Hey you guys, here is the new chapter for you all. I hope you like it, I really liked the way it turned out and I would love it if you guy's reviewed letting me know what you thought of the chapter! Read and Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill

Chapter 20

"Oh my god, this is seriously cruel and unusual punishment." I groaned as I leaned my head against Nathan's chest as he guided me throughout the quad.

"Baby I would hardly classify an early study session as cruel and unusual punishment." Nathan said sarcastically while hugging me close to his body.

"It is when said study session is being held at seven in the morning on a Saturday and my boyfriend won't tell me where he is taking me." I replied while looking up at him. The other day I promised Nathan I would help him study for our English Lit test that was coming up, however I was sorely regretting it when he came knocking on my door at 6:30 this morning.

"Where I am taking you is a surprise, and I thought that we already discussed this James, you are always going to love my surprises." He looked over at me and sent me a cheeky grin. "Besides, we're here."

I looked up and saw what Nathan was gesturing to. Across the street was an old abandoned basketball court with a river right by it and a couple of picnic benches surrounding the outer edge of the court. "What is this?" I asked curiously as we crossed the street towards the basketball court.

"Well you know how I grew up in Tree Hill?" He asked me.

"Yeah." I answered still not getting it.

"Well whenever my dad would ride me about basketball, or I just wanted to be alone I had a place I would go to. It was called the river court and it was more or less my safe haven. And when I first got to Duke I did some exploring and I found this place." He led me over to a picnic table and we sat down.

"It reminded so much of the river court that anytime I just need some alone time I come here." He continued.

"It's so peaceful here." I said while looking around.

"Yeah." Nathan replied while looking toward the court.

"You really love it don't you?" I asked him.

"What?"

"Basketball." I answered back.

"Yeah, you know there were very few people who I trusted back in high school, it was basically just Luke and my mom, everybody else was just so fake. They didn't want to be my friend because I was Nathan, they wanted to be my friend because I was Nathan Scott the basketball player. And when I just needed to get away from it all, the game would take me away." He answered me while still looking out onto the basketball court.

"Thank you."

"For what?" He looked back at me his eyes questioning.

"For showing me this place, for being open with me."

"You should feel special James, I've never told someone this many things about me before." He said teasingly.

"Well I feel honored." I said while giggling.

"You should." Nathan answered while smirking. "The other day Lucas told me that I was getting soft."

I shot Nathan a look letting him know I preferred him as a softy. "Let's get to work Scott. I have an hour to teach you everything that is going to be on the test and then I have to go leave to meet Brooke at the mall."

"Okay but first, breakfast of champions." Nathan put a bag from his mom's café on the table and took out its contents.

"Oh thank god, I am starving!" I exclaimed as he handed me a cup of coffee.

"Well I couldn't very well let you starve James now could I?" He said while opening up a box of cracker jacks.

He pulled the prize out of the box while I stole some of his cracker jacks. "Okay, what's this?" He mumbled while tearing apart the paper that enclosed the prize. He pulled out a multi-colored bracelet and looked at it dumbfounded.

"Pink suits you Scott." I said while laughing. "Besides you should feel lucky, last time I got a fake tattoo with some random number."

"Well here." Nathan grabbed my hand and secured the bracelet onto my wrist.

"Don't say I never gave you anything."

"You don't look so good." I heard Nathan enter my kitchen and I shot him a look, telling him he better rephrase his last sentence.

"That's not what I meant." He added quickly. "You just look tired."

"Yeah, well you spend a day shopping with Brooke Davis and then get back to me." I leaned my head on the counter of my island. We had the apartment to ourselves since Brooke, Peyton and Rachel were all out with their respective boyfriends.

"Well, I know what would cheer you up." Nathan was behind me and I felt his hot breath tickle my neck and he kissed my sensitive spot and my eyes fluttered shut involuntarily.

"What's that." I said slightly distracted by his mouth.

"Ice cream."

"I like the way you think." I turned to look at him my eyes filled with excitement. "Let's go!" I ran out the door while I heard the sound of Nathan's laugh behind me.

"Anyone ever told you that you resemble a five year old James?" He asked as I impatiently waited for the elevator.

"Only every person who has ever met me." I sent him a sarcastic grin and when the elevator doors opened I rushed inside.

"Come on Scott, last one to your car buys the ice cream." I stuck my tongue out as I pressed the button on the elevator that closed the doors and I laughed as I watched Nathan's face dropped when he realized what I just did.

"It is so on James!" I heard Nathan's voice through the closed elevator doors and I started hysterically laughing.

"So it didn't really work out like I planned." I said as a stabbed the ice cream with my spoon and shoveled it into my mouth. "But I still got free ice cream." I said with a mouth full of my mint chocolate chip ice cream while sending Nathan a lopsided grin as he laughed at my antics.

"It's not like I was going to let you pay anyway James. Besides now you know not to race me." He said while laughing as I groaned. Back at the apartment building as soon as the elevator reached the bottom floor. Nathan was waiting by his car right outside of the building and when I reached him the first words out of his mouth were "What took you so long?"

That boy can run down steps like nobody's business.

"Well thank you for the ice cream." I said dramatically.

"So Hales, I have a good question." Nathan and I were walking along the docks downtown as we ate our ice cream.

"Shoot." I said while looking at him.

"Do you believe that everything happens for a reason? Like us ending up with asses as fathers, or Chris cheating on you."

I took a moment to ponder the question while surveying Nathan face. "It's not that I believe everything happens for a reason, it's just that…I just think that some things are meant to be broken. There has to be a few bumps along the way. That's just how life is because if everything was perfect you'd get to used to that. You have to have a little imperfection now and then, because otherwise you would never really enjoy it when things go right."

"Like us bumping into each other at the airport." Nathan said.

"Yeah." I said while laughing.

"So James, am I ever going to hear that voice of yours?" Nathan shot me a pleading look.

"Not a chance." I said while shaking my head.

"Okay, I'll let it rest." Nathan said while holding his hands up. "For now." He added.

"What got you into singing anyway?" He asked me interestedly.

"I don't know, it's just music has always been such a big part of my life. In high school when Peyton's biological birth mother died because of cancer we produced a benefit album to raise awareness and I just had so much fun working with the other bands and getting exposed to that world. I loved it."

"So why don't you sing publically? You know give it a shot." Nathan asked me confused.

"I don't know." I mumbled. "I guess it has something to do with my dad. I never really had much confidence because my dad was never there to push me to be greater. And whenever we did talk and I told him about my dreams and goals he would kind of just brush it off. I don't know, I guess somewhere along the line I developed a complex. Always feeling like I would never be good enough or that my dreams would never be good enough." The whole time I confessed this I was looking down at the ground. Never in my life had I told anyone what I just told Nathan. But when I was with him I found myself opening up and saying things that I had never said to anyone before.

"Hey." I felt Nathan's arm grab my elbow he halted our walking. He lifted my chin up with one of his fingers so that I was looking at him in the eyes. "Never think that you aren't good enough. You Haley James amazing and talented and often I find your kindness staggering. And I never want you to doubt yourself because you are going to do great things. You're going to change the world someday, and you don't even know it."

"Thanks." I said while looking down. "I was never really good at taking compliments." I added while laughing and soon I heard Nathan join in.

"Well your welcome, but you don't have to thank me Haley, I'm always gonna be that guy for you."

"What guy?" By this time Nathan and I had continued walking back towards my apartment and soon I felt his arm go around my shoulders as I leaned into his chest.

"The guy that always believes in you."

"H.James, I'm home!" I heard Peyton's voice and I furiously wiped away the tears that were making their way down my face. I heard her footsteps grow closer to the living room where I was situated and I tried to make it seem as though I hadn't been crying for the past half hour.

"Whoa, put down the cookie dough." I saw Peyton's alarmed face as I realized I still had the tub of cookie dough in my lap. "What happened?" Peyton took a cautious seat next to be on the couch and grabbed a spoon full of cookie dough and shoved it in her mouth.

"Nothing. I was just watching the notebook before you came in, you know how that movie makes me cry like a baby." I said trying to play it off.

Peyton looked at me for a few minutes studying my face. "Bullshit."

"What?" I asked acting confused.

"Don't play dumbass with me girlie, it's me Peyton Sawyer, you're best friend since childhood. Tell me what's going on." Peyton patted my leg and she sat cross-legged on the couch mimicking my position. "Was it something that Nathan did? Because if it is I swear I am gonna --"

"No." I said interrupting her. "Nathan didn't do anything." I said while shaking my head.

"Then what is it sweetie?" Peyton asked with a soft expression on her face.

"I'm scared Peyt." I said a few tears involuntarily making their way down my face.

"Of what?"

"I spent most of the day with Nathan, and I was telling him things that I had never told anyone before and I was okay with that, I was okay with opening myself up to him and that scared me. Nathan has become everything to me and I just, I don't want to lose that Peyt." My voice soft and wavering from the fresh batch of tears that were making their way down my face.

"Oh sweetie." Peyton said while running one of her hands through my hair. "Being afraid is okay, but if you don't work through that fear, you might miss out on some pretty great things, like Nathan."

"I know, it's just what if he ends up like Chris, what of he realizes that I'm not good enough for him?"

"Haley, does Nathan even remotely resemble Chris Keller?" Peyton asked me incredulously.

I shook my head no while slighting laughing at the expression on her face. "And as for him realizing that you're not enough for him, well that is just a load of crap, Hales do you even see the way that boy looks at you?" I laughed while closing my eyes when I opened them back up again Peyton's eyes were on me.

"And you look at him the same exact way."

"I know Peyton, I am falling for him, more than I have for any other person, and that is what scares me."

"You know Hales I can't tell you what to do about that, because only you can realize that being scared and taking chances is all a part of loving someone and giving yourself to them completely. But if you're always looking for reasons to not be with somebody, you'll always find them, and I guess at some point maybe you should let go and give your heart what it deserves."

R&R

--Storyofmylifee