Love Lost

Chapter Nine

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Since that night at the river court everyone has been much closer. At least Peyton is once more mingling with the girls. They were all three walking through the mall at the moment getting their last Christmas shopping done. They have been getting closer and closer each day.

The guys were at home, all playing video games. Christmas was not such a big deal to them as much as it was for girls. All they cared about was the fact that they had no school and they would get to have really good food.

Now everyone was having Christmas eve dinner at the Sawyer house. It was their usual tradition to all have dinner together. Even though they were only friends they thought of each other as family.

The dinner table was set beautifully, with candles, and the plates, and gold napkins. Everyone sat around in the places they usually did, except this time they had two more guests. Larry sat at the head with Karen to his right. Next to Karen were Lucas, Brooke, and Peyton. On the other side next to Larry were Jake, Nathan, Haley, Lydia, and Jimmy at the head.

"This is delicious" Jimmy commented.

"Yeah" Lydia added. She then looked around the table and smiled at how all the kids talked and laughed together. "It's great to see Peyton and Jake talking again" she quipped.

"Yeah" Karen said, "at least we still can hope with them, since Haley and Lucas showed interest."

The table all laughed at the comment, thinking how funny it would have been for Haley to actually be with Lucas. When you saw them around you would often think that they where siblings not just friends. The way the behaved and cared for each other was the same way siblings did.

They all continued to laugh and talk through out the whole dinner. And once dinner time was over they all went to their homes, well only the James family and the Scott siblings. Tomorrow was Christmas and they all wanted to be at their own house .

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Once she got home Haley went to her room and got ready for bed. She thought about her day and the way it ended, and it seemed that being home made everyday that much better. She loved to be with her parents, and the fact that she had all her friends close.

She climbed in bed and opened her book to the page marked and began to read. She really didn't get far when she heard a tap on her window. She remembered as a child Lucas would do throw pebbles at her window to get her attention and sneak out. She stood up and walked over to the window and smiled when she saw him standing outside her window.

"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing him climb up the tree next to her window.

Lucas jumped in her room and laughed when he stumbled on his way in. "Wanna go to a party?" he joked.

Haley hit his arm lightly, "Luke"

"Na" he said, shaking his head. "I need your help." Seen her confused expression he elaborated more, "with Brooke."

Haley let out a sigh and smiled at him, "fine. Wait here, I'll get her."

He walked closer to her and hugged her, "thank you" he kissed her head.

Haley walked out of her room and quietly walked to the room Brooke was using. She knocked lightly and walked in. She saw her in the bed and looking at her. "You need to come to my room" she informed her, "ASAP."

"What?" Brooke asked, wondering what the girl was talking about.

Haley said nothing further, she knew that if she explained Brooke would eventually just not go. So, she walked back to her room and waited for Brooke to enter. She told Lucas to stay in the bathroom and waited for her friend.

"What is it?" Brooke said, walking in. She practically dropped the door with the way she had just opened it.

Haley stood up and pulled Brooke to the bed. "You stay here, if my mom or dad come just cover your head, they won't know the difference." She leaned down and kissed her cheek, "Love ya."

Brooke looked around and wondered why Haley had dragged her into her room. She stood up and walked over to the bathroom to splash some water on her face, maybe that would help with her little shock. As she walked in she saw him. There he was standing right in front of her and looking as good as always.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered.

Lucas walked over to her and hugged her leading her towards the bed, "I wanted to talk to you" he told her.

Brooke sat on the bed and watched him sit next to him. She looked at him and smiled, "what is it?"

He had been thinking about her a lot lately. About where they were and where they were going. "Brooke, I can't do this anymore." He told her.

"What do you mean?" Brooke couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Us, I can't… I don't want to wait anymore, Brooke. This games we're playing are getting old. I can't do this."

Her eyes started to water and she felt her heart breaking. She knew that it was a long shot to be back with him, but the way things where going she thought they were in a good place, on their way to being who they had once been.

"I love you" he admitted, "and I don't want to wait, Brooke. I want us to be together. I want us again."

She let out a small chuckle through her nervous sigh and smiled at him. "You do?"

He nodded vigorously, "yes, yes I do. What do you say, Brooke Davis… will you be my girlfriend?"

Brooke nodded and leaned closer to him placing a soft kiss on his lips. She pulled away and smiled at him, "yes, yes, yes, yes"

He felt like the happiest man on earth. He pulled her closer to him and let their lips collide. The fact that she was now his girlfriend made all the difference. They were now a happy couple and they were back together, the one thing they had both wanted for a long time, but neither had the guts to do so.

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After leaving her room Haley made her way to the room she had just gotten Brooke from. She stood outside the door with her hand on the handle and the other one ready to push it open. That's when she looked across the hall and saw the other door. She stared at the door and back to the one she was about to open, she turned the knob and began to push it open, but quickly closed it. Haley turned around and walked to the door across from it and took a deep breath before slowly and quietly opening it.

She stood by the door just looking at him. Sure they were only friends, well, friends that kissed anyways, but they still hadn't fixed everything that had happened between them. She wanted her body and mind to want to go to Brooke's room, but her heart led her to this room, the one she was standing in now.

He heard the door opening slowly and fluttered his eyes a bit. He turned to look at the door and saw her standing there. There wasn't much to see, but he knew who she was just by the height. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing that she still hadn't moved from the spot.

"Nothing" she exhaled. Haley shook her head and gave him a weak smile before walking towards the bed. She opened the bed on the other side and got in. Slowly moving closer to him Haley let her lips do the talking when they crashed with his and she let the passion take over her. "I miss you" she whispered, as she pulled away and quickly gave him a peck.

"I miss you, too" he told her, pulling her closer to him. He let her head rest on his chest and kissed the top of her head and whispered a soft, "I love you."

Haley rubbed small circles on his chest while she thought of how she was going to ask him the next question. She knew what she wanted to ask, and what she wanted to know, she just didn't know if she would like the answer.

He could fell her rubbing the circles on his chest and loved the way it felt, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she had something on her mind off him. He knew Haley all too well, and sometimes that wasn't a good thing.

She took a deep breath and decided to go for it, "do you really love me?" she asked, worried about the outcome of her question.

Nathan was a little shocked by her question. He had told her that he loved her, that he would be there for her and that someday they would be together again. Yet, she was laying in his arms asking him if he really meant it. "Yes, I do. Haley, I know we've had our ups and downs, but don't you ever forget that I love you."

"Why did you not fight for me?" she asked, wondering if he loved her the way he was telling her why he never made a move or an effort to get her back, or show interest.

Nathan knew that the question would someday pop, he just didn't expect it to be now when they were finally on their way to get to what they once were. He took a deep breath and rubbed her shoulder as he held her close. "I was hurt, Hales. You broke up with me over a phone call. I know I should had fight for you, but I was hurt and I didn't want to get hurt again. But seen you again… I guess, I will never get over it. You were the first girl I ever fell in love with, and you will always be the one that has my heart."

Haley smiled at his answer. She didn't expect him to tell her what he was saying. She looked up at his eyes, "I love you."

Nathan leaned down to her and gave her a quick kiss, "I love you, too."

"Would you go to my next appointment with me?"

He was taken back by her question. It's not that it freaked him out to go with her, but that she had asked the question so out of nowhere. "I'd love to go."

Haley smiled at him and snuggled closer to him. It had been a while since she had felt so happy, and she had felt so comfortable in a bed that was not her own. She took a deep breath and soon her breathing was even and she was gone.

He kissed the top of her head and stared up at the ceiling. His day had been one weird day, but just having her back made it all better. The fact that she was there with him and that she had confessed to love him made him want to never let her go. He was sure that this time he was going to make it work, and this time it would last forever.

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A/N- I'm so sorry it took so long, and I apologize for not sending out any previews of this story. I was going to but decided to post what I had so far. This is about one their of the chapter, from what I had on my notes. I will try and get it up as soon as possible and send out a BIG preview for the next one. Thanks to all those of you who reviewed.