24 hours ago 10pm Wednesday Night

"I'm so glad I found you…I thought I had lost you." Haley said as she shivered in the cold weather. "I don't know what I was thinking before. I've missed you so much."

Nathan shook his head at the memory. It's strange how fast one moment turns into another. He thought back harder.

"I need you in my life, Nathan. I can't do this without you."

She told him everything would be ok now. Then he took her hand and they wandered through the streets of New York City for hours. They window shopped as they walked by the expensive stores. They spent the whole day just talking and catching up. They laughed at silly things and made jokes only each other understood. It had stopped raining for the most part, but he remembered this one moment. As the drops glimmered down, she looked into his eyes and asked him to kiss her without a word. And they stood there, a married couple making out on the sidewalk in the pouring rain. How does a beautiful, limitless moment like that transform into a moment like this? Huddled up in closet, Nathan glared down at the little bit of light glowing underneath the closet door.

"Haley, what's it going to be? Him or the music?" Nathan heard Chris say outside the closet.

"Why can't I have both?" She asked, clearly upset. Nathan recognized that knot in her throat Haley gets when she's about to cry.

"Haley, I won't work with you with him here. He's just a distraction."

"He's my husband."

"Whatever. You have to choose. I'm your ticket to the music. We could make it big."

"You think I can't do it without you?"

"I think you're letting him hold you back. This is your chance. Take it or leave it, Haley."

"Why won't you work with me if he stays?"

"He's going to get in the way. He hates me. Look, I want to help you get where you're going. You have a talent. We've got something here. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get what you really want." She nodded as Chris left the room. When the door shut, Haley opened the closet.

"I'm sorry about that. I was just afraid that if he saw you-"

"-That what? He'd leave you?"

"Nathan, this is like a dream come true for me. I need you to cut me some slack. I'm trying so hard. I just don't know what to do. I need your support on this."

"Alright. I'm here for you."

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Through it all?"

"Through it all."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"I need you to go home." Her words rang in his ears. He shook his head.

"I'm not leaving without you." She looked into his eyes and nodded.

"I was hoping you'd say that. But things are going to get complicated..."

Lucas and Felix

Lucas walked up to Felix, who was standing by the hospital doors. "Do you have what I asked for?" Felix asked.

"Here you go. Happy now?" Lucas said as he handed him a set of keys.

"Very." He replied with a mischievous grin. "How'd you get these?"

"Let's just say a friend of mine "knows his way around the school". What are you going to do with the keys to every room in the school anyway?"

"You'll see."

"Now it's time for your end of the deal."

"Of course." Felix opened the hospital doors and walked inside. He turned to Lucas and said, "Remember, don't come in until you see me leaving with her. It'll probably take me about 5 minutes."

"You're sure you can get her to leave that easily?"

"Positive." Two minutes later Felix walked out of hospital holding Brooke's hand.

"Where are we going?" Brooke asked Felix as they drove off.

"Somewhere special."

The second they were gone, Lucas headed inside. Down the hall, every step he took his nerves began to catch up with him. His heart beat a million miles per hour as he entered Peyton's room.

"Luke?"

"Peyton, we need to talk."

"Ok, let's talk then."

"I've already said everything, Pey. I've spilled my heart to you. Can't you give me an answer?"

"Lucas, I can't hurt Brooke…not again."

"Tell me you don't have any feelings for me at all…and I'll go."

"I can't say that..."

Felix and Brooke

The radio blasted, as Felix sped up the highway. The road twisted around the mountains. Brooke threw her hands in the air, embracing the wind as it flew at her. She turned to Felix. "You made me leave my friend in the hospital. This better be good."

"Don't worry." He said as he stopped the car. "I found this place one day when I was bored." Brooke stepped out and set her eyes on the scene. A perfect view of One Tree Hill was laid out before her. Below the reflection of the moon glimmered on the lake. Felix and Brooke sat down together on the cliff and looked out at the cool night sky above and the city lights underneath.

"So, does it meet with expectations?" Felix asked.

"It's perfect."

Nathan and Haley

"I'd do anything for you." Nathan said as Haley laid in his arms on her hotel room bed. She smiled back at him and took his hand.

"I love you." She said as the knob on the door began to turn. "Sht! That must be Chris. You have to hide."

"Huh? But I'm your husband. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?" He said as she pushed him under the bed. The chain on the door was locked so that it could only be opened ajar.

"Haley, why is it locked?" Chris yelled from outside.

"Haley, come on…not this again." Nathan said.

"This is the only way." She whispered as she walked over to the door and opened it.

"What was that about?" Chris asked as he walked in.

"You know how dangerous New York can be." She said as Chris shrugged it off. Nathan peeked from under the bed at his wife and wondered which one she was lying to.

After a few minutes Chris decided to call it a night. Haley pretended to sleep until she was sure Chris was asleep.

"Nathan, wake up." She said as she nudged him. He had fallen asleep on the floor.

"Huh? What?"

"Come on. He's finally asleep, time for you to go."

"Great." He half-laughed as he reached the door. "You're a naughty girl sneaking around with your husband."

"Very funny, Nate." She said sarcastically as she slammed the door but Nathan wasn't completely out of the room. He fell on his face as the door ran into him. Haley ran to his side.

"I'm sorry Nathan…so sorry."

"It's ok…" He said, his hope fading. "It's not your fault…You didn't force me to love you. I made that mistake on my own."

Lucas and Peyton

"I can't say that...but that doesn't change the facts." Peyton said, trying hard to be logical about the situation.

"The facts are that I love you and I think you could love me too. This is our chance. True love is once in a lifetime. We can't let this slip away. Won't you at least try?"

"Lucas, you're making this so hard. The timing is just so bad."

"Then I'll wait for you." Lucas held so much hope in his eyes. He was like a puppy stuck out in the rain; she just couldn't leave him out there all alone. She sat up in the hospital bed. He gently rubbed his hand against her face and softly kissed her. Then they backed away and looked deep into each other's eyes. It was point of no return and they stood knee deep in the Rubicon river. The night was not ready to be disturbed, but morning was on its way regardless.

17 hours ago 5am Thursday Morning

Brooke and Felix

As the sun began to shine over the horizon, Brooke tapped Felix on his shoulder. "This has been amazing but I have to go back to Peyton now. She's hurt, stuck in the hospital by herself. I need to be there for her."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

The sun rose over world and seemed to begin everything anew. Sunlight illuminated all the places unseen in the night. Haley cried softly lying beside Chris, wondering how much more her fragile universe could take. Nathan laid awake in the back seat of his car, thinking back to the times when things were simpler. A question had been building up all this time in his mind: How far would he go for love? You can't force it. He kept thinking. Maybe I should just give her space. He thought as noticed daylight slowly creep in through the window. Peyton slept peacefully in Lucas' arms as he ran his fingers through her hair, smiling in his short lived heaven. Meanwhile, Brooke stood up on the verge of anger and said, "What do you mean?" Felix looked up at her now intimidating figure, at a loss for what to do: truth or lie?