I'm back with another chapter.
As always, a huge thanks to NALEYAAF23, amkjo001, jena23, saderia, thibbs65, rocklesson86, ScRuPuLoUs, NaleyWriter23, kutebloo, NALEY23alwaysforever, ktlynrose, C, naleyhumor, 94, tp404, Hayleyjanescott, othfangirl, and 2naley (chapters 1-3) for your wonderful reviews. They put a giant smile on my face. :) And, thank you so much for the story/author alerts I have received and continue to receive for this story.
Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill. This story primarily takes place in New York City so I obviously own nothing affiliated with or within the lovely state of New York.
November 27, 2012
Sighing softly, Haley opened her eyes and pulled the headphones out of her ears before turning the currently playing song off. She wrapped the headphones chord around the width of the iPod and set the device safely down on top of the toilet seat. Hesitating for just a couple seconds longer, she pushed herself up and out of the water. Honestly, Haley could have stayed in the relaxing tub all night but unfortunately the temperature of the water was growing cooler and cooler with each passing minute. She reached for the towel hanging on a rack nearby and pat her body dry before securing the long, soft fabric completely around her body. Her hair was up and still dry so she didn't have to hassle with it. Haley stepped out of the bathtub, her feet landing on the rug.
Haley left the bathroom and strolled into her bedroom. From her dresser drawer, she dug out a pair of simple white, cotton panties and pulled them up her legs before grabbing some fuzzy pink socks and slipped them onto her feet. Moving to her closet, she picked out a pink tank top with a built-in bra and some pink, purple and green flannel pajama pants as well as her pink NYU sweatshirt, and she dressed. While adjusting the sweatshirt to fit around her waist, Haley heard the door of her apartment open and close.
What the hell?
Quickly reaching for the metal baseball bat she kept under the bed, Haley slowly made her way out of the room. She tiptoed quietly through the hallway, gripping the bat tightly which caused her knuckles to turn white. Her heart was pounding. The palms of her hands were beginning to perspire. A break-in, oddly, wasn't something Haley worried about. Her first two years living in New York City were spent in the dorms of the university – she felt safe there. When she moved into this apartment, she felt equally safe considering the complex was located in a better part of Manhattan. She only kept the bat under her bed because her mother begged her to do something, naturally and understandably concerned for her daughter's safety. Haley arrived in the living room and found who had "broken" into her apartment.
"What the fu...dammit, Nathan!" She exclaimed.
From his spot in the kitchen, Nathan didn't acknowledged her with any looks but nonchalantly greeted, "Hey, Hales."
"Have you ever heard of knocking?" She quipped.
He shrugged, unapologetic. "Maybe you should lock your door if you're so concerned." He stated, sending her a pointed glance.
"Maybe you shouldn't barge into someone's apartment like you own it." Haley countered, setting the bat down on the wide, plush chair in the living room. "I could have been walking around here naked, you know."
Nathan turned towards her, taking a moment to let his eyes gaze over the length of her body and he smirked, "That wouldn't have been so bad."
"Maybe for you." She muttered, walking into the kitchen. "What are you doing here? Wait a minute..." She paused immediately in her stride and glanced towards her door, "please tell me you're not hiding out in here."
"Hiding out?" He asked her, confused.
"Yeah, hiding out." She repeated with a sharp tone. "You don't, like...have some girl in your apartment that you're trying to escape from, do you?"
"No." He answered with a small laugh.
"Good, because I cannot handle anymore crazy, Nathan." She responded, glaring pointedly at him. "I'm still recovering from the last one."
"How many times do I have to apologize for that, Hales?" He asked her with a loud sigh.
"I don't know. How about...infinitely?"
Nathan laughed again, nodding his consent. "Fine. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Haley, I am so very very sorry."
"That's a start." Haley agreed, laughing herself, as she continued her stride into the kitchen. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
"I was hungry."
"And, you don't have food at your place?"
"I have water, Gatorade, and beer in my fridge, Haley." He informed her. "So no, I have no food at my place. I haven't had the time to really go grocery shopping."
"You have time now." She pointed out.
"Please, Hales." He said with a snort. "I just got home from a four-hour practice. I'm exhausted. The last thing I wanna do is go to a busy supermarket to shop. Besides, why do that when I know I can just come over here and raid your refrigerator." He winked at her.
"You know, there's this thing called ordering in. You should try it sometime." She suggested, opening a cabinet door and reaching inside for a glass bowl. She then pulled out a box of cereal from the pantry and dumped some into the bowl. "Would you grab the milk for me?"
"Sure." He replied, handing her the milk she asked for, wanting to gag when he saw it was skim milk. "Cereal, Haley. Really?"
Haley smiled widely while nodding enthusiastically. "It's Cap'n Crunch and Berries – my favorite! I've been craving it since I got home."
Nathan chuckled.
"Hey, I'm going grocery shopping on Wednesday after class." She informed him and then offered, "give me a list and I'll get some stuff for you."
"Really?"
"Of course!" She chirped with a shrug. "I'm there – might as well get your groceries, too."
"Okay. I'll make you a list tonight." He said, not hesitating in accepting her offer. He really hates grocery shopping. "Thanks."
"No problem." She sing-songed.
Haley watched as her neighbor came to stand at her side. He made himself a roast beef sandwich with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise. When that was finished, he reached into the pantry and pulled out a bag of baked barbeque chips and placed two handfuls onto a plate along with the sandwich. He looked so...domestic right now. He juggled the items used to make his sandwich in his hands and then reached for the milk before putting everything back in the refrigerator while also pulling out two bottles of water and handing one to her. Haley thanked him as he nodded.
The two grabbed their individual meals and headed into the living room, plopping down on the couch.
"You're just in time." Haley stated, using the remote to flick the television on. "Eddie is about to start."
"Eddie? The basketball movie?" Nathan questioned.
"Yup." She nodded and then wrinkled her nose. "You stink. Like...sweat, and not in a good way."
"Sorry." He apologized. "I was starving so I didn't shower before coming over here."
"Bad call." She muttered.
The neighbors sat quietly for the next thirty minutes, eating their food and drinking their waters as they watched the movie.
"You kind of remind me of Stacy Patton." Haley randomly stated.
"What?" Nathan asked, staring at the brunette. "The guy's a jerk, Hales. He's an egotistical ball hog."
"I know." She shrugged. "Your point?"
"My poi...Haley, I am not like that guy." He argued. "Do you really think I'm like him?"
Haley turned to look at him with a grin. "No, not really but your reaction was pretty funny."
Nathan narrowed his eyes and replied, "you're not funny but are you serious?"
"About what?" She asked, confused.
"I don't really remind you of Stacy Patton, do I?"
Haley heard the quiet, vulnerable tone of his voice. Nathan may be a smoking hot NBA superstar but deep at his roots, he's just as insecure as the next person. He needs validation of certain things in his life just like other people do. It is nice to know there is more to this guy than just being a rich celebrity. Many people, she guesses, don't care to know the real Nathan Scott but she does. She doesn't care about his celebrity status nor does she care how many millions he is worth; she cares about him as a person. Haley smiled at him.
"No, Nathan, you absolutely don't remind me of Stacy Patton." She reassured.
"Thanks, Hales." He said, full of gratitude, as they shared a smile with one another. He then changed the subject by asking, "So, when are you leaving to go back to North Carolina?"
"Oh, I'm not." Haley answered and saw the look of surprise on his face. She laughed. "I just can't do it this year. First of all, I have so much stuff to get done for my graduate school application. And secondly, I can't deal with any wedding planning right now. I need a break from it. But most importantly, I cannot sit and listen to my mother grill me about finding a husband. I..I can't do it, Nathan. I'll go home for Christmas and that's enough."
"I get that." Nathan replied in understanding. "You wanna come to my house for Thanksgiving dinner? You shouldn't be alone for the holiday."
"Aww, how sweet." She cooed, reaching over to pinch his cheek and laughed as he groaned, pulling away from her. "I actually picked up a few shifts at the bar, including Thanksgiving night. It's one of the busiest drinking nights of the year which means..."
"Tips." He finished for her.
She nodded. "You got it."
"Just as well." Nathan stated with a shrug. "My parents will be there."
Haley raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh, then that's a definite no."
The two of them laughed.
Nathan opened the door of his parent's house, more like mansion, and stepped inside. He immediately caught a whiff of something delicious – more than just something really. He could smell the turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green bean casserole and so much more, as well as pies and cookies and brownies. His stomach was rumbling already. Nathan knew the food would be as scrumptious as it smelled as it was all prepared by his Grandma Mae and his Aunt Karen. His mother and Brooke did not cook – they ordered in. Lily was too young to slave away in the kitchen; the eight-year-old was probably playing with her makeup as she was all into playing "dress up" thanks to her fashionista of a sister-in-law. Nathan shed out of his jacket and hung it up in the coat closet at his left.
Hearing laughter, Nathan strolled through the house and moved closer and closer to the loudness. He knew the voices – his father and his grandfather and they were watching a basketball game it sounded like. Quickly and carefully, he slipped past the opening to the den in hopes of escaping a greeting with either of them, at least for now. He passed through the dining room where Lucas and Brooke were busy setting the table; they stopped what they were doing to say their "hello's". Nathan continued his journey into the kitchen where he found his aunt.
"Hey, Aunt Karen." He greeted with a smile.
"Nathan!" Karen replied happily and hugged him. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving." He repeated, embracing her hug warmly. There was always something so comforting about being around his aunt. After a few more seconds, he separates from their embrace and asks, "So, the lazy bastards left you in here to do all the work, huh?"
"Nathan." She admonishes, disapproving of his choice of words. She did have to laugh, though, so she wasn't as offended as she first showed to be. "No. Your grandmother was in here helping me, but she and your mother are collecting some bottles of wine from the cellar."
"We can never have too much alcohol around this house." He mumbled, knowing how his mom loves to drink, and rolled his eyes.
"What do you have there?" Karen asked, pointing to the object in his hands.
"Oh," Nathan began, glancing down at his hands and then holding it out towards her, "This is Oreo dirt pudding. Haley made it for me to bring today. She told me to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from her."
"That's so thoughtful." She replied, taking the dish. "Is she still in the city?"
He nodded.
"You should have brought her along with you today." She said. "Despite what your parents thought, I found Haley to be a lovely girl. And, I give her a lot of credit for going to school while also working a part-time job."
"She liked you and Uncle Keith as well." Nathan told his aunt. "She actually wanted to work at the bar today since it's one of the busier drinking days of the year. Lots of tips."
They both laughed.
"Well, she probably didn't want to come here knowing your parents are here anyway." Karen muttered with a sigh, remembering how awful Dan and Deb were to the young woman. "I tell you, Nathan, I love your parents but they are..."
Nathan nodded his understanding. "I completely agree with you." He feels exactly the same way as his aunt does. "If Haley wanted to come, though...well, my parents would have had to just deal with it."
Karen smiled at her nephew who was, thankfully, nothing like his parents. "How about I send a big plate full of everything home with you to give to her?"
Nathan smiled at her thoughtful suggestion and nodded. "She certainly loves to eat." He said as they laughed some more.
"There's my grandson!"
Nathan turned at the sound of his Grandma Mae's voice and saw her entering the kitchen. He couldn't help but quickly glance behind her to make sure his mother wasn't with her. Like his father and grandfather, he wasn't quite ready to deal with his mother either. Luckily, Deb was nowhere in sight. Nathan met his grandmother halfway and the two embraced in a tight hug.
"Who's Haley?" Mae questioned, cutting straight to the point as she smiled up at him. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "A girlfriend perhaps?"
"Sorry, Grandma, but she's just a friend. My neighbor actually." Nathan answered.
"Friends is a good way to start." Mae commented, winking at her grandson.
Nathan glanced back at his aunt for a little help but all Karen did was shrug slightly before offering him a smirk-like smile. "I'm just gonna grab myself a beer and leave this kitchen. I'm also gonna pretend that we never had this conversation." He informed them while quickly shuffling over to the fridge to indeed reach for a beer and sent them both a smile before heading towards the entryway. As soon as he was outside the kitchen, Nathan heard their laughter.
He paused in the hall, trying to decide which direction he wanted to go. He certainly wasn't going to go back in that kitchen – not with the promise of more prodding about his "relationship" with Haley; besides, the two women were cooking and baking – two things he wasn't interested in in the slightest nor was he interested in helping Lucas and Brooke in the dining room. But, he did not want to go into the den either. He was still in a good mood and hanging out with his father and grandfather was sure to put a damper on that good mood.
"Nathan!"
Saved by his little cousin!
Lily came running towards him, and Nathan easily scooped her up in his arms.
"Happy Thanksgiving." He set her back down on the floor and his eyes scanned the length of her. She was wearing a dress with colorful patterns all over it. There was a pink feather boa wrapped around her neck and a plastic tiara on her head. Her nails were pained in different bright colors: purple, orange, blue, yellow, and green. Her makeup was heavily painted on her face, including blue eye shadow and pink blush and red lipstick. Surprisingly enough, the makeup didn't look that bad – at least not for a little girl who was simply playing and experimenting. "You look awfully pretty today, Lily."
Lily smiled a wide, toothy grin at him, obviously pleased by his compliment. "Can I paint your nails, Nathan?"
"What?" Nathan questioned, not sure if he heard her correctly. Or maybe he was just hoping he didn't.
"Your nails." Lily repeated, pointing to his hands. "Can I paint them?"
"Oh, gosh, Lily." He wasn't sure exactly what to say. "I don't know."
"Please!" The girl pleaded, pouting her lower lip. "Lucas won't let me paint his. Please!"
He knew he was screwed now with that adorable look of hers. "Well, since you said please I kind of have to, don't I?" He replied, smiling.
Lily squealed with delight and immediately latched onto his hand, tugging him along with her to the family room located at the back of the house.
Nathan laughed at the sight before him. His cousin had put together a little spot with a bunch of dress-up clothes and a makeup kit with some of the products spread over the coffee table, including half a dozen bottles of nail polish. He sighed when he saw them. Honestly, Nathan was not looking forward to getting his nails painted and he could only hope that his friendly neighbor has some nail polish remover that he can use when he gets home. He was willing to do this for the little girl who wanted desperately to do this but he was not willing to go to his game tomorrow with painted nails. He would never live that down from his teammates and could only imagine the field day the media reporters would have with it. Yes, his first stop when he gets home is to Haley's apartment. Nathan plopped down on the carpet and held out his hands, watching as Lily picked out a bottle of bright pink nail polish and set to work.
Pink. Perfect.
"Is Haley your girlfriend?" Lily asked as she began painting the nail of his thumb.
Nathan was caught off guard by his cousin's more than random question. "Why would you think that, Lils?"
Lily shrugged in such an innocent way and said, "you were hugging her at the game. Like mommy and daddy do."
Nathan chuckled and shook his head. "No, Lily, Haley isn't my girlfriend. She's just a friend of mine."
"I liked her." She told him. "She was really nice."
"Well, I like her, too, Lily." He said with a smile.
Karen walked into the family room to tell Lily it was time to eat when she stopped short at the comical scene in front of her. There, in the middle of the room, sat her daughter and her nephew – Lily was blowing on Nathan's nails. Looking closely, Karen saw the bright pink that was freshly painted on his nails. A giggle expelled from her lips and she quickly covered her mouth with her left hand. This was certainly something you didn't see everyday. Karen has watched Nathan grow up over the past twenty-six years and could hardly believe this was that same "macho" nephew of hers.
"Hey, you two." She called out, waiting as they looked at her. "Dinner's ready. Come on, Lily, let's go wash up. Okay?"
Lily jumped up and ran towards her mother, grabbing onto the hand Karen had stretched out to her.
Nathan laughed when his aunt pointed to his hand. He looked down at his nails for a brief second and then back up to her. He shrugged, and then she smiled warmly at him before leading the little girl out of his sight. Pressing the palms of his hands flat on the table's surface, Nathan used the leverage to help push himself up from his position on the floor. He stretched his slightly stiff muscles before strolling out of the family room. Nathan headed straight for the dining room where Lucas and Brooke were sitting.
"Nice nails, cuz." Lucas complimented, gesturing to the pink polish on his cousin's fingernails.
Nathan smiled.
"Very sexy, superstar." Brooke complimented, smirking.
Nathan looked at the two with a smirk of his own, unashamed of his painted nails. "I think Lily did a fantastic job – it's the perfect color choice for me, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah." Brooke nodded. "Pink is definitely your color."
"Every color is my color." He replied smugly, laughing as Lucas rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe you let Lily paint your nails." Lucas said in amusing disbelief.
"Well, I'm a nice cousin." Nathan explained and stared pointedly at his cousin. "Unlike her big brother."
"I let my little sister guilt me into all kinds of things." Lucas defended himself and scoffed when his wife shot him a look. "What? I do."
"Whatever you say." Brooke mumbled, taking a sip of her wine.
Lucas ignored her comment and locked eyes with his cousin once more. "You planning on wearing that for your game tomorrow?"
Nathan opened his mouth to respond when someone beat him to it.
"Yeah!" Lily exclaimed from behind him. "You have to, Nathan!"
"Lily, sweetie," Nathan began gently, lowering down to rest on one knee to be at eye level with her, "I can't wear this to my game."
"Why? Will you get in trouble?" She asked.
He shook his head. "No, but..."
"Then why not?" She asked with so much innocence. "Please, Nathan."
Nathan felt his heart break at the hopeful look on his little's cousin's face. "Fine. I will wear the nail polish for my game tomorrow." He caved, not being able to resist her pleading eyes.
Lucas immediately cracked up laughing. "Oh, man, this is perfect!"
"Thank you, Nathan." Lily said, throwing her arms around his shoulders.
Nathan smiled and replied, "you're welcome, Lils."
The two cousins separated when they heard the rest of their family shuffling closer to the dining room.
"Hey, Nate," Lucas said, capturing his cousin's attention, "what time is your game again? Because, dude, I've gotta watch. I can't wait to see what will be said about you tomorrow night! I can see the headlines now – Nathan Scott, the next Dennis Rodman?. What's next, cuz, you gonna jazz up your hair?"
Nathan glared at Lucas as he laughed even harder. "Go ahead – laugh it up."
"Be nice, Broody." Brooke chastised her husband. "Nathan is doing something nice, and...well, embarrassing," she paused, letting out a quiet giggle, "for your sister. At least he has the balls to actually go through with it."
"Hey!" Lucas cried, not missing that insult.
Brooke simply shrugged in response.
Nathan laughed.
This particular conversation ended, or was at least put on hold, when wall the others entered the room.
"Hey, son." Dan greeted upon seeing Nathan. "When did you get here?"
Nathan leaned in to hug his father. "Not that long ago."
Dan patted his son on the back a couple of times before inching out of the embrace. "Well, I'm glad you didn't have a game today and could be here for the holiday."
"Dan Scott is glad that I don't have a game." Nathan stated sarcastically. "Have I entered into some alternate universe or something?"
Dan rolled his eyes. "Tread lightly there, Nathan."
Nathan laughed at his old man and then saw his grandfather. "Hey, Grandpa."
"Nathan." Royal Scott greeted, shaking his grandson's hand as he wasn't big on hugging. "I caught that game of yours yesterday."
"Yeah?" Nathan questioned with a smile. "The Bucks didn't stand a chance."
"Don't get too cocky, Nathan." Royal advised. "You've lost four games out of the ten you've played. Four games where you should have won. And don't get me started on your game against Houston. You lost by twenty-eight points. That is unacceptable."
Nathan fought every urge in him to tell his grandpa to "F" off. His mom, thankfully, knew when the right time to intervene was, having sat through this same conversation many times in the past. She asked everyone to take their seats so they could eat. Nathan pulled out his chair, taking a seat at one end of the table, between his mother and Lily. Unfortunately, his grandfather sat directly across from him but at least his father was on the opposite end of the table; you win some and you lose some – a little bit of both in this situation.
"So, Nathan," Royal began again as soon as everyone had piled their plates full with food, "what was wrong with you last night?"
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, confused.
"You only scored twenty-seven points. And you had eight turnovers."
"It was fine, Grandpa." Nathan defended. "I was just having an off kind of night. We still won."
"I don't know how with how badly you played." The older man criticized. "You're better than that. You aren't one of the highest paid players in the league based on your looks, you know."
"Yes, I am aware of that." Nathan muttered.
"You've gotta have the talent." Royal continued. "Last night's game, that talent was seriously lacking."
Nathan said nothing as he kept his eyes focused on his plate. The hand that was wrapped around his beer was clutching the bottle pretty tightly, though. Why did their family gatherings always lead to this conversation in some way or another – it never failed. His grandfather could only ever highlight the negatives to his playing – never the positives. Nathan didn't have the energy to deal with this tonight. He was so exhausted due to the constant traveling mixed with his games and practices. This was nothing new really – he's been living this life for the past four, almost five, years. Normally, he loves it. Nathan has just been feeling the extra strain this season for some reason.
"Lucas, dear," Mae jumped in, taking the attention off her one grandson and transferring it onto her other grandson, "your mother tells me you've finished your fourth book."
Lucas nodded his confirmation. "Yes, I have. I am currently going through what I hope is my last round of editing."
"That's wonderful!" She praised. "I can't wait to read it."
"Has your editor given you any dates for a book tour yet?" Keith asked his son.
"No, not yet." Lucas answered. "But I'm guessing it will be during the spring and/or summer months."
"I am not looking forward to that." Brooke commented with a dramatic pout as she leaned in to kiss her husband on the cheek. "I'm thinking of going on the road with him for a few weeks."
"I would love that." Lucas replied, smiling at his wife.
Dinner continued for the next thirty minutes. Various conversations flowed amongst the family. Lily had been excused from the table and rushed back to her private spot in the family room ten minutes ago. Now, they were all just sitting at the table, either eating dessert or drinking, maybe both, while everyone continued to talk.
"So, Nathan," Dan began, looking at his son, "I found out some rather interesting information the other day."
"Oh, yeah?" Nathan questioned, not entirely interested in this so called interesting information.
"Do you remember Daunte Fox? He is an old friend of mine from college." Dan asked as his son shook his head. "Well, anyway, he's a chief detective with the NYPD now. I asked him to run a background check on that neighbor of yours."
"What?" Nathan asked suddenly, his ears perking up instantly as he stared at his father.
"I ran a backgrou..."
"I heard you!" Nathan shouted, startling everyone else sitting at the table. "Why the hell would you do that?!"
"She's a waitress, Nathan." Dan said simply. "Living in a luxury apartment."
"So what?" Nathan questioned.
"Come on. Don't be naïve, son." Dan quipped. "There is no way a college student could afford that apartment as a waitress."
"What's your point?" Nathan inquired, seething.
"My point is...we had to check her out. Make sure she was on the up and up." Dan explained.
"We?" Nathan asked, glaring pointedly at his mother. "Why am I not surprised by that?"
"Nathan," Deb began calmly, "we tried talking to the girl but she..."
"No, you ambushed her." Karen corrected.
"Karen, you couldn't possibly understand." Deb sighed. "Your daughter-in-law is well-established all on her own. Not to mention, you've known her for years so you actually know her. You don't have to worry about..."
"And there was no cause for your so called worry either." Karen didn't hesitate to argue.
Nathan shook his head, still glaring at his mother. "What did you say to her?" He demanded.
Deb turned towards her son. "Nothing, Nathan. I was only trying to get to know her."
"Somehow I doubt that." He scoffed and then looked at his father. "So, you ran a background check for what exactly? Did you think she was involved in something illegal?" His eyes narrowed. "Like a...I don't know, prostitute or something? Is that it?"
"Don't be absurd. That was your mother's first thought." Dan revealed, chuckling.
"I'm glad you find this funny." Nathan remarked, bemused. "What were you looking for then?"
"Anything really." Dan shrugged, unapologetic for his actions. "I just wanted to make sure we were prepared for anything. You know, one step ahead of our enemies."
"So now Haley is the enemy?" Nathan asked. "You don't even know her."
"Hence the background check." Dan reiterated.
"This is ridiculous!" Nathan exclaimed, slapping his hand on the table which rattled the crystal dishes.
"Calm down, son." Dan advised, rolling his eyes. "If it helps, I didn't find anything like that."
"If it helps?" Nathan replied incredulously.
"Grow up, Nathan." Dan said, glaring at his son. "I didn't do this for no reason. It was legitimate. Besides, you claim that there's nothing going on between you and this girl..."
"Haley." Nathan corrected acidly. "Her name is Haley."
"Fine, Haley." Dan placated. "If there's nothing going on then why are you getting so defensive?"
"Because she's a human being, Dad!" Nathan yelled. "She's a person who has done nothing to warrant such actions from you!"
"I was only looking out for you, son." Dan justified, shaking his head when Nathan rolled his eyes. "Do you wanna know what I found out?"
"No, I don't care."
Dan chose to ignore his son's answer and began to explain anyway. "Your neighbor has a five million dollar trust fund."
Nathan said nothing; his face remained expressionless.
"She inherited the money from a man named Brian Durham, who by the way...passed his own background check."
Nathan shook his head and balled up his fists when his father actually winked at him.
"No worries." Dan grinned widely as he glanced at the rest of his family – most of whom looked just as appalled as his son did. "I ran the checks and now we have some information. We know how a college student can afford such a nice place. And I, for one, feel a little bit better about this, Haley..." He emphasized her name and stared pointedly at his son, "...girl."
"So, now what?" Nathan couldn't help but question. "Are you saying that it would be okay for me to...I don't know, date her now that you know she's worth a few million?"
"Absolutely not." Dan immediately responded. "Let's be serious, Nathan."
"The girl's a waitress, honey." Deb jumped in. "She's not exactly up to your standards."
"You mean, your standards." Nathan corrected, shaking his head. Scoffing, he pushed his chair back, the legs scratching against the hard floor underneath them, as he abruptly stood up. "I'm out of here. I don't want to spend a second longer with either of you." Nathan said, all but stomping out of the dining room and ignoring the calls for him to come back.
OTHOTHOTH
Nathan drove, more like sped, down the interstate. He weaved in and out of the other traveling vehicles. He was furious with what had just transpired at his parents' house. He couldn't believe them. He couldn't believe they had the audacity to pry into someone's private life the way they did. It was bad enough that he had to listen to his grandfather's criticism – at least that he was prepared for, but to find out that his father had actually run a background on his neighbor. It was absurd. Nathan doesn't understand his parents way of thinking.
He drove around somewhat aimlessly – too wired to actually go home. Honestly, he wasn't really paying any attention to the direction he was going. He didn't really care. Somehow, though, as the minutes and miles passed him by, he found himself pulling into the parking lot of The Grange.
Nathan climbed out of his SUV and headed straight towards the front door to the bar. Walking inside, he saw that the place was indeed packed tonight. He maneuvered his way through the herds of people, slowly making his way to the bar. When he finally arrived, he was relieved to find one empty stool available and plopped down onto it. Most of the people seemed to be so enthralled in their own conversations to actually notice or even recognize him – something he was thankful for on this Thanksgiving day. He reached for a handful of peanuts and waited. After another five minutes, Nathan finally spotted her.
Haley carried a black tray with empty glasses on it back to the bar, giving one of the bartenders a few new drink orders as well as relaying a couple of food orders to the cook. She smiled at some customers as she waited. Glancing further down the bar, she stilled for a moment when she saw Nathan sitting there. She actually closed and opened her eyes three times to make sure she was indeed seeing him. When she was positive she was, Haley made her way over to him.
"Nathan!" She greeted happily. "What are you doing here?"
Nathan immediately smiled at her. "To see you, of course."
"You're such a charmer." Haley said as he smirked at her. "I thought you were having dinner with your family."
"I was...I did, for a little bit." He said, feeling awkward for discussing this with her considering recent events. "I made it through dinner but...well, let's just say that was enough."
"I've met your parents. I don't blame you." She ribbed, laughing.
"You have no idea." He muttered, shaking his head.
Haley studied his reaction and raised her eyebrows. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, concerned, and stepped closer to him while placing her right hand on his shoulder.
At her gentle touch, Nathan looked at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine." He reassured.
Satisfied with his answer, she smiled at him.
"Haley!"
She followed the voice of who screamed her name, already knowing it was the bartender. He informed her that both the food and the drinks were ready for her waiting customers. Telling Nathan she will be right back, she practically skipped back to the other end of the bar to pick up the black tray once again.
Nathan watched Haley until she disappeared into the crowds of people. He didn't have to wait long – as promised, she was back in less than five minutes.
"So, you wanna drink?" Haley asked him.
"Hmm." He hummed as he thought about what sounded good. He could actually use something strong right now but knew he couldn't as he had to drive home. "I'll just take a beer."
She nodded and moved around to the opposite side of the bar, grabbing a glass bottle out of the refrigerator. She slid the bottle along the counter towards him. As he picked the beer up she noticed his bright pink nails and laughed. "Nathan, what the hell?" She asked, pointing to his nails. "Is there something you wanna tell me?"
Nathan looked down at his nails and blushed, forgetting about them. "Oh, umm...my cousin...you remember Lily?" She nodded and he knew she understood where he was going with this. "Yeah, she wanted...well, begged me to let her paint my nails. So...there you go."
"That's sweet." Haley commented. "Deep down, you're just a big old softy, aren't you?"
He shrugged. "I have my moments."
"You know," she began, running a wet cloth over the bar's surface, "if you were that sweet with the girls you date, you might actually find a relationship worth keeping."
"Who says that's something I want?" He countered, raising an eyebrow.
"You don't." She asked, surprised. He shrugged again. "You never though about having a real relationship with anyone?"
"Not really." He told her honestly. "I kind of had a relationship when I was at Duke."
"Oh, yeah?" She, now intrigued, leaned against the counter. "Tell me about it."
"There's not much to tell really." He said, intent on leaving it at that. But then, she had to give him "the look" and just like earlier with Lily, he knew he was screwed. Laughing, he conceded. "Fine. Her name was Anna. She was on the volleyball team at Duke. I met her at a party during our sophomore year. We dated for three or four months."
"Did you love her?" Haley asked.
Nathan shook her head. "Gosh, no." He said with a slight laugh.
"So, what happened? Why'd you guys break up?" She watched his reaction. His cheeks flushed and he averted any eye contact with her. She grinned. "Oh, this story is gonna be good. Tell me!"
"Anna, she, umm...she wasn't..."
"Oh, just spit it out already!" Haley demanded impatiently as she swatted him with the wet cloth.
Nathan chuckled and held up his hands. "Okay. Anna was...she and I shared one very similar interest." He said vaguely and saw the confusion spread over his neighbor's features. "I like girls."
Haley stared at him, still confused as she tried processing his words – words that she didn't quite understand. What was he getting at? "What does that..." Her question died on her lips as her brain finally caught up. Her eyes widened and she let out a laugh, immediately covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh, my God! You mean..."
"Yup." Nathan confirmed, shaking his head. "That's exactly what I mean."
"You turned her!" She exclaimed in disbelief.
"I did not turn her." He quickly denied as he glanced around them. "And please keep your voice down."
Haley kept laughing as he continued.
"She told me she had been that way for as long as she could remember but just never had the courage to admit it. To anyone or to herself." Nathan explained.
"And being with you..." She paused, laughing harder, "...helped her admit it."
"It's not funny, Haley." He argued, not exactly finding the humor in this story.
"Oh, but it is." She disagreed.
"Haley, take this to table nine for me please." One of the bartenders asked, now standing to her left.
"Sure thing." She replied between her laughter.
"You okay?" The guy asked her, his forehead wrinkled as he stared at his coworker.
She nodded. "I'm perfect."
He accepted her answer and walked away.
"I'm just gonna go." Nathan said, standing up. "You're clearly busy."
"Oh, no, you don't." Haley said, moving hastily to come stand in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down. "You, sit. I'm going to deliver these drinks, and then I'll be right back. You're not going anywhere, mister."
Following her commands, Nathan remained seated, waiting for her to return. He took a swig of his beer. He waited for several minutes but he didn't mind. Haley was working – she was probably busy. He thought about just leaving so she could actually concentrate on her job, but for some reason, he didn't want to. Nathan wanted to stay and talk to her. He likes talking to Haley. He enjoys her company. She makes him laugh. She reminds him that there is so much more to him than just being a rich basketball player. Haley is a good friend – Nathan even dared to say one of his best friends.
"Sorry about that." Haley apologized when she returned.
"It's fine. You're here for the tips, right?" He said, understanding. "How much longer do you have?"
She glanced at the clock. "I'm here till one."
"Well, in that case, I'll stick around and drive you home." He offered.
"Nathan, that's like three hours from now." She reminded him. He shrugged. She knew how stubborn he was, and he wasn't going anywhere. "How about another beer and some wings then? On the house."
"You've got yourself a deal, Haley James." Nathan accepted, smiling at her.
Haley returned the smile before setting off to put in his order.
There you go. Please let me know what you think.
I hope to have another chapter for you guys soon. I'm really pushing for this Friday but we'll see. Until then. :)
