"How long has it been going on?" Jake asked after handing me the ginger ale. We had just gotten back to the house, the whole ride I told Jake about me and Nathan. He was surprised, very surprised. He told me that he sort of sensed something going on though, he noticed that Nathan acted a little too friendly with me sometimes.

I sniffed and looked up at him, "about ten months."

"Wow, um wow." Jake said speechless.

I let out a bitter laugh, "yeah."

"And Rachel found out about you guys, that's what caused you know you-calling-me and stuff?" He asked.

I nodded, "she told me about two weeks ago that I have to stay away from him or else she would tell Conner."

"But you didn't stay away from him?"

I shook my head.

"So if you couldn't stay away from him, then why haven't you ended things with Conner?"

I looked at him with surprise, "because I love Conner, Jake. I'm not going to end an almost two year relationship for some guy that I was just having a fling with."

"Haley," he said in a serious tone, moving on the edge of his seat. "If it was just a fling, then why were you bawling your eyes out when I picked you up?"

I closed me eyes, and more tears started to fall. "Jake, I can't be with him! This wasn't supposed to happen." I put my head in my hands.

Jake brought his hands onto my knees, "what? What wasn't supposed to happen Haley?"

I didn't answer him, I couldn't answer him. I heard the door open downstairs and the voices of my family walking in.

"I should probably head out," Jake said standing up.

I wiped the tears away and stood up also, Jake brought me into his arms. More tears wanted to fall, but I held them back. Jake didn't need a soaking shirt.

"Your gonna be okay Hales, you'll get through this." He pulled away from me, his arms now on my shoulders, "whatever happens,with Nathan or Conner, know that I will always be here for you, okay?"

I smiled, and nodded.

"Okay, I'll see you later," he placed a kiss on my forehead.

"Bye Jake, thank-you again for saving me," I said before he walked out of the door.

Jake turned around, "one last question."

"What is it?"

"Why did you call me and not Lucas. I mean I'm glad you called, but I was just thinking that you know Lucas would probably be a better person to help you through this."

I smiled faintly, "your one of my best friends Jake, you were the first person I thought of."

Jake smiled and nodded, "just because you sort of well you know, cheated on Conner, I know why you did it. I don't have to remind you why I left Nikki right?"

"No," I said quickly, "no."

Jake laughed, "I love you know matter what James, and I won't say a word."

I smiled, "thank you Jake."

He nodded and walked through the door, Elizabeth replacing his previous spot.

"What was Jake doing here?" She asked.

I shook my head, "just stopped by. How was the town?"

She smiled, "good. Your grandparents really liked it there."

That made me smile, "good."

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"So then she was like, 'and I totally banged him till his head burst' and then I was like 'please bitch, like he would even look at you' and then..."

"Brooke!" I stopped her story, "just get to the point."

"Geesh Tutor Girl, not having Conner around for a whole week has made you a little cranky," Brooke said with a small frown on her face.

"No, I just don't know if I can handle another one of your long, amazing, girl fight stories."

"Well, fine then. I will just go and find Lucas, him hearing me getting into a girl fight totally turns him on," she winked at me.

"To much information," I muttered as Brooke skipped through the hallways.

"What information?" I smiled as I heard the voice ask from behind me. I put my binder into my locker and turned around, jumping into his arms.

"I missed you," I said into his ear softly.

"I missed you too baby, I missed you so much," Conner pulled away from me, still holding me up around the waist, and brought his lips to mine.

"Okay children, lets keep this 'G' rated please," Peyton said, coming up with Jake.

I laughed as Conner put me back on the floor, "what's up skinny? Hey Jake," him and Jake did this handshake as Peyton and I hugged. Break was over, and this was the first time I was seeing everyone since they got back. Brooke picked me up this morning, so I got her whole trip in the car. Hopefully Peyton's will be a little more, not so bitchy.

"Hey girlie, how was Tree Hill while I was away? Anything juicy happen?" She asked me pulling away and leaning against the lockers.

"Nope," I too leant against the lockers, "pretty boring in Tree Hill."

She laughed, "of course Brooke wasn't here, nothing could happen."

We laughed as Jake and Conner walked up to us. "So what did you, Jake and Lucas do?" Conner asked.

Jake and I looked at each other, "nothing," we said in unison.

Conner and Peyton gave us weird glances, Lucas and Brooke walked up, having impeccable timing.

"You guys will so not believe this!" Brooke said more to Peyton and I. The guys immediately started their own conversation.

"B. Davis, you have been back in town for a day, how the hell do you have the gossip already?" Peyton asked our friend.

"Don't be hatin, any way guess who got pregnant?" When we gave her confused looks she continued, "Melissa Gorge!"

"No way!" Peyton yelled.

"Way! And supposedly the rumor is the Greg Mason is the father!"

"Greg Mason? You mean the head of the Academic Team?" I asked surprised.

"That's why it makes this so much juicier!" Brooke screamed.

"Hey Nate!" My head shot up, and the sight before me just made me sick. Nathan was walking towards us, me, with Rachel under his arm. A huge smile on her face, a smile that said 'I won!'.

I turned towards my locker, pretending like I was putting books in it while everyone talked to him and I guess his girlfriend. Conner came up from behind me and leant against he locker next to mine.

"So, dinner Friday?"

I smiled and turned to him, "sounds perfect."

"I was thinking that maybe we should sort of start over?"

I scrunched my face together, "start over? Like what they do in movies 'Hi my name is Haley, we've been dating the past two years but some bad things happened so lets pretend like we don't even know each other'?"

Conner laughed, "no! But I don't know maybe take a step back? The past couple of weeks have been a little strained between us, and I don't know if it's me or you but I do know that I want to get back to being 'us' again. What do you say?"

"I would love that."

He smiled, his perfect teeth showing.

"How about you Haley?" I turned my head at the mention of my name, automatically regretting it. Rachel. I tried to focus all my attention on her and the not the raven haired male standing next to her, who by the way I felt his eyes boring into the back of me this whole time!

"I'm sorry?"

"Brooke just came up with a great idea, she thinks we should get new uniforms. What do you say?" She asked with sweet innocence in her voice.

"Sure, whatever." I shot a look at Conner, sending a plea to get me out of here.

He understood, "sorry guys, but Haley and I have class." He wrapped his arm around my waist, and started guiding me away. I kept my eyes on the floor the whole time, but I felt his eyes on me till we turned the corner.

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"Nathan and Rachel? I for sure, did not see that coming," Peyton said before popping a cracker into her mouth.

"Oh neither did I Goldilocks, but the world is a strange place," Brooke said.

"Okay, can we stop talking about Nathan and his girlfriend for like five seconds please?" Conner begged.

"Yeah, I'm sure there are better topics to talk about," I added. I really did not want to hear another word about Nathan or his...

"Hey guys!" What the fuck!?

"Oh... hey Rachel?" Brooke said, the same look of confusion on her face as ours.

"Nathan and I were just wondering if we could sit here," she said, her eyes shooting to mine. Was she doing this on purpose?

"We can go somewhere else Rachel," a very uncomfortable Nathan said.

"Yeah there's really not a lot of room here," Conner added.

"Don't worry about it, of course you guys can sit here," the all mighty saint Lucas said.

I took a deep breath as Nathan sat across from me, my eyes burning a hole into my lunch.

"Um Haley, maybe we should start our photo project now. You never know when we will have another chance to do it," I shot my head up to Jake. No words could describe how much I love him right now.

"Yeah...your... your probably right," I started gathering up my lunch.

"Oh, you're leaving?" Rachel asked.

I looked at her, Nathan in my line of vision now. "Yeah... project... big," I don't even think I was speaking english, but I really did not care as I darted towards the entrance with Jake. We closed the doors behind us, I turned to Jake and hugged him. "Thank you so much!"

He pulled away, "I knew that was hard for you, and Conner was noticing that you were a little on edge."

I closed my eyes, only to reopen them when the door opened again. Peyton?

"Hey," she turned to Jake, "you left your book."

"Oh thank you," he grabbed it and leant in for a kiss but Peyton pulled away.

"Okay, now tell me what the hell is going on," she said in a stern voice.

Jake and I shared confused glances, "what are you talking about babe?"

"Jake, you don't even take photography!"

I gulped, as Jake looked at the floor shamelessly.

"Peyton, don't be mad. This is my fault," I said.

"Fault? What is going on?"

"I can't tell you, but it's taken care of. That's all you need to know."

"Haley," she said in a dejected voice, "I'm your best friend, you can't tell me but you can tell my boyfriend?"

"No! Peyton you are my best friend, but this isn't even worth knowing. Trust me?"

Peyton looked between the two of us, "it better not be anything."

Jake smiled before placing his arms on her shoulders, "it's not! Now go back to the table and put a cute smile on your face."

Peyton smiled before kissing him and waving bye to both of us. Jake and I let out sighs of relief, "that was close."

"Too close, god I hate Rachel! You know she was doing that on purpose!" I screamed out. I could seriously walk back out there and strangle the girls neck.

"Doing what on purpose?"

I shot him an 'you know what' look, "Jake, she was flaunting him in front of me like he's a trophy and she won the prize!"

"Well she sort of did..." Jake spoke out before I whacked him in the shoulder.

"Nathan is not some prize," we started walking back, "and it's not like he's with her because he wants to be..." I shut my mouth once I realized what I had said.

Jake looked at me, "Haley, from what you have told me, you hurt him, you hurt yourself. Nathan is moving on, just like you are trying to reconcile with Conner. Why are you trying to make this more of a big deal? It was just a fling right? But if you keep talking like this, I'm gonna start to wonder maybe you care about Nathan more than you have lead me to believe."

We had stopped walking by that point, we stood in the middle of the hallway. I stared up at Jake, he had a knowing look on his face that said 'what I just said is right'.

"I love Conner, you know that?" Jake nodded, "but with Nathan...it's...it's different. When I'm with Conner I feel like I have to act like the perfect girlfriend, the one who gives him kisses all the time, hangs onto his every word, or jumps into his arms every time I see him. But when I'm with Nathan," the thought brought a smile to my face, "he makes me feel alive. Like he's the one that will make everything okay, even though he's dangerous. I feel more safe in his arms then in Conner's, which is horrible I know, but I can't help..." Jake interrupted my rambling.

"Haley, I just have one question for you." I nodded and he continued, "I want you to close your eyes."

I laughed, "Jake that's not a question."

He smiled, "just close them."

I obliged and closed my eyelids, "okay now what?"

"I want you to think of your favorite place in the whole world, the beach, the mountains, your room," we both laughed, "got it?"

"Yeah."

"Now, I want you to look to your left in your head. Who do you see?"

After a couple seconds, I opened my eyes slowly, my breath was short, and now I was shaking.

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"Nathan! Nathan!" He turned around and I smiled.

He waited till I reached him, "what do you want?"

I was taken back by his sharp tone but dismissed it, "how um... how are you?"

"I'm fine, are we done?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly in confusion, "no... I wanted to talk to you... the other night..." Nathan interrupted me.

"The other night was a mistake, and you're right. You and me...it's done."

"What?" I said softly under my breath.

"What? What Haley? What the hell do you want from me? I agree to your fucking terms, I came to you when you needed me, I was there when your punk wasn't. What the hell was I to you? The guy you wanted to screw when life got tough?" He voice rose a little louder.

"Nathan! Please keep your voice down." I looked around, to make sure no one who was walking by heard him. They hadn't.

Nathan looked at me with complete disbelief, "you know what. I'm glad this thing between us is done, you hanging around me just made me look bad."

"You don't mean that," I said with hurt in my voice.

"Believe me, I do. Why don't you go run off with your bitch, go and play house. Pretend like your the perfect couple, go and screw everyone over while you're doing it. I for one, know you're a pro at screwing people over."

"Why are you being so..."

"Like what Haley? Why am I being mean? Because that's the way life is, it's a bitch Haley, and people are mean. Get over it, like I got over you." He turned around and walked away, as I stood there speechless. I tried so hard to hold the tears back, but my plan wasn't really working. Once my legs started working again, I walked over to my car and climbed in. Once the door was closed, the tears fell freely as I sobbed.

I saw Nathan. When Jake told me to close my eyes, I saw him. Not Conner, not my boyfriend but Nathan. And I can't believe I was willing to throw away my relationship with Conner for that jack-ass! How could I have been so stupid? He never cared for me, all he wanted was the sex.

But why did he go along with it for so long? Did he like me calling him in the middle of the night, or our secret make-out sessions, the talks that we had? Cause I for sure loved them, was he just bored with his life and I was his entertainment? Why the hell am I crying over this bastard?!

I'll tell you Haley! Probably because you want to be with him more than Conner, but he just made it clear that he wants nothing to do with you. Once the tears had slowed down, I turned the car on and pulled out of the parking space.

The last thing I saw leaving the parking lot, was Nathan and Rachel kissing against his bike. That image just brought a new batch of unwanted tears. He seemed to be the only one who could do that to me.

"Brooke, what am I doing here?" I asked the girl next to me.

"Oh come on, Tutor- Girl! Have some fun, live a little!" We were currently at Bane's house, at another high school party. People were everywhere, people were here that didn't even attend Tree Hill High. They're either drunk, stoned, or sober but pretending like they are drunk or high. Man I really wish Conner was here right now. He had to attend some stupid business dinner with hid dad, leaving me alone with Brooke, Peyton, and Lucas. Jake had to work, so Peyton knew what I was going through.

"Okay, the line is longer than route 66. Why do so many have to pee, half the people are passed out!" Peyton said coming back from her trip to the bathroom.

"Well P. Sawyer, just don't drink anything for the rest of the night. That way you won't have to go to the bathroom again." Brooke said before taking a sip of her own drink.

"I didn't even get to go!" She screamed back.

I laughed, "come on Peyton I'll go with you. Bane has a bathroom upstairs."

"I'm gonna go find Lucas, when you two are done come find me and we'll dance!" Brooke went the other direction in her search for Lucas.

"Let's go James before I my bladder explodes!" Peyton grabbed my hand and started dragging me through the crowd. We reached the stairs, and she let me go first so I could show her the way to the bathroom. We reached the top of the stairs and I showed her the hallway, the bathroom at the very end. I told her I would wait for her at the banister.

I turned around and walked over to the banister, resting my elbows against it, scanning the family room at all the drunk dancing people. Why the hell would a girl wear a leather skirt to a party? That's just asking for trouble, and do drink also?! What the hell are girls thinking these days? What is wrong with a simple pair of tight jeans, a cute top that's not too revealing, and a nice hairdo? I am perfectly fine with my appearance, why can't they be?

My thoughts were cut off when I saw four guys enter the room, my breath catching in my throat. Nathan Scott entered the room, with three of his buddies behind him. Nathan was talking to Bane, which confused me because I had no idea Bane was even friends with Nathan. It had been a week since I had my little run-in with him, and I was happy that I hadn't seen him. But god did he look good wearing just jeans and a wife-beater.

As if sensing my eyes roaming him, he looked up from Bane and straight at me. I gasped, but didn't look away. I couldn't, his eyes were memorizing. Then his lips formed into a smirk, and for some reason my cheeks grew red.

"Hey," I jumped at Peyton sudden appearance. "Sorry didn't mean to scare you."

I laughed, "it's... it's okay. You done?"

"Yeah... but um I forgot that Jake was going to call me tonight and I left my phone in my car. Would you hate me if I left you here and went to call him? I would be gone for about twenty minutes?"

"Yes Peyton, go call your boyfriend. I'll be here when you get back."

"Thanks Hales," she turned around and headed for the stairs.

I turned back to the crowd below me, my eyes traveling back to where he was supposed to be except he wasn't. I then did something I never thought I would do. I started looking for Nathan Scott. He was like a drug, take one wiff and you're addicted.

"Looking for me?" I shot my head to the side, Nathan was talking to me.

I let out a nervous laugh, "no, why would I do that?"

He smirked again, "you tell me." He then walked next to me and leant against the banister, still looking at me.

"So," I wanted to change the subject, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm not allowed to come to a party? What did your boy make up that rule?"

"No, I just never see you at parties, that's all."

"I don't do high school parties, that's why."

"You're here now," I pointed out to him.

"I'm here for business."

"What kind of business?" Does he have a job?

"Business that doesn't concern you."

"Oh. Okay I get it, you know we barely know each other and I highly doubt that your are going to tell me what you and your friends do which you know I understand I wouldn't tell somebody..."

"Do you always ramble when you're nervous?" He asked interrupting me.

"I am not nervous," that was a lie.

Nathan laughed, "so where's your boyfriend?"

"Not here," I answered him shortly.

"Really?" He then turned his body towards me and took a step forward. What is he doing? "So he wouldn't be able to see us right now talking?"

"No he wouldn't. Why does that matter though? There's nothing going on between us for him to see."

He took another step forward, "of course not. But I do have a confession to make."

"What?"

"I haven't stopped thinking about you since our meeting a couple days ago," he said whispering in my face with his husky voice.

My chest was rising and falling very heavily, "really?"

His smirk grew wider, "really." He took another step closer, the distance between us slowly decreasing along with my senses.

"Haley?" I turned around to meet the confused face of Peyton standing there.

"Peyton," I said with relief in my voice, "hey, you're back."

"Yeah I am, am I interrupting something?"

"Yeah you are, why don't you run off with those chicken legs of your and leave your friend to me," Nathan said with anger and annoyance in his voice.

Peyton shot me a look, a look that said she was scared for my life.

"Um," I turned back to Nathan, "I have to go."

His eyes returned to mine, "Haley?" I heard Peyton say from behind me.

"Bye," I whispered to him before turning around and walking downstairs with Peyton.

"What the hell was that about?" Peyton asked.

"What?"

"Since when did you and Nathan Scott suddenly become hot and heavy?" She asked grabbing my arm making me stop.

"What are you talking about Peyton?"

"Haley, he was practically shoving his tongue down your throat."

I scoffed, "no he wasn't."

"He was about to!" She shouted.

"Why are you making a big deal about this? It was just small talk."

"Small talk huh?"

"Yes," I said again. What is her problem?

"If it was just small talk, then why the hell is Nathan Scott staring at you like he wants to have sex with you right now?"

I gave her a confused look and turned around. Nathan Scott was indeed boring his blue eyes into me. His friend was talking to him, but from what it looked like Nathan wasn't paying attention.

"Be careful around him Haley," I turned back around to Peyton.

"Peyton, we were just talking!"

"I know, I know. I guess I was just a little worried about seeing you and Nathan Scott talking together. I've heard some pretty crazy things about him, and just seeing you talking to him really scared me."

I sighed, "Peyton, don't worry. Believe me, that is the last time I will probably ever talk to Nathan Scott again."

But apart of me, really wished that statement wasn't true.

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Hey guys! Hope you liked this chapter! So is anyone else really sad that OTH isn't on? I am seriously depressed :( But only about three or four more weeks left! Anyway, please review!