A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I have been slacking at getting this chapter out. I have been working a ton and preparing for my vacation next week, so I apologize. I also am trying to start another story and writing 3 at once so my mind has been a little hectic! Thank you to everyone who continuously favorites and reviews each chapter every time it is posted, you guys are the best!
Also this wedding chapter will be in two parts because I wrote a whole lot and didn't want to put it all into one, especially with everything going on so just know that there is more coming!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Tree Hill though I wish I did..
Chapter 29: I Hear Wedding Bells Pt. 1
December 10th, 2016: 6:15 AM
Today was the day. Today was the day that Haley James would officially become Haley James Scott and would be marrying her best friend that she had been in love with since they were in elementary school. Today, Haley would finally walk down the aisle to the man she loved and they would officially start the next chapter of their lives, despite all the obstacles that had gotten in their way. They were here. They finally made it.
Haley woke up around 6 am, her nerves keeping her awake. Her entire bridal party was still sleeping, as they all decided to have a girl's sleepover the night before the wedding and partly due to the fact they all got a little too drunk at the rehearsal dinner and no one wanted to drive and risk anything. Haley was thankful that she had her girlfriends there because sleeping without Nathan was hard, and she was so grateful that was over with.
Right about now, Haley was pretty glad that she had been sneaking water in between drinks because otherwise there would be no way that she would be awake right now. She couldn't just stand here watching everyone sleep, and she couldn't call Nathan so she decided she would head down to the breakfast bar and try to force some food down her throat. The wedding was at 4 so she had a lot of time to kill.
8:57 AM
Nathan woke up, his head pounding again. "I need to seriously stop drinking", he mumbled to himself as he picked himself up out of bed. He almost fell off the bed when he looked over to see Skills passed out next to him. He didn't know why Skills was in his bed and he was in no rush to figure out why. He grunted and walked over to Lucas's bag, knowing that he always carried aspirin with him, and took some. He wanted to be with Haley right now, and didn't know how he was going to make it the next 7 hours.
"Morning little brother." Nathan jumped when he heard Lucas's voice, and quickly covered his now racing heart.
"Geez Luke, you scared me."
"Sorry. I see you helped yourself to my aspirin again. You're buying me the next bottle."
"Yeah, yeah. Shouldn't you be nice to me on my wedding day?"
"Ehh. I see it more as Haley's wedding day since you know, she's my best friend." Lucas patted Nathan on the shoulder and walked towards the shower.
"Hey! I was about to get in there!"
"Guess you'll have to wait then." Lucas shouted back. Nathan sat down at the table and sighed. He decided he needed to waste some time, so he began to write a letter for Haley to have Lucas give to her before the wedding. He figured she would love it, and as corny as it may be, he kind of hoped that she might write him one too.
11:15 AM
Haley and the bridal party were whisked over to the ceremony area and put into a bridal suite. Since there were 5 of them total, they figured they should start getting ready for the wedding.
"And here are your bridal gifts! I hope you all love them!" Haley handed out the boxes as everyone oohed and ahhed and was so happy when she saw their reaction to the gifts. She had gotten everyone these shirts that said Naley Wedding '16 and on the back of each shirt said 'Bridesmaid' or 'Maid of Honor' with a number under it marking how many years they had known each other. She also handed out a small box that had silver bracelets with each of their initials hanging off of them to wear in the wedding.
"Tutor girl, these are beautiful. Thank you." Brooke said as she pulled her best friend in for a hug.
"I also got my godson a shirt too, except his says 'Ring Bearer'. I know it seems kind of corny but I wanted that little nugget to be included. I forgot to mention that I asked Luke if it was okay if Karen walked Keith down the aisle in her hands with the pillow, and she kept the rings with her so he wouldn't loose them. So, it's almost like he is the actual ring bearer."
"Haley, that's so sweet of you! He's going to look adorable I can't wait to cry when I see him." Everyone laughed at Brooke's reaction to her son, knowing full well that he was definitely going to be a mama's boy.
"Hey Haley? I just wanted to thank you for having me in your bridal party and introducing me to all your friends. I know we just met a couple months ago but it means the world to me. I didn't have many friends back in high school so it feels good to finally be a part of something so special." Alex said, as she poured Haley a mimosa and handing it to her with a smile. Haley put it down and gave her a hug.
"You don't have to thank me. You were one of my first friends at Duke, and it doesn't matter how long you know someone. It matters how much of a friend they are to you, and you have been a really great friend these past couple of months so thank you for that."
"Alright, alright. Let's save all this sappy shit for the toasts." Taylor came barging in. "I know I'm not suppose to be in here but my sis is getting married and I want to be part of the festivities."
"Only if you behave Taylor. I will be damned if you try and ruin my wedding." Haley threatened, taking another sip of her mimosa and sitting in the chair so the woman could start curling her hair.
"Don't worry, I would never think of trying to ruin Princess Haley's wedding. Don't ruin this potential nice day we could be having as sisters."
"I'm more of her sister than you are Taylor, and we both know that." Quinn piped in, glaring at her older sister.
"Oh shut up Quinnie. You know you're only in this wedding to hook up with that groomsmen who has bushy eyebrows. I seriously think they are bushier than any caterpillar I have ever seen."
Before Quinn could reply, Peyton put her hand on her arm to stop her.
"Listen up bitch. No one asked you to be here right now. Haley only invited you to this because Karen made her so be grateful that she respects Karen enough to invite you. No one has time for your petty games and maybe if you weren't so jealous of Haley for scoring Nathan then you might not be such a bitch. I am tired of you treating your sisters like shit. I grew up as an only child most of my life, never knowing about my half brother until recently, with a messed up family and I would kill to have sisters like yours growing up so put a pipe in it or leave while you're ahead. " Peyton spat at Taylor who looked back at her in defeat.
"Damn P. Sawyer, who knew you had that bitchy side still in you? I thought Jake pulled it out when you married the poor guy." Brooke joked, Peyton glaring at her in return. Taylor got up and left, not saying a word to anyone.
"Don't worry, she will be back. She always comes back." Haley muttered, rolling her eyes and began to try and relax while this woman pulled at her hair for the next hour.
12:35 PM
Nathan and the guys were getting ready to head out so they could start getting ready, not that it was going to take much time at all. Since they decided to get married at a small little country club in Tree Hill, the guys decided that they would hit up the bar and get some fried food and beers before the wedding and watch the basketball games on TV. Nathan was too nervous to eat, so he stuck to drinking water at the bar, which had everyone in shock. Truth was, he was not only nervous but still felt like shit from the Bachelor's party a couple nights ago and was still trying to recover. The idea and smell of the beer was enough to turn his stomach over and he didn't feel like throwing up while saying his vows or worse, while he was kissing his bride.
"You alright man? You been real quiet." Skills said, as he came over to where Nathan was, at the other end of the bar from Skills.
"Yeah man, I'm good. Just a little nervous."
"Nathan Scott? Nervous? That's news to me dog. You never get nervous. Haley really got the best of you huh?"
"Yeah man. I mean we have gone through so much to get here that I don't want to fuck it up like I do most things in my life."
"You don't fuck things up Nathan." Now Clay was jumping into the conversation.
"No offense Clay but you just met me this year. You have no idea about who I was back then or what I did."
"I know enough from what you've told me. Listen, this is going to be great. You guys have been waiting for this forever, enjoy the ride and don't worry about anything else. So what if you have fucked up in the past, we all have. Don't let that get in the way of your end goal here, which is marrying Haley. If you let it get to you then that's when you're going to start fucking things up."
"Bushy eyebrows here is right. Listen to him, he's cool." Skills said, nodding as he headed back over to where Mouth was sitting.
"Uh, thanks I think?" Clay said, questioning what had just happened.
"Clay, can I ask you a weird question?"
"OOO I love these. Ask away my friend."
"Why was Skills in my bed this morning?"
"Woah Nate, I didn't know you rolled both ways man but that's cool." Clay joked, obviously knowing what happened but enjoying getting under Nathan's skin.
"Come on man, be serious for two minutes of your life will you?"
"Alright, relax Nate. He got really drunk and decided that he wanted to sleep with all of us because we were such great friends to him, and since you were already passed out at this point we kind of pushed him onto your bed and he was too drunk to stand so he kind of stayed there. I guess you could say it was a little prank."
"Wow. I hate you guys." Nathan laughed, shaking his head as he turned his head to focus on the game that was on tv.
2:37 PM
Haley's hair was done and in a very sophisticated updo with two curls hanging down to shape her face. Her makeup was about halfway done which meant that for the last hour before the wedding they were going to take bridal pictures with the party and of her, and prepare herself for what was coming. She was getting so close to marrying Nathan, that she felt even more nauseous than before. She knew there was nothing to be nervous about, but the butterflies just wouldn't go away. She was also waiting for Karen to come by with Keith and distract her for a little and jumped when she heard a faint knock on the door.
"WOAH, No males allowed! If Nathan can't see her just yet, neither can you!" Brooke said, when she opened the door. "Hmm you look sexy." She muttered and instantly Haley knew that Lucas had arrived.
"Not as sexy as you Brooke Davis." They kissed. Haley threw up in her mouth a little. "Listen, I just want to see her for five minutes and give her a pep talk. If I know Haley she is a ball of nerves right now that is going to explode any second. Besides, I have a letter for her from Nathan." Haley's heart began to race and she wanted to turn her head towards the door but she knew the makeup artist would most likely kill her if she even moved a centimeter.
"LET HIM IN!" She bellowed, everyone staring at her and how loud and nervous her voice had sounded. Lucas waltzed in and stopped in his tracks when he saw Haley.
"Wow Hales, you look stunning." He muttered, his eyes huge as he focused on his best friend.
"Thank you." She whispered, giving the woman a look as she sighed and stopped what she was doing. "It's not finished yet."
"You have five minutes. Then you are going to sit back in this chair and hold still for crying out loud and let me finish your makeup!" The makeup artist threatened as she walked over to the water station and poured herself a cup of water.
"You have something for me?" Haley could barely get the words out she was so nervous.
"Not until you calm down. I can hear how nervous you are in your voice."
"I know."
"Has my mom come by yet?" Haley shook her head. "She will be here soon, she told me that she was pulling in about 3 minutes ago so she should be making her way. We know little Keith can be a handful."
"Luke, he's only 2 months old, give him a break."
"I know. But he does cry a lot. I think he gets that from his mother." Lucas joked. Haley giggled.
"I HEARD THAT!" Brooke yelled, huffing off into the other direction.
"You are so going to pay for that later." Haley teased, and Lucas sighed.
"Ahh I know but it was fun while it lasted."
"Can you hurry this up please? The bride isn't ready yet and it's 15 of 3." The makeup artist said from the corner, obviously annoyed by this little detour that was occurring.
"Alright, alright relax. I just have one thing to say and something to give her and I'll be out of your way." The makeup artist rolled her eyes and walked away. "She is something else." Lucas muttered, Haley nodding in agreement.
"She's a total bitch but hey, she made me look beautiful so I guess she's alright."
"You've always been beautiful Haley. You're going to do great, and Nathan's lucky to have you. Hell, I'm lucky to be your best friend. But I'll save the sappiness for when I walk you down the aisle. Here, this is from Nathan. I suggest you read it before she finishes your makeup. I didn't read it but he put a lot of heart into it."
"Can you give him this for me too?" Haley handed Lucas another letter, which she had written for Nathan the other night before the bachelorette party.
"Sure thing Hales. See you out there okay?" Lucas kissed Haley's forehead and left the room, waving politely at the makeup artist and kissing Brooke goodbye. With a deep breath Haley opened the letter and felt her heart flutter when she felt the familiarity of Nathan's handwriting.
"It's now or never right?"
My girl,
I am so happy that our day has finally come, and there were days were I thought it never would. There are days where I ask myself how a beautiful, wonderful, and genuine girl like you could fall for a jackass like me, but I will never let you go. I will always protect you, provide for you, and love you even after the day I die. You always believed in us, even when I didn't and I can't thank you enough for always holding us together through every crack in the road. I'm not really good with words, that's Lucas's thing, but I want you to know how much I love you Hales. I have loved you since the very first day I set my eyes on you so many years ago and I am so thankful to be able to share my life and my love with you. I know you're going to look absolutely stunning when you walk down that aisle, but just know that to me, you are always beautiful. Also, don't judge me when I cry. I love you Haley James, always and forever.
Your soon to be husband,
Nathan
Haley felt the tears slowly come down her cheeks as she read each word over and over, afraid that she missed something the first time. She held it to her heart before closing it and wiping her eyes, knowing that Janet was going to kill her for having to reapply her foundation. But that didn't matter, none of this did. The only thing that mattered was her love for Nathan and his love for her and that was something that would never change.
3:10 PM
"Was she okay? Did she look beautiful? Did she like the letter? What the hell took you so long man?" Nathan bombarded Lucas with questions as he walked in the door. His nerves had finally hit him, he didn't know how he was going to make it through the next 45 minutes.
"Woah Nate, slow down. I was seeing my son and my mother. She's fine. Relax."
"Did you give her my letter or not man?"
"Of course I gave it to her. In fact, if you would let me speak I was going to tell you that she gave me this to give to you. I'm done being your messenger now. I have to get myself ready." Lucas threw up his hands and walked away. He really didn't mind doing this for his best friend and his brother, but he was tired of being the middleman. He wanted to relax before the wedding because he too was nervous. He had to walk his best friend down the aisle, and that was a lot of pressure. He was honored to do it and he didn't want to mess it up.
Nathan tore the envelope open, not even giving it a second thought.
My dearest Nathan,
I am so excited to become your wife on this day. I have dreamed about this day since I was a little girl, and I am so lucky to be loved by you. Your generosity and your kindness are overwhelming, even when you may not see it. You have a heart that is so big and so full of love, and I am so thankful to be loved by you. You have changed my life in so many ways, and we have been through so many hurdles but you continued to stand by my side, even when I pushed you away. Today, today will be the greatest day of my life. Why? Because it is the day that I finally get to marry you and become your wife and know that I get to love you for the rest of my life, and that is more than I could ever had imagined. I love you Nathan Royal Scott and I will love you until the last day of this Earth. Always and forever,
Haley xo
This was all Nathan needed to calm down. He was ready. He was ready to marry the girl of his dreams.
3:45 PM
Haley was pacing. People were being seated, and she was in the backroom with Karen and Lucas, watching the clock tick. She was fine until the bridal pictures were finished, because she knew that this was it. She was about to get married and she was about to walk down that aisle in front of everyone. What if she tripped? What if her dress ripped or she cried so much that her makeup made her look like some sort of zombie at the altar? She felt like she couldn't breathe. She was excited and nervous and anxious all at once.
"Haley, please relax." Karen's voice was soft, as she pulled Haley's arm and turned her to look at her.
"I'm sorry I just can't help but think that something could go terribly wrong. What if Nathan gets cold feet and decides he doesn't want to marry me?"
"Oh stop that nonsense Haley. If I know anything about Nathan, it's that that boy loves you more than anything else in this world. He would do anything for you Haley, and he's probably just as nervous as you are." Karen gently rubbed Haley's back, trying to calm her down. "You look absolutely beautiful Haley and I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. You and Nathan are going to live a beautiful, happy, and long life together, I can feel it. Nathan looks at you in the same way that Keith looked at me. That's true love Haley. I am so proud of you and the woman you have become and I am so honored to play such an important role in your life. But please, just take a deep breath." Karen kissed Haley and hugged her, as she walked away to get to her seat. Haley took a deep breath and she could hear music beginning as Nathan came out with Mouth and her bridesmaids followed in.
"You ready for this Hales? It's almost time. No turning back now." Lucas said, as he walked over to Haley and gave her a quick hug.
"I'm ready. I have been waiting for this day my entire life." She said, as she took another deep breath to try and suppress her nerves as the music began to play and Lucas linked his arm in hers.
They began to walk down the aisle and Haley immediately locked her eyes with Nathan. He looked so handsome in his tuxedo and he kept his gaze with her. She felt the tears in her eyes begin to form and was relieved to see the same thing with Nathan.
"You okay Hales?" Lucas muttered and Haley smiled.
"Never been better." She said through her smile. Everyone was staring at her, she could feel it but none of them mattered. It felt like it was just her and Nathan in the room. She knew that the rest of her life was waiting for her at the end of this aisle and she was excited.
"Wow, Haley looks beautiful. You ready for this Nate?" Mouth asked as he stood next to one of his best friends at the other end of the altar. Everyone was gazing at Haley, and he couldn't blame them. She looked absolutely beautiful.
"I was born ready for this." Nathan replied. "She takes my breath away every single day." He said back, as he continued to keep his gaze locked with Haley's.
The finally reached the end of the aisle and Lucas handed Haley away to Nathan, kissing her cheek as he did so. Haley smiled and she sniffled, obviously trying to hide the fact that she was already crying. They stood at the end and held hands, still never breaking their gaze.
"You are absolutely beautiful. I love you." Nathan whispered.
"I love you too handsome." Haley whispered back and then it was time to begin.
"We have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Haley Bob James and Nathan Royal Scott." There were always some snickers at Haley's middle name, but this time she laughed along with them. She was too happy right now to care.
"They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their life together. The ability and desire for one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift that has been entrusted to us.
It is an all-consuming life task, a lifelong endeavor – the journey we've been preparing for all of our lives. Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond limits, to become more for the sake of the other.
It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges humans to become all that we are meant to be.
As they join in marriage today, Haley and Nathan are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that challenge." ** (This was taken from an officiate website and are not my words)
Haley took a deep breath. The vows were next and she knew her voice was going to shake.
"The bride and groom have decided to prepare their own vows today. Nathan, you may begin."
"Haley, I have loved you since the day I saw you on that playground. You changed my world and turned it upside down and made me a better man. Before I met you, I was a rowdy little punk and I continued to act that way growing up but you changed that when you showed me what it was like to love and to care for someone. You mean the world to me baby, and I promise you on this day that I will love you until the day I die; every ounce of you. I will always protect you and always will provide for you. I will always care for you and love you until the day the world stops spinning, and even after that my love will continue to grow. Always and forever."
Now, Haley knew she was definitely crying. Nathan wiped a tear from her cheek and she giggled.
"Haley, if you could now recite your vows."
"Nathan, wow. I can't believe this day has finally come. You have shown me true love and I am so grateful to be able to spend every waking day by your side. Whenever I was unsure of what the future held for us, you weren't. You always knew that we would end up together, even when odds were against us and I was pushing you away. You never once gave up. And on this day, I promise you that I will never give up on us or the love that we share. When I look into your eyes, I see my future and I see happiness and love. I will love you until the day I die and even after that, always and forever."
"Now you may exchange the rings." Haley slid the ring on Nathan's hand, smiling at the grin that he held. She felt butterflies when he slid the ring onto her hand an knew that it was the perfect fit. This was her future. This was now.
"Nathan, do you take Haley Bob James to be your lawfully wedded wife through sickness and health until death do you part?"
"I do." Nathan said, his voice a little shaky. Haley took a deep breath and bit her lip.
"Haley, do you take Nathan Royal Scott to be your lawfully wedded husband through sickness and health until death do you part?"
"I do." She said, smiling as the words came out of her mouth.
"With the power vested of me in the state of North Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride." Nathan dipped Haley into a passionate kiss as their friends and family rose to their feet and applauded. They turned around holding hands and smiled at all of those who continued to support them through their journey.
"For the first time I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Scott."
Haley had goose bumps as he announced their marriage. Through everything, they had finally gotten to this point.
They had finally made it.
