Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill or any of its characters, except the ones I make up.

"So, that was fun, huh?" Peyton asked as she set Jenny into her crib. Jake glanced up from the diapers on the counter.

"What? Changing her diaper?" Jake asked, sarcastically. Peyton laughed and shook her head, her blond curls bouncing.

"I mean, last night." She answered seductively, wrapping her arms around Jake's neck. Jake grinned widely and leaned in for a kiss.

Suddenly from the crib, Jenny giggled, kicking her legs in the air. "Mama." The baby girl distinctively cooed.

Jake immediately broke the kiss and walked over to her crib. "Did she just say Mama?" Jake inquired incredulously.

Peyton laughed in disbelief, at a loss for words. "I think so." She replied, not quite believing it herself. Jake looked at Peyton's smiling face and then back at his daughter.

"I don't believe it." He sighed. Peyton walked over to the crib and lifted Jenny into her arms. "Me either." She said as she bounced her up and down, causing Jenny to giggle some more. Peyton started making baby noises at Jenny.

"Maybe me and Jenny shouldn't stay here for the night." Jake said abruptly as he took Jenny from Peyton's arms. Peyton unwillingly let him do so.

Peyton shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked bewilderedly. Jake started gathering his and Jenny's things. "I don't understand."

Jake exhaled deeply, looking around the room to see if he had left anything behind. "I just mean, maybe it's not the best idea for Jenny to think that you're her…Mom."

"So, you'd rather let her think that Nikki's her Mom?" Peyton retorted.

"No, it's not..." Jake started to say.

"No, you know what Jake? If that's the way you feel, then maybe you should leave." Peyton walked over to the door and opened it for him. Jake stared at Peyton for a second and sighed as he left with Jenny. Peyton slammed the door after him and sunk to the ground, tears rolling down her cheeks. She held her knees to her chest and wiped her face with her hand.


Nathan drove up for a slam dunk and rattled the backboard as he forcefully dunked the ball. He let out a long sigh and grabbed the ball and bounced it between his legs before pulling up for a jumper. He stood there, alone at the Rivercourt, as he watched the ball roll onto the grass. Suddenly, he felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and looked at the screen. Haley cell. He stared at it for a couple of seconds as he approached the wooden table. Hesitating for another second, he finally answered it.

"Hello?" he asked as he sat on the cold, hard bench.

"Nathan!" Haley squealed on the other line. "Look, I know you're mad at me for leaving and everything, but trust me, everything's gonna be okay. I promise."

Nathan sat there, bitter. "How can I trust you, Haley? I mean, you kissed another guy and now you've run off with him."

Haley sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. "I know, and I'm sorry that I left you, but it's not about Chris. It's about me and my music." Haley paused, waiting for his response.

Nathan swallowed hard and scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, Haley. You're not the person I married. I don't trust Chris and…I'm worried about you."

Haley smiled at her husband's affection. "You don't need to worry, Nathan. I don't have feelings for Chris. I love you and that's the only thing that matters. Listen, I have to go. Bye." She hung up and Nathan closed his eyes as if trying to slip away from everything.


Karen locked the door and flipped the Open sign to Closed. Using her tablecloth, she started wiping down the tables. Soon, she heard a knock on the door and went to open it when she saw it was Andy.

"Hey, what's up?" Karen asked. Andy held up a folder containing some papers.

"I found some interesting news on our friend Jules." Andy handed a bemused Karen the folder.

Several minutes and a cup of coffee later, Karen and Andy sat in silence. "So, Dan hired Jules to mess with Keith?" Andy nodded, confirming Karen's suspicions. "Poor Keith, in the Bahamas with a phony bitch." Andy smiled grimly. "I have to go down there and tell him."

Andy furrowed his brow. "Wait? You can't go down there, Karen. You'll ruin the best thing in Keith's life. I'm pretty sure that Jules is genuine and loves Keith."

"Yeah, besides the fact that her name isn't even Jules." Karen took another sip of her coffee. "I have to warn Keith though."

"There's nothing you can do. Dan's a very powerful man and if you were to do something, Keith is going to end up heart-broken." Andy protested.

"I can't sit here idly. Keith's my friend. I need to get him away from Jules or Emma or Emily or whatever her name is." Karen responded with conviction and stared into Andy's eyes. He shook his head.

"Looks like you've got something for Keith and you don't want to see him happy."

Karen's usually calm demeanor suddenly turned deadly. "How dare you!" She slapped him. Andy looked up at Karen's smoldering eyes and got up to leave. "No, Andy! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." He swung open the door and closed it behind him with a bang. Karen buried her face in her hands.

Review. Thank you.