Hey everyone. So I am so sorry for the long wait for this chapter but I think you'll all be happy with it ;) Thank you so much for the reviews, I love hearing what your thoughts are. Now enjoy :)

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Chapter Eleven: Whisper Sweet Nothings In My Ear

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"So, emm, how's Haley doing?" Peyton asked, before she took a bite out of her cheese sandwich.

"Not good." Lucas spoke, swallowing the bite he just took. "She hasn't left Nathan's side, and it's been about two weeks."

"Any change?"

Lucas shook his head, "No." With a sigh.

"Your shoulder hurting?" She asked when he winced slightly.

"Like a bitch." He chuckled. "What're you doing?" He asked as she stood up and walked to his side of the table.

"Shush." Peyton told him before lightly massaging the sore muscle. "Better?"

Lucas sighed in appreciation, "definitely." He turned his head and it was then he noticed how close they were and he gulped. He could smell the lavender from her shampoo, and the perfume she was wearing and it was making his head spin.

Peyton cleared her throat as she felt her heart rate speed up, "So what's going on with you and Brooke?" She asked while sitting back down in her seat.

"What'dya mean?"

"I mean, what's happening? Like are you together or what?"

Lucas couldn't help but laugh at that.

"What?" Peyton asked a little hurt by his laughter.

He rolled his eyes. "Pey, there is no me and Brooke okay? I only have eyes for one girl." He admitted looking deep into her emerald green pools. "There she is." He grinned as Karen walked into the kitchen; looking flushed she dropped the grocery bags she was carrying onto the counter top.

Karen chuckled. "If you really were my son you'd be taking the groceries in for me." She smiled teasingly.

"But my shoulders really sore today." He pouted, dramatically rubbing the spot.

"Get going and help your mother." Peyton laugh while she pushed him up from his chair and he sighed teasingly before walking out to the car. The curly blonde watched him go, with a longing look in her eyes.

"Don't worry honey, he'll see what's right in front of him soon enough." Karen winked at her son's best friend.

Peyton blushed but asked anyway. "You really think so?"

Karen smiled kindly. "I know so."

…

"Lucas!" The blonde began to run down the corridor meeting a sobbing Haley half way, Peyton running after him.

"Hales, what's wrong?" He asked as the tears came spilling down her cheeks.

"I, I do-n't know!" She hiccupped hysterically. "The machine's just started going crazy, and all these doctors and nurses came in and told Brooke and me to get out. They won't let me see him!" She said, her sadness turning to rage. "He's my boyfriend and they wont let me see him, can you believe that?" She asked, her mood quickly changing to rage.

Peyton couldn't help but be slightly amused by this girl. She'd never met Haley. Well once, but it was for two seconds when she'd helped her pick up all her books at school.

"Hales I'm sure everything's fine." Lucas said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and giving it a comforting squeeze. Peyton looked down at her feet, suddenly finding the scuff marks on her black converse very interesting. Haley was beautiful. There was definitely no denying that. Even with all the cuts and bruises, and the cast on her wrist she was breathtaking.

"Oh sorry." Haley said. "I'm Haley, you must be Peyton? Luke's told me so much about you. He never shuts up." She smiled, but both blondes could see right through it. But Peyton couldn't help but feel a smile grow on her lips. Haley seemed to be truly trying to make an effort to get to know her.

Peyton smiled, going along with Haley's teasing mood. "Really?"

Haley nodded, noticing the blush appear on Lucas' cheeks. He had it bad.

"It's good to see you doing better, Hales." Lucas smiled, and Haley gave him the best one she could muster. On the outside she looked fine, but on the inside, she felt like her heart was breaking. And if she was completely honest with herself, it was much worse than any beating Mark had ever given her.

"Miss James-"

Haley turned around so fast she felt her head spin. "What is it? Is he okay? Is it the cut in his side? Is it infected? Does he need another operation-"

"Haley." Doctor Sharp stopped her mid rant. "I think there's someone who wants to see you." When she gave him a blank look he chuckled slightly, "Nathan's awake." Before he'd even finished his sentence Haley was running down the hallways and into Nathan's room.

"Are you family?" The Doctor asked, and Lucas said something that surprised both himself and his best friend.

"He's my brother."

…

Haley stopped dead in her tracks as she entered the hospital room. Tears sprang in her eyes as two bright blue ones looked back at her. It was as if time had stopped. Nathan was awake. Her Nathan was awake. Then when she saw the sides of his lips turn upwards in a smile she snapped out of it and ran forward, just when she was about to wrap her arms around him she stopped.

"I don't want to hurt you." She admitted in a low whisper.

"You could never hurt me." He told her, his voice cracking slightly.

The tears she was holding in finally fell, slowly running down her cheeks, leaving a damp track behind. "Nathan." She sobbed, her voice filled with emotion and she wrapped her arms around his neck, as he wrapped his around her waist. As tight as he could, as he was still feeling a little weak.

She pulled back just enough so she could look in his eyes and cupped his cheeks in her palms; she kissed him everywhere she could. His forehead. Between his eyes. His cheeks. His nose. His chin. Then finally his lips. "God," her throaty whisper sent shocks through his body. "Don't even do that to me again." She told him, and he nodded. "I missed you." She whispered quietly, the vulnerability in her voice bringing tears to his own eyes.

"Hey, hey." Nathan smiled the best he could for her. "I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, forever." He told her teasingly and she grinned teary eyed.

"Forever and ever?" She asked quietly.

"Even after we're ten feet under the ground." He promised, wiping the tears away from her face with the pads of his thumbs, but it didn't help much as his words just made her produce more. "I love you, Hales." He said, and he meant it. He was in love with her. Truly, Madly, Deeply.

"God I love you too. So much." She leaned in for another kiss, pulling back as he winced. "Oh God, I'm so sorry." She said, getting up off the bed.

Nathan reached for her, trying to pull her back. "It's fine Hales. Whoa," He commented when he looked down at the large bandage wrapped around his middle. "What happened?" He asked.

Haley's eyes softened her voice coming out in a whisper. "You don't remember? Anything?" She walked closer to him again, sitting on the edge of the bed, taking his hand in her lap, running the pad of her thumb soothingly along his knuckles.

Nathan looked down at his hand in hers. Looking at her wrist which was in a cast. He raked at his brain trying to think back to that night. Looking up at her face he saw the cuts, she had stitches above her eyebrow. She had bruises everywhere; a gash on her forehead and her lip was all cut and red. Suddenly flashing images shot through his mind. Meeting Lucas at the supermarket. Them running to Haley's house; finding her in the basement. Joey stabbing him. Running into Haley's room; finding Joey on top of her. Getting into a fight. Everything was blank after that.

"I remember up until leaving your room, everything's a bit fuzzy from there." He told her and Haley nodded taking a breath.

"After that, Lucas and I were helping you get down the stairs and then just as we reached the door, Mark came in. We started shouting back and forth and then he pulled out a gun. He shot Lucas-"

"He's okay, right?" Nathan asked, feeling his stomach tighten.

Haley smiled, her first real one in days at the concern she heard in his voice. "Yes, if you would've let me finish." She teased. "You would have heard that he host Luke in the shoulder, just a graze. I hadn't notice Luke take his phone out and cal the police, so a few minutes later the came crashing in and Joey and Mark were taken to prison. The trial's in a week." She told him.

Nathan nodded, taking all this information in. "I'm so glad you're okay." He whispered throatily a minute later.

Haley let a laugh out at that before looking at him lovingly. Cupping his cheek in her palm. "I think the feelings mutual. I don't know what I would've done without you Nate." She told him honestly.

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised, bringing her in for another kiss.

…

Peyton smiled as she watched the couple through the thin glass window, but looked away as she felt she was interrupting a private moment. Lucas was talking to the doctor, finding out about Nathan's current condition and she'd said she would go and check on them.

"Hey." She jumped a little at the voice. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya." She sent the brunette a smile. "Makes you believe loves really out there, huh?" Brooke smiled at her best friend, as she watched her giggle at something Nathan said before kissing the tip of his nose. She knew they had a lot to talk about, and they weren't perfect but they were in love.

"Yeah." Peyton said, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips.

"Have you told him yet?"

"Sorry?" The blonde turned to face the perky girl.

Brooke rolled her eyes with a smile. "Have you told Lucas how you feel?"

Peyton's eyes widened. Was she really that obvious?

"You're not. I'm just really good at reading people." Brooke smiled at the shocked look on the blondes face. "And yes I can read minds too." She laughed and Peyton joined her. "Come on, lets go ruin the mood." She smiled wickedly and opened the door. "Hales?" She asked as her best friend didn't even flinch as they entered the room. Her and Nathan's eyes were locked together. His expression hopeful whereas Haley's was shocked.

"Nathan, we're in high school-"

"I know Hales," Nathan spoke.

"Well people don't do that in high school. It's not normal." She laughed a little.

"I'm not normal, you're not normal." He chuckled when she glared at him. "And I don't ever want to be normal Haley, not with you."

Brooke and Peyton just stood and watched, not having a clue what they were talking about. "Is it just me or does it feel like we're in a romantic movie?" Brooke whispered to Peyton.

"Hey what's going on?" Lucas asked, walking into the hospital room but both Brooke and Peyton gave him looks and he quickly shut his mouth.

Neither Nathan or Haley had even noticed them enter the room. "IU could love you forever," The huskiness in his voice sent shivers down her spine.

"Nathan, so could I-"

"Then why can't forever start today?" He asked, and Haley felt her eyes gloss over.

She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip before looking up into his eyes. Those eyes that could send shivers up her spine with just a glance.

"Yes." She said quietly.

"Yes?" Nathan asked, a full fledged grin spreading onto his face.

Haley nodded quickly, a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Yes." She laughed, feeling all giddy. He sent her a dazzling smile and pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss. They didn't pull apart until they heard someone clear their throat.

Brooke, Peyton and Lucas all chuckled at Haley and Nathan's dear in headlights look.

"How long have yous being there?" Haley asked.

Brooke grinned. "Long enough." She giggled before asking. "What's going on?" With a questioning look. She truly had no idea.

Looking over at Nathan she silently asked him and when he gave her that smile he reserved for her she took her hand in his, entwining their fingers before turning to the three teenagers. Her smile matching the big ass one on Nathan's face.

"We're getting married."

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Tadah! Shocker Huh? Hehe. So the next chapter is gonna be the last one, I know what's happening so hopefully I'll be able to post before the weekend, but if I don't it'll definitely be updated on Saturday or Sunday.