A/N: 2/2 for updates! Please review, I love writing this story, I just wanna know people enjoy reading it! I don't own OTH

Chapter 5-Bless the Broken Road

"Haley" Nathan said from the counter

"Nathan" Haley said at the exactly same time.

"BROOKE!" they said in unison

"Present" she said giggling "Hey, Luke, can you come here for a sec? I want to show you something…." She said motioning towards the lounge room

"Ok…" he said moving from his seat next to Nathan

"Hey, Luke!" Nathan barked as his brother moved

"See ya!" Brooke and Lucas said as they closed the connecting door to the lounge room.

"Do you think that's going to work, Brooke?" Lucas asked glancing nervously towards the closed door.

"Probably not, but they've got to start somewhere, right?" Brooke said as she pulled him onto the couch and started making out.

"Nathan. I" she started

"Save it, Hales" Nathan snapped

Both fell quiet. Haley could kill Brooke for doing this to do her, she fumed silently. She watched Nathan for a few moments. He had a scrawl on his face, only seen when he was really annoyed with something…or someone. Haley couldn't believe that she could still read Nathan after all these years.

"I'm really sorry about the marriage, Nathan" Haley whispered

"Which one?" he said nastily

"Give me a break, Nathan; you were the one that initiated the annulment papers" Haley replied

"After you left to go on tour with Chris Keller!"

Haley rolled her eyes before replying

"Are we really back to this, Nathan? I didn't sleep with him!" she exclaimed

"But you kissed him!" Nathan said painfully

"I was confused, Nathan! You had given me an ultimatum, and he was about to make one of my dreams come true!"

"Did your dreams come true, Hales?" Nathan said, looking her straight in the eyes

"Not like I thought they would" she said honestly

"Really Hales?" he said disbelievingly.

The chemistry in the room was practically electric. They still stood in opposite sides of the kitchen, not knowing what to say next. Haley stared at a spot on the floor, unable to make eye contact with him.

I could kill Lucas Nathan thought. To be in the same room as the person who broke his heart in the first place was difficult beyond words.

"God, Nathan looks hot" Haley thought as she scanned his body from his black Nike shoes up to his khakis to his red polo shirt. As Haley's finally reached Nathan's face, he was displaying the famous Scott smirk.

"Still like what you see?" he asked cockily

"Oh shut up!" she said playfully, her cheeks flushing bright red with embarrassment.

"You look good, Hales" he said softly

"You're not entirely bad looking either"

"Do you think they have made up yet?" Brooke whispered behind the door

"I don't know..."Luke said as he nuzzled Brooke's neck

"Hey quit it! I'm trying to listen!"

"Brooke!" Lucas whinged

"Lucas" she said mocking his tone

"Leave them alone"

"Since I got them together, I should be privy to a little Naley reconciling" Brooke said pressing her ear closer to the door

"I don't know Brooke I don't hear a lot of talking in there" Lucas said joining Brooke on the floor, with their ears practically glued to the door.

"Well, at least they're not shouting" Brooke said dryly

"Good point…maybe they're doing something else" Lucas said shuddering in thought

"Oh god" Brooke said

"Yeah I know!"

"No, I haven't cleaned that floor since we moved in" she said

"Come on, Cheery; let's leave them to it…." Lucas said pulling Brooke up and towards the front door.

"Good idea, I don't really want to hear the freaky make-up sex…" Brooke said, skipping out into the drive way

"Ew!" the married couple said in unison.

Haley made a step towards the centre of the room

"Bad looking? Is that all you got?" he asked

"Fine! Your still hot ok?!" she said laughingly

"Now the truth comes out!" he said meeting Haley in the middle of the room.

They were now facing each other, their feet touching slightly

They could not take their eyes off each other, Nathan and Haley seemed to be in a kind of trance.

Nathan reached out and tucked a stray piece of Haley's hair behind her ear.

The action shocked her and she jumped back slightly

"Hales…" he said faintly, watching her intently

"Why do we always end up like this?" Haley sighed

"Ahh I guess true love stories never have endings"

"Hmmm sounds like you are channelling Lucas there, you taking Brooding lessons from him or something?" she said trying to lighten up the mood

"I'm serious, Haley, it always been you" he said earnestly

"Nathan you just can't say that!" Haley said moving back, creating more distance between the pair

"Why not?" he said defiantly, moving towards Haley

"Because for one you're still married, to Peyton" Haley said painfully

"Let me explain" Nathan said, looking directly into her chocolate eyes

"Explain what Nate? That you divorced me and decided you'd prefer what you had before?" she said, tear falling rapidly down her delicate features.

"Haley, you should know…" he started again, with a heavy heart

"Know what, Nathan? That you are the one person that can pull the rug completely from underneath me just when I was back on solid ground" she cried, her whole body shaking

Nathan continued to look helplessly on at his ex-wife. She turned away from him.

Haley continued to sob, grasping on the island in the middle of kitchen for support. The emotions that she had bottled up the last 10 years came pouring out, her love for the man standing in front of her consuming her completely.

"Haley..."he tried again, touching her shoulder, trying to make Haley to turn around to face him.

Haley twirled around with such force, Nathan stumbled back.

"Don't, Nathan, don't say my name like that! Like you've known me the last 10 years or even loved me?" she said in such despair, that Nathan's heart began to break.

"Did you think all these years I didn't love you? That I didn't care about you? That every time I saw you on television or on the radio I didn't think about being with you? Or how jealous I was seeing you with all those pricks over the years?"

Haley stood there speechless.

"Haley, I meant what I said, it's always been you, I loved you since we were 16, I will always love you…always and forever" Nathan said, whispered the last 3 words

"Always and forever that's what sucks, Nathan! Just because I went on tour doesn't mean I didn't stop loving you! And you moved on with the one person I was threatened of!"

She said, angry at his admission.

"You don't know what happened between Peyton and me"

"Peyton and I" she corrected softly

Nathan knew that he wasn't getting through; she was more strong willed then when they were teenagers if possible.

"I saw you, you know" he said softly

"Saw me? When?"

"After a concert in Madison square Garden, you sang a cover of "Bless the Broken Road". You said it was for the special someone in your life" Nathan saw the shocked expression on Haley's face.

Nathan continued speaking

"You wore that ugly ass poncho, and you wore your hair down like you do now"

Haley took a deep breath and continued to back away from Nathan. She remembered that performance. She had just turned 21, and she was playing to a sold out crowd.

Hey you have been an awesome crowd, now this is for a special someone out there…

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you…

Nathan stood in the front row, off to the side, out of Haley's eye sight

He had seen Haley's eyes glaze over as she sang the bridge of the song.

All of a sudden, the words couldn't come. Performing in front of 3000 people, Grammy award winner Haley James froze.

"I'm sorry..." Haley muttered and ran off the stage

Nathan walked in the direction of the off stage area.

Two security guards stood in front of the back stage area, clipboards in hand.

"Can I help you?" one asked

"I'd like to speak to Haley James"

"What's your relation to Miss James," he asked, scanning the VIP list.

"She's my wife…"

The two guards exchanged a glance.

They moved out of the way as Nathan thumbed the piece of metal in his pocket.

Nathan weaved through the mass of people backstage. Then he saw her. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, but as beautiful as ever, Nathan thought. If it had not been for her position curled up on a couch in the far end of the room. Nathan began walking towards her at rapid speed but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Someone had beaten him to the punch. The guy was lanky, with brown hair.

Nathan's blood began to boil. He had his hands on his Haley! Nathan thought. Nathan sighed in defeat.

He saw the dressing room labelled with her name. He took out what now was burning a whole in his pocket, and placed it on her dressing table. He slipped out of the stadium unnoticed, never to see Haley again.

"That was you?" Haley asked softly

"I was there to win you back, Haley, but when I saw you with that guy…"

"What guy?"

"Tall, brown hair, lanky, had his arms around you!" he said furiously. Haley thought back to that humiliating night.

"You're such a dumb ass, Nathan" she said finally

"Huh?"

"That was my brother, you idiot!"

"Oh"

"Oh is right" she scoffed

"Did you get the necklace?" he asked faintly

"The necklace?" she asked

Haley finally sat down in her dressing room, exhausted

Something foreign was sitting on her dressing table, diamonds reflecting in the artificial lights of the room.

She picked up the heart shaped pendant, and examined it for a few moments. It was similar to a pendant her grandmother had, the diamonds surrounding the shape, dangling on a long silver chain. She felt something etched in the back. She flipped the charm over and read the inscription on the back "Always"

"I can believe you remembered…." She said in amazement, pulling the necklace out from underneath her clothes, looking at it in a new light.

"I remember everything Haley"

Haley fell silent, playing with the necklace, deep in thought.

Nathan took the final two strides to come in contact with Haley again. His hands encircled her waist, and pulled her closer to him.

"What are you-" Haley started to say before Nathan's lips connected with hers.

Haley stood still for a few moments before reciprocating the action, their lips devouring each other.

They stood there for what had seemed like an eternity, Nathan's arms still wrapped around Haley's small waist and her hands gripping the back of his head.

"This can't be happening…" Haley panted as Nathan started planting kisses down her neck

"Particularly with my husband" Peyton said from the doorway.