Sorry guys! I've been swamped with assignments & finals, but today was my last day so I be updating more regularly. Thank you for your patience & understanding! Enjoy.
I wake up from this long dream, one that seemed like another lifetime, look at the clock, and frown at the fact that it's only 2:30. This means I have about 3.5 more hours until I need to wake up. Instead of fighting sleep, I get up and decide to roam around the apartment. I've downgraded, really, but that's all that can be afforded right now. I live in a small, one-bedroom apartment, with almost no living space. Anyone who was claustrophobic certainly would feel uncomfortable here. I walk near the couch when something catches my eye, something I hadn't seen in years.
I walk over to my small couch, and sitting on it is a box labeled "N&H". This has Brooke written all over it, leaving a painful memory on my couch.
"Crap" I breathe out, knowing that I should have known that this would surface eventually. I glance around the apartment I share with my miniature dachshund, Peanut. He trots over to me, and I swear if dogs could smile, he would be right now. The next thing to catch my eye is a large picture frame that Brooke and Peyton had given to me. There were four pictures in it. The first, at the top left was the picture at Brooke and Julian's wedding, next to it was the picture of their then 4 month old daughter, Mackenzie. She was now 4, I think. Maybe 5, I can't keep track.
The next picture was of Lucas and Peyton at their wedding, and the last was of their daughter, Sawyer, who I know for a fact is 3 because, she share's Nathan's birthday.
"Crap" I say again, a little louder this time. All the memories of 5 years ago come flooding back to me. He decided that the military life wasn't for me, that I deserved someone who could fulfill every dream I had, because he knew I never wanted to leave North Carolina. I wanted that life though; he's the only person I would have left my hometown for. I was scared though because I was so young and the last thing I wanted to think about it future plans like that.
Now I'm 26 though, and I want those future plans. It's crazy really, when I finally want everything, he isn't here to give it to me.
I hear the faint sound of my phone ringing and wonder who the hell would want to call me in the middle of the night. I roughly grab for my phone, knocking over an old picture frame as I do so.
"What?!" I say into the phone.
"Nathan..?" the sweetest voice I've ever heard says quietly on the other line.
"H-Haley?" I say, almost dropping the phone in my state of shock.
"Yes…it's me" she says, barely above a whisper.
"Is everything okay?" I say concerned as to why she called me, we haven't had any contact in years.
"Well, I guess. I just really needed to hear your voice" she says, not knowing that my heart painfully broke in that moment, for the second time in my life.
"Why?" I say, no emotion filling my voice.
"I was just looking in an old box, one I think Brooke left here to mess with me, and suddenly felt the urge to call you. I'm actually surprised that you never changed your number." She says, and I can almost feel her smile on the other line.
"Um, no I kept it. No point in changing it, people from my past wouldn't be able to call me in the middle of the night" I say, teasing the love of my life.
"Oh gosh…I forgot what time it was!! I'm sorry Nathan, I didn't mean to. I can just go…" she says rambling.
"Hales, you're rambling. And it's fine, really. We haven't spoken in a long time." I say, trying my best to soothe her.
"Alright. So um, would you want to catch up sometime soon, if you can?" She says and I can almost feel the hope in her voice.
"Uh, yeah. That sounds great actually" I say, again showing no emotion, thought I'm mentally jumping up and down.
"soon?" she says
"yes, soon. I'm actually in North Carolina right now so maybe even tomorrow?" I say thinking that the sooner I see her, the better.
"you're here, really? But I thought…" She says in a confused voice.
"I was honorably discharged a year ago. It's a long story, one that I'll have to explain when we meet up." I say, feeling slightly less enthusiastic knowing that I have to explain what happened to another person.
"Oh Nate, I'm so sorry, I know this was your dream." She says soothingly over the phone, and I know that if she were here right now, it would take all my strength to not kiss her, let alone not pin her against the wall. I can almost feel her warm breath near my lips and it's almost enough to explode. I make a mental note that I'll need to take care of myself when this conversation is over, if I can even wait that long. Just the sound of her voice causes me to begin stroking myself through my basketball shorts….
"Nathan?" she says after waiting several minutes for me to answer her. I clear my throat, and laugh to myself thinking that maybe masturbating while on the phone maybe isn't such a good idea…only when the person on the other line knows what you're doing.
"It's really ok Haley; I've found something else to do with my life." I say, knowing that it's true.
"Alright, well I feel bad for waking you up, but I better get going. I have to get up early in the morning." She says, and I can sense her fidgeting.
"It's ok Hales, but yeah I should be going too. It was great catching up; let's do more of it over dinner tomorrow ok?" I say, praying that she'll accept my invitation.
"Sounds excellent, Goodnight Nathan. I love you-"click. Shit, did she really just say that?
Shit, did I really just say that? How am I supposed to face him tomorrow without having a permanent blush on my face?
I slowly place the items and lid back on the box. I grab it up and carry it back to bed with me, setting it down on my nightstand. I sigh loudly, completely mortified at what I had just said to my ex. Did I mean it, or was I just saying it out of habit? Who really knows, but I guess I'll find out if I'm still in love with my ex when I see him tomorrow. I can't be after all these years, can i?
NEXT: Naley re-unite (at last)!
This chapter may be short, but it was needed as set up for the changes that I'm making in this story. Hope you enjoyed it, even though it's really only a teaser! R & R.