Chapter 9:

Nathan woke up first the next morning with Haley in his arms he couldn't remember being happier. Then something hit him they never talked about what they were? What if Haley regretted what happened? He needed to get out of there and clear his head and to him the best place to do that was the basketball court.

Haley woke up an hour later feeling emptiness on the other side of the bed. Where had Nathan gone? She started having the same worries that he had merely an hour ago.

"Hey Hales!" Brooke said entering the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Ehh like there is an elephant sitting on my head…I can't believe how much I drank!" Haley said sadly

"Are you okay?" Brooke asked looking concerned she knew there was more wrong with Haley than a hangover, she knew her too well.

"Not really…well I don't know…my night went from shitty…to amazing…to know I don't know what the hell to think." She said sighing

"Woah okay slow down and explain to me what happened exactly.." Brooke said wanting details

"Okay but for now can you ..keep it to yourself" Haley said already knowing she could trust her.

"Of course" Brooke said.

"Felix kissed me…"Before she could finish Brooke cut her off

"WHAT?!" She yelled

"Brooke! You need to let me explain the whole story don't interrupt.."Brooke nodded "Okay well first he told her that he wanted to be with me and months ago he messed up" Brooke's eyes widened. "Then he kissed me…I did NOT kiss him back…I pushed him away! I told him he what we had was months ago and I couldn't do that to Rachel! I tried to apologize for hurting him but he didn't want to hear it he looked so upset. He got mad and then I did and said some stuff….one thing being I had feelings for someone else…" Haley finished looking down.

"Oh man this is big!" Brooke said not knowing exactly what to say anymore then something dawned on her-"What who do you like?!"

"Nathan.." She mumbled causing to Brooke to squeal and jump up and down

"I KNEW IT!" She yelled

Haley just ignored her and continued "And that leads me to my other problem he came and slept in here. He asked me who I drank for at Theresa's I never thing and I told him it was him. Then he said he overheard my conversation with Felix and I told him about it. We kissed a couple of times and I thought it was good but when I woke up this morning he was gone I don't know if last night meant anything to him.." She said with tears now brimming in her eyes

"Aww Hales I'm sure it's nothing maybe he just had to go..talk to him.." Brooke said trying to comfort her friend

"I'll try..thanks"

"What are friends for! Now get you ass out of bed we are going on the boat!" Brooke added with a laugh.

It was now about ten o'clock at night and everyone was down at the campground arcade playing pool, except Nathan. Haley hadn't seen him all day. He had told his sister and his cousin that he was going to play basketball hours ago. Haley was beginning to get worried that he was avoiding her but she just tried to ignore it and have fun with her friends.

Haley was now playing a pool game against Jake.

"This is so not fair I am losing!" Haley pouted

"Admit it Haley you have never been good at pool." Jake laughed

"That's not true! Brooke am I bad a pool?" Brooke merely looked at Haley and started laughing

"Haley did you really even have to ask that!" Chase joked joining Brooke in her laughter

"AHA I win!!" Jake yelled

"Aren't you just awesome!" Haley stated sarcastically. Haley wasn't in the mood to hang out with anyone all she could think about was Nathan. "Guys I am going to run back to my site to go the bathroom."

"Do you want me to go with you?"Jake asked not wanting her to go alone

"No its fine I will be back soon!" Haley said walking out of the arcade. Just as Haley had reached the beach she felt a hand grab her arm. "What the heck?"

"You didn't think I was going to give up that easy did you baby?" Damien said pulling Haley to him

"What do you want Damien?" Just looking at him made Haley want to scream. Why had she even gone out with him in the first place she didn't know.

"Isn't that obvious…you" Damien said wrapping his arms around her waist. Neither one of them noticed Nathan slowly approaching listening to their conversation. "I am still in love with you! "

"I thought I made it clear to you a year ago when I broke up with you I don't want to be with you. I was only fooling myself by thinking I was in love with you. You were a completely different person than I 

thought you were. And plus why would I go back to you when you treated me like shit most of the time and CHEATED ON ME!" Haley said beginning to yell pushing him away.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Damien yelled. Haley had only found out about the cheating after they had broken up but never confronted him about it.

"Yeah I know!" Haley revealed

"Where did you hear that?! And what makes you think it's true!" Damien yelling becoming pissed

" Oh I know it's true! See about a month after we broke up I got in a fight with Heidi and your best friend Zach got involved. He decided to throw that nice little fact in my face! It actually made everything make sense, like the constant lies I would catch you in that you never seemed to explain. I am glad I know the truth and was smart enough to break up with you! I HATE YOU! NOW TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF ME!" Haley screamed

"Come on baby you know you don't mean that…you missed me and it's not over between us! None of the other girls meant anything to me." Damien said pulling her towards him again, he held Haley's hands as she tried to push away he crashed him lips into hers. She immediately slapped him tears pouring down her cheeks and Nathan came into view.

"Let her go" Nathan yelled

"Aw is this the new guy" Damien said in a mocking tone

"That's none of you business now stay away from Haley!" Nathan shouted shoving him hard in the chest, beginning to clench his fists.

"Nathan he's not even worth it!" Haley said putting her hands on Nathans chest trying to calm him.

Damien laughed turning away but then turned back quickly and he said "Dude don't waste your time with that one, she won't put out anyway!" He said with a smirk knowing he had gotten to Haley. If he couldn't get her back why should anyone, he thought. Nathan was about to step in ready to hit him but Haley wound up first and slapped him as hard as she possibly could in the face. Damien grabbed his cheek that was now extremely red. After that he quickly made his exit. Nathan immediately wrapped his arms around Haley as she sobbed into his chest.

"Are you okay?" He asked whipping tears from her cheeks.

"I am so stupid" Haley mumbled as she took a seat on the beach "I deserve a big fat I told you so..go ahead say it!" Haley said sadly remembering what happened the summer she was dating Damien.

Flashback:

"Haley James! Who is this Damien boy you are dating?" Lydia screamed

"I don't know just a boy" Haley said knowing her mother would never approve of him. She honestly didn't know why she was still going out with him. When she first met him he always seemed so sweet and his best friend was dating hers so they saw each other a lot. Haley quickly realized that he wasn't who she thought he was but she stayed with him.

"I don't want you seeing him!" Her mother said sternly

"What!? Mom you don't even know him!" Haley yelled

"I've heard he's not a good guy and he doesn't treat you right!" Her mother yelled back

"WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT? And don't tell me you can't tell me I want to know now!" Haley was pissed

"Nathan, honey, he's worried about you! He doesn't think he's a good enough guy for you and doesn't think you should date him. He is only trying to be a good friend!" Lydia said calming down

"Well maybe he needs to mind his own business!" Haley said storming out of the trailer

She walked down the street immediately finding Nathan. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Haley yelled

"Excuse me?" Nathan said confused

"You talked to my mother! MY mother! You told her my boyfriend was a bad guy and I shouldn't date him! Why the hell would you do that or care what I do with MY LIFE!" Haley was pissed she had like Nathan as long as she could remember and he never seemed to care about her and the second she gets a boyfriend he seems to care. And tries to talk to her mother about it!

"Damien is a bad guy, Haley. I have heard stories you deserve so much better! Not that you care what I think. And I had to tell you mother because I knew you wouldn't listen to me!" Nathan yelled back he didn't know why he had told her mom, he didn't know what else to do but he didn't want Haley dating Damien.

"Well you won't know now will you!" She said storming off

End of Flashback

"You're not stupid" Nathan said looking at Haley.

"Yes I am everyone knew Damien was a bad guy! You were right that year!" Nathans eyes widened "I knew it then I was just to mad to admit it…I went home and broke up with him after that fight with you" Haley admitted

"You what?" Nathan was shocked

"What you thought mattered to me then more than you know! So I broke up with him…" Nathan looked shocked. Nathan knew he had to say something.

"You deserved better than him!" Nathan said

"Thanks" Haley muttered

"Plus I was jealous!" Nathan admitted with his infamous smirk. Haley's head immediately shot up to look at him.

"What? Why?" Haley said extremely surprised

"Well the truth is I always had a think for you I just didn't think you felt the same. And last year when I found out you had a boyfriend I was mad I didn't say anything. Then when I found out what I jerk he was a had to do something I didn't think you would listen to me but I knew you were going to get hurt so I did the only thing I could think of, go to your mom. I am sorry for that."Nathan said nervously. Haley was shocked by his confession. She slowly leaned in and gave him a soft kiss shocking Nathan at first but then he immediately responded to it. As they pulled away Nathan spoke.

"Can I ask you something?" Nathan said looking at her

"Um sure" she answered warily unsure of what he was going to ask.

"Did he ever physically hurt you?" Haley eyes widened "Well I saw him grab you back there and heard everything.."

"Umm…he's grabbed me and shoved me before but I never let it get any further. I didn't make a big deal about it because I thought it was my fault…"She said softly looking down.

"He's a jerk! It's not your fault if I knew where he was I'd kill him!" Haley just gave him a small smile "And he's an idiot for cheating on you!" A small smile crept across her face but slowly faded.

"Heidi knew.." She mumbled softly

"WHAT?"

"She knew he was cheating on me but her boyfriend told her not to tell me..so she didn't" a tear slowly trickled down Haley's cheek "I think that's the part that hurt the most." Nathan wiped the tears off of her cheek with the pad of his thumb but they didn't stop coming.

This was the first time other than the boat she was really talking about Heidi.

"She obviously isn't worth your friendship" Nathan stated sympathetically

"I just don't understand" She sobbed finally breaking down over everything "How can you treat someone you called you best friend for ten years like that I just- I just- don't get it" at this point she was sobbing uncontrollably "Am I – am I – really that bad of a- of a friend?" Haley managed to stutter out.

"No Hales she is! You are an amazing person. And even though we aren't super close I can see that you're an amazing friend too." Nathan said pulling her into his chest.

"Thank you.." She mumbled into his chest.

"For what?" Nathan asked

"For helping me with Damien..and listening to me." She said softly

"You know you can talk to me whenever you need right?" Haley simply nodded and looked down. Nathan then put his index finger under her chin and slowly lifted her head up. At that instant their eyes locked and he slowly leaned in for a mind blowing kiss. They felt as if the world had faded around them.