AN: I have started a new story, but I still do wish that people would read my other story, "Let Love In." This is my first Naley story, so please stick with me on it; I have high hopes for this one. There will be a lot of flashbacks, such as this chapter. Please Review, it really does make my day reading what people think…

It wasn't like some fantasy, you know the one, and she didn't get to dream up her wedding like little girls do. She sat on the sidelines and waited as he did it all for her. She'd nod when he'd ask her questions like, if she really wanted pink roses or not. Truth is, she was done caring about this life, she was so used to being told what to do, that when he would pull out his check book or hand her a credit card, she didn't feel flattered like she used to. Haley James, who no longer was a Scott, felt broken and lost.

Present Day

"Hales," he called out as he opened the door to her apartment. He shoved the key that she had given him back into his coat pocket and said her name again, "Haley, where are you? Its me, Sam."

Sam hesitated before entering her bedroom. He's been to her place so many times, but this time, she had called him and said that she needed him, it wasn't watching some holiday program together, this time Sam was worried about his best friend.

He found her sitting at her vanity with a scissors in her hand and staring at her tear stained face in the mirror. She had been crying for a while and her black raccoon eyes would agree and testify for just how long. Her hand was shaking as her tried to get the object out of her hand, trying not to imagine what she was going to do with it.

"Hales," he said as his voice trembled. "Please, sweetie just let it go, I promise I won't let anything happen." Sam grabbed her wrist and tried to shake the scissors free, but then he slowly peeled away each of her fingers. He couldn't tell if it was her body shaking or his as he pulled her towards him.

"Sam," she said after a few moments. "I want to cut it."

Sam shook his head so fast he swore the room was spinning. "No, you can't." He picked up his head and looked her in the eyes; he couldn't help but feel worried about her.

"Please," She cried. "I just want it all gone, please," she begged as a whole new set of tears rolled down her face. "I can't go on like this."

Sam nodded, "Tell me what happened."

Haley shook her head, not wanting to go over what all had happened. She was shaking and she was cold just as she started to think about what happened. "Will you cut it?" She held up her hair. "Please Sam," she begged. "I would do it, but right now I just can't."

Sam got on his knees with the scissors in his hand. "You love your hair."

"He loves it too," She chocked out a sob.

Sam froze finally realizing what this whole thing was about. Drake. Sam hated that man, tonight was their six-month anniversary and they had reservations at the best restaurant in New York City.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, "he does." They sat in Haley's room for a good hour before they moved to the living room. Sam offered soup or something that she loved the most, he even offered to go get her some chocolate cake from the café down the street, but all Haley wanted was Sam to sit with her and stay the night, or at least until she fell asleep.

Sam had pulled the blanket up over the two of them on the couch and he swore that she was sound asleep, but then she spoke.

"I don't like pineapple," she whispered. "I love watching basketball even though I have no clue what free shots are. I don't like spending lots of money. I can't count the number of times I've messed up in my life. I love huge family gatherings. I love that feeling you get when you think that you're screwed, but then it all changes. I love the smell of coffee in the morning. I love thunderstorms. I love the rain." She wiped the tear that trickled down her check. She looked up to Sam and smiled the best that she could.

"I know," Sam said simply.

She shook her head, "But Drake has no clue." Sam stroked her hair, "He asked me to marry him tonight."

Sam kept stroking her hair and kept his composure as she started to cry again. "Haley. Hales, what did you say."

Haley sighed, "I couldn't say no." She brought her hand to her forehead, "But I couldn't say yes either."

Sam nodded and kissed her forehead, "Just get some sleep. I'll be here all night and I'll be here for a while."

It took Haley three hours just to fall asleep and when she finally did Sam removed himself from behind her and walked over to where he threw his coat earlier that day. He fished out his cell phone and ran a finger over his screen. Should I really do this?

"Hello." Lucas' voice filled his ears and he sounded tired.

"Lucas," Sam said. "Its Sam."

Lucas groaned and sat up. "Sam I do I respect you because you're my good friend, but it's two in the morning, and I've got early practice with the boys today."

"I know Luc," Sam sighed. "But it's Haley this time."

"Oh god."

"I've tried not to completely freak out, but I found her trying to cut her hair off, because he loves it. She's going nuts and she won't get out of this relationship."

"I hate Drake," Lucas growled over the phone.

"He asked to marry him tonight."

"It's only been six months!" Lucas shouted.

"I need help, Lucas, I can't do this one all on my own, I really can't." Sam told him truthfully. "Bring everyone, because she is going to need it. Even Nathan."

"You sure?" Lucas asked. "I don't know if she could handle it."

Sam looked at her sleeping on the couch, she was a mess and she needed this, he was sure of that. He knew that sometimes he over stepped, but this time he didn't care, he had no reason not to fight, he would do this.

"She said that she loved to be loved. That she loved love that lasts always and forever." Sam paused. "What do you think that means?" Sam asked Lucas knowing that only Nathan would be able to make her see.

"I'm waking him up right now." Lucas hung up the phone and pulled the covers off his cold body. "Nathan!" He shouted loudly. He walked into his brother's room not even bothering on knocking. "Get up!" Lucas started going through his brother's drawers and throwing out clothes.

"What the hell!" Nathan exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"We're getting our girl back."

New York City, One Year Earlier.

Her hair was tucked behind her ears as she lay down in bed that night. On her queen size bed she felt so alone. She turned to her side almost on instinct and waited for him to come to bed. She did this a lot, hoping that one day she'd wake up and pray that he'd actually spring through her apartment door and whisk her back down to Tree Hill.

He never came. He never called.

Haley jolted as the buzz of her cell phone shook her body as she lie face down in the white pillow. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes she reached for the phone that sat buzzing on her nightstand.

"Hey buddy," she greeted knowing that Lucas Scott was on the other end of that phone.

Haley blinked and started to count the many things that she had to do today, but she so badly just wanted to get lost in the world with her best friend.

"Hales," he murmured softly into the phone. "I just want to call and wish you good luck for today, not that you need it or anything." Haley knew that it was a big deal for him to be up calling her this early, he probably had a long night helping Peyton at the club.

Haley chuckled, "Need I remind you that I live in a one bedroom apartment, I have no hot water, and the only constant man I have in my life is the rat the scurries across my floor every morning." Haley ran her hand over her face and flipped over onto her back. "Trust me, I can use all the luck that you are willing to give."

Lucas sighed, "Well if it makes you feel any better, he…"

"Stop," Haley interjected, "please Luc, just don't." She hated when he'd bring him up, she was trying so hard to get over him, to get over the loss, but every time Lucas called she hoped that he'd be okay.

"Hales," Lucas fought back. "You both are throwing your lives away…" Truth. Haley moved right after the fight and Nathan camped out at Lucas' loft until he was ready to talk about it. Lucas would never forget the night when Nathan had stumbled into his bedroom stirring him from his sleep. Lucas was going to chuck something at him, but then he saw his glistening tears. It was my entire fault, he had told him. I should have never even got in that car. God, Luc, what have I done?

"Well, we already threw our marriage away. Our lives is all that we have left. Lucas just stop, okay? If you wanted to call and remind me of my biggest and most gut wrenching mistakes, couldn't you have at least waited until after my interview?"

"That is not what I am doing!" Lucas told her. "I am just letting you know that if you want to be all gloomy in New York then what ever, but you're not the only one who is acting all bitchy."

"He's acting bitchy?" Haley asked taken back.

"I never said Nathan." Lucas liked to play with her like this. He was torn between his brother and his best friend.

"Neither did I." Haley sighed and looked at her clock. "Lucas, I better go, you know I can't be late…"

"Say no more," Lucas joked. He listened to her breathe on the other end, "But seriously, good luck Hales, call me right after okay?"

"I will Luc, promise." She crossed her fingers over her chest and hoped to god that this time it'd work. "I love you, bye."

"Love you to Haley, goodbye."

Haley didn't shut her phone after he hung up; the picture that was still on the back round of her pink phone memorized her. He was wearing a black basketball cap and she was tucked under his arm laying her head on his chest, almost as if it was forever. He had fished her phone out of her back pocket and snapped the picture telling her that it was just one of those moments that he wanted to remember.

Haley shook her head, what was she even thinking when she left? Did she really expect it to get better? She is living in the memories of what used to be, of what her heart used to be made of, or still is.

Picking up her bag and making sure that her keys were already in her purse she was out the door. She walked down the hallway and towards the elevator trying to ignore the paper-thin walls that were screaming at her, telling her just to go home and give it up.

She smiled to the man that was already standing in front of the elevator waiting for it to make its way down to their floor.

"Hey," he smiled back.

"Hi," was all she would offer on a morning like this.

They sat waiting in a silence, Haley kept checking to make sure that the elevator light was still on and every time it was. She thought back to the last time that she sat in silence with a man, and all she could come up was with Nathan. Everything always leads to Nathan.

He cleared his throat, "Damn elevator."

Haley smiled sweetly at him, "Is it always this bad?" She asked biting her bottom lip; once again she checked the light.

The man nodded his head, "You get used to it, or at least that's what everyone says." He chuckled at himself. "Personally, I've lived here for three years and it still ticks me off every morning."

That made Haley smile, she didn't know why, but she couldn't help it and she sure as hell didn't even try to stop it and the smile grew and grew. Then Haley did something that only Brooke would do.

"I'm Haley," she said as she extended her hand out.

"Sam," he said taking her hand and shaking it lightly. "You just moved in right?"

Haley nodded. "Yeah, about a week ago."

Sam, she liked that name. When her and Nathan had a pregnancy scare when she was senior in high school she had bought a book on names. She had made a list of all the names that she'd like to name her child and thinking back, the name Sam, had made her top five.

"Yeah, that's what my brother told me. I was gone last week and my brother stayed at my place." Sam said running a hand through his short spiked hair. "By the looks of it, you're new to New York City, what made you choose The Big Apple?"

Haley bit her lip and slowly looked down to the ground. How did she choose this state over any other to run away to? Truth is, Haley went to Lucas' house pulled out the map, pinned it up on the wall and then she grabbed a knife and threw it. The knife landed right in the heart of New York. What made her chose? It was the fury of Nathan Scott.

"Um," Haley started. She was saved as finally the elevator light switched off and the bell dinged. Haley sighed as the doors opened and without any hesitation she walked in.

Lucas groaned as he started the coffee for his brother and himself. He opened fridge hoping to find last nights dinner or the previous nights for breakfast. He pulled the cold pizza out of the container and looked at it, inspecting it for bugs, finding none, he took a bite.

"That is seriously like from three weeks ago," he heard his brother snipping from behind him. Nathan sat down on the stool in front of the coffee pot and watched as his pick up was being freshly brewed.

Lucas laughed and took out the milk that he would need for his cereal, which was not three weeks old, he set the carton down next to his brother. "I highly doubt that something, let alone pizza, would last that long in our fridge." Lucas set out a bowl for himself and one in front of Nathan. He grabbed the box of Captain Crunch and started to pour himself a bowl.

Both boys' heads shot up as they heard Brooke laughing. Both heads shot back down as soon as her bedroom door opened and out walked Brooke laughing on her cell phone. "The black skirt? Does it have the slit on the left, or does it flare, I can't remember? Oh good choice! Did we go with curls or did we straighten our hair? Do you have to be there now? Sure you do. Just call me when you're done, okay? No, before Lucas! That's no fair. Yeah, yeah, bye sweetie."

Lucas smiled to himself knowing that he was getting that call before Brooke and that it would be a good reason to tease Brooke for at least a good week.

"Oh, wipe that dumb smirk off your face," Brooke scolded as she walked over next to him. She took the spoon from his hand and started eating his cereal. "Did you already talk to her?" She asked with her mouth full.

Lucas nodded taking the spoon from her. His eyes then pondered to his brother who was still sitting watching the coffee machine. "She has an interview today."

Nathan nodded and smiled, "That's good." He then turned to his brother and Brooke, "She's still doing good?"

Brooke nodded and spoke first, "She's not bad Nate, but she's been a hell of a lot better." Brooke opened the drawer and took another spoon. She started eating from Nathan's bowl of cereal.

"Listen Nate," Lucas said. "Why don't today, me and you go pay a visit to Whitey, I bet he'd be surprised to see you."

"Yeah," Brooke chirped up. "I know I was when you showed up."

"Brooke!" Lucas said. Nathan on the other hand didn't say anything he just moved his bowl out of Brooke's reach.

"You welcomed me with open arms," Nathan reminded her of that night.

"Brooke you did," Lucas agreed with him.

Brooke scuffed, "Well I probably was toasted anyways. I mean it's not like it's my choice, hello, this was Lucas' place until we all took it over." Brooke grabbed an orange and headed back for her bedroom. "I'm going to get ready for work!"

Lucas looked to his younger brother, "I don't mind that you all are here, okay?" He didn't say anything until Nathan nodded. "Nate, if it makes you feel weird when we talk about Haley, all you have to do it say stop okay?"

"I know Lucas, I'm not five," Nathan told him.

Lucas remembered that night, the one where he stumbled in, unwanted. Lucas what have I done? Lucas still utterly lost smiled at him and asked him to expand. Nathan ran a hand over his face, I lost the baby and now I lost her. I can't do this; I can't live this life without them.