The CD player hummed the sweet soulful lyrics of Trespassers William. They had been the opening act for her first headlining tour and she had grown to appreciate their music. One particular song, "Lie In The Sound" had a poignant meaning for her. It always made her think of him. Of Nathan. Of what they had once shared.

I love you more than I should
So much more than is good for me
More than is good

Haley stood in front of the full length mirror. It felt good to have a shower and wear fresh, clean clothes. Physically she felt good as well. The bruises would heal and so would the bandaged cut on her forehead. She couldn't complain about the slightly sore broken arm she had managed to escape with either. It was now supported by a sling and a cast.

Oh the timing is cruel
Oh I need and don't want to need
More than I should

It had been a hell of a trip to say the least. She knew it would change her life but she didn't know how dramatically. Being so close to Nathan after so many years. Getting a divorce. Surviving the deadly earthquake and tsunami. Being trapped in the hut never knowing if help would come or if each passing day would be her last.

I am falling
Say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love but whatever
My heart needs around

It seemed like an eternity ago instead of mere hours. Her treacherous ordeal had come to an end. She was on her way to the airport to catch a flight back to the States. She could go back to her New York loft and lie in her bed and hold her cat. Once again her life would be her own.

Oh my sheet is so thin
So I say I can't sleep because
It's so very cold

She reminisced about the past few days. The past few years even. No matter how she looked at it, it always came back to one thing…Nathan. She thought about the love she had once felt for him. How her young heart had ached for him. How happy and complete he had made her feel. They'd take long barefoot walks on the beach hand in hand, dangerously in love, deliriously happy. He was her everything. Her heart and soul.

But I know what I need
And if you were just near to me
Would you go...

But she left him. She abandoned their life together.

I am falling
Say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love
But whatever
My heart needs around

Call it what you want. Fate. Chance. Destiny. Kismet. Whatever it was, had brought them back together. Their vastly different worlds had managed to intertwine one final time.

She could still see the wave. When she closed her eyes, she heard the awful, loud and scary sound. Her life could have ended in seconds. It would have too, had it not been for him. His grit and determination to save her. His strong arms reaching out to protect her when it could have cost him his life as well.

I am falling
Say my name
And I'll lie in the sound
What is love
But whatever
My heart needs around

They had never talked about it. Never discussed it. Too young and immature to give their union an honest try. Possibly it could have been saved. Their love could do anything, it could have survived. It took patience, trust, honesty, communication and a little effort. But the anger, hurt and sense of betrayal along with pride stood in their way.

And it needs you
Too much
Now.

Struggling to swim to the hut that would sustain their very lives. Getting there and wondering if it was truly the end. The fear. The anxiety. It had been too much. Too much for them. Too much for any human being. That cramped little space. Tension, fears, nerves, emotions on edge. It was all bound to come out. The questions. The blame. The anger. The sadness. The desperation. The passion. The love.

They had sexually ravaged each other's bodies with a renewed hunger. She needed to feel his touch more than she needed to breathe. The moment they became one was like coming home again. It didn't matter if it was wrong because it felt so right. She would never apologize for those stolen moments. It wasn't cheating or animalistic lust. It had nothing to do with right or wrong. No malice or pain had been intended. For Haley it was all about love. Loving the man she had adored since she was a teen. The man who had made her a woman, a bride. Acknowledging that the old feelings hadn't died. Questioning if her decision to get on that bus had been the right move.

She picked up her purse and bag and slung them over her good shoulder. She turned to leave the comfortable, luxurious and plush new suite she had been assigned since her rescue and hospital stay. She opened the door but stopped short. She was forgetting something. She picked up the bulky envelope on the neatly made bed. Sighing, she gave the room one last glance over before turning out the light.

The radio played in the background. Story of the Year was the band. They were pretty good and he had heard their CD a couple of times. Now the song "Sidewalks" played like a soundtrack to his turbulent life.

The bridge is all crumbled.

The water soaks into rocks

that fell at the bottom of the road (At the end of the town.)

The town that we lived in.

The memories shaken apart from the weeds that grow

Dan and Lucas were on their way. He would be glad to see his father and brother. At one point he wasn't sure if he'd ever see them again. Now they were on their way. Swooping into town to save the day and see him safely home.

Over the sidewalks,

Running away from the streets we knew,

Sidewalks,

Like the time we thought was made for you.

Or

He would go back to a normal life or whatever the hell that was supposed to be. He'd go back to the gym and play ball. He'd go back to the parents that would surely be fawning all over him. He'd go back to the reporters eager for the scoop of how an NBA star bravely survived the tragic catastrophe. He'd go back to her…

Out on the front porch,

Watching the cars as they go by

(Eighteen blue, twenty one grey)

Looking ahead for the first time that we could drive,

Out on our own,

To speed away

He would have to face Megan. He'd have to look in those beautiful, trusting blue eyes of hers knowing what he had done. He would have to forever live with the consequences and resulting guilt from his actions.

From the sidewalks,

Running away from the streets we knew,

Sidewalks,

Like the time we thought was made for you.

Or

Haley. Haley Joy James Scott. His first love. The first person he had given his heart to completely. Not the first but surely the last to break it. He had loved her with every fiber of his being. Then he had hated her with an unexplainable fury. But in between two strong emotions, he had never stopped thinking about her. Never stopped feeling something for her.

All of the days have passed us by,

All of the sun is gone... away.

All of a sudden she was back in his life. As quickly as she had left and disturbed it, her ghost had reappeared to disrupt it once more. It made him angry. It touched him somewhere deep inside. It was too much. He couldn't control it. He couldn't handle it. It was too complicated when she came back. He had prayed for her return so many times but when it happened, it only messed things up. Nothing good could or would ever come of Haley James being in his life.

Sidewalks,

Running away from the streets we knew,

He had given in to passion. Need. Want. Just like he couldn't control his heart's rage for her, he couldn't control his body's ache for her either. Now they would go their separate ways. Once again, he was supposed to pretend like nothing ever happened. It wasn't supposed to matter.

Sidewalks,

Running away from the streets we knew,

Sidewalks,

Like the time we thought was made for you.

(Sidewalks)

The bridges are crumpled,

The water soaks into rocks,

(Sidewalks)

That fell at the bottom of the road.

The song ended appropriately as there was a knock at the door. Nathan checked the time. Dan and Lucas must have been early, he thought as he opened it. On the other side, did not stand his father and brother. It was someone else. Once last visit from ghosts past.

"Hi", she said softly.

"Hey."

"I had to come here. I wanted to see you one last time, Nathan. I know this is it but I have no idea what to say."

"It's cool. Look, just don't say anything."

She handed him the package she had been carrying.

"That was my mistake last time. I never said good bye. So here it is. Here is my good bye to you. And my apology."

He simply nodded, not knowing what else to do or say. Haley gave him a longing look before hugging his stiff body briefly. And then, once more, she was gone. Out of his life. Nathan stared at the package before opening it.

There it was. The divorce papers signed by both parties. Notarized by the U.S. Embassy. It was official now. After seven years, it was over. After all the drama, pain, confusion and problems, the Scott union's tumultuous era had finally legally ended.