Haley clasped her hands together tightly, feeling the moistness of her nervous palms she whipped them on her napkin, and kept her eyes glued to the menu. Nathan twisted his tight lips only half of his attention on scanning the menu, the other half watching Haley sit nervously, "What can I getcha?" The waitress asked pulling them both from their menus and looking up at her. She stood tall with her blonde hair pulled into a low ponytail and her mouth chomping on a piece of gum, her foot tapped impatiently and she tilted her head looking back and forth between the two.
"I'll just have a coke," Haley said speaking up.
The girl scribbled on her pad and looked at Nathan with her eyebrows raised, "I'll have a coke too."
"Ok," She said slowly as she wrote that down, then she turned on her heels and left the two. Haley's eyes immediately fell back on her menu.
"This place has the best crab cakes in the state," Nathan told her closing his menu and leaning back. She nodded and smiled, "That's about all that's good about this place." He finished laughing.
Her grin widened, "I'm glad you're going out of your way to impress me," She teased.
He shrugged and smiled wide, "I try, but I can't compete with Justin Timberlake."
The two laughed with one another and the waitress dropped their drinks, "You ready to order?"
"Go ahead," Haley said to him.
He glanced down and then back up, "I think I want the surf and turf special."
"How do you want your steak?"
"Medium well," He replied and smiled towards Haley.
"I think I'll try the crab cakes," She told the woman, Nathan reached over and took both menus handing them to the waitress, once she left Haley leaned in, "The crab cakes are so good that you don't want any?"
He leaned in as well and placed his hand over hers, "I don't like them, but I knew you would."
"How's that?" She asked playfully raising her eyebrows.
He picked up her hand and kissed the palm, "I just know you." She felt her face grow warm, and she turned her head so he wouldn't see her blush.
"So that's it?" Peyton asked looking around the room. Brooke sat in an armchair by the window pouting.
"Why don't you just stay here?" She asked her friend.
Peyton smiled and sat on the bed; "Jake's parents can't watch Jenny forever." She replied, "Besides I miss her."
"You ready?" Jake asked coming into the room, with Lucas behind him.
"Yup," Peyton replied standing up and grabbed his hand, "Don't look at me like that Brooke…" She whined noticing her friends trembling lip.
"Married people don't have single friends," Brooke replied crossing her arms.
"Where'd you hear that?" Peyton asked skeptical.
"It's true; whenever people get married they distance themselves from their single friends."
"But your not just a friend, you're my best friend." She wrapped her arms around Brooke's neck, "We will always be friends."
"I couldn't convince her to get rid of you even if I tried," Jake said smiling, Brooke narrowed her eyes, and Jake wrapped his arms around her neck, "But I would never want her too."
She lightly punched him in the arm, "You better not," She pulled Peyton into another hug, "Good luck telling your dad. If you need anything call me."
Peyton nodded, "When are you guys coming back to Tree Hill?"
Brooke back away and Lucas wrapped his arms around her from behind, "We are gonna come back next month for a week before we head off to school." He told them.
Peyton grinned and held Jake's hand, "At least UNC isn't too far away from Duke."
Brooke shook her head, "Not as close as we would have been had you accepted Julliard and not gotten married and I had went to the New York fashion institute." Brooke stuck out her lower lip playfully.
"But then we wouldn't be with these sexy men," Peyton grinned and winked at her best friend.
The young woman dropped the plates in front of the two and Haley knitted her eyebrows at her plate, unsure she poked at it with her fork and looked up at Nathan. He hadn't even looked at his food yet, she saw amusement dance in his eyes, so she looked back down and cut off a small bite and put it into her mouth before she could hesitate any longer. "Oh my god…" She said with her eyes closed, she quickly took another, bigger bite and opened her eyes, "Thos are the most delicious crab cakes I've ever had," He grinned and nodded, "They melt the moment they hit my lips."
He smiled and took a bite of his steak, "I told you," He teased her.
"I'm so not doubting you again," She said laughing.
"I don't think I've ever eaten that fast before in my life," She said laughing five minutes later looking down at her empty plate, and then up at Nathan, "Those were so good."
Nathan put his fork down and smiled at her, "You inhaled them," He said laughing, "I didn't even see you take a breath."
She scrunched her nose and let her mouth fall open in mock shock, "You didn't them justice…I just wasn't prepared for them properly."
It was his turn to let his mouth fall open, "I told you they were good," He defended and then shrugged, "You are just too stubborn, you didn't listen to me."
She twisted her lips, "I'm not stubborn." She whined. Without realizing it she had leaned in and placed her hands palm up.
He leaned in and placed his strong hands over hers, "No…"
She pushed her lips out pondering the idea, "Nope," She said deciding and shaking her head.
He grinned, "You want dessert?"
"No," She whispered realizing that he was holding her hand for the first time, "Let's get outta here."
He nodded and stood the pay the bill, she smiled as he walked away, and she heard her cell phone beep. She pulled her purse onto her lap and pulled out her phone. She noticed an envelope flying around the screen, so she pressed read. 'You've received a text message from Alexa'. It read, she grinned and clicked read. 'Since my best friend isn't here to keep me entertained on the dancer bus, I had to convince Justin to let me hang on his bus.' She scrolled down and up popped a picture of Justin and Alexa posing for the picture together, 'And guess what? It worked!! I'm hanging out with Justin. Wish you were here, love you.'
Nathan stepped up, "What's up?"
Haley looked up startled and shook her head standing, "Alexa just sent me a picture, look." She showed Nathan her phone and he read the words.
"You want to be on that tour don't you?" He asked.
She knitted her eyebrows, "No…"
"Don't lie to me," He said getting quiet, "I saw how you were smiling until you saw that and then you…you…" He stopped himself and turned and walked out of the restaurant.
She ran behind him and when he reached the car she grabbed his arm from getting inside, "What?" She screamed desperately, "You saw me what?"
"I saw the regret in your eyes…the regret of coming home." He said swallowing the hard lump, "Don't stick around for me I'll be fine."
"Who's being stubborn now?" She asked closing her eyes, "I have to tell you this…" She paused and looked him directly in his eyes, "The only thing I regret is leaving you."
"Fine," He said, his face turning into stone and taking his eyes from hers. He opened the car door and got inside.
She stood with her mouth trembling, "So that's…that's…that's it? Is that all I get?"
"What do you want?" He asked staring straight ahead.
"I want you!" She yelled, "I want you to tell me you love me!" She reached up and touched her throat, it was closing and she couldn't say anything else.
He got out of the car and grabbed her shoulders, "I do love you, I've always loved you, but you left me."
"You broke up with me!" She defended herself.
"But I didn't run away." He replied stepping away from her and going to the other side of the car opening he door. She didn't move.
"You can't be mad that I left…that's not fair." She cried.
"I'm not mad," He told her getting back into his seat, "My heart just doesn't heal that easily." He closed the door ending the conversation.
The drive home was long and deafening, fifteen minutes later they pulled into the driveway and Nathan killed the ignition. Haley looked over at him before stepping out of the car, "I'm not going anywhere," She opened her door and he was watching her, she patted his chest where his heart is located, "When and if ever your heart trusts me again, I'll be here." She stood up and looked down, "I promise."
