He had been waiting for this for so long. Finally he would have his revenge. How many times had he tried to seduce her? He couldn't even count them anymore but he knew one thing: she had pushed him away. Haley James Scott wouldn't hurt him again. His love for her was destroying him. Now it would destroy her too. Quickly, Chris slammed the door open and entered backstage where he could keep an eye on Haley and Lucas. Lucas Scott… he hated him deeply. Why was he always there for her? It should be his job to comfort her, his arms around her delicate body. And there was Nathan; the pitiful husband. He would pay for stealing her heart. All of this was his fault. If he wasn't there, waiting in that village that was Tree Hill, Haley would be his.
Chris' plan was ready, it reached perfection. A smile flashed upon his face when a feminine voice answered to his phone call.
"Celebrity magazine, how may I help you?"
Nathan Scott was anything but cheerful that morning. When he got up, a red light flashed on the phone. Absently, he hit play and froze in mid-move. It was Haley, asking him to call back. Furiously, he erased the message and grabbed the last beer of the pack. What did she want to tell him anyway? Her and Chris were an item now, they said it on national television. He meant nothing to her anymore. Had he even counted at all? He doubted it. Staring at his pink walls, he let a sigh escape his lips. He remembered Lucas' last visit. "Nathan, man you have to do something! Move on with your life! I get it Haley's gone but jeez you're not dead! Look at you, you're a mess. You live in a pink apartment full of clowns, you get drunk at 8AM, you skip school! That's not what Haley would want you to do and you know it. Please, don't do it for Haley, neither for me or Dan, but at least do it for you. Do something…and get that pink off the walls.", he had added just before leaving. Maybe Lucas was right. He couldn't continue this way. His eyes fell upon that basketball, a gift from Haley, quietly resting in its box. Haley would see, he would prove her: he could still live without her.
Lucas was stunned. The news Haley announced him was hard to sink in.
-What are you gonna do, he asked again.
-I don't know, I told you. I'm 17 Luke, I can't be a mother. It's impossible… my career…, she replied.
-Your career! You're talking about you're career! What about Nathan? Remember him, Lucas harshly mouthed.
-Of course I do. But he's not calling me back. How is he, Haley defended herself.
-He's the shadow of himself. He needs you Hales.
-But I miss him too. I love him, she answered.
-Then why don't you come back to Tree Hill?
It was the question Haley feared the most. She had no answer to that. Was it because she needed to stay away from her husband for a while? She knew she still loved him but… Or was it because she wanted to see where he career would lead her? She was lost at the moment, she was in a crucial time of her life, one that could determine her entire life. And now there was her child to add to the hectic situation. Getting her attention back to Lucas, she changed subject:
-Thanks for coming Lucas. I'll call you soon, she said before getting up.
-You didn't answer my question. But I already know the answer. You fell for Chris. If only you could just admit it, he shouted before turning the heels and quit the room. Haley never felt so alone.