"Home sweet home." Nathan said as he and Haley walked in carrying Lexie and their stuff from the hospital. "Doesn't it feel like we just did this?" He commented.
"Yes. But at least this time we're bringing home our beautiful little girl." Haley said. They made their way up the stairs to the bedroom. She set down the bags on the bed as he did the same with the carseat. "So, how does it feel to be out of that hospital?" He asked unfastening Lexie from the carseat.
"Wonderful. I was going more crazy in that hospital than I was when I was stuck in this bed. What about you? Are you glad to be home?" She asked unpacking all of their stuff.
"Yes." He answered. "Did you want to go take a shower or something?"
"Actually, yes, if you don't mind. I feel so gross." She answered. She walked over to him and gave Lexie a kiss on the forehead. "Thanks, Nathan." She said before walking away into the bathroom. He smiled as he watched her shut the door behind her. "You see her, Lexie, that's your mommy. She's the most amazing woman in the world. And she loves you so much. Just like I do." He said kissing her on the cheek.
About fifteen minutes later, Haley stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. She dried herself off and put on some new clothes. She towel-dried her hair and brushed her teeth. She walked out of the bathroom and stopped at the sight she saw. Nathan was laying on the bed sleeping with Lexie laying on his chest also sleeping. She smiled before turning out the light and making her way downstairs. She went into the kitchen to get something to drink. She settled on making some hot chocolate and made her way back upstairs. Deciding not to wake them up, she settled on one of the chairs in their loft with a book to read. About an hour later, she heard feet shuffling into the loft. She looked up and saw Nathan. "Hey, did you have a nice nap?" She asked.
"Yeah, sorry." He said.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure you're exhausted. Besides, I may have took some really cute pictures of the two of you." She admitted. He couldn't help but chuckle at her.
"Did you have a refreshing shower?" He asked.
"Yes. It was amazing. Lexie still asleep, I'm guessing." She said as he nodded. "Yup, I put her down in her crib. She's out-for now." He said making his way behind her and gently massaging her shoulders. "That's feels good." Haley said closing her eyes in relaxation.
"So, I was thinking that on Thursday, we could bring Lexie to the office. There's going to be a small meeting, and I was wanting to take her to it. I know everyone would love to see her. And I know Stephanie is dying to see her. I forgot to tell you that she called to tell us congratulations and to bring that baby in as soon as we can." He said.
"That's sweet. You know, I really like Stephanie." She stated.
"Oh, really? I remember not too long ago, you were jealous of her." He commented.
"I was not jealous." She scoffed.
"Sure." He said.
"I wasn't jealous of her, Nathan." She said.
"Okay, whatever you say." He said with a smirk while continuing to massage her shoulders. "Anyway, does that sound like a plan for Thursday?" He asked.
"Yeah. I can't wait to show her off to everyone!" She exclaimed. "Maybe after we leave the office, we can go over to your house and visit with your mom. We can introduce her to her grandchild. I mean, she may not be awake, but I believe she may be able to hear us." She suggested.
"I would really like that." He said. Haley debated whether she should bring up the inevitable conversation about his mom. She didn't want to upset him, but they needed to have this conversation sooner or later. "Nathan, we need to talk about your mom." She said quietly.
"What about her?" He asked.
"Nathan, it's been over two years. The doctor said that it's very unlikely for a comatose person to come back if it's been longer than three years. I just think we should start preparing for that." She explained carefully.
"She could wake up, Hales." He said.
"No, I know that. And I believe she could still wake up. I just...I just think we should prepare for it. Make some arrangements and stuff. You know, just in case." She continued. He just nodded at her solemnly. "Look, Nathan, I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." She said.
"No, Hales, you're right. I do need to start thinking about this stuff. It's just hard, you know. She's my mom." He said.
"I know. Believe me, I would probably be the same way if either of my parents were still alive. It's not easy, Nathan. And I don't expect you to be okay with it." She said.
"Can we just give it another year? If she hasn't woke up or showed any signs of waking up, then, we'll figure things out. It is just too much to think about with Lexie and everything. Please, I just need a year." He said.
"Of course, Nathan. I completely understand." She agreed.
"Haley, I'm sorry your parents can't be here to see Lexie. I wish my dad was here. He always talked about how he couldn't wait to have grandkids." He said.
"He would have been a great grandpa. My parents, too. It's hard, but it's getting easier as the days go by. I wish they could all be here for Lexie. She would have had two sets of awesome, kick-ass grandparents. I just wish they could be here to watch her grow up-you know, watch her celebrate her first Christmas and first birthday, watch her go to preschool for the first time, help teach her how to drive, watch her graduate and leave for college, get married and have her own kids." She said as tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm still so emotional right now. I'm just being stupid." She said.
"It's not stupid, Haley. It's perfectly normal to feel this way. I wish the same things everyday." He said brushing her tears away pulling her into a soft embrace. "At least she has both of us to tell her all about her awesome grandparents." He continued rubbing his arms up and down her back.
"That's true. Thanks, Nathan." She said into his shoulder.
"You're welcome." He responded quietly. Their moment was interrupted by the sound of crying. They broke apart and let out a small laugh. "I guess that's our cue. Welcome to our new life." She said as they both walked towards the nursery.
"Mr. Scott! Mrs. Scott! Oh my gosh, it's so great to see you!" Stephanie exclaimed once she saw Nathan and Haley stepping out of the elevator.
"Hi, Stephanie. How many times do we need to tell you that it's Nathan and Haley?" Nathan said with a laugh.
"I'm sorry. So, let me see that gorgeous baby." Stephanie said. Nathan set the carseat down on her desk before unfastening and taking Lexie out. "Stephanie, this is Alexia Scott." He introduced.
"Oh my gosh, she's so precious. She looks just like you, Haley." Stephanie commented.
"Thanks. I hope that's a good thing." Haley responded.
"Oh, it is. Trust me-that's a great thing." Nathan stated as Haley blushed and smiled shyly.
"Can I hold her?" Stephanie asked.
"Of course." Nathan said passing the baby over to her.
"I still can't get over how cute she is." Stephanie gushed after a few seconds. "How are you feeling, Haley?" She asked after another couple of minutes passed.
"I'm feeling okay. Still a little sore, but it's getting better." Haley answered as Stephanie nodded in understanding.
"Hey, Stephanie, is the meeting still starting at the same time?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, it is. Are you guys going to bring her in there? Everyone's been asking me about her and the two of you. They're all really excited to see her." Stephanie answered.
"Good, because I'm so excited to show her off." Haley said. The three of them continued talking for another fifteen minutes until the meeting started. Nathan and Haley went in where everyone was already waiting. They were genuinely excited to see the baby. The two received congratulations from everyone. They conversed for a few minutes before deciding it was a good idea to start the meeting. Haley took Lexie and went back out with Stephanie. "How's motherhood?" Stephanie asked as the two took a seat.
"Wonderful. It's everything I dreamed of and more." Haley answered.
"You look great." Stephanie commented.
"I don't think so. I still have the weight from the pregnancy. To tell you the truth, I just feel so disgusting right now." Haley admitted.
"Oh, Haley, first of all, stop. It's been a week since you had her. I'm sure you've been insanely busy with Lexie. And second of all, you're beautiful, Hales. You always have been, but you do have this new glow to you. This whole motherhood thing works for you." Stephanie said sweetly.
"Thank you, Stephanie." Haley responded. The two girls continued talking until Nathan came back out from the meeting. They said their goodbyes before Nathan and Haley left. They headed straight to Nathan's old house to see Deb. They walked up to the bedroom. "Hi, mom. There's someone Haley and I would like you to meet. Mom, this is your grandchild,
Alexia Penelope Scott. Lexie, this is your Grandma Deb." Nathan introduced. They talked to his mom for about an hour when Nathan turned and noticed both Haley and Lexie asleep on the chair. He gently took ahold of Lexie and placed her in her carseat. He then swooped Haley into his arms and took her into his old bedroom placing her down onto the bed. "Sleep tight, Hales." He said kissing her softly on her forehead. He went back into his mom's room, picked up Lexie, and walked into his old bedroom. He layed down on the bed placing Lexie in the middle of him and Haley. He wasn't tired. He just watched Haley cuddled next to Lexie. He smiled at the sight. He was going back and forth about whether or not to tell Haley how he felt about her. He didn't think she felt the same way, but what if? What if by some chance she did feel something for him? He tried pushing his feelings aside. But ever since Lexie was born, he only loves her more.
"Haley James Scott! How are you doing, sweetie?" Karen asked embracing the girl in a hug after she entered the cafe.
"I'm good. You?" Haley asked.
"Wonderful. Are you here to eat or chat?" Karen asked.
"To chat. You're not busy, are you?" Haley responded.
"No, it's kind of a slow day. Come on, sit down." Karen said as she led Haley to a vacant booth. Karen sat down as Haley put Lexie's carseat into the opposite side before sliding in herself. "So, how have things been going with the cafe and the dealership?" Haley asked.
"Great. Business is good, but I have an idea that can make it better. I was thinking of remodeling a little bit making the cafe have a more modern and contemporary look. And I was also thinking of starting a small little open mic night. Most of my workers are teenagers in high school. I always here them complainging about what to do on the weekends. I figured some of them might enjoy something like this." Karen answered.
"I think that's a great idea, Karen. I always loved working here, and I think the teenagers would love something like this-being able to showcase their hidden talents." Haley said.
"Well, you always were my favorite worker." Karen stated as the two girls smiled. The two ordered some food and continued eating and talking for the next hour. "Well, I guess I better go so you can get back to work." Haley said.
"Okay, I suppose you're right. Hey, Lucas and Brooke are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. You and Nathan should bring Lexie and come over as well." Karen invited.
"Maybe we will. Thanks, Karen." Haley said. They said their goodbyes before Karen walked away towards the back. "You ready to go home, sweetie?" Haley said to Lexie who was snuggled into her shoulder. She pulled the carseat out of the booth and placed it on top of the table.
"Well, well, look who it is." A voice sounded causing Haley to turn around. She instantly tensed when she saw Rachel standing behind her. "What do you want, Rachel?" She asked as she focused her attention back to the carseat.
"Nothing, really. I just saw you standing here and decided to come over and say hi. So, is this your daughter?" Rachel said as Haley ignored her and placed Lexie into the carseat fastening it up. "She's cute. She looks like Nathan which is a very good thing. Who knows what she would look like if she got your looks." Rachel said rudely.
"Well, it was so nice to see you, Rachel. But I'm in kind of a hurry, so if you'll excuse me." Haley said stepping around her to leave.
"Going to the gym?" Rachel said causing her to stop and turn back to her. "What?" Haley asked confused.
"I asked if you were going to the gym. I mean, clearly that's the next stop you should make. You still have all of that extra baby weight, and it doesn't suite you. That must be very attractive to look at for Nathan." Rachel said smugly knowing her words had affected her. She sent her a smirk before leaving the cafe. Haley watched her go and all of her self-confidence was quickly fading away. She picked up the carseat. "Come on, Lexie, let's go home." She said leaving the cafe.
The next two months flew by pretty quickly. Tonight was the first night Nathan and Haley were going out without Lexie. Keith and Karen were going to watch her until the next morning while they went out to Tric with Lucas and Brooke. Brooke had just found out she wasn't pregnant after thinking she was and said she needed a night out. Nathan was downstairs waiting for Haley to finish getting ready. He was in need of a night out without the baby. He looked up when he heard footsteps coming into the room. He froze when he saw Haley. She was wearing a teal blue halter top shirt which showed off a nice amount of her cleavage. Her breasts were slightly bigger due to her breast milk. She had worked off the rest of the baby weight which really wasn't bad anyway. She still looked amazing before tonight. She had the top paired with a dark denim mini skirt which showed off her shapely legs. She had heels on making her legs look longer. He couldn't help his eyes from traveling up and down her body before moving back up. "Wow, you look...you look..."
"Well, I hope the ends to these sentences are good." She said.
"No, they are. You look amazing." He said.
"Thank you." She said while blushing.
"Umm, we should get going." He said quietly as she nodded. He led her out of the house to his SUV. They made the ten minute drive over to Tric. They walked in and quickly spotted Lucas and Brooke and went over to them. "Hey, you guys finally made it!" Brooke exclaimed embracing Haley in a hug. "You look great, Hales." She said.
"Thanks, so do you." Haley responded. "So, when is the band going to start?" She asked.
"Should be in about five minutes." Lucas answered. The four of them went to the bar and ordered some drinks. Haley stuck with a diet coke considering she couldn't drink any alcohol. The band began to play as they sat down at a table.
A couple hours later, the band was done and the dj reappeared playing some music. "Oh, I love this song! We are so dancing, Haley!" A slightly tipsy Brooke exclaimed dragging Haley to the dancefloor leaving behind Lucas and Nathan. "So, how does it feel to be out without the baby?" Lucas asked.
"Nice. I mean, I love Lexie to death, but it's nice to get away for awhile. I think Haley was feeling the same way. She has seemed sort of depressed these past couple of months. I mean, not in a serious way. She's still her usual happy self, but there's just something that seems off about her-like something's bothering her. I think she just needs a night out." Nathan responded.
"She looks great. I would never believe she had a baby two months ago." Lucas commented.
"Yeah, she looks amazing." Nathan said staring at Haley. It was seconds later, they decided to join the girls on the dancefloor. Nathan came up behind Haley startling her a bit when he placed his hands on her hips. "Hey, what are you doing out here?" Haley asked revelling in the feeling of him being so close behind her.
"Joining my wife for a dance." He delivered sensually into her ear. He gripped her hips pulling her closer into him as they found a steady rhythm with one another. He captured her hands in his as they continued grinding closely against one another. They both had their eyes closed feeling completely turned on by one another. The song ended switching to a slower song. Haley turned around to face Nathan as he pulled her into him. They danced the way they normally do. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck. With her heels, she was able to reach slightly passed his shoulders. She rested her chin on his shoulders closing her eyes. A couple minutes passed before she felt him move to look directly into her eyes. "Haley, I need to tell you something." He said timidly.
"What is it?" She asked quietly.
"Hey, Jake and Peyton are over there sitting. Come on, let's go sit and talk with them." Brooke interrupted pulling on Haley's hands. Haley looked back to Nathan with a sympathetic expression before following her friend. Nathan let out a sigh before succeeding behind the two girls.
An hour had passed and the six of them were still sitting around the table conversing and drinking. The topic of the fashion show came up which in turn brought up the models which in turn brought up Rachel. "I can't believe that's your ex-girlfriend, Nathan. She wasn't the most pleasant person that night." Peyton commented.
"She was probably just stressed out." Nathan defended as Haley inwardly rolled her eyes. This wasn't exactly what she wanted to be talking about right now.
"No, I think she's just a bitch." Brooke declared.
"You don't even know her, Brooke. Who are you to make snap judgements about her?" Nathan asked angrily.
"I know enough about her." Brooke commented before turning her attention back to Peyton. "You should hear what that bitch said to Haley." She said. Haley immediately turned her focus to them. She definitely didn't want to be talking about this right now with Nathan right next to her. Nathan couldn't help but turn his full attention to the girls as well. He was curious as to what Rachel said to Haley.
"What did she say?" Peyton asked.
"She basically called Haley ugly saying that it was a good thing Lexie got Nathan's looks. And then she went on to basically calling her fat saying she better get to the gym fast to lose all of that baby weight." Brooke revealed as Haley closed her eyes.
"She said what?" Nathan asked with a slight edge to his voice.
"Oh, don't worry, Nathan, she was probably just stressed out." Brooke commented sarcastically.
"Did she really say that to you?" Nathan asked Haley ignoring Brooke's snide comment.
"It wasn't a big deal." Haley brushed away. She wanted to be angry with Brooke right now but couldn't. She knew she a little drunk and going through some emotional stuff with trying to get pregnant. But boy did she want to yell at her right now.
"It is a big deal. Did she really say that to you?" He asked again.
"Yeah, she did." She relented. "But, it really isn't a big deal. I didn't even take it to heart." She continued.
"Really? Then why have you been eating healthier and working out more? You told me it was because you wanted to get back to your old self, but it was because she said that to you, wasn't it?" He countered.
"No, it had nothing to do with her." She said.
"Haley..."
"Just drop it, Nathan!" Haley yelled causing an uncomfortable tension to surround the table. "So, how is the writing coming along with your book, Lucas." Jake asked changing the subject.
"It's coming along very well. I found a publisher who has overlooked it and was interested in publishing it. She sent it back to me with some corrections and provisions. I'm in the process of editing them now. So, hopefully, it will be completely finished at the beginning of the next month." Lucas answered.
"That's awesome, Lucas. I'm so proud of you." Haley voiced sincerely as the others did the same.
"Well, it's getting late. Maybe we should head out. Do you guys have to go pick up Lexie from Keith and Karen's?" Peyton asked while they all stood up.
"No, they're going to keep her for the night. I'm going to pick her up tomorrow afternoon." Haley answered. They all said their goodbyes to one another and left. The drive back home was silent for Nathan and Haley. Neither said a word. They arrived home and quickly went inside the house. Haley walked straight into her room into the bathroom to get ready for bed as Nathan did the same. Ten minutes later, Nathan found himself laying in bed thinking about what was said tonight. He couldn't believe Rachel would say something like that to Haley. He was angry and confused. All he knew what that he needed to find out the truth and confront Rachel personally.
Rachel stepped out of the elevator making her way to Nathan's office. She was so excited. The previous night, she received a text message from Nathan claiming he needed to talk to her and asked her to meet him at his office. She noticed Stephanie glaring at her from her desk. "Is Nathan in?" Rachel asked.
"Yup, he told me to tell you to go ahead and go on in whenever you arrived." Stephanie answered coldly.
"Thank you." Rachel said sarcastically before proceeding into the office. She walked in and noticed Nathan sitting behind his desk. He looked up when he heard the door opening. "Hi, Nathan. I was hoping you would get in touch with me. It's been far too long since we've talked or seen one another." She said excitedly.
"Look, Rachel, this isn't a social gathering. I didn't call you here to hang out with you like old times. I need to ask you something. And I want you to be completely honest with me." He announced.
"Okay, what is it?" She asked confused by his distant attitude.
"Did you tell Haley that she was fat and needed to get to the gym." He asked.
"What? No, of course not. I would never say that. Did she tell you I said that?" She asked.
"No, but Brooke mentioned it. The only way Brooke would know is if Haley mentioned it to her. I asked Haley, and she said it wasn't a big deal. Did you say that to her, Rachel?" He asked again.
"I didn't mean it like that. Haley must have taken it the wrong way. I heard her telling Karen about how she hated the way she looked right now. After they were done talking, I approached Haley. I told her that there's this great gym in town that she could go to if she wanted to get in better shape. I didn't mean it as an insult. I was just trying to help her. I thought she would appreciate it. I feel terrible if she took it the wrong way. Should I call her and apologize to her?" She lied faking sympathy.
"No, I'll tell her you didn't mean it like that. I don't think it was her who got so worked up about it anyway. I think it was more Brooke. Haley said it wasn't a big deal. I should have listened to her. Look, I'm sorry I accused you of saying that. I know you wouldn't say anything so hurtful. Brooke just seemed really angry about it. She and Haley get so protective over one another. It all seems like a big misunderstanding. I'll get everything sorted out." He said.
"Thanks, Nathan. I can always count on you to look out for me." Rachel smirked.
"Hey, Haley, I'm home." Nathan greeted walking into the family room finding Haley and Lexie playing on the floor. "She seems in a good mood." He commented about Lexie.
"Yeah, thank goodness. She's in a great mood. She's happy and all full of smiles." Haley answered. "How was work?" I didn't even know you were going into the office today." She asked.
"Oh, I just had to pick up some things I left in the office." He lied.
"Okay." She said before going back to playing with Lexie.
"Hey, Haley, I want to ask you something." He said after a couple minutes.
"What's up?" She asked distractedly.
"I was wanting to invite Rachel over to dinner with us tomorrow night." He revealed capturing her full attention. "I'm sorry, you want to what?" She asked.
"She's a good friend of mine, Haley. And I think she feels a little depressed. I mean, she's in a city where she knows no one but me. And I've been so busy with you and with Lexie, we haven't really had the chance to talk or hang out like we used to." He said.
"Well, if she's depressed maybe she should go back to New York. You know, where she actually lives. If you think about it, why is she even still here? You should ask yourself what's keeping her here, Nathan." She said as he looked to her confused. "Oh by the way, the answer to her coming over to dinner is no." She continued.
"What?" He asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I mean hell no." She said.
"What is wrong with you, Haley?" He asked angrily.
"Look, Nathan, I don't care if you want to go out to dinner with her. But if that bitch comes anywhere near my house, I'm calling the cops. And don't even try suggesting all of us going out to dinner then, because the answer is still no. I don't want her around me, and I don't want her around my daughter." She declared.
"Is this about what Brooke said at Tric? Look, Haley, I talked to Rachel about that and she told me it was all just a big misunderstanding. You and Brooke just took it the wrong way." He said causing Haley's anger to only increase. She picked up Lexie and started walking out of the room. "Where are you going?" He asked.
"I'm going upstairs, because I don't want to be around you right now. But I will leave you with this, Nathan. If you invite that girl to my house, you will be sorry." She warned before disappearing from his sight. Nathan watched her go completely confused and put off by her behavior. He didn't understand why she was acting so hostile towards Rachel. He didn't know what to believe anymore, but he did want to get to the bottom of everything.
Okay, there you guys go. I decided to post this earlier. I couldn't sleep last night and just started writing. I had someone inquire about my other story, and I decided to try to focus my attention to that story tonight. I think I might have some inspiration for it. If I do get a chapter done, it probably won't be posted till tomorrow though. Anyway, let me know what you think. And I know it's getting frustrating with Naley not admitting their feelings for one another, but it is coming soon. I promise it won't be too much longer. I'll maybe have a chapter up tomorrow night or sometime on Tuesday. Until then!