Thank you all for the reviews last chapter. To answer a popular question, I did not meet James. He actually looked like he was in a rush to get somewhere, and I really didn't want to bother him. Just seeing him up close was awesome enough. Also, someone asked about my other stories. I am actually working on the last chapter of Feeling a Moment right now, but I've decided to post it after IY is complete. There are about fourteen chapters left in this story. As for Leave the Pieces, I honestly have not even started writing that yet. I have an outline, but my time to write has been really limited lately. My life is really hectic right now, and I'm just feeling wiped out. But I will try my best to keep updating and working on my stories.

On that note, I hope you like this next chapter. Some of you were wondering how Lucas is handling his loss, and you'll see how he's dealing with it in this chapter. There are some big things ahead. So please read and review!

Chapter 33

Nathan had just started to fall asleep when a loud ringing pierced the silence of the bedroom. He jumped at the sound and let go of Haley to turn around and reach for his cell phone on the nightstand.

"Who is it?" Haley asked, her voice thick with sleep.

Nathan turned on his bedside lamp and looked at his phone. "It's my mom." He quickly accepted the call. "Mom, what's the matter?" Receiving a call this late at night was never a good thing.

"Nathan, honey, I'm at Tric. I'm okay, so don't get worried."

"But something is wrong," he assumed.

"I called because Lucas is here at the bar. He's really drunk, Nathan, and is kind of making a scene," Deb explained. "Karen's not working tonight, and I really don't want to call her. She'd be really upset if she saw Lucas like this. I don't know what to do."

Nathan rubbed a hand over his face. "Mom, I'm coming to get him. Just keep an eye on him until I get there."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"What happened? Where are you going?" Haley questioned as he got out of bed to get dressed.

"I have to head over to Tric. Lucas is there, and he's drunk. I have to go get him before he gets into trouble."

"I'll come with you."

"No. It's late. I want you to stay here."

"Nathan—" she tried to protest.

"Please, Haley. If you want, I can call you when I get him home. Unless you're sleeping then—"

"No, I don't care. I want you to call me," Haley urged. "I'll be up all night worrying if you don't."

Nathan slipped into a pair of jeans and a dark blue polo shirt. He grabbed his wallet off of the nightstand, along with his phone.

"Be careful," Haley said.

He leaned down and pecked her on the lips. "I will. Try and get some sleep." She needed her rest more than ever now. Nathan didn't want Haley to suffer, because his brother was at Tric acting like an idiot.

Haley watched him leave and shook her head. Sleep was the last thing on her mind.

Nathan entered Tric and searched for his mom. He hadn't seen the club since it had been remodeled. The place was dark and packed with people, making it even harder to find her. Finally Nathan just pulled out his cell phone and called her. Deb said to go toward the bar; she'd meet him there.

Nathan spotted the bar rather quickly. Blue lights ran along the counter and ceiling, illuminating the area. He saw his mom and rushed over to her. "Where is he?" Nathan demanded. Deb pointed over to the right. Nathan's eyes followed the length of the bar all the way to the end. At first he didn't recognize Lucas. Instead of his usual full head of sandy blond hair, the sides were shaved with what looked like a Mohawk in the middle. He was also wearing sunglasses and seemed to be missing his shirt.

"Why is he shirtless?"

Deb shook her head. "I have no idea. He was dancing with some girls a while ago."

Nathan noticed the crowd around his brother now. It consisted mostly of women with short skirts and barely-there dresses. The girls were snapping pictures of themselves with Lucas on their camera phones. This was not good. His mother was right; Karen would have a fit if she saw Lucas like this.

"Damn it," Nathan muttered under his breath. He left his mother and walked over to Lucas and his groupies. "Lucas," Nathan had to call several times before his brother noticed him.

"Nathan!" Lucas exclaimed.

He pushed his way through the crowd. "What are you doing?"

"I'm having some drinks with my new friends," he slurred, making wild hand gestures. "Join us. Everyone, this is my little brother Nathan. Nathan, this is everyone."

Some of the women giggled while others eyed him appreciatively. Nathan ignored them. "Lucas, it's time to go."

Lucas laughed loudly. "But I'm not ready to go. Tell them to turn the lights back on."

"You're wearing sunglass," Nathan pointed out.

Lucas took them off and squinted at the light. "Oh, right. Good one, Nate."

"What the hell happened to your hair?"

"What's wrong with my hair?" Lucas asked in a panic and touched his head. There was a mirror over the bar. Lucas stared at his reflection. "Wow. That's cool."

"You look ridiculous," Nathan snapped.

"I think he looks hot," one of the women commented.

Nathan felt a hand on his arm.

"You're pretty hot, too," a brunette spoke up. "I've seen your games. You look like you have really strong hands."

A tall blonde with bright pink lips and big boobs added, "You know what they say about big hands." The others giggled. "It's actually always been a fantasy of mine to have two brothers."

"I'm married," Nathan said and held up his left hand. "And he's engaged."

The woman smiled seductively. "I can keep a secret."

Lucas busted out laughing like what she said was the funniest thing in the world. Nathan was losing his patience, fast. "Lucas, we're leaving. Now."

"I can't. I still have to dance with…who was I supposed to dance with?"

"I was next," a redhead chimed in.

"That's right." Lucas tried to get up and instead almost fell off of his stool. Nathan caught his arm and steadied him. "Let's go, Tracey."

"It's Stacey."

"I knew that."

"Lucas, I need to speak with you for a moment."

"Ow, man, you're hurting my arm," he complained as Nathan dragged him off to the side.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Lucas?" Nathan demanded. "Think about your reputation. What about your family? What about Brooke? Would you want them to see you like this?"

"I'm just having fun. I've had a shitty week."

"Getting drunk and acting like a jackass isn't the answer."

Lucas took him by the shoulders. "Lighten up, Nate. It's all good." He turned to his group of admirers. "Who wants another round of shots? On me!" The crowd cheered loudly. "See, they love me."

Nathan spotted his mother a few feet away. She looked concerned. He grabbed Lucas by the arm again and started to drag him toward the exit. "Fun's over. You've had enough."

"Ow, Nathan!" he whined. "You're fucking hurting me."

"And you're acting like a fucking teenager," Nathan bit back, not loosening his grip. Lucas was too drunk to even pull away. Nathan ignored the stares of the people around them. The women were also calling them to come back.

"Do you need any help?" Deb questioned when they reached her.

"No. I'm taking him home."

Deb nodded and told him to be careful on the road.

"Shit, it's cold," Lucas cursed as they left the club and the night air hit them.

"You wouldn't be cold if you had your shirt. What the hell happened to it?"

"I don't remember. I think I took it off while dancing. It got hot."

As Nathan helped Lucas get into the car, he saw a series of flashing lights. He cursed under his breath. It was the fucking paparazzi. Just what they needed.

"Nathan, Nathan!" they shouted. "Were you and your brother partying at the club tonight?"

"Lucas, is this what you're doing now that you're out of the NBA?"

"Where's your shirt? What's up with the new hairdo?" another reporter questioned.

Nathan pushed his way through them and hurriedly got into his car. He started the engine and sped away.

"I wish I had my sunglasses. I think I'm blind," Lucas mumbled.

"You do realize that that's going to be all over the papers tomorrow, right?" Nathan told him.

"I can't fucking see."

Nathan snorted and shook his head. His brother was in worse shape than he thought. His suspicions were confirmed when Nathan heard snoring a couple of minutes later. "Unbelievable."

Nathan woke Lucas up when they arrived at his house. He was unsteady on his feet, so Nathan had to keep him upright as they walked inside. He led Lucas to his room but had to make a detour to the bathroom first after his brother announced that he was going to puke. Nathan was unable to watch as his brother wretched into the toilet. It wasn't so much that he was grossed out. It was the fact that he'd never seen Lucas act like this. Nathan had usually been the drunken jackass. Sure, Lucas had gotten drunk and thrown up before, but he'd never been this bad. It was painful for Nathan to see his brother reduced to this.

When he was finished, Nathan led him into the bedroom. Lucas passed out cold as soon as his head hit the pillow. Nathan sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. He left the room and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket, dialing his home number. Haley picked up after only two rings.

"Nathan, are you okay? How's Lucas?" Haley said in a rush.

"I'm fine. Lucas is drunk and sleeping it off right now. I think I'm going to stay the night. I don't want to leave him alone when he's like this."

"Okay. I'd rather you didn't drive this late anyway."

"Do you think you could stop over in the morning?" Nathan questioned.

"Sure."

"And bring the electric razor."

"Why?" She sounded confused.

Nathan stared at his brother and his whacky hair. "You'll see. Goodnight, Hales."

Nathan woke up early the next morning. He'd stayed in one of the guest rooms but hadn't gotten much sleep. He'd heard Lucas get up throughout the night and run to the bathroom. Sometimes Nathan would get up to help him. Other times he left him to fend for himself.

Nathan walked into the kitchen to make some coffee. His brother would need it when he got up. Before coming downstairs, Nathan had checked on him one more time. Lucas was still sleeping. Not having the chance to look around last night because he was too busy dealing with Lucas, Nathan surveyed the house. There were beer bottles and cans everywhere, along with empty bottles of hard liquor and wine. The house even had a funny smell to it.

"Lucas," Nathan sighed to himself, "what are you doing?"

When the coffee was finished, Nathan poured himself and Lucas a cup. Nathan took a few sips of his own before grabbing Lucas's mug and making his way upstairs again. He walked into Lucas's room. It was even messier than the downstairs. Clothes were strewn across the floor and on the furniture. A few food wrappers were scattered about. Brooke would have a fit if she were home.

"Lucas," Nathan said loudly. He shook him a little. "Lucas."

Lucas groaned as his eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?"

"You're home."

He put a hand to his head and groaned. "Ugh, what's with the killer headache?"

"You drank too much last night."

Lucas groaned again. "I think you're right."

"Of course I am. Now get up and drink this." Nathan placed the mugs on the bedside table and went to open the window shades, letting the bright morning light shine in.

"Go away," Lucas muttered and placed his pillow over his head.

Nathan also opened the window. "Dude, you look like shit. And it seriously smells like ass in here."

Lucas sat up. "I said go away. Ow." He clutched his head again.

"Here, drink this." Nathan handed him the coffee.

"Thanks," he mumbled and took a large sip.

"Do you remember anything that happened last night?"

"Not particularly. Maybe a couple of images here and there." Lucas ran his hands over his head and froze when he felt his hair. "What the—" He stood up to look at himself in the mirror. "Holy crap. I have a Mohawk."

"I guess you didn't remember that. You also threw up about six times last night."

His face contorted. "I think that I remember."

"What is going on with you, Lucas? Going out and partying, getting drunk, and flirting with other women…that's not you."

"It was just one night."

"Then why is the downstairs filled with empty beer cans and liquor bottles?" Nathan challenged. "That didn't look like a one-time deal."

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then tell me. Or are you going to avoid me some more?"

"I've been busy."

"Yeah, I can see that. Getting drunk and acting like an ass is really hard work and a great use of your time."

"It's what you used to do," he shot back.

"'Used to' being the key words there," Nathan emphasized. "As in I don't do that stupid shit anymore."

"Nathan, back off. I'm not in the mood."

"Lucas—"

"I said shut up!" Lucas shouted.

Someone cleared their throat. They both turned to see Haley standing in the doorway. "I wasn't sure if you guys were sleeping. The door was unlocked, so I came in." She took a second to survey the scene in front of her before honing in on Lucas's hair. "Whoa. What did you do to your hair, Luke?"

"Don't ask," Lucas grumbled.

Haley reached into her purse and pulled out the electric razor Nathan told her to bring. "Well, I guess I know why I needed to bring this." Nathan shot her an "I told you so" look. Haley's eyes were questioning, but he shook his head, letting her know he'd tell her everything later.

"Luke, why don't we go into the kitchen? I'll fix your hair down there," Haley suggested. Her nose scrunched up. "What is that smell? It's like…bad cheese."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Let's just get this over with." He walked past her and into the hallway.

Haley waited for Nathan to approach her. "I'm sure you can see that he's not in the best mood today," he said.

"Yeah, that's pretty obvious."

Nathan kissed her and brought her into a hug. "Are you feeling okay today? If not then you didn't have to come. I'll just drive you home."

Haley smiled. Every day Nathan would check to make sure she was feeling all right and if there was anything she needed him to do. He was so sweet. "No, I'm okay."

"You look tired," he noticed and caressed her cheek.

"I didn't get much sleep."

"Yeah, me neither." He pressed his lips to hers once more.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Lucas shouted from downstairs.

"Duty calls," Haley said and led the way. She had Lucas sit at the kitchen table. She plugged the razor into the wall and started to shave off the rest of his hair that was sticking up. Neither Lucas nor Nathan said anything in the meantime. The tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"There," Haley said, finished. "That's better."

Lucas ran a hand over his fully buzzed head. "Thanks."

"Um, Lucas, I have to ask." Haley bit her lip nervously. "Did you hook up with anyone last night at the club?"

"No. Why would you say that?"

"Has your agent called you at all today?"

"My cell phone's been off." Nathan could sense that Haley knew something that she wasn't telling them. She had that unsure and worried look on her face.

"Hales, what's going on?" he prodded.

Haley fiddled with her wedding ring before reaching into her purse. She placed the magazines on the table. "I had to stop at the store before coming here. I saw these while I was there."

Nathan looked them over and was instantly filled with a feeling of dread. Each tabloid cover had a picture of Lucas. One was of a shirtless Lucas dancing with girls at Tric. Another cover was of him with the girls, doing shots at the bar. The third magazine had both Lucas and Nathan on the cover. It was when Nathan was taking him home. Each headline mentioned something about girls, booze, and sex. One headline in particular caught is eye. It said: "Lucas Scott: The beginning of the end?"

"Shit," Nathan cursed under his breath. He glanced over at his brother. Lucas was silent as he looked at the magazines. His face was completely stoic. Nathan's cell phone rang. It was Clay calling him. Nathan let him go to voicemail. He had to deal with his brother first. "I told you this would happen."

"It's just gossip. It'll blow over," Lucas said but didn't sound all that confident.

"Not when you're acting like Lindsay Lohan. The press eats this stuff up, Luke. Everyone's already talking about you leaving the NBA. This just adds fuel to the fire."

"It was one night."

"And that's all it took. Look at the mess you've made."

"Can you not give me a lecture right now?" Lucas snapped. "You don't have a fucking clue about what I'm going through. So just mind your own damn business."

"I was at risk for HCM, too, Luke. And I have an injured knee. I think I have some idea."

"No, you don't. Because you still have your career. Mine is down the toilet, okay? You don't have HCM, and your knee will heal. So don't even try to compare yourself to me. Your life is perfect, and mine is fucked."

"It's not your fault that you have HCM, Luke."

"No, it's that son of a bitch father of ours. I'm glad that he's dead, because if he wasn't I'd kill him myself."

"Lucas," Haley chided. She wasn't a fan of Dan Scott either, but she didn't like the way Lucas was talking. He sounded so cold-hearted and malicious. It's like Haley didn't even recognize him anymore.

"You don't have to be like this, Lucas. You're only hurting yourself by pushing everyone away. Your mom is going to freak when she sees these," Nathan told him. "And what about Brooke? You don't think she's going to be hurt after seeing these photos of you with these women?"

"We're not together anymore," Lucas retorted.

"That's bullshit, and you know it," Nathan called him out. "You still love her, and she loves you. You're betraying her by acting like this."

"I'm betraying her?" he replied incredulously and stood up. His voice rose to a shout. "She ruined me! She's the one who told. I could've still been in the NBA if she hadn't called my coach. I could've finished out the rest of the season with my team."

"She was worried about you, Lucas," Haley spoke up. "She was terrified that you'd get hurt."

"If you're in agreement with her, then why are you here, Haley? Maybe you should go kiss Brooke's ass instead of wasting your time on me."

"Hey," Nathan intervened. "Don't talk to her like that." It was one thing for Lucas to yell at him. Yelling at Haley, however, was crossing a line.

"I can say whatever the hell I want. These women are all the same. They're nothing but a bunch of vindictive, manipulative whores who'll do nothing but suck the life out of you. Get out while you can, Nathan. That's my advice," Lucas declared. "Although, I guess in your case you're stuck. Maybe you should've thought twice before you knocked her up."

That was it. As soon as the words left Lucas's mouth, something inside Nathan snapped. It didn't take long for him to close the distance between himself and his brother. Nathan punched him square in the jaw without even thinking twice.

"Nathan," Haley shouted and rushed toward him. She was so afraid this would turn into a major fist fight. She grabbed Nathan's arm and yanked him back.

Lucas, meanwhile, was sprawled out on the floor, clutching his face.

"Don't you ever talk about my family like that," Nathan retorted. His breathing was hard and his stare irate, but his voice was dangerously calm. "Or next time I'll really lay your ass out on this floor—brother or not."

A cynical smile formed on Lucas's face. "Trust me, there won't be a next time. You can go now."

"Yeah, I am going. Do whatever the fuck you want, Lucas. This version of you isn't even worth helping." Nathan took Haley's hand in his and led her to the door.

Only Haley looked back. Tears formed in her eyes when she saw Lucas not even try to get up. This man wasn't her brother-in-law and best friend. This man was lost and broken. Completely unrecognizable. A stranger. What killed Haley even more was that Lucas was spiraling down further into the darkness, and there was nothing they could do to save him.