Sorry, sorry. My Thursday day off turned into "arguing" with the people at my son's daycare. It was frustrating to say the least but things are better now. And then my hubby and me took an impromptu mini vacation up at the lakes this weekend.
As always, thank you so much for all the story/author alerts I have and continue to receive for this story. And a big thanks to cnis24, Beccks, naleylover4ever, Hah5497, Naleylover87, Katie, naleyhumor, HBJHOTH23 (chapters 24 -25), SPNALEY, NALEYAAF23, othfan48, crazygirl, saderia, GRemy, 2naley, woz1971, courtneylovejason, C, naley4ever1980, and the guests who left reviews. You guys are absolutely amazing!
AN: I'm gonna be honest. This chapter isn't a favorite of mine. There was really only one aspect about it that I was excited to write about so I had a lot of trouble feeling the motivation to write all the rest. Maybe (hopefully) you will all enjoy it but it's not my favorite.
Please forgive any spelling/grammar mistakes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing affiliated with One Tree Hill.
Taylor kissed her sister on the cheek soundly, saying she loved her before skipping to her own car that was parked in the driveway next to Haley's.
Haley said goodbye, waving as she watched her sister start the car and back out of the drive. The two just arrived back at their house; Lily's birthday party ended half an hour ago. They were some of the last two guests to leave - Haley insisted on helping Karen clean up some of the mess, despite the older woman's protests. On the drive home, Taylor received a phone call from an old high school friend, inviting her to a party. The older James sister asked the younger one to come with her but Haley declined, knowing a party wasn't the best idea if Nathan was going to be picking her up at five in the morning.
At that thought, Haley smiled and happily skipped into the house. She ascended up the stairs and went straight into the bathroom after grabbing a couple of towels from the hall linen closet. Turning the shower handle all the way to the left, she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt so amazing against her skin. Haley cleaned her body with her warm vanilla sugar body wash and then washed her hair with the lavender-scented shampoo. When she was all finished, she exited the shower, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She dried her body and hair as best she could before wrapping the towel around her body, tucking the left end into the right over her chest.
Haley arrived in her bedroom just seconds later. She dropped her purse onto the bed right before digging for her phone. A new text message was waiting for her on the phone. She smiled, thinking it was from Nathan but then saw it was from Karen. Her eyebrows raised in confusion, wondering what she wanted at this hour. Karen wanted her to pick something up at the café - she was busy with Lily and Keith was busy with table clean up. Apparently, she needed it before tomorrow.
Haley sighed, tossing the phone onto the bed. She took a few extra seconds to stare at her bed - a bed she really wanted to climb into right now. It was just after nine o'clock which wouldn't be considered late if it were any other day. But Nathan was picking her up in less than eight hours. While she was tired, Haley still needed some time to unwind - get into the bed that looked so incredibly warm and inviting at the moment. She'd pull the book that was tucked behind her pillow and read a few chapters before finally feeling herself able to sleep.
Shaking away those thoughts, Haley walked over to her dresser. She first shimmied into a pair of white, cotton underwear. Then, she pulled out some black cotton shorts and a light pink tank top and dressed, not bothering with a bra. She was just going to the cafe so it didn't really matter. She grabbed a black, zipped up sweatshirt and her purse, throwing her phone into it, before heading back down the stairs.
She made the ten minute, thanks to no traffic, drive and parked on the side of Grace Street. Just in case she needed to call Karen for anything, Haley grabbed her purse and killed the engine before climbing out of the car and strolling up to the café. She unlocked the door and entered into the building, locking the door behind her - even with a small town such as Tree Hill and its relative safety, a person can never be too careful.
When Haley pushed through the swinging doors leading to the back, she noticed a faint light near the stairs. Squinting her eyes in confusion and curiosity, she went to investigate. She found a lit candle, carefully sitting inside a clear glass holder. There was a single-stemmed red rose laying next to it with a note attached. She picked it up and like most would do, brought the flower up to her nose and inhaled a big whiff of its wonderful aroma as she read the note. All it had was an arrow pointing up the stairs.
Haley blew the candle out and headed up the stairs. When she opened the door, Haley found Nathan standing there. The entire rooftop was lit with dozens of candles. Her mouth opened wide in surprise as her eyes continued to glance around the area. She saw an air mattress with some blankets and pillows set up near the brick wall, just under where her and Lucas's hidden spot was. There were red rose petals shaped into a heart on top of the makeshift bed.
"Nathan, what's..." She paused, glancing back at him.
"Happy birthday, Haley." Nathan said, taking a few steps closer to her.
She met him half way. "How did you do all of this?"
"As you know, mom closed down the café all day today and all day tomorrow because of Lily's party." He began as Haley nodded, still recovering from this very nice, unexpected surprise. "I figured this was the perfect spot - no interruptions, nothing. Just the two of us."
Haley took a couple of steps towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned into him, standing on her tip-toes. He met her half way and they kissed softly. "Thank you, Nathan. This is..." Haley paused, glancing around the rooftop. "This is all I wanted - just you and me together. The past month has really sucked."
"I know what you mean. The other day, when you asked me to come over - Hales, I wanted to so badly. It was pure torture for me to refrain. There were many times I almost got into my car and said 'screw it'." He laughed. "But I wanted to do this - make this a really special reunion for us."
"So what was all of that five in the morning stuff? Not to mention, using your mother's phone to text me?" She smirked.
Nathan shrugged. "Well, I wanted this to be and stay a surprise so I decided to trick you a little with the five o'clock stuff. I couldn't text you myself, and I knew you would never refuse to do something if my mom asked you. She was busy with Lily so I sent you a quick text and then deleted it before booking it over here."
She planted her lips against his in a lingering kiss and mumbled, "You are so deceitful."
OTHOTHOTH
Haley watched as Nathan lined up his putter with his intended target before smacking the hard ball. It went in, making him the winner. She put her left hand on her hip as she sent him a pointed look. "You know, most guys would have let their girlfriends win."
"Well, I'm not most guys." He smirked before shrugging. "Besides, I know you, Hales. You wouldn't want me to purposely lose just so you could win."
She sighed. "Fine. You're right. You better never let me win."
He laughed, watching as she placed her putter aside and unzipped her black sweatshirt, draping it over one of the built golf structures. He definitely noticed she wasn't wearing a bra. He was more than enjoying the view.
"What are you staring at?"
Nathan shook his head. "Nothing." He answered with a smirk.
"Sure." She laughed, knowing exactly what his eyes were focused on just seconds ago.
"I think that's enough with the put-put." He declared as he grabbed her hand, leading her over to the makeshift bed as they plopped down onto it. "I have drinks." He offered, holding up a glass bottle.
She squinted her eyes as she read the label and chuckled. "Is that grape juice?"
Nathan shrugged. "I didn't have time to get to the liquor store and this was in my mom's refrigerator so I nabbed it."
"Fine by me. I don't really feel like any alcohol anyway."
He poured some of the juice into a couple of plastic cups, handing one off to Haley. She accepted it graciously, immediately taking a sip. He followed suit.
"That's good." She commented. "Better than champagne."
"Okay." He laughed.
"No, I'm serious. I don't hate champagne but it's not my favorite. Now red wine - that's some good stuff, especially if you mix it with diet 7-UP. Millie turned me onto it. It's like a spritzer - so good."
"Next time, I'll remember to bring that." He said, leaning forward and kissing her lips lightly. "And I got you something else."
Haley watched as he set a long, rectangular jewelry box in her lap. She sighed. "Nathan, you really have to stop with the presents. I don't need them."
"Hales, we are not going through this again. If I want to buy you a present then I'm gonna buy you a freakin' present. And you better get used to it because when I make it as a big NBA star, the presents are only going to come more frequently. Not to mention, I'll be super rich from my endorsements so expect diamonds - lots of diamonds."
"I think you have me confused with your sister-in-law."
Nathan laughed. "No, I don't. You may not be like Brooke who openly points out every diamond she wants to Lucas every time they walk by a jewelry store but you're still a girl. Girls like diamonds. You don't fool me, Hales. So just open the damn thing already."
She playfully rolled her eyes as she picked up the box and opened it, revealing a simple diamond tennis bracelet. She smiled, looking back up at Nathan and kissed him. "It's beautiful. I love it. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Haley glanced at the bouquet of roses sitting on the cement next to their "bed" and smiled. They weren't just one color. There were three red ones, two white ones, two pink ones, two yellow ones, two orange ones, and a yellow one with a red tip. She liked the assortment - while roses of the same color are equally beautiful and appreciated, the variety was refreshing and absolutely perfect.
"These are beautiful, too, Nathan." She commented as her fingers ran over the petals of one of the pink ones.
"Did you know that there are different meanings to rose colors?"
Haley smiled at him, looping her right arm through his left on and resting her head on his shoulder as he continued.
"Yellow means friendship and delight. Pink is appreciation and grace, admiration. White is purity and innocence. Orange means desire. Red is love and beauty."
"You've done your research." She jumped in with a quiet laugh.
"Not really. The girl at the floral shop was totally into me..." He began, smirking at the pointed look she sent him as he continued, "and flirting with me. She annoyingly talked my ear off. I think she was trying to impress me with her flower knowledge." He and Haley both laughed. "But despite that - the info was helpful when choosing which flowers to get you."
She nodded before reaching for the lone yellow one with the red tip. "And what's this one mean?"
Nathan glanced down at her, waiting as she looked up at him. "Falling in love." He answered quietly, staring deeply into her eyes.
Haley felt her breath catch in her throat, feeling the heat stirring in her body with his gaze. A small, hint of a smile formed from her lips. "You should have got two then." She whispered softly.
The two leaned toward one another, their lips connecting. They kissed softly and slowly, sensually. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently shifted her body in front of her, placing her in his lap. Her arms quickly wrapped around his neck. Her chest was flush up against his. Her legs enclosed around his legs. Their lower halves pressed against one another with only a few thin pieces of fabric separating them. She felt him harden underneath her. He heard her moans.
He gently pushed his hands up and under her top, inching his fingers slowly up her back. He caressed her skin sensually, loving that she wasn't wearing a bra right now. Her skin felt so soft and warm to the touch. He loved the simple art of just touching her. Pressing his hands flat against her back, he drew her in even closer to him and felt her hold around his neck tighten. He groaned into her mouth as she brushed over his erection, causing him to harden more. It was almost painful.
He began to push the shirt up as she lifted her arms for him. When it was off, he tossed it to the side. Thankfully, it didn't land on one of the lit candles - that could have been a real disaster considering neither of them were paying any attention.
He then lowered her down against the air mattress. His lips landed on her neck. He slowly kissed his way down her body. He spent several minutes kissing and sucking and gently biting her nipples, taking his time with each. She more than appreciated his actions as she had no problem voicing it.
His lips journeyed down to her stomach. He swirled his tongue in her belly button, feeling her muscles tighten underneath. He hooked his fingers into the sides of both her underwear and her shorts and pulled them down her legs. Again, he tossed the two garments off to the side. Next, he pushed her thighs open and saw that she was ready for him. He lowered his head in between her legs and then his lips and his tongue were on her.
The most wonderful moan escaped from her lips then as her right hand fell to the back of his head and her left hand clutched to the blanket on her side.
It didn't take long until she was panting and moaning, her body quivering in pleasure.
Her hands cupped the sides of his face and she quickly yet gently pulled him up to her. Their lips immediately attached. Their tongues intertwined. They never broke their kiss as he undressed - just once for half a second as he tore the shirt from his body. Then his naked body was laying over hers.
He pushed inside her and stopped instantly. His left forearm was resting against the mattress next to her face as he brought his right hand up to cup her cheek. He stared down into her beautiful, brown eyes as she stared up at him. Her arms tightened around his neck as her fingers raked through his hair. Leaning forward, he kissed her lips. He slowly started to rock in and out of her, using slow, tender thrusts.
Tonight was different. Neither of them pushed for a faster pace. They wanted this to last - to feel something deeper than they've ever felt before. They have had slow encounters before but nothing quite like this. Their trysts have always been meaningful, even the fast quickies they've shared, but tonight...this was them truly connecting as one. Heart, body, and soul. For the first time, they were making love - truly making love.
OTHOTHOTH
Haley inhaled a deep but quiet breath as she lay on her left side, listening to the peaceful noises surrounding her. She heard the light hiss from the wind, feeling the small breeze that came along with it every once in a while. She heard the sound of a car sporadically drive by - given the late hour, it was very few and far between. She heard the crickets chirping and the click of the nearby street light changing in the three increments - she had the length of each signal timed perfectly.
And Haley heard Nathan's steady breathing from behind her - a sound that was incredibly soothing. He had fallen asleep about twenty minutes ago. She tried but wasn't tired - not after what an amazing night this has been. She was content and happy with just laying here and listening to him. To feeling him. She loved this - being held in his arms like this, the feeling of his naked chest flush against her naked back. Haley could stay like this forever.
She loved the simplicity of tonight. She loved how natural and easy things were with the two of them. Laying in these sheets, naked and cuddled in his arms, she didn't understand why they haven't been together for as long as they've known one another. Okay, maybe a few years later considering they were only eight years old when they met but since dating became an important aspect of their lives. She tried to pin-point the exact moment their relationship changed. While that first night during senior year of high school seems like the right answer, she knew it wasn't. Yes, their relationship changed but not in a dramatic way. They remained friends, close friends - there was just an extra dose of sexual tension between them. Was it when they started sleeping together on a regular basis? Was it when they made their relationship official? It was obviously before that moment.
Haley didn't know why these thoughts were invading her brain. Why she was analyzing their relationship - a relationship that was full of so many happy moments. Unforgettable moments. Mind-blowing moments. Bittersweet moments. Sweet moments - like tonight. It honestly didn't matter why she was thinking about this. Haley simply wanted to replay all of these moments over and over.
She felt him stir slightly, feeling his hot breath hit the back of her neck as his hold on her tightened.
"I love you." Nathan whispered in the dark.
A smile formed on Haley's lips as tears filled her eyes. "I love you, too."
Haley closed her eyes as he kissed the back of her head before nuzzling his cheek against her neck.
There you go. Please let me know what you think. I should keep you too long with the next chapter - that one was a little easier for me to write.