A/N: Wow! I'm so excited that you all seem to be enjoying this story as much as I am. It's definitely fun to write. No one noticed these, or at least no one commented on them, but I spotted a few factual inaccuracies in the last chapter that didn't get fixed from draft to draft of the chapter. 10 Timmy is 2. He'll be 3 in May. Not 1, almost 2. 2) Haley has brown hair. It's long, kind of like in those flashbacks from when they were in college that were in season 5. I just wanted to clear up any confusion that might have or would have occurred.
"You're on time today," Haley said, looking up as Nathan sat down across from her.
He grinned at her as he sank down into the plastic seat and set his backpack down on the table. The dark grey of his sweater made his eyes pop. Haley mentally kicked herself for noticing and turned her attention back down to her notes. Noticing things like 'eyes popping' was not part of the plan to just be Nathan Scott's tutor. Because that's all Haley James would ever be to Nathan Scott, his tutor. She wasn't going to be some bimbo who ended up throwing themselves at him because his eyes popped when he wore a dark grey sweater.
"Haley?" he said, giving her a hesitant smile.
"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head slightly. "Did you say something?"
"I asked it you wanted my homework," he replied, digging through his backpack.
"Oh, yeah," she said, pasting a smile on her face. "Yeah, let's see it. I'll look it over and we can go from there."
She wasn't wearing a sweatshirt. That was the first thing that Nathan noticed when he sat down across from her. She was wearing a dark red sweater with a deep v neck. A black camisole blocked him from having any real view down her shirt, but it was still sexy. No, he wasn't allowed to start thinking like that. She was his tutor. Coach K would kill him if something happened and she refused to tutor him anymore. Still, with her dark hair pulled up in that messy bun or whatever the hell it was called and her red sweater making her eyes stand out… No, he wasn't allowed to think like that. Haley James was untouchable as far as he was concerned.
The silence was broken by a cell phone ringing and Haley blushed and reached for her bag. Nathan watched as she bent down and retrieved the phone out of one of the side pockets. She stared at the screen for a second before sighing angrily and then smiling at him apologetically.
"I have to take this," she said. "I'm really sorry. It'll just be a minute."
She walked away from the table over towards the windows and pressed the phone to her ear. She was trying to keep her voice low so that she wouldn't disturb the other tutoring sessions going on in the room, so it was a struggle for him to hear what she was saying. Her body language clearly said that she was annoyed as the hand that wasn't holding her phone went to her hip. She turned so that she was facing the windows and he could see how tense her shoulders were through the fabric of her sweater.
"What do you mean you're not coming?" she said, her voice ringing throughout the room.
"Shhh!" someone hissed angrily and Haley waved her hand at them apologetically.
"Damien," she said, quieter this time but still audible to the whole room. "This is the second time in three months. How am I supposed to explain this to him?"
She crossed her arms over her chest and turned to lean her back against the window. She shivered a little when the small strip of skin her sweater had left bare hit the glass and Nathan watched as she sighed and pressed her lips together in a thin line. She was clearly pissed over whatever the person on the other end of the phone was saying. Nathan continued to watch as she exchanged a few more heated words with whoever she was talking to and then stormed back over to their table.
"Is everything okay?" he asked.
"It's fine," she replied, turning off her phone and jamming it back into the pocket she'd originally taken it out of. "Can you please explain to me why boys are such assholes?"
"Do you seriously want me to answer that?"
"No," she said, sighing again as she pulled her phone back out and turned it back on. "I really am sorry about that. I'll try not to let it happen again. I'll go over your homework now."
"Why did you have to talk to him?" he asked as she started to look over his paper.
"How do you know it was a guy?" Haley said, looking up at him.
"Well, I'm pretty sure the entire room heard you yell the name Damien," he said, chuckling as Haley blushed. "And you asked me why guys are assholes. So, why do you talk to him?"
"Sometimes you just don't really have a choice," she said, turning her attention back to his paper.
"Tell me about it," Nathan said, thinking of the conversation he'd had with his father the night before. It hadn't been one of their calmer discussions. Apparently Dan had found out Nathan was going to tutoring somehow and had more than his share of things to say about it.
"Listen, Nathan," she said, sighing again as she put his paper down on the table. "We're not here for some group therapy session where we talk about our pasts and all the bad crap that happened to us or whatever. I'm here to be your tutor. So, let's just focus on your calculus homework. Oh, god, I sounded like a total bitch there didn't I?"
"Yeah," he said, leaning back in his chair scowling.
"I'm sorry," she said, resting her forehead in her hand for a moment. "I didn't mean to be harsh or anything. I just… I can only be your tutor, Nathan."
"We can't even be friends?" he said.
"It's not a good idea," she replied.
"I'd like to be."
"Be what?" she said with a frown.
"Your friend," Nathan said, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table.
"I just said that it wasn't a good idea," Haley said.
"I don't care," he replied. "I think you could use a friend like me, Haley James."
Haley stared at Nathan for a moment, her eyes darting over his face. She was pretty sure that the last thing she needed was a friend like Nathan Scott. Guys like Nathan Scott were dangerous. Guys like Nathan Scott got you in trouble and then abandoned you. Haley knew that Nathan wasn't her ex. She could already see that he was different. But that didn't mean that she wanted to test those differences.
"Come on, Hales," he said with a grin. "What have you got to lose?"
"More than you know," she muttered and then sighed heavily. "I'll think about it, okay?"
"Okay," he said, his grin widening.
"Okay," she said and then looked down at her watch. "Oh, shoot. I've got to go?"
"But we haven't even done anything yet," he said, frowning.
"I know," she said. "And I'm sorry. But I have to go."
"You're being paid to tutor me, you know."
"I know, Nathan," she said, stuffing her books into her bag. "And I'm really sorry. I just have somewhere that I have to be."
"What's more important than your job?" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"My son," she replied.
And then she was gone, leaving a stunned Nathan sitting there staring at the door long after it had closed behind her.
…
"You should have seen his face, Peyton," Haley said, running her fingers through her hair. "It was like someone was about to run him over with a truck."
Haley sighed heavily and leaned back against Peyton's black leather couch. She took a sip of her glass of water and watched as Peyton's boyfriend, Jake, chased Timmy around the room. She and Peyton were supposed to be working on a project for the music class they had together. Instead it had turned into what seemed like the billionth 'let's discuss Haley James' lack of a love life' therapy session number 567. She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her cheek against the soft grey cotton of her sweat pants. It wasn't like she even really liked Nathan Scott. It was more that it always stung to watch a guy's face when you told them that you had a kid. They might not physically run away, but emotionally they did pretty much instantly.
"I'm sure it wasn't as bad as that," Peyton replied.
"It was worse," Haley said. "And he's probably going to request a new tutor. Which means I'm probably going to get fired."
"You're not going to get fired, Hales," Peyton said. "Mr. Jenner like worships the ground you walk on."
"You didn't see his face when I tried to say that I couldn't tutor Nathan in the first place," Haley replied. "God, Peyton. I'm already struggling to get this month's rent money together."
"What about Damien's child support?"
"What child support?" Haley scoffed. "I'm lucky if he pays every three months. And to top it all off he called me today and said that he's not coming to take Timmy this weekend. Personally, I'm glad that he's not going to see him, but it hurts Timmy. I don't even mention it and it's like he knows, Peyton. He's been asking for him again and I just don't know what to say. How do you explain that to a two-year-old?"
"He's not coming?" Peyton said. "Again?"
"Again," Haley sighed. "You know, this is exactly why I don't bother with dating in the first place. I don't want men to constantly come in and out of his life, Peyton. I don't want him to constantly be getting hurt."
"Haley, I'm going to ask you something and I don't want you to take it the wrong way," Peyton said after a pause. "Is this about Timmy getting hurt or about you getting hurt?"
"Peyton…"
"Seriously, Hales," Peyton said. "Have you ever even dealt with what Damien did to you? I know he's been an ass to Timmy, but you did love him once and he broke your heart. I mean, you gave him your virginity and then he dumped you. That had to have hurt and you've never really talked about it. So, is this about keeping Timmy from getting hurt or about protecting yourself?"
"Maybe both," Haley shrugged, running her fingers through her hair. "But it's never going to be just about me. It's always going to be about him too."
Haley smiled when she heard Timmy giggle. Jake was chasing him around the living room on all fours as Timmy tried to run away from him. Hearing him laugh always brought a smile to her face. She watched him run around the room and chuckled a little to herself when Jake caught him and picked him up, tossing him up in the air. Her breath caught in her throat for those few seconds before Jake caught him, but she immediately relaxed once he was safe in Jake's arms.
She wanted Timmy to have a dad. A real one. Not one who was only a dad when the mood struck him or when his parents demanded it. There was no way she was going to be able to do things like teach him how to play basketball. As much as it killed her, she knew that he was going to be interested in it. It seemed like things like that were genetic. Damien's parents had gotten him a little ball and hoop for Christmas last year. It was easily his favorite toy and Damien was probably never going to make time for him.
"What college guy wants to date a girl with a kid, Peyton?" Haley asked after a pause. "Even if I was willing to date, it's not like anyone would want to date me."
"I think your selling yourself short," Peyton said.
"No," Haley replied. "I'm being realistic."
"Fine," Peyton said, sinking back against the couch. "Have it your way. Be old and alone by the time you're thirty."
"Gee, thanks," Haley laughed as Timmy squirmed away from Jake and ran over to her.
He raised his arms up to Haley and she immediately leaned down to scoop him up. He leaned fully against her, his fingers wrapping tightly around one of her curls. She could tell that he was tired by the way he snuggled up against her, tucking his head under her chin. She kissed the top of his head and cuddled him against her.
"I know a lot about getting hurt, Peyton," she said, brushing Timmy's light brown hair away from his forehead. "I don't want his heart to get broken like mine has. What happens if I start dating someone and then we break up? He's only two. He's not going to understand."
"I think that you keep using the same reasons over and over again," Peyton replied.
"It doesn't make them any less valid," Haley said, shifting Timmy over to her hip as she stood up. "I should probably get home. Somebody's starting to get sleepy."
"Just think about it, Haley," Peyton said as Haley reached for her school bag and Timmy's diaper bag. "I just want you to be happy."
"I know, Peyt," Haley replied. "I'll see you in class tomorrow."
Haley said goodbye to Jake as well before making her way out of the apartment and up the stairs to her own. Peyton had offered for the two of them to be roommates, but Haley hadn't wanted to burden her with Timmy. Living with them might have made Peyton feel like he was her responsibility, and Haley didn't want that. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Peyton's help. It was that she didn't want Peyton to feel like she couldn't go and do just because Haley couldn't. So, they'd moved into the same apartment building. Haley was just one floor up.
Timmy was already fast asleep against her shoulder when she made her way into the apartment. She carefully locked the door behind them and carried him back to his bedroom. He stirred a little when she changed him into his pajamas, but was fast asleep when she laid him in his crib. He was getting too big for it. She was going to have to get him a real bed soon. She'd start looking at the Good Will in a couple of weeks after she'd been able to save some money up. She leaned down and kissed his forehead softly one last time before flipping off his light and making her way out of the room.
She sat down at her kitchen table and pulled out her homework. She hadn't gotten a lot done and still had a lot to do before class the next day. She tried to focus on the calculus homework in front of her, but was finding it impossible. Her thoughts kept going back to her conversation with Peyton. She looked towards Timmy's darkened doorway and sighed. She didn't want him to miss out on anything because he didn't have a dad. She wanted him to have a dad. One other than Damien. She wanted someone who was going to love him and spend time with him. She closed her text book and sighed heavily. None of this would have been stirred up again if it wasn't for Nathan Scott and those damn blue eyes.
…
"Whoa, little brother," Lucas said, watching what by his count was Nathan's fourth shot in the last twenty minutes. "Don't you think you should slow down a little?"
"No," Nathan replied.
"What's up with Boy Toy?" Brooke asked, coming to stand beside Lucas.
"Hey Pretty Girl," Lucas said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. "I was wondering where you were."
"The line for the bathroom is like five years long," Brooke said. "So any particular reason why your brother is trying to get totally shitfaced?"
"I'm standing right here you know," Nathan said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"It's not like you're Mr. Talkative tonight," Brooke said. "But if you'd like to tells us what your problem is, Lucas is more than willing to listen."
"Feeling the love here, Brooke," Nathan said.
Nathan liked Brooke. Well, he liked her as Lucas's girlfriend at any rate. They'd known her since high school, but it wasn't until Lucas had randomly run into her one day their freshman year that they'd started dating. At first it was a casual thing. Brooke Davis knew about all of the best parties. Then the more time they spent together, the more Nathan could tell that Lucas was falling for her. While they might never be best friends, Nathan liked Brooke as long as she kept them away from lame parties and didn't treat Lucas like shit.
"Does it have anything to do with your new tutor, Nate?" Lucas asked.
"You're getting tutoring?" Brooke said.
"I told you not to talk about that," Nathan said, glaring at his brother. "And she's fine."
"She's a girl?" Brooke said.
"Yes, she's a girl," Nathan said. "Can we stop talking about this now?"
"Is she hot?" she said.
"She's all he's been able to talk about since his session yesterday," Lucas said.
"So she is hot," Brooke said with a grin.
"She's got a kid," Nathan said.
"Oh," Brooke and Lucas said simultaneously, both looking away from Nathan.
"Yeah," Nathan said. "I'm going to get something to drink."
He didn't know why it bothered him so much, that Haley had a kid. Nathan Scott just didn't do kids. He wasn't even sure if he wanted any. He probably wouldn't be good at the whole "dad" thing. Especially when you looked at the only example he'd had in his life. Dan Scott definitely wouldn't be winning any father of the year awards in this lifetime. Nathan pretty much hated him most of the time. Nathan didn't want to be that dark presence in some kid's life.
He high-fived a few of the guys on the team as he made his way towards the kitchen. Pretty much his entire usual crowd was there. He'd gotten at least twenty texts from different people asking if he was going to be there. It was like having his own entourage. They followed him from party to party no matter what night of the week it was. He picked up a red plastic cup off the kitchen counter and went over to the keg that was set up in the corner just as a familiar red head sidled up next to him. He knew who it was without even really looking at her. The overpowering perfume and good look down the front of her shirt gave her away without him even glancing at her face.
"Hey there, Hot Shot," Rachel Gatina said.
"Rachel," he said with a nod, focusing on the keg rather than the girl who was getting closer and closer.
"I was hoping you'd be here tonight," she said, fiddling with her hair.
"You asked me if I would," he said, taking a sip from his cup.
"Still," she said, biting her lower lip. "You want to dance?"
"Why the hell not," he muttered before allowing her to take his hand and lead him towards the dance floor.
He downed the contents of his cup and shot it towards the garbage can with a perfect arc. He didn't even look back. The eruption of cheers let him know that it went in. He was Nathan Scott. There was no way he could miss. Rachel dropped his hand after she'd squeezed them to the center of the dance floor. With her it was all about the show. He didn't even have to move as she slithered her way around him. She grabbed his hands and placed them low on her hips as she started to grind against him. He'd danced with her before and this was how it always went.
After a few minutes, she got tired of the grinding and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the dance floor and towards the stairs of the frat house. There were a few catcalls and wolf whistles. Nathan just smirked and let Rachel pull him along behind her. He'd hooked up with her a few times before and knew she was a pretty good lay. That's what he needed. A good lay. That would get Haley James and those damn big brown eyes of hers out of his head.
Rachel led him up the stairs and down the hall towards an empty room. Nathan didn't quite understand how frat guys were okay with random people hooking up in their beds, but he wasn't going to question it. He didn't even bother looking around or flipping on the lights. It only made it awkward if he knew whose room it was. Rachel pulled her black halter top over her head just as soon as she'd shut and locked the door behind them. She pushed Nathan back towards the bed and he flopped back against it. She straddled his waist and reached down for the hem of his shirt to pull it up over his head. Rachel always did pretty much all the work. He could practically just lay there and she'd be fine.
Rachel started kissing her way up his chest and Nathan fought to focus on the girl in front of him. She stopped for a moment to suck on his pulse point, but he jerked away almost imperceptibly. Nathan Scott did not let girls leave a mark. It made them get all possessive after that. Rachel continued her way up his neck and then pressed her lips against his. For just a second Nathan wondered what it would be like to kiss Haley James. All it took was that one second for him to lose all interest in the girl on top of him.
"I'm not in the mood," he said, pushing Rachel off of him.
"You were just a second ago," she said, glaring as he pulled his grey sweater back over his head.
"And now I'm not," Nathan said, making his way over towards the door.
He heard Rachel's frustrated scream as he made his way out of the room and back down the stairs. Lucas looked at him curiously as he made his way over to the couch Lucas and Brooke were sitting on. Brooke had her jean clad legs stretched out over Lucas's lap as they sat and talked with a few of their other friends.
"I'm out of here," Nathan said as soon as he was close enough for Lucas to hear him. "This party blows."
"You seemed to be having a good time a few minutes ago," Brooke said, kinking her eyebrow and motioning towards the dance floor.
"Whatever," Nathan said. "I'm going home."
"Are you good to drive?" Lucas said.
"I didn't bring my car," Nathan said. "I'll get a cab or something."
He pulled out his phone and called a cab as soon as he'd stepped outside of the frat house. It was colder than it had been when he'd arrived and he wished that he had something more substantial on than his sweater. He could take the cold for the ten minutes it took the cab to get there though. He didn't want to have to go back into the house and see Rachel again. He was still trying to work through what had happened. He had wanted to sleep with Rachel. Well, maybe on Rachel in particular. It was more like he just wanted to get laid.
Then he'd thought of Haley, a girl he'd spent a grand total of two hours with, and the desire just wasn't there anymore. She was probably a nice girl and nice girls didn't like guys like him. They flirted with them. Maybe made out with them when they had a little too much to drink at a party. They didn't date them though. He wasn't considered 'boyfriend material' except to basketball whores like Rachel who only wanted him for status. He was fine with that. That was his life and girls like Haley James had no place in it.
…
"I wasn't sure you were coming back," Haley said quietly as Nathan sat down across from her.
Her sweater was dark blue that day. It was the same style as the red sweater, but this time she had a white camisole underneath. The material still looked soft. Nathan wondered if it was as soft as it looked for a second before mentally giving himself a good shake. He pulled out his pre-calc book and slipped out his homework for her to look over. He pushed the paper towards her without saying a word and then sullenly crossed his arms over his chest.
"Very good, Nathan," she said after scanning over the paper. "You only missed number seven. Can you look back over it and tell me what you did wrong?"
"You're the tutor," he said. "Isn't that your job?"
Haley pressed her lips together in a thin line. He could tell she was pissed. If anything, it only made her hotter in his eyes. Her chocolaty brown hair was down that day in curls that spilled all over her shoulders. She pushed a stray lock back away from her face before setting his paper down on the table and looking him dead in the eye. Her normally warm brown eyes were hard as a rock and reminded him more of a well-polished piece of mahogany than melted chocolate at the moment.
"What's your problem?" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I don't have a problem," Nathan said, mimicking her position.
"Your attitude says otherwise," Haley replied, tilting her head to the side and jutting out her chin stubbornly.
"I don't have an attitude," he said.
"And you're wasting my time," she said, pushing back away from the table.
"Where are you going?"
"I have other things to do if you don't want my help," she said, stuffing her things into her bag.
"You're being paid to help me."
"You keep mentioning that," Haley said, slinging the strap of her bag across her body. "And the thing is, I can't help you if you don't want my help. So, you can walk out that door and come back in with a major attitude adjustment or I'm going to go pick my son up from daycare."
"Are you serious?" Nathan said.
"Do you want to test me?" she said.
"I have a quiz tomorrow," he said.
"I know," she replied. "But if you won't let me help you, then it's not my fault if you don't do well."
"Fine," he grumbled. "I need your help."
"Nathan," Haley said, setting her bag back down next to her chair and taking her seat. "I'm not one of the typical bimbos in your life that you can treat like shit."
"I know," he said with a hint of a smirk. "I don't admit to just anyone that I need help with anything."
"And you can't charm me into giving you whatever you want," she said. "I'm pretty much uncharmable."
"Is that even a word?"
"Who's the tutor here?" she said, smiling faintly. "Open your book and work on the even numbered problems from the same page you worked on last night."
She really was beautiful when she smiled. Nathan shook his head imperceptibly, trying to clear his thoughts as he dug out his math book and a notebook. He had to stop looking at her like that. It wasn't just that she wasn't interested. She had a kid. Nathan Scott did not do kids. That was the mantra that kept running through his head. He didn't do kids. He didn't like kids. Or maybe they didn't like him. It didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that Haley James had a kid and didn't seem to particularly want anything to do with him.
Haley pulled the book she was reading for her English literature class out of her bag and opened to her bookmark. She looked up at Nathan and sat there watching him for a moment He looked like he was a million miles away as he concentrated intently on the math problems she'd assigned him. It gave her another chance to study him. The blue of his Duke sweatshirt brought out the blue of his eyes. She had to stop noticing his eyes. She also had to stop noticing the way his broad shoulders filled out his sweatshirt.
"Okay," he said, pushing his notebook towards her. "I think I got them all."
Haley tucked the novel back into her bag and then pulled his notebook towards her. She tucked a stray lock of hair back behind her ear and scanned over the page. He'd gotten all but two right and they were towards the end. If he missed any problems, they were always towards the end. It was like he just got in too big a hurry to be done and started to make careless mistakes. She circled the two problems that he'd gotten wrong and then pushed the notebook back towards him.
"Tell me what you did wrong here,' she said.
"I don't know," he said after scanning over the problems.
"Look closer," Haley said.
"I forgot to carry the x in number 14," he said after a pause. "And did the same in 16."
"Right," she said. "This isn't a race, Nathan. It's not about how quickly you get the problems done. You're smart. You can do this. You just have to take your time."
"No one's ever told me that before," he said.
"That you need to take your time?"
"No," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "No one's ever told me that I'm smart. I'm talented. I'm good at basketball. I've been told that a thousand times."
"Well, I'm sorry I'm the first," Haley said. "But it's true. You picked this up really quickly. You just need to apply yourself."
"Thanks, Haley," he said, smiling the first real smile she'd ever seen him give.
He should smile more often. It made him look younger or something. It kind of looked like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders most of the time. She hadn't known him very long, but there was something to the way his shoulders were always so tense. He might be king of pretty much everything, but Haley would bet her tutoring money on the fact that he wasn't happy.
"Times up," she said after glancing down at her watch. "I've gotta get to the campus daycare center."
"Okay," Nathan said, gathering up his belongings and stuffing them into his backpack. "I've got basketball practice."
"I'll see you on Monday," she said. "Read pages 230-251 and do all the odd problems on page 252."
"Sure," Nathan said. "See you Monday."
Haley flashed him a quick smile before making her way out of the tutoring center. She could feel Nathan's eyes on her back as she walked away, but didn't turn back to look at him. She was actually on time to go pick Timmy up for once. Since Damien wasn't coming, Haley had a special weekend planned for the two of them. She'd gotten Peyton to lend her her car and she was taking him to the zoo in Asheboro.
She briefly wondered what Nathan was doing that weekend and shook the thought from her head. It wasn't like it mattered. She quickly made her way out of the tutoring center and out into the October sunshine. She took a deep breath of the crisp air and quickly made her way towards the daycare center. She had to stop thinking about Nathan Scott. He didn't matter. The only one who did was the little boy who was waiting for her.