You're My Best Friend

Chapter 1-"I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning"

Nathan's POV

All I can remember is Haley. My head hurts like hell and there's no feeling in my shooting arm. What the hell did I do last night? Then, I remember. I tried to kill myself.

"Oh my god, Nathan! You're awake!"

I turn to hear the voice of my mother. Mother dearest, how I love her so. Wow, I can be darkly sarcastic in a hospital bed. She looks like a slut, as usual. That's no surprise. She also looks like she cares, shocker. My mother acting like she cares. She looks at me with those big eyes trying to say that she would have killed herself if I had died. Is that supposed to make me feel better? My mother has spent the passed two years trying to convince me that though I was a mistake, she's always loved me. Also, she's been trying to prove that I'm not a pawn in her and dad's sick and twisted games.

I feel like an asshole speaking ill of my mother but she is one of the reasons why I'm here. I hate her and dad so much it almost makes me cry.

Is she really supposed to be the first person I see when I wake from the dead? I ask myself this question while I silently curse the gods laughing up above me, completely oblivious to my mom's dog cries. This is all Lucas's fault. If I he wasn't in my life I would've made do with my crappy parents and meaningless sex, but NO. I had to hate Lucas and use Haley as a pawn in my sick and twisted games. Never knowing that I'd fall in love. Love. That's a strange word, huh? One small word means so much. I hate that word now. I love Haley, not loved, love. She is my wife, not was. Then, it occurs to me that I'm not wearing my wedding ring. Rudely interrupting my mother, I scream.

"Nathan, honey, what is it?"

I look at her with my cold eyes. Why, why call me honey? You do not love me damn it!

"Nathan, what is it?"

I figure I should answer her before she gets all hysterical again.

"It's, it's my wedding ring. Not that you care."

"Nathan, of course I care. I'm the one that gave you the money to go to Haley."

"Yeah, after you totally destroyed what little mother-son connection we had by bad mouthing my marriage. You're just desperate."

"Is it wrong that I want a relationship with my son?"

"Whatever, just help me get the hell out of here so I can find my wedding ring."

Why? Why? Did I take if off? Why did I leave her! She left me. She left me to go on tour and then she left me again even after I tried to reconcile, choosing her music over me. I feel so vulnerable. She made it clear that she didn't want to be my wife. That it was just some stupid impulse. Young Haley was so sick of doing things according to plan. Still, I love her. I promised her I'd love her and that's a promise that I can't break.

"Damn it! Where's my wedding ring?" I felt like crying. My memory fades. I can't remember where I left it.

"You're not wearing it?" Finally, my mom gets the clue. However, there is a shred of happiness in her now, and it isn't because I'm awake. It's because taking off my wedding ring was a sign of regret. It was a sign of anger. It was a sign of why the hell did I believe this could happen to me?

"No, I have to get back to the apartment. I have to look for it."

"You aren't going anywhere young man. You are going to stay in bed till you get better."

"It's been sixteen years and now you've finally decided to pull the sick son responsible mom card? You're a little too late, Deb." I could tell I hurt her when I said that, good.

"I think you're mom's right…this time."

"Daytona. What…"

"Am I doing here?" She said with a smile. She had a great smile. I almost forgot.

"Well, my oldest friend became comatose because silly me challenged him to race with one day of training. So I though I'd just check up on him and spare my guilt." She tried, to laugh, to lighten the mood. She's always tried to do that ever since we were kids. Before, I became a jerk before I became a sweetheart…again.

"Deb, mom, whatever. Could you leave please? So I can talk to Daytona?"

That was the nicest thing I had said to her so far.

"Sure." She was desperate. When it came to mom, no one could keep her away from spending "quality time with her son." I think all she cared about was quantity of a conversation, not it's quality. So if she stretched a talk out with me, she could lie to herself and say we were getting close.

She left the room. Daytona came and sat down on my bed. I took her hand in mine.

"Daytona, you're not the reason I'm here. I am. No matter how much I want to blame others. Ultimately, I know that I put myself here."

"Thanks, Nate."

"No thank you. Because of my arrogant, cocky attitude, I had to prove myself better than a girl. I got the thrill of a lifetime, thanks Daytona." I hoped that would make her laugh, but it only made her sadder.

"I really am okay, okay?" I lied. She tried to ignore me when I said that.

"So, what the hell was all the yelling for?"

"I can't find my wedding ring. I took it off and I don't remember where I left it. I want to go home and find it but mommy's orders are no, no." I said the last part in a playful tone. I was trying to use my sarcasm to hide my melancholic behavior. Daytona saw right through it. She's always seeing through my facades.

"Cut the crap. Look, I love you, you're like a brother to me and I feel horrible that you're in the situation but do not bullshit me Nathan Scott. You are hurting, you are in love, and you aren't okay, okay!"

"Okay," I replied.

"Give me you're house keys. I'll go and look for your ring. I'll bring it to you. It looks like you'll be here for a while."

"Thank you, Daytona."

"Hey, Haley's you're wife, you're best friend. Don't thank me for doing something that's necessary. Keys please."

"Daytona, considering that I almost massacred myself. Other people probably have my sharp possessions including my keys. Look around, we're in a hospital. Just get them from Luke. It'll be too complicated trying to get them from the nurse."

"Right. Leaving now. Feel Better," she said as she kissed me on the cheek and left.

Yeah, I do hope I feel better.