Nathan stepped into his house, looking around the large living room. Everything was still in place, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes he was concerned about leaving his house to go out of town, even though he did it a lot for his career. He had so much money wrapped up in his place and his belongings. But then again, he lived in a gated community.

He dropped his duffel bag at his feet, deciding he would pick it up later. He'd been flying for several hours, and all he wanted to do was hop in the shower. He wanted to wash that nasty airplane smell off of him.

Before he could take another step, Alyssa ran down the stairs and flung herself into his arms. "Welcome home!" she squealed. She peppered his face with kisses. She really had missed him.

"Lyss," he addressed, surprised as hell that she was there. She didn't have a key to his place. "What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"

"Oh, the security guard down by the gate let me in. He recognized me," she explained, kissing him on the lips. "And then I remembered you kept a spare key in the backyard. So I climbed your fence." She shrugged like it was no big deal. "I wanted to surprise you. Are you surprised?"

"Shocked, actually," he admitted to her.

She smiled and started to kiss him again. He pulled back before she could follow through though. He couldn't let her kiss him. He couldn't let this go any further. He owed it to himself and to Haley to be honest…and he owed it to Alyssa too. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "I can't be with you anymore," he said quietly, looking down at his shoes. He knew he was being a coward, but he couldn't look in her eyes. It was too hard because he knew he was causing her pain, but he had caused enough girls in his life pain to continue being with her. Especially when he didn't love her, and he did love Haley.

"What?" she asked quietly. It was quiet, but he could hear some anger hidden within her soft voice.

"I can't be with you anymore," he repeated, finally lifting his head to look in her eyes.

She shook her head, not understanding what he was telling her. "Did something happen back in Tree Hill? Nathan, I'm sorry, I really wanted to be there with you."

"Yeah. Something happened in Tree Hill," he said honestly. He took a deep breath and decided to dive right in. It was easier to tell the truth than to lie to her and find out later on what the break up was really about. "Do you remember Haley?"

"Yeah," she confirmed. "The girl you said you stupidly married in high school."

"It wasn't stupid," he defended. "It was probably the best thing I ever did. And I was too stubborn back then to realize it, but I realize it now. It was a mistake letting her get away from me, and I'm not about to let her get away from me again. I want Haley back, and that's not fair to you."

She laughed then. She actually laughed at what he was saying. He couldn't believe it. He was being serious and honest with her, and she acted like it was all a big joke. It pissed him off. "You really had me going there for a minute! I thought you were seriously breaking up with me!"

"I am," he said, not blinking as she looked in his blue eyes. "This can't go on. I want to be with Haley again."

"Mm hmm." Her mouth formed a tight smile. "Well. Does she want to be with you again too?"

"I don't know," he said, telling the absolute truth. It was better than lying. He'd been lying to himself for years now, and there was no point in lying to anyone else. It just ended up badly. "We talked about it, but she's not sure. She just got out of a bad relationship."

"I see." She nodded at him, the grim look still apparent on her face. "So you're telling me that you're breaking up with me - a girl that actually loves you and wants to be with you - for a girl that isn't sure what she wants? That makes all the sense in the world, Nathan," she muttered sarcastically.

"She's been through a lot, and she needs to know that my feelings for her are real, and that I'm not going to hurt her again."

"Get real. She isn't going to drop her life and career and come back to you. I know who she is, Nathan, and she's a huge star. She's one of the biggest singers in this country, and you think she's going to just forget that and run back to you? She won't. She has too much to lose."

"And I'm not worth that?" he scoffed. "Thanks, Alyssa, you've made this break up a lot more clear to me that it's the right thing to do. Thanks for that."

She sighed heavily. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Whatever. Who's to say that I'm not going to walk away from all of this for her? It's a two way street."

"You won't," she stated. And she knew she was right. Nathan loved basketball, and she knew he wouldn't give it up for some dumb girl he may have reconnected with for a few days. He would never give up his dream. "You love this sport way too much."

"Not as much as I love her," he said firmly. He meant that. He loved Haley with all of his heart, and if he needed to give up basketball to be with her, he would. She meant too much to him.

"You're tired from the flight," she excused him. "You're tired, and you'll take a nap, and when you wake up, all of this crazy talk will be over."

"I may be tired, but I know what I want. And that's Haley." He looked her hard in the eyes. He knew he was being an ass, but she was acting like everything he felt towards Haley was a big joke, and that none of it mattered. "You know, I think I will take that nap. When I wake up, you better be gone. You're undermining my feelings, and I won't have that. Not in my house." He gave her one last look before treading up the stairs, leaving her standing there.

---

"I love him," Haley stated to Brooke. She was drinking, and she knew it was early in the afternoon for that, but Nathan was gone, and damn it. She felt like drinking. And Brooke was engaged now, and she wanted to celebrate, so she was drinking with her friend as well. Besides, they were just in Brooke and Lucas's house. Not a big deal. They were drinking privately at least.

"I love him too," Brooke said giddily, looking at her ring again. She loved it. She really, really loved it. She knew Lucas probably had some help paying for it, but she wasn't going to ask him or demand him to take it back and get her something he could afford. She loved it too much for that. He'd done a great job picking it out.

"Nathan?" Haley blinked at her.

Brooke laughed. Actually, she cackled. Her? Loving Nathan Scott? No way! That was such a Haley James thing! Brooke Davis loved non-assy men…well, that's what Lucas was. The others she had dated? They may have been a tad bit assy. "No way, silly! Lucas! I love Lucas!"

"Oh. Him." Haley rolled her eyes, and took another sip of her Long Island Iced Tea. Brooke was a good drink maker. For sure. "I know you love him. He gave you a big rock on your finger." She lazily pointed at Brooke's ring. "But I love Nathan!"

"Nathan, Nathan," Brooke rolled the name around. "Big deal. He is in California balling it up somewhere, and you're here. If you really loved him, you would have gone with him! Or begged him to stay!"

Haley shook her head. "No. I can love someone and not ask them to follow me."

"You mean stay with you," Brooke corrected. "You would have to follow him. Because he left you here. And went to Cali! So you have to follow him to get there!"

"Whatever." Haley shrugged.

"No, seriously. Listen," Brooke slurred. "You didn't ask him to go with you on tour, and that screwed things up. Not asking him to stay or not asking to go with him? What if you messed things up again?" Brooke's eyes grew wide, like a light bulb was going off in her mind. "Yeah! What if you messed things up? And you're going to be single forever? Living with cats? And you'll turn crazy, and want to move your wacky ass in with me and Luke! And - "

"Brooke!" Haley interrupted. "Stop!"

"Okay." Her friend shrugged and poured herself some more Bacardi Zombie. Nothing like a drink at two in the afternoon.

"Okay? Just okay? You tell me I'm going to be a cat lady, and now you're just saying okay? What the hell?"

"Look…Tutor Girl, looky. You love Nathan. You shouldn't worry about getting hurt again. You should just go for it. Tell him that you're scared, but that you love him, and if you love each other, you can work it out. You can work it all out!"

"Well, I do love him." She set her drink down, and watched the dark liquid slosh around inside her glass. "But I don't think I should be with him. At least for now."

"God!" Brooke nearly screamed. Haley's stubbornness had really sobered her up. She couldn't handle it anymore. She was going to pull her hair out! "You love him! You either be with him or not! But don't keep thinking about it. You either go with him or you stay here. But you have to make up your damn mind!"

"So you're telling him if I love him I have to be with him? I have no choice?"

"You have a choice," Brooke said. "And the one you pick better be the right one! Nathan loves you, Haley, and he's not going to hurt you again! I saw the way he was looking at you. He wants you, and if he gets you, he'll treat you like you're a princess. He won't let anything happen to you, and he won't do anything to you! He'll love you. Just like you always wanted him to do."

Haley stared at her long and hard. She was right. Nathan loved her, and he would protect her from everything. He wasn't going to break her heart again…not when he knew how much pain it had caused the both of them last time. He was in it for the long haul again. She needed to see him. She needed to be with him.

"You're right," she whispered. "He loves me, Brooke!"

"I know!" She rolled her eyes. Seriously, she'd only told Haley like fifty times now. "So go get your man! Tell him you love him too, and that you can do this! Tell him you don't care what happened before, and that you want to be in his life again, and that you want him in yours! I guarantee he'll kiss you right then and there, and the rest will be history!"

Haley smiled. She was going to do this. She was going to get Nathan. She'd been too lonely without him for six years, and the only way she was really happy was if she was with him. So she was going to go be with him. It was about time for it.

---

Nathan's eyes opened when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked at the clock and groaned when he saw it was ten. He had planned on getting up early to go running and to shoot around a little bit. He needed to practice again. He really didn't much while he was in Tree Hill, and if his coach found out, he would pay for it.

He pushed himself out of bed, not even bothering to throw a t-shirt on. Besides, he wasn't expecting anyone, so there was no need to look presentable or anything. But whoever was coming to his house must have been someone he knew. The security guards didn't let just anyone come in the addition whenever they wanted. If they did, he would have moved a long time ago.

Opening the door, he rolled his eyes as soon as he saw who was on the other side. Alyssa. She had been gone when he woke up the day before thankfully. But now she was back, and he did not want to deal with her.

"Um," he said by way of greeting. He didn't know what to say. He really didn't want her in his house, let alone in his neighborhood. He was calling whoever was down by the gate later. She wasn't just going to come in whenever she wanted.

"Hello yourself." She smiled cheekily and pushed her way inside. "So. I was thinking," she said when he turned around, slamming the door behind him. "I know you're like in love with Haley James or whatever, but I look around, and I don't see her…so I will forgive your little lapse in judgment and let you take me back."

Let her take him back? He scoffed. What had happened to her? She used to be so perfect for him. She just got him, and she let him be who he wanted to be. Now she was trying to force him into her life? Lovely. "I don't want to take you back," he said firmly. "You and me? We're done." He opened the door again. "Now I'd like you to get out."

She smirked and opened her long coat, revealing her lacy bra and panties. Oh, now she was throwing herself at him? His morning was just getting better by the minute. "You still want me to get out?"

He swallowed hard. "Yes," he confirmed. "I want you to get out."

"Okay." She shrugged, not bothering to pick up her coat. Then her eyes focused on something behind him through the open door. "Well look, Nathan! It's Haley James!"

Nathan turned around and his jaw dropped when he saw her standing there. Her blonde hair was blowing in the California breeze and her face looked flushed. He couldn't help but think she was beautiful. And then he noticed the hurt look on her face. "Haley.."

She looked at him, noticing his shirtless chest, and then she looked at the girl…standing there in her underwear. Nathan had lied to her. He didn't love her, and he had hurt her. Just like he said he wouldn't. "This was a mistake," she whispered, looking up at him.

"Haley, no." He reached out for her, but she pulled back. She didn't want him touching her. Not now and not again. Not ever again. "Hales," he whispered, his own eyes mirroring the hurt hers were carrying.

"I came here to tell you that nothing else mattered…nothing but me and you." She laughed ironically. "I was wrong. It all matters. Your past, my past…our past. It all matters, and I can't pretend like it doesn't."

"It doesn't!" he argued. "What matters is the two of us. We love each other, Haley. I know we do."

"I don't care," she mumbled. She brushed a piece of hair away from her face. "You lied. You promised you would wait, and that you weren't going to hurt me. How can I believe that when you're here with her?"

"It's not what it looks like!"

"You expect me to believe that?" she scoffed. "You're half naked, and she's half naked. There's not much of an explanation for that, except for what I think was going on. And I'm usually right…sorry I came."

"Haley!"

"Bye, Nathan." She turned around then, not looking back. It wasn't worth it. It just wasn't worth it anymore. He'd made his decision, and his decision was that little whore back in his living room. She couldn't stand another minute of being there…so she ran. She ran down the driveway and jumped in her car. She was going to go back to Tree Hill - where she belonged.

When Nathan saw her car leave his driveway, he turned back to Alyssa. "Get out," he ordered her.

"Nathan, baby. It's over now. We can be together and not worry about Haley James."

"I said get out!" he screamed at her. "I mean it Alyssa! Leave, and don't come back! I don't want to see your face ever again!"

She saw his expression and knew he was serious. She had blown it now. All her chances with Nathan Scott were gone. "Okay." She nodded and picked up the coat, placing it back over her body. She started to walk out the door. "I knew she wasn't the girl for you, Nathan. You were just too stubborn to admit it."

"Don't come back here," he said quietly, but he was so serious that it scared her. "Don't ever come near this house or me again."

He slammed the door, and sunk down against it. He ran his hands through his thick hair and sighed. The hurt look on her face was stuck in his mind, and he couldn't make the image leave. And along with that image, one thought wouldn't leave…

After earning Haley's trust back, he had lost her...again.