Chapter Seventy-Three: Penultimate Scott

"Say hi to your Aunt Ryan! Or not. Whatever. The latter actually makes more sense, seeing as you're like six months old. God, I've become one of those mothers, haven't I?" Ryan was startled to be greeted with her sister-in-law's rambling when she opened the door the morning after.

"Uh, come in," she said. Haley walked in, pulling the cumbersome baby stroller with her.

"What'd you do last night?" she asked eagerly, carefully picking her daughter out of the stroller. Ryan smiled at her niece.

"I guess it's fairly obvious what you did," she teased.

"Oh, a little bit of that. Ryan, are you okay?" she asked in concern, as Ryan's face began to crumble. Haley hurriedly placed Eve back into the stroller to put a comforting arm around her.

"It's Jake," she finally managed to say.

"I heard he's getting back together with Peyton. Is that what happened?" she asked.

"No. Not at all. He didn't, I think she was screwing someone else. He didn't really explain. He came home drunk, and he kissed me," she said, looking thoroughly miserable.

"Isn't that good?" asked Haley in confusion.

"No! He still loves her! I love him… you know that. God, I love him so much. But he'll always love her. He was using me. And I don't think he even remembers," she said.

"So you do love him, after all this. I'm so sorry, baby," she said.

Ryan was silent for a moment, her tears leaking into Haley's sweater.

"You don't have to feel threatened by us. Lord knows Nathan and I aren't exactly conventional," she said.

"You're getting there. You love him," said Ryan. Haley bit back the retort that instantly came to her lips, guessing that now wasn't the time.

The two blonde girls sat for a while, their arms around each other, trapped in their misery. Occasionally they were interrupted by the smaller, less tragic brunette, but they scarcely seemed to notice.

"Was it a good kiss?" asked Haley eventually.

"Of course. It was perfect. If it was sucky, this wouldn't hurt so badly."

Haley Scott banged repeatedly on the door to Peyton's dorm room, eager to gain access to go berate her one time best friend to the hurt she'd caused to her sister-in-law.

But when Peyton answered the door, face streaked with tears, bags under her eyes, Haley found she hadn't the heart to do so.

"Peyton, it's going to be okay," she said, pulling her friend into her arms. Peyton was stiff and incompliant.

"I'm guessing you heard?" she asked, stepping aside to let Haley and the stroller into her room.

Haley nodded, watching Peyton sit cross legged at the bed and pick at loose threads in her blanket.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Jake didn't tell you?"

"I talked to Ryan." As Haley spoke her name, Peyton frowned. Peyton had yet to learn that anything romantic had ever happened between Jake and Ryan, but she resented her anyways.

"Christian Braddock," she admitted. Haley stifled her gasp.

"Your professor?" she asked. Peyton nodded and walked over to Eve. Haley smiled as she lifted her onto her hip.

"She's cute."

"Just like Nathan," said Haley automatically.

"Hayden looks just like Brooke, it's incredible. And Devon looks like Lucas. And Leigh. And Ryan."

"Baby, Ryan doesn't want to take your place. She's a good person, and she wants Jake to be happy. And he's only ever been happy with you," said Haley.

"I was happy before him. But I don't think I can he happy afterward. I love him so much, Haley," she said. It occurred to Haley that Peyton had picked up Eve in an attempt to make herself less reachable to Haley.

"Then why did you…"

"The same reason he slept with Davis. Remember that? I do. The same reason he's playing house with that princess. This wasn't so hard before, you know? Brooke got her happily ever after, but you were always as unhappy as I was. It was helpful, not having to trust that summer. It's all different now," she said.

"I'm not exactly living a happily ever after with Nathan. And I was with Seamus before him. And I loved Seamus. I was happy. Can't you be happy?"

"Seamus was bullshit," she objected. Haley almost smiled.

"Then so was Christian. Was it worth it?" she asked carefully.

"No. Never. She's sad," said Peyton, indicating the baby in her arms. Haley regretfully took her and soothed her.

"We should go home. We have a doctor's appointment today," said Haley.

"It's always "we" with you, you know. Being your and Nathan, or you and Eve, or all three of you. I remember when we used to be a we," she said. Haley smiled and touched her hand, trying not to think of Ryan's tragic face.

"You will be again," she promised, backing out of the door.

"NATHAN!" screamed Haley, as soon as she got into the house. He came running down the stairs, looking nervous.

"What?" he asked.

"We have to hook Peyton up with someone. Any suggestions?" she asked. She felt mildly guilty for siding with her sister-in-law over her one time best friend. But seeing Peyton and Jake and their dysfunction, and Ryan and Jake and their perfect fit, she couldn't help but feel swayed. Especially because of the familial bond she felt with Ryan, and the lack of bond she felt with Peyton.

"Isn't Peyton in love with Jake?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, which is why she has to get over it," she said impatiently. Nathan raised his eyebrows.

"How about Seamus? Kill two birds with one stone?" he suggested.

"You're being funny. Don't be funny, we have a problem here," she said. Noticing how agitated she looked, Nathan moved forward and took her in his arms.

"Don't worry. If Peyton and Jake are really meant to be together, they'll be together. If Jake and Ryan are really meant to be together, they will be," he said soothingly.

"How can you believe that? We're together, and most days I'm pretty sure it wasn't meant to be," she said. He kissed her hair.

"But that wasn't exactly divine intervention, was it?" he asked. After a moment, she giggled and relaxed in his arms.