her ears trying to escape.

'Nathan…' Haley said softly, her voice quivering…she wasn't sure if it was from the tears or something else entirely. For some reason she was completely hyper aware of him now, his scent surrounding her, the way his thumb caressed her cheek, his baby blues seemed almost fluorescently magnetic as he watched her.

'Hales…' He repeated her name back, his eyes asking her what the hell was going on.

She could see the confusion there, wondered if he could sense the shift as much as she could.

It was all she could feel.

'I want to…' She whispered as her hand came up to latch onto his one still holding her face.

'I want to…. with you...'