Beware: if you don't like stories where Nathan and Haley have an affair, this one isn't for you!
Also, it's super unrealistic/cheesy/lame so I apologize in advance. Just trying to get over my writer's block. I'm happy with the first part of the story but my writing starts to suck at the end. Anyways, enjoy, hahah.
. . .
By the time Haley reached the entrance to the Omni Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina, the piece of paper clenched in her fist was a crumpled, indecipherable mess. She wasn't sure why she even had it with her; it's not like she spared a glance at the scribbled address anyway. She knew exactly where she was going. In fact, she'd been to the very same hotel every June 23rd for the past six years— today would make it the seventh year and yet, she felt like it was the first time all over again.
Haley could feel the seams of her nerves ripping violently apart, stripping her insides bare of everything but the rigidness of bones. A doorman greeted her on the way in and she somehow mustered enough muscles in her cheeks to smile back— a forced, trite smile, but a smile nonetheless. The lobby was considerably crowded for ten o'clock on a Thursday night but most of the guests were surrounding the small bar. Haley noticed a basketball game playing on the large television.
Of course.
Her eyes roamed right towards him. Like magnets, she thought. But it was something stronger than a magnetic pull, stronger than gravity even. It was just natural. Simple. Unexplainable. There were no doubts.
He was hunched over on the corner stool, presumably staring into the glass of beer as if it could somehow answer his thoughts. This time, her smile wasn't forced. It graced her lips effortlessly, smoothly, like the reflection of the moon against the edge of the ocean. A light-blue shirt stretched over his back. Haley couldn't help but stare.
It took a few seconds until she could breathe steadily again. She'd hoped he'd have a glass of wine— or something stronger— waiting for her. The thirty-seven-year-old wasn't much for drinking but tonight she needed it more than the average alcoholic.
She approached him slowly and silently. He was still immersed in studying the liquid contents of his glass, only looking up after she quietly cleared her throat.
Nathan blinked. Once. Twice. A third time.
"You're here."
"Of course I am," the words were whispered. She wasn't sure why. Nobody in the hotel knew who they were, or why they were there. Just them. Nathan and Haley.
The prominent sounds of clinking glasses and indistinct chatter faded into silence. The smell of cheap cigars mixed with a hint of Clorox wipes vanished. The people dressed in expensive suits now invisible.
Haley stole his senses. And Nathan stole hers.
"I was beginning to worry you might not show."
She shook her head; the tight curls of her honey blonde hair bounced against her shoulders; the thin white straps of her dress and bra were barely visible.
As she stared into his azure-colored eyes, the sinking feeling in Haley's stomach returned. The walls of her insides collapsed, leaving her unbalanced. She was a barely stable frame of a house, withstanding the winds of a vicious hurricane.
Nathan noticed and grabbed a hold of her hand to steady her onto the stool next to him. "Are you okay?"
Wordless and breathless, Haley nodded. He didn't let go of her hand.
"Look, we don't have to-,"
"No," she interjected loudly. If people looked, they didn't notice. "I-it's so good to see you."
A genuine, boyish grin stretched his lips. "I know. God, I've missed you, Hales." He gazed wondrously at the shy but utterly confident, gorgeous woman beside him. Nathan had known Haley for nearly half his life and she left him breathless every time he saw her. The white dress fit her snugly, but modestly. It left just enough to the imagination, but displayed her generous assets quite pleasantly. She was the picture of the combination between sexy and classy. Flawless, perhaps. At least in his eyes. Her large, golden brown eyes were outlined in a thin black line, holding his gaze nearly captive. A light trace of make-up dusted her cheeks and he assumed a soft pink lipgloss coated her lips, seeing as they sparkled beneath the bar lights. Naturally beautiful, Haley didn't need a lot of make-up. He'd always admired her for it.
"You're as beautiful as ever," he said earnestly. Subconsciously his hand landed on her exposed knee. Their eyes met and Haley made no move to remove it from her soft skin.
A natural blush infused the contours of her cheeks. He smirked. How was it that, even after all this time, they reacted just as if they were high-schoolers again?
"You look quite dashing yourself, Mr. Scott."
And there it was— the flirty banter only they knew how to share. Three-hundred-and-sixty-five days passed since they'd last seen each other but like always, they had picked-up where they left off.
Nathan Scott was always sexy. Thirty-seven looked good on him. He'd come a long way since sixteen, but somehow remained (if not more) devastatingly handsome. As the years passed, he'd filled out nicely into his tall, muscular frame— his shoulders now more square, eyes a little crisper, a smirk more crooked, and the rugged sprinklings of a five-o'clock shadow adjourning his sharp jawline.
What woman wouldn't want to stare and commit his physique to memory? Haley certainly had.
The bartender interrupted their moment. Nathan had ordered Haley a dirty martini and another beer for himself.
"You remembered," she squeezed his hand softly and they traded smiles.
"Of course I did. I remember everything about you, Haley."
The redness in her cheeks returned. He desperately wanted to reach out and cup her face, maybe move a tendril of hair behind her ear, but once again, their moment was broken by the bartender. He placed their drinks in front of them and Haley wasted no time in bringing it to her dry martini went down smoothly.
"So, how are you?" She cleared her throat and shifted on the stool. The mere inches of space between them felt like the distance between two planets.
Nathan took a steady swig of beer. "You really want to know?"
She nodded and watched as he wiped his palms against the dark wash of his jeans. The air between them shifted from light and flirty to an apprehensive and treacherous territory. Better to face the elephant than ignore it completely.
He furrowed his brows. "She wants to get married."
Haley bit her lip, deciding to stay silent. Nathan continued.
"I mean, of course she does. We've been together for almost five years."
"Do you want that, too?" Haley surprised herself with the question.
He avoided her analytical stare. "I think you already know the answer to that."
She sighed and turned her neck. A wooden duck statue sat atop the bar between two bottles of liquor. It served as a distraction more than a piece of decor.
"Are you ever going to stop running from your feelings, Nathan?"
He narrowed his eyes. The warmth ran cold. She nearly shivered. "I'm not running from anything."
Haley scoffed softly, "you're scared."
"I don't want to talk about this," his words were harsh and he pulled his hands from her knee as if it scalded the flesh of his palm.
She smiled sadly, "what are you going to do?" It wasn't accusatory. Her words were soft and concerned and so… Haley.
"I don't know," he threaded his fingers through his short, raven black hair. He let it grow from his buzzcut last year, and she now detected traces of gray colored pieces peppered between the black. "She knows it's not something I want but I think she's convinced she can get me to change my mind."
Haley hid her smile, unsuccessfully, behind her martini glass. For a moment, her heart constricted for the woman. She'd never met her, but Haley felt like she did. They practically walked in the same shoes. "Maybe she might."
Nathan shook his head and sighed. Haley would never truly understand and he didn't want to talk about it anymore— if ever again, so he changed the topic.
"What about you? How is—?"
"Good," Haley interjected after another hearty sip of her drink. It was now nearly empty.
"You're not wearing your ring," he noticed. Haley swore smugness leaked from between his lips but she couldn't be too sure.
"I didn't want to raise suspicion," she shamefully dropped her gaze to the hardwood flooring. Guilt tapped on her shoulder. Tomorrow it would be punching her in the gut. Right now, she ignored it.
"It still doesn't change the fact you're married," he whispered softly. Behind that soft grin, Haley knew it was charged with cockiness. She simultaneously hated and loved him for it; and she hated herself for it, too.
Her eyes squeezed shut to hide in the darkness. "Once a year, Nathan. That's all we get. Please, just…"
"I told you we don't have to do this-,"
"I want to, okay? Is that what you want to hear? That this is my favorite night of every year? Because it is."
His hand clasped over hers and he leaned over to whisper in her ear. "It's my favorite night, too. You have no idea how much I miss you. I spend the other three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year thinking about you. I'm already dreading the goodbye tomorrow."
"I don't want to think about that right now," she already felt the tears pricking behind her still shut eye-lids.
"Okay," he choked, "we won't."
She opened her eyes again and sniffled. The bartender must have silently brought her a new drink because another one now accompanied the empty glass. Haley threw her head back and chugged.
Nathan watched and chuckled under his breath. He loved, more than anything, how undone she became around him. Haley was typically composed, collected, calm: everything she wasn't whenever she was next to Nathan Scott.
"Can I ask you what you told him about why you're away?" Nathan treaded lightly. His excuse was easy: work. Because technically, it was true. He was in Charlotte for the week on business. Haley, on the other hand, didn't usually leave her small town of Tree Hill.
"That I was visiting Quinn."
Nathan's eyebrows rose. "Did you tell her?"
"No, but I lied to her, too. I said I was having marriage troubles and needed to get away for the weekend. And that if he calls to tell him I'm with her. God, I'm a fucking terrible person, aren't I?"
"Stop it, Haley. We're not doing this to ourselves."
"I think he knows," Haley groaned.
"What?" Panic punched through each letter.
"No, I don't know, I'm just paranoid," she rubbed the skin of her temples and released a heavy breath. The alcohol was starting to numb the pounding pain. "It's just, the other day he asked me about the tattoo again. It was so random. He wanted to know if we were still in touch."
Nathan involuntarily clenched his empty fist. The thought of another man touching Haley's tattoo made a red, hot, anger boil deep below the surface of his blood. Her tattoo was of his high school basketball jersey number, right on the small of her back. It was one of the sexiest things he'd ever seen and often fantasized it when he was alone.
"What'd you say?"
"That sometimes we run into each other and catch up."
"She asked me that, too. I told her we see each other once in a blue moon."
Haley grinned coyly, "a blue moon happens every 2.7 years, actually."
He playfully rolled his eyes, "nerd."
"Just stating the facts."
Their laughter collided around the lobby. They were still in their own corner of the world. Untouchable.
"You know, she's jealous of you," Nathan said suddenly.
"What?" Haley almost laughed, "why?"
"She found a picture of us that I kept in my drawer. We fought for weeks about it. Actually, we almost broke up because of it."
"Gracie found a picture of us, too. She asked who you were."
His light grin retracted. The air shifted again and the beer he was nursing didn't feel strong enough. He didn't feel strong enough. The air in his lungs deflated.
"I'm sorry," Haley mumbled. "I shouldn't have said anything-,"
"No. It's okay. It just hurts sometimes," he admitted carefully. "But I'm happy for you, Hales. I really am. You have the family you've always wanted. I'm just sorry I couldn't be that guy for you."
She squeezed his hand but couldn't find the words she wanted. Silence settled among them.
"Does he make you happy?" Nathan asked despite his obvious hesitance.
"Yes," she answered honestly, regretfully.
He nodded sadly. "More than I did?"
"Nathan," Haley warned, "let's not start this again."
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just wish-,"
"What?"
"I wish you chased your dream of singing. You stayed in Tree Hill for him, Haley. You wanted to be a singer. Remember?"
Haley pulled away and sank in her chair. "My dream was to have a family. You told me to move on. To be with someone who wanted that, too. You broke up with me, Nathan."
"I know that," he retorted tiredly. "But can't you have both? You just- you stopped singing. You want to talk about being scared? I think it's you who is scared. You were going somewhere and you gave it up!"
Haley bit her lip to keep her tears at bay, "When I lost you, Nathan, I lost my love for music. When you left, I lost a piece of myself that I'll never get back. I loved you so much. I still love you. Why do you think I'm here?"
"Fuck," he swore under his breath. His legs wanted to get up and leave. He'd ruined her life once and he was doing it again. She was so much better off without him. But his stupid heart made him stay. He couldn't move, even if he wanted to. Because he still loved her too. And he knew he was selfish. He was a selfish bastard. He wanted her all to himself, if only for once a year. He wanted one night where they could forget everything and just be together. The two of them and nothing else. It wasn't fair, they both knew that. It was horrible and disgusting and dirty and just plain wrong. But they couldn't stop it from happening. Something beyond their control forced them here, every year, without fail. They transformed, to people they swore they'd never be, just so they can be together one more time.
"I never deserved you," he swallowed. Moisture gathered in the corner of his eyes. Nathan Scott didn't cry, but years worth of emotions were bursting through him all at once.
"Why does it feel like we're breaking up again?" Haley tried to joke but her words fell flat. Neither felt like laughing.
"This really was a terrible idea, wasn't it?"
Haley simply nodded. No longer in the mood to drink, she slumped further on the stool and scratched at the red pain polished over her fingernails.
"I'm so sorry," Nathan repeated. "This is all my fault. I can't help myself around you. I love you so much it hurts."
"It's not entirely your fault, Nathan. It takes two to have an affair."
He shrugged weakly, "I was the idiot who let you go in the first place."
"You're not an idiot," she attempted a reassuring smile but it just looked pathetic.
"You should go," he sighed again, "get back to him and Gracie."
"It doesn't matter. The damage is already done. We're both cheaters. I came here tonight with the intention of sleeping with you again like the past six years. There's no erasing that. No one would understand this. God, I don't even understand this sometimes. I just got in my car tonight and drove three hours to meet you here and I don't know why other than the fact that I have never stopped loving you."
"I love you, too, Haley," he whispered. Each word broke, never fully sounding the way they should. "I don't want to say goodbye again, it hurts more than not seeing you."
"I know," was all she could say.
The lobby was starting to empty. The basketball game on tv was long over, and the bartender looked like he was about to clean-up. Save for an older gentleman at the other side of the bar, Nathan and Haley were the only ones left. When that happened, they didn't know.
"I don't want to leave," she said so quietly she wasn't even sure the words were uttered.
Nathan heard her though, "so don't. Stay with me."
"But you just said-,"
"I know what I said but I didn't mean it. I don't want you to go, ever. But if one night is all I get with you, I'd be crazy to give it up. I want you, baby. I always want you."
That was it. Haley James couldn't say no. She didn't want to say no. She wanted him, too. More than anything. All the guilt and anger and hate she had vanished completely. Pure, unadulterated need washed through her veins. She stood up and took a hold of him, pulling his arm to the elevator. "You have me," she whispered.
"I need to kiss you, now," Nathan said huskily. The doubts and self-deprecation were replaced with the strongest doses of desire; it was an un-bottled drug and he was ready to overdose.
Haley threw her arms around his neck and replied by pushing her lips against his. It was hurried, animalistic, and urgent. Luckily, no one else was in the elevator and Nathan took the opportunity to push her up against the wall, his hands eagerly roaming the backside of her dress. He moaned in appreciation when the back of the dress dipped low, exposing her silky skin and giving him more access to be as close to her as possible.
"I'm already so hard," he groaned in her ear. They'd been making out for less than a minute and he was ready to cum. But he had to stop himself; he'd waited all year for her, he had to do this right.
"I know," she whispered sultrily, "I feel it. And it feels so good."
His lips found the spot beneath her ear and he started sucking on it. She pushed her chest firmly against his and moaned. "Nathan, don't mark me," she protested weakly.
"I already did," he replied smugly as his fingers traced the '23' tattoo above her ass. "You're always going to be mine."
"Always," she whispered against his lips. Just as his tongue was about to seek access between her lips again, the elevator chimed, signaling the arrival of his floor.
"I have a suite," he mumbled. She giggled loudly when he lifted her into his arms and practically ran down the hotel floor. Her lips were sucking on the outer shell of his ear as he fished impatiently in his back pocket for the room key.
"What're you waiting for?" She spoke as she began to unbutton his shirt.
"Got it," he slid the key into the door and swung it open. Rose petals were sprinkled along the floor, leading the to large bed. Haley gasped.
"Wishful thinking," he said as if reading her mind. "I would've lit candles, too, but I wasn't sure how long we'd be at the bar."
"This is perfect," she grabbed hold of the collar on his shirt and pulled him close to her, "it reminds me of our first time. Remember? You had roses then, too."
"Of course," he smiled. "At the beach house. We were 16."
She threw herself at him again, but he returned her kiss slowly. As much as he wanted to rip that dress off of her body, he wanted to savor every second of it. They'd have plenty of time later to make frenzied love. Right now, he was going to take his time. They had all night.
Time— and the rest of the world— ceased to exist inside their hotel room.
"I love the way you look at me," Haley revealed as she shimmied out of the fringed dress. Nathan couldn't help but stare, slack-jawed and everything. She was even sexier than he remembered. Instantly, his hands found her hips and he kissed the tops of her breasts— she stood there in nothing but a matching pair of white lace bra and panties.
"Is this new?" He wondered aloud.
"Yes," she nipped at her lip, "I know you like white."
"I do, but you look sexy in any color."
She smiled and helped him out of his shirt. He smirked when she fell back onto the mattress and stared with those doe eyes, watching his every move when he pulled down his jeans.
"I thought you were a boxers guy," Haley giggled.
He was now wearing blue boxer-briefs, showcasing his large bulge quite nicely. He shrugged, "thought I'd try something new."
"It's very sexy," Haley drawled, "now come here."
Nathan nodded diligently and enveloped her body on the bed. They both moaned at the slightest touch. Her hands cradled the back of his head, letting her fingers scratch at the hairs on the nape of his neck as she pulled him down to her chest. After pulling her bra away, he enveloped his lips around her pointed nipple and sucked eagerly on the swollen nub.
"Oh, God," she moaned when she felt his hard member poking at her belly. "I need you now."
Nathan nodded and kissed her softly, "you're sure?"
"Yes," her eyes never left his smoldering stare.
"Let me just get a cond-,"
"I'm on the pill," she gave him a shy smile when her hands worked their way down his abs and grabbed a hold of his rigid member. They'd discarded their underwear while making out minutes prior. "Now make love to me, Nathan Scott."
He caressed her cheek and gently pushed himself inside of her. They breathed heavily, in synch, matching each other's slow pace. It took everything in them not to go too fast. Haley moaned loudly, loving nothing more than the feeling of his long, hard length pushing inside of her tight, wet heat. After their hands became re-acquainted with each other's bodies, their fingers intertwined, wanting to be connected in every possible way. Their lips matched their lower halves, slow but passionate. Nathan used his free hand to rub at Haley's clit, nearly coming right then when her hands tickled his balls.
It may have been a year since they'd last slept together but they matched each other's every move. Nathan still knew her body like the back of his hand. He had her screaming out his name within minutes.
Careful not to collapse against her, Nathan fell back onto the bed and pulled her as close to him as possible. They shared silent kisses and playful touches, basking in the afterglow of their love making. Within minutes, Nathan had her screaming out again, and they'd somehow landed on the floor. Hours passed and they'd lost track of how many times they'd had sex; once more on the floor, another time in the shower, against the wall, and somehow managed to get back onto the bed. They'd just finished another round and Haley was resting against Nathan's chest, simply listening to the beating of his heart. She used to know the rhythm like her favorite song— it'd be so long since she'd felt its vibrations against her own chest.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked suddenly.
"Anything," he kissed her forehead.
She picked her head up from off his chest and bit her lip, "are there others?"
"Other what?" He stopped massaging her shoulder and sat up a little straighter. She looked concerned.
"Other women. I mean, I know you travel a lot and I guess I was just wondering if you've done this before with other women."
"No," he replied honestly. "It's only ever been you."
She smiled, "good."
"You want to know a secret?"
Haley nodded.
"Sometimes when I'm with her, I feel like I'm cheating on you. Isn't that messed up?"
She peppered light kisses along his jaw, "no. I feel the same way sometimes."
"You do?"
"Yeah. Like I said, I can't explain it. I've stopped trying to understand it."
"I know what you mean," his fingers traced the numbers on her back. Their upper halves were still pressed together.
"I want you to promise me something, Nathan, but don't freak out," she hugged him tighter.
He froze for a second. "Uh, okay. What is it?"
"I really want you to be happy. Whatever that is, promise me you'll do it."
"I am happy," he swore, "I'm happy as long as you're happy."
"It can't work that way, baby. I appreciate that, I really do, but please. If she makes you happy, don't let her go."
He closed his eyes and simply nodded. His grip on her got slightly tighter and she melted into him. They were fused together and nothing could undo them.
"Promise me something, too, Haley."
"What?"
"Promise me you'll sing again."
"Nathan-,"
"Please. At least try."
"Okay," she cupped his cheek and kissed him longingly. "I will."
He smiled contently and soon drifted off to sleep. Haley clenched her eyes shut, afraid to open them. She knew that when she did, it'd be time to leave. When he started to snore lightly, she unwrapped the sheet from herself and cried silently while grabbing her clothes. She couldn't say goodbye to him; that was how it always was. He'd fall asleep and she'd sneak out. They'd see each other again next year. With one last glance at his sleeping form, Haley whispered 'I love you' and shut the door.
. . . . . . . .
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome Haley James to the stage!" A voice rang out through the small theatre and Nathan felt his body start to quiver. He hadn't seen her since they'd slept together eleven months ago in Charlotte. When he woke, his heart hurt, but he knew that's how it was. If they said goodbye, he'd never let her leave his arms. The other rule was that they weren't allowed to contact each other, so he had no idea what she'd been up to the past year— until a few weeks ago when a Facebook friend posted about getting tickets to a Haley James concert in New York.
Nathan messaged the guy immediately and asked how to get tickets. Apparently the show had been sold out for months but someone was willing to sell them to him for a higher price. He didn't care, he just had to see her. He hoped she wouldn't be too upset for breaking the rules but he was so proud of her. She had become a singer after all.
She came onto the stage and his breath got caught in his throat. She still looked the same as she did when he first fell in love with her at 16, but something about her on stage made him fall in love with her all over again. She looked happier than he'd ever seen her. He smiled and clapped secretly in the back of the theatre. She sang better than he even remembered. Granted, it's been years since he'd heard her sing but she was always so talented.
He searched the crowd for people he might know but he didn't recognize anyone. Good.
When the show ended, a sense of dread washed over him. Would he see her again? Or would he have to wait another month? Would she even show up in Charlotte? Maybe she was too busy now.
At that thought, he remembered what she'd told him last year, how she made him promise to try and do whatever it was that made him happy. He thought about it for a while— he reached the same conclusion every single time: the only thing that ever made him happy was her. So he ended things with his long term girlfriend. Of course, he knew it wouldn't be easy. Haley was married, but he decided that he didn't want anyone but her. If he had to be the other guy for the rest of his life, then he would.
"Nathan?"
He turned. There she was; in jeans now. And a red t-shirt. Her hair was in a bun and she was smiling.
"What are you doing here?" She asked when he didn't answer.
"I— I… you're a singer!"
"I am," she beamed, throwing her arms around his neck to embrace him tightly. He was a bit shocked she'd be so bold, but he didn't care. She felt perfect. She smelled like vanilla and daises. Just as he remembered. "Thanks to you," she added. "I kept your promise."
"I'm so proud of you," he whispered.
"Thank you. I'm sorry for not telling you, everything just kind of happened so fast."
"I understand. You were — you are, amazing."
"Thank you," she blushed. "How are you doing?"
"I'm single now," he said bluntly.
"Oh, I'm sor—,"
"Don't be," he smiled, "I broke up with her. She didn't make me as happy as someone else makes me."
"I know what you mean," Haley fiddled with her fingers, "I was going to wait to tell you next month but I'm getting a divorce."
His eyes widened, "you're kidding."
"No. I lied to you last year, Nathan. I was miserable with him. And I know that doesn't excuse what we did but I was never happy. Not the way I am with you, at least."
"I can't believe this," he dropped the bouquet of flowers he was holding and lifted her off the ground, laughing happily. "Oh my God."
"I know," she laughed when he spun her around.
"We can finally be together again. No more 'once in a blue moons.' I want your every moon, and your every sun. Be mine again"
She burrowed her face in his shoulder to hide her tears, "always."