Disclaimer: I do not own OTH nor do i own Naley, I'd love to own James but alas i do not own him either. So really it appears that all i own is a computer lol

A/N: Okay so a reviewer pointed at an error to me about the basketballs team i said Nathan was on. Nathan is on The LA lakers team, i said Knicks in the first chapter. Extremely sorry about that. I'm an Australian so i don't really know much about US basketball team

Chapter 2: Smile like you mean it

"I'll get it" Jake said to Peyton and Haley when he heard the doorbell ring. Jake and Peyton lived together in the house the Peyton grew up in. Peyton's father had met a woman in the keys a year earlier and was now living there with her.

"Hello girlie's" Brooke said in a cheery voice when she and Jake walked back into the kitchen where Peyton and Haley were sitting.

"Brooke!" A delighted Peyton yelled as she ran over to her best friend and gave her a generous hug which Brooke returned.

"Hello tutor girl" Brooke said with a genuine smile.

"Brooke" Haley smiled, "Congratulation's".

"Thank-you" Brooke replied as she gave Haley a warm hug.

"Yeah a big congrats on how well you fashion line is going" Jake added.

"Thank-you again, i know my life is great" Brooke said truthfully, "But as much as i like talking about me, i want to know what's going on with you guys".

"Nothing really. Jake's the assistant coach at tree hill high. I'm still doing the whole Tric thing... I'm actually kind of Haley's boss" Peyton laughed.

"Not kind of, you are my boss" Haley added.

"What about you Hales, how's your life?" Brooke asked.

"Well, I'm working at Tric and i still do shifts at the cafe. After graduation i wasn't in the right head space to go to collage. But I'm actually going to community collage right now" Haley told her. Haley always felt a little embarrassed when she told people that she didn't go to collage after high school. Everybody had expected her to go, she was after all Tutor girl. But Haley had decided to stay in Tree Hill, with the hope that Nathan would return and let her explain her self.

"And what about guys?" Brooke asked in a sly voice.

"No, no guys" Haley replied with a disheartened tone.

"Yeah, no guys" Peyton agreed, "Haley here is practically a born again virgin".

"Peyton!" Haley said in a high pitched voice as she lightly punched Peyton's arm.

Jake had left to let the girls catch up. The conversation has been going smoothly and all three of the girls were starting to feel like it was old times again.

"So when are you going to ask me?" Brooke asked Haley.

"Ask you what?" Haley replied with bewilderment.

"When are you going to ask me about the very handsome Scott brother's" Brooke said to her. Peyton smiled at this, she was the same old Brooke.

"Ah, them" Haley had become visibly uncomfortable.

"In the word's of Brooke Davis, the monkey in the room" Peyton laughed and Brooke just rolled her eyes.

"Sure I mean I would love to know about both of them. But I figured it was best to leave that can or worm's closed".

"Sorry honey but Lucas is here and Nathan will be here in two days. That can of worm's is going to open weather you want it to or not" Brooke told her.

"You know Lucas and you used to be tight. I'm sure if you talk to him, you guys can work everything out" Peyton suggested.

"I still remember the last conversation I had with him, like it was yesterday" Haley sadly smiled.

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"Hi Haley" Lucas said as he walked into his mother's cafe.

"Lucas" Haley said with surprise. She hadn't seen Lucas all summer, Collage was starting soon and she had become scared that she wouldn't see him before he left. "Your mom isn't here right now".

"I know, I wanted to see you" He told her as he took a seat at the counter.

"I've really wanted to talk to you Lucas" Haley told him.

"Yeah Hales... Look I'm sorry for yelling at you that night, I mean you've always been there for me even when I've royally screwed up. It wasn't right of me" Lucas apologized.

"It's alright I deserved it. I still do".

"Haley you have to understand. Nathan is my brother I have to be there for him. Ans also I guess a part of me feels guilty" Lucas tried to explain.

"Why do you feel guilty, I'm the one that cheated on Nathan not you" Haley replied with confusion.

"Because after you came back from the tour I kept telling Nathan to forgive you... To take you back. I kept trying to push him back to you, now a year later his heart is broken again" Lucas said with an un-happy tone. "Why Haley?"

"I don't know Lucas. I was drunk, Matt was charming. Rachel and Nathan had been spending so much time together after the accident, I was getting jealous... Truth is Lucas I don't know why I did it. It's not even like me. Maybe that's the point. That night I was trying to be like Rachel... I wanted to get Nathan's attention, so I dressed up like a slut and I drank way to much" Haley laughed to her self, "It's so stupid I did it all to get his attention even though I knew he wasn't there. I figured when I came home wasted he would finally realize that his life wasn't the only one being affected by that stupid accident".

"I really don't know what to say" Lucas replied. Haley has slept with Matt almost six months after the accident. But he knew that Nathan and Rachel had developed a strong bond in the months that had followed the accident. But Nathan had never had romantic feeling's for Rachel, and he had never cheated.

"There is nothing to say Lucas. I did what I did and now I have to live with it" Haley sighed.

"Haley the reason i had to see you today is there is something I have to say to you. Nathan is going to need me to stick by him. He's in really bad shape. I've only talked to him over the phone but I can tell he's not doing well, and I also know that if I forgive you and stay friends with you he will shut me out. I'm sorry Hales, I really am" Lucas told her. He honestly was sorry, he was still angry out her for what she did, but she was also Haley, his best friend. He didn't want to choose, but he knew he had to.

"It's okay Lucas. I understand. Besides it makes me happy knowing that you'll be there for Nathan. I'm really glad that he won't be alone, he doesn't deserve to be alone".

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Lucas sat in his mother's cafe sipping on coffee as he watched his mom and Keith play around while cleaning up behind the counter. Lucas was thinking about the last time he spoke to Haley. He had been sitting in the same spot he was sitting in now.

That day Lucas had forgiven Haley in his mind as they spoke. But then when he went to Duke with Nathan things changed. The more he saw Nathan crumble into pieces, the more he got angry at Haley all over again.

As time went on Nathan seemed to become okay. He smiled and he laughed. But Lucas knew that it was only an act, that deep down Nathan was still a broken man inside.

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"Scott, I haven't seen you in months" Nathan looked up from his drink to see a tall blond woman smiling down at him.

"Hey... Kerry" Nathan guessed as he looked her over. She looked some what familiar.

"Candy" She corrected him but the fact that he had forgot her name didn't seem to bother her, "So I'm in town all this week. We should hook up".

"Sorry Candy, but I'm actually going out of town" He told her. He gave her a smile before getting up and leaving the bar.

Nathan wasn't in the mood for company. He had spent the whole night contemplating what his life had become over the past few years, and let's just say the conclusions he came to didn't exactly put him in the mood. He had gone from being a son, to a husband, to a wreck, to a liar. Nathan had a reputation of being a 'playboy'. A reputation that Nathan liked. When he met woman they knew he had no interest them other then physical, usually the feeling was returned.

Nathan found it easy to smile and fake happiness that he hadn't felt in years. But now he was scared. He was scared that the moment his feet touched Tree Hill his walls would crumble down and he wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. That the truth would come falling out and he wouldn't have the strength to survive it.

Two days later Nathan Scott stood at the airport feeling more terrified then he had in years. This was it, his past was finally going to catch up to him. The question was could he handle it

TBC

brutus: thanks for pointing out the team thing, I'm an Aussie and have no idea about American basketball teams

naley-obsseshunz-xOx: I love constructive criticism. And i totally see where you are coming from. Hopefully i manage to do justice to the characters.

Okay guy's please review, it's always nice to know what you guy's are thinking