Hey everyone! Sorry I don't have personal thank yous for the replies but please know that they mean so much to me! I'm so glad y'all like this fic! It took me a while to update but def. not as long ast last time! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Crystal

Chapter 6

Two weeks had passed since Gabe and Callie visited Haley. Things were going good for Haley and she was becoming closer to the people she met when she first arrived. Haley was at Jake and Brooke's house with everyone else. They decided to get together, eat pizza and watch a movie. Jenny and Emily had quickly become best friends.

"So, Haley, have you found an apartment yet?" Peyton questioned before biting into her pizza.

"No, not yet" Haley sighed.

"The apartment next to mine is available. The people who lived there just moved out a few days ago" Nathan suggested.

"I'll have to check it out. I really need to get out of the hotel. It's not a place to raise my daughter" Haley replied.

"Hey, why don't we all go to the beach tomorrow? Summer just started and we haven't been to the beach yet" Brooke suggested.

"That's a great idea, I think Em would love the beach" Haley said.

Haley looked at Brooke. She had Emily sitting in her lap and she was braiding her hair. When Haley first met Brooke she didn't really like her, her personality was a bit much for Haley. But, after spending more time with her and getting to know her, she began to like Brooke.

"Da beach! Yaaay!" Emily said excitedly.

"I like the beach too!" Jenny piped in.

"Well, then it's decided. We're going to the beach tomorrow" Jake said.

"You don't have plans with Erin do you Nate?" Brooke said teasingly.

"No, I broke up with Erin almost two weeks ago" Nathan replied.

"Really? You finally took our advice?" Peyton questioned in shock.

"It just wasn't working out" Nathan said hoping that would end the conversation.

"There's another girl, right?" Jake questioned.

"No" Nathan answered simply.

Brooke, Lucas, Peyton and Jake just looked at each other then Nathan in shock.

Early the next morning everyone met at Jake and Brooke's house. They packed a basket of food and an ice chest full of drinks then piled into two cars and headed to the beach. When they got there they set up an area for them to sit down. Haley, Brooke and Peyton decided to lie down and tan. Emily and Jenny sat down and played in the sand while the guys tossed a Frisbee around.

"Haley, you said Callie is your best friend right?" Brooke questioned.

"Yeah. We've been best friends since we were five. She's always been there for me" Haley replied.

"Well, how do you feel about her being engaged to your brother?" Brooke asked.

"I'm fine with it. She always had a crush on him when we were younger but, being as she was three years younger, Gabe wouldn't pay any attention to her. When we graduated she went to the University of South Carolina. Well, that's where Gabe was going. They started hanging out and then after a few months they started dating and fell in love. I'm happy for them because I can see how much they love each other and how happy they make each other" Haley said simply.

"It's not weird for you?" Peyton questioned.

"No, not at all. I'm incredibly close to both of them. They're both my best friends. I tell them everything."

'Except for when I didn't tell Gabe that Connor called' Haley thought to herself.

The girls continued talking amongst themselves for a while before the guys joined them.

"Hey, anyone want something to drink?" Haley questioned as she walked over to the ice chest.

"I do" all the guys replied.

Haley bent over to get the drinks and Jake noticed a bad scar on her side.

"What the hell happened to your side Haley?"

'Oh….that. That's where my ex-boyfriend, Emily's dad, threw his cleats at me because I asked for money to put gas in the car' Haley thought bitterly.

"I was just a clumsy teenager" she lied.

"Oh, ok" Jake said.

"Oh, I went to check out that apartment this morning before I got to Jake and Brooke's house. I signed a lease. I'm moving in tomorrow" Haley announced excitedly.

"That's great Haley! We'll all help you move in" Lucas said.

"I need to buy furniture" Haley stated.

"Well, we can go do that tomorrow morning and the guys can watch Emily and Jenny" Peyton said.

"Really? I would appreciate that so much" Haley said.

"No problem. We'd all love to help" Brooke said.

For the rest of the day they all lounged around at the beach. The next day after Haley, Peyton and Brooke went furniture shopping they were moving Haley into her new apartment. The guys were in the process of moving the couch.

"No, it doesn't look good there. Move it to the other side of the room against that wall" Brooke ordered the guys.

"Brooke! We just moved it from there!" Nathan huffed.

"Yeah Brooke! Besides, this is Haley's apartment, not yours" Lucas agreed.

"Just leave it there guys. It's fine" Haley said walking into the room.

They sat the couch down where they were and sighed in relief.

"Well, all I've got left now is to put up Emily's bed" Haley stated.

"We'll do that for you" Nathan offered.

"No, you guys have done enough" Haley argued.

"It's no problem Haley" Jake said as he, Lucas and Nathan walked into Emily's room.

By the time they finished moving everything into Haley's apartment it was nine p.m. They were all sitting around Haley's living room eating Chinese take-out.

"Thank you all so much for helping me. You guys are wonderful" Haley said gratefully.

"It was nothing. Well, Peyt and I have to go. Thanks for the food" Lucas said as he got up.

Peyton and Lucas said their goodbyes to everyone then left.

"I'm gonna go get Jenny so we can go" Jake said to Brooke.

Jake came out of Emily's room a few minutes later.

"She's sleeping. I hope you don't plan on going to bed anytime soon Brooke because she's gonna wake up when I pick her up and she's gonna keep us up for a few hours" Jake sighed.

"Oh, you can leave her here Jake. You can pick her up tomorrow" Haley offered.

"No, I don't want to impose on you" Jake refused.

"You're not imposing. She's sleeping. It's fine, really" Haley assured him.

"Ok. Well, how about when I pick Jenny up we can go to the park with the girls for them to play" Jake said finally giving in.

"Sounds good to me. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jake and Brooke left and now it was just Nathan and Haley. Nathan got up and started picking up the empty cartons.

"What are you doing?" Haley questioned.

"Um, cleaning up" Nathan said.

"No. You don't have to clean up in my house. You're a guest."

"I want to help. It's not a problem. So, let me help" Nathan stated.

"Nathan! No!"

"Haley. Yes."

"No" Haley said smiling as she put her hands on her hips.

Nathan mocked her movements and put his hands on his hips. Then he walked past Haley to throw the cartons away. But, on the way to throw the cartons away he stopped and tickled Haley. Haley pulled away from him.

"You scared of me Haley?" Nathan laughed.

'Not scared of you, just jumpy around guys because of a certain son of a b itch' Haley thought to herself.

"Well, I'm gonna go home. I'm sure you're exhausted from moving in and want to get some sleep. I'll see you later. If you need anything I'm right next door" Nathan said as he walked to the door.

"Ok, thanks again. Goodnight."

"Night."

The next day, just as they had planned, Jake and Haley took the girls to the park. They were sitting at a picnic table watching the girls play. Haley watched Emily running around laughing and she smiled. Things were so different since she left Connor. Emily smiled and laughed a lot more because she wasn't scared all the time.

"I hope you don't mind my asking but, how old were you when you had Emily?" Jake questioned snapping Haley from her thoughts.

"I had her a few months after I turned eighteen. What about you? How old were you when Jenny was born?" Haley replied.

"Twenty. Her mom was seventeen."

After about half an hour of talking and bonding over being single parents Haley and Jake's conversation was interrupted by Haley's cell phone. She looked down at the caller ID.

'Ok, it's time for this to stop' Haley thought to herself.

"Jake do you mind keeping an eye on Emily for a few minutes?"

"No, not at all."

Haley got up and walked away from the table.

"Hello?" she said as she answered her phone.

"Hey baby."

"I told you not to call me that" Haley said through clenched teeth.

"Haley, it's been three weeks, it's time for you to come home" Connor said.

"When are you gonna get it through your head that I'm not coming home?" Haley said raising her voice.

Jake turned around when he heard Haley raise her voice. She looked really uncomfortable when her phone rang and now she sounded upset. He was curious as to what was going on.

"Look Haley, I said I'm sorry and that I won't do it again. I gave you time to cool off. Now you need to come home."

"Time to cool off Connor? I don't need time to cool off! I told you sorry won't work anymore. And as for you not doing it again, I've heard that before. Don't hold your breath because I'm not coming back" Haley said now seething with anger.

"I'm in the f ucking NFL Haley! I can and will track you down. One phone call and I can have a P.I. after you" Connor threatened.

"Do it Connor and I f ucking swear I will go public with this. How do you think your fans will feel to find out what you're really like? Do not ever f ucking call me again or try to find m because I swear I will make you regret it" Haley said threateningly.

When Haley finished she heard a click. She knew he hung up and she was relieved. She turned around and saw Jake standing right in front of her. He saw that she was shaking and he could tell she was upset so he pulled her into a hug. And for the first time in years Haley didn't flinch when a guy other than Gabe touched her.

"Haley, what the hell is going on?" Jake questioned, his voice filled with concern.

"That was my ex-boyfriend, Emily's dad. We better sit down, this is gonna take a while to explain" Haley started.