AUTHOR'S NOTE: Ok, a quick recap before we start, because my writing has been all over the place and this chapter is a pretty long one...: Nathan is back in Tree Hill and trying to focus on his new dream girl that he met through a dating app, but that doesn't stop him admiring and wanting his ex-girlfriend every time he sees her - which, unfortunately for him, is happening more and more. Haley has never quite gotten over being dumped by Nathan and has spent the last 10 years dating sub-standard men as a result. Nathan's arrival in Tree Hill has made it harder for her to admit she's over him, which is problematic as she tries to forge a connection with the only other person who has made her feel the way Nathan used to: Devil12.

I know this chapter isn't my best writing, heck most of this story hasn't turned out the way I imagined, but please forgive me!

There was nothing interesting or captivating about the brown door in front of Nathan, yet he'd spent more time standing in front if it than the average man would before knocking. It wasn't so much the door itself, Nathan knew, but what was behind it. Or not knowing what was behind it.

Taking a deep breath, he curled his fingers into his palm and rapped firmly on the wood four times.

Whatever he'd imagined waiting for him behind the door was nothing like what materialized in front of him a few seconds later: Haley James, wrapped in fluffy peach towel that was neatly tucked in between the teardrops of her breasts. Her honey-tinted hair was wet and lay plastered against her creamy skin in curlicues, while the ends dripped water into the edge of the towel.

"Nathan?!" The shock in Haley's voice jolted him out of his daze, which was beginning to swerve into a fantasy where he reached out and pulled the towel away from her body and...

"What are you doing here?"

Nathan blinked. His fantasy had been shattered by reality and now the image before him was making him see red. "What am I doing here?" Nathan repeated, incredulously. "What the hell do you think you're doing opening the door like that?"

"Excuse me?"

Nathan's hands had clenched into tight fists without him realizing as he began to berate the beautiful woman in front of him. "You're a young woman living alone and it didn't occur to you to check who was at the door before you opened it practically naked? Haley, that's just inviting trouble. I thought you were smarter than that!"

"Are you out of your mind?" One of Haley's hands landed on her hip, clinching the towel closer to her curves. "First of all, we're in Tree Hill, Nathan. There's not exactly a queue of men waiting to knock on my door and take advantage of me, and even if there is I am more than capable of taking care of myself. Secondly, what are you doing here so early? Dinner isn't for another hour. I thought you might be Luke."

The angry red intensified and Nathan felt his jaw clamp shut in anger. "You'd open the door to Lucas dressed like that?" He hissed lowly.

He had hated his brother in the past. There was a time where Nathan saw Lucas as the golden boy with the perfect life who was still hell bent on taking everything from Nathan, making his life a misery. There had been cruel words and plenty of punches thrown between them, but Nathan wasn't sure if he had ever wanted to hit his older half-brother more in his life than right at that exact moment.

"Stop with the overprotective act, Nathan," Haley warned him as if she had been reading his mind, staring him down until he felt himself wilt from her gaze.

"Why are you so early? Dinner is at 7pm."

"Oh..." Nathan frowned, not realizing his mistake. He was still overwhelmed from the intense emotions he'd experienced in less than 60 seconds. "I thought Brooke said 6.30pm. Sorry." He shrugged, lamely. He'd called his brother earlier to ask for Haley's address. Brooke had answered and had grown excited when he mentioned he'd be escorting his ex-girlfriend to dinner. He'd been certain that she'd told him 6.30pm, but then again his mind hadn't been focusing well since Halo23 stood him up earlier that morning.

Haley sighed and stepped back, opening the door wider to let him come inside. "You may as well come in and wait."

The apprehension from before hit him again as he nervously stepped forward, brushing past Haley's towel-clad body. From what Nathan could see, the apartment was small but well-lit, light and bright and just so Haley.

"Make yourself at home," Haley continued. "But no snooping, alright?"

The warning tone in Haley's voice and her mock-stern finger in front of his face made Nathan smirk. He held his hands up innocently, trying to rearrange his expression into something more angelic. Haley's raised eyebrows in response told him he wasn't that successful, but she hurried off out of sight down the adjoining hallway. Moments later, he heard the muffled sound of a hairdryer.

Figuring that looking at photos that were framed and on display to the main room didn't count as snooping, Nathan moved closer to the shelves on the wall to take them in. Among dozens and dozens of well-loved books were literal snapshots of Haley's life since he'd been out of it. He took in photos of Haley with her parents, and with Quinn and Lucas before the blue and white colors of a photo caught Nathan's eye. Picking up the frame, Nathan saw Haley, Brooke and Peyton in their Ravens cheerleading uniforms, posing with their pompoms and big smiles. He instantly recognized the confetti-covered court they were standing on and knew that this particular photo had been taken right after the Ravens had won the State Championship. The morning afterwards, Nathan remembered how Haley had rushed to get the photos printed; the photo he was holding had been one of a set of three that had been hung up in her old bedroom, beside one of Haley proudly standing between him and Lucas, and one of her enveloped in his own arms, looking like the happiest couple in Tree Hill. Staring down at the image of teenaged Haley, Nathan could remember everything so vividly, as if it had happened ten days ago instead of ten years. The way Haley had flown into his arms as the final buzzer sealed the Ravens victory, the smell of her hair as he buried his face in it, the hours they had spent making out in his car afterwards... it caused Nathan physical pain now thinking how he had broken Haley's heart just a few short months afterwards.

"Meow".

The quiet noise jerked Nathan from his memories. Glancing around in surprise, he spotted a small black and white cat peering at him with yellow eyes from behind the couch.

"Hey you," Nathan greeted the animal, returning the photo to its shelf and kneeling down so his frame wasn't quite as intimidating. "I didn't know you were here."

Slowly, the cat crept close enough for Nathan to read the cursive script on the collar. "Hey Catsby," he kept his voice low to avoid startling him, slowing lowering himself further so he was sitting cross-legged on Haley's soft carpet. He stayed as motionless as possible while the cat sniffed his jeans and rubbed its face against Nathan's knee before jumping into the empty space between his thighs and curling up, purring softly.

Nathan was surprised; he hadn't had pets growing up, his mom was never in town and Dan didn't want caring for an animal to interfere with his basketball training, but he had always imagined himself adopting a dog one day. The thought of Haley having a pet cat was surprising, but the comfortable, contented nature of the black ball of fur curled up in his lap made an appropriate companion for her.

His phone buzzed to announce the arrival of a message, and Nathan carefully extracted it from his pocket. Catsby stirred and stretched his front legs out so his paws dangled over Nathan's legs. The red MetYet logo appeared on the screen and he stared at it for a moment, for the first time not eagerly pouncing to hear from Halo23, afraid of what she might say.

I'm so sorry

Nathan let out a quiet sigh. His heart was aching, but not because he'd been stood up but because the girl he'd totally crushed out on was hurting; there was obviously something holding her back from wanting to meet him.

On one hand, Nathan was quietly relieved that he could put off for another day the reveal that he was actually a former professional basketball player who had garnered a huge amount of national attention. Above everything, Halo's reaction to finding out the true identity of Devil12 scared Nathan the most, in case she decided that their obvious online connection wasn't enough to put up with a fallen star, a washed-up has-been who was still working on getting his college degree. Nathan also knew how Halo23's ex had hurt her and how uncertain she was about moving on and finding love again. The thought of someone breaking her heart made his fists clench in anger.

Careful not to disturb the cat again, Nathan replied, You have nothing to be sorry about, Angel. Are you ok?

I'm scared.

Nathan stared at the two words on his screen. He'd suspected that her "something came up" excuse from earlier was just that - an excuse. With the short notice and the vague explanation, he felt he knew Halo23 well enough by now to work out that she had panicked at the thought of them coming face to face. What he hadn't expected, however, was a confession like this. Relieved that he didn't have to endure days of silence from her again, he typed the truth he felt in his heart: I know, baby. But you have nothing to be scared of. I will never hurt you. I will always protect you. Always.

Nathan's pulse sped up as he stared at his phone waiting for her reply. It amazed him how vulnerable he could be when talking to her - someone he felt he knew well but also a complete stranger at the same time. Clay had told him the anonymity of the dating app had made his walls break down a lot faster than they normally would when he had connected with Quinn, but Nathan had never imagined the same thing would happen to him. Growing up as the preferred yet brow-beaten son of Dan Scott, vulnerability was something to exploit in others in the pursuit to be the best. It wasn't something encouraged or role-modeled in the Scott household, and Nathan remembered how terrified he'd felt the first time he'd experienced the feeling - in his junior year of high school in front of a younger version of the very same woman who was in the next room.

Halo23's reply pinged back before Nathan had the chance to get lost in his memories. I don't deserve you.

"Ha!" Nathan scoffed quietly. He was well aware of his reality - that his past had been so littered with selfishness, arrogance and hurt that it was he who didn't deserve her.

Well, you're stuck with me whether you like it or not, Halo ;) You couldn't get rid of me if you tried.

I love how confident you are but for the record: I'm not trying to get rid of you.

Confidence was something Nathan had never been short on; if she was still interested then he could be as confident as she wanted. With a smirk firmly in place, he replied, All part of my charm.

Is this your A-game?

Not even close, babe. Not even close.

Nathan was too busy grinning at his phone to notice the figure standing in the doorway; his face aching from happiness knowing that it wasn't the end of the road for him and Halo23.

Whenever you're ready, I'll be too. Take all the time you need - you're worth it.

Haley stared down at the sight of her ex- boyfriend curled up on her floor, her beloved cat comfortably between his legs; Catsby's motor-like purr was loud and filled the room with satisfaction. Her eyes thirstily drank in the sight of domestic bliss, before she noticed Nathan's gaze was still focused on his phone, a lazy grin stretching his face reflecting a happiness that she couldn't remember seeing on him before.

"Nathan?"

"Hmm?"

There was a twisting feeling in Haley's chest as she watched Nathan snap out of his obvious bliss, like he had forgotten where he was. She couldn't admit but be curious as to who he was texting, especially after he had told her yesterday that things hadn't worked out with the other girl. She had thought at the time that he looked genuinely disappointed; in fact the look on his face had been what urged her to be brave enough to reply to Devil12 about meeting him. Haley didn't like the fact that not only was Nathan's presence the reason why she bailed out on that very meeting, but that he could move on from his own someone special and look smitten over someone else.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Haley knew that she had no idea what had caused that look on Nathan's face and it wasn't her business to speculate. She sure as hell didn't miss the look on his face that was directly aimed at her when she opened the front door. Truthfully, she hadn't thought twice about what she was wearing - or not wearing - and she had been covered up enough to not disgust Luke had he been the one on the other side, but Nathan's gaze had been dripping a level of lust she hadn't received since... well, since she first saw him at Clay and Quinn's house for the first time. As hard as it was to manage the 'friends' label between them, Haley couldn't deny the frisson of pleasure that ran up her spine when she found herself in his line of sight. That plain ol' Haley Bob James in a towel could cause Nathan Scott to practically leave a puddle of drool at her feet was a heady feeling.

As tempting as it was to ask him who he'd been texting, she went with something easier. "You know, Catbsy never approaches strangers, let alone cuddles up with them. What's going on? Do you have sardines in your pockets or something?

"What can I say?" Nathan chuckled. "I'm irresistible to pu..."

"Nathan Scott, if you finish that sentence, I swear to God..."

"...ssycats... why Haley, what on earth did you think I was going to say?"

Haley narrowed her eyes against Nathan's cocky grin. The face was ten years older, but that damn smirk hadn't changed one bit. He stood up, gently lifting Catbsy up and placing her on the couch with a tenderness that made Haley's heart flutter. Haley tried hard not to melt into a puddle on the floor, even though she was certain part of her was already wet. One of her colleagues had bought a calendar for the English office wall with half-naked firemen holding kittens each month, as a fundraiser for the local animal shelter, but Haley knew straight away that 12 months of Nathan Scott would raise a hell of a lot more money

"Haley?"

"I'm fine!"

Shaking her head as if to physically derail her brain from following the track it was on, Haley avoided eye contact as she grabbed her purse and slid her feet into the strappy heels she'd chosen to wear for the night. If she had been brave enough to look up, she would have seen Nathan's eyes trail from the shoes up to the short hemline of her dress that sat at the middle of her thigh, which would have not helped her racing heart or flushed face. Straightening up and adjusting to being three inches taller than usual, she checked her purse again for her phone, smiling to see the small red icon telling her that Devil12 had sent her another message. Forgetting about the man in front of her, she quickly swiped the message open.

Whenever you're ready, I'll be too. Take all the time you need - you're worth it.

Her smile grew wider. It didn't matter how Nathan looked or how he looked at her, this man behind the sweet words and the endless patience was the one she had to focus on. Stashing her phone back in her bag and putting her best game face on, she looked back up and tossed her hair over her shoulders.

"Shall we?"

"I told you no one would be here yet."

Beside her in the driver's seat, Nathan let out a sigh. "Look, I swear Brooke told me dinner was 6:30pm. It's not like I came over early on purpose."

He was out of the car and opening Haley's door before she could respond. The parking lot around them was mostly empty, but she was relieved to be out in the open.

"At least some people are here," Nathan nodded towards the entrance of the restaurant where Haley could make out Peyton's golden curls and Brooke's shiny dark hair. Beside them, Jake and Lucas were chatting.

"Well, well, well... look who we have here..."

Haley was never one for an audience, and usually four of her closest friends didn't count as one, but as the two couples focused on her and Nathan, she felt vulnerable with nerves. Brooke was smiling like the proverbial cat who got the canary, which had always been a sign of trouble. As if Nathan had been thinking along the same lines, Haley felt a warm hand slide to her lower back, gently pressing her forward while its weight exerted a soothing pressure. It was a tiny, simple gesture - smaller than him opening her door for her, even - but it didn't stop the warmth from searing through her dress and up into her cheeks.

"Wow, are we in the Twilight Zone?" Lucas's blue eyes squinted in confusion as they approached.

"Or Back to the Future?" Peyton also looked unsure of what she was looking at.

"Nah, it's like that movie when the guy from Friends falls off the bridge and turns back to a 17 year old," Jake corrected them.

"No, in that movie he was in a 17 year old's body... or he was Zac Efron or whatever. Naley are 17 again, but in their adult bodies." Brooke's grinned widened even further as she scanned the pair in front of her. "Lucky for them, because I haven't seen either of them look as good as they do now."

"Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, speechless with embarrassment. "We're not Naley..."

"I told you back in junior year that your games were getting old, Brooke," Nathan spoke up, his voice tense and cold. He dropped his hand from Haley's back, the warmth dissipating quickly. "Now they're ancient."

"Oh come on! It's just good to see you guys together again... friends, whatever," the bride-to-be waved her hand around casually as Haley glared at her.

"Is that why you told me to be at Haley's earlier than I needed to be?"

At least her friend had the grace to blush, Haley observed. She couldn't believe how Brooke was acting.

"I just thought it might be nice for you guys to catch up!"

Haley watched as Nathan shook his head before pushing past the small group and heading inside. Lucas gave her a quick hug before following his brother. She turned back to Brooke as Jake excused himself as well.

"Brooke... are you serious? You made Nathan come to my house early on purpose?"

"Oh, don't be made at me, Teacher Girl! I thought you two were trying to be friends! What's the harm in pushing two people who obviously should be together, together?"

"Brooke!" Peyton exclaimed, half-amused.

"Don't turn on me, P. Sawyer. You're the one who made sure to invite Haley to your house when you knew Nathan was going to be there all sweaty and half-naked... and help me convince Luke to have Keith as his Best Man so Haley and Nate can walk down the aisle together."

"What?!" Haley swung towards her blonde friend. "Seriously? Ok, you two have to stop. This isn't funny!"

If she hadn't been so upset, the sight of her two best girlfriends staring at her with matching stunned expressions would have been comical. Aware that Brooke and Lucas's wedding was the next day and this was a time of celebration, Haley grit her teeth together and took several deep breaths to try and calm down.

"We're really sorry, Foxy. We didn't mean to upset you... I thought you guys were going to be friends?"

"Yeah, you know us Hales, we wouldn't do anything to hurt you." Brooke added.

"I was, I am..." Haley ran her hand through her hair as if she was trying to soothe her emotions. "I don't know... do you guys seriously think there's a universe where we'd end up together again?"

Her two friends glanced at each other nervously. "We know how much he hurt you back then, Hales..." Peyton started, warily. "And we'll never forgive him for that, but..."

"But he's changed so much since then and you can't deny that you've been looking for a sweet, strong and sexy man to spend forever with you and Nathan arrives back in town totally fitting the bill," Brooke finished.

Haley swallowed the lump of emotion further down her body. She hadn't realized how much she'd been keeping from her best friends for the last few weeks. They were completely unaware of how she'd been trying desperately to bury the feelings Nathan stirred up in her and move forward with a stranger from the internet... and how she would have met that stranger in person that very morning if not for Nathan. She knew that if Brooke and Peyton knew how hard she'd been struggling with her feelings, or how incredible she found Devil12, they would feel horrible for their actions.

Haley took another deep breath before linking her arms with the blonde and the brunette. "Look, we'll talk about my love life later. Tonight - and tomorrow - it's all about you, Brooke."

Squealing with what Haley knew was a mixture of both relief and excitement, Brooke clutched her arm further into her body. "I'm getting married tomorrow!" she sung.

"Yeah you are!"

"You ok, Nate?"

Nathan turned around to see Jake and his brother approach, identical looks of wariness in their eyes. He'd made a beeline straight for the restaurant's bar, but the tumbler of whiskey hadn't been put in his hand yet. He turned back to wait.

"Come on, man, Brooke didn't mean anything by it. She just thought you'd have to spend a little more time together, that's all."

"Luke, she opened the door in a towel."

Both men raised their eyebrows in surprise. Nathan clenched his fists tightly, half annoyed at Lucas for the glimmer of disgust on his face and half annoyed at Jake for the look of intrigue on his.

"I get it, I was an asshole... I've lost my basketball career, I've lost my father and the universe is telling me that's not enough and needs to throw my beautiful ex-girlfriend in front of my face, too, just when I meet someone amazing..."

His drink arrived and Nathan took a large swallow, relishing the burn in his throat as it made its way down. Lucas moved to rest against the bar beside him, a frown on his face.

"C'mon Nate, the universe isn't punishing you. Sure, you've had some bad luck..."

Nathan was pleased to see his brother falter at the heavy glare he had thrown at him. The events of the past few years could never be rubbed off as bad luck.

"Wait, you've met someone amazing?" Lucas changed track, curiosity washing over his face. "When?"

"And who?" Jake asked. "You never told us this."

Nathan remained silent, watching the girls walk inside arm-in-arm, seemingly in good spirits. He assumed Haley had been nothing more than mildly annoyed at having him in her house for longer than necessary and had no reason to be angry at Brooke.

"I signed up to that dating app that Clay kept going on about, the one he met Quinn on," he said at last. Karen and Keith had arrived and he kept his eyes on the small group as they doled out greetings and hugs.

"I matched with this girl and she's... she's..."

"Amazing" Jake supplied.

"Yeah... I mean, she's smart as hell and she's so funny and dorky and non-judgmental. We hit it off straight away and there's something between us, I know there is."

"And Haley?

"And Haley is making it really hard to imagine getting into a relationship with someone else," Nathan answered his brother's question, his eyes still on the beautiful honey blonde who was currently laughing with Karen.

"Look Nate, you know I love Haley - she's my best friend and she always will be. But the past is the past and if you've met someone else, you have to let yourself move on."

"Yeah," Jake agreed. "And it's hard enough trying to meet someone these days, let alone match up with a great chick on a dating app."

"Does she know..." Lucas trailed off and Nathan raised an eyebrow at him.

"Does she know what? That I'm a washed up basketball player trying to start my life all over again when I'm nearly 30? No. We haven't gotten to that point." At the looks on his friends' faces, he shook his head and answered their unspoken question. "We haven't had a chance to meet. I'd actually planned on seeing her today, but... things came up." Nathan wasn't in the mood for the self-flagellation that was telling the two men that Halo23 had ex issues of her own.

"Well, what's her name?" Jake asked

Nathan laughed, ruefully. "We agreed early on not to use names until we met in person. But, get this - her username is Halo23. All the numbers in the world and she chose 23? She's gotta be perfect for me."

Lucas laughed. "Yeah but that hasn't been your number since you were a Raven. You've been number 12 since Duke."

"Yeah, but that was because Shelden Williams got there before me," Nathan grumbled. "And they retired his 23 jersey."

Lucas laughed again, causing Nathan to tilt his head towards his brother. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about the Halo part."

"Is she a gamer?" Jake asked, echoing Nathan's first thoughts when she appeared on the app. "Cos that would be hot."

"No, I mean, Haley's dad Jimmy used to call her Halo when she was a little kid. Because she was the angel child of the family."

Nathan froze. He had the strangest feeling of deja vu, or something similar; the words were familiar but instead of having heard them before, he could see them in his head as Lucas was speaking. They were in tiny black text, lit up by a white background on his phone.

He tuned out the noise around him, the clinks of glasses as their table was being set, the quiet chatter of people arriving, and Lucas starting to tell Jake some story about what Taylor did in her senior year, oblivious to Nathan motionless beside him. Nathan focused on the woman now sitting at the table, her smile wide and her brown eyes sparkling as she chatted away to Keith.

Haley James. His ex-girlfriend. The former love of his life.

And, he was absolutely certain, with a clarity he'd never had before: Halo23.