Nathan's P.O.V.

I lie awake next to her, holding Haley in my arms as she sleeps. She has the tiniest bed on the planet and the "two feet" of space in the bedroom that she was joking about. The bedroom looks completely different than before.

I know I should feel bad about this, but somehow I can't bring myself to. She's all I ever wanted and it felt so right. The circumstances are shitty and I know the timing isn't too well either…but I couldn't hold back. I wanted her too much.

I do feel like a bastard because of Rachel. She doesn't deserve this – I know that…right now, I'm no better than I was with Peyton and that makes me sick. If Haley were anyone else, this wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't be a cheater. I had vowed to be a different person and never treat someone that way again and here I am, repeating past mistakes. I can't regret it though…something that right can't be a regret, it just can't.

I never feel more alive than I do with her – it's always been that way. She's part of my soul, the missing piece. That's why I felt so empty before.

I think back to that fateful night and the "double date" with Cooper, Jennifer and Rachel

FLASHBACK

"She's smokin' hot right, Nate?" Cooper leaned over and flashed me a grin across the table.

The ladies had gone to the restroom together (as they usually tend to do), leaving me with Cooper.

"She's hot, yeah," I say with little enthusiasm.

Cooper frowns, trying to poke fun at me, "did the wife take your gear with her? Does she have them in a jar?"

I shoot him an evil look. "Not funny Coop."

"Sorry Nate, I had to…c'mon… this slump you're in has got to go…I have delivered to you a ready and willing hot female and you act like you're awaiting execution."

I roll my eyes. Cooper is too damn dramatic.

"I'm sorry, I just – I'm not ready…" I finally say.

Cooper is silent for a minute and then nods. He understands, he's been where I am right now and it sucks.

"Alright, I'm done pushing…but someday, you're going to have to get back out there…"

"Yeah fine whatever…it's only been 4 weeks."

Cooper looks shocked, "you've gone 4 weeks without sex?"

I sigh heavily, "actually since you're so big on the subject, I've gone 8 weeks without sex…the annulment went through 4 weeks ago."

Cooper's jaw dropped. "Wow…"

I shake my head, frustrated and exhausted. I'm exhausted with the whole thing…I want to move on but I can't…I'm stuck.

"I just don't need to bring anyone else into this…I'm a mess Cooper," I say quietly.

The women are approaching the table.

"So, what do you say we all go back to Cooper's hotel?" Jennifer asks with a smile.

Rachel smiles at Nathan.

"Actually, Nate here isn't feeling too well, I think he's going to head back," Cooper says, putting a hand on my shoulder. I try to shoot him a grateful look but his eyes are trained on the women.

I stand up and Rachel hugs me.

"I hope you feel better," she says seductively in my ear.

I pull away and force a smile, "thanks…it was great to meet you."

I follow the group out of the restaurant and to our respective cars. The summer evenings are longer so the sun hasn't set.

Rachel and Jennifer are with Coop and I pull out onto the street behind them. We head down the road down the old Gulley Bridge and that's when everything takes a turn for the worse.

Cooper must have lost control of his car because I see him swerve from one side to the other, before he breaks through the bridge railing, sending the car over the side and into the river.

I act on pure instinct. Dialing 911 from my cell to report it, I can't just stand and wait. I dive in the water and am grateful that I can still see – if this had been at night, things may have turned out much worse.

All three had lost consciousness from the impact at some point and I manage to help the three out of the submerged car. Help arrives soon and the three are transported to the hospital.

I'm soaked and shocked at the events of the past thirty minutes. Mom and Dad rush to the hospital to see me and I assure them I'm okay.

I stay at the hospital until Jennifer, Cooper and Rachel are stabilized. Rachel had been in the worst shape of the three but they finally managed to stabilize her condition.

The police are calling me a hero, but I don't feel like one…if anything, if Rachel had been in my car, she wouldn't have gone through this at all…she'd been safe. That thought strikes me the hardest- she seemed like a nice girl and I couldn't see beyond my own grief over my lost relationship…I had quickly dismissed even spending more time with her and if I had just agreed to hang out with them, even for an hour, maybe it wouldn't have happened like this.

I know I can't think of things like that now…but it creeps back into my mind. One decision can change the whole course of your life.

I visit Rachel daily to check on her and after a week, she's finally released from the hospital. I have gotten to know her a little better and she seems very sweet. I think maybe I shouldn't have discounted the opportunity to get to know her better.

Haley's gone and she's not coming back – Rachel is here and genuinely wants to spend time with me…so why not?