"Hey", Jake said as he walked into the house. "I brought some sandwiches and soda and stuff."

He sat the food down on the table but Nathan and Lucas didn't touch it.

"I can't eat, man", Nathan shook his head. "Is Haley still at your house?"

Jake nodded.

"Yeah. She's talking with Brooke and Peyton."

"I'm going over there", he stood.

"That's not a good idea", Jake said.

"But…"

"I'm sure he's right, man", Lucas agreed. "You'd be walking straight into the lion's den if you go over there."

Nathan cursed and plopped back down on the sofa.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Lucas popped open a can of Pepsi and leaned back.

"Man, I knew something like this would happen. I just knew it. No way was Amanda just gonna go away quietly. I told you. I told both if you. This shit would never have happened if we'd just told on her that night with Tim."

"Luke…" Jake sighed.

"I'm sorry, Jake but you should have kicked her out on her ass."

"So this is my fault?"

"If the shoe fits, dude…"

"Look!"

Lucas stood up and he and Lucas were face to face as Nathan jumped between them.

"Come on, guys. Just stop. Come on! We shouldn't be fighting each other."

The two conceded with fists and jaws still clinched.

"And just so you know, Luke, I was kicking her out. You helped with the Gillespies and the whole plan and everything or does your fading memory need to be refreshed some more?"

Nathan sighed.

"Look, she knew she was on her way out. She was probably pissed so she set all this crap up to get back at everybody."

"Why you and Haley?" Lucas questioned.

"I don't know. I've been asking myself that all day. Why was it me and not you or Jake?"

Lucas shook his head.

"You're my little brother and you know I love you…right?"

"Yeah…"

"Then don't get mad but dude, I have to know. Okay? Sorry but I have to ask. Did anything happen?"

"What?"

"Did you bone her?"

Nathan stood up so fast he nearly knocked over the coffee table in front of him.

"What did you fucking say to me? I should have let Jake beat your ass a few minutes ago but I swear to God I'm about two seconds away from kicking your motherfucking teeth down your throat!"

Now it was Jake's turn to jump between the two brothers.

"Calm down, Nate", he tried to restrain the younger man.

Nathan couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe you just said that to me!"

"Look, Nate…" Lucas tried to reason with him.

"No, man! Fuck that! You're my brother! Damn, Luke! You know me better than that! You know what Hales means to me! You know how much I love her!"

"Alright, alright. I had to ask. Nathan, I believe you, okay? You are my brother and I am on your side. I always have been. You know that. But I had to ask. I had to."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Things happen. And the way Amanda used to fawn all over you…"

"I thought she was a kid with a stupid crush. I didn't know she was crazy like that. Even after she hooked up with Tim, I didn't think she was that bad. But now I do because I know I didn't do anything with her. She set me up."

Jake took a seat.

"Okay everybody just calm down. Nathan, tell us everything that happened or at least what you remember. Tell us from the beginning."

Nathan sighed and scratched his head.

"I don't know. After the game my ankle was pretty hurt and the doc gave me the meds and stuff but they didn't kick in right away so I popped a couple more…"

"How many milligrams did you take?"

"I don't know", Nathan shrugged.

"Man, those pills were filled with Codeine."

"Dude, I didn't know. I'm not a doctor. I just wanted my foot to stop throbbing. Anyway, I made it home and I saw Haley's car and I got excited. It had been a while since she skipped work to wait for me after a road trip. I walked up to the bedroom and I couldn't see her. But she was on her side of the bed and the covers were pulled up all the way over her."

"So you didn't see the hair or the face?"

"No."

"What did you do then?"

"I crawled in bed. I, I could smell her perfume and stuff. So I put my arms around her and she was um…God, she was naked."

"You couldn't tell the difference?" Lucas asked. "Bro, I'm not trying to be a dick here but I know every inch of Brooke's body. Just by feeling her I would know whether or not it was her."

Nathan shook his head.

"You've seen her. I mean, they're built the same. And it's not like I was expecting anyone else."

"Did she say anything or touch you?"

"No. I mean, I…I wanted to have sex or whatever but I couldn't…you know, the meds and stuff…"

"Thank God", Lucas muttered.

"Anyway. I went to sleep. We just laid there and slept all day. I mean, I held her and stuff but we didn't like touch on each other or anything. I swear it. No touching, no kissing and I swear we didn't have sex. Hell, I didn't even see her naked."

"Damn", Jake breathed.

"You believe me, man?"

Jake nodded.

"Yeah."

"And you?" he turned to his brother.

Lucas looked him right in the eye as they knocked fists.

"You know I believe you, brother. I'm sorry to put you on defense like that. I just needed to hear you say that. You don't have to prove anything to me but you might have to prove it to other people."

"Luke is right, Nate. We might believe you but we are going to have to prove it. You didn't have sex with Amanda but she was waiting naked in your bed and it was all a set up so Haley and Peyton and whoever would walk in on you. We have to make Haley believe you for the sake of your marriage and we have to make everybody else believe it before this goes to court."

Nathan closed his eyes. He had been so consumed with Haley he had forgotten that he had been made to look like a criminal.

"Why?" he asked again. "I don't get Amanda. And yeah she flirted but I never thought she was actually trying to sleep with me."

"I don't think it was about that", Lucas said.

"What do you mean?"

"It wasn't about sex with her. I think if she just wanted to hook up, she would have played it out differently, found another way to seduce you. I think she did exactly what she wanted to do. She set you up, dude. I don't know why or even how, but she did."

"It looks bad, doesn't it?" Nathan asked sadly.

Jake felt bad for his friend.

"I won't lie to you, Nate. It does but we'll figure something out. Amanda won't get away with this one."

Nathan shook his head.

"What am I gonna do? They're gonna send me to jail. My career is over. By tomorrow or whenever this story leaks, this whole place is gonna be crawling with press."

"You're not going to jail, bro."

"They're gonna lock me up…"

"Look, it's our word against hers", Jake said. "Even with all the stuff she did before and you have to admit, as always, she had the plan thought out to the very last detail. Our best shot, maybe our only shot is getting Amanda to admit what she did."

Lucas gave Jake a skeptical look.

"Dude, come on. We have a better shot of getting Bush to admit there were no weapons of mass destruction. Amanda isn't gonna admit shit. Even if we try to turn the tables and set her up. She's too smart for that. It won't work."

"Luke is right, Jake. It's over. I can't explain anything to my wife because she won't talk to me and the cops are never gonna believe me. If Amanda is my only shot then I'm totally screwed because we all know damn well she will never admit the truth."

Jake shook his head.

"You can't think like that, man. I know this is rough and I hate to tell you but it's only gonna get worse. But no matter how hard it gets or how bad it might look, you can't have that negative attitude. You have to keep it together, Nathan. We have to come up with a plan and fast. I'm here for you and so is Lucas but we have to think of something quick and in a hurry before this gets any worse. I mean, your career, your marriage, your freedom and your rep…everything is on the line right here, right now."

"Jake…"

"We've been friends for a long time. We've all been through a lot over the years. Even when you were a major asshole. Remember when we stole that stupid school bus? All those basketball games together, the wild parties at Dan's beach house. The three of us have been through everything together. I'm not a Scott by birth but you two are about the closest things I've had to brothers. Now we've never dipped out on each other before so don't expect it now. I'm with you, man…all the way."

Jake held his hand out and Lucas quickly followed suit covering it with his own. After a sigh, Nathan placed his down as well. He was about to lose everything and in his darkest hours, he still had his brothers…both of them.