Nathan Scott wandered the halls of Oak Lake Academy High School, looking as lost as he was anxious. It was clear by the way he was shuffling down the long, narrow hallways peeking his head in nearly every classroom. A dejected feeling started to seep through his veins and pull at his rapidly beating heart when he still hadn't found who he'd been desperately searching for. He hardly had any time left before he had to head back to the cramped gymnasium- but he wasn't ready to give up just yet.

A group of teenage girls was huddled around an open locker, chatting animatedly. When one girl met Nathan's desperate blue stare, he knew it was his last chance.

"Excuse me," he cleared his throat softly and ignored the pesky voice in his ear, whispering how obviously wrong it looked for a grown man in khakis and a polo to be openly talking with high school girls. Desperation ignored the warning. Sure, he stuck out like a sore thumb, but he no longer cared. He had to find her.

"Do any of you know where I might be able to find Hal - I mean, Ms. James?"

A tall, timid blonde nodded, "she's in room 216."

"Uh, thanks," Nathan mumbled and looked around the hall, overcome with dizziness. The school was a lot bigger than Tree Hill. "Where's that?"

The same girl pointed towards the end of the hallway, "make a right, and then you'll see a staircase. It's the first left when you get on the second floor."

He exhaled with relief, "thank you."

Nathan all but jogged - breaking a bit of a sweat - to get to the stairs. Time was still not on his side. The game would start in less than ten minutes. He was barely able to sneak away as it was- half-heartedly mumbling an excuse to his assistant coach about leaving something on the bus. It's not like he could tell a group of rowdy teenage boys the truth about desperately needing to track down a woman he hadn't stopped thinking about for the last two weeks.

The worst part was, Nathan had no way of contacting her. It was torture. After he'd met Haley that day on the beach - and before he could ever text her- the guys pulled a prank on him and pushed him into the hotel pool, fully dressed. Unfortunately, his phone was still in his pocket, and it hadn't survived the swim. Nathan was pissed. When he got a new phone, her number hadn't been stored long enough for it to be backed up, meaning he lost the only way of contacting her. He tried to find her on social media, but it was futile. Apparently, there were over 450 Haley James' in North Carolina alone.

When he told the guys, they only teased him further. Chase said he was probably making the whole story up- that there was no 'beautiful woman he met on the beach.' He'd spent the rest of the weekend trying to find her, feeling like a stalker after asking multiple hotel workers if they knew where Haley James' room was. They'd never saw each other again. Even after scouring every inch of the beach, she and Emma were nowhere to be found. He couldn't stop thinking or talking about them. By the end of the weekend, the guys at the bachelor party were completely fed up with it. All they kept hearing was how 'beautiful' and 'kind' and 'funny' this mysterious beach woman was.

Nathan needed to find her. He wouldn't rest until he did. So, when the basketball schedule was released, and it was announced that the Ravens would be playing Oak Lake, it was his golden ticket to finding her again- he just hoped she was still in her classroom when he got there.

Room 216 was right where the girl directed him. The light was still on. He didn't even bother to knock. Nathan simply strutted through the doorway, wearing his hopeful smirk.

Haley was at her desk, bent over a pile of papers, somehow looking more beautiful than Nathan remembered her to be. Her honey-blonde hair was piled at the top of her head in a neat bun, as she chewed on the end of a ballpoint pen cap. Nathan's mind instantly imagined the pen replaced with his lips as he wanted nothing more than to push all the paperwork onto the floor to clear a spot for her body and kiss her until they both forgot to breathe.

She unexpectedly looked up from a paper and gasped. Of all people to be standing in her classroom, she sure as hell hadn't expected it to be the beautiful man from the beach.

"Hi," he said, his hand still on the doorknob, suddenly mesmerized by her beaming smile.

"Nathan, hi!"

"I'm sorry to barge in like this... I just had to find you."

She bit the edge of her lip- an innocent yet erotic gesture that had Nathan nearly swallowing his tongue.

"You never called," her tone wasn't accusatory, but Nathan detected a hint of sadness behind her words.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's a bit of a long story and you probably wouldn't believe it…" he shook his head, "how are you? How's Emma?"

"We're good," she slowly stood from her chair and walked over, nervously, towards him. He didn't know what to do with his hands. How desperate he was to reach out and unthread her hair from its tight band. The glasses she wore made her look impossibly sexy. He swallowed again, afraid that he'd die from a lack of oxygen. "How are you doing?"

"I'm exhausted," his smirk was in the shape of a crescent moon. Haley wanted to hang from it forever. "I've spent the last two weeks obsessing over a woman I met on vacation. She's taken over every thought I have."

"Oh, is that so?" Haley's cheeks splashed with pink. "That does sound pretty tiring."

"She's worth it though."

Haley shyly looked away from his intense stare, instead, focusing on his blue polo with a Tree Hill Ravens emblem on in.

"Is your team playing ours today?"

He nodded, "some would call it fate."

"Or a small world," she offered with her own grin.

"I suppose it is," Nathan's smirk widened.

"So, not to sound completely desperate or anything, but I really was waiting for your text, you know."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that," Nathan frowned, "my phone broke and your number never transferred to the new one. I tried to find you on social media. I didn't want you to think I left you hangin'."

Haley looked into his eyes again, trying to find a name for the color blue, "I thought you were having second thoughts."

"Why would I?"

"Because I have a kid," the words were quietly said, in an insecure tone.

"So?"

"Guys usually run when they know I have baggage."

"Haley, I've spent every second trying to run to you, not away from you. Trust me," Nathan's smile was spread with sincerity. "I want to get to know you better."
"How can you be so sure?" She whispered.

Nathan instantly reached out to grab her delicate hand, squeezing it assuredly, "I just know."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Haley looked up at him through her thick eyelashes, "and just so you know, I was thinking about you a lot too."

Nathan cocked his eyebrow teasingly, "how come you never texted me? The phone works both ways, you know."

"I'm old fashioned," Haley shrugged, "I wanted you to do the work."

"Oh, ok, I see how it is, Ms. James." Nathan loved their flirty banter. Despite only knowing her very briefly, it felt as if he was reuniting with someone he'd known his whole life. "Is showing up to your classroom as romantic as I think, or is it creepy?"

"Romantic, definitely," she reached out to fiddle with the collar on his polo. "Is it bad to say I hope the Ravens win today?"

Nathan chuckled, "not at all. You gonna come?"

"I can't stay too long. I have to pick up Emma, but yeah, I'd like to see more of you, Coach Scott."
"Good, because I really do need to head back. They're probably wondering where I've run off to. I'd ask you to dinner after the game but…"

"Are you free Friday? I can arrange for my sister to watch Emma."

"That depends," he teased, "are you asking me out on a date?"

"Only if you say yes," she beamed.

"I'm saying Hell yes."

"Good. You better not lose my number this time," Haley warned lightly.

"Are you kidding? I'm gonna tattoo it on my arm," he held the door open for her as they began to walk towards the gym.

Haley's laugh echoed through the empty halls, "now that's creepy."

"Damn," he joked, "I guess I'll have to think of a better way to impress you."

"I'm looking forward to it."

They reached the gym, now crowded with eager basketball fans, ready to watch the rivaling teams compete.

"Good luck, Nathan," Haley said, "I'm rooting for you."

She winked, causing a hint of a blush to reach his ears.

"Thanks, your secret is safe with me."

"I'll text you after the game," she said over the noise of the crowd.

Nathan licked his lips, "I thought you don't like to do the work."

Haley gently nudged his shoulder, "You're worth it."

And with that, they separated. Haley, to an empty spot on the bleachers, Nathan to where his team was. Neither were able to contain their smiles, for the hope of what was to come.