Hello to all my readers – thank you so much for sticking with me. We are heading towards the end of the story but I'm sad to say that this chapter might not be what some of you were hoping for – in fact it's not how I thought it would turn out as I was writing I was sure this would be the last chapter but other ideas came to mind so you might have to wait a bit longer for the ending we all want.

Thanks again and enjoy this chapter

Chelle xoxo

Chapter Fifteen – Nathan's POV

We walked back into the house and as she stated Haley headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on, I didn't know what to do so I jumped up and sat on the bench watching her get out two mugs and the coffee

"Hales" I say softly

"Nate" She replies

"That's the first time you have called me 'Nate' in years" I tell her as she sets the coffee down on the counter beside me

"I know" she says and then quickly leans up and kisses me on the lips before picking the coffees back up and heading through to the lounge. I'm lost in my thoughts "you coming or what" she calls out to me and that's all it take to get me out of the kitchen following her.

I walk in to find her on one of the sofas she hands a cup to me smiling "thanks Hales" I say taking the cup and sat opposite her. Where did I start? Did I start? Would Haley? I wasn't sure so I just sat there in silence.

I looked up at her and I could tell that she was struggling to know where to begin and then,

"Nathan, I know it's been a couple of years now but for the sake of our family and friends we need to talk about what happened between us, and why we are or were both in the wrong"

"Hales, you did nothing wrong. It's was all me" I tell her

"Thanks Nathan, but you are being too nice I was in the wrong just as much as you" she replies and my heart starts to beat faster 'what did she mean?', 'Did she cheat on me?' No she can't have, I may not have spent that much time with her over recent years but I know her well enough to know she would never cheat on me.

"What do you mean Haley? How are you in the wrong?" I ask

"We just drifted apart Nathan, it's nothing that really went wrong as such we just couldn't find time to spend together and when you missed that Christmas because you could get more business that's when I decided not to fight the problems we were having anymore and let life just take its course and that's how we ended up here, because I was tired of fighting for you. Nathan I shouldn't have to fight for something I already have and that's what I felt I was doing and not just for me but for Jamie and Sophie too. You know what it was like to have crappy parents and while your mum has learnt from her mistakes I feel like you didn't want to turn into your parent with our kids so you turned away all together."

"I know it seemed like that Hales, but I love our kids and I would do anything for them" I respond

"I know Nathan, but back then all it seemed like you cared about was your work, and yes okay that is important but for you to act like it was more important than your own kids, that's where I draw the line. Our kids need to feel that they are loved all the time and if you couldn't see that, that's why you had to leave. You don't know how many chances I gave you before I asked you to leave, first it was just missed dinners and I could deal with that but then came Jamie's missed basketball matches and Sophie's school talent night; do you know the song she sung she told everyone that it was for her dad? But that same Dad couldn't even make it down there to see her. Do you not realize that you are their hero?"

Haley was on a roll and I couldn't do anything but sit there and listen to what she was saying

"And me how many times did I put those gorgeous kids to bed by myself and sit up for hours waiting and hoping that you would make it home in time to just kiss me goodnight, and then the hoping left and I was just waiting and as the months passed I couldn't wait anymore and I started to give up because that's what I felt that you had done." She finished and wiped a tear from her cheek that had escaped during her speech. "I couldn't do it anymore Nathan"

I got up and walked around the coffee table and sat next to her, "Hales I'm so sorry I was such a crappy husband and father and maybe you are right, maybe I didn't want to be my dad so I removed myself as far as I could from the situation without even realizing, but over the last couple of years I can see where I went wrong and I have tried so hard to fix what I can and become a better father to Jamie and Soph and I love the time that I spend with them and I regret everyday not coming home that Christmas"

"Nathan I need to know and I'm sorry I even have to ask but did you cheat on me that Christmas?" she says in a small voice as a few more tears run down her face

"Hales, no I didn't. I hate that you had to ask me that but know it could have seemed that way, I really was just too focused on that project at the time and my family suffered and for that I am sorry every day"

She looked up at me and even with the tears she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, I took her face in my hands and leaned down and kissed her lips softly before breaking away to lean my forehead on hers "I'll always love you Hales"

She said nothing.

I picked up the mugs from off the table and took them into the kitchen putting them into the dishwasher, I grabbed my jacket off the back of the chair it was hanging on the slipped out the front door.

As I got in my car to drive home I still couldn't believe she hadn't said anything, and that thought stayed with me for the rest of the night.

Haley's POV

I heard the front door close and him start his car and drive off and I didn't do anything I just sat in the same spot on the sofa not moving. Why couldn't I say it back? It's not like it wasn't true, so why? More tears came and I couldn't even bring myself to leave the couch I just curled up and cried myself to sleep and that is where Peyton found me the next morning.

She could tell I'd been crying, my eyes were red and puffy and I looked like a train wreck but she just put her arms around me and held me as even more tears came. Meanwhile she text Luke to pick up my kids and hang out with them for a while saying she would explain later.

"What happened last night Hales?" she asked me

I relayed to Peyton what had happened through my tears "why couldn't I just tell him I loved him back?" I asked her

"I don't know Hales, it seems so strange last night when we spoke you were so ready to jump back in with him right? That's what I thought you wanted"

"I did Peyton, I really did, I just froze" I told her miserably

"Well all I can say to you Hales is that as upset as Nate was when he left last night, he won't give up on you guys. His pride was probably just hurt because he said it twice without you saying it back. You can do this Hales and when you are ready to tell him, he will realize that you just had to get there in your own time"

"I guess so; I mean I've waited so long for him to finally accept his part in the split and now that he finally has I feel like we really can move past what has happened and make a better future for Jamie and Soph"

"Okay good, so what are you going to do about Nate?" Peyton asked

"I don't know, find the strength to tell him I guess" I had showered and was sitting drinking coffee with Peyton when Chase and Brooke arrived.

"Hello, Hales you here" Brooke's voice rang through the house

"In the kitchen" I yelled back

"Hey guys" Chase said as they came into the room "We are just on the way to the airport thought we should come and say bye"

"I can't believe you have to leave already, it doesn't feel like it been a week" Peyton said hugging them both

"Well we will come back a visit soon, I promise" Brooke said

"Yeah maybe over Christmas" Chase added

"That would be lovely" I said "If fact book it in now, Christmas here this year you can come and stay here the kids would love to have you stay and we can have a big Christmas dinner together"

"Sounds wonderful Hales" Brooke said hugging me "We will be here for sure, but right now we really have to go or we will miss the plane"

"Oh in that case stay for coffee" I say laughing as we walk them to the car

"Christmas, we promise" Chase said hugging me before they got in the car and pulled away.

"Well I guess I should get Luke to bring the kids home" I say to Peyton as we walk inside