Jess's head was swimming as she bent over to support her weak friend as she tried to get out of the car. Haley? Nathan? Dan and Haley? How could - how can... what? My best friend and my brother? Jesus Christ my sister-in-law? How the hell is this possible?
"...Jess?" Haley croaked, groggily.
She had passed out in the car, probably hyperventilated, Jess had reasoned. Haley had told her it was usually what happened when they first talked about it, incase it happened and Jess freaked out and thought she was dying. Apparently that's what her husband thought the first time it happened. Haley's husband. My brother. Nathan. Nate.
She sprang to life.
"Haley I'm here baby don't worry alright? We're gonna get you a nice big chair and some caffeine."
"Mmkay. Sounds good." Haley's eyes flickered up to the familiar sign she was about to walk under. THE TEARDROP CAFE... watch your worries drop away. She gave a faint smile. The good old TDC. It never did make her worries drop away, but somehow it always made her feel a bit better.
Jess pushed her gently towards the same armchair she had text her from just an hour before, and then brought two coffees over to the table. Haley let the familiar scent waft towards her and she inhaled deeply. Coffee was always a comfort. She took a deep swig from her mug and savoured the taste before letting it fall down her throat. She made a face.
"Burnt my tongue."
Jess smiled. At least its over. She hated the flashbacks. Her only comfort was that once they were over, Haley could never remember she'd had one.
"You wanna talk?"
Haley looked at her. "Look Jess I'm really sorry for ruining your day, meeting your-" she could hardly bring herself to say the words as her mind registered what had just happened - "your dad-"
"Don't call him that Hales, please?"
Haley looked at her friend and sympathy poured from every part of her body. To lose a mother and then realise your father is Dan Scott? She'd almost rather have her own father. Well, at least I never lost him. I never had him to begin with.
"Are you ok Jess?"
"Yeah. I'd feel a lot better if you told me what's going on though? Are you ok? I take it you guys don't exactly get on?" Jess smiled. "I need to know what you think about him Haley, it means a lot to me what you think. And if you already know him, then I trust your judgement. It'll save me time, effort and heartbreak if you just tell me?" she swallowed, softly, preparing herself for the worst.
Haley wasn't going to give it to her. She couldn't bring herself to. "Jess, it's not my place to tell you what kind of person he is. He's fathered three amazing children, I mean, yeah, maybe he wasn't around, but he's still a part of you, and you are a good and beautiful person, so he must have done something right?" She smiled encouragingly, and Jess noted how warm her eyes were. Haley was the best person in the world at giving advice. Sometimes she swore Haley actually knew everything. "You need to get to know him for yourself, good and bad ok? Don't ask me to evaluate him for you, it's not up to me to do that. It's not up to anyone." Haley blew on her mug and hesitantly took another sip of coffee.
Jess realised, as usual, Haley was right. "Yeah... ok. You're probably right. But Hales, right now I wanna know what you know. I need to find out about my father, and I don't want to ask him for an adapted version, one that makes him out to be Mr Family. I need to know about him by watching him and talking to the people he's close to. And for starters, I really need to know why he hates my best friend enough to make the worst first impression on their daughter any man could ever make!"
Haley smiled, and Jess laughed. "I mean come on, how bad a daughter-in-law could you be?"
Haley jolted her her towards her friend in surprise. "How did you-"
"Hey, I'm not stupid Hales. Nathan Scott right? Haley James-Scott, husbands name Nathan... besides the fact he went apeshit when he heard your voice and I thought he was gonna kill Dan for not getting out of his way fast enough! I know 2 plus 2 makes 4 Hales."
"Nathan... he was in your house?" Haley struggled, trying to make the words sound clear when inside she was a mess.
"Yeah, they were both there, him and Lucas."
"Lucas?"
"Yeah... Hales are you ok?"
"Yeah it's just... I don't know. I just... I saw Dan but I didn't think..." Haley tried to connect her brain to her mouth. "I never thought for a second Nathan... I might see him... I mean I've not seen him since..."
"Since you left North Carolina?"
"Yeah."
"And that was what, a year ago?"
"13 months and 18 days tomorrow."
"Hales I'm sorry. I thought-"
Realising how that had sounded, Haley started.
"No, Jess, Oh my God I didn't mean that to sound like that, I... I love you to bits, and it's not that I'm unhappy here, it's just that..."
"He's not here." Jess finished for her, softly. She knew Haley missed her husband, but it was only sinking in just how much now.
"Yeah." Haley whispered.
"What happened with you and Dan?" Jess tried again for information. She didn't want to hurt her friend, but she needed to know. She needed the truth about her father, and she knew Haley wouldn't lie. She couldn't lie.
Haley looked up. "Nothing," she answered, truthfully. "He hated the fact that Nathan put me before everything, even his basket ball career. I mean, I love him, I would never stop him from playing, but Dan always classed me as a distraction that needed to be dealt with for Nathan's sake." She swallowed. "And when Nathan and I got together... well him and his dad weren't having the best of times. I guess Dan blamed me. Said I was trying to break apart father and son."
She laughed.
"It probably didn't help that I was best friends with Lucas at the time."
Jess gave her a confused look.
"Oh, God you don't- well, lets just say you're not the only child Dan abandoned at birth and had nothing to do with until their teens. At least you weren't living in the same town though! When Lucas and Nathan decided to act like brothers and not sworn enemies, Dan decided it was my fault. He hated them talking. It became a them against him thing instead of a him and Nathan versus Luke thing." She considered, "actually, that one probably was my fault. But it was too hard to date one and be best friends with the other when they hated each others guts. Woulda made the wedding awkward." She teased.
Jess giggled at her friend's joke. That's what she loved about Hales. So it wasn't just her. It's not that he didn't love me. It's just that he's a dickhead in general.
Haley's eyes twinkled. Nathan was here. Her husband. Here. In Louisiana. With her.
Jess noticed.
"Hey, Earth to Mrs Scott!" She laughed.
"What!"
"Why are you still sitting here with me when your gorgeous husband, whom, I might add, you've not seen in over a year, is probably out there right now wandering the streets looking for you somewhere!"
"I... But you... I can't leave you here Jess! You've just met your dad!" She looked at her guiltily. "And I kinda ruined it for ya."
"Shut up Hales! You didn't ruin it! The only good thing to come out of me meeting my dad, is finding out something I've known deep down all along."
Haley looked puzzled. "What?"
Jess smiled. "You're my sister, idiot. Now go find Nathan!"
