Thanks again for the reviews they are really great. After this one only 3 chapters left I'm afraid. Any way I hope you enjoy what's left.
Chapter 21 - Distance
Nathan woke up the next morning with a massive smile on his face last night had been amazing, he opened his eyes and was confused to see the bed empty. He went and checked the bathroom and the kitchen but there was no sign of Haley just a note saying she had gone in early with Brooke, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. She hadn't mentioned anything about going to school early so he assumed she was regretting last night, he felt like such an idiot he shouldn't have pushed her. He got changed grabbed some breakfast and vowed to apologise to Haley the first chance he got. When he got to school he went to his locker hoping to find Haley but Lucas was there instead.
"Hey man, have you seen Haley this morning?" Nathan asked putting some stuff in his locker.
"Nope I was just going to ask you where she was. You haven't lost her have you?" He said joking, he hadn't noticed how tense Nathan was. Nathan finished putting his stuff in his locker and looked down the corridor.
"No it's just she left for school this morning with Brooke and didn't tell me." Nathan said nervously fiddling with his keys in his pocket. Lucas looked at him suspiciously.
"I'm sure she's safe man, Dan's not going to do anything again." He said trying to reassure his brother.
"Yeah I know, no one would want to mess with Brooke it's just…." Nathan looked down not finishing his sentence. Lucas was really confused now.
"What did you do?" Lucas asked seriously recognising the guilt on Nathan's face. Nathan sighed slightly, he couldn't believe what had been so amazing last night was turning into a nightmare now.
"We slept together. Last night I found her having a bad dream and she was really upset and tense and it sort of happened." Nathan finished, he kind of felt ashamed of himself now like he'd taken advantage of her. Lucas didn't know whether to be cross or not, his instinct to protect Haley was in overdrive at the moment but he also knew Nathan wouldn't deliberately hurt Haley.
"Are you sure she's upset about it?" Lucas asked.
"Well she wasn't there when I woke up this morning which kind of indicates she didn't want to see me." He said sadly "I need to find her and talk to her."
"Until you find her try not to worry too much, you never know maybe she did just have stuff to do this morning." Lucas said trying to reassure his brother he was pretty sure Haley wouldn't have slept with Nathan if she hadn't been ready. There conversation was then interrupted by the arrival of a very happy Peyton and an old friend. Lucas and Nathan looked startled to see him.
"Jake when the hell did you get back?" Lucas asked happily hugging his old friend. Jake smiled at Peyton.
"This weekend, I've been so busy though settling Jenny back in and seeing Peyton." Jake said. Lucas and Nathan then noticed Peyton and Jake's entwined hands.
"Wow I'm so glad you got Jenny back, what happened to Nicki?" Nathan asked. Jake smile got wider.
"Well she finally decided that she didn't actually want a daughter. I let her have Jenny for a couple of days and she realised how much it interfered with her going out and stuff. So here I am with complete custody and I can come back and be with Peyton." Peyton smiled at him, she didn't know when she had been more happy, it had been the best surprise when he had turned up on her doorstep on Sunday morning and he hadn't left her side since then.
"It's great to finally get some good news around here." Lucas said smiling.
"Yeah Peyton filled me in about Haley. How's she doing?" Jake asked, he had been friends with Haley after working in the café with her and was horrified to find out all the stuff that had happened to her. Nathan looked slightly uneasy.
"She's doing better." Was all he said.
"You guys haven't heard about this weekend though have you?" Lucas said, Peyton and Jake shook their heads. Lucas started explaining about Dan and they all started walking towards their homerooms. What none of them noticed was Rachel had been eavesdropping the entire conversation and now had formed a plan to get back at Haley for taking all her friends away, she walked off to class with a evil smirk on her face.
Haley had woken early on Monday morning feeling great, she had enjoyed just watching Nathan who was still fast asleep. She did truly feel wonderful she had slept the rest of the night next to her husband and without any bad dreams.
She wanted to stay in bed until Nathan woke up but she felt in a productive mood, now she had pretty much caught up with her work she wanted to return to tutoring. She knew Brooke had to go to school early for a student president meeting so instead of disturbing Nathan she had texted Brooke and asked for a lift. It was a bit scary for her to get up knowing Nathan was asleep, since Dan had come crashing into the house on Friday she hadn't not been with Nathan.
She knew she had no lessons with him so she wouldn't be able to see him until lunch anyway but the thought he wouldn't be there to protect her left her feel a bit uneasy. She had managed to get dressed with out disturbing him and only hurriedly remember to leave him a note. She had got to school and been assigned new students who she was to tutor in her free period before lunch and after school. She was just packing up after her first session and was looking forward to going to find Nathan for lunch when Rachel walked into the tutoring centre looking worried.
"What do you want?" Haley asked her icily, she really disliked the girl who had done nothing nice for her since she had arrived. Rachel walked over to her and sat down at the chair opposite her.
"Actually I was looking for you." She said still looking anguished, it seemed obvious to Haley she was looking for her as no one else was in the room.
"And you want?" Haley asked in an annoyed tone she felt no need to be nice to Rachel.
"Well I know I've never been very nice to you but I thought there was something you should know, I've been feeling guilty about it for so long I just needed to confess." Rachel said, Haley looked at her suspiciously as far as she knew Rachel never felt bad about doing anything.
"What is it?" Haley asked bluntly she didn't want to have a long drawn out conversation with the other girl she wanted to go find and kiss Nathan.
"Well I just want you to understand I was upset and so was he and we both regretted it afterwards." Rachel said fiddling with her hands.
"Just tell me." Haley said, she was starting to get a heavy feeling in her stomach she didn't like where this conversation was going.
"Nathan and I slept together." Rachel said. Haley was shocked, she hadn't expected Rachel to say that.
"I don't believe you." Haley said uncertainly. She tried to be rational Rachel was a liar and she had no reason to believe anything she said.
"Well it was just after the shooting we were both upset and he was comforting me and one thing lead to another, I don't think he was thinking straight." Haley felt sick, she really didn't want to believe what Rachel had said but hadn't the same thing happened last night, Nathan had been comforting her and it had lead to sex.
"My husband would not sleep with you." Haley said although she still felt a little doubt ebbing away at her. Rachel stood still looking troubled.
"Well I tried to tell you, I was trying to be nice for a change." She said but as soon as she turned her back on Haley and was walking out the door she had a massive grin on her face although Haley had said she hadn't believed her she had seen how unsure she looked.
As soon as Rachel was walking out the room a few tears slid down Haley's cheeks, she was pretty sure that Rachel was lying but just the thought of Nathan sleeping with someone else upset her. She needed to go find Nathan so he could deny it and they could laugh about what a bitch Rachel was but first she had to let her tears dry.
Nathan had been looking out for Haley all morning but hadn't seen her anywhere it was only at the beginning of lunch when he bumped into Brooke and she suggested he try the tutoring centre that he finally found her. He bumped into a grinning Rachel as he entered the tutor centre but he was too busy thinking about Haley to pay any attention to her. He walked in and saw Haley wiping at tears looking upset. He couldn't bear her looking sad so with out letting her speak he sat down next to her and started apologising.
"Haley I'm so sorry it was a mistake ok, I wasn't thinking properly. I've been trying to find you all day to talk to you." Nathan said he hated seeing his wife upset and he wanted her to know he felt bad about rushing her into things last night. Haley seemed to cry more at his apology; she assumed he had seen Rachel leaving and upon seeing her state guess she had told her and that's why he was apologising.
"I don't see how you can just say it was a mistake and expect me to be able to just move on. How can I trust you, know you won't do it again." Haley said feeling sick to her stomach, she hadn't really believed Rachel but now it seemed her husband was confirming he had slept with Rachel. Why hadn't he told her earlier, her mind was clouded by pain.
"I'm sorry" he said again he had found it so hard being around her but not being with her and felt that until last night he had been amazingly restrained "it's just hard to control myself sometimes" Nathan was cut off by Haley rising to her feet a look of pure anger on her face. She couldn't believe he was justifying sleeping with Rachel because he couldn't control himself. She needed to get away from him, she needed fresh air and she needed for it to be last night again when she had been so happy.
"I can't look at you right now." Haley said her eyes full of tears, she grabbed her crutches and left Nathan alone and miserable in the tutor centre. He had thought she was going to be upset but she seemed really angry too, he felt awful for rushing her into sex after she had been through so much and he just hoped she would have forgiven him for not having enough restraint with her.