He laid in bed beside Haley, Peyton was sound asleep on the other side of the room.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. Everything happened so fast, I fought back and left before I realized what I was really doing. You deserved a goodbye, an explanation, and I'm sorry I didn't give you that."

All he could think about was Nathan sitting alone in Tree Hill with a broken heart. Haley was here, living her dream, with no regards to Nathan's well-being. She was being selfish, and Luke didn't like her this way.

"Why didn't you ask him to come with you?" Lucas needed to know that answer for Nathan.

A heavy sigh left her lungs, "I don't know. I didn't think about it. He started asking questions about Chris then he stormed out."

"Do you have feelings for Chris Keller?"

The question silenced Haley, "He's talented. He helps me with my music."

"That doesn't answer the question, Haley."

The next couple of days, Peyton spent time with Haley. Lucas was destroyed by her and he didn't want to be around Haley. The trip was a mistake.

He tried calling Brooke multiple times, but she never answered. Luke mailed a letter to her just before heading to New York. He poured his heart and soul into that letter and he knew Brooke should have received it by now. She didn't reply to his texts either. He didn't know what was going on with her, but he chose to focus on Haley instead. Brooke was moody and had her insecurities, she liked drama, and Luke didn't want to play her games.

Peyton was all about taking pictures with Haley for Karen's wall. Lucas was in a few of them, but he wasn't smiling.

An hour later, Haley had to leave for sound check.

"Lucas," Peyton began, "she's your best friend. Be happy for her."

"She cheated on Nathan with him," he was cold, his tone distant.

"I know. We talked about it last night. People make mistakes, Luke. We did."

"I was in love with you, Peyton. That was different."

They stood there staring at each other. He dropped a bombshell on her and Peyton couldn't think or speak. She couldn't move.

"Maybe she realized that they rushed into things. We're still kids, Lucas. Maybe they made a mistake."

"Have you seen Nathan? He's a mess without her. He's hurt."

"I know. I get it, but Haley's career is taking off. She can't walk away from this now. Nathan should understand that."

"People always leave. You wrote those words."

"Yeah, I did, but sometimes they come back. Like my dad, he's not leaving anymore. Jake came back, too."

Lucas couldn't handle it. He hated Nathan for so long and then Haley brought them together, made them care about each other. Now that they were losing the girl, would their brotherhood be lost, too, if Haley didn't return to Tree Hill?

Peyton and Lucas went exploring around the city while Haley worked. They talked, like they were friends again. The way they were before the cheating and the heartache. Peyton was easy to talk to, a lot easier than talking to Brooke.

"Talk to Brooke lately?" he asked when they stopped for coffee.

"Yeah, actually, this morning."

"Did she seem okay? She's not responding to me."

"She seemed great. She was going shopping with Victoria, believe it or not. Did you guys fight? Or what's going on?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't heard from her in a few days."

"Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her."

"Thanks, Peyton," they walked through Central Park drinking their coffee and taking pictures. Peyton snapped a selfie with Luke and sent it to Brooke.

Back at the hotel, Haley was eating lunch in her room. Luke half expected to see Chris with her, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Peyton! I'm so glad you're back!" Haley bounced off the bed and locked arms with Peyton. "The wardrobe designer and I can't agree on what I should wear tonight. Care to help?"

Brooke was the fashionista, not Peyton, but the curly blonde was happy to help. "This won't take long, Luke," Haley promised.

While the girls were gone, Lucas did a little snooping through Haley's things. She had said Nathan filed for divorce, meaning she had those papers in this room somewhere. Haley was never good at hiding anything. He found the papers in a nightstand drawer.

Nathan's signature was already there. Below his, was Haley's. She wasn't going to fight for her marriage. The darker side of Lucas knew that Chris Keller was part of the reason Haley was giving up. He had to stop this. Lucas knew how much they loved each other, he couldn't let this happen.

When the girls came back, Lucas was packing his bag. Anger and heartache was written all over his face. The papers lay beside his bag on the bed.

Peyton and Haley were laughing and having a good time until they saw him. Haley noticed the papers and folded her arms across her chest.

"Going through my stuff?" Her happy, childlike tone bad been replaced with anger, "My marriage is none of your business, Lucas." She snatched the papers and put them back in the drawer.

"He loves you, Haley. Just go home and be with him," they didn't care that Peyton was in the room.

"He loves me? He gave me an unfair ultimatum and then sent those divorce papers. He doesn't love me, Lucas. If he did, then he would be here with me. He would answer my calls and emails."

"You left him! Not the other way around!"

"I think you should leave. Right now."

The drive back to Tree Hill was filled with awkward silence. Peyton had The Foo Fighters playing just for noise. Lucas stared out the window, wondering how their lives got so out of control. Everything changed in only a few months. He craved normalcy. He wanted his best friend back.

"You really miss her, don't you?" Peyton asked, unable to handle the silence any longer.

"Yeah, I do. It was always the two of us against the world. She's changed into someone that I don't recognize."

"I was talking about Brooke."

"Oh." That's all he said.

Once they arrived in Tree Hill, Luke wanted to go to the rivercourt. Nathan was there, taking his rage out on the court.

"Wanna shoot around?" Luke asked, making his presence known.

Nathan was out of breath. "Where have you been?"

"Visiting an old friend."

"Yeah? Anyone I know?"

He shook his head, "Nah. I don't know her anymore either."

They played a quick pick-up game then headed to their homes. Karen was already asleep. Luke didn't want to disturb her so he quietly made it to his room.

He tried calling Brooke again, and this time, she answered.

"What do you want, Lucas?"

He was taken back by the attitude. "What's wrong with you?"

"I got your letter yesterday."

"And? I thought it was pretty great."

"It was until the last line. You're mine forever, how could you say that to me?"

"I thought it sounded pretty good."

"It sounded great, but you've written those words before. To Peyton."

"What are you talking about? I don't remember giving Peyton a letter."

"It's in your sad box of Peyton stuff in your closet. I found the letter last spring."

"I never sent that letter to Peyton."

"But you wrote it for her. Then you say the exact same words to me? The exact same words? I don't want to talk to you, Lucas. Leave me alone." She hung up before he could say anything, before he could make the situation worse.