What? An update? Nice!

I'm really, really sorry. I (like many others) have been extremely busy, but am finding myself with a bit of free time for awhile. I'm really trying to update, but life keeps getting in the way.

Chapter 48

Nathan was bouncing on his heels.

That's the first thing Haley noticed when he picked her up from the airport.

And then in the car ride, he couldn't stop tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, or keep his knee from bouncing.

At one point she'd rested her hand on his leg to try and stop him, but that seemed to make him all the more jumpy.

They'd arrived home, and Nathan immediately suggested they get out of the house.

It was a hot, humid day... And he wanted to leave the cool air conditioned house? After she'd been gone for a few days?

But still, Haley had complied because he'd been acting strange, and seemed to need some type of release.

So they jogged to the park near their house. Well... She jogged. Nathan sprinted.

The sun was high in the sky, beating down heavily and reflecting off the pavement.

They usually kept in pace with each other when they ran together, mostly just enjoying one another's company. But he'd popped his headphones in, and taken off.

They jogged around the walking track near the park as well. Again, he sprinted while she tried to figure out what was going on, while also trying to avoid falling to heatstroke simultaneously.

She couldn't figure out how or why he was going so fast in the middle of the day.

Or why he seemed to want to keep a distance from her when they had not seen each other in person for days.

He was so confusing sometimes, she truly didn't get him.

When she really just couldn't take it anymore, she opted out and walked off the track, laying on the cool grass underneath the shade of a tree.

It wasn't long until she felt him take a seat next to her, his breathing heavy and ragged.

She tugged her headphones out of her ears, pausing the music she'd been listening to.

"You alright?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Yeah," He responded, letting out a deep breath. He lifted the hem of his shirt, wiping some of the sweat from his face.

"Should've brought Scout," She said, shrugging, before turning her gaze back to branches above her, watching as the leaves flowed when a hot wind breeze hit them occasionally.

"He'd be tired. We'd have to carry him back," Nathan chuckled, glancing down at her and letting out a deep breath.

She didn't respond, so he laid down as well, his body slightly angled away from her, but his head near hers.

"I am not enjoying this," Haley said, shaking her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Yeah, it's pretty warm," He mumbled, reaching his hand over until it connected with her arm. He slowly slid his fingers down her forearm until their palms connected, interlocking their fingers.

Not exactly what she meant, but that played a part in it.

"I guess I can carry you," He joked when she didn't answer, turning his head to look at her.

Usually, she would laugh at that. But right now, she didn't feel like laughing at him. She couldn't laugh until she knew what was going on.

"Everything okay?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

Haley looked at him, frowning slightly. "You tell me."

"I'm good. Are you good?" He hummed, squeezing her hand.

"I'm good," She responded, sighing softly.

"Good," He said, letting out a deep breath. He laid there for a moment, before pushing himself up to his feet, raising his eyebrows at her. "Ready to go?"

"Yep," She said, accepting his out reached hand and standing up.

He smiled at her, tilting his head to the side. "Want to walk?"

"Whatever you want," She said simply, crossing her arms.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, kicking his foot at the ground and nodding ahead.

It took longer than on the way there, but they did eventually arrive at home.

He leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her cheek, his hand slipping into hers.

"There's something that I want to talk to you about," He whispered, kissing her head again.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise at that, ready to poke and prod until he finally admitted what was bothering him. But here he was, opening up.

"Alright," She said, offering him a small smile, nodding her head.

He kept a tight grip on her hand, leading her up the stairs slowly.

She sent him a confused look when they arrived at their bedroom, her bag still resting on the bed.

He gestured for her to sit down, running his hand through his hair. He stepped into the closet, returning a moment later empty handed.

"I love you, Haley," He said quickly, nodding at her. "More than I've ever loved anything, or anyone."

"I know..." She responded slowly, nodding at him.

"Honestly, opening up to people doesn't come easy to me. I just bottle things up, and carry on. I'm impulsive," He said, wiping his hands on his shorts. "And sometimes I do crazy things. Stupid things. And sometimes maybe those stupid things aren't as stupid to some people?"

She blinked, taking a moment to repeat what he said in her head.

"Okay, I think I understand," She said, clearing her throat.

He sighed, pushing his slightly sweaty hair off his forehead, closing his head. He looked at her, nodding slowly.

"But sometimes those stupid things are stupid to other people. Sometimes they're really stupid. And sometimes I can't even figure out if it's a stupid decision or not," He said, kicking his foot at the ground.

"What's happening here, Nathan?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"Well- maybe this will explain-" He reached into his pocket, letting out a slow, deep breath.

She watched his hand as it pulled a small, velvet box out of his pocket.

He watched as a flurry of emotions washed over her face. Surprise. Confusion. Relief. Surprise. More confusion. A different expression that he could tell was still confusion.

Haley was not expecting this. She wasn't quite sure what she was expecting. But this was not it. She sooner expected him to break up with her than this.

Well... That wasn't true. But still. This was a total shock. This was probably what he called Brooke about? Why would he call Brooke to talk about this?

"Are you-"

"No!" He said quickly, before cringing at himself. "I don't think so, at least... Well... Maybe?"

"You don't think so?" She laughed, clearing her throat and nodding at him. "Okay."

"Look, this is a super lame, unconventional way of..." He trailed off, looking down at the box in his hands. "I don't know what this is, Haley, if I'm being honest."

"Cool," She said, letting out a deep breath and standing up slowly. Her gaze flickered to the velvet box, before back to his eyes.

"It's not a proposal," He said quickly, and firmly. "I wouldn't propose to you like this."

"I'm sorry, Nathan..." She said, shaking her head at him. "I'm just really confused. What is going on?"

He sighed, sending her a sheepish smile. "I've been asking myself that for days. I do not know."

She laughed, smoothing her hands over his chest and letting out a deep breath.

"I guess... Well, I guess I'm just checking if this is where you are. If this is what you want right now," He said softly, nodding down at her.

"What brought this on?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.

"When you lost your job..." He sighed, clearing his throat. "And I convinced you to get drunk, you told me that you'd marry me tomorrow."

"Well that certainly explains the weirdness," She said, letting out a deep breath.

"I... Yeah," He said, looking at the box in his hand and shaking his head.

"I don't want to get married, Nathan," She said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Elaborate," He said, clearing his throat.

"I do, of course, in the future. And I do mean it, if I thought we were ready to get married, I would marry you tomorrow. I'm committed to you. Like life-partner kind of committed, but I don't think we're there," She said simply, offering him a smile.

"You don't think we're there, or you don't think I'm there?" He asked her.

"I don't think we are there," She confirmed, gesturing between them. "Honestly, I have no idea where you are," She laughed, poking the box in his hand.

"You're laughing," He commented, looking down at her and raising his eyebrows.

"Yes, I'm laughing. Because you just kind of sort of maybe, you don't even know really, attempted to propose to me over something I said when I was drunk," She said, pushing on his chest lightly.

"If you wanted to get married then I would marry you," He said, shrugging his shoulders and grinning at her.

"Can I see it?" She asked him curiously, reaching for his hand.

Nathan quickly jerked it away, shaking his head. "No way!"

"What? Why not?" She asked, laughing and reaching for it again.

"Because, I'm going to use it someday!" He laughed, pulling it back again.

"That's okay, let me look at it," Haley hummed, smirking up at him. "I won't tell anyone."

He held his arm above his head, shrugging his shoulders. "No. You can't see it. You'll see it eventually," He laughed, shaking his head.

"No, wait. I'll see it now, and then see it later," She hummed, stepping closer to him, resting her hand on his arm and trying to pull it down.

He grinned at her, smirking at her. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, leaning down and kissing her.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into him easily.

She could wait to see the ring, that's for sure. But it was nice to hear him laughing.

He let his other arm drop down and wrap around her as well, still keeping the ring box tightly in his hand.

After a moment, Haley shoved him down on the bed, climbing on top of him and grabbing his hand, trying to pull the box out of it.

"Haley!" He laughed, shaking his head, tightening his grip.

"Fine, fine," She said, resting her hands on his chest and letting out a deep breath.

He smiled, looking up at her, letting his free hand rest on her waist while the other still held the box from her grasp.

"Stop looking at me like that," She said simply, letting out a deep breath.

"Like what?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.

"Like you'd marry me tomorrow," She teased him, walking her fingers up his torso, resting her hand on the side of his neck.

He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Who is to say that I wouldn't?"

She shook her head, smiling. "You. You weren't even sure what you were doing when you lead me up here. You weren't even sure what you were doing when you bought a ring. In fact, I don't even believe there's a ring in there."

"You aren't going to fool me with that one," He said, smiling up at her and letting out a deep breath.

"I love you, Nathan. I really do. But you have to stop getting distant from me when you're stressed about something an start talking to me," She said simply, nodding at him.

"I'm just scared that I'm not enough for you, Haley," He said, shrugging slightly.

"Yes, well usually when you do finally break down and talk to me, I'm pretty relaxed whatever it is, aren't I?" She said, sending him a pointed look.

"Yes, you are," He said, smiling up at her. "I wish I didn't have to keep apologizing."

"And I wish you weren't so scared of me," She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.

"Now you have to stop looking at me like that, James," He repeated her comment from earlier.

"Like what?" She challenged, winking down at him. "Like I'd marry you tomorrow?"

"No, like you're ready to jump my bones," He joked, pinching her side lightly.

Without a moment of hesitation, Haley grabbed the end of her shirt, pulling it over her head.

"Who's to say that I'm not?" She joked, winking at him and leaning down to kiss him.

xxxx

Haley spun the box in her hands, feeling the smooth velvet, a small smile on her face as she listened to the sound of Nathan's shower finishing.

She wanted to open it so badly. Just to see what ring he'd picked out for her.

They wouldn't be using it soon, but she wanted to know what it would look like. Maybe... Try it on for just a little while.

Nathan probably wasn't going to be in the shower much longer, so if she wanted to take a peak, she'd have to look now.

She gripped it, beginning to open it up slowly.

He'd forgive her.

Before she even got a look at the ring though, her sneaky boyfriend tackled her from behind onto the bed.

She let out a yelp of surprise, looking at him quickly like a deer in headlights.

"The shower is still running!" She said, shaking her head. "Wait- you're dry! You never got into the shower?"

"No, I didn't! Because I knew you'd look!" He said, snatching the box from her hands. "Haley James," He scolded her, shaking his head and standing up quickly. "How dare you?"

"I'm weak, Nathan! I want to see it!" She said, sighing softly.

"How did you find it? I thought I hid it while you were in the shower," He said, frowning slightly.

"You hid it inside of a shoe, Nathan," She said, shrugging. "I know you well enough."

"I don't care. This is following me everywhere now," He said, giving her leg a very light smack. "Now excuse me while I go shower."

"I promise I won't look again!" She argued, shaking her head.

"I doubt it," He grumbled, heading back into the bathroom, ensuring he had the ring with him.

Haley laughed quietly, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. One second he was holding the thing like it burned him, the next he's guarding it with his life.

She slid up the bed so she was sitting against the headboard, a content smile on her face.

It made sense why Nathan was freaking out. He loved her, she knew that. But it was not a surprise that he was a little afraid of marriage. Hell, it's not like she was ready to be married yet either. It was a big commitment, huge. And if for some reason it didn't work out between them... It would crush both of them.

But she could see herself being ready soon. Not too soon, but soon.

She smiled when she heard Scout walk sleepily into their room, before he jumped up on the bed and came directly over to her lap.

She ran her fingers through his fur, letting out a deep breath.

It wasn't long until Nathan came out of the bathroom, wearing just a pair of basketball shorts, and he slid into the bed next to her, his head resting on her.

Haley somehow maneuvered her arm behind him, running her fingers through his damp hair.

Pretty soon there was snoring coming from the dog in her lap, and the man next to her.

This was good. This was enough.