A/N: Hi everyone, if you're in the states, hope you had a wonderful 4th of July! If you're international - hope you're having a lovely summer! :) Thanks for following this story. I appreciate feedback, like Anonymous requesting more Naley interaction. I will try to increase the amount and put more focus on their relationship. I know there was a lot of individual character development as well as their interaction with other characters. Enjoy!

Chapter 7

"Does this look okay?"

Nathan rolled his eyes, listening to his brother play dress up with his girlfriend. He briefly glanced up at his brother, who had on a button-up shirt and tie, partially tucked into his jeans. Brooke looked like she was actually thinking for once.

"That looks retarded." He commented, returning his attention to the play station.

"He's right, babe," she admitted apologetically.

"Brooke has got you so whipped, you're this close to becoming gay," he said, pinching his thumb and forefinger together for emphasis.

"Uh, the fact that I wanna dress nice for my girl? Kinda takes away the gay factor," Lucas retorted.

"If that's your story," he replied.

It got suspiciously quiet, so he turned around to find the two practically making out. He grabbed a couch pillow and threw it at them.

"Come on! I'm sitting right here!"

Suddenly there was a stand-off as Lucas picked up the pillow off the floor and Nathan stood with the other pillow from the couch. They stayed that way for a long minute, when the front door opened.

"Uh… did I miss something?"

Haley appeared at the doorway, confused by the sight before her.

"Lucas and Nathan are fighting over me again," Brooke chirped, laughing.

"In your dreams, Brooke," Nathan said lamely as he put his pillow down.

He didn't like acting like such a dumbass in front of Haley.

"Well, I have to pee like a race horse. I'll be right back!" Haley said.

She threw off her coat, revealing a pair of black leggings, an off-the-shoulder sweater and boots. Nathan thought she looked natural, comfortable, and alarmingly beautiful.

As soon as she was down the hall, Lucas tossed the pillow at his face.

"The hell was that for?"

"Revenge. Also… uh… never mind," Lucas replied.

Nathan looked at his brother's girlfriend for a clue, but she just held a really wicked smile on her face.

He shut off the console and stood up stretching. His brother's girlfriend had arranged a reunion at one of the downtown bar and lounges for some of their friends from high school that were back in town. Even though he was going with his brother, he was sure that a lot of his friends from his graduating class would be there as well, considering that Tric was the only place worth partying at in Tree Hill. He'd already talked to a couple of friends who'd confirmed their attendance.

The downtown area wasn't too far, so the car ride was short. As Brooke sang along loudly to Christmas songs on the radio, Nathan and Haley sat in the back in a suffocating silence. She was unusually quiet tonight.

"Haley?"

She stopped staring out the window to peer up at him. He looked really worried.

"What's up?" She popped the 'p', an attempt at being cheerful.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

He was leaning into her, close to her ear. He didn't want to draw too much attention if she wasn't feeling good. When he looked at the rearview mirror, his brother looked at him briefly with a strange expression.

Haley stared at him, surprised that he'd picked up on her mood.

"What? Oh, yeah. Yes, Nathan I'm fine," she replied somewhat awkwardly.

"I know you don't know these people as well as Lucas or Brooke or even I do. So, if you feel like heading out early, just let me know."

She smiled at him, touched by his kindness.

"Thanks."


Nathan kept a watchful eye on Haley as she sat at a private booth with his brother and his friends. He was concerned about her demeanor tonight. She just wasn't acting her usual self. But she seemed okay at the moment, as she smiled at the new group of people. He knew some of them pretty well, but some of his friends had shown up tonight as well, so he was throwing back a few drinks with them.

"Look at all this fine ass. And I can't have none of it," Tim said sadly.

He threw back the rest of his beer, peering out at the dance floor.

Nathan smirked, taking a drink from his own beer. "Even if you weren't engaged, you still couldn't have any of it,"

Tim hit him in the chest with an amused look on his face. "Whatever, you're one to talk. You gotta get the girl to talk smack, bro."

Nathan shrugged, "I mean, it's cool that you want to get married so young and all. But that just ain't me."

"Trust me man, one day, it will be." His friend said faithfully.

Not too long ago, Tim had been the ultimate wingman for Nathan; even when Nathan had been the worst of friends. Tim Smith had been a former teammate on the high school basketball team. And he'd been a great power forward, but his grades had been such shit he barely passed. He ended up get a degree in criminal justice at the local community college, before deciding to enlist in a police academy in South Carolina. Bizarre as that was, he'd also wound up meeting the love of his life down there and proposing to her just a few months ago. As much as he was still the fun-loving, raunchy-humored guy he knew from high school, Tim Smith had grown. And he'd managed to leave basketball behind.

Nathan was impressed, enviously so.

He caught up with a few other former Ravens Varsity players, some that were in town for the season, others that had never left. And he saw a lot of his old school mates who were in town for the season, most of whom he didn't remember, but recognized him for his basketball career at Duke. But instead of bolstering his ego, it was a harsh reminder that he was not very different from the person he was in high school.

Haley glanced around the table as the group conversation had branched out. A few of Lucas and Brooke's friends were dancing, and a couple of the guys had decided to weather the cold for a cigarette.

Staring at the whiskey and diet coke in her hand, she threw it back quickly, deciding to stick with another drink for the rest of the night.

When she looked up, she caught eyes with Chase, one of Lucas's best friends from school, and someone she could vaguely remember from middle school. Brooke had been bragging on him to Haley. There was some heavy match-making going on, which was a little awkward. He smiled sheepishly, as if he'd been caught, glancing away quickly and looking back again. It would be cute, if it wasn't a little creepy.

"Do you want another drink?" He asked.

"Sure," she shrugged.

Instead of waiting for a server to come around, she got up, gesturing to head over to the bar. Haley led the way, feeling his fingers occasionally brushing the lower part of her back.

Since the bar was so overcrowded, she sat at a pub table with two seats as she waited for him to bring back their drinks. Haley noticed Nathan, surrounded by his peers. Both girls and guys seemed to look at him with admiration, pressing around him like a feeding frenzy. She was fully aware of what playing for Duke meant around a small basketball-crazed town like Tree Hill. But she wondered how he was not overwhelmed, if not tired of it all. He carried himself confidently, smiling at the right time, laughing at the right jokes. Nathan held the limelight well.

"Here you go," Chase said, sitting two bottles onto the table. He eased into the empty stool across from her.

"Thanks. You didn't have to buy it for me," she said.

"I know. I wanted to."

Haley conversed lightly with Chase. He was a nice guy, who seemed somewhat interested. He was kind of a pushover, but nice, nonetheless. And if Lucas and Brooke vouched for him, then that was fine. She just really wasn't looking.

She politely excused herself to the use the restroom, after having shared two more drinks with him.

Exiting one of the stalls, she stopped in her tracks, gasping at the sight of a girl hunched forward in the mirror. She had a long, lithe frame with curly blonde hair. Several other women in line gave her a strange look, one of them pushing her way past to use the now empty stall. The blonde turned around, with an equally perplexed expression. Haley realized that she did not know this girl. The girl left the bathroom, and Haley stood there, staring at her own reflection in the mirror instead.

Splashing some water on face, she took several deep breaths trying to relax her nerves. It wasn't working. Instead, she suddenly felt very drained and tired. She just needed to go home.

She stood there by the hall where the bathrooms were hidden, trying to look through the crowd for her friends. Heading back to the bar, she ordered a beer, wanting to do something other than standing around like an idiot. Just as she was finishing her drink, she found Brooke and Lucas dancing closely on the dance floor. Despite the quick pulse of the music, they moved together slowly and intimately, as if no one was around. She was happy for her best friend for finding the perfect partner, but there was still a dull ache of jealousy, even anger, inside of her. She wanted that.

"Haley?"

Nathan was staring down at her, concern clear in his dark eyes.

"Haley," he said again. He cupped the side of her face with one hand and swiped her cheek with his thumb. "You're crying."

She stared up at him, alarmed by the feel of his hand, but did not pull away.

Despite the size and roughness of his fingers, he held her face gently. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling relaxed and comforted by his touch. Covering his hand with her own, she pulled his hand down into hers.

"Let's get outta here," she said with a sad smile.


The cab ride had been silent back to Lucas's place. Both Haley and Nathan had driven and parked there, except, neither of them was fully capable of driving home. Since Nathan always had a copy of Luke's house keys, they both agreed to sober up a bit before heading their separate ways.

Nathan brought each of them a water bottle from the kitchen, pausing before sitting beside a forlorn Haley, staring at the television.

"Thanks," she said softly, accepting the water.

"So… are we just going to ignore what happened?" Nathan asked, staring down at his hands.

She didn't answer.

"What's wrong, Haley?" He tried again.

"Nathan, I'm just drunk, okay. There's nothing wrong."

Her answer was curt. She obviously didn't want to discuss this.

With all the courage he could muster, he slid his hands into hers, interlacing them. It was the boldest he'd ever been with her, physically. She looked down at them, shock registering on her face.

"Hales," he said in a soft, but urging voice.

When she looked at Nathan, she realized how much he did care about her. She also realized that Nathan was definitely not that young boy she once knew, as much as she tried to relate to him that way. It matured him to hear him say her name that way. He was a man, and she couldn't help in reacting to the way his strong hands enveloped hers or how his full lips parted in anticipation at her response. So she pulled away from him. She chided herself for her impure thoughts. He was five years her junior for God's sake… not to mention her friend's younger brother.

She could see the hurt in his expression. And she could understand why. He was just trying to be helpful.

"Don't look at me that way, Nathan," she said with a forced smile.

She started to get up, but he captured her wrist this time, eliciting another surprised look on her face.

"Why have you been acting so strange all night? Why were you crying?"

"Nathan… there's… there are just some things you don't know about me," she sighed, pulling her hand away.

"So, tell me,"

"I can't. I… don't want you to think of me… differently. I don't want anyone to," she replied feebly.

"Why would anyone think of you differently? I don't even think anyone has the right to judge you. Of all the people I've ever known, you have the most purest of hearts. I know this… and I don't even know you that well."

Nathan looked into her eyes, willing her to accept his reassurance.

But when she looked back at him, there was a hardness to her brown eyes.

"You're right, Nathan, you don't know me that well."

.

Haley lay on the loveseat, sipping on a soothing mug of tea, as she scribbled in her journal. She found herself very short of inspiration ever since she'd moved out of her parents' home and into a quaint east L.A. rental with two roommates. She'd been there for almost seven months now, working as a Teacher's Assistant at a private Catholic school and tutoring on the side. She was 24 years old, and after two years of part-time work completely unrelated to her degree, the TA job had been a get-out-or-die-trying card she'd been granted, after months and months of job seeking. She lucked out when her sister Quinn, was able to refer her to a friend of a client who was looking for another tenant. And that's how she'd ended up moving in with Julian Baker and Peyton Sawyer.

Julian was awe-inspiring. And aside from his clean cut of hair, he was all California – the way he talked, the way he moved, what he believed in, his talents, pretty much everything. He was a video producer and editor, working for an underground production company, while establishing a network of both musical and acting talent. He was effortlessly confident and easy-going, but deep down he carried an undeniable desire for the things he wanted. And because of that, she could tell that he was zealous when he needed to be. Everything about him intrigued her.

And Peyton was a transplant, like her, only from a conservative, mid-western town. She was an aspiring actress, singer, and dancer. She'd come to Los Angeles for the all-time dream of performing and being beautiful for a living. And she was beautiful. She had big, curly blonde hair, cat-like green eyes, and the body of a runway model.

Her roommates had met at some after-party and while he'd fallen for her tart mouth and long legs, she'd been immediately enraptured by his charming persona and even more charming career.

But they were struggling much like any young couple in pursuit of a dream, so to them, Haley had been a bit of a godsend. The three of them got along fairly well, although her schedule didn't exactly match theirs. On most evenings where they were out networking and partying, she was tutoring for some of her private school students or grading papers. As glamorous as it seemed, their lifestyles just didn't appeal to her, other than the fact that they were both pursuing things they were passionate about. That, she could appreciate.

As much as they complimented each other, Haley really couldn't see them dating beyond the next few years, much less getting hitched. They argued a lot. Most of the time, their arguments circled around the fact that Peyton was struggling to get the jobs she wanted. And every time their fighting had reached its peak, Peyton would disappear for a few days, without so much as a call, only to reappear with a half-hearted apology. Haley had witnessed it.

She liked Peyton, as an individual, as she did Julian. But together, they seemed to only bring out the worst in each other.

She heard the door open and close as Julian appeared in the living room with a brown bag, clinking with glass.

"What are you doing here?" Haley asked in amazement, sitting up properly.

He shrugged. "What do you think? She got bitchy, I got pissed, and she ran off. Just ditched me at Ian's party,"

Walking to the kitchen, he slid the bag on the counter and began pulling out a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of rum.

"So… you decided to bring the party home?" She asked sarcastically.

"You want one?"

Haley eyed him warily, as he prepared glasses with the ice, liquor, and diet coke, methodically. Aside from the fact that he'd just told her, she couldn't believe that he and Peyton had had another blowout. He was so calm and collected. Even though she hadn't answered if she actually wanted a drink, he brought her a glass anyway, setting it on the coffee table. Lifting her legs, he sat down on the couch, and placed them back in his lap.

With Julian, he had a certain way of doing things. He did things that she considered to be intimate, sometimes affectionate, without a care in the world. And Haley had admitted to herself well over a month ago that despite the wrongness of it, sometimes, it felt right.

"What're you working on here?" He said, gesturing to the journal now face down in her lap.

"It's nothing." She was quick to answer.

He snatched it off her lap, disregarding her protests. Not that she was really trying. She was distracted by the feel of her bare feet against the jean material covering his thighs. She needed to stop.

Swiveling around, she dropped her feet on the ground and reached for her drink. The cheap whiskey tasted smoky and disgustingly sweet with the mixture of soda, but she took two big swigs anyway.

She waited patiently, staring at the ice cubes cracking, and finally succumbing to the dark liquid in the glass. All she could hear was the faint sound of music playing from one of the neighbor's houses and the occasional page fluttering as Julian looked through her notebook. By the time she looked up at him, she had already polished off her entire glass. He was staring at her as if seeing her for the first time.

"What is this?"

He'd closed the book and was tapping on the hardbound cover with his finger.

"I said, it's nothing. Just some… poetry, I guess."

"This is… this is brilliant stuff."

She blushed at his compliment. She'd never heard him say something so enthusiastically before.

"I mean, I'm no expert, but… you should totally bring this to Vince,"

Vince was a friend of Julian's, involved somehow in the music industry. At one point, he'd been kind of interested in Haley. But Julian's friends were usually older, like him, closer to their 30's, which ironically meant that they were usually just looking for someone to keep their beds warm.

"Vince? As in the guy that totally fell through for Peyton?"

This was also the same guy who was supposed to help Peyton with getting some studio time and recording a demo. That had never happened. Julian rolled his eyes. "That's 'cause that's not his… thing, I guess. He doesn't find talent. He writes for them,"

Noticing that his glass was now empty too, she grabbed it and went to make more drinks. He followed her, still clutching the journal.

"Haley, these poems could easily be songs,"

This time, she rolled her eyes. As soon as she set the glasses down, he tugged her towards him. Her wrist burned from where his fingers had touched her. But he didn't notice as he returned his attention to the journal, flipping through the pages.

"This one, this one here… it's so soulful. I had no idea you could write like this,"

She laughed it off. "It's just poetry."

But his expression was stoic. "It's not just poetry,"

Why was he being so adamant about this? Why did he care so much? Why couldn't he just stick to caring about his girlfriend?

"Look, Jules, I'm not a poet, barely a writer… and I'm definitely not a song writer. I'm not talented like you and Peyton—"

"She's not talented!" he blurted out.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion, and then furrowed her brows in anger.

"Don't involve me in whatever is going on with you and your girlfriend," she warned, before she grabbed her journal from his hands. "And stop projecting whatever this is on my life."

She glared at him angrily. He looked just about as upset. And it was so rare to see him this way. He walked towards her, backing her against the counter, before he cornered her with his arms on either side of her.

And then she let him kiss her.

They avoided each other for the rest of the weekend, both anticipating Peyton's return. She came home on that following Tuesday with no explanation and then everything was back to normal. No break up. And definitely no kiss.

.

Nathan unfolded an extra blanket on Haley as she burrowed into the sofa. Her cellphone slid out from under, making a loud crack on the floor. Nathan winched at the noise, but it didn't seem to disturb her. He picked it up, and it immediately began vibrating in his hands. There were 13 missed calls from an out-of-area number. There were also several texts; the most recent one flashed on the screen simply saying, I miss you.