AN: Thanks for the reviews! The song used, is one written by me.

Chapter 13

It was a rainy Saturday afternoon in Tree Hill. Haley had the place to herself; her parents were out grocery shopping and wouldn't be due back for a couple of hours. She kneeled on a chair in front of the living room window. With her chin resting on her crossed arms on the back of the seat, she gazed outside lost in thought. She had been running Brooke's apology over and over in her head, and the more she did so, the more she became frustrated. Brooke's apology appeared sincere, either that or she deserved an Oscar, but every time she found herself believing her, all the hatred and lies came flooding back. She needed to clear her head, and she knew just the way to do it.

Walking the short distance across the room, she pulled out the piano stool and took a seat. Laying her fingers on the cool ivory keys she sighed, content that she was where she felt safe. She looked up at her sheet music and began moving her fingers up and down the keys playing a soft melody. She turned the page but stopped playing. She looked at the notes, it was the song that she had written to Lucas, the song that had ended up being the new soundtrack to the cheerleaders dance routine. She reached out to turn the page, but she stopped, her hand hovering in front of her, she slowly pulled back and put her fingers to the keys. Clearing her throat, she began to sing.

My dreams were all I had

Like falling stars, I held them tight

Prayed throughout the night

Someone would keep them safe

Needed a friend

Someone who cared

Told me life wasn't always fair

But you always knew

Just what to do

You gave me faith

You gave me strength

You gave me hope to start again

You gave me truth when I was lost

You gave me love to beat the odds

You were the one, always was there

No other can compare

To you

Lucas took the final steps off the pavement and onto the path, he could hear her voice floating through the air and it stopped him in his tracks. She was amazing. He gripped the piece of paper with her address, in Lex's handwriting, tighter in his pocket. He didn't need it anymore, he had committed it to memory, still he held on to it as if it were a lifeline. The rain soaked him through, and although it was cold he couldn't feel it, he just stood there watching her.

When life became too much to bear

I knew you would be always there

But now you've gone and I'm alone

All alone

Listening to the words, he realised that she had done some rewriting.

What happened to the boy I knew

Behind the lies I look for truth

But end up once again confused

I…

Haley stopped as she saw someone out of the corner of her eye. She leaned forward a little looking out the window. Lucas stood soaking wet on her pathway. She got up and went to the door. Opening it, she walked out into the rain.

"Lucas, what are you doing here?"

The daze he was in soon ended when he heard her voice.

"You changed it."

"Changed what?"

"The song."

She sighed. "I guess I've been looking at things a little differently lately."

"Funny, I said the same thing to Whitey."

By now Haley was soaking wet as well, she needed to know what was going on.

"How did you find me?"

"Lex."

"Lex!" she mumbled something afterwards that sounding like 'I'm going to kill her the next time she see her.'

Lucas chuckled quietly, but when Haley gave him a stern glance he stopped.

"I talked to her at the mall and explained, she gave me your address."

Haley thought that it must have been at the same time that Brooke had apologised. "You didn't talk to Brooke did you?" she asked wondering if the two were related.

"No! No not since I yelled at her in front of everyone the night when…you know."

"You yelled at Brooke? She asked a little surprised that he cared that much.

"Yeah. Listen I don't want to talk about Brooke. I came to explain everything, please just hear me out, and if you want nothing more to do with me, then I respect your decision."

She just stood there with her arms crossed, he waited for her reply.

"We should get out of this rain." She turned and walked back into the house, Lucas following tentatively behind.

She handed him a towel and began drying the ends of her hair with the towel around her shoulders.

"Thanks." He said gratefully drying his face and hair.

She disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Placing them on the dining room table, she took a seat. Lucas sat opposite her, watching as she drank from the steaming mug, warming her hands. He picked up his mug and took a sip.

"This is good." Haley just stared at him, taking another sip.

She was waiting for him to start his explanation. In truth she had already heard it, a number of times, the night of the game, from Brooke at the mall. In all honesty she just wanted to know if he really meant what he said, he had explained the night of the game but they were both caught up in the moment. Now that she had had time away from that night she wanted to know if anything had changed.

"Right I guess I better start." He replied placing his mug back on the table, still holding it to warm his hands.

"I don't know what else I can say to you to prove that I didn't post our letters all over school. I lied to you about who I was, that I knew who you were and that I read your journal. But everything I wrote to you was the truth, I've told you things my own brother doesn't even know about me. And although I lied to you, I can't lie about the way I feel." He paused, looking down at his mug.

"Haley, you are the closest thing I have ever had to a true friend, but lately my feelings have changed. I just don't want to miss a chance that we could work this out because of how stupid I was." He looked up. "I want to be with you Haley. I just hope you can forgive me."