The first time Ricky ever hit her, his mother had been in the next room, watching TV.

He was so clever, so manipulative. He'd have her begging him not to leave her. Sometimes it was okay, she did what he wanted and just thought that it was the way things were meant to be. Peyton kept quiet, learning enough of his cues so she wouldn't set him off.

She thought she was happy.

We were horrible together!

Yeah, I know, I was kinda hoping you forgot.

"Peyton?"

"Hmm?"

"You need to talk to me." Nathan said, taking the apartment steps two at a time. "What happened back there?"

Peyton opened her eyes and let out a long held-in sigh. She couldn't tell him anything, she knew him too well. He couldn't handle it.

I can describe Lucas in one word. Bastard.

Nathan Scott was known to overreact at even the smallest of things. Half of sophomore year was spent tormenting his brother, he'd threatened to beat the crap out of Chris Keller after he'd kissed Haley. He was a better person now, but during the rare occasions that he did get into a fight, he always came out on top.

"I fell." She announced, burrowing her face into his shoulder. "Ricky was just helping me up."

"You're lying." He accused. "Your cheek is starting to swell, Sawyer."

The door to his apartment had been left unlocked. He could just barely hear Haley over the music she was blasting. She was singing along, her voice an octave above the melody.

"Haley?"

"Nathan!" She called back eagerly, swinging the door open. "Hey, baby! How was your... Peyton?!"

Nathan laid Peyton down onto the couch before crossing the room again. He grabbed her hand without breaking stride and led her into their bedroom.

"What happened?" Haley demanded, easing herself down onto the bed. She felt sick, physically sick. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Nathan replied, dropping down next to her. "I was hoping you would. I mean, girls tell each other everything, right?"

Marriage is big. I don't know how you trust somebody for your whole life. I can't even date somebody with that escape hatch.

I don't know if it was so much about trusting Nathan, which I do, it was more about trusting myself.

"Can you get the first aid kit?" She asked, her hand wrapping around the door knob. "And a wash cloth, and maybe an ice pack."

He nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.

Nathan knew Haley better than anyone, he knew how she acted when she got nervous, he knew when she was lying to him. She was definitely hiding something from him, they both were, and he was going to figure it out if it was the last thing he did.

Haley had known for a month.

Ricky and I were just goofing around, Hales. It was an accident.

I was playing baseball with Brooke... Never again.

I fell down the stairs.

"Peyton..." Haley muttered, dropping to her knees. She reached out to cup Peyton's cheek, tears forming in her eyes.

"Please don't say 'I told you so' right now, Hales." Peyton replied weakly. "I really don't need to hear that again."

"H. James-Scott!" A familiar voice sang. Brooke Davis waltzed into the room like she still owned the apartment. "Hey, girlie. Are you ready to shop till we drop-Peyton?!"

Her shopping date with Brooke! How could she have forgotten? The seventeen year old cheerleader had only been texting her every two hours to express her excitement.

"Oh my god!" Brooke dropped her bag, rushing to clutch her best friend's hand. "Peyton... He didn't... I swear to god, I'm gonna kill the fucker!"

Can we be friends again?

Sure.

"Language!" She responded, managing to smile. "B. Davis, I'm fine, okay? It's not as bad as it looks."

Like before?

I don't think so... Like before is gone, Peyton

Brooke had forgiven Peyton twice. The first time was easy, Lucas had out-sluted the both of them. The second time had been harder, Peyton finding out the sex tape, the psycho Derek/Ian attack, spending a week sleeping in Lucas's bed. They were better than they had been before, which is the only thing that was keeping Brooke from beating the shit out of her best friend herself.

I got your back.

Great. Just don't stick another knife in it.

"Brooke?" Nathan raised an eye brow, handing the first aid kit off to his wife. "Great. Now that the gang's all here, you can tell us what really happened."

Peyton looked from Brooke to Haley, silently begging. She'd suffered far worse after the two girls had learned her secret, a black eye, a sprained wrist, black and blue marks across her skin that had taken weeks to fade.

"Peyton?"

"I told you!" Peyton sat up and winced, wrapping her arms around her side. "I fell, Nate! I'm fine! It was just an accident!"

"Leave. Her. Alone." Brooke snapped, her protective best friend instincts taking over. "I swear to god, Nate. Ask her one more question and I will end your existence."

He held his hands up in surrender. He'd known Brooke just as long as he had known Peyton, he knew exactly what she was capable of when it came down to the people she loved.

Hell, he was one of them.

Peyton winced again.

"She needs a doctor." Haley said. She grabbed the washcloth, wiping the blood from her friend's lip. "Girlie, I think you might have broken a rib."

"I think you're right."

Why do you even care anymore?

Why do I care? Brooke this has been one of the worst years of my life, and I needed my best friend now more then ever, but you, you cut me out of your life because I was honest with you, when you were never ever honest with me!

She stood up abruptly, letting the door fall shut behind her. This was her fault