Chapter Two

I'm Going to Stop Pretending That I Didn't Break Your Heart

I'm gonna tell you what you need to hear
And I'm a little too late
By three or four years
And it may not make much sense
Now that we are apart
But I'm going to stop pretending
That I didn't break your heart

You see I never thought enough of myself
To realize that losing me could mean
Something like the tears in your eyes
And I want to tell you I'm sorry
And it's too late to start
But I'm going to stop pretending
That I didn't break your heart

And it's Christmas eve
Years down the line
Sitting here wishing I'd treated you better
When you were mine
And I have no way of knowing where you are
But I'm going to stop pretending
That I didn't break your heart

I didn't mean to hurt you
I didn't know what I was doing
But I know what I have done

Christmas 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky (Nathan is a Junior in college)

Through the ice cold whipping wind, Nathan could hear Christmas songs being sung by carolers. Standing next to the light post covered in garland and white lights, the carolers seemed to glow. He smiled at the sight of a teenage couple standing at the back of the group. They boys hand was carefully tucked into the girls back pocket and every few seconds she would look up at him, wink, and rest her head on his shoulder. As flurries started to fall from the winter sky, the couple looked up and closed their eyes. Nathan, who was peaking out his front door, did the same. He wanted to feel the snow so he took at few steps and watched his door close behind him. He sat on the front steps of his porch, letting the snow fall on his shoulders. His light eyes followed the couple once again. He rested his elbows on his knees and closed his eyes, remembering that last Christmas he saw her.

Christmas 2005 in Tree Hill, North Carolina

She stood next to the Christmas tree in the café carefully putting each ornament on their own branch. Nathan watched he move across the room to behind the counter. She reached for a mug and filled it up with coffee. Even before she did it, he knew she would put in three splashes of milk, two spoonfuls of sugar, and a dash of cinnamon. She did just that. You are beautiful but you don't mean a thing to me. He smiled to himself as he continued reading that day's sports section. He scanned over the front page. His picture, along with Lucas's, covered the front. Tree Hill High School small forward, Nathan Scott, has signed to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. Also from Tree Hill High, Lucas Scott, has signed to play basketball for Duke University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The rivalry of the brothers will continue on…

Nathan looked up at Haley. He stared at her left hand. She still wore her wedding ring. Haley caught him looking at her and started to walk in his direction. He lifted his newspaper to cover his face.

"I can still see you, you know?" She said, peaking over the top of the newspaper.

"I know that." He said as he folded up the paper and laid it in front of him.

"I saw you signed with Kentucky." She smiled at him, her heart breaking because she knew he would be over six hundred miles away from one another. "That's so exciting Nate." She put her hand on top of his, "I'm really proud of you. You know that."

He looked at her and nodded his head, "I know. Thanks." He quickly pulled his hand away and grabbed his paper. "Well I better get going. Ya know, homecoming game tonight... I'm supposed to escort Bevin." He rolled his eyes. It's going to be miserable."

She ran her fingers across the tabletop and said, "Better go prepare… mentally." She gave him a half smile and watched him walk toward the door. He put his hand on the door knob and she said, "See you soon?"

He turned around and nodded. "Have a good break."

She nodded at him and smiled, "Same."

The door closed behind Nathan and he started to walk around the corner. He could see her through the glass window wiping off each table. He watched her smile at a table full of customers. You are beautiful but you don't mean a thing to me.

Nathan walked down the sidewalk staring at the ground; he looked up for a second and then looked back down.

"Nathan!" He heard from behind him. He slowly turned around. It was Peyton. "Hey."

"Hi. What are you doing?" He asked her, scanning her up and down. Her hair was all done and she had on a full face of make up. "What's with…"

"The make up?" She laughed and put her hands into the pockets of he ripped up jeans, "I know." She pushed him on the shoulder, "Homecoming court tonight remember?"

"Oh right," He laughed, "How could I forget?"

"I don't know. You were only forced into escorting her." Haley looked over her shoulder, she felt like someone was looking at her. She looked into the café. It was Haley. She was watching every move Nathan and Peyton made from the corner table. When she saw Peyton looking at her she immediately continued cleaning the table.

"Yeah, I know." He shrugged his shoulders, "No big deal." Nathan looked over Peyton's shoulder and watched Lucas walk toward them. "Brother alert. I'm out of here. See you tonight?"

"Yeah, good luck." Peyton said as she dug her hands deeper into her pockets.

He smiled at her, "Same to you."

Lucas walked into the café, "Hey Hales," he said to her. She now stood behind the counter. "What's up?"

Haley shrugged her shoulders and look up at the clock, "Shouldn't you be getting ready for the homecoming court?"

Lucas looked at the clock and looked back at her, "There are a lot of things I should be doing right now."

She looked out the door and saw Brooke look in and then immediately turn away. "Like talk to her?"

Lucas watched Brooke talk to Peyton outside the café. "It's not that easy Haley."

"But it is Lucas. It is that easy. Put one foot infront of the other, walk out there and tell her how you feel." She shooed him out of the café. "Go. Go talk to her. Go!"

Lucas stood up and started to walk out. He turned around to look back at Haley. "See you tonight?"

"See you tonight." She said reassuring him. Haley watched Lucas open the door and stand in front of Brooke and Peyton.

"Hi." Brooke said to him as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Lucas gave her a half smile and said, "Hey."

"Brooke. I need to get going, but I will see you both tonight." Peyton said as she started to back away from the pair.

"Peyt… you don't have to go." Lucas said.

"No, I do, really. I don't… I don't like my hair I have go to fix it… or something." She said letting her voice trail off. "I will see you tonight."

Peyton turned around and walked away from Lucas and Brooke. She looked down at the sidewalk until she saw a pair of converse sneakers in her line of vision. She remembered those shoes. She looked up slowly and there he stood, right in front of her. His hair was longer now and he looked older. His jeans were more ripped and his long sleeve tee shirt fit a little tighter than she remembered. She looked into his eyes. There he was. Jake.