Author's Note: Thanks for the great reviews! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Nathan's apartment was practically around the corner from the one she shared with Brooke and Lucas, Haley couldn't help but note.
His apartment didn't look anything like she expected it to. She didn't know what she had expected it to look like, exactly, but she was surprised to find that it was so… bare.
In the living room, there was nothing but a sofa and a coffee table. Across from the sofa was a large, flat screen television, and there was a gaming system set up underneath it. The walls were bare, and plain shades hung over the windows. She could see the kitchen, and it was spotless. Well, it had been until Nathan tracked mud into it.
He was standing at the kitchen sink wiping as much mud as he could off of his uniform. Finally, after a few moments, he pulled his uniform shirt off, leaving him in a white t-shirt. He dropped the top of his uniform in the sink, and Haley couldn't help but notice the way the t-shirt clung to his well-muscled back.
Nathan yanked his boots off of his feet and left them by the sink as well. "Come on," he said, gesturing for Haley to follow him down a hallway.
They entered his bedroom, and Haley was more surprised by this room than anything else. There was a bed pressed up against the far wall with plain white sheets. But across from that was a large family photo, featuring a young Nathan and Lucas, maybe ten years old. Behind them was a dark haired man and a blonde woman, and in the middle of them was a boy of about eighteen years old.
Haley's brow furrowed. "I didn't know that you two have an older brother."
When Nathan didn't say anything, Haley turned to look at him. She found him staring at the photo, his face blank but his blue eyes stormy. Finally, he grunted and turned away from the photo, disappearing into his closet.
Since the subject of the photo was apparently taboo, Haley turned and looked at the rest of the room. There were a few other photos, most of them with the young Nathan and Lucas with the other boy in the family photograph. In a few of them, there was a curly-haired blonde smiling as well.
Next to the bed, Haley also noticed a basketball and a pair of running shoes. She shouldn't have been surprised, since one of the photographs featured an eight year old Nathan and Lucas, both in basketball uniforms and holding basketballs, a trophy supported between them.
"How long have you been playing?" Haley asked instead, nodding her head towards the basketball.
"I haven't," Nathan said.
"Oh." Haley bit her lip and then started to ramble—it was something she did whenever she got nervous. "I only ask because I know that Lucas plays. He was helping Whitey coach the ravens, you know. He's working at the summer camp that the school runs and…"
She trailed off when she saw Nathan looking at her with an amused look on his face. "Yeah, I know," he said. He came out of the closet, already changed into a clean uniform. He handed her a sweatshirt, and Haley held it up.
It was a Duke University basketball sweatshirt. Somewhat against Haley's better judgment, she asked, "Is this where you went to college?"
"Yeah." The warm amusement in Nathan's eyes was no longer there. Haley could have sworn that she was getting whiplash from his mood swings, but clearly the subject of basketball and his family were sore subjects.
So she completely changed the subject. Haley pulled the sweater over her head, noting how she completely swam in it. It smelled just like Nathan, too, and she grinned at him.
"Does this mean we're going steady?"
Nathan gave her a relieved look before smiling, his blue eyes twinkling. He just shook his head and looped his belt around his waist.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
Haley wanted to ask so many questions. Lucas never talked about his family, and a little part of Haley couldn't help but hope that she would be able to learn something from Nathan. She normally wasn't so nosey, but she had always been worried about Lucas whenever the subject of his family had come up.
"Yeah," Haley said instead.
"I'm exhausted. I don't know if I can handle three more nights of this. And those ambulance sirens are loud."
"It's only three more nights, Brookie," Haley repeated with a smile.
"Well, at least I can take comfort in the fact that you don't get along with Nathan at all," Brooke said as she flopped dramatically on the couch.
Haley snorted ungracefully. "Thanks, Brooke," she said wryly before she continued, "And Nathan and I… things aren't as bad anymore."
Brooke blinked once at Haley before she jumped up onto the couch and pointed at her. "OH MY GOD!" she yelled as she jumped up and down. "YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON OFFICER NATHAN SCOTT!"
"BROOKE!" Haley yelled in return. She jumped up and slapped her hand over her friend's mouth, pulling her down so that they were sitting again. "God, do you have to be so loud?" She paused before saying, "And I don't have a crush on Nathan!"
"Oh, yes you do," Brooke said. "You're so crushed out on the big bad police officer. I can totally tell. The whole arguing with him thing… That was totally unresolved sexual tension."
"Oh my God! Brooke!"
"What? It's true?"
"What's true?"
Both girls turned around as Lucas entered the apartment. He was carrying a large bag of groceries as he kicked the door shut behind him. Haley's cheeks burned bright red as Brooke smirked.
"Nothing—" Haley began, but Brooke interrupted her.
"Haley has a crush on Nathan!"
"Brooke!"
Lucas made a choking noise and dropped the bag of groceries. Both Brooke and Haley gave the ripped bag a forlorn look.
"I hope you didn't crush the cookies," Haley said.
"If you broke my chocolate bar…" Brooke threatened.
But Lucas ignored both of those statements. Instead, he turned to Haley, his eyes wide. "You have a crush on my brother?" he managed.
Haley shrugged her shoulders and gave him a sheepish look, feeling her cheeks burn even hotter. "Surprise?"
Author's Note: Alright, I know it was short, but I kept getting stuck on it. Still, I hope that it wasn't too bad. I hope that you all liked this chapter!