"Hales." Nathan drew out, pulling over to the side of the road. "I'm sorry, okay? I tried to be responsible tonight, but that idiot got out of line. I promise I wasn't gonna hit him. Please... Don't be mad at me."

Haley sighed, thinking back to all the times he'd protected her while growing up. He was always apologizing for her having to witness his worst moments, but never for getting in a fight because someone had done something to piss him off.

"I'm not mad." She told him, gazing out the window. They seemed to be miles from nowhere. "I'm... I'm just disappointed, Nathan."

Didn't she realize that he was only trying to look out for her? He would never be able to sit back and watch someone hurt her when he could do something about it. She needed to get used to it, because he was never going to let anything happen to her.

"In me?"

"In a lot of things." Haley shrugged. "When are you gonna grow up?"

Nathan held his hands up in surrender. "What do you expect me to do? Just sit back and watch while some jerk harasses you?"

"That's exactly what I expect you to do!" She snapped, undoing her seat belt. "Because you're not always the guy that has to jump in and do something, and I'm not a damsel in distress. You're not Superman, Nathan. You don't always have to save the day."

He caught her hand before she could exit the car. She wasn't going anywhere, not until he tried to explain himself to her, something he felt he needed to do. "You're overreacting. I didn't even hit the guy! I just walked away."

"No." Haley laughed bitterly. "I pulled you away, and then Tim hit him. He really is your little shadow, isn't he?"

They sat there in silence for a few minutes, unsure of what to say to one another. Nathan suddenly reached across and re-buckled her seat belt.

"Nathan..."

"Hales." He mimicked. "C'mon, just let me drive you home, please? You can insult me, or ignore me, or do whatever you want, but you're not walking."

Haley blinked, considering his offer. She wanted to be angry with him, she really did, but he was her friend, and she loved him for that.

"Wait a minute..." Nathan paused, his hands lingering around the wheel. Had he really not looked at her during the school day. "Is this..."

"What?" Haley demanded, lowering her head to hide her blush. "Nathan! What?!"

"Is this a new outfit?"

She began to laugh. She owed Brooke and Peyton five bucks each, boys were truly clueless when it came to girls. "He noticed. Yes, it is. It's all part of the new me. Do you like?"

"Yeah." Nathan shrugged, he thought she always looked great. "But what's wrong with the old you?"

It was one of the things he loved about her, the way she was unafraid to be herself. Yeah, she was unlike Brooke and Peyton, and yeah, they'd won the title of 'Most Unlikely To Be Best Friends' hands down. Haley was different, he would never change a thing about her.

"Nothing." Haley replied, tugging at her cami. She'd changed after practice, finding it too hot to wear her sweater any longer. "I just thought I'd branch out into some new things."

He chuckled. "This could be good. Like what?"

Senior year was supposed to be all about excitement, and new beginnings, and getting ready to leave your old life behind. Haley Bob James had always been the bright, beautiful, sheltered daughter of Jimmy, and Lydia James, their youngest daughter. She'd been the best friend of Lucas Scott, Nathan Scott, Brooke Davis, and Peyton Sawyer for as long as she could remember.

There was nothing wrong with change.

"I don't know." Haley admitted, she hadn't put that much thought into it. "I just want to live in the moment, enjoy senior year. There's a lot of stuff I wanted to try that I never did."

"Like fooling around with me?"

She blushed and he laughed. As much as she tried to hide it, he always caught her red handed with her rosy cheeks. He did it on purpose now, pushing the limit just to get her adorable reaction.

She smacked him. Hard. "Like snowboarding. Idiot."

Nathan rolled his eyes. Dan had taken him and Lucas snowboarding thousands of times, and they'd tried to drag her along, always earning a big, fat, no! "Okay, well I can teach you how to do that too."

"Yeah? Cool."

He realized that they'd been sitting in the same spot for almost an hour. That was another thing he loved about her, how easy their conversations came, and how long they could keep them going for.

"What else?"

Haley stared down at the floor mat. "Singing..."

Nathan raised an eye brow, starting the car back up. It still amazed him how he could be friends with someone for so long, and still learn something new about them every single day. "Do you sing?"

"I... No..." Haley drew out. "I mean, I sing when no one's around."

"Well I think you should sing for me sometime." He grinned, reaching out to squeeze her arm.

She rolled her eyes. She would love to sing for him, when pigs flew. "Right... I'll catch you on the slopes."

He pulled back into traffic, laughing as she began to fiddle with the radio. They could never agree on a station, she enjoyed country while he loved to blast rap music as he drove around.

"You know." Nathan muttered, glancing at her again. "I don't know how I'd deal with all this crap with my mom, and Dan, and Keith if you weren't around."

"Well you're welcome." Haley replied. She knew how hard it had been for him, finding out that his father had been the one to murder his uncle in cold blood. When he'd tried pushing everyone else away, she'd stayed close, even spending an entire weekend at his home after the trial. It had been three days without sleep, but she had been happy to stay by his side, waiting for him to share his feelings.

Hales? Why are you still here?

Because you're my friend, and because I love you.

"I'm serious." He told her. "It's like the worse things got with that situation... You didn't ditch me, you didn't focus your rage at Dan on me."

She reached out to take his hand, something she had done a million times before. "Does he still try to call you?"

Nathan nodded, his jaw tightening. "Dan always was a stubborn bastard. He doesn't realize that Lucas and I want nothing to do with him. He's dead to me, Hales."

"Hey." Haley said, her grip on his hand tightening. "I'm always here for you, Nathan. Are you okay?"

Whenever someone asked him that question, he lashed out, telling them that it was none of their damn business. But when she asked him...

"Whatever I said last time you asked me that question probably still applies." He replied.

Haley glanced down at her watch. It wasn't that late, she didn't really have a curfew, and her homework could wait. "Want to get some coffee? I'm sure there's still some left at Karen's if you want to talk about it."

"Actually..." Nathan drew out, shooting her a weak grin. "I'm kind of tired of talking about it."

"Oh... Okay..." She nodded. If he didn't want to talk, then she wouldn't push him. "Well, if there's anything I can do to help, let me know."

Haley James was the most amazing girl he knew. She was always giving, even when the world seemed to be out to get her.

He managed to give her a stronger smile. "I was thinking about what you said, about living in the moment, and I realized, that if I'm going to live in the moment, then I just want to live in it with you, and our friends. So, were you serious? About doing something for me?"

"Well..." Haley laughed nervously. "That depends... What is it?"

Nathan reached out and cut the music, turning the volume all the way down with a grin. She knew him all too well.

"Nathan... No."

"Here's your chance." He replied. "Come on! You said you do anything to help me, and this would really help me take my mind off things."

Haley rolled her eyes. She had promised to help him, because he was her friend, and because he deserved to be happy. So, she'd do it, just for him. Just because he was Nathan, her annoying, overprotective, basketball playing, loyal, funny best friend.

"You asked for it." She warned.

"Yeah." Nathan said, pulling into her driveway. "I did."

I love the time and in between
the calm inside me
in the space where I can breathe
I believe there is a
distance I have wandered
to touch upon the years of
reaching out and reaching in
holding out holding in

I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as I can be
left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand

I know this love is passing time
passing through like liquid
I am drunk in my desire...
but I love the way you smile at me
I love the way your hands reach out and hold me near...
I believe...

I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as
I can be left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand

Oh the quiet child awaits the day when she can break free
the mold that clings like desperation
Mother can't you see I've got
to live my life the way I feel is right for me
might not be right for you but it's right for me...
I believe...

I believe
this is heaven to no one else but me
and I'll defend it as long as
I can be left here to linger in silence
if I choose to
would you try to understand it

I would like to linger here in silence
if I choose to
would you understand it
would you try to understand...

Nathan began to applaud, loudly. Haley blushed again and began to duck her head, but he gently forced her chin upward so she was looking him in the eyes.

"Haley James." He muttered, a grin spreading across his face. "You are truly one of a kind."

It would have been the perfect moment for a kiss, but she chickened out, instead burrowing her face into his shoulder and winding her arms around his torso.

"Thanks for the ride." Haley said. "I love you, Nathan."

Nathan laughed sadly and hugged her back, holding her to his chest. "I love you too, Hales."

"Always?"

"And forever."