Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm really glad you like this fic. It means a whole lot. J

I banged this chapter out in half an hour, it may be a little rushed but it's the best I'm able to do with everything going on right now. Hope you don't hate it!

Please review!

Chapter 4

Haley walked into the living room after having kept Nathan waiting for thirty-five minutes.

"Hales, we have reservations, you know…" He forgot the rest of his thoughts as he turned to look at his wife.

Haley giggled at the dumbfounded expression on her husband's face and twirled around in the dress, the skirt flaring out where it ended at her knees. The deep rich red material hugged all her right curves and Nathan was speechless at how gorgeous she was.

Haley laughed and started to back away from him as she recognized the look in his eyes.

"Nathan! I thought you said we were going to be late!"

Nathan shook his head and kept advancing on her, "I don't care, we'll be late."

Haley turned and ran with Nathan giving chase, both laughing and out of breath as he finally caught her around the waist and they stumbled onto the couch and forgot all about their dinner reservations.

Nathan was waiting for Brooke to finish getting dressed. He tugged at his collar uncomfortably and ran his hand through his hair. Brooke had somehow convinced him to go with her to this work party, saying it would be unbearably boring if she had to attend alone. He couldn't look into her pleading eyes and say no, so here he was, decked out in a suit, looking presentable for the first time in a long time.

Nathan got tired of sitting around so he went to check in on Brooke. She was sitting in front of her mirror, putting on the finishing touches of her make-up, when she saw him standing behind her with an indescribable look on his face. Brooke stood and walked towards him.

"Nathan? What's wrong?"

"What the hell are you wearing?" Nathan practically growled at her.

Brooke took a step back from him and looked down at her dress. It was her red dress from a couple of years ago. She loved it and had thought she was looking pretty good in it.

"Um…you don't like it?"

"Take it off! Why the hell are you wearing that?!" He was almost shouting at her and Brooke was beyond confused. What had brought this on?

"WHY are you wearing Haley's dress?" He asked again, this time even more loudly.

"Haley's? This isn't hers! I mean, I let her borrow it before, but it's mine." Brooke folded her arms tightly across her chest, as if in protection.

Nathan just shook his head and turned away from her.

"NO! Don't wear that! Just fucking take it off!"

Nathan took a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn't want to start fighting with Brooke, but he just couldn't look at her in that dress. It was too much.

"Please." He whispered brokenly.

"Ok, ok. Nathan. I'll change into something else. It's not a big deal."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I just…"

"Don't explain. I get it." Brooke walked into her closet and pulled a different dress out. She stepped out of the red one as she walked past Nathan. She wouldn't look him in the eyes as she took off the jewelry that didn't go with the outfit she was wearing now. There was an awful tense silence in the room and Brooke felt a lump growing in her throat that she tried to swallow. She felt tears at the back of her eyes that she refused to let fall. This was silly. There was no way she was going to cry about this.

Nathan hadn't moved from where he was standing and he could see Brooke was more upset than she was letting on. Her shoulders were stiff as she sat at her dresser with her back to him. It was like she was using all her energy to maintain her composure.

He felt like such an ass, to make this big scene about what she was wearing. She had every right to wear that dress, it was hers and now she was getting ready all over again because of him. He walked over to her and hesitated before putting his hands on her shoulders. Brooke jumped a little, not having expected him to touch her.

"Brooke…"

"It's really fine, Nathan. Let's just go. We're already late."

"No. Wait."

Brooke looked at him expectantly, and Nathan had trouble forming any words. He didn't know what he was trying to say to her. He shook his head and did the next best thing. Nathan slid his hands down her arms and leaned his head down to take her mouth in his. Brooke didn't immediately respond, but Nathan didn't give up, just continued to kiss her slowly. Brooke eventually yielded and sank into his arms. She opened her mouth under his and soon they were gasping for breath as they devoured each other. Nathan briefly pulled his lips from hers but continued to trail kisses down her neck and mumbled, "What about your work thing?"

Brooke arched her back and clawed at his shirt. "Screw the work thing." She gasped as Nathan's hands found a way under her skirt and between her thighs.

"How about I do you instead?"

They eventually showed up to the event four hours late but thankfully nobody noticed them slipping in discreetly, their faces flushed but not apologetic.

The next day, Brooke kept thinking about Nathan's outburst the previous night. She hated to admit even to herself that he hurt her. The truth was she was starting to not associate everything Nathan with Haley. She liked kissing him and being with him. He didn't even know it, but she was healing bit by bit and it was because of him. A few days ago, he came into the kitchen and helped her make dinner and they just enjoyed each other, no sex, just them. She even made him laugh a couple of times. The sound of his laughter was so soothing and a warm feeling had spread inside her chest, happy for the first time since Haley had gone.

Brooke thought maybe he was looking at her differently too. Maybe he didn't think of Haley every time they were together, but she realized that wasn't the case for him and her heart cracked a tiny bit.

Brooke scolded herself. She was such a huge idiot. She was getting in way over her head. What the hell was she thinking? Feeling anything other than friendship for Nathan was the biggest mistake she could ever make, even bigger than sleeping with him in the first place. Brooke could just see how this was going to turn out, and it was not likely to end well for her. Sometimes she really loathed herself.