Nathan walked along the walkway, hoping for his half-brother to feel a little sorry for him and give him some alcohol. Yeah. Right.
He knocked on the door and waited.
"Lucas!" He called out. "Lucas open up!"
Lucas stood inside, praying that Nathan would go away. He had something important to do today, and Nathan couldn't come with him. She was just about over him, he couldn't just let him tag along to her house! Unfortunately, as he guessed would happen, Nathan just kept knocking and yelling for him to open the door.
"Would you have done that if I wasn't home?" Lucas asked Nathan, as he swung the door open. "I have neighbours man." Nathan allowed the door to close behind him, as they entered Lucas' living room.
"Whatever, should have opened the door." Nathan shrugged. "Got any beer?" He asked, heading towards the kitchen.
"Not for you." Lucas replied, catching up to his brother and standing in front of him. "Nate, you gotta go home." He told him bluntly. "I got something I need to do today."
"What's her name, and does she have a sister?" Nathan asked, smirking cockily.
"As a matter of fact, she does have a sister, but I'm going to help her with something. I need to leave." Lucas picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "C'mon, I'll drop you at home on the way."
"Why can't I come?" Nathan frowned. "You don't usually mind me tagging along to things." Nathan frowned as his brother, 3 months older than him, shook his head.
"This is different man." Lucas replied. "I'm going to fix a leak." He told Nathan.
"Uh, big deal?" Nathan laughed. "C'mon, I'll give you a hand."
"At Haley's." Lucas finished off, watching Nathans face fall. He loved his wife…separated wife…to bits. He knew he shouldn't have kissed Carrie, but they had worked through that…but then this whole 'I'm having Nathans baby' thing came along, and Nathan couldn't even tell her he didn't have sex with that woman, because he didn't know.
He knew it wasn't good enough, but the baby wasn't due for another two weeks, and Haley had thrown him out as soon as he couldn't answer her question.
"Let me come." Nathan insisted. "I'm the one who should be fixing things for her Lucas, not you." He insisted. "If you don't let me, I'll walk over myself." He insisted. Lucas opened the front door, allowed Nathan out, and began to lock it.
"Don't you get it yet? She doesn't need you anymore Nathan. She and Jamie are doing just fine. She's doing great." Lucas told his little brother. "I'm sorry man, but it's true."
"No." Nathan shook his head, as his face reddened with hurt. "No, she's not." He kicked the trashcan and took off running down the street.
What in the world am I going to do about you…
Lucas took his tools from the trunk and nodded the Samantha, who was mowing Haley's lawn. He sighed as he heard heavy footsteps and panting from behind him. He turned around and knew instantly it was his brother.
"Let me fix it Lucas."
"What are you doing here?" Sam turned off the mower. "Can't you see she doesn't need you?" She asked him rudely. "Go home."
"Come on, I gotta at least see Jamie." He looked to Lucas. "Please." He begged. Lucas sighed and shook his head.
"You know that's not up to me. Come back tomorrow. Haley has a lot to do today, besides, you know Jamie's at school." He replied, before closing Haley's gate and heading in the front door.
"Hey Luke." Haley smiled, hugging her friend. "It's at the back porch." She told him. "Thanks for coming." She kissed his cheek.
"No problem." Luke smiled. "Peyton's at the label today so I had nothing to do anyway."
"You still chasing the blonde, broody?" Brooke asked, from Haley's living room, before she poked her head around the door. "You know she likes you. She told me."
"Yeah okay." Lucas laughed. "We're not in Junior High anymore Brooke. See ya." He nodded towards the back door, before allowing himself through the house.
"You're evil." Haley laughed, as she and Brooke went back into the living room.
"I know." Brooke grinned. "You sure you don't want me to come with you?" She asked her best friend.
"I'll be fine." Haley picked up the shopping list and her purse. "Won't be long. Don't throw a party." She winked, before walking out of the front door, nodding to Samantha, and getting into her car. She looked in the rear view mirror and gasped, before closing her eyes. Not again.
"Pull yourself together Haley." She whispered. "They all think you're doing fine, now actually be fine. You have to stop thinking he's there. You sent him away and he's not coming back."
She opened her eyes, and the image of her husband was gone. Reversing out of the driveway, she began the journey to the supermarket.
As she roamed the shelves, she picked up the basics; milk, bread, sugar. Then she reached that aisle. The aisle that she dreaded every time she came to the store. Aisle 14.
She strolled through quietly, not daring to look up. Right before it happened, she had been thinking of having another baby…now six months later, she knew they had no chance of that. This other woman was having his baby…well…she worked by guilty until proven innocent. Besides, his baby or not, it didn't change the fact that he got so drunk, he could have had sex with anyone at that part, and he wouldn't have even known it the next morning.
He was 26 years old, he had to stop getting that drunk. She swore he forgot that he had a son sometimes.
"Hey Haley." A voice came. Haley froze and looked up. Oh no. Not again. "How are you?"
"I'm good Marcus." Haley replied courteously. "Just getting some groceries."
"Hey, I was wondering..." He smiled strangely and Haley felt the bile in her stomach rise. "Would you like to go for coffee some time? I mean, I know we have work every day, but maybe a day like today, when we have free periods at the same time." He suggested.
"Actually." Haley began to push her cart further. "I booked today off, they have a sub in for me." She told him. "I have a lot to do, I better get going. I'll see you in school." She said quickly, before walking off.
Nathans heart fell when he saw that this guy was asking her out…then when she turned him down…he just couldn't describe that feeling of relief. Maybe they still had a chance. Maybe…Maybe they could be together again.
By now, Haley was packing her bags, when she could have sworn she saw him again. She knew she saw him all the time in her mind, but this time felt different…real. She shook it off and carried on packing her groceries, before beginning her drive home.
What in the world am I going to do about you…
Brooke was waiting for her, as she pulled up in the driveway. The front lawn was finished and she could hear Sam mowing in the back yard. She could still hear Lucas tapping away, and was grateful for Brooke helping her carry the bags in.
"Brooke…" Haley put the last of the food in the fridge and looked to her best friend. "Can I…Can I talk to you?" She asked her best friend. Brooke immediately put her cell phone down and took Haley's hand.
"Of course you can honey, come on tell me what's going on." She led Haley into the living room and the pair sat on the couch.
"Well…"Haley bit her lip. "I…I know you all think I'm doing fine…but…but I'm not Brooke." Haley broke and shattered. "I miss him." She whispered through her tears. "I miss him, and I need him, and Jamie hates me for kicking him out." She sobbed. "I can't get him out of my mind…I keep seeing him around…and I don't know what to do." She cried. "I don't know if…I mean…I keep remembering everything we did together…I don't think I can cope without him for much longer." She told Brooke quickly.
"Okay." Brooke nodded sadly. "Just breathe, Hales." She rubbed her best friends back. "Now tell me, do you think you wanna see him, talk to him?" She asked softly. Haley began to breathe loudly and uncontrollably.
"I." Sniff. "Don't. " Sniff. "Know." She laid her head on Brookes shoulder and cried for a little while.
"Haley." Brooke said, after maybe twenty minutes. "Hales, it's time to get Jamie. Do you want Sam to go today?" Haley just nodded against Brookes shoulder, trying to control her sobs.
Nathans heart broke as he saw all of the hurt that he had caused. He had never, in all of the ten years that they were married, seen Haley cry like this. She didn't even cry like this when Lydia died, she just went into a deep depression.
"I want to see him." She whispered. "Alone. I need to see Nathan alone." She finally concluded.
"Alright." Brooke nodded. "We can help you do that." She kissed Haley's forehead. "Lucas can talk to him."
"I know that…that he's probably never going to come back to me…I kicked him out ,and he probably didn't even sleep with anyone…but he could have." Haley whispered. "He could have been with anyone that night and not even known it." She cried. "And that scared me." She confessed. "It scares me to know that he could do it and now even know he's done it. He could have god knows how many children out there, and only have room for Jamie." She sighed. "Not that he's seen him much…Lucas said he keeps asking to come see Jamie when he has him, but he just keeps saying No, it's not up to him." Haley explained. "I don't wanna keep him from Jamie…I just…I wish I knew what was going through his head now." She sighed. "Because I know I still love him…and I just need to know if he…if he would come back." She whispered.
Nathan saw his opportunity. He couldn't not do it. He had heard everything that she had said, through the window. Immediately, he made his way to the front door and…and knocked. It felt strange to knock on his own front door…but he did it anyway. He wanted to respect Haley and Jamie, and if this was what respect was, then so be it.
"Who." Haley coughed to clear her throat. "Who is it?" She swiped at her eyes. Nathan smiled and walked in, stopping at the doorframe.
"I still love you." He promised. "I always will."
Haley looked up and saw him standing there. Her breath ran short – she didn't even notice Brooke leaving to go find something else to do. "Nathan." She whispered.
"I miss you Haley, and I'm sorry for everything. If…if this baby is mine, then I wanna know as soon as possible, because I want to be a father to my kids, but I don't think I slept with that girl. I honestly don't." He told his wife. "I wanted to come with Lucas…I wanted to see you, but he said no. He said come by and see Jamie tomorrow, then I can see you and make sure it's okay." Nathan walked over to her. "But I couldn't wait. I needed to see you." He said, as he moved the strands of hair from her face. "Maybe…Maybe there's a chance we could be a family again?" He asked her.
Haley was bewildered. She didn't expect him to come over…she had seen his car parked across from the school sometimes, so he could see Jamie, but that was it.
She didn't even bother to reply with words…she just found herself throwing her arms over his shoulders and pouncing on him. Her lips deprived his of oxygen, as she pushed him against the wall, raising her legs for Nathan to support her.
"I love you." She whispered as she pulled away. "I love you." She laughed. "Come home." She told him, still with her legs wrapped around him. "Come home to your family."
"I'm home- Daddy!" Jamie exclaimed, as he walked through the door. "Daddy are you back?" He asked, throwing his arms around his father's leg.
Nathan smirked and looked down to his son. "I'm back."