I liked Rivluvsoth's reguest for me to update at 3 a.m. ) Sorry it's not 3 (
Hope you like the update anyway.
Ch. 9-Hey Jealousy
Hey do you think it'd be alright, if I could just crash here tonight? You can see I'm in no shape for driving, and anyway I got no place to go..
She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve to be with someone as special, handsome, and kind as Nathan Scott.
She knew she didn't.
She walked briskly through the cold, dark night. Her parents were usually gone on the weekends, but for some reason this weekend her dad had stayed home. She didn't understand why.
She never understood why..
All that she knew, was that she was glad to have a best friend, but what would happen if he wasn't there one time?
She knew he'd be there. He was always there. But a part of her was scared that maybe tonight he wouldn't be. She knew she shouldn't worry, she laughed bitterly. He always told her she worried too much..
But she did anyways.
Last night was great, and yet she didn't know Nathan well enough to depend on him right now, no matter how much he wanted her to. She wanted her best friend. She wanted reminders of what her life was like before..
She wanted her childhood back.
But all she really wanted, really needed..
Was her innocence.
---
"C'mon Brooke, I have to go," Luke told her as she whined.
"Why can't you stay with me," she pouted sticking out her lower lip. "Don't your mom and that Andy character have some sort of thing going on? She won't even notice if it's just one night."
"Yes she will Brooke. I'm sorry, but I can't. Maybe another time, okay?" He kissed her on the lips and ruffled her hair. "Please don't sulk. Don't you remember, I'm supposed to be the Broody one."
She groaned. "You're so cheesy. Why do I even put up with you?" She turned her back on him.
"Because you love me," he whispered in her ear.
"Hardly."
"Come on Brooke, please. I have to go. Please don't be mad at me." He was late, he was very late, and he knew he was pushing it, but he didn't want her mad at him.
"Fine." She turned around and kissed him. "Tell Karen I said 'hi'."
"I will, thanks Cheery. I love you."
Brooke sat there shocked. He was the only guy to have ever told her that. In fact, she couldn't even remember her father ever saying it.
He continued to hold her hand, waiting for some sort of reaction, any reaction.
"I love you too."
He smiled. "Goodnight."
And then he was gone.
---
Haley hurried even faster to Luke's house. It had started to lightly rain and she was already shivering. It was so cold, she was so cold.
She forced the coldness out of her mind and made her legs go even faster. She was early, and she wasn't sure what she'd find when she got there.
Luke had actually started to spend a lot of time with Brooke lately, but he was always there before Haley arrived, by himself. They still spent every night together, much to Brooke's dismay. Brooke didn't know about their arrangement, all that she knew was that she didn't get night times with Lucas that often.
Haley jumped as the bush beside her started to move.
'Oh God, please just get me there safe,' she prayed before realizing it was only a stray cat. She stopped to pet it.
It was all alone in the world.
Just like her.
'Well, at least I have Lucas, and Karen,' she thought as she started to jog the rest of the way.
'And Nathan.'
'Wait, where did that thought come from?' She stopped in her tracks and then kept moving. She did have Nathan. She just needed to learn to let him in more. She needed to learn that not everyone would hurt her.
She finally reached the house and put her key into the lock, not getting it open fast enough.
"Luke?" She called out before stepping into the room a little farther. No one answered.
'No, this can't be happening,' she thought. Not tonight, she needed him tonight. 'Where was he?' He was always here, never late. He was her dependable Luke. The guy she could count on to be there since.. forever. The only constant..
She turned on the light.
He really wasn't there.
'Now what?' she thought. A single tear escaping her eyes. She never let more than one fall. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she let one. But if she let more than one fall, she was afraid she'd never stop.
'Maybe Nathan.' she thought. But she couldn't go to Nathan, not looking like this. 'What if he didn't understand?' She didn't want to ruin their special relationship that was still so very fragile.
Luke quickly parked the truck and ran into the house, the fastest he'd ever run.
"Hales!!" he called out running down the hallway into his room. He saw her standing there with her hand on the door, looking as if she was ready to leave. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were slightly damp.
She looked like a wreck, with all of her makeup running down her face, and a single tear drop falling from her cheek.
"Oh Hales," he called out, his heart breaking for the girl in front of him. She looked so vulnerable, never throughout this whole thing had she looked even remotely vulnerable, but now..
He shook the thoughts from his head as he slowly crossed the room to her, trying not to scare her more than she already was. Fear was evident in her eyes already. He was the only one that knew how to handle her when she was like this.
"It's just me Hales," he told her noticing the small tear in the shoulder of her shirt and lightly brushing his hand against it.
Just like that her walls were back up.
"Hi," she told him trying to smile. "I cut it when I found a stray cat earlier and went into the bush to pet it," she told him faking another smile.
He shook his head 'no' at her. He didn't know why she felt the need to lie to him still. Maybe it was easier for her to pretend that none of it was happening, that everything was okay.
He almost wished she would have broken down right then, and cried. She hadn't cried yet and it scared him. Because he knew that when she did, it would be for the whole time, and it would be the hardest thing that she probably would ever have to go through.
He wished she'd break down already and admit what was happening. If she could only do that, he could help her fight it, he could actually help her, they would get through it and then she'd..
"Luke?" She called out again timidly, seeing his glassed over eyes.
He wrapped her into a gentle hug rubbing her back as she rested her tired head on his chest breathing heavily. She wanted to cry so bad, but she couldn't.
He didnt expect her to say anything. She never did..
But tonight, she was so scared when he wasn't there..
"It was worse than usual," she whispered so lightly he was almost certain it was his imagination. But he knew it wasn't. He'd never imagine anything this bad for his best friend.
"Oh, Hales," he said kissing the top of her head. "Sweetie.."
He let a few tears escape his eyes as blue orbs met brown ones again and she tried to smile. He lightly ran his hands through her hair and brushed away the one stray tear that had fallen from her eyes. She put her hands gently under his eyes and wiped the tears that he had cried for her. She didn't mean to be such a burden.
She closed her eyes, forcing the pent up tears back.
They'd get through this.
Together.
---
Nathan was bored, he was beyond bored and he didn't know what to do about it. He loved Haley for helping him become a better person, but now he never had anything fun to do when she wasn't with him.
He tried calling her cell, but got no answer.
5 times.
He hoped she didn't have caller ID and see how desperate he was. But anymore, he really didn't care. Things between them were moving along at a snail's pace, at least that's how it felt when he tried to get her to open up to him and she continually refused.
He really wished he knew how to speed them up to at least the pace of a turtle.
He sighed and got ready for bed. Time for another early night.
---
And you can trust me not to think, and not to sleep around. If you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down.. Cuz all I really want is to be with you.. feeling like I matter too..
Lucas started to stir and then felt something in his arms. There was Haley.
He smiled. She had actually stayed. Usually she was gone, before he woke up. He was hoping she would stay tonight. Especially after how emotional last night had become.
He kept his arms around her and laid his head back down on the pillow and just listened to her even breathing. She had slept through the whole night for once without any nightmares.
It was amazing. She usually had at least one, if not more, waking them both up in the process.
But Lucas didn't mind. She was his best friend, and if the tables were ever turned, he knew she'd be there for him.
He stirred when he heard a slight rap at the door. 'Who would be here at this hour of the morning?' He thought glancing over and seeing it was already 10. They had slept later than he thought.
Luke started to get up to answer the door trying not to disturb Haley, when Nathan just walked in.
Nathan walking in without waiting for an answer was nothing new. Him and Lucas usually played ball for awhile on Saturday. It was nice getting along with his brother, even if that was the only family that he really kept in touch with anymore.
But what was new, was to find Lucas, and Haley, together.. in the same bed.
"Oh, sorry.. I.." Nathan started as Haley began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked around. Where was she?
"Oh my gosh," Haley said out loud as she sprang upright, fear evident in her eyes. Nathan mistook it for guilt.
"It's alright Haley, you're here at my house," Lucas whispered into her ear, rubbing her back slightly, before looking back up at Nathan.
"Look man," he tried to explain. "It's nothing like that." He wanted Haley to confide in Nathan, to tell him the truth. Nathan deserved the truth, but not from Lucas.
"Nathan, I swear, there's nothing going on between me and Lucas," Haley began, almost ready to share the truth with the boy she loved.. wait.. did I just say loved?
"No, it's okay. You don't have to explain anything to me," Nathan stated trying to control his anger. "Look, I'll just see you guys later. I have to go," Nathan said exiting the house.
"Nathan, wait.." Haley tried to call out but it was too late, he was gone.
It wasn't until Nathan got in his car, and was halfway down the street before his tears started to flow freely for the first time in a long time.
Was Haley telling the truth!?
Would his Haley lie?!
---
