Author's note: Well, I wasn't planning to get this update out today, but since all I can think about is the premier tonight I figured I might as well just keep OTH on the brain all day. The lyrics in this chapter are Edwin McCain's I'll Be. I don't like to use lyrics in two consecutive chapters like this, but they fit so I figured why not. Thanks for reading, and come on, take a second and review. Enjoy!

Chapter 27- I'll Be

"I can't believe you leave tomorrow." Haley said as she and Nathan were lie on a blanket staring up at the stars.

"I can't believe your parents agreed to letting you stay out all night with me."

Nathan and Haley had had a great summer together. Haley's parents had let them do as the pleased, as long as Haley made it home by curfew. They had been especially lenient these last few weeks in extending her curfew, and especially tonight, letting her stay out all night with Nathan.

"I guess they realize that after tonight they won't be worrying about what we're doing for months." Haley exhaled deeply. "I can't believe I won't see you for like three months."

"Yeah, I wanted to talk about that Hales…"

Haley jumped up, interrupting Nathan's thought, "Oooh, I love this song." Haley ran towards Nathan's car to turn up the radio as the first few notes of her most recent favorite song floated through the air.

As Haley walked back towards Nathan he got to his feet and extended his hand to Haley. She went into his arms willingly and the two slowly swayed to the music, in the middle of the empty field.

The strands in your eyes that color them wonderful,
Stop me and steal my breath.
Emeralds from mountains thrust toward the sky
Never revealing their depth.

"It kills me that I won't get to look into these beautiful brown eyes of yours for three whole months. I hope we can do this Hales, I really do. I'm so scared though. I don't know how I will be without you by my side, I worry that I won't be strong enough."

Tell me that we belong together,
Dress it out with the trappings of love.
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips,
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

"You'll be strong enough Nathan, I know it. But if you can't be, or if I can't be, just because we might not be able to be together while you're gone doesn't believe that we don't belong together. People who belong together always find their way back in the end. And Nathan, we do, we belong together. We just need to remember that, once these next four years are over, even if we can't survive it, we never know what'll happen then."

Haley had to keep telling herself that. She had to be realistic, she had to realize that there was the possibility that her and Nathan wouldn't be able to go through with this long distance relationship, it might be too much for both of them. The only thing that kept her going was her belief that she really, truly did belong with Nathan, whatever else happened would happen, but in the end she knew that she would be with him.

I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide.
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

"You're right Hales, I know you are. It's just that I can't imagine not seeing you everyday anymore. I just don't know how that will be. What will be my reason to get out of bed on those days when all I want to do is lie there? I used to get up to see you, but now what will I have?" Nathan asked pleadingly. "What will I have without you?"

"You'll have your future Nathan, our future. Going to college will give you a good future, it'll give you a good life. You need to get out of bed for that. You need to make a good life for yourself, I need to make a good life for myself. That's the only way that we can have a good life together. We have to be able to be happy on our own, we have to be able to have our own lives."

Haley started to cry as she spoke these words. She had been trying to be strong, but she couldn't do it anymore. All she wanted to do was sit there and cry and have Nathan hold her. She wanted to cry for all of the days she wouldn't get to spend with him, all of the days that he wouldn't be there to hold her when she needed it, or to cheer her up when she needed it.

Rain falls angry on the tin roof
As we lie awake in my bed.
You're my survival, you're my living proof.
My love is alive not dead.

"I'm sorry Nathan, I wanted to be strong but it's so hard. It's so hard to know that I have to say good bye to you tomorrow morning."

Haley's tears turned to sobs and Nathan held her even closer.

"It's okay to be scared and upset Hales. Just be open with me about it. We need to be able to talk to each other during this, we need to be able to communicate, that's the only hope we have of keeping it together. If we want our love to survive we have to work for it. We have to both want to work for it Hales, we really do. I need to know that this is what you want, being with me is what you really want. If you aren't sure, tell me now Hales." Nathan could feel tears beginning to form in his eyes. He was absolutely terrified that Haley would say she didn't think she could do it, she didn't think she could be with him when he was that far away.

Tell me that we belong together.
Dress it out with the trappings of love.
I'll be captivated,
I'll hang from your lips,
Instead of the gallows of heartache that hang from above

"Of course it's what I want Nathan, why, is it not what you want?" Haley felt as though her heart had stopped beating, as though someone had reached into her chest and they were squeezing the life out of it.

"It is what I want Hales, I just don't want to make you do something you're unsure of. Listen to me when I say this Haley, this will hurt us both, being so far away from one another. I think the pain is natural when you love someone this much. But if you're ever unhappy you need to tell me, unhappy with how things are with us. Missing each other is natural, but being unhappy isn't. Promise me you'll tell me if you're ever unhappy, promise me that Haley."

"I promise Nathan, but I don't think that's possible. As long as I'm with you I can't be unhappy."

I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide.
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

Nathan just held Haley close. As he did he thought back to his life before her, he thought about all the things he did and how it all seemed so pointless. It was pointless, until he met Haley nothing meant anything. His life had seemed like it was something he just couldn't escape from.

I've been dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead.
Tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said

Haley tried to lose herself in Nathan's embrace, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't stop her tears. Haley had always thought she was happy before she met Nathan, but she wasn't. She didn't really know what happiness was until she met Nathan. She was scared that each day now wouldn't compare to the ones that she had with him.

Haley decided not to think about it. All she was going to think about was enjoying her last night with Nathan, everything else would just have to wait.

I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love's suicide.
I'll be better when I'm older,
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.

ooooOoooo

Nathan woke up and looked down at Haley, she was curled up right against him. Nathan just smiled at her, she looked so beautiful, so peaceful. As much as the sight of her like that brought a smile to his face, it also brought an ache to his heart.

Nathan knew what happened now. He would wake Haley up and they would gather up their stuff, then he would drive her to dance. Then he would have to do the hardest thing imaginable, he would have to get in his car and drive away from her, knowing that he wouldn't see her again for three months. The thought of that almost made him physically ill. Still, he knew what he had to do.

"Hales, it's time to get up, we have to go soon."

Nathan shook Haley lightly, her eyelids fluttered and then opened, revealing her big brown eyes.

"Hey you." Haley said as she stretched out in the bed.

"I let you sleep longer than I should, we have to leave in like 10 minutes if you're going to be on time."

Haley nodded and got out of bed. She reached into her bag and threw on some clothes.

"I'll change at the studio, let's go now."

Nathan nodded solemnly as he pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt.

The drive to Haley's dance studio was silent. The young lovers did not exchange a word, they just sat there, eyes affixed on the road ahead of them. As soon as they pulled into the parking lot tears started to stream down Haley's face.

Nathan stopped the car and got out and walked around to Haley's side. He opened the door and reached over her, unhooking her seatbelt. Then, he pulled her out of her seat and into his arms. As soon as he wrapped his arms around her he began to cry as well.

"I never thought this would be so hard." Haley choked out in between sobs.

"I know Hales, I know. I never thought that letting someone go could hurt this much, I really think that my heart is breaking."

Nathan took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself. He needed to do that for Haley, if she kept sobbing he wouldn't ever be able to let her go. He would never be able to drive away from her.

Haley let Nathan hold her tightly as she took deep breaths in order to calm herself down.

"I guess I should go inside now. Have a safe trip, call me as soon as you get there." Haley said, knowing that she should start to pull herself away, but she couldn't. Not yet. "I love you Nathan."

"I love you too." Nathan held her as tight as he possibly could. He leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Forever together but miles apart, maybe in distance but never in heart."

Haley knew that that was when she was supposed to walk away. It took everything she had, but she somehow managed to disentangle herself from Nathan and she headed towards the studio.

Haley turned around to see Nathan getting into his car, and she watched as he drove away Haley waved and then collapsed to her knees in the middle of the parking lot, her body overcome with sobs.

Suddenly, she felt arms around her, holding her tight. Then, another set of arms. Haley looked up and saw Brooke and Peyton both there holding her.

"He's gone, what am I going to do?" Haley managed to choke out in between sobs.

"It's okay Hales, let it out. We'll be here for as long as you need." Brooke squeezed her best friend tightly as she spoke.

Right there, in the middle of the parking lot, Haley sat there sobbing while her two best friends in the whole world held her tightly, trying to make her feel as though her whole world wasn't caving in around her.