I'm back - a day earlier than I thought I'd be able to.
As always, thank you so much for the story/author alerts I have and continue to receive for this story. And a big thanks to NALEYAAF23, kaefoster (chapters 23-24), HBJHOTH23 (chapters 22-23), 2naley, Othfan48, Katie, saderia, Lanette, SPNALEY, JamesLover23, courtneylovejason, GRemy, C, ecampbell3, cassie420, ellie, kissthecook, and all the guests who left reviews. Seriously, you guys are all so wonderful - there are not enough words to describe my feels for you all! :)
Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.
July 24, 2007
Nathan stood side-by-side with Keith, both were nursing a beer. He glanced around the crowded backyard. Everywhere he looked there were people, either conversing or eating. Some were swimming - mostly children who had some of the teenagers watching and/or playing with them. He heard the distinct sounds of "Marco, Polo" being hollered. A few straggling kids were running around the yard, clumsily weaving in and out of the other guests. He saw Brooke and Taylor sitting together at one of the tables, talking animatedly amongst one another. He let out a small laugh - figures those two would find something in common.
Taking another quick swig of his beer, Nathan shifted focus to his left when he heard footsteps approaching. Whitey came into his view.
"Hey, Whitey." Keith greeted, shaking the old man's hand.
"Well, well...Keith Scott." Whitey replied, grinning. "That daughter of yours is a cute, little thing, isn't she?"
"She sure is." Keith agreed.
Whitey then glanced at his former player. "Nathan Scott, how's it going, son?"
"Not bad." Nathan answered as the two shared a quick, one-armed hug with one another. He always enjoyed seeing his old coach. Whitey was at Lucas and Brooke's wedding but they never got a chance to talk to one another - just a quick hello in passing. "It's good to see you around. Still enjoying that ranch of yours?"
"I am. What about you? I've been following all your games. You've had quite a successful college career, Nathan. I'm impressed but not surprised. Basketball is practically your middle name." Whitey joked as the three laughed. "What about this final year of yours - you gonna take home that trophy?"
"That's the plan."
"Well, I'll be watching." Whitey promised, patting the younger Scott on the shoulder. "How's Danny doing? Is he still giving you a hard time?"
Nathan shrugged. "He was but he told me he's gonna try to back off. I guess, we'll see."
Whitey listened as the boy sighed. "You never know."
"I think we have some rough roads up ahead." Keith joined in. "Dan's like an addict - sometimes he's up and sometimes he's down. That brother of mine needs to find some sort of twelve step program."
The three guys laughed.
"So I heard that brother of yours took over my old position." Whitey stated, changing the subject as Nathan nodded. "Lucas was always a good player but he'll make an even better coach."
"Yeah, I think so, too." Nathan agreed.
Keith nodded in agreement as well.
"The dealership doing alright, Keith?" Whitey asked.
"Yeah. It's hanging in there."
Nathan took a swig of his beer and began to tune Whitey and Keith out as they continued with their boring "shop" talk. He felt a tugging on his right pant leg. Looking down, he smiled boisterously when he saw his little sister. She raised her hands and called out his name in that baby voice of hers. He loved when she talked - her words were jumbled together a lot and not always clear as she was still learning the ropes of talking. Nathan bent down and swooped Lily up into his arms, listening as she giggled.
Lily looked incredibly adorable - wearing a light pink dress. It had two thin straps that were tied together at the tops of her shoulders. The dress was flowy, stopping just past her knees. Her light brown hair was down, cut right at her shoulders; there was a pink ribbon wrapped in her hair.
Lily was definitely that typical girly girl.
That was obvious by the theme of this party. Different shades of pink dressed the backyard - light pink table cloths with darker pink center pieces, including flowers and confetti pieces. Pink balloons were strategically laying over the yard, weighted down by party favors for the kids attending. Even the cake was white with various pink flowers all over it. Nathan wanted to gag or make some sarcastic comment to his mom but held it back - this party was for a two-year old girl after all.
"Happy birthday, sweetie!" Nathan said. "How old are you?"
Lily held up the pointer finger and the middle finger from her right hand. "Two!" She exclaimed.
"Two! You're getting so big, Lils!"
The little girl cupped his cheeks, causing him to laugh. He tossed her into the air a few times, listening as she giggled continuously.
"Nathan, swing." Lily pleaded, pointing at the swing set at the far end of the yard.
Nathan carried her a few feet into the yard where a swing set was set up. He sat on the swing, making sure she was still secure in his lap. With one hand wrapped around her waist and the other on the chain, Nathan began to swing back and forth lightly. More of those adorable giggles. He laughed as Lily clapped her hands together in excitement; every once in a while, her hands would grab his hand resting against her stomach and squeeze as they flung backward. But she laughed so Nathan knew it was out of enjoyment. Lily was gonna be a little daredevil as she grew up; he could already tell.
Nathan looked off in the near distance when he heard that all too familiar laugh. He loved the sound of her laugh. His eyes watched as Haley and Lucas stood in front of one another, laughing almost uncontrollably at whatever it was they were talking about. Nathan gazed over her form. Haley was wearing a simple, plain white sundress that stopped at her mid-thighs. The neckline was just a slight v-shaped. She was also wearing a light denim jacket. Her brown hair was down in soft, curly tendrils. It has grown considerably longer over the past few years, cascading down to the middle of her back.
She looked so beautiful, like always - carefree and happy. Haley had this positive aura about her that was infectious to everyone around her. She was absolutely glowing.
It sounded weird but it felt as if time slowed down around her. The other guests - their physical forms as well as their voices blurred and faded out. Nathan watched her, studying and staring at every movement she made. He couldn't hear her...well, except for that angelic sounding laugh of hers. He could see her, though. Her smile was contagious; Haley could easily light up the room - or backyard in this case. Nathan couldn't believe he's went five weeks without seeing her, without touching her. How he did that - he'd never know. Of course, they talked over the phone. They skyped. It just wasn't the same as seeing her in person, though.
Nathan couldn't wait to get her alone. He really wanted to come over to her house like she asked two days ago. Again, he didn't know how he did that. But Nathan had plans for them. Soon they would be together and he could prove to her, and himself, that this time apart has been worth the wait. Besides, he plans to pull her away later and sneak in a kiss or two.
Until later was here, though Lily would keep him company. He shifted focus back to his baby sister, swinging the two of them some more.
OTHOTHOTH
Haley stood in front of the fireplace in the family room, smiling as her eyes scanned the framed photographs along the mantle. There were several, including a family portrait of Keith, Karen, Lucas, Brooke, Nathan, and Lily taken at Lucas and Brooke's wedding that was sitting in the middle. Other photos surrounded it. Lucas and Nathan on the day Lucas graduated from Duke University. The brothers with Lily - a couple of those. Keith and Karen from their own wedding day. And engagement photograph of Lucas and Brooke. Lily by herself - one of the professional pictures that was taken when she turned one year old.
Browsing through the framed pictures, Haley paused when she came across one with Lucas, Nathan, and her. It was from the day of her high school graduation. She and Nathan were dressed in their shiny, blue gowns, caps still adorning their heads as Lucas stood in between them. He was wearing a white with blue pin-stripes, button-down shirt and a pair of khaki pants. She smiled at the memory of that day. One memory in particular entered her mind.
Nathan ascended the stairs, grasping a bottle of beer loosely in his left hand. Two steps away from reaching the top floor, he saw Haley approaching. "Hey. Where have you been all night?"
"Your bedroom." Haley answered, shrugging.
His eyes raked over her; she had changed from her dress into a pair of denim shorts and a green tank top layered over a yellow one. She pulled off the simple look so well, so beautifully. "Waiting for me, huh?" He smirked.
"Oh, yes. You caught me, Nathan." She joked before shaking her head. "No, I just wanted some quiet for a little bit. It's kind of crazy down there." She explained, gesturing to the staircase.
"This is a party, Hales." He reminded her as she rolled her eyes playfully. "I'm surprised you came tonight. I thought for sure you'd be off with Lucas."
"He wasn't in the mood to do anything after the ceremony - said he was burnt out from finals and wanted to catch up on some sleep."
"Lazy bastard." Nathan muttered, taking a swig of his beer. "Well, I'm glad you came. You should enjoy one last soiree before you head to the other side of the country. Speaking of - are you nervous? Stanford is right around the corner."
Haley sighed, letting out a small laugh before her lips settled into a smile. "Yes and no. I'm more excited than anything else. I can't believe I'm moving to California."
"It is weird."
She listened to the tone of his voice - it was quiet, sounding sad almost. "Why Nathan Scott, is that your way of telling me you're gonna miss me?" She questioned, smirking.
"You know I'm gonna miss you, Hales."
Haley smiled. "I'm gonna miss you, too, Nathan."
Nathan leaned closer to her and huskily said, "You know, this may be the last time we see one another for a while."
"It may be."
The two stared at one another.
Nathan lifted his arm, bringing his beer up to his lips. Before it got all the way, though, Haley intercepted it. She pulled the bottle out of his hands and brought it to her own lips, drinking the remainder of the beer. He didn't waste a second after that. Nathan quickly grabbed the bottle and tossed it off to the side, unsure of where it landed. Luckily, the glass didn't break - not like it would have mattered either way. He cupped her cheeks and leaned forward, capturing her lips with his.
He climbed up those last two steps so he was standing directly in front of her and roughly eased her back into the wall.
Haley placed her hands at his hips, fisting his t-shirt in her hands. She moaned as he thrust his tongue forcefully into her mouth. Their tongues met, tangling together in a wet, rhythmic dance.
Lowering his hands from her face to her hips, he lifted her from the ground. Her legs circled his waist immediately. Never breaking from their kiss, Nathan carried Haley into his bedroom. He slammed the door shut behind them, the sound echoing loudly off the walls. When he arrived closer to his bed, he loosened the grip he had on her and felt her legs unlatch from around him as she slid down.
Her feet hit the floor, and she kicked the flip-flops off.
The two immediately began to undress themselves as well as each other.
Nathan slipped his boxers off, leaving him completely naked. He cupped Haley's cheeks, forcefully pulling her face to him. He kissed her hard as he lifted her once more - only slightly, though before laying them both down on top of his bed. Detaching their lips, Nathan began to plant kisses along her body. He kissed a path right down her chest, reaching the center of her breasts and on down her stomach. He stopped his journey south when he hit her panty line and hooked his fingers into the fabric, pulling the plain white, cotton panties down her legs. His lips landed right back onto her stomach and kissed his way up her body, listening as her breathing increased more rapidly.
Haley closed her eyes, laying flat against the mattress.
She could feel her heart beating.
She could feel the tremors in her stomach.
She could feel the wetness pooling between her legs.
His hands reached behind her and unhooked her bra. He pulled the straps down her arms before tossing the garment somewhere across the room. Lowering himself, he took her right nipple into his mouth and was instantly rewarded with the sexiest whimper he's ever heard come from someone's mouth. His teeth grazed the nipple as his eyes glanced up at her; her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, inhaling and exhaling deeply. He devoted a decent, pleasurable amount of time on each of her breasts before moving back up.
Nathan looked at her, smiling. "You sure you wanna do this again?"
"We've come this far - might as well go all the way." She smirked.
He chuckled, nodding his head before connecting their lips.
Haley gasped into his mouth when Nathan unexpectantly, without any warning, entered her. Her hands were instantly on his shoulders and she gripped his bicep. She lifted her legs and wrapped them tighter around his waist, digging her heels into the backs of his upper thighs.
It felt so good to feel him inside her once again.
Haley couldn't help but realize how different this felt from their first time together two months ago. Both times - so far, at least - felt amazing but still different. While their second time from that first night was much faster in pace, tonight felt a bit rougher. Gone was that sweet, tender Nathan who wanted to make her first time special and meaningful. But Haley liked this version of Nathan as well. She didn't need another night like spring break right now - she needed this.
And it felt really good - unbelievably good. The crazy thing, though, was that it still wasn't enough.
"Harder, Nathan." Haley demanded with a breathy tone.
He was quick to obey.
Nathan rested his left forearm on the side of her face and moved his right hand down, caressing her body along the way. He gripped her thigh, raising it higher as he shifted his angle. Nathan increased his pace, thrusting even deeper. Judging by the loud, almost to the point of screaming, moans Haley was letting out, he was hitting her in just the right spots. He buried his face into the pillow.
He has been wanting to be with Haley again ever since their first time. Nathan never thought he'd get that chance, though; he figured it was a one...well, two-time deal. He couldn't really explain it but he wanted it again and again. It was like Nathan craved her. Once just wasn't enough. It'd have to be enough after tonight, though. Haley was moving to California in three months, and he was likely not to see her again until Thanksgiving or Christmas, if that even.
He shook those thoughts away, not wanting to think about such things. Especially when he had Haley laying underneath him, holding tightly to him. He had her now - that was all that mattered at the moment.
Haley felt the small coat of sweat that was building on Nathan's arms as her fingers began to slip from the grip she had on him. She began planting soft kisses along his neck. Haley could taste the salty sweetness from both his sweat and his cologne. She didn't know what kind of cologne Nathan liked but whatever it was, it tasted and smelled quite intoxicating. He lifted his head and turned to face her. Then, his lips were on hers once again.
Haley loved kissed him; it was just as good as the sex was. She could spend the rest of her night just kissing him. The feel of his lips. The feel of his tongue. It was enough to drive her insane. His right hand cupped her face, in between her cheeks and her jaw line. Haley wrapped her arms around his back as tightly as she was able to.
They continued to thrust into and against one another frantically and roughly.
Minutes passed - how many, they weren't sure.
Nathan knew he was close; he could feel himself building and building with each passing minute. He wanted so desperately to let go but he couldn't - not until he knew Haley was gonna let go with him. God, it better be soon, though.
Haley felt that tingling stirring in her core. The sensations were building quickly. Her breathing increased rapidly until it was no longer just air spilling out of her mouth but moans that grew louder and louder with each breath she inhaled and exhaled. "Nathan!" Haley gasped, squeezing her eyes shut tighter. Her fingernails dug into his skin. The coil in her stomach snapped and a tremor shot straight up her body.
More minutes passed.
Haley felt her body slowly start to come down. She clung tightly to Nathan as she rode out the rest of her orgasm. He must have finished at the same time considering his thrusts slowed down to a complete stop. He didn't move off of her, though. She certainly didn't mind. Haley loved the feel of his weight on her, of his naked chest flush up against her naked chest. He eventually shifted from her, landing on his back. She turned her head, watching him.
"You gonna head back down to the party?" Haley asked.
"Nah - I ended my night with quite a bang. No need for more."
She laughed as he looked at her, smirking widely. Suddenly and randomly, a yawn escaped from her lips.
"I wore you out, huh?"
"A little." Haley answered, lifting her body and pulling back the comforter and the sheet. She sunk lower onto the mattress and turned onto her left side so she was facing the door before covering herself. A second later, she felt the bed dip slightly before feeling his right hand on her hip as he lined his body up behind hers.
They both fell asleep shortly after, tuning out the noises from the ongoing party downstairs.
OTHOTHOTH
The morning sunshine crept through the window, shining directly onto Haley's face. She squinted her eyes, groaning. She couldn't believe it was morning all ready. She really didn't want to wake up. She wanted to sleep all day - sleep in this comfortable bed, wrapped in these warm, strong arms. At that thought, Haley opened her eyes and glanced to her right. That's when she saw Nathan sound asleep, the side of his face resting peacefully in the crook of her neck. The previous night came flooding back to her.
Sighing, Haley maneuvered her body out of Nathan's embrace as carefully as she could, hoping not to wake him. She watched his arms fall to the bed. She froze as he shifted onto his back. Once she was positive he was still asleep, Haley scooted the rest of the way out of the bed and searched for her clothes. She found her two tank tops as well as her shorts on the floor, in a heap near the bed. Her bra was dangling on the chair at his desk. She glanced around the room for her underwear, finding them tangled in the sheets underneath Nathan's legs. Reaching under him, she grabbed them before quickly redressing.
Finding her shoes, Haley reached for the doorknob and opened the door as quietly as she could. She slipped through the crack and tiptoed through the hallway, towards the stairway. Just as she was about to step down onto the first step, a loud clanking noise sounded from the kitchen, echoing through the house.
"Shoot." Haley somewhat cursed quietly to herself.
Deb was awake. Haley did not want to risk running into her. The woman wasn't stupid; she would know what happened last night. The last thing Haley wanted was the chance that Deb would go running to Karen with this little piece of information.
How awkward would that conversation be?
"Hi, Karen - remember me? Haley James. Good girl, Haley James - your son's best friend for ten, going on eleven, years. The girl who's worked for you for five years. The girl who practically lived with you for the past year. Yeah, that's me. I'm also the girl who lost her virginity to your other son, who slept with him again last night."
Haley shook her head and rushed back into Nathan's bedroom, once again closing the door quietly behind her. She expelled a deep breath, looking over at the raven-haired boy laying in the bed to make sure he was still fast asleep. Luckily, he was. She glanced around the room trying to figure something out; she really wanted to get home - take a shower and eat something. That's when Haley saw his window. She walked over to it and looked down. It really wasn't that high up.
"What the hell?" Haley said before opening the window.
She secured her yellow flip-flops in her hands and climbed out the window, onto the small ledge. Dropping her shoes, she shifted her body so her stomach was laying against the ledge. Haley scooted farther out before she, slowly and carefully, pushed herself away from the window. Not careful enough, though. She landed slightly harder on the ground than she anticipated, falling flat on her ass.
"Ouch." She muttered, bending her legs before rubbing the backs of her thighs. Yup, that was definitely gonna leave a bruise.
"Well, well...Miss James."
Haley closed her eyes, shaking her head at the sound of his voice. "Damn it." She whispered. Hesitating, Haley glanced up. Her eyes met the devilish ones of Dan Scott who had a wide smirk forming on his lips. He was dressed in his suit, the newspaper tucked between his left arm and side as he held a coffee mug in his right hand.
"Rough night?" He questioned, still smirking - only broader.
Haley noticed his eyes shift up, obviously something catching his eye. She followed his gaze and found Nathan standing in front of his window, his shirtless body leaning out as his hands rested along the window sill. She saw the same smirk on his lips that his father was sporting. Damn those Scott boys.
Groaning, Haley pushed herself up. She dusted the grass and dirt off the backside of her shorts while slipping her feet into the flip-flops that had fallen near her.
"You know, I've seen Nathan kick girls out of his bed but I've never seen a girl so desperate to get away from him that she resorted to falling out of the window." Dan paused, glancing up at Nathan for a split second. "How bad was the sex?" He asked casually, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Mr. Scott..."
"Oh, come on, Haley - surely we're close enough that you can call me Dan by now." He once again glanced up at his son. "Hell, we could be real family one day. You never know." He added, eyeing the petite brunette who was squirming under his gaze. That's a first - Haley was never one to back down from him. He could see how embarrassed she was at the moment. Dan smirked.
"I gotta go." She whipped around and began strolling towards her car that was sitting on the side of the road.
"Hey, Haley!" He called out, watching and waiting as she hesitantly turned back around. "Nice tattoo - very classy."
Haley blushed, her hand instinctively twisting behind her as her fingers touched her lower back. She inhaled a deep breath before turning once more and rushing away.
Dan chuckled, glancing back up at Nathan. At least he now knew what that HJ meant on his son's shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?"
Haley jumped, snapping back to the present when she heard his voice. She placed the picture frame back in its original spot on the mantle and turned slightly to see Nathan standing next to her, his infamous smirk in line on his lips. She rolled her eyes playfully and smiled.
"Gosh, I couldn't believe you decided to go out the window." He laughed as he stared at the photo of the two of them and Lucas. A second later, he shrugged. "It was pretty entertaining to watch, though."
Haley opened her mouth in shock. "You were awake the whole time?" Nathan nodded, that boyish grin mounting his lips. "I can't believe you just laid there and watched, you big jerk."
"Come on - it was fun, wasn't it?"
"Oh, yeah." She replied sarcastically. "I especially loved when Dan caught me."
"You know what's weird - my dad never said anything to me about us. This is the guy who went on a rampage after finding me and Teresa in bed together. I had to suffer through an hour-long lecture about gold diggers and babies when that happened, but he didn't say a single thing when it was you. Never once. Not then; not now."
"Who knows what goes on in that man's head?" Haley sighed, shaking her head.
Nathan shrugged - she had a point there. He placed his hands on her hips and drew her in closer. She smiled up at him and he leaned down, kissing her lips chastely, lingering slightly. "I saw that Taylor came with you." He commented as she nodded. "How exactly did that come about? The two of you have never really seen eye to eye on things."
"It's actually kind of nice having her home." Haley admitted, watching as he raised in eyebrows in surprise. "I don't know - it's fun to just talk to her. I think our petty sister drama is over. She's growing up; I'm growing up. There's no more need for that other stuff. And it helps that we both get the shaft where our parents are concerned."
He lifted his arms and wrapped them around her shoulders, feeling her arms wrap around his waist.
Haley lowered her face into his chest and muttered, "God, I've missed you, Nathan."
Nathan smiled, saying he did, too.
"Why can't you just come over tonight? I don't know if I can go another night without being with you."
"Tomorrow, Hales." He stated, watching as she lifted her face to look at him. "I'll pick you up around five tomorrow morning. And..."
"In the morning?" She interrupted, looking at him like he was insane.
"Yes, five in the morning." He confirmed, laughing as she groaned. "It will be worth it, Hales. I have something special planned for us - just the two of us, okay?"
She nodded, smiling. Standing on her tip-toes, Haley kissed him.
Well, you've reached the end. Please let me know what you think.
I hope to have another update for you guys on Friday. As some of you may know, the 9th season of Grey's Anatomy comes out tomorrow (super excited!) - I have no baby, no husband, nothing to do on Thursday and plan to sit on the couch, stuffing my face with whatever junk food I can find, and have a Grey's marathon. My laptop will be planted right in front of me and I hope to get some serious writing done as well.
Have a wonderful week and if, for whatever reason, I don't get the chance to update on Friday - have a wonderful weekend! :)