Chapter 27

April 15, 2012

It was early in the morning, and the kitchen was filled with noises that echoed throughout the house. Haley, however, didn't care. She didn't care that she was making a loud racket. She didn't care that everyone else was still sleeping. She didn't care that what she was doing would probably be considered immature. All Haley knew was that this was the angriest she'd ever been with Taylor in a long time.

Haley was in utter shock when Greg had showed up at the house last night. Never in a million years was she expecting to see him. One minute she was concerned about not having enough egg rolls with her meal and the next she was looking at her former best friend whose sole mission was to break up her marriage. Add the fact that he was now dating her tramp of sister and it couldn't get any worse. The blender, garbage disposal, coffee grinder, and tea kettle were already screeching, but it didn't seem like enough. Haley walked over to one of the cabinets and started slamming the door open and shut. Afterward, she went under the counter to grab a bunch of pots and pans. She dropped them onto the floor with a loud crash.

Nathan was hurrying into the kitchen a moment later. "Haley, stop."

"Sorry," she mock whispered. "I was just trying to wake Taylor and Greg."

"I'm sure you did, along with the rest of the neighborhood," he said while turning all of the appliances off. "How long have you been up?"

Haley poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Since I dreamt that my sister was screwing my best friend."

"Ex-best friend," he corrected.

"Did you dream that, too? That's so weird. Did I kill them in yours?"

"No, actually you played it cool."

"Well, then you really were dreaming because there is no way to play this cool. This is the most un-cool thing Taylor has ever done."

"Morning, kids," chimed a perky voice.

Haley's eyes narrowed as her sister walked into the kitchen with an extra spring in her step. "Good morning, slut. You can get your things and go now," she said, pulling away the plate of muffins that Taylor was about to grab.

Taylor smiled. "Aw, what's wrong? Are you still mad about me and Greg? It's so last night."

Haley eyed her scantily-clad ensemble. "I thought we talked about what is and is not appropriate to wear around my house."

"They're Greg's favorites."

"I don't care what they are. Go upstairs and change. And pack your bags while you're at it."

"Come on, Haley Bop. Don't be this way."

"You're one to talk," Haley scoffed. "You have some nerve bringing him here. You know what happened between us."

"That's between you and him. Not me and him," Taylor retorted. "Plus, you let him stay last night."

"Because it all happened so fast and we were too shocked to really say anything!"

"You seem to be the only one who feels that way." She eyed Nathan.

"Oh, I'm pissed. Make no mistake about that," he chimed in. Nathan couldn't think of another person he despised more than Greg. That man had almost succeeded in driving a wedge between him and Haley once before. In Nathan's opinion, he was just as bad as Dan had been.

"He's not going to be here for that long."

"Neither are you. You're leaving today," Haley declared.

"I can't. I don't have a job."

"You've got your new boyfriend. You should be all set."

"Greg's in between jobs right now, too."

"I don't care," Nathan stated. "He's not staying here."

"Would you two chill out?"

"Chill out? Chill out! Are you kidding me? Not only are you dating my ex-best friend, but you also bring him into my home. Do you not see anything wrong in that?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment. "Nope."

"Come on. You cannot expect me to honestly believe that this thing between you two is anything more than some sick joke."

"What's so sick about it? Greg's a great guy. You couldn't see it, and I could. Can't you just be happy for us?"

Haley's temper flared. She couldn't believe the complete nerve of her sister. "You know what would make me happy? Throwing you out a window, but I'm going to settle for you using the front door."

"That's no way to treat your sister and potential brother-in-law."

Nathan quickly stepped forward and put an arm around Haley before she could lay a hand on her sister. She looked like she was two seconds away from choking Taylor.

"Morning, guys," Greg greeted. He was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt and his hair was ruffled.

"Don't 'morning' me, Greg," Haley snapped.

Taylor kissed Greg. "You'll have to excuse my sister, honey. She's cranky this morning. Those pregnancy hormones can really be a bitch."

"You're the bitch!"

"Hales, calm down," Nathan tried to intervene. He said in a low voice so only she could hear, "Don't get yourself worked up. It can't be good for your condition."

Haley took a few deep breaths to get her emotions under control. She really wasn't feeling that well this morning. Her anger and anxiety about Taylor and Greg surely weren't helping. She put her hand to her stomach when she felt the baby kick. "I need to go lie down," she announced and stalked out of the room.

Taylor rolled her eyes. "And they say I'm the drama queen."

"Enough, Taylor. Haley has enough to deal with right now. She doesn't need any of your bullshit. I want you both out of this house by this afternoon," Nathan ordered. "End of story."


"That makes me sick. Taylor is awful and such a…such a…" Brooke searched for the right word.

"Bitch, tramp, whore, traitor…" Haley supplied.

"That's it."

"So she's actually dating your former best friend?" Karen questioned.

Needing to get out of the house, Haley had called Brooke and asked her to come to Karen's Café. She needed to blow off some steam about the situation. If she didn't calm down, she might actually just choke her sister when she returned home. She and Brooke sat at the counter. In between serving customers, Karen would join them.

"Yup. And then she tried to make it look like I'm the one who's horrible. I wish I could be surprised, but it's so typical of her."

"Please tell me you're not going to let them stay."

"Nathan ordered them to be out of the house by this afternoon."

"Good," Karen stated. "It's disrespectful, what she did."

"Yeah, it is," Haley mumbled. She knew that she had every right to demand that Taylor and Greg leave. She'd only agreed to let Taylor stay with them for a few days. It wasn't supposed to be a long-term thing. And having her boyfriend over wasn't part of the deal. Especially when said boyfriend was Haley's ex-boyfriend/best friend who had tried to ruin her marriage. A part of Haley was shocked that Greg would dare show up on their doorstep. It was definitely something Taylor would do. But Greg, despite his faults, was usually smarter than that. Did he honestly think they'd just welcome him into their home with open arms?

But Haley also knew what would happen if she threw Taylor out. She'd forever make Haley out to be the bad guy, and she'd never hear the end of it. Somehow Taylor would spin it in her favor to make the rest of the family feel bad for her. Vivian wouldn't fall for it, but her parents might.

"You have that look on your face," Brooke observed.

Haley frowned. "What look?"

"That look where you're unsure of something."

"I do not."

"Yeah, you do. What are you thinking about?"

Haley sighed loudly. "It's going to sound crazy."

"What is it?" Karen prodded.

"I'm kind of wondering if…" she took a moment to build up the courage to get the words out. "If I should just let them stay for a few more days."

"What?" Brooke exclaimed, almost choking on her coffee. "Are you nuts?"

"I told you it would sound crazy."

"It doesn't sound crazy. It is just plain crazy. Why would you even consider doing that?" "I thought you wanted them to leave," Karen added. "I do want them to leave. But if I do kick Taylor out, I'm never going to hear the end of it. I'll look like the immature one, and she'll have gotten the best of me."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "That makes no sense."

"You don't know my sister. She holds grudges. And if I make a big deal out of this, then I'm playing right into her little game. It might be best if I act like the bigger person and suck it up."

"First of all, you're pregnant. Second, Nathan is injured and is kind of going through a crisis with this whole HCM thing. And third, Greg was a total devious bastard to you in the past, which hasn't changed much since he's now with your slutty sister," Brooke listed off.

"I know."

"Then it's simple. Kick their asses out."

Haley rubbed her hands over her face in frustration. "I have to think about this some more."

"Tutor Girl!"

"Brooke, please," Haley pleaded.

"Fine. I won't say another thing," Brooke relented. "I just call 'em like I see 'em."

"Let's talk about something else."

"Like what?" Karen questioned.

"How are the wedding preparations?"

Brooke's entire body perked up at that. "Now that's a fascinating topic…"


Nathan watched as Greg dragged Taylor's suitcase down the stairs. In a few minutes they'd both be gone and out of his and Haley's life. Then things could finally go back to normal. "Almost done?" He leaned against the stairs with his arms folded.

"Taylor's got a few more things to pack up."

"Tell her to hurry it up."

"Look, I know that you don't like me—"

"That's an understatement."

"—but I didn't know that it was your house we'd be staying in."

"Sure," Nathan replied, unconvinced.

"I'm telling the truth."

"That'd be a first."

Taylor came down the stairs a second later carrying the rest of her stuff. "That's all of it," she declared. "I still can't believe you're kicking us out."

"And I can't believe you'd have the nerve to bring him here. I guess that makes us even." Greg looked down at the ground and shook his head. Nathan bit back another retort. He was not going to get into a fight with this guy. He wasn't worth it.

The front door opened, and Haley walked inside. "Good. I came back just in time," she announced.

"You gonna personally boot my ass out the door like you promised?" Taylor retorted.

"No, actually. I've had some time to think, and I'm gonna let you stay." Everyone's eyes widened in shock. Nathan, however, was the first to speak.

"What! Haley."

"You have until Wednesday like I originally promised. That's all the time I'm going to give you. So you should have other arrangements ready by then."

Nathan couldn't believe what he was hearing. He took his wife by the arm and led her down the hallway. "Haley, can I talk to you for a minute?" He pulled her into the laundry room. "What are you doing?"

"Okay, I know you probably don't like this—"

"No, I don't."

"Nathan, please just hear me out. They'll only be here for a few more days. We can handle it."

"They are not staying here, Hales. No way."

"Nathan, if we kick them out, then I'm never going to hear the end of it from my sister."

"So? I don't give a damn what she thinks."

"She's going to make it miserable for us every holiday. And I don't know about you, but I'd like to be the bigger person and keep things civil."

"Haley, your sister was the one who screwed up. She had a hell of a nerve bringing that prick here. I do not want him in this house."

"Nathan, please. Please just do this for me." Haley placed her hands on his chest and begged him to understand.

Nathan's expression remained hard at first. He really, really didn't want Taylor and Greg to stay with them. But Haley was using those puppy dog eyes of hers on him. She knew he couldn't resist those. And if it was that important to her… "Ugh, fine," he miserably agreed. "I still think this is a bad idea."

"Thank you." Haley hugged him and pulled him in for a kiss. "You're a good man."

"I didn't say I'd be nice."

"All you have to do is tolerate them. That's it."

"Whatever. I've got to see Whitey. The team's game tomorrow determines whether they're going to the playoffs. We need to go over some things."

"Okay. When will you be home?"

"I don't know." He heard laughing from down the hall, and the sound of kissing. "But as late as possible."

Haley and Nathan walked back down the hall. Taylor and Greg barely noticed them at first. Nathan cleared his throat and waited for them to break it up. Afterward, he grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack and pulled the car keys out of the pocket.

"Where you headed, brother-in-law?"

"Out," Nathan replied curtly. He gave Haley a kiss goodbye, shot a warning glare in Taylor and Greg's direction, and was out the door.

"You guys really need to lighten up."

"Look, I'm letting you stay here but I wouldn't push your luck."

"I knew you'd do the right thing, little sis."

"Don't mess up the house and keep your distance from Nathan, and we won't have a problem."

"Uh, Haley," Greg spoke up. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

Haley eyed the arm he had around her sister and the lip gloss all over his mouth. "I've got a nursery to work on." And with that, she walked right past him and up the stairs.


"Now this takes me back."

Haley smiled at Brooke before returning her attention to the basketball court. It was Tree Hill versus Oak Lake in the battle for the playoffs, and the whole town had come to watch. According to Nathan, it was the first time the Ravens had even come close to making the playoffs since he and Luke had been on the team.

"Go Ravens!" Haley shouted. Karen and Keith, who were on the other side of Brooke, were also cheering.

"Some of these boys are hot."

Haley rolled her eyes at her sister's comment. "Remember that they're all underage, Tay."

"Just because I've got my man," she ran her hand up and down Greg's thigh, "doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the view."

"And I thought I was once a slut," Brooke muttered. Haley held back a laugh and nudged her best friend.

"Hey, Mrs. S," someone called.

Haley turned around and saw Sam and a couple of her friends sitting in the row behind them. "Hi, Sam. I'm glad you could make it."

"My friends dragged me to this."

"Well, it's good that you're here to support the team."

Sam shrugged. "It's not as bad as I would've thought."

"Who's you're little friend, Haley Bop?" Taylor questioned.

"This is Sam. She's one of my tutees. Sam, this is my sister, Taylor."

"Hi," Sam replied with a nod.

"Don't sweat it, kid. School really isn't all that important."

Haley's jaw dropped open. She shot a menacing look at her sister. She'd tried to convince Taylor that it wasn't necessary for her to come tonight. Nathan wasn't playing; he was only the assistant coach. But she insisted that it would be a fun night out. With comments like that, it's no wonder why she never wanted to take her sister anywhere.

"She's just joking," Haley quickly covered. "Don't mind her."

Sam's eyebrows rose as she suppressed a smile. She actually looked amused by Taylor's comment. "I think you're the first person to ever tell me that."

"She's got a sick sense of humor. School is important. You can't get anywhere without an education," Greg spoke up.

Haley was glad for the reinforcement but refused to look in Greg's direction. She didn't want him to think that she was in any way pleased by his presence. Mostly she just ignored him whenever he was around. He'd tried to talk to her again today, but thankfully Haley had tutoring as an excuse to get out of it. She had no idea what Greg wanted to talk to her about, and frankly she didn't care.

"Got it," Sam said with a nod.

"So, Jack's been doing great tonight," Haley changed the subject. "Don't you think?"

Sam looked toward the court and back at Haley. "Yeah. He's really fast."

"He's a nice guy, too."

"That'll change now that he's crossed over to the dark side."

Haley frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He's one of the jocks now. Leave him around Quentin for a while, and he'll sop up some of that ego."

"I don't think so," Haley disagreed. "I think you'd be surprised just how much he can hold his own around those guys. Something I think you both have in common."

Sam looked at Haley strangely. "Is there something you're trying to get at, Mrs. S?"

"No. It was just an observation. Enjoy the rest of the game." Haley turned back around to face the front.

"Since when do you play matchmaker for your students?" Brooke whispered in her ear. The bemusement was obvious in her tone.

"Since I found out Jack has a major crush on her but is too nervous to make a move. It couldn't hurt laying a little groundwork for him."

"You are so bad, Tutor Mom." Haley grinned and shrugged unapologetically. She liked to take an interest in her students. And now that Jack was getting some help for his test anxiety, Haley figured it couldn't hurt to give him a push in the right direction with Sam.

Haley glanced off to the sidelines and saw Nathan yelling something to the guys on the court. He was so sexy when he got all worked up like that. His face was even a little red. Her next thoughts, though, weren't so heated. If Nathan was flustered, then it must mean that his heart was racing. That couldn't be good if he had HCM. She felt a surge of panic shoot through her and tried to calm down.

"Haley, are you okay?" Brooke questioned, her voice laced with concern.

"Huh?"

"You look a little pale."

"Do I?"

"Are you feeling okay? Did you want to get some air?"

"Um, no. I'm fine."

Brooke didn't seem to be convinced. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes honed in on Nathan, who was shouting again. "Everything's just perfect."