Haley turned around and headed home with the note still in her pocket, why should she open up to him after he lied to her? When she was about halfway home her cell phone rang, she looked down at the screen and Luke's picture along with the words 'Lucas Cell' were flashing on it. "Damn." She hit the answer button, "Hello." She answered.

"Haley, it's Lucas."

"I know." She said, no emotion in her voice.

Lucas sighed, he'd known her for as long as he could remember and she had never been so cool to him, "Listen I'm sorry I pissed you off yesterday."

"Don't worry about Lucas." She said before he could make up an excuse.

"Hales, I don't want you to be mad at me, you're my best friend."

She sighed, "Lucas I..." She felt a lump in her throat, "I'm just upset right now."

"Where are you going at this time of night?" He asked, slowing down when he got beside her.

She hung up the phone as he pulled over and got out of the truck, "Just out for a walk."

He enveloped her in one of his bear hugs, "Wanna talk about it?"

Still wrapped in his arms she asked, "Why did he do it Lucas?" She looked up into his eyes, "Did you know?"

He shook his head, "Not until this morning."

She rested her head on his chest and sighed.

"He's hurting too if it makes you feel any better." He said as he started stroking her hair.

She pulled back a bit, "He did the hurting."

"He loves you Hales, it's killing him to know that he hurt you. He knows he screwed things up and he hates himself for it." He looked at her, she was looking down at her feet, "Haley." He lifted her chin and looked right into her eyes, "He loves you."

"You don't lie to the ones you love Lucas."

"You protect the ones you love, my mom taught me that."

"How was that protecting me?" She asked, getting agitated.

"How was mom not telling me about Nathan and Dan protecting me? How was me not telling Brooke about Peyton and I..." He stopped for a second "Sometimes what we think is protecting someone is wrong and it backfires."

"I just need time to think." She said as she tucked some hair behind her ear.

Lucas nodded, "How about a ride home?" He asked, opening the passenger side door for her.

She nodded, "Thanks." she said as she climbed into the truck.

Lucas closed her door and went around to his, when he got in he looked over at her and put his hand on top of hers, "He's trying."

She didn't say anything, she just kept staring out the window, she was still so mad at Nathan for lying to her.

Lucas shook his head and put his hands on the wheel, "Geez, you're as bad as he is sometimes."

Haley scoffed but still didn't say anything, keeping her eyes fixed on the road.

When he pulled up to her house Lucas looked over at Haley and grabbed her hand before she could get her seatbelt undone, "I love you Haley, I just want you to be happy."

She looked up at him, "I love you too" She swallowed the lump in her throat, "I'll be fine." She said before getting out of the truck and walking inside.

Lucas sighed before he pulled off, what happened to Haley, the best friend who was the queen of second chances? He knew Nathan had screwed up royally but he was doing what he could to fix it.

The next morning rolled around and Haley thought about not going to school but talked herself out of it. 'You'll have to see him sometime James.' She told herself.

When she got to school she saw Tim and some of the other basketball guys staring at her, rolling her eyes she kept walking until she got to the tutoring center. When she got there she set her stuff down and waited for Jonathan Myers to come in for their session. When the door opened she looked up and saw Nathan, "I can't talk to you right now." She said, looking down at the book she was studying.

He walked over to the table and sat down across from her, "Did you get my letter?"

She nodded, "Yes." She wouldn't even look at him.

"I mean what I said."

She slammed the book she was reading shut and looked up at him, "How am I suppose to believe you? How can I believe anything you've ever said to me Nathan?" She whispered harshly.

He just sat there, pain and sadness written all over his face. He sighed and slowly stood up, "I'm going to prove to you that I can be the kind of person you can trust." He turned and walked out of the tutoring center without saying anything else.

Haley sat there for a few minutes before getting up to find Peyton.

"Jake!" Peyton yelled from down the hall.

Jake turned around and saw Peyton walking toward him, "Hey Peyton."

She stopped a few feet away from him and put her hands in her jacket pockets, "What happened to Nathan Friday? I heard he ended up in the hospital."

He nodded, "He was in an accident, got a little banged up, he's okay now."

"Peyton." Haley called as she approached the two standing in the hall.

"Haley, how is Nathan?" She asked.

"He seemed okay earlier, he's here somewhere." She said, trying to keep the conversation light.

Jake politely excused himself from the two girls and left them to chat.

"So what happened?" Peyton asked, linking her arm with Haley's as they walked, she knew there had to be more behind the story.

Haley and Peyton went into the library and sat down. In the past few months Peyton had really become a good friend to Haley. It almost seemed to Lucas that he was being replaced at times.

"That's some weekend." Peyton said after Haley told her what had happened.

Haley nodded, "I'm just so hurt by it all. I mean I've tried to be understanding about things in the past but this one is hard to get past." Haley paused for a second trying to gather her thoughts, "I guess this was just the straw that broke the camel's back."

Peyton put her hand on Haley's arm, "He loves you, you know that right?"

Haley was looking down at the table they were sitting at, "Why do people keep telling me that?" She asked, looking up.

Peyton laughed, "It's obvious, he's never looked at anyone the way he looks at you."

Haley looked back down at the table but didn't say anything.

"And you know what I think?" Peyton asked with a smile. When she didn't get an answer she continued, "I think you love him too, you wouldn't be this upset by this if you didn't."

Haley didn't say anything, she just sat there pondering what her friend had said.

Shorter chapter I know and I'm sorry :( Tell me what you think in a review!