Chapter Title is by Less than Jake

Chapter Nine: She's Gonna Break Soon

Haley woke up the next morning not knowing exactly where she was. She glanced around the spacious room before realizing just exactly where she was. She glanced next to her where Brooke was sleeping peacefully. Haley couldn't help but worry a bit for her twin. After all they had been through, this was something she didn't want Brooke dealing with and now, they both had to deal with Lucas and Peyton's actions.

Suddenly Brooke rolled over and sighed. "Ugh, what time is it?"

Haley glanced at the clock. It was way too early for either of them to be up. "It's 6:04."

"Why are you up?" Brooke groaned when she heard the time.

Haley shrugged and moved from her side so they were both lying on their backs facing the ceiling. "I guess I couldn't sleep. Why are you awake?"

"I don't know," Brooke sounded a little confused. She glanced over as Haley. "I just had this bad dream, you know where my boyfriend and my best friend are sneaking around my back," She laughed bitterly. "Oh wait, it wasn't a dream."

"Brooke," Haley looked over at her. She wasn't surprised to see tearstains and bloodshot eyes. "Things are going to get better. I know they are."

Brooke sighed and shook her head, "I really don't think that's gonna happen, at least anytime soon."

Haley knew that anything else she said was just going to fall on deaf ears. Brooke wasn't in the position to see past anything she didn't want to see. "Tigger?"

It was silent for a few seconds before Haley heard a reply. "Yeah?"

"You know that I'm here for you, right?" Haley desperately wanted to make sure that Brooke knew this if she ever found out that Haley knew about Lucas' and Peyton's little affair.

"Yeah Tutor Girl," Brooke couldn't help the smile that came to her face. "I know."

Haley smiled, "Good."

The twins fell silent as each got lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly Brooke fell across something she hadn't thought of before. "Haley?"

Haley raised an eyebrow, she didn't think she'd ever heard Brooke call her by her full name before. "Yeah?"

Brooke took a deep breath before sitting up so she was looking down at her sister. "Did you know?"

"Yeah," Haley refused to meet Brooke's eyes in fear of seeing the betrayal and hurt that was inevitably there. "I knew."

"You knew?" Brooke felt like it was a blow to her heart. Even though she had her suspicions, she never thought they would turn out to be true. "You knew, and you never told me?"

Haley sat up quickly, "Brooke, it wasn't like we were that good of friends before we found out we were twins, I never thought it was my place to tell you."

But Brooke wasn't hearing any of this. She got up from the bed and started pacing the room angrily, something she only did when she wasn't sure of anything. "I can't believe this. Who else has been lying to me?"

"It's not that we were lying Br…" Haley started.

"You were lying!" Brooke interrupted, almost yelling. "It's like I can't trust anyone anymore."

Haley was starting to realize just where she went wrong. "Tigger, you have to understand, no one wanted to hurt you, that's why I told Lucas to break things off."

Brooke stopped pacing. "So you knew about this for a while then? Long enough that you had enough of their affair?"

Haley nodded, "And he told me he stopped. That's the day we found out about our parents."

"I can't believe this," Brooke started pacing again. Haley watched her with fear in her eyes, not knowing what exactly the other girl was going to do or say. "How long was he cheating on me?"

Haley looked away. "Two months."

"And how long did you know?" Brooke's eyes hardened.

"A month," Haley whispered, her voice so low, Brooke had to strain to hear her. Haley almost felt ashamed for what Lucas and Peyton had been doing, almost like if was her fault.

Brooke stood there silently before looking back up at Haley. Her eyes watered with unshed tears as they threatened to fall. "Leave."

"Brooke…" Haley pleaded. "You have to understand."

"I said…leave," Brooke's voice broke and Haley had to use all her energy not to envelop her sister in her arms. Instead Haley nodded, not saying a word and left Brooke's room, leaving Brooke to feel alone for the first time in her life.

Brooke slumped to the floor and pulled her knees up to her chin finally letting free the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

Later on after school had ended, Haley went to the Rivercourt and sat on one of the benches hoping to clear her mind. She had stayed away from everybody, choosing to eat lunch in the library and staying quiet in all of her classes. It was clear to her that Brooke wasn't going to school and in some ways she was glad that her sister didn't have to deal with the workings of the 'good ol' gang' right now.

"Hales?"

Haley turned around at her name and saw Lucas, Nathan, Fergie, and Skills walking towards her while a basketball was being tossed between the four of them.

Nathan reached her first, worry evident all over his face, "Haley, are you okay?"

"I'll be fine," Haley gave him what she hoped was a sincere smile and her eyes hardened when she saw Lucas heading over to her. "I think I should go."

"Don't leave," Lucas demanded. "What's going on?"

Haley shook her head, not believing that he didn't know. "I don't have the energy to deal with you today Lucas, I had a rough night."

Fergie looked between Haley and Lucas who were having a sort of glaring fight. "What's going on?"

"Brooke found out about Peyton and Lucas," Haley told them bitterly, turning her gaze away from Lucas. "And I was comforting her all night as she wondered why she wasn't good enough for him."

Lucas felt like someone had punched him. "She really feels like that?"

"Lucas, you cheated on her with her best friend!" Haley exclaimed. She felt Nathan grab onto her arm, knowing that she was liable to jump her best friend. "How could she not be feeling that way?"

"Wait a minute," Skills stepped in between the fighting friends and held his arms out. "Why were you with Brooke, I thought you didn't like her."

Haley felt Nathan try not to laugh at his words and finally cracked a smile, "I thought you knew that Brooke and I were twins?"

Skills raised his eyebrow, "And where I am when everything juicy happens?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. His friend could be so gossipy at times. "She can tell you that later after she tells me why she was ignoring me today."

"Us," Nathan jumped in. "Why she was ignoring all of us today."

Haley sighed. She realized that Nathan still had a firm grip around her arm. "I just wasn't in the mood to socialize. Brooke and I got into a fight this morning and she kicked me out of her house, I just don't know what to do anymore."

She glanced up at Lucas as all of her anger seemed to come back. "This is all your fault!" She moved out of Nathan's hold and started poking Lucas in the chest. "If you had kept your promise to me, then Brooke would have never seen you and Peyton making out and I wouldn't be in this situation!"

"Haley," Nathan grabbed her away from Lucas and turned her around so she was facing him. "Calm down."

She took a couple of deep breaths as she gazed into Nathan's calming blue eyes. "Okay. I'm calm." She turned back to Lucas, "I don't want to do this now." And with those words, Haley walked off, leaving the four boys to stare at her retreating figure.

Seconds later, Haley felt a hand grab hers and she knew instantly who it was. They walked in silence before Haley finally spoke up. "What are you doing Nathan?"

"It's getting dark," He explain softly. "I don't want you walking by yourself."

She nodded, understanding, and they continued walking towards her house. Finally they reached it quickly and Haley turned to her friend, glad that he had turned out to be so great to her after they had broken up.

And then, as she turned slowly, his lips were on hers and she wasted no time in responding as she put her arms around his neck pulling him in closer to her. She couldn't believe how much she missed kissing him, how much it meant to her to be in his arms, just how much she loved him.

Nathan pulled away slowly, resting his forehead on hers, "This is killing me Haley." He took her hands in his, "I want to be with you."

She smiled up at him. This is what she had been waiting for, "I want to be with you too Nathan."

Nathan pulled her into a hug, surprising her with his actions. He had never been this sweet to her before. "Things are going to get better for you."

Haley didn't respond as she settled into his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of the man she loved. She could only wish that he was right.