Chapter 9
After Peyton's shower, Brooke ambushed her in the kitchen. "Funeral arrangements are done. Lucas is headed over here. You and I need to seek shelter elsewhere."
"Slow down Brooke. What's the rush?"
"I thought you were avoiding Lucas."
"Ya, but I mean he isn't here right now. Can I at least get some wat-"
"Brooke? Peyton?" Lucas called from the front door.
"Damn it!" Brooke whispered. "Come on! Out the back!" Brooke grabbed her purse and tiptoed behind Peyton to the backdoor. They were just about out when Lucas caught them.
"Peyton! Brooke!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Just run P. Sawyer." Brooke whispered to her as they stood frozen in their stealth positions in the doorway. "If your bony ass falls behind, I'm leaving you to the wolves."
"No Brooke." Peyton whispered back to her. "Let's face this like adults."
"Running is adult-ish."
Peyton turned and faced Lucas and Brooke followed her lead.
"What are you two doing?"
"Trying to leave." Brooke answered.
"Peyton? Can I talk to you?" Lucas asked.
Brooke looked at Peyton before stepping aside to let her through. "We can talk here." She said, crossing her arms.
"Fine. I'm sorry for yesterday. I was just caught off guard."
"Well I wasn't exactly planning this either."
"I think you could've picked a different time to tell me though-"
"Do you really want to spend another night at Nathan's?" Peyton hissed.
"I didn't stay at Nathan's because he was sleeping on the couch and I wasn't exactly going to sleep on the floor. So I rented a motel room."
"Fine. Then would you like another night in a motel room?"
"You told me the day after my best friend died!"
"You were begging me Lucas. I was putting it off and putting it off and then finally I couldn't anymore. That's when I told you and that's when you let me down." Peyton countered.
"Like I said, I was caught off guard!"
"Look Lucas," Peyton sighed, taking a deep breath. "I care about you, but I can't do this if you aren't going to be here for me."
"I am here for you Peyton!"
Peyton looked at Lucas longingly, wishing that he had truly meant it. "No Lucas. That's the thing. You can't be here for me because of everything that's happened with Haley and that's not your fault."
"So what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that you don't need the stress and pressure of me right now. So maybe it's better if-"
"Don't even finish that sentence. I love you. I care about you." Lucas walked towards her and wrapped her arms around her. Peyton was long overdue for a much needed hug, so she didn't resist. "Nothing is going to come between us."
"I love you to Luke." Peyton whispered into his neck.
"Okay you two bipolar love birds. Maybe we should all head over to Nathan's to check up on him now that we have side-stepped a landmine." Brooke suggested. "Keep it G-Rated in front of little Jamie please."
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"Daddy?" Jamie called, sitting up in his bed.
Nathan, who was passing by his door poked his head in. "Ya?"
"Can I leave my room now?"
Nathan walked in and pressed his hand to his son's forehead. "You don't seem to have a temperature. Are you feeling okay?"
"Ya. I feel fine."
"Okay, well I'll make you some breakfast. Come into the kitchen." Nathan took his son's hand and led him into the kitchen and set him on a stool. "Okay…uh…what do you want?" Nathan looked around the kitchen, completely lost.
"Do you even know how to cook daddy?"
"No, but I can try." Nathan laughed airily.
"Nah, it's okay. Momma will cook me breakfast." Jamie smiled.
Nathan braced himself on the sink, trying not to let the pain of Haley's death seep into his mind.
The doorbell went off, saving Nathan from telling Jamie.
He rushed to answer it and once the door was open, Carrie was standing there. "Hello Nathan." She laughed. "Is the wife around?"
Nathan tightened his jaw and clenched his fist. "You."
"Yep." She smiled. "Me. Your little boy isn't a liar. I've come back to do the job."
Carrie was halfway in the doorway, pulling out her gun, when Nathan slammed the door at her knocking her backwards. He chained up the door and locked it before sprinting to the kitchen.
"Breakfast will have to wait bud." Nathan whispered, swooping him into his arms and running him into his bedroom. Flashes of finding Haley blurred his vision as he swung open his closet and put Jamie inside. "Huddle in the corner."
Nathan grabbed his bedspread off his bed and threw it over Jaime. "I'm coming back for you. Just stay quiet."
"Why can't I go to my room?" Jamie asked.
"Stay quiet." Nathan hissed, shutting his closet door.
The sound of glass shattering made Nathan's heart race. He grabbed a bat from under his bed and gripped it.
"Found ya." Carrie laughed, as Nathan came around the corner to the living room. "What are you gonna do with a wooden bat?"
Carrie fired the gun, making the bat explode into thousands of wooden splinters. Nathan dropped it and tried to think of a plan. "Do you know this is the exact room I shot Haley in?"
Anger built up inside him.
"Your wife did get a chance to stab me first, but I ended up the victor in it all. Just one shot to the stomach did her in." Carrie taunted, cocking the gun. "It was nice knowing you Nathan."
The sound of Nathan's backdoor coming open, made Carrie stop pulling the trigger. In walked Lucas, Brooke, and Peyton.
"Well, it's party." Carrie laughed as they all froze in shock.
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"Don't move." Carrie demanded.
Lucas inched his way to stand in front of Peyton and Brooke. "I said don't move!" Carrie yelled. Peyton gripped Lucas's arm.
"What are you gonna do Carrie? Shoot all of us?" Nathan laughed.
"That's the plan." Carrie smiled.
"Well that plan sucks." Brooke scoffed. Carrie aimed the gun at Brooke and squeezed the trigger a bit as a taunt.
Peyton jumped in front of her. "Don't shoot."
"Peyton." Lucas hissed.
Nathan darted his eyes to his left and saw a vase. 'Perfect.' He thought. In one movement, the vase was in his hands and then flying at Carrie.
He watched it smash against her head and in turn, she dropped the gun. He picked it up as she regained her balance and aimed it at her.
Nathan pulled the trigger, watching the bullet pierce through all the tissues and muscles in Carrie's stomach. He didn't stop with one either. He kept pulling the trigger, putting more holes in Carrie as she fell lifeless to the floor.
Lucas pulled his arm but Nathan shoved him away and pulled the trigger until all the bullets were gone. Even then he just resorted to beating her in the head with the gun.
Brooke, Peyton, and Lucas stood back in horror until Lucas finally stepped forward and yanked him off. He still swung his arms through the air and flailed his legs. He managed to get a couple more good kicks in. "That's enough Nathan." Lucas called over his yelling. "That's enough!"
"No! Let me go! Let me finish it!" Nathan screamed.
"It's done man. She's gone." Lucas said. Lucas's words hung in the air deafeningly. Everyone knew that Lucas wasn't talking about Carrie.
Nathan fell limp in Lucas's restricting arms. Once Lucas knew that Nathan wasn't going to go beat up on the body anymore, he let him go.
Everyone watched as he crumpled to the floor and started sobbing, finally letting his wall down and allowing the reality and pain of Haley's death in.
The scene of Nathan crying made everyone's heart sink.
"I didn't keep my promise." Nathan sobbed.
"What promise?" Brooke whispered kneeling next to Nathan.
"On…the…way…" Nathan tried to breathe deeply to get a handle on himself. "On the way to…the hospital, Haley was in the backseat. I was in such a panic that I almost missed what she said." Brooke rubbed his back as he calmed down more. "She said, 'Forever and Always'. I knew she wanted to give up so I said, 'I'm going to get you to the hospital and you are going to live. I promise. Just hold on.' I watched her in the rearview mirror as she smiled at the hope. Now she's gone."
Nathan sobbed louder, making Jamie come out of his room. "Daddy? What's wrong?"
"Go back to bed buddy. We'll explain later." Peyton said softly.
"I can't be here anymore." Nathan cried, picking himself up and rushing out the door.
"Where's daddy going?" Jamie asked.
"He just needs some time." Peyton reassured everyone. "Give him some time."
