Hey all, hope you like, also thanks for the reviews it's wonderful to know what you think.3 months later

Nathan's P.O.V

The forecast had predicted thunderstorms, but as far as Nathan could see, there were nothing but clear skies stretching endlessly ahead of him. The sun was shining brightly, the weather unseasonably warm for mid-April; burying his hands deep within the pockets of his dress pants, Nathan finally turned towards Natalie and followed her into the church.

The church was nearly filled to the brim, overflowing with some vaguely recognizable faces and many he'd never seen before in his life. As Natalie led him towards an empty pew in the middle of the church, he still could not quite believe that he was actually there. In a few moments, Hayley would be walking down the aisle in her white gown, Ethan waiting for her with a ridiculously happy grin spread across his face. His stomach churned unpleasantly at the thought.

Nearly three months had passed since his night with Hayley, and he'd spent almost every minute of every day since replaying it over and over in his mind. He could not quite forget the look on her face after it was over; her eyes burned so fiercely he could not look away. But, eventually, he had looked away, and he had realized the mistake he'd made. He loved Hayley, and this he knew, and understood, well, but he could not bring himself to ruin everything he'd promised to Natalie.

He wanted to believe that he had made the right choice by leaving Hayley that morning, her eyes shining with tears he knew she wouldn't dare shed, but it was becoming harder to convince himself that he had truly done the right thing. He had denied himself, and Hayley, the happiness he was so desperately trying to preserve for Natalie. But he knew that second-guessing himself was futile; he was at her wedding, and a change of heart would certainly be too late now.

He had made his choice, and he knew he would not change his mind. Beside him, Natalie smiled and squeezed his hand, her eyes bright.

"This is a beautiful wedding," she said quietly. "Hayley really did a fantastic job with the arrangements."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed, doing his best to smile. "She really did."

His eyes shifted from Natalie's still-smiling face towards the front of the church, his attention falling upon the spot where Ethan would eventually stand, waiting for Hayley to meet him there. He had not told anyone what had happened between himself and Hayley, and he never intended to; it was something he planned to keep buried for the rest of his life. He expected it to be a memory that he would revisit during the hazy moments he spent between sleep and consciousness, but he knew it would never be anything more than that.

But, as he sat there, dreading what was about to happen, he could not quite forget the feeling of her lips pressed against his, her breath warm against his skin.

"Hey, mate."

Nathan jumped slightly at the interruption, his eyes hastily traveling to the face of a half-grinning Jake. Trying his best to sound calm and relaxed, he replied, "Hey, how're you?"

"Great," he said, ushering himself into the pew, followed by Lucas and Leah. "Thought we were going to be late. Traffic was absolute murder."

"Yeah," Lucas agreed, nodding. "Hayley would've had us killed if we'd missed her wedding."

"You're probably right," Nathan agreed, feeling Natalie once again squeeze his hand. "That's why we arrived bright and early."

"Have you seen Peyton yet?" Lucas asked Jake.

He shook his head. "Not yet, no. She was at Hayley's father's house all morning getting ready."

"Ah, naturally," Lucas replied, a knowing smile spread across his lips.

Suddenly, a soft, melodic reached the ears of the guests, signaling the beginning of the ceremony. Nathan's eyes first strayed to the altar; Ethan was there, his best man at his side. Hurriedly, he looked away, choosing instead to focus his attention on the back of the church. Any moment now, the bridesmaids and groomsmen would begin their trek down the aisle, and then, he knew, she would follow.

He shifted nervously in his seat, feeling his stomach churn unpleasantly. Natalie grinned at him excitedly; she was completely oblivious to his discomfort, which both relieved and angered him. And then, before he knew it, it had begun.

A little boy and girl Nathan did not recognize made their way down the aisle, the girl scattering rose petals along the way. Everyone was smiling at them, but Nathan could do nothing but stare ahead blankly, feeling as though he was going to be sick. Just as the two children nearly reached the altar, Rachel came into full view wearing a pale green dress, escorted by one of Ethan's groomsmen. She was smiling brightly, her eyes catching Nathan's as she walked by; she looked almost sad as her eyes briefly fell over his face.

His eyes soon fell upon Brooke and another one of Ethan's groomsmen, her hair quite a bit shorter than it had been the last time he'd seen her. She, like Brooke, was smiling, but something in her face made it look insincere. Her eyes momentarily met his, but she quickly refocused her attention on the rest of the congregation; he shifted his gaze once again to the back of the church, feeling unsettled.

Peyton soon followed Brooke, looking quite beautiful as she walked unescorted down the aisle. Beside him, Jake muttered, "She looks smashing."

Unlike Rachel and Brooke, Peyton did not allow her eyes to wander in his direction. She kept her head held high and her gaze fixated on the altar, smiling all the while. He suspected he knew why she did not dare look at him; it was possible that Hayley had told her about the night they had shared together.

Finally, Peyton reached her place at the altar; the music stopped, a sense of anticipation settling over those gathered in the church. Nathan's heart began beating faster and faster, his palms sweating, his stomach clenching; it was only a matter of seconds now.

Moments later, the wedding march began to play and the doors opened. Nathan inhaled sharply as his eyes fell upon Hayley, dressed in an elegant white gown, her arm linked with her father's. He found himself tightening his grip on Natalie's hand, wanting desperately to look away from Hayley but knowing that he couldn't. And so he sat there, about to witness the love of his life marry someone else, his heart breaking all over again.

Hayley's P.O.V

"How can you oversleep on your own wedding day?" Brooke asked me as we sped down several streets towards my father's house, my hair still a ridiculous, frizzy mess.

"I don't know," I said irritably, feeling panicky. "What I do know is that I have less than five hours until I'm supposed to be at the church, and I still have to tame this beast I call a head of hair. That alone will take three hours, at least."

"Okay, okay," Brooke said, her voice calm and steady. "Everything will work out the way it's supposed to. You'll be at the church on time, don't worry."

"How am I not supposed to worry?" I said as my father's house finally came into view.

"You have three bridesmaids," she said as we parked. "We do your worrying for you."

"Right," I said as we hurried up the steps of the building, our arms loaded with the bulk of my wedding dress.

"Hayley!" Peyton said as she opened the door, already looking perfect; her hair was pulled back away from her face in an elegant knot. "I expected you here over an hour ago!"

"You act like I'm not already completely aware of this," I said as I pushed past her into the sitting room, noticing the hair and makeup stylists working on Rachel. "I overslept. I set three alarms, but apparently God has it out for me today or something."

Peyton sighed, but I paid her no mind; I deposited my dress onto one of my father's sofas and collapsed into a nearby chair, already exhausted. "To top everything off," I said, closing my eyes, "my mother's flight was delayed. She was supposed to be here last night, but now she doesn't know when she'll get here. Needless to say, she probably won't be attending her youngest child's wedding."

"I'm sure she'll get here in time," Rachel said, her mouth barely moving; the makeup artist was busy applying some kind of gloss to her lips.

"She will," Brooke agreed, nodding vigorously. "I know your mom. She wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Well, it's a bit beyond her control at this point," I said, sighing heavily.

"Stop worrying!" Brooke scolded, getting approving nods from both Peyton and Rachel. "You should be enjoying today, not stressing out over it."

"I agree," said Peyton as she sat down across from me in another armchair. "You should enjoy this. It's meant to be the happiest day of your life. Right?"

I hesitated a moment, piercing blue eyes momentarily flashing through my mind. "Yeah. You're right," I said, trying my best to smile.

"Of course I am," Peyton replied, grinning.

I looked away from her, deciding it was better to keep the thoughts that had been replaying themselves over and over again in my mind to myself. I had not told anyone what had happened between Nathan and I, and I certainly never intended to change that. A part of me knew that Ethan deserved to know, that entering a marriage with a secret already buried beneath us was surely the wrong thing to do; still, every time I looked into his deep brown eyes, I could not bring myself to tell him.

I had not received any threats on my life since that night, so I was fairly certain that Nathan had not told Natalie, either. As the makeup artist began to work on my face, I thought that maybe things were better that way. Maybe some things were just better left unsaid.

"Hayley."

I turned around, my eyes going wide as they landed upon her. Her eyes were shining, a large grin spreading across her face; without another moment's hesitation, I was crossing the room, my arms wrapping tightly around her.

"Mom," I said, my eyes closing as I breathed in her perfume; she smelled of vanilla and a slight hint of cinnamon, just as she always had.

"You look absolutely beautiful," she said as she released me, holding me at arm's length.

I smiled, adjusting the bodice of my dress slightly. "I thought you weren't going to make it," I said. "I thought the plane had been delayed too long, and you weren't going to be here in time."

"Hayley, I wouldn't have missed this for anything in the world," she said, a large smile spreading across her lips. "You know that."

I nodded, smiling. "Where's Alan?"

"He's already out there," she said. "There are only a few minutes before the ceremony's set to begin, so I just wanted to pop back here and see you before anyone else had. But, as I said, it's about to begin...so I should probably get out there."

She hugged me again, her grip a bit tighter than it had been before. "I love you, honey," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she exited the small room.

I stood there, a happiness I hadn't felt in quite some time settling over me; I had missed my mother while I had been away. But her words had caused a panic to creep its way over me; the ceremony's about to begin...

Everything felt wrong, so wrong. I wanted to run from the church, rip off my wedding gown and never look back. I didn't want the life that seemed to be waiting for me. I wanted to run from it, hide from it, somehow escape it. Hot tears sprung to my eyes, and I felt myself losing my breath; I had to run.

I turned and came face-to-face with Peyton, her eyebrows slightly raised. She searched my eyes for a moment, seeing the tears shining within them, and sighed quietly.

"What's going on?" she asked, setting down my bouquet of flowers.

"Nothing," I said quickly, attempting to smile. "I'm fine."

"You look like you were crying," she said, a hint of worry in her tone.

"I wasn't," I said, shaking my head. "I swear. I'm just a little nervous, that's all."

"Pre-wedding jitters," she said, nodding. "Apparently everybody gets them."

"Right," I said, taking a deep breath. All I could keep telling myself was to remember to breathe.

Remember to breathe, and everything will be okay.

"You know," Peyton said as she stepped closer to me, fixing a loose curl of my hair, "I'm really surprised that this is happening."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I said defensively, taking a step away from her.

"I don't mean it in a cruel way," she said calmly. "I'm just being honest. I just...I don't know. I guess I just thought that you'd think that this wasn't right for you or something. You've truly surprised me."

"I want to get married," I said, but it was only half-true. "Shocking, I know."

She laughed, fixing my veil. "You really do look beautiful, Hayley. Ethan's a lucky bloke to have you as a wife."

"Oh, god. Stop it before you say something really embarrassing." We laughed together, momentarily taking my mind off of everything that was about to happen.

"Hayley!" Brooke said excitedly as she burst into the room, quickly followed by Rachel. "You've got five minutes exactly. How nervous are you right now?"

"Incredibly," I said, taking another deep breath.

"Once you get up there, you'll be fine," Rachel said reassuringly, her smile bright. "Trust me."

"You're acting as though you've done this before," I said, a small smile on my face.

"You'll be fine, Hayley," Brooke said, her voice full of confidence.

"Everything will work out the way it's supposed to," Peyton said. I wondered what exactly she meant, but just as I was about to ask, my father stepped into the room.

"Ladies," he said, grinning from ear to ear, "you all look lovely. I've been asked to tell you to please take your places, as the ceremony is about to begin."

Peyton, Brooke and Rachel smiled at me as they walked out of the room to join Ethan's groomsmen. My eyes soon fell upon my father, looking happier than I'd ever seen him.

"Hayley," he said, and I noticed that his eyes were shining. "I have never seen anyone look as beautiful as you do right now."

"Dad," I said, grinning embarrassedly.

"Let me compliment my daughter on her wedding day," he said, pulling me into a hug. "It's not every day a father gets to watch his only daughter get married."

All I could do was smile; I could not tell him how excited I was, how happy I was, how perfect the wedding was. I wanted to tell him exactly how I felt, about how scared and unsure I was, but I knew I couldn't. He was too happy. And so was everyone else.

I heard the music begin to play, and I knew that Rachel was just beginning to take her first steps down the aisle. Brooke would follow, then Peyton, and then me. There were only minutes separating now and the time when I would become Mrs. Ethan Graham. My stomach churned unpleasantly; I felt as though I was going to be sick.

Breathe, Hayley. Remember to breathe.

I felt the doors open before me, and my eyes fell upon the crowd of people that had gathered to witness my wedding. Everyone seemed to blend together, the outline blurry; I felt my head spinning, but I knew I would not fall. My father's arm was protectively wrapped around mine, keeping me up and pushing me forward.

"It's time, Hayley," my father whispered to me as the soft music stopped and the wedding march began. My legs felt like jelly, but somehow I managed to take my first steps into the aisle, watching as everyone stood and turned to look at me.

All I could think about as I walked down the aisle was my body pressed up against Nathan's, our fingers interlacing, our lips touching. I could still feel his breath on my skin, warm and hurried. His eyes were flashing through my mind, deep, penetrating, so brilliantly blue. Those were the eyes I wanted to stare into for the rest of my life.

Remember to breathe. Remember to breathe.

I took another deep breath, my smile still firmly plastered onto my face. I wouldn't let the guests know how uncertain I was about what was about to happen. I allowed myself to look towards the altar, seeing Ethan standing there, grinning; I had to look away.

And then, I saw him. He was seated with Lucas and Jake, Natalie clutching his hand. His eyes met mine briefly, and in that moment I knew what we were both thinking. Neither of us wanted to be in that church, but things beyond our control had put us there. I broke the gaze first, determined not to be rejected again; staring straight ahead, I smiled wider as I found myself getting closer and closer to Ethan.

Before I knew it had happened, I found myself facing Ethan, our hands entwined. The priest had begun to speak, and I noticed that Ethan's hands were shaking. I looked up at him, but he merely smiled; Peyton must have been right when she said everyone got pre-wedding jitters.

The minutes flew by, and I barely took anything in. Everything seemed to be moving too fast for me to follow them. The priest was asking us to recite things, which we did, but none of it held any meaning. When the priest said the following words, however, I gave everyone in the church my full attention.

"If any person here has any reason to believe that these two people should not be married, please speak now or forever hold your peace."

I stared into the crowd, silently hoping that Nathan would stand up and tell everyone that he was still in love with me. A few moments of silence passed before the priest continued, and I felt myself let out a deep, regretful sigh.

And then, the moment of truth finally came. The priest turned to me and said, "Do you, Hayley Anne James, take Ethan Joseph Graham to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I hesitated, a million thoughts running through my mind. I thought of nights by the lake, days spent laughing and long drives in a black Mercedes. I thought of piercing blue eyes, rough hands and lips that felt so good against mine. But I knew, and I had always known, that they were only memories.

Taking one final deep breath, I said, very clearly, "I do." I slipped the gold band around Ethan's finger, watching as the priest turned his attention to Ethan.

"And do you, Ethan Joseph Graham, take Hayley Anne James to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Ethan hesitated much longer than I had, his eyes clouded and dark. His hands were still shaking, and I felt my stomach drop; I looked imploringly into his eyes, searching them for something, anything.

He opened his mouth, his hands slowly slipping away from mine. "I...don't."

Gasps of shock rippled through the church, the priest's mouth falling open; I felt my face heat up, my mind reeling.

"What?" I asked him, my voice high and shrill; my throat was slowly closing.

He looked around, swallowing hard. "I just...I know this isn't right, Hayley. I've known it, and I should've said it sooner, but I couldn't...I'm so sorry for doing it like this. But I think you know, deep down, that this doesn't feel right."

I couldn't speak; I had always thought that I'd be the one to walk away from him, and now the opposite was happening at the most inopportune moment of my life.

"I really do love you," he said, squeezing my hand before letting it go. "But we both know this isn't what either of us wanted."

And without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, alone, at the altar.

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