Nathan stepped out of the shower wrapping a towel around his waist. He headed into the bedroom and smiled at the sight of his wife curled up under their blankets. Even though, they technically made up the night before, he still felt horrible and wanted to do something for her. He didn't know what he was going to do yet, but he was going to find the perfect way to make it up to her. He leaned forward on the bed and kissed her lightly on the forehead causing her to stirr awake slightly.
"Hey." She stammered out groggily.
"Hey, I didn't mean to wake you. I'm going to be leaving soon. Go ahead and go back to sleep." He said quietly. He kissed her lightly on the lips as she closed her eyes again falling asleep. He smiled one more time at the sight before standing off the bed to finish dressing. Once he was dressed, he headed downstairs to get his stuff together. He picked up his cell phone and noticed he had a new voicemail. He figured it was probably from whoever called while he and Haley were "making up". He dialed his access code and listened as he heard Rachel's voice.
"Hey, Nathan, it's Rachel. I was trying to get in touch with you all day. I'm in town for a few more days and wanted to maybe get together once again. I was thinking maybe I could come by your office tomorrow, and we could grab some lunch. Give me a call. Bye."
He deleted the message and hit the end button. He gathered his stuff together before leaving the house.
Haley awoke a couple hours later. Her stomach was upsetting her, so she headed to the kitchen for anything that might help her feel better. She opened the fridge and noticed a note from Nathan hanging on the door.
Hey, my beautiful wife,
I hope you got plenty of rest after last night. If you're feeling up to it, maybe you could come by the office today for lunch. My meeting finishes around eleven, and I am free anytime after that.
-Your sexy husband
Haley smiled as she read his note. She looked at the clock on the stove and saw it read nine o'clock. She quickly made a piece of toast before running back upstairs to take a shower.
"Hi, I'm here to see Nathan Scott." A girl stated causing Stephanie to look up from her desk.
"Okay, do you have an appointment?" She asked.
"Not really, but if you just tell him I'm here, I know he'll want to see me." The girl said sending her a fake smile. Stephanie looked at the girl skeptically. There was something about her she didn't trust. "Well, I'm sorry, but Mr. Scott is in a meeting right now. I guess you'll just have to make an appointment to see him next time. But if you want to leave me your name, I will be sure to pass it along to him once his meeting is complete." She said with her own fake smile.
"Well, how long until he's done with his meeting? I really don't mind waiting." The girl said.
"I'm not sure." Stephanie replied.
"Aren't you his assistant? Isn't it your job to know these kinds of things?" The girl said rudely. Before Stephanie could say anything in response, Nathan stepped out of the elevator. "Rachel?" He said noticing the red-head. Rachel sent a smug smile towards Stephanie before turning her attention to Nathan. "Hi, Nathan."
"Hi, Rachel. What are you doing here?" He asked.
"Didn't you get my message about coming for lunch? I thought we could catch up some more before I leave in a couple of days." She answered.
"I did get your message, but didn't you get my message? I sent you a text message saying that I couldn't do it today. I have other plans for lunch." He stated.
"Oh, I must not have received that. My darn phone has a mind of its own." She said. Stephanie rolled her eyes in the background. "That was a blatant lie. And ten bucks says Nathan falls for it." She mumbles to herself.
"Well, I'm sorry you came all the way down here for nothing." He says. Stephanie lets out a little chuckle. She looks up and notices the two of them staring at her. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just reading something funny. Don't mind me-carry on." She says and noticed Rachel rolling her eyes.
"Sorry, Rachel, but Haley's meeting me for lunch. She should be here soon." Nathan said.
"Nathan, you see Haley everyday. We haven't seen each other in a few years. Couldn't you just find the time before I go back to New York?" She asked.
"Why don't you come over to our house tonight for dinner. We can catch up then, and you could get to know Haley." He suggested.
"Sure." She agreed.
"Great. I'll see you then. Bye, Rachel." He said turning away and walking into his office. Rachel's eyes stayed glued on him until he was out of sight with a smirk. Stephanie couldn't help but roll her eyes yet again. 'Why are men so dumb?' She thought to herself. "I know what you're up to." She said causing Rachel to turn and look at her. "What are you talking about?" Rachel asked lamely.
"With Nathan. I know what you're up to. You're wasting your time-he's married. Meaning, he's off the market." Stephanie said.
"That's funny. Last time I talked to him, he claimed this marriage was fake. He said they only got married to gain ownership of the company. There was no love involved. So, in my opinion, he's still on the market." Rachel said.
"I don't know whether that's true or not, but let's say you're correct about the marriage being fake. That may have been true in the beginning but not anymore. Nathan loves Haley. And just to let you know, I've walked in on them many times having sex. Their marriage is anything but fake." Stephanie replied.
"Really? Well, Nathan was in love with me long before Haley came along. And guess what, we didn't just have sex all of the time. We made love, and it was amazing. I can definitely say we weren't faking anything." Rachel said smugly.
"You do know that Haley's pregnant right? What you're doing is wrong. Not only are you messing with a marriage, but you're messing with a family. Are you really so insecure that you'd go after a man who has a baby on the way? That's kind of pathetic." Stephanie replied.
"Oh, honey, I'm anything but insecure. Have you looked at me? I'm gorgeous, and I'm a model. Every guy wants and fantasizes about me. Nathan shouldn't be too difficult considering we already have a past with one another. I broke his heart, not the other way around. You and that wife of his may be insecure, but I can assure you that I'm not. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get ready for dinner with Nathan." Rachel said turning to walk away.
"Dinner with Nathan and Haley. This isn't some date." Stephanie called out and smirked when Rachel stopped for a moment before continuing on.
Haley arrived five minutes later. "Hey, Stephanie. Is Nathan in his office?" She asked.
"Yes, he is-waiting on you actually." Stephanie smiled warmly. Haley returned the smile and headed into the office. She walked in and saw a small little picnic set up on the floor. "Well, what do we have here?" She asked.
"I figured we could stay here. I ordered in from that Italian restaurant you love so much. That way, we're here all alone with no one around to distract us." Nathan answered walking to stand in front of her. She threw her arms around him kissing him chastely. "This is very sweet, Nathan. Thank you." She said.
"You're welcome. So, are you feeling up to eating right now? Or can you not handle it?" He asked leading her to the spot on the floor.
"I don't know, actually. I guess we'll find out in a moment. It smells really good, so that's a positive thing." She said as they sat down comfortably. "So, how was your meeting?" She asked once they started eating.
"Uneventful and boring." He said. "What about you? Have you been sick today at all?" He asked.
"Surprisingly, no. I think I might finally be getting over the sickness which is such a relief." She answered.
"Good, because I hate seeing you feeling so horrible. I wish I could go through it for you." He stated.
"Me, too." She agreed as they both laughed. They continued talking while finishing eating. They cleaned up the mess before settling on the couch in his office. "So, I was thinking you should go ahead and come home with me now. We can cuddle up in the living room and watch some movies. And then, we can go upstairs to our bedroom and have lots and lots of sex." Haley said while laying kisses along his neck.
"Oh, is my girl feeling frisky?" Nathan asked.
"Crazy frisky." She whispered into his ear.
"That sounds like a plan, but we do have to adjust those plans just a little bit." He said.
"Oh yeah, how?" She asked still kissing his neck.
"Well, Rachel's coming over for dinner." He revealed and instantly felt her pull away. He opened his eyes and found her staring at him. "What?" He asked.
"Rachel's coming over for dinner tonight-at our house." She said incredulously.
"Yeah." He said.
"When did you talk to her?" She asked.
"She came by the office today. She wanted to have lunch, but I told her I had other plans. So, I asked her to come over for dinner instead. Is that a problem?" He asked noticing her less than thrilled facial expressions.
"So, you want me to have dinner with the woman you ditched me for who just so happens to be your ex-girlfriend." She said.
"Umm, yeah." He said cautiously. He watched as she immediately stood up from the couch gathering her stuff. He was quick to follow her off the couch. "Haley, does this bother you? I honestly didn't think it was a big deal." He said.
"It's not." She said searching for her keys.
"I can call Rachel and tell her not to come if it upsets you this much." He said.
"No, it's fine." She said unconvincingly.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Yup. I'm just gonna get going." She stated.
"If you wait a few minutes, I'll come with you." He said.
"No, don't worry about it. I'll just see you tonight." She said quickly kissing him on the cheek before rushing out of the office. Nathan watched her run away and sighed.
Haley sat in the recliner in the family room listening to Nathan and Rachel reminisce about their past together. All through dinner, she was forced to listen as Rachel told story after story about their relationship. It was enough to make her want to puke-at least she had an excuse to do so. In all honesty, she might as well not even be present. Nathan and Rachel were so focused on each other, they failed to basically acknowlege her existance. She sat there as the two had an open bottle of wine, and she wanted nothing more than to yank the glasses out of their hands and chug them herself. She watched as Rachel said something causing Nathan to laugh. And, then, she watched as Rachel placed her hand over Nathan's hand in an intimate fashion. Yup, that alcohol could come in really handy right now. What is it about this girl that makes Nathan forget about anything and everything else in the world? She decided she didn't have the energy to sit here and witness the scene any longer. She stood up and headed towards the door. "Where are you going?" Nathan's voice sounded haulting her movements. "I'm going to bed. I'm not feeling very well." She responded and heard his footsteps approaching her.
"Are you okay?" He asked standing in front of her.
"I'm fine. I'm just tired. Go ahead and go back to Rachel." She said stepping around him and walking up to their bedroom. She dug through some drawers finding some pajamas and headed into the bathroom for a shower. She took about a fifteen minute shower before stepping out and getting dressed. She brushed her teeth and then climbed into the bed. She sighed realizing Nathan probably wouldn't be coming up anytime soon. She placed her hands on her stomach and softly rubbed it. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Mommy's just a big dummy for ever believing daddy would love her back the same way she loves him. But don't worry, we will both be here for you-all the time no matter what. You were the one right thing to come out of this marriage. We both love you so much." She stated as soft tears rolled down her cheeks.
Haley awoke to an empty bed. She climbed out of the bed and headed downstairs. She noticed Nathan in the kitchen making some coffee. "Hey." She greeted quietly.
"Hey. You're up early." He stated.
"So are you? What time are you going into work today?" She asked.
"Actually, I'm not going in today." He stated.
"Really?" She asked excited.
"Yeah, I'm going to a Bobcats game in Charolette with Rachel." He revealed. Haley felt as if someone stabbed her heart. Ever since the night before, she realized this marriage meant nothing more than gaining ownership of the company for Nathan. She was realizing she had to push her feelings for him away before she got her heart completely broken. "Sounds like fun." She said.
"Yeah, I love the Bobcats. They're my favorite basketball team. Rachel and I used to always go to the games. Awhile after you went to bed last night, she showed me the two tickets she had. I'm excited. I haven't been to a basketball game in so long." He explained.
"I'm sure you'll have a great time with Rachel." She said.
"What about you? What are your plans for the day?" He asked.
"Oh you know, sit around here-doing nothing but throwing up over and over again. My days are action packed full of excitement." She deadpanned.
"That sounds nice. I have to go get ready. I have to pick Rachel up in a couple of hours." He said rushing out of the room leaving Haley all alone again. Feeling exhausted, she headed back upstairs. She heard the shower running and climbed back into the bed falling asleep quickly.
"Tell me again why I'm stuck doing this." Lucas stated putting the crib together. Haley stopped painting and looked over to where he was sitting on the floor. She chuckled when she noticed screws and bolts all over the place. "Because, you are my best friend, Lucas Eugene Scott. I needed your help. And because you love me so much, you did the right thing and agreed to helping me." She answered.
"And why isn't Nathan doing this? It is his baby." He said.
"Because Nathan is out with Rachel." She said going back to painting.
"Again? I thought Rachel was going back to New York last week." He said.
"She was. But she decided to stay a few more months." She answered.
"Months? I wonder what's keeping her in Tree Hill." He stated.
"My husband." She mumbled inaudibly. Ever since Nathan and Rachel went to that Bobcats game the previous week, they have basically been inseperable. Nathan wasn't neglecting her or anything. He still attended her scheduled doctor's appointment with her and went shopping for the nursery and stuff. But that's all it was-it was completly about the baby and the baby only. She knew he only cared about the baby-not her. She was feeling so stupid for letting her feelings get the best of her. She should have known that Nathan would never love her. He's never been attracted to her or interested in her in any way other than family/sort of friends. Why would he be? Why would he want a girl like her when he had a girl like Rachel. She was gorgeous. She was a model. And she was his first love. A guy like Nathan doesn't fall in love easily. He's probably never gotten over her and probably never will.
"So, have the two of you picked out any names yet? You're due in about three months." Lucas asked.
"Yeah, we've talked about it a little. I have my heart set on a name. I just haven't asked Nathan if he likes it or not." She answered.
"Well, personally, I think the mother should make the final decision. Let's face it, she's the one doing all of the hard work. It should be her choice." He said sweetly.
"Brooke sure is one lucky girl, Lucas Scott. You are such an amazing guy. There should be more guys out there in this world like you." She stated as tears fell from her eyes.
"Are you okay, Hales? What's wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?" He asked concerned.
"No, I'm fine. The baby's fine. I'm sorry, I'm just really emotional right now." She said.
"Nathan said you've been feeling better. He said you haven't been throwing up lately." He said changing the subject.
"I lied." She stated as he looked at her confused. "I lied about not being sick. I'm still feeling sick-all the time. I hate it, and I'm so miserable right now. Everything I eat, I throw up. I feel so exhausted all day. Some days, I just don't want to get out of bed. Nathan doesn't know. He's been so busy with work and...and with other things. I hide it very well from him." She admitted.
"I'm sorry, Hales. You should talk to Nathan about how you're feeling." He said.
"Why? It's not like he can do anything about it. He can't make it go away." She said.
"No, but he can be here for you. He can take care of you while you're sick." He said.
"He's gotta take care of the company. I can't do it right now. It's up to him." She said.
"You're more important than the company. You and the baby will always be more than the company. He's the father. And he's your husband. He should be there. I think you should tell him what's been going on." He suggested as she nodded. They spent the next couple of hours finishing the nursary. She wasn't due for a few more months, but she wanted everything to be done and ready for when the baby arrives. She didn't want the stress of last minute things. She smiled as she looked around the completed room. She felt the tears forming in her eyes. She was so excited. She always wanted to have kids but never expected it to be this soon. When she first found out she was pregnant, she felt scared and nervous. Now, she felt nothing but happiness and excitement. She was still a little nervous about being a mother, but she was ready.
Haley was laying in bed feeling extremely nautious. It's been about a month since she and Lucas finished the nursery. Rachel was still in town. And Nathan was still spending a lot of his free time with her. She couldn't help but feel that he was cheating on her with Rachel. She didn't have any proof or anything. And he was home every night. But sometimes, she would go to the office and see them together. She obviously never caught them doing anything. There was just something about the way she witnessed them together that made her suspect it. A few days after completing the nursery, she moved all of Nathan's stuff back to the guest bedroom. She realized that having sex with him and simply sleeping next to him at night wasn't helping her get over him. She needed to get over him. She was tired of feeling the way she's been feeling. He questioned her and tried to fight her at first, but she was adament. He reluctantly moved back to the guest bedroom, and they haven't had sex or even kissed since that night. That was another reason she thought he was cheating on her. He's a guy, and he isn't getting it at home. He's going to go to the next resort. And Rachel was definitely very willing. She made that very clear. Haley wasn't stupid. She knew what Rachel was after, but she wasn't going to fight her. She wasn't willing to fight for Nathan. Not when he wasn't willing to fight for her.
"Haley, what are you still doing in bed? We have that charity event at seven o'clock. It's five-thirty." Nathan said coming into the bedroom.
"I'm not going. I'm not feeling very well." She answered.
"You're never feeling well. What's so different about today?" He asked.
"Nathan, I don't think I can handle it. I feel as if I'm going to pass out if I stand for too long." She explained.
"Then sit down the whole time. We have to go." He stated.
"Go without me. I'm sure everyone will survive if I'm not there." She retorted.
"You're coming, Haley. This is your company as much as it is mine. We both have to go. This is very important. There are going to be a bunch of new potential clients and advertisors. You haven't exactly been an active part of the company the passed few months. The least you could do is attend this charity event. Show people you still care." He said.
"Well, excuse me for being pregnant and feeling sick all the time. Don't you dare get smug with me-not when you're the one who knocked me up." She said angrily.
"Highlight of my life." He said sarcastically as she glared at him. "Now, I don't care what you have to do, but you better be ready in an hour. You're going to that charity event." He declared walking out of the room. Haley reluctantly got out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. Once she was in the shower, she sunk to the floor and cried.
The charity event was going off without a hitch. People were drinking, eating, and dancing. Everyone was having a wonderful time-everyone but Haley. She kept to herself the whole night. She already had to excuse herself five times to go to the bathroom to throw up. She was miserable. She was exhausted and feeling hot and sweating. She had effectively been ignoring Nathan since their arguement in the bedroom. Once they arrived at the event, they went their separate ways. She hadn't seen him all night except from afar.
Nathan looked around for Haley. He knew she was pissed at him, but he was starting to worry about her. She has been avoiding him all night. The last time he saw her, he did notice that she looked a little pale. He tried approaching her, but once she saw him she took off in the opposite direction. He was currently talking with a couple other company presidents when he spotted her once again. He saw her standing talking with some other woman. He could tell that she was insanely bored. He turned his attention back to the two guys. They talked for a couple more minutes before they heard a glass crashing and a string of gasps. He looked over to the commotion and felt as if his whole world stopped. He saw Haley lying on the floor passed out with her shattered glass next to her. He immediately ran over to where she was laying and knelt down beside her swooping her into his arms. "Haley! Haley, wake up!" He cried in a panic. The people surrounding him became a blur. He briefly heard someone shouting to call an ambulance, but he was in his own little world. "Haley, you've gotta wake up. Come on, baby, wake up!" He said resting his forehead against hers.
There you go. Sorry, I didn't put this up sooner. We're having really horrible weather where I live, and I got stuck at work. And then when I finally got home, two of my neighbors got stuck behind my driveway, and I was helping them get out. Anyway, I'm hoping I get called off at work tomorrow and can try to get another chapter up for you guys. So, thanks again for your reviews. Again, you guys rock! So, read and let me know what you think. If any of you are having really bad weather as well, stay safe and be careful out there. Until next time.