Hey guys! I know it took me a couple hours. I was just exhausted. Thank you so much for the reviews. They made my day:) Anyway, here's the first chapter and, depending on feedback, I'll update once or twice more today. Hope you like.

Chapter 1:

As the cab pulled up to the five star hotel in the heart of the city, Haley had the sudden urge to tell the driver to take her far away; to drive as fast as he could with only one destination: anywhere but here. But she repressed the impulse and thanked him with a weak smile, paying him and including a generous tip.

She had never felt so alone in her entire life. She had no one. This time, even her parents weren't here to run to. And for the first time, she realized she would always be alone. Sure, there may be other times when people would come into her life for a short time, briefly giving her the feeling of warmth and security that only love can provide as her old friends had in Tree Hill. But these visits would be few and far apart, no one person staying for long.

So, maybe she did need Jack. And maybe she didn't. But she knew she would have to face him at some point and now, it was time.

She checked into the hotel and received her room number. Waiting for the elevator, she sighed and looked around her, at the luxurious lobby with its expensive furniture and glimmering chandeliers. It was just like old times. She stayed in the fanciest places, but always left unsatisfied, somehow emptier than when she came, only longing more for the life she had before her first time in New York. A life she knew now she could never return to. Because the memories of what she had done would always be there. They would follow her everywhere, lurking in the shadowy confines of her mind, waiting to be brought into the light again. Always waiting. And she could never escape them.

Just like she could never escape Jack. The other members of the Skull gang had been somewhat easy to avoid, none of them had ever contacted her and to the best of her knowledge, they'd never even tried. But Jack wasn't one to give in so easily.

As the elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, she stepped inside and watched them slide closed again. Crazy as it may sound, those doors were her escape, and now, she was trapped; metaphorically at least.

Tomorrow, she would meet Jack at some inconspicuous little coffee shop in a city where there were so many problems, no one would even notice their interaction. He would dredge up the past and she would let him. She knew she would. And he would try to pull her back in. Back in to the world she swore she'd never return to. With the people she swore she'd never see again.

The question was, would she stop him? Or, wary of the many people who had broken her heart before, everyone who had ever let her down, who had ever ripped apart her dreams, who had ever left her; would she let him take her back to a world where there were no broken hearts or promises, where there were no dreams to be crushed?

She didn't know the answer; she only knew this: that tomorrow, she would meet Jack in some inconspicuous little coffee shop in this cold city. And she would listen.

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Nathan shot the ball and watched as it sailed through the hoop. Nothing but net. Just like always. The sound of a ringing cell phone cut through the still night air. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. The screen flashed Michelle. He sighed and flipped it open. "Hey, baby."

"Hey, I miss you."

"I miss you too, honey."

"Nate, where are you?"

He let out an exasperated huff. "I told you, I went to visit some old friends."

He heard her sigh. "I know, sweetie, but where? Please tell me you're not in Tree Hill. I thought you said you were through with that place."

He looked around him at the crude basketball court, the same one he'd played on with Luke and his other friends so many times before. And now, he was here alone. Lately, he was always alone. He had his girlfriend Michelle and his other friends, but it was never the same after Haley left. He pretended not to care, but it tore him apart the day he realized she was never coming back. Since then, no one had ever been able to reach him again. Sometimes, he thought he saw her. In a gift shop in Colorado; on the beach in Florida. But it was never her. Just a wisp of brown hair or a glimpse of what he thought were her eyes. Michelle shook him from his thoughts, "Baby?"

"I have to go," he muttered.

"Nathan, please, I thought we talked about this. It's not good for you to go back there. It raises problems every time. You always come back all shaken up. Please, baby, I just don't want to see you like that again," she pleaded with him.

"Michelle, I had to come. Maybe one day you'll understand. I'll be back soon. I promise. Love you."

She sighed in defeat. "Love you too."

He ended the call and tossed his phone back in his jacket pocket, retrieving his basketball and trudging back to his car, getting in and driving towards the café. It was the one place he knew he'd get a warm welcome.

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Unpacking, Haley knew that she might have made a mistake in coming here. She'd made so many of those in the past few years. But she'd learned that making mistakes was a part of growing up. It had made her into what she was today and she could only hope that one day, it would make her into something better.

As she sifted through layers of clothing, her hand bumped something hard, something out of place. Pulling it out, she stared at it, hand running around the smooth metal frame. It was a picture of her and Nathan. That night at the beach that she'd told him she was staying. They were both smiling widely, arms around each other. It was the last time she'd been truly happy. She'd meant to leave it back in Tree Hill, but something in her had compelled her to take it with her. Now, she couldn't begin to remember why she had.

Throwing the picture against the wall, she watched the glass shatter and the picture slide out, fluttering to the ground. Sinking to her knees, she covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. God, how she missed him. Wiping her tears, she tried to regain her composure, but the more she tried to stop them, the faster they fell. Deciding it was no use, she collapsed on the bed, crying for everything she'd said goodbye to that day. For everything she'd lost.

But she knew that wasn't the only reason she wept. She had hurt him so deeply the day she left. She had known she would. Maybe their relationship was becoming strained, but they still loved each other. He was the only boy she'd ever fallen for and she hate that she broke his heart.

At the time, she'd been so sure that it was for the best. That it would only hurt them both more if she stuck around to watch their relationship fall apart. But now, she just wished she could take it all back. Even for just one more night in his arms.

That was one of the things she missed most about him. No matter what went wrong in her life, he could just hold her and make everything better. He would take her in his arms and, somehow, she would know that everything was gonna be OK. Now, no one could give her that comfort anymore.

Wrapping her arms around her own waist, she told herself that everything would turn out OK, but it didn't work. Only he could convince her of that. And she'd thrown that possibility away the day she walked out without so much as a goodbye.

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The bell on the door at Karen's café dinged loudly as Nathan entered. There were few customers left. A couple in the corner, an old man at the counter, and a group of teenagers at the booth Nathan had once shared with his friends. Watching the teenagers now occupying those spots laughing brought back so many memories. A bitter smile crossed his lips as he turned from them to the people behind the counter. Karen and Brooke.

Somehow, he had always known Brooke would end up here in Tree Hill. Even through all her talk of traveling, of becoming famous, he knew she really just wanted a place to call home. And he knew that place was Tree Hill.

What he hadn't counted on was Luke staying behind with her. He had always thought Luke would do whatever it took to get far away from home, but his love for Brooke kept him from doing that. But anyone could see that, while his dreams of far off places were shot, his life now was a dream come true in itself.

Making his way to the counter, Nathan took a seat. Seeing him, Brooke squealed and ran around the counter to hug him. "It's been so long," she whispered.

"Too long," he smiled down at her.

Karen joined them, pulling Nathan into a hug of her own. "How are you, sweetie?" she asked him.

He shrugged, "Pretty good."

Karen smiled. "And how's that girlfriend of yours?"

Brooke frowned slightly. "Girlfriend?"

Nathan shifted uncomfortably. While Karen had heard about Michelle awhile ago and had learned to accept it, Brooke was still clinging to the hope that someday Haley would come back.

Nathan looked her in the eye. "Yeah, Michelle."

Brooke managed a weak smile. "Good for you, Nate."

Suddenly, Luke appeared from the back and, seeing Nathan, walked over, giving him a manly hug. "Hey, man. How you been?"

Nathan grinned, glad to see his brother for the first time in a year. "Alright."

Brooke interrupted. "He's got a new girlfriend."

Luke looked at him searchingly and, seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, tried to smile. "That's great, man."

Nathan gave a small smile, relieved. "Thanks." Contrary to what others thought of him, Nathan was quite perceptive. He knew they were hurt that he'd decided to replace Haley. But he could never replace her. He had just finally realized that she was never coming home. He finally knew that he would never see her again. The thought made it hard for him to breathe sometimes. But he had decided that if she could leave, he could too. So, he'd set out to see the world.

Finally settling in California, he'd bought his own place and gotten a job as basketball coach at the local high school. Somehow, he'd always seen himself as a star in the NBA, living out his childhood dreams. But after Haley left, it didn't matter anymore. He still loved basketball, thus the job as basketball coach, but it had lost its luster.

About six months after moving, he'd met Michelle. She was no Haley but he genuinely liked her and she was the closest he could find. So, he dated her, deciding that if Haley could move on, so could he. But he never really did move on. He still thought of her constantly, never quite repressing the hope that they would find their way back to each other.

His cell phone rang and he groaned, thinking it was probably Michelle again, trying to convince him to come home. He pulled it out and recognized the number immediately. He hadn't needed to use it in a long time, several years in fact, but he never forgot it. His heart pounded as he turned away from Brooke, Karen, and Luke and flipped it open. "Hello," he breathed.

Silence. He heard muffled sobs and his eyes closed. "Hello." The person on the other end didn't speak; only continued to cry. "If you're there, say something, damn it!" he whispered.

"Nathan?" she sobbed.

"Haley?"

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I know, I know... a cliffhanger. Everyone usually hates those. But, like I said, leave me a review and I'll do my best to update tonight.