A/N- Sorry about the slow updates, it's been almost three weeks. Things around here have been hectic. But please keep reading. I love the reviews. I will try to update all of my stories on Saturday but I have a lot of homework so that might not a happen. Please keep reading. Wasn't yesterday's episode fabulous?

Forwards and Backwards

Chapter Three

Haley was engaged, that's the only thought going through Nathan's head on his drive home from his mom's house. He was not over Haley and everyone knew so. There was nothing he could do it was his fault that Haley left. He had been stupid; he was the one that had the affair. Nathan could not even remember what had been going through his mind during the two months he and Katie had been together. Now Haley was taken away, she was engaged. This may be a reason for Nathan to move on, he had been trying for some time and it wasn't working knowing she was somewhat available but now that she was officially taken maybe he could finally do what he had been trying to do for a long time. Nathan got home and sat down on his couch in the apartment that he and Haley once shared. He needed to move, there wasn't even a room for Maddi in is house. He clicked the remote until he came to the sports channel and picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number of Lucas.

"Hello?" asked Lucas picking up his phone.

"Hey, it's Nate," Nathan replied, "want to come over?"

"Katie's here," Lucas replied.

"That's okay," Nathan responded, things between he and Katie were far from being awkward anymore.

"Be there in a minute," Lucas replied hanging up the phone. Lucas grabbed his sweater and got into his car was at Nathan's within five minutes. Lucas and Katie walked into Nathan's apartment and sat down on the couch. Nathan came from the bathroom and went to the fridge and grabbed three beers. He tossed one to Lucas, one to Katie and cracked his own open and sat down on the couch next to Lucas.

"Guess what?" Nathan asked.

"What?" Lucas replied.

"Noah and Haley are engaged," Nathan explained.

"When?" asked Lucas. He didn't think they would ever take their relationship to the next level. Lucas had always hoped that Nathan and Haley would end up back together.

"Tonight, the worst part was that I was there," Nathan said. "I was at my mom's for dinner and Noah, Haley and Maddi were also there for dinner and they left and came back engaged."

"Today is a strange day," Lucas said shaking his head slowly, "Brooke's in town."

"Seriously," Nathan said, "what for?"

"She's engaged," Lucas simply said knowing Nathan knew they were still technically married.

"Oh, well it's about time you two dealt with that," Nathan replied, "it has been like three years right?"

"Something close to that," Lucas replied.

"This is a good thing," Nathan said, "don't you think, Katie?"

"Well I definitely have a thing for married men," Katie said jokingly, "especially those Scotts."

"Nice, Katie," Lucas said, "there's some class."

"I'm a whore," Katie replied. That was how her relationship with the Scott brothers worked, it had to stay joke if anything got to serious they would start fighting. Lucas and Katie went home over two hours later. The two hours were filled with laughter and lots more laughter.

The next morning, Maddi jumped into her mom's bed at seven o'clock in the morning. Noah had left for work almost one hour before that. Maddi crawled underneath the blue comforter and hugged her mom.

"What's engaged?" she asked. Her brown hair was all over the place, one of her French braid pigtails had fallen out during her sleep.

"Do you remember when mommy and daddy lived together?"

"Nope," she replied.

"Engaged means that me and Noah are going to get married, there is going to be a big wedding and everything," Haley tried to explain, it was especially hard considering that she already lived with Noah, "remember Grandma Deb's wedding, we'll have one of those."

"Oh, is Daddy going to ever get engaged?" Maddi asked innocently.

"I hope so," Haley said. Nathan would always be her first everything and she wanted nothing but happiness for him.

"Tell me about you and Daddy," Maddi demanded in a sweet voice that made Haley's heart melt.

"Well, your dad and I met in high school because of your uncle Lucas; I was best friends with Lucas and your dad and he had just gotten to know each other because of basketball but they didn't get along. Your dad thought if became friends with me he could get to your uncle, then me and your dad fell into love and got married- just like me and Noah are going to, and then I left for a little while to sing, remember my friend Chris? I went with him. When school ended we had you. Sometimes marriages don't work out though and that happened with me and your dad."

"Why didn't it work out, Mommy?" Maddi pressed.

"I think mostly because we were seventeen when we got married, that's too young, never get married when you still in school," Haley said with a half smile.

"Okay, Mommy!"

"Let's go downstairs and get some and breakfast then get ready for school," Haley said in a super perky voice. Haley jumped out of the bed and put on her knee length green silk robe over her satin pink pants pajamas. She picked up Maddi from the bed and took her downstairs to the large kitchen. The kitchen had a large counter and stainless steel appliances.

"What do you want for breakfast?" asked Haley as Maddi climbed onto a stool at the counter.

"Cereal!" she exclaimed. Haley made her a small bowl of her favorite cereal and went to the bathroom and grabbed some of Maddi's hair things and came back to the kitchen where Maddi was still munching away at her cereal.

"Do you want French braids again?" Haley asked Maddi while dragging the brush through Maddi's long, thick, brown hair.

"Yup," Maddi mumbled throw a mouth full of food. Haley parted Maddi's hair in a side part and began braiding her hair leaving her bangs out the braid.

"Sweetie, hurry, your dad will be here any minute to pick you up and you're not even dressed," Haley said lightly as she finished the second braid.

"Okay," Maddi said grabbing her spoon and shoving the last bit of food into her mouth and jumped from the stool and bounded up the stairs.

"I put the outfit on the bed for today," Haley screamed up the stairs. She heard a muffled, okay, so she went onto cleaning up the kitchen. She picked up Maddi's bowl and put it into the dishwasher and her new ring caught her eye. She was engaged again. She was twenty-four years old and she was going onto her second marriage. People probably made fun of her behind her back. She was likely labeled as a failure. Seven years ago this is not where she saw her life, well somewhat. She imagined being married with a child or more, a good job, and most of all happy. She almost had all of those things, but this was not the scenario she imagined it in. In her dream world then she was married to Nathan, but she now she was not. That had been taken away from her because they couldn't handle any of the pressure. In high school you plan your prom not your wedding, someone should have told her that.

"Knock, knock," a voice said coming into the kitchen, "no one answered so I came in, sorry."

"Hi Nathan, we're running behind today," Haley said wiping a stray tear from her cheek and attempted to hide her sadness in her voice, "I'm sorry."

"Its okay," Nathan replied, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Haley said turning her body away from Nathan.

"Haley, I know you too well, you can't hide anything from me by turning your back," said Nathan while shaking his head slowly, "what's wrong?"

"It's none of your business," Haley said stubbornly. She wasn't telling him anything, no matter how well he thought he knew her.

"Haley, you have to talk to me, we may not be together anymore but I still think of you as a friend and I hope you think of me as a friend too."

"Nate, it's nothing really," Haley replied softening.

"Haley, as I said, I can read you, something is bothering you," Nathan said quietly.

"Okay," Haley said breaking underneath his pressure, "it's just that I'm twenty-four, I'm already onto my second marriage and this isn't how my life was supposed to turn out."

"Noah and you are a good match, I have seen the relationship grow, you guys are good together and don't let our failed marriage wreck your way of feeling," Nathan said.

"People must talk about me, that Haley James, at twenty-four she has a failed marriage, her daughter is from a broken home now, he husband had affair, she must be a miserable person, she couldn't even make that singing thing work, she engaged to her ex-husband step-brother, she's a mess," Haley said letting out all of the thoughts that were running through her head.

"No one thinks that," Nathan explained, "if anything people are probably encouraged by you courage, they are probably like, her husband had an affair, her daughter is from a broken home but look at her living everyday being herself being able to love again. I'm sure that's the person people see."

"I doubt it, but thank-you for trying to make me feel better, you always are so nice to me," Haley said with a smile.

"Well, I have a lot to make up for," Nathan replied, "it certainly is nice to know you have a bunch insecurities caused by me, even more to make up for."

"Nathan, don't worry about me, it's not your job anymore."

"I will always worry about you," Nathan replied.

"Until you find a new girl to worry about," Haley said knowing whenever a new girl came along he would no longer hold that spot for her.

"Daddy!" yelled Maddi coming down the stairs into the kitchen interrupting Haley and Nathan's conversation, "we're going to be late!"

"Whose fault is that?" Nathan said accusingly, he picked up the small child and hoisted her up onto his shoulder.

"Mommy's!" she squealed, pointing towards Haley who was now leaning against the counter twisting her ring around her finger.

"Mine?" questioned Haley, "how's that?"

"You were telling me about you and Daddy and were very slow about it," Maddi explained.

"What did you tell her?" Nathan said wrinkling his forehead, their relationship was far to complicated for a six year old.

"Just how we met and everything," Haley said.

"Really," Nathan said giving Haley a look and Haley just shrugged her shoulders, "did you like the story of mommy and daddy?" Nathan shook Maddi to get his point across.

"It was funny," Maddi responded, "I didn't know you lived together. I thought you always never lived together."

"You find out something new everyday," Haley said smiling at her daughter and walked over and grabbed her hand and gave it a kiss.

"Yup," Maddi said, "but right now I'm late!"

"You're so much like you mother," Nathan said dropping Maddi to the floor so she could get her shoes and coat on, "I think you may be a nerd!"

"No name calling," Maddi yelled from the front room, "my teacher says it's bad and mean."

"Sorry sweetie," Nathan yelled back. Haley gave him a look. "She is like you," he whispered.

"Better me than you," Haley retorted, "especially the before Haley you."

"I have nothing to say to that, it's true!" Nathan said laughingly.

"Daddy, let's go!" Maddi said pulling on his pant leg.

"Okay," Nathan replied hastily, "see you around, Haley."

"Thanks for everything," Haley said waving to the pair as they made their way out the door. This was her life now. She was marrying Noah Brown. In passing she would see her first everything, Nathan. Her child would light up her life every chance she got. This was Haley James life.

A/N- So that's my newest chapter. I have spent have of the day naming future children of the story. It has been fun! Anyways please review. I really appreciate it!