"It was awful!" Haley wailed into her phone. She had gone back to her place to pick up some more clothes to go back to Tree Hill. She wasn't going to stay in California where he was. She was going to Tree Hill - with the people that actually loved her.

"I can't believe the nerve of that little piece of scum," Brooke ground out. "How dare he do that to you! He knew you were afraid to get back with him, and you know what? You had damn good reason to be! Can you imagine if you two were actually together and you'd caught him like that? I'd kill him! Kill him! String him up by his balls and laugh!"

"I know right!" She grabbed a few shirts out of her closet and tossed them sloppily into her suitcase. "He told me that he loved me! What a crock that was!"

"I think he loves you," Brooke said seriously. "He just…fucked it all up, for lack of a better word. He's really going to regret it all now though, Tutor Girl. I'm sure of that!"

"Have you or Lucas talked to him?"

"No," she answered. "Luke's called him a couple times but he doesn't pick up, and he doesn't call back. Personally, I can't blame the guy. You know he's just going to get his ass chewed out, and he knows it too."

"Well he deserves it," she muttered, grabbing her shoes off the floor. "He could have had it all with me, Brooke! I went there to tell him that! And he just like totally spit in my face!"

"That's Nathan for you," she replied. She felt so bad for Haley, and the sad thing was, she knew Nathan loved her. She knew how much Nathan was in love with Haley, and she just couldn't figure out why he would do something like that. "Have you tried talking to him?"

"No way in hell will I ever talk to him again!" she exclaimed stubbornly. He'd taken her heart again and stomped all over it. Again. She wasn't going to risk that with him ever, ever again in her life. She was done. Absolutely done.

"Maybe there's an explanation," Brooke said calmly.

"An explanation?" Haley scoffed. "There is so explanation as to why that man is such a major asshole! God! He didn't need to go back to Tree Hill for that wedding!"

"He's their friend too," Brooke defended him. "Just like you're their friend! He had just as much a right to be there as you did! Don't act like everything you two shared this past week was a pile of shit just because you got hurt in the end! I know you felt things you for him you couldn't even remember feeling!"

"Why are you even defending him?"

"Because whether you believe it or not, Nathan loves you. He always has. He just hasn't always been able to show you or prove that to you, but this week…God, Haley. He put it all on the line for you, knowing that the feelings probably weren't going to be reciprocated right away. But he took that chance because he loves you. He's in love with you."

"I don't care what he is," she responded, zipping up her way too full suitcase. "I'm done with him. I have nothing to say to him, and I don't want to hear anything he might have to say to me. He could have stayed where I was if he loves me so much."

"He was giving you space like you wanted!" she reminded her. "Seriously, why are you being so damn stubborn about this?! Talk to him! Ask him what she was really doing there, and maybe you'll get a happily ever after like you always wanted!"

"I want a happily ever now!" she retorted. "I don't care about fifty years from now or whenever my life is over! I care about now! And what I want now is to be happy, and Nathan could have helped out with that! But he didn't! He just screwed everything up!"

"Well you screwed things up once too! And remember how you felt back then? That's probably how Nathan's feeling now! So suck it up and just talk to him!"

"And hear his lame excuses?" she asked angrily. "No! I don't want to hear them! Because you know what? I won't believe them anyway! We're done, Brooke."

"Whatever," she replied. "I have to go. Lucas and I are going out for a little bit…but just remember that if you love him, you should hear him out. Maybe you will get your happily ever now. I don't want you living a life of regret."

They both hung up, and Haley dropped back on her bed. She didn't know what to think or do anymore. Of course she loved Nathan. She always had, and there was no question about that in her mind. He was the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, but when she saw him and that girl in his living room, it was just proof that she would get hurt again. And if could hurt her this much when they weren't officially together, she could only imagine what would happen if they did get together.

She couldn't picture herself getting back together with him now. Even if things were good for a while, chances were they would just fall apart later on. Something always happened to tear the two of them apart, and maybe that was because they weren't meant to be. She had always believed that they were back when they were married, but now…now she wasn't so sure.

Seeing him with that girl was probably one of the worst things she had ever seen. Worse than the anger in his eyes the night she went back to Tree Hill to be with him, and probably worse than the hurt she'd seen when she'd admitted to kissing Chris Keller the night she left for the tour. The worst images in her mind always dealt with him. And that sucked. She didn't want to think back on bad things and see Nathan. She wanted to remember good with him…but because mainly when she looked back on them together, and saw the bad things, it meant it was probably a good thing they hadn't gotten back together. Maybe the girl in his living room was a sign they weren't meant to be.

Sighing, she stood back up and grabbed her suitcase. She'd already called the record company and told them that she was going to be taking some time off and didn't know when she would be back. She didn't even tell them where she would be going. She didn't want the pressure of them telling her she had to go work on her next album. She needed a break.

Her flight left in a few hours, and a friend she'd met during one of her first trips to California was going to watch the house for her. Of course, she wouldn't need her friend to do it if she hadn't caught Nathan with that girl. If she hadn't, they'd probably be together right now…maybe back at her house eating dinner or back at his watching television or something. But that wasn't how things were supposed to go. Whatever. Life would work out one day.

She was turning off the lamp in her room when her phone went off. Glancing down at it, she saw Nathan's name flashing on the screen. Now he was calling to make his excuses. But she wasn't going to listen. She'd had enough of him. She hit 'ignore' and went back to getting the house ready so she could leave indefinitely.

It rang again when she was pulling her door closed and locking it. She automatically hit 'ignore.' She wasn't going to listen to him, and the sooner he realized that, the happier she would be. And the easier things would be on him.

She cursed herself for thinking that. Easier on him? Who cared if this was easy on him or not? He was the one that had hurt her! He was the one who decided to play the clothes off game with that girl in his living room only hours after telling her he loved her! He was just unbelievable.

Several hours later, Haley was back in the airport in North Carolina. She grinned when she saw Lucas waiting on her. He might have been mad about how she was handling things - which she wasn't even sure he was - but if he was, at least he was still there for her. He was the best friend ever.

"Hey buddy," he greeted her, taking her carry on bag. "How are you holding up?"

"Shitty," she mumbled, and he looked at her in surprise. His friend hardly cussed. She must really have been messed up over everything that had gone down with his little brother. "Yes, Lucas, I said shitty."

"Sorry," he muttered. "I just can't believe all this happened."

"Me either," she admitted, sighing. "Have you talked to him?"

"You mean since you asked Brooke the last time?" He had a knowing smile on his face.

"Yes." She rolled her eyes at him.

"No," he answered. "He won't pick up, and he won't return my calls after I leave him voice mails. Whatever. I'm not going to baby sit him for you, Haley."

"I didn't ask you to," she replied, rolling her eyes again. "All I wanted to know was if you talked to him. You know, see if he had an excuse for me."

"No, I haven't. Have you?"

"He called," she admitted. "But I didn't answer."

"Well at least we know he's alive," he told her as they walked to baggage claim. "Why didn't you answer the phone?"

"I don't want to hear what he has to say. I'm done with it all, Lucas. He said he wouldn't hurt me again, and he did. I'm not going to listen to his excuses and get hurt even more. I refuse to go through that."

He sighed. Haley was so freaking stubborn sometimes! "Maybe you should hear him out," he suggested, wincing at the look that came across Haley's face. "Haley. You might want to hear what he has to say."

"No, Lucas," she denied him. "I don't want to hear what he has to say. If he wants me to hear him out that badly, he can leave a voicemail, and maybe…maybe I'll call him back. If it's worth it. But if it's not, I'm not talking to him."

"Well thanks for giving him an inch," he muttered sarcastically. He grabbed Haley's bag when she pointed to it. "Seriously, Haley, he loves you, and if you'd just hear him out, it would probably all be worth it."

---

Nathan pushed the call button on his phone when he scrolled down the contacts to Haley's number. He punched the wall when it went straight to her voicemail, wincing at the pain he felt in his hand. Damn it! He wasn't going to leave a fucking message on her answering machine or whatever. He couldn't tell her anything on that. That was too…impersonal.

He didn't want to be that way with her. He wanted to see her and hold her and tell her the truth about everything. He wanted her to see that it was a misunderstanding, and he hadn't meant for her to get hurt, but at the same time, he didn't even know she was coming over. She said she'd wanted space, so he gave her that. Was he silly to think that would last for more than a few hours?

But he should have known that calling her would get him nowhere. Haley was so stubborn, and he should have realized she wouldn't pick up the phone. She was obviously done with him. She wouldn't call him back. She had no intention of it, and he knew it. So now he was stuck punching walls and being pissed because his stupid ex-girlfriend had thrown herself at him. Seriously, who comes over in just a bra and underwear with a coat over them? Stupid girls. That's who!

He knew Lucas had called him several times, but he didn't bother calling him back or listening to the voicemails he left. He just had no desire to. He knew his brother was going to want an explanation, but he really didn't have much of one. And how lame did it sound if he told his brother his ex-girlfriend came to his house with a coat over her undergarments, took off the coat, and Haley showed up? And he knew it didn't help matters that he slept without a shirt on! But he got hot, and they were uncomfortable at night! Jeez!

Sighing, he picked up his cell phone once more, getting to Haley's number. He pushed the call button, and it went to her voicemail again. Okay, she had turned her phone off. So now he was a liar and annoying her. This day was just from hell. And now to top it off, he had punched the wall so hard, he'd probably broken his hand. He glanced down at it. His knuckles were already purple and swelling…and he was a basketball player! Broken hands just didn't work on them! Shit!

He went into his kitchen and got out some ice, wrapping it in a towel. He placed it against his knuckles, cringing at the pain it brought on. Stupid punching. He hated his temper sometimes. It just got way, way out of hand. Luckily, it was June, and he still had a few months before practice was in full swing again, but a broken hand was not something he wanted to deal with.

The house phone rang a few minutes later, and he sighed, going to answer it. He figured he should. He'd been avoiding everyone all day. "Hello?"

"Nathan Scott." The voice was a little perky.

Brooke. "Hey," he greeted dully. "What can I do for you, Brooke?"

"I demand an explanation about this…this half naked girl in your living room or whatever the hell Haley told me. She is so pissed at you, Nathan!"

"I don't know if I should tell you before I talk to Haley, you know?" He sighed loudly.

"Don't be so dramatic about it, Nathan," she ordered harshly. "This is all on you, okay? You let the girl in your house…by the way, who was it?"

"Alyssa," he mumbled.

"Alyssa?" She laughed. "You were supposed to dump her. Great. That's classic Nathan for you, I guess."

"Shut up," he bit out, slamming his sore hand against the countertop. Ouch. "We did break up, and she decided to show up at my house, force her way in, and expose herself to me and probably the whole neighborhood with the door open like that."

"Wait." Brooke calmed down a little. She knew Nathan wasn't lying. He wouldn't lie…not when it came to Haley. "You broke up with her?"

"Yes, I did," he confirmed. "I told her the truth, but honestly, what was the point? It doesn't get me anywhere anymore."

"You did that for Haley?" she asked softly.

"I'd do anything for her, Brooke," he replied. "You know that, I know that…everyone seems to know that except her."

"Hmm. That's probably because she caught you shirtless with a girl in her bra and panties in your living room!"

"I know, I know," he said, annoyed with remembering it. It was getting so old, and it had only happened yesterday. "I just don't know what to do. I mean, she won't take my calls, and if I show up at her house, she'll probably just call the police, and I'll get arrested…that'll look great on ESPN."

Brooke chuckled. "You're serious about being with her? No games?"

"I'm serious," he told her. "I just don't know how to get her to want to be with me."

"Well if you're serious, I have an idea."

"What's that?" He would try anything at this point.

"Haley's in Tree Hill, so I'm thinking you should come here."

"I don't know," he said hesitantly. "She obviously needs space…now more than ever."

"So what?" she snapped. "Do yourself a favor…come to Tree Hill, Nathan. Come get your girl."