A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the long wait again, but this chapter just did not want to be written. It had to be written with a lot of finesse since it is such an integral part of the story, and I didn't want to write whatever came to mind and give you guys something subpar. I really want to do this story justice by making sure every chapter is my absolute best work, so I hope you understand why I can't really write regularly. Anywho, hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Haley's POV

The first few minutes, we sat in relative silence on opposite sides of our small table. We were too focused on eating and listening to the sounds of nature outside of our little haven to start such a heavy conversation.

Finally, after those first few minutes, Sam released a big sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"I really didn't know what was going on."

I narrowed my eyes, silently daring him to continue. His eyes burned right back into mine, pleading for understanding.

"I thought it was just a matter of you two not getting along and not knowing what to do about that other than putting me in the middle. Haley, you have to believe that if I had known what she'd done I would have been by your side the entire time."

"God, Sam, don't you get it?"

"What?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows.

"I told you point blank that she was spreading nasty rumors about me, and all you could say was that you were sure I was mistaken and that it was probably just a misunderstanding caused by one of the girls in theater that wanted my part. I was devastated! How could you sit there and think that I would come to you with an allegation that was unfounded? I was your best friend! Yet, that meant nothing to you, because you did exactly what she told me you would when I confronted her. You defended her and pushed aside what I was saying, because there was just no way you're precious girlfriend had done that, right?"

I was heaving by the time I'd finally paused my rant to take breath, and my food sat forgotten on the table in front of us. But, I didn't care. This had been a long time coming, and I refused to let all that hurt and pain fester within me any longer.

"It hurt so bad to think that you would believe her over me. I would never have come to you with an allegation against someone you cared about unless I knew for sure it was them. She told me to my face that you'd choose her, and I denied it thinking I knew you way better than she did. But, I guess the joke was on me, huh?"

By that point, I'd begun crying, just small tears that dripped down my face as I remembered the day I realized I'd lost my trust in my best friend. My person. My Sammy. My dimples. None of it was true anymore, because he was hers entirely, and he had betrayed me by siding with the she-witch that was his ex.

"Hales," Sam began brokenly, holding out his hands to grasp mine but getting air as I moved my hands away.

"I never meant to hurt you. Sophia was just a really good manipulator. I know that's not nearly a good enough excuse for my actions, but it's the ultimate truth. She was really good at sprouting seeds in me that made me think you were simply jealous of my relationship. I knew better than to believe that, but I was blinded by my belief in her. She was my girlfriend, Haley. It was really hard to believe that she could spread vicious rumors about you."

I could taste the saltiness of my tears as they fell, and they just made me cry more. I wanted to forgive him- I wanted nothing more. But, there was deeply buried pain within me from his betrayal. He'd lacked the faith in me to see I would never bring him something to hurt him if I hadn't done my research to ensure it was a fact.

He was right, though. Sophia was a conniving, manipulative, female dog. She began making rumors about me about a month after she started dating Sam. First, it was stupid stuff like saying that I wore a wig or that my teeth were all veneers. But, it became steadily worse. It got to the point where she told people that I was an alcoholic and that's why I came to school with red rimmed eyes one day when I'd actually just been up studying for a chemistry exam the night before.

What she didn't know was that Grover high had plenty of people that were on my side and were willing to turn her in as the catalyst. So, not being one to avoid avoid problem when it presented itself, I confronted her.

She tried to deny it at first, but I had enough people who'd seen her start the rumors that she knew she couldn't hide her true colors anymore. Instead, she chose to tell me that I should simply get over it and definitely not tell Sam do the sake of our relationship. He would never believe me, especially not if she told him how obviously depressed I'd looked by how she was affecting our friendship.

I denied her every word and told her that Sam would never dismiss my allegations as crazy or ill-conceived. Turns out, the joke was on me. Sam didn't believe a word I said, and told me I was mistaken and probably not seeing things clearly. Sophia was just trying to adjust to the mechanics of our friendship and was simply having trouble adjusting, same as me.

It was at that moment that I began to lose faith in Sam. It wasn't completely gone yet. I still had a little flame burning within me that believed he would change, but it was snuffed out by the way in which he continuously let her wedge herself between us until he never had time to even have a small conversation with me.

It all culminated when Sophia made the fatal blow with her rumor mill. She spread the word that I had slept with Joey Bertuzzi, the student director of the winter play, in order to get the female lead. Everywhere I looked I was told the nastiest things, until I just couldn't take it anymore.

I left to visit Amy in LA for a few days to clear my head, but I found myself instead. A director found me dancing and singing in a sectioned off room as I waited for Amy's dancing practice to end, and he offered me the chance to audition for his new movie. I ended up getting the lead role, and I chose to leave school, get a tutor, and move to LA to continue pursuing my dream. I wanted nothing to do with my life in San Diego, and I promised myself I wouldn't return until I was ready.

But, I broke that promise by coming here for this movie. I wasn't ready to see Sam. Every moment I stood in front of him remembering how he failed me as a best friend was another piece of my barely mended heart that got chipped back off.

Sam suddenly stood up and came to my side to kneel beside me. He took my hands in his, and when I tried to move them away, he held them firmly and held my gaze with a deep intensity in his cerulean eyes.

"I am so unbelievably sorry, Haley. You were my best friend in the whole world, and when I got a test of friendship, I bailed. I don't have any excuses to offer you, because nothing I could say would ever take away the fact that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I didn't believe you when you asked me to. I didn't have faith in you when you came to me for some. And, I don't blame you if you don't want to forgive me- I haven't been able to forgive myself for it. But, even knowing that I don't deserve it any way, I'm begging you for it. Haley I need you to forgive me more than anything in this world. You are my best friend, my firecracker, my one and only bestie forever and ever. I need you in my life, even if it can only be superficial for a bit while you get your bearings and learn to trust me again. Please, Haley, Please."

I stare back into the eyed that caused me so much grief for that brief period in my life, and for the first time since I moved to LA, I was able to see past it. I was able to remember how it felt to be connected to someone so deeply, it felt like our souls were interwined. I remembered the years of joy and a friendship that transcended what my younger self could understand, and I weighed it against the hurt I endured.

Somehow, the pain was able to finally pale in comparison to the overwhelming happiness Sam brought me, and the peace I couldn't deny I felt just being in his presence. He had been young, dumb, and he'd trusted the wrong person. I believed without a doubt that I would have believed him if the roles had been reversed, but I had no way of knowing for sure.

So, I chose to do the right thing. I chose to forgive.

"I forgive you, Sam." I said, looking into those eyes that shone with tears the moment I spoke. "Please understand, I can't pick up where we left off like nothing has happened. Because, it did, and it would be stupid to push it all under a rug and think we can escape it. The hurt I went through will always be a part of me, simply because it changed me and made me into the person I am now. But, I don't want to hold it over you either or be that person that can't let go of the past. I want to move on, and I want to be your best friend again. Because, God Sam, I miss you so so much."

Sam gathered me into a hug, forced me to get up off of the chair to do so comfortably, and sighed into my hair.

"I miss you too, firecracker. More than you could ever comprehend." He moved me back so we could see each other and cradled my face with his hands. "Thank you for letting me back into your life. I will do everything in my power so that you don't regret it."

"I hope so," I reply, feeling as if the weight of the world has been take off of my shoulders and all that's left is the feeling of being back in the tree house of my childhood with my best friend slowly massaging my hair around the hair clip he gave me.

"So what happens now?" I asked.

"Now, my dear Haley, we do what we do best: we dance."

And, clicking on his phone to play some Sam Smith, we did exactly that. We danced until it was too dark and all we could see were the shining stars through the windows- the only witnesses to the renewal of a friendship as deep as time itself.

***
A/N: Wow. It almost feels foreign to write now. It feels like a long ago skill that I'm just now remembering to train in. Again, I apologize for the extremely long wait, but I started college this fall, and it feels like I am only now taking a breath. But, I can't promise when the chapter will come. Just that I have not forgotten about his book.

Anyway, onto a question I'm dying to ask: how do you feel about Sam and Haley now?

The truth is it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to be the reason Haley left. And, when I decided on this, I wanted it to be something that hurt Haley a lot, but also something she could forgive and be able to be mature about. I wanted to show her growing from someone who left after everything went down, to becoming someone who's an adult and treats situations like an adult would. I hope I managed to convey that.

Thank you again for sticking with me and I really hope you enjoyed the chapter!