Chapter 24

"Okay and then tomorrow we have a conference call with Parker Erickson... And you aren't listening."

Nathan quickly looked over at Clay, raising his eyebrows. "I'm listening."

"What did I just say?" Clay asked him, letting out a sigh.

"We have a conference call with Parker Erickson," Nathan confirmed, shifting in his chair. "I'm listening, I promise."

"Well can you look at me while we talk? I don't like it when you're staring off into the distance," Clay replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Things had been okay with the two friends and business partners. They were a little awkward. But they never mentioned what happened between Nathan and Haley.

When Clay found out, all he did was ask Nathan if he was alright, and when he confirmed it, they left it at that.

Quinn, on the other hand... He had to stay out of her way.

Haley had a lot of people that cared for her.

Not that he blamed them. He didn't really like himself for hurting her.

"Okay, Quinn is coming by in about fifteen minutes to pick me up for lunch today because my car is in the shop. Whether she'll come up... I don't know. We'll see," Clay said, clearing his throat.

"I'll make myself scarce," Nathan said, standing up slowly, walking over to the window in Clay's office, staring out of it.

Clay watched him quietly before speaking, "Okay, screw this," He mumbled, causing Nathan to look his way.

"What?" Nathan asked him.

"I'm sick of how awkward it is between us, Nate! I mean, come on. You're my best friend. This all sucks so bad," Clay said, shaking his head and standing up.

"Sorry, it's just... I haven't been feeling like myself," Nathan said quietly, kicking his foot at the ground.

"I know. You haven't been feeling like yourself for months now," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I never asked what happened, Nathan because I figured it was better I didn't know. I wouldn't even listen to Quinn when she tried to tell me what happened."

"I screwed up," Nathan said simply. "I got scared."

Clay walked around his desk, leaning against it. "Screwed up how, Nathan?"

"It was all becoming too real, Clay," He mumbled, glancing at him again. "I replay the day in my mind over and over again and I can't stop. I needed her too much so I had to let go."

"See, that right there, that doesn't make sense to me," Clay said, shaking his head. "Walk me through it."

"I want to explain it to her before I explain it to anyone else," Nathan said, looking at him quickly.

"She's gone, Nathan," Clay said softly, clearing his throat. "I don't think you're going to get a second chance."

"I am," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I will."

"What makes you so sure?" Clay said, raising his eyebrows.

"I just am," Nathan said simply, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't give up on a girl like her."

"Didn't you already do that?" Clay asked him, picking up a pen off his desk, clicking it quickly.

Nathan ran his hand down his face, turning to look at his friend. "I think I love her, Clay," He said, clearing his throat.

That seemed to catch Clay off guard a little bit.

"Oh," Clay replied, letting out a deep breath. "Well I hope you're right, man. I hope you can win her back."

"I will," Nathan said, smiling at him. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Clay grinned at him, standing up straight. "Maybe you're more of yourself right now than you think."

"Nick is in Macey's class, and they're going to want to start spending time together again. He stopped asking. She'll have to talk to me eventually," He said, smirking slightly.

Clay nodded, walking over and resting his hand on Nathan's shoulder, pulling him into a tight hug. "It's good to have you back, buddy."

Nathan laughed, hugging him in return and patting his back.

"Do you still need a lunch date, Clay? Or do you already have one?"

Quinn's voice asked from the door, making the hairs on Nathan's neck stand up.

They parted from each other quickly, each of them looking over at Clay's wife.

"Hey," Clay greeted, smiling at her. "No, I think I'd rather go with you."

"Nathan," Quinn greeted, clearing her throat.

"Quinn," Nathan replied, offering her a small smile.

"How's Nick liking school?" She asked politely, nodding at him.

Nick. Nick was the only reason he ever saw Quinn now. Occasionally, he would need a babysitter, and they were the only people he trusted with his son. Usually Clay picked him up, but every once and awhile it would be Quinn.

"So far so good," Nathan said, nodding at her. "He's in Macey's class."

"I know," Quinn answered quickly. "With the cute new teacher."

"Quinn," Clay warned, shaking his head.

Nathan felt like she'd just punched him in the chest with that comment.

Cute new teacher? Did Haley talk about Mr. Strong to her?

"I'd say he's a solid six," Nathan responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's not what I heard," Quinn replied, before Clay was walking over to her quickly.

"We better go. I'll see you after lunch, Nathan," Clay said, ushering her out of his office.

Nathan frowned, shaking his head.

That wasn't good.

Cute new teacher? That's not what she'd heard?

Haley must have been talking about him.

Was Haley moving on from him?

She had every right to move on.

He sucked in a deep breath, exiting Clay's office and entering his own. He sat down on his desk, picking up his phone and letting out a deep breath.

Was it even worth it to call her?

Especially now that she was moving on. Maybe.

He shook his head, finding the familiar contact in his phone.

He took a moment to stare at her contact photo, a small smile on his face.

It was a picture he'd taken of her on their second date, when they went to the gardens.

He missed her so much. His own insecurities and commitment issues had jeopardized his relationship with two of the best ladies he'd ever met.

He glanced over at the couch in his office, sighing softly.

That's where he'd told Macey about his crush on her mother. Right before he broke up with her.

Macey. God, he missed Macey.

Even more than that, he missed how happy Nick had been when he was around Macey, how energetic he had been. She helped him come out of his shell.

Now he blamed Nathan for the loss of his best friend and her mother. Not that he was wrong, it was his fault.

He tapped on the call button, holding the phone to his ear.

This was useless. It was going to ring and then go to voicemail, just like it did every day.

But then it didn't.

She answered.

"Nathan, I'm giving you one minute," Haley's voice rang through the phone.

He felt his heart start to pound in his chest.

"Haley, I really need to talk to you. In person, please," He said quickly, clearing his throat. "No excuses. I'll tell you exactly what happened, and then I'll leave you alone."

"Look, Nathan... I can't have people coming in and out of Macey's life. Not now, not ever. So I don't know if that's a good idea. I don't care that you've been calling me, but please don't ambush my friends at work."

"You won't even give me a chance," Nathan argued, letting out a sigh. "I screwed up, and I'm sorry."

"I'll think about it, okay? Please just give me some time to think," Haley begged on the other end of the phone.

"Take your time, Haley. I just need one chance to talk to you in person, and if you want me to leave you alone after that I will," Nathan said softly, a small smile on his face.

"Don't forget that you're the one who dumped me," Haley said, letting out a sigh. "I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," He reminded her, clearing his throat.

"Goodbye, Nathan."

The phone line went dead, leaving a grinning man sitting at his desk.

He set his phone down.

Now he just had to figure out what to say to not screw things up even further.

xxxx

"Nick," Nathan said, looking at him. "Get your homework all done?"

"It's the second day of school, we don't have homework yet," Nick said, shaking his head.

"Well then what do you want to do tonight? You want to go out to dinner? Swim?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Not really," He replied, letting out a sigh. "Can we order pizza?"

Nathan nodded, grabbing his phone and quickly ordering a pizza to their home, not taking his eyes off of Nick the whole time.

"Hey dad?" Nick asked after a little while, letting out a loud sigh.

"Yeah?"

"Can Macey come over if someone besides Haley brings her?"

Nathan ran his hand through his hair, "Nick, you have other friends, don't you?"

"But she's my best friend," He answered adamantly.

"Well... You're going to have to find a new best friend, Nicky. I can't keep having this conversation with you anymore."

"Why won't you tell me what happened?" Nick asked him angrily, shaking his head quickly.

"She's in your class now. Can't that just be enough?"

"You left her," Nick said, scowling at him.

"What?" Nathan asked quickly, looking at him.

What did Nick know?

"You left Macey. She loved you and you left her!" He responded, shaking his head. "You always leave. You left Tree Hill and made us move here."

"Nick," Nathan warned, crossing his arms.

"And then when I like it here you made my best friend leave!"

"That's enough, Nicholas. I'm not going to have this argument with you anymore," Nathan scolded him, grabbing the remote and shutting off the TV.

"It's not fair!" Nick complained.

Nathan knew just how unfair it was. In fact, he knew the feeling well. He'd experienced the flakiness, the absent was firsthand.

The sting in his chest from missing someone. He knew it.

The thought of 'Life isn't fair' popped into his head and he froze.

His own father had said those same words to him multiple times.

In his efforts to protect Nick from his own childhood, he'd begun to morph into the very person that ruined it.

But it wasn't too late... Right?

Nathan watched as his son stared at him, tears in the corner of his eyes.

His own father would never let them fall. He would've been sent to his room without a second thought.

Nathan kneeled down in front of Nick slowly, pulling him into a tight hug.

Nick didn't do anything at first, but he eventually hugged him back just as tight, his face pressing into Nathan's neck.

"I'm sorry, buddy," Nathan whispered to his son, shaking his head. "Maybe we can set up something, okay?"

"I just miss them," Nick whined to him.

"I know you do," Nathan responded, ruffling Nick's hair. "Why don't we watch a movie together? Then we'll call mom before bed."

"Okay," Nick responded, sitting back down on the couch.

Nathan nodded, grabbing the remote once again and handing it to Nick. "You pick."

After watching a movie, pausing only to eat pizza, they called Katherine, and then Nick was off to bed.

It was nearing nine-thirty when there was a knock at the front door.

Nathan stood up from his office chair, heading out of the room to the front door.

He pulled it open and blinked in surprise.

Haley.

Regret flashed through her eyes, almost as if she wanted to turn back.

But she didn't.

"You wanted to talk, so let's talk."