Chapter Three

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and Nathan Scott couldn't be more miserable. When he had gotten home the night before Luke told him about Haley being back. He knew he could avoid her for the few days she would be in town, before she disappeared again, but he wasn't sure if he could handle her being so close.

He felt bad for Luke, Haley was his best friend and he knew he felt like he couldn't see her because of him. He wanted to tell him he was fine, that her being here didn't affect him, but he knew his brother would see through it.

Nathan was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a knock on his bed room door. He flung his arm over his eyes grimacing. "Who is it?" he asked groaning.

"It's Brooke, can I come in?" she asked softly.

"Yea, come in."

Brooke slowly opened the door before stepping into his room. It broke her heart to see Nathan so broken. When Lucas told her that Haley had the audacity to come to their home she was speechless, and for Brooke, that was unheard of. Brooke loved Haley, but she also loved Nathan and she was there to watch him fall apart when she left.

"Lucas told me Haley came by, I thought I'd check and see how you were," Brooke said breaking her self out of her thoughts.

"I'm fine Brooke, yes it bothers me that Haley is in Tree Hill, but she won't be here for long," Nathan said with no emotion in his voice as he sat up and moved to the edge of his bed.

"Okay, but if you need someone to talk to I'm here. I know the last six years haven't been easy for you. Clearly you want to be alone, you have the face on, but I have V.I.P tickets for the concert if you'd like to go," she said walking toward him. Brooke put the ticket on his night stand before leaning over and hugging Nathan. "I love you buddy. Everything will work out one way or another."

"Thanks Brooke, I appreciate it."

Smiling, Brooke turned and left Nathan with his thoughts. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he was feeling or thinking. In that moment she never felt luckier to have Lucas, to know that he loved her unconditionally, and he wasn't ever going any where without her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Haley was on the tour bus getting ready for the concert when she heard someone get on the bus. She knew it had to be Conner, and normally she would be thrilled to see him, but ever since he told her they were going to Tree Hill all she could think about was Nathan. She felt awful and she knew she deserved it. She'd been lying to Conner since she met him, as well as to her self.

"Hey babe, you almost ready? The crowed out there is insane, it's way bigger than I thought this tiny town would produce," he said, making her cringe.

"Just give me five minutes," Haley replied robotically. It was always like this before every show. Conner would try to hurry her along and she would smile and tell him what he wanted to hear before kissing him so he'd shut up. Tonight though was going to be different, she didn't feel like she did every other night.

Haley had done hundreds of shows over the last six years and she had never been more nervous than she was right now. Conner hovering over her wasn't helping. She wanted to tell him to leave but she knew she couldn't, not with out explaining why she was acting so weird, or why she had been avoiding him. It wasn't until this moment that she realized she was avoiding him. Other than breakfast the day before she hadn't spent any real time with Conner since they had gotten to Tree Hill.

"Babe, it's time, let's go," Conner said wrapping his arms around her before pressing his lips into hers.

Haley pulled back and looked into Conner's very confused eyes before saying, "I can't do this anymore, I'm married, I'm so sorry." Haley ran off the bus tears pooling from her eyes. She knew she had to pull her self together, she had to be on stage in less than five minutes. She had no idea what came over her or what possessed her to tell Conner about Nathan.

"Let's hear it for the one and only Haley James!" Haley heard them call her to the stage. It took all she had in her to pull it together before she walked onto the stage smiling with her guitar over her shoulder.