Hi guys! Here's the latest chappy for this story. I'm really sorry for stringing you guys along but I can promise that you're gonna know Haley's secret soon. I know you guys are looking forward to the Naley date, so here it is. Let me know what you guys think and thanks for the reviews. Keep em coming ;) Cheers!

Chapter 11

Nathan stood outside her door with a bunch of lilies in his hands. He took a deep breath and counted to ten before ringing the doorbell. He waited nervously, his anxiety getting the better of him when there was no answer. The first thought that came to his mind was that Haley had bailed out of their date. He rang it again and tapped his feet impatiently. Finally the door creaked open. He was hoping to see Haley all ready for their date when Brooke poked her head through the door. She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"Wow, you're on time. For once. And you look spiffy, it's weird," Brooke said as she gave her brother-in-law the once over. It wasn't often that Nathan dressed himself up in a shirt and tie. He was more of a polo t-shirt and shorts kind of guy.

"Brooke!" Nathan hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. "Why is it that everytime I plan to take Haley out on a date, there you are?"

"Hey Brooke, is loverboy here yet?" Peyton yelled. "I thought I heard the door bell ring."

Nathan slapped his forehead. "Sawyer's here too? Great. Is Jake here too? And Lucas?"

Brooke grabbed his tie and dragged him in. "Sorry to disappoint you Nate. It's just me and Peyton. Come on in, she's almost ready."

Nathan slapped her hand away and straightened his tie. "Stop that! It took a long time for me to get this damn tie right, and you're ruining it." It was Peyton's turn to inspect him.

"Huh, funny. All that time wasted. The tie looks horrible. Here, let me give you a hand," Peyton said before Nathan could even muster a reply. "How are you feeling?" Peyton asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, I'm quite nervous," he huffed angrily at the intrusion. "What the hell are you two doing here anyway?"

Peyton pulled the tie in a neat knot and smoothed it down and after having satisfied herself that it looked just right, pushed him away. "We found out that you guys are going out on a date, so me and Brooke decided to help Haley get ready."

"Why am I not surprised?" Nathan muttered.

"Trust me, you're gonna like it. Oooohhh lilies. Nice work Nate. Hey, how come you never gave me flowers when we were dating?" Peyton said.

"Sorry, I couldn't find black roses anywhere," Nathan said sarcastically, referring to Peyton's inclination towards all things dark and moody when they were in high school.

"Where are you guys going tonight?" Brooke asked and sat down, amused at seeing an obviously nervous Nathan.

"Yeah, like hell I'm gonna tell you. Will you two leave already? Oh God, I think I'm getting a headache." He sank himself on the couch and rubbed his temple, the bunch of lilies still clutched in his hand.

Peyton couldn't help but laugh at him. She was starting to enjoy torturing him. "Calm down will you?" she said and sat next to him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "It's about time you and Haley go out on a date. It took you long enough. So you really like her, huh?"

Nathan smiled for the first time that night. Maybe it was the relationship they had in school, but he could always talk freely with Peyton. "Yeah, I do. I know I don't know her well enough, but she's different."

Peyton nodded in agreement. "Yeah she is." She looked around and noticed that Brooke had disappeared, probably to help Haley. "She's been through a lot and I think that it's taken her a lot of courage to go out with you tonight." She turned to face Nathan. "Nate, I've known since forever and you're a wonderful guy. Just handle her with care okay? She's pretty fragile."

Nathan looked at her curiously and was about to ask her what she meant when he heard the voice he had been wanting to hear all night.

"Hi, sorry I'm late. I didn't know that you were gonna be so punctual," Haley said shyly. She still wasn't sure about the dress that Brooke had given her. She thought that it would be too much for a first date.

Nathan stood speechless as if rooted to the ground as he looked at her. Beautiful could not even begin to describe her. He felt a nudge on his waist and turned to see Peyton grinning. "Say something, you idiot," she said in a low voice.

"You look beautiful," he managed to croak. He went up to her and gave her the lilies, which she took with a smile.

"Thank you. I love lilies. I'll just put this in water and then we can go," she said and started to find something to put the flowers in as Nathan continued to watch her.

Brooke swooped in and took the lilies from Haley's hand. "Let me take care of that. You guys go already." She couldn't help being happy for the two of them. She just hoped that tonight would be perfect for them both. God knows they both deserved it.

Haley looked at her and Peyton gratefully. "Thanks guys." She then turned to Nathan. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah," Nathan said. For a moment he forgot that Brooke and Peyton were there. He took the shawl that Peyton was holding and draped it over Haley's shoulders, feeling his fingers tingle as they made contact with her smooth skin.

They made their way to the door and was about to get out when Peyton yelled. "You're welcome Nate! And have her back by twelve! Have fun kids!"

Nathan turned and glared at her, which only resulted in Brooke and Peyton giggling uncontrollably.

"I'm really sorry," Haley said, her cheeks crimson with embarrassment. "They insisted on coming over. I was no match for the terrible twos." Nathan took her hand in his and led her to his car.

"It's alright. I've known them since we were kids. I know what they're like." He opened the door and she climbed in, thinking it had been a long time since she was treated like this.

He turned on the engine and was about to drive when he heard her say, "you look nice."

He smiled although his heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest. "Thanks."

"Where are we going?" she asked as he started to drive away.

He gave her a mysterious smile and winked. "It's a surprise, but I promise it's no hot dog stand this time," he said, referring to their night at the dock before keeping his eyes on the road.

It turned out that his surprise was an Italian restaurant, not very far from the dock. She had seen it before but had never been brave enough to step in the doors, thinking that it looked to posh and expensive for her. For once she was glad that she had put on Brooke's dress. The waiter took them to their table, which Nathan had reserved earlier. From the moment they stepped out of the car, their hands were linked together and much to Nathan's delight, she didn't protest.

"Nathan, you shouldn't have done this. This is too much," she said as soon as they were seated.

He frowned, thinking that she preferred to go somewhere else. "Don't you like it?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "No, I love it. Thank you so much. It's just that I'm not really used to all this."

Nathan grinned at her. "Well, you'd better get used to it," he said.

The waiter handed them their menu and Haley swore she felt her head spin looking at the selection of food, not to mention the prices. Nathan could see that she was struggling to decide.

"I've always liked the Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo," he said helpfully.

She felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. "Okay, I think I'll have that."

Nathan smiled and turned to the waiter. "And I'll have the Steak Toscano and a bottle of Cabernet," he said and returned the menu to the waiter.

"Excellent choice," the waiter said and left.

"So, do you come here often?" Haley asked and looked around. She truly felt like a fish out of water here.

Nathan notice her uneasiness. "No, not really. Only on special occasions. To be honest, this is not really my scene. Give me a hot dog cart and a bottle of beer anytime and I'm happy," he said grinning.

She felt her uneasiness ebb away. They stared at each other, both thinking of things to say. This was new territory for the both of them. their previous flirtations had always been casual but this was different.

"You really look beautiful Haley," Nathan said softly. At times he felt that she didn't even realize how incredible she looked, and how the sight of her could make his heart flutter. Her crimson blush had turned bright red at this time as she took in his compliment. They made small talks while waiting for their food. Nathan was glad that Haley seemed to enjoy her food. Rachel was always picky about her food and was obsessed with her figure which used to drive him crazy.

"How's the food?" Nathan asked as he took a bite of his.

"It's really good," she said and she meant it.

He cut a small piece of his steak and reached across the table for her. "Here, try this. I think you'll like it." Haley looked at him, unsure of the intimacy of the moment. He noticed her hesitation and said, "go on, it won't bite." She leaned forward and took a bite as he fed her. Many times that night she felt like getting up and leave. She still feared the things that he made her feel. She feared that if it went far enough, there was no way she could turn back.

Thankfully, the dinner was finally over and they got up to leave. She welcome the breeze that greeted her the moment she stepped out of the restaurant. She pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders, shivering at the cold.

"Cold?" he asked as they were walking.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for the dinner. It was lovely," she said and they walked silently.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was lovely. So lovely that you looked like you were about to bolt out of the place half of the time," he pointed out. "You didn't like it?"

"I did. I promise. It's just that I'm not used to all this," she explained.

Nathan looked at her, her face beautifully illuminated by the moonlight. "Not used to fancy restaurants, or not used to being treated like this," he said, trying to pick her brain.

She was surprised at the question. She was thinking of the ways to answer him when she heard the squeals of children's laughter nearby. "Did you hear that?" she asked him. "I wonder what' going on at the dock. Seems like there's a carnival or something."

He turned to her and smiled, the question now forgotten. "Do you wanna check it out?" he asked.

"In this?" she asked, referring to her dress. "I don't think so," she said with a laugh.

He took her hand and pulled her along. "Oh come on. It'll be fun." True enough, there was a carnival at the dock. She couldn't believe she didn't notice it before. Nathan stole a glance at her and saw her face radiant with a childlike glee.

"Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back," he said with a smile.

"Where are you going?" she asked but he just left her standing among the sea of strangers. A few minutes later, he returned with cotton candy in his hand.

He handed it to her and said, "we didn't have dessert back at the restaurant. I know this is a poor substitute-"

"It's perfect," she said, cutting him off. They shared the cotton candy and walked around the grounds, enjoying the atmosphere. "How are you at those throwing rings kinda things?" she said indicating the sidestalls.

"You mean the hoopla?" he said. "I rock at those. Come on, what do you want? A giant panda? A huge teddy bear? Just name it, and I'll get it for you," he said confidently.

"Cocky much?" she asked with raised eyebrows as they walked towards the stall.

"Watch and learn," he said and paid the attendant before taking the hoops. He threw one hoop lazily and when it didn't hit its mark, he could hear Haley squealing with laughter in the background. He tried not to pay attention to it and threw another one with the same result. He was starting to get annoyed when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Mind if I try?" Haley asked, smiling. She handed him the cotton candy she was holding and took the last hoop from his hand before he could protest.

"Those damn poles are crooked," he muttered angrily.

Haley raised an eyebrow and said, "yeah, I'm sure they are." She then took of her heels and hiked up her skirt before taking her position. She aimed carefully and bit her lip in concentration before throwing the hoop, which landed perfectly around the pole. She jumped happily and laughed as she took in Nathan's reaction, his mouth in a perfect "O" as he saw her make the perfect shot.

"So, which one do you want? A giant panda? A huge teddy bear?" she asked, mimicking his earlier questions.

He still looked at her in surprise. "How did you do that?" he spluttered as he watched her pick a small basketball from the attendant as the prize.

"I used to go to carnivals a lot when I was a kid." She gave the basketball to him and grinned, "here, this is for you. Don't say I never gave you anything," she said mischievously as she slipped her heels back on. He loved watching her like this, her face glowing with happiness. Something she didn't show very often.

"You look different," he said, voicing his thoughts aloud.

She picked at their half eaten cotton candy and licked her fingers. "Oh yeah?"

He stopped in his track and took her hand. "Happy," he stated simply. She kept quiet at the statement. "Hey, you've got sugar on your face," he said and gently touched her cheek. She thought that he would just wipe it away and was surprised when he kissed the spot, his tongue gently licking the sugary remains of the candy. She could feel his breath on his face and felt her own breath stuck in her throat. He lifted his face and they looked at each other. She knew instinctively what was going to happen next, her heart torn between letting it happen or to step away. She didn't have time to think when she felt his lips on hers, kissing her tenderly. She felt him nibble her lower lip, probing it gently. As if on autopilot, she parted her lips making him moan in appreciation. She moaned helplessly against his lips and felt him smile against hers. He didn't care that they were in the middle of a carnival. All he cared about was that he had her in his arms. His other arm dropped lower on her body, pulling her more firmly against him as he deepened the kiss, finally allowing their tongues to meet.

"God Haley, you drive me crazy you know that," his voice came in a hoarse whisper against her lips. She shuddered at his touch and felt heat radiating through her body. He pulled away slowly. "You are so unbelievably beautiful," he whispered, the tone of his voice sending yet another tremor up her spine.

"I think we have an audience," Haley said as she pulled away and looked around at the snickering people walking by them. "We should go," she said quietly, her lips felt bruised and burning from their kiss.

They walked hand in hand along the docks and watched the boats bobbing up and down in the water. Nathan threw his basketball up in the air and caught it lazily. He felt more relaxed than he had been in a long time. He looked over at Haley who was leaning over the railings and noticed that she had been quiet for a while.

"Hey, where's your head at?" he asked softly and propped his arm on the railing to face her.

"Everywhere," she answered.

He brushed away some strands of hair from her face and tucked them behind her ears. "Oh yeah? Name a place," he said.

She continued to stare at the water and felt a calmness wash over her. "I was thinking of the last time I was happy," she said. Nathan immediately frowned. His first thought was that she was thinking about her time with Steve, and he immediately felt a pang of jealousy. "It was when I found out that I was pregnant," she said surprising him.

"You were what?" he stammered. The thought of her making love to Steve was enough to drive him crazy and now she was telling him that she was once pregnant with Steve's child.

"I got pregnant a few months after me and Steve were married," she said, smiling at the memory. She remembered vividly the day she found out she was pregnant, the joy she felt which had surpassed all her sadness at that moment. She looked at him and saw the shock on his face and knew what he was thinking. "I lost it when I was two months along," she said, answering the question that was buzzing in his head.

"Oh Haley, I'm so sorry," he said, meaning every word.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. At least I knew what it felt like to be truly happy, even if it was only for a while," she said as her hand instinctively fell to her stomach, as she remembered the first stirring of another life inside of her.

"What about Steve? Were you not happy with him?" he asked.

She moved away from the railing and turned her back on him. "I was in the beginning," she said evasively. She felt his hand on her arm as he turned her around to face him.

"Talk to me Hales," he said. He immediately knew that this was why she was afraid of letting anybody in her heart. "You can trust me," he said.

"Can I?" she asked and he saw the fear returning in her eyes. "Coz the last person I trusted hurt me, more than you know."

He took both her arms and held her at arm's length. He looked into her eyes, searching for answers but all he could see was sadness. "Haley, what are you talking about? Peyton mentioned something about you being fragile. What did she mean?" he asked.

A/N: Sorry to leave this hanging guys ;)