Six days was the longest they had ever gone without speaking.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey, it's me." Haley said, the cordless phone in her hand. "Um, I guess I'm just worried about you... I really hate the way we ended things."

"So do I."

She jumped, the phone almost falling out of her hand. She let it drop onto her bed, slowly turning to face him.

Nathan paused in the doorway. "Nobody answered the door."

"They're gone for the weekend." Haley replied, unsure of how to act around him. "How are you?"

"Not so good." He admitted, awkwardly moving past her to sit down on the mattress. "I made a lot of mistakes, Haley... Sometimes because of my dad, sometimes by choice. I just can't do it anymore."

She dropped down beside him, all her anger suddenly disappearing when he finally met her gaze. For the first time in a long time, Nathan Scott was actually showing emotion.

"It's okay."

Nathan shook his head, tears welling in his eyes. "No, Hales. It's not okay. I'm not okay. Do you remember the mistake I made last year?"

Haley nodded slowly. "The night you took those drugs to help with your game? Yeah... Why?"

"When I fell to the floor that night..." He muttered. "I was so scared... I'm still terrified. Then I saw you. I promised myself that if I could just get up, and walk over to you, and tell you how much I need you, and how much I want you, that nothing else matters."

She surprised him, reaching out to rest a hand on his shoulder as a silent show of support. He let out a sigh, covering her hand with his.

"Nathan..." Haley said. "Why? Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"I didn't want him going after Brooke." Nathan replied honestly. "I didn't think he was good enough for her, and after he made you cry... I just wanted to scare him, to make him stay away so everything would go back to the way it used to be."

Nothing was the way it used to be, they weren't twelve years old anymore, and that was okay.

"I didn't think you'd find out." He added. "We talked about not saying anything. Lucas... He wasn't supposed to say anything."

Brooke had been the first to inform her about the pranking incident, followed by Peyton, and finally, Lucas. When her best friend had come to her, guilt written all across his face, she'd simply thrown her arms around his neck, and held on for dear life.

Yeah, she had been a little annoyed that Lucas had known about Nathan's plan all along, and kept it from her, but he'd still told her the truth.

Nathan had lied straight to her face.

"He was just trying to help out."

"It's just so Lucas! You know?" Nathan demanded. "Trying to be the hero. I don't feel guilty, Hales, I really don't. Nobody asked him to do that."

"That's not exactly true." Haley replied coldly. "He did it for me, and if you're not gonna feel guilty about your prank, then I sure as hell will, because Brooke is my best friend, and it just really sucks that you did that to her."

He'd thought he had been protecting her, protecting all of them, like he had so many times before. But none of his actions had almost cost him the relationships with the people he loved the most.

Had it really gone too far?

"Damn it!" He cursed. "I'm sorry, Hales. I'm sorry I put us through this. I'm sorry I asked Lucas to lie to you... I'm sorry I've been so weak about all of this."

Haley shook her head. "Nathan, I know you think you always have to protect me, or Brooke, or Peyton, and we love you for that. But was all of this worth hurting one of your best friends, just so you could get your way?"

"No." Nathan replied. "It's not worth it. But what am I supposed to say, Hales? That I was Dan? That I put what I wanted in front of everything else? What the hell was I thinking?"

She blinked. Who was this person, sitting beside her?

It was Nathan Royal Scott, the Nathan Scott she had known since childhood, the Nathan Scott she had fallen in love somewhere along the roller coaster that was their relationship.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He said, squeezing her hand. "I never wanted to hurt you, and I'm sorry for all the ways that I did."

"I know you're sorry." Haley whispered. "I know you that don't wanna hurt me. But I need to know that you're gonna be honest with me."

"I promise..."

She held up a hand to cut him off. "I need to know that you're gonna let me in, Nathan. I mean, all the way."

He lifted her chin to meet his gaze, a sad smile spreading across her face. He hardly ever showed emotion in fear of making himself look weak, but with Haley, he didn't want to hide anymore.

She made him want to be better.

"I will, okay?" Nathan whispered. "I'll let you in, if that's what it takes, I'll let you in. It's just... Sometimes, I'm afraid that if I do, you'll see the real me, the guy I was before you. I'm not proud of that person, okay? The one that I used to be, sometimes, I still am that person, but if I have to be that guy to keep you safe, then that's who I'm gonna be. Look, if you want me to apologize for defending you, or for fighting back when somebody hurts you, then I can't do that... I won't do that, okay? Because the truth is, that's a guy I'll never be: A guy that just stands by and watches while the world hurts you... Can you understand that?"

Nathan was always protecting her.

"I can try." Haley replied, closing her eyes. "Because I miss you, and I love you, every version of you."

He smiled, a real smile this time. He was finally forgiven, everything would be okay, because he still had her.

He still had his Hales on his side.

"Come here."

Haley relaxed when she felt his arms wrap around her, pulling her up against his chest. He kissed her hairline, rubbing circles across her back with his left hand.

"I love you, Hales."

"Always and Forever?" She teased, winding her arms around his torso. "I love you too, Nathan, more than you'll ever know."

Nathan smiled. "Always, and Forever."

They stayed like that for an hour, too afraid, and too content to release their grips.

He was in love with her, and one day, he'd find the courage to actually say the words aloud.