Chapter 20

Everyone in the auditorium clapped happily as the last graduate walked off the stage. Haley forced herself to stand up, she caught Nathan's gaze and turned away quickly. She didn't want to look at him, especially not now. He was walking perfectly as if he had never even been in a car wreck at all. As hard as it was, Haley forced her eyes on him. His face was stern but soft. He had an expression that was hard to explain, he looked both endearing but at the same time uncertain. She had never seen him that way, which was why she started to worry.

"Congratulations Class of 2004!" Every student threw his or her hat in the air. Covering the auditorium floor with black and white hats. Haley shoved passed the crowding people and hurried over to Nathan. His back was turned to her, hands clinging to his sides; Haley threw her arms around him. He turned to look at the person, both eyes met.

"Halz what are you doing?" He asks with a demanding tone. He reached around to pull her off but suddenly stopped when he saw the tears in her eyes. And no matter how much she had hurt him, he still hated seeing her this way.

"I'm sorry Nathan, for everything." Tears escaped her eyes and splattered onto Nathan's gown. She looked into his brown eyes.

"Haley why do you tell me this now? Why not when I was laying in the bed at the hospital, or when I was in rehab trying to walk again?"

"The speech was about you Nate; I can't go off to college knowing that I hurt you."

"So you finally decided to leave One Tree Hill?" He asks with a smile. "What about Lucas?"

"I really haven't told him yet, but tonight I will." Haley says bringing a hand to Nathan's face. "I want you to know that I apologize for the way I treated you. It wasn't right that I kept bouncing back and forth between you and Luke. I should have known." She leans into his frame and he touches her hair.

"So what you expect me to forgive you now?" He asks suddenly.

"You don't have to do anything Nathan. I just wanted to say that. I owed it to you to say that." Haley lets go of Nathan and starts to walk away.

"You're forgiven." He almost screams. Haley runs back to him and throws her arms around him. "You'll always hold a special place in my heart. One that Lucas will never."

Nathan closed his eyes and tried to freeze the moment. Maybe he could hold on to her forever. But within seconds he was watching her run into the arms of...his brother. With resentment Nathan pulled the gown over top his head. He would get over her, after all "She is just a girl" he said aloud.

"What was that about?" Lucas asks with questioning eyes. Haley grabbed his hands and brought it up to her lips.

"I love you Lucas." She says in a sweet voice. Lucas's thoughts freeze as he remembered the black box in his pocket. Even more the question that went with it. He sighed and pulled her closer.

"Your not going to break up with me are you?" He asks smiling widely.

"Not at all. I just had to saw a few things to Nathan." Both Haley and Lucas walk out into the crowd to meet up with his parents.

Deb opened her arms to hug Lucas. A small tear ran down her cheek as she held Lucas in her arms. Her little boy was a man. Everything she had ever taught him led him up to this day.

"Mom don't cry, please?" Lucas begged.

"That's what she's supposed to do." Keith stated as he himself hugged Lucas. "You'd better be lucky I didn't tell her about what happened while she was gone." He whispers in Lucas's ear. Both Keith and Deb focus their eyes on Haley.

"Where are your parents?" Both ask in unison.

"Mom said she would try to take an early flight, but I guess she wasn't able to." Haley said looking down at her open toed shoes.

"Well we're happy for you Haley." Deb said placing her hand on Haley's back.

"We better be going, Jake is having this graduation party." Lucas stated.

"Okay, just be careful Lucas." Deb said.

Both Haley and Lucas made their way out of the auditorium and into the parking lot. Lucas opened the door of his red truck for Haley to get into.

"Well thank you." She said batting her eyes. Haley stepped into the truck and started to shut the door. But Lucas stood in front of her.

"There is something that I have to tell you Halz." Lucas said lowering his eyes to the wet pavement.

"Can't it wait?"

"No, it has waited too long." Lucas pulled the little box out of his pocket and lowered himself to the ground.

"Come on Lucas your going to get your pants all dirty." She said stepping out of the truck. She grabbed his hand to pull him back up. But Lucas resisted.

"No don't ruin this Haley, get back into the truck." Lucas lifted her up to her original seat.

That was when Haley caught a glimpse of the box. Tears welt up in her eyes as she figured out what he was going to tell her.

"I know that things haven't been the greatest but I think we have survived the worst don't you? I think with all that we have been through together that we can withstand anything right?" He paused trying to figure out the right words. "And tonight I want to ask you if you would make me the luckiest man on the earth, by being my wife." Lucas looked up into her eyes, this was the one real moment that he had been waiting for his whole life.

Haley took a breath to look at the ring before her. It was a small diamond, so simple. Her eyes trailed Lucas's featureless face. She leaned over and places a hand on his shoulder. "I would love to be your wife." Lucas smiled happily and wrapped Haley in a hug. Droplets of rain beat down onto Haley's lips and face. Lucas kissed her cheek.

"Lucas you're the only man that I want to be with. I have always loved you." Haley said with a smile.

Lucas grabbed the ring and slipped it on her finger. Tonight all the mistakes seemed to fade away. He wasn't afraid of what there was to come, or even Nathan. A look of grief spread across Haley's face as she stared down at the small rock. She had already sent in her acceptance letter to Paris. She would be on a plane next week. How could she marry Lucas when she was so ready to leave Tree Hill.

"What's wrong Halz?" Lucas ask in a laugh. Nothing could go wrong right? He silently thought. He got up from the wet pavement and returned his look at Haley.

"It's...Luke...I am going to Paris." Her eyes lowered to the ground. She wished she could have been invisible then. Maybe she could have hidden from his gaze. She knew it was breaking his heart, hell it was all she could do to get the words out of her mouth. She held her hand out, the ring seemed to shimmer and sparkle even though rain clouds cowered above.

Lucas leaned into Haley. Everything was supposed to work out. They were supposed to get married and have a family. He needed this why did everything have to go down hill? He ask himself. He felt Haley's arms enclose around him. He buried his head into her shoulders, "You can't leave me Haley." He screamed out. The thunder rolled in the distance.

"I'm sorry Lucas I really do love you." She said tears streaming down her face.

"I will love you Always and Forever."