Chapter Forty-Seven: When Does the End Appear?

Seamus watched Haley.

He'd never had a relationship that had come so easily. Without pain, without angst, without fear. It was simple. It was perfect.

He was falling in love with her. She tried to hide it, but he knew better. Knew that she'd never feel for him the way he needed it.

Yet he couldn't let go.

His lips twisted into a slightly cynical smile as she dropped the shirt she was folding and began to lip synch to the music coming out of her stereo. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met. Unlike anyone he was likely to ever meet.

Seamus frowned as he recalled her holiday plans. She was going to her ex-boyfriend's brother's house. How could she possibly be naïve enough not to smell the trap?

Seamus couldn't truly believe she was that naïve. And the only other option was that she craved it.

Haley watched Seamus.

He was always watching her, analyzing her, when he thought she wasn't looking.

She was always looking.

Her brown eyes saw all. She was trying to love him, failing miserably. He knew this, she knew this. She knew he knew. He didn't know he knew he knew.

Haley shook her head in despair, wondering when her life had become so dramatic.

He was so handsome. So sweet, so predictable, so adoring. He wasn't too tall, like Chris. He wasn't ever the asshole that Nathan was so often.

Haley missed his degrading comments, his fevered touch. She couldn't stop. The memories haunted her day and night. She couldn't stop them.

She didn't want to stop them.

"Uh, a little to the left," said Brooke, staring intently at the tree that Lucas was attempting to install in the living room. He obediently tilted it in the stand.

"No, more to the right," she said. He altered it another few inches, but her nervous frown remained. "Hmm, I don't know, maybe…"

"Brooke Scott, I swear to God…" said Lucas threateningly. She giggled innocently and backed down.

"It's perfect. Good job. By the way, do you know how glad I am that you have a good last name? I don't think I could have married you if your name was like Honzberger. Or anything ending in "ook"," she said thoughtfully. Lucas smiled.

"How's your brilliant plan going?" he asked.

"Perfect. Everyone's coming. Ryan's dropping lies right and left. Leigh is oblivious," said Brooke. Lucas smiled.

"For such an innocent, the kid's a surprisingly good liar. Are you going to cook?" asked Lucas. Brooke raised a skeptical eyebrow. Lucas smiled.

She often made him smile.

"Nathan, you packed?" asked Ryan, leaning into his study. He looked up from the papers on his desk.

"Not yet," he said vaguely.

"You are coming," said Ryan firmly. He almost smiled. For an instant, Ryan remembered what his face looked like in an earnest smile.

"I know. Christmas is a family time," he said. Ryan frowned.

"Yes. Remember our flight's tomorrow at six," she said strictly.

"I'll be there. I promise," he said.

"Like you have a choice," she said, waving merrily before skipping off.

"And she won't be there?" he called after her, feeling pathetic.

"She's going to Tree Hill to be with her parents," said Ryan listlessly. She knew he wished she were coming. Why couldn't he know it?

Jake woke with a start to a girly, high pitched shriek the day of their flight. Grumbling in annoyance he rubbed his ear in a vain attempt to make it stop ringing before getting out of bed to go investigate the noise in the hall.

He smiled when he saw the two blonde girls embracing each other by the door. They hadn't seen Haley in months, they rarely even talked to her.

"Haley," he said happily, walking over to them. Haley disentangled herself from Peyton to throw herself at Jake.

"Hey! God, I missed you guys so much. Your place is incredible. Very you. Can you believe how cold it is? All packed?" asked Haley, her voice eager. Peyton smiled, remembering the dark, depressed Haley she'd left behind in September.

"Yeah, we're packed. Can't wait, I've heard their place is great," said Jake, wrapping an arm casually around Peyton. Haley smiled at the gesture, glad that they at least had finally worked out their issues.

"Oops, forgot to turn off my phone. And it's Brooke. Calling to make sure I'm coming, she does it hourly," said Haley, rolling her eyes and answering her phone.

Peyton and Jake nervously exchanged glances. At every moment, everything they'd planned was so close to falling to pieces.

"Brooke, what's up? I just got to Jake and Peyton's," said Haley. Brooke smiled vaguely. It was beginning to exhaust her, keeping all her lies straight.

"Great. Saying goodbye before you leave for the airport?" asked Brooke, hanging a glass ball on the tree that had managed to fall to the floor.

"What? We're going together," said Haley in confusion.

"Oh, your flights are at the same time?" said Brooke.

"What?" Haley was growing rapidly more confused. Jake and Peyton were going with her to LA. Where Nathan would not be, and where she had an actual hope of having a good Christmas.

"Remember how they're going with Nathan and Ryan and Leigh to Florida?" asked Brooke in surprise. In an instant, Haley realized what had been going on the entire time. She snapped her phone shut and turned angrily to Jake and Peyton.

"You're setting me up?" she said in disbelief. Peyton said nothing, having no denial to say. After a moment, Haley turned and walked out, angrily slamming the door behind her.

Nathan frowned as he looked around the airport.

Ryan saw his frown and worried, afraid he'd somehow see through their brilliant scheme. Her surprise grew as his eyes settled on a couple, sitting by themselves on hard airport seats.

"What?" she asked eventually.

"That couple, I know them, but I can't remember why," said Nathan. Ryan focused on them and tried to place them in her memory.

"I got nothing. Probably you just met them in passing," said Ryan uninterestedly. Leigh glanced over, surprising both of them by pulling her headphones out of her ears and switching off her iPod.

"They're your girlfriend's parents," she said in boredom. Nathan slowly moved toward them while Ryan's eyes grew in fear, anticipating the worst.

"Mr. and Mrs. James," he said, walking up to them with a smile.

"Oh, Nathan! It's so good to see you, so sorry about your parents," said Lydia James brightly. Nathan smiled blandly.

"Thank you. Are you picking someone up?" he asked in confusion.

"Oh no, our flight's soon. Our eldest, Vivian, is at school in Arizona and we're going out to visit her, so we'll be gone for the holidays," she said easily. Nathan frowned as he deciphered this.

"Haley's not visiting you in Tree Hill?" he said slowly. Ryan shut her eyes tightly, desperately wishing for a logical explanation to come to her.

"No, she's visiting Brooke and her husband in California," said Lydia, before turning back to the book in her lap. Nathan understood, and spared Ryan one long look before departing hurriedly.

Brooke's heart fell as she saw Peyton and Jake arrive without Haley, Leigh and Ryan arrive without Nathan, knowing she'd failed.

"I slipped, didn't I," said Brooke unhappily, turning to Peyton. Peyton put her arms around her best friend.

"You tried your best. You look great," she said, indicating her pregnant stomach. Brooke smiled a half smile.

"Damnit, they were just so close. Why don't they get that they're meant for each other?" wondered Brooke aloud. Jake comfortingly slipped an arm around her shoulder, and she leaned in to him.

In the end, Christmas was something of a let down. Between the four of them, they managed to cook a passable dinner, and the tree was heaped with presents. But the knowledge that they'd been gathered together for the sole purpose of reuniting Haley and Nathan was somewhat disconcerting.