Hi guys – I am finally back with an update. Yay. Thank you so much for your patience with my updates, it's not as quick as I usually tend to be with my stories but I will continue to update even if and I do apologise for this it goes longer than a month. Life happens over writing sometimes but this is always my springboard that I come back to.

That being said I have also made quite a few changes to the rough draft of this story, this chapter was a complete rewrite to my original. I would rather spend time and get it write than just upload for the sake of it. Spoken like a true writer eh? 😅

Anyways enough of me, this one has lots of Naley to make up for my absence – enjoy.

Chapter 7

Haley pads into the kitchen the next morning to the smell of fresh coffee and the sight of Lucas sitting up at the breakfast counter on his laptop.

'And what time do you call this?' He teases Haley as he glances at the clock.

She just shakes her head at him as she walks over to the fridge pulling out the carton of orange juice. 'I worked late last night so I've flexi-time this morning.' Haley says pouring herself a glass of orange.

'There's fresh coffee there.' Lucas says.

'I know.' Haley smiles knowing where this conversation is going before it even gets there.

'I don't know why you insist on paying for that overpriced foamy stuff you call coffee when you can get a heavenly brew here..'

'That foamy stuff is called a latte and it is heavenly thank you very much.' Haley quips back and Lucas just shakes his head. They've been having the same dispute since he smelt the milky thing when he sat next to her at freshman orientation. Funny how his brother also has the same dispute with her every morning in the office. The pinch in her gut is quite immediate when she thinks of Nathan and last night. Sleep evaded her last night in light of his admission and her own withdrawal. It was the right thing to do she coached herself for hours tossing in bed so why does she still feel so torn up over it? Why can't she put the conversation to bed quite literally like he said he was going to.

'So how was your thanksgiving?' Lucas asks her taking a sip of his coffee. Haley drops onto the stool beside him grateful for the interruption of her thoughts. 'It was hard at first, I dreaded the thought of going down but then it got easier. Mum actually took us out to the bar, we did karaoke…'

'The three of you did karaoke?' Lucas counters amused.

'Yea that was after the shots of tequila.'

Lucas chuckles. 'Sounds like the James girls. What happened to the turkey dinner?'

'Let's just say we came home pretty drunk and made turkey sandwiches instead so not exactly the traditional dinner but that was kind of the point. I think we all needed it.'

He nods his head in understanding. 'I'm sorry I wasn't there for you coming up to it.'

'Luke…'

'No I didn't want to say this over the phone Haley, but I am sorry.' He sighs as he closes the lid on his laptop.

'I'm trying to process it all, Nathan being here and what that is bringing up for me and getting upset with you for talking to him that was completely out of line, that's all my stuff Haley not yours and it isn't yours to carry…' He runs his hand along the back of his neck. 'Besides I definitely wasn't thinking rationally that night I saw you two together, you and Nathan…. it's just silly. I overreacted.'

He's giving her an apologetic look now, his words meant no harm but she feels nauseous at his blatant dismissal of any kind of bond forming between her and Nathan. She swallows the urge to fight him on this by telling him how much she wishes for him to get to know his younger brother again, the guy she has come to know but it's not a battle she's willing to partake in. If she starts that fight it will force her to take a side and that she can't do.

'You know I'm not trying to put you in some compromising position right where you feel you have to talk to him and I'm not judging you for how you deal with it, I just know you're carrying around all this weight and I don't know. I just don't want you to be so troubled Luke…'

'I know.' He says softly giving Haley's shoulder a nudge.

'So what has you up typing so early?' Haley says then as she nods towards his laptop. It's not a conversation either of them are willing to let suspend between them now at least not at this early hour.

'Booking flights to New York.' Luke says semi bashfully which piques her curiosity. 'I've been invited to a book launch.'

'Contacts huh?' Haley says.

'Something like that.' Lucas counters with an easy smile of his own. 'Is it hard to believe that writing was the easiest part?'

'With you no.' Haley counters easily and he just smiles. 'Maybe it's not so much about finding someone to publish your book as much as it is about finding the right person to publish it and they'll come in time.' She taps him on the arm before hopping off her stool. 'Right I better get to work or else I'll be unemployed and writing my own novel…' She teases.

'Ha-ha…' Lucas deadpans with a roll of his eyes soaking in their banter all the same.

'You gone for the weekend?' Haley wonders as she grabs her black tote bag.

'Well I should be flying back tomorrow but that depends on the snow, it's meant to get pretty bad here overnight.'

'At least you're able to get out there.' Haley reasons. 'Travel safe ok.'

'You too.' Lucas says and Haley frowns. 'You haven't witnessed a Boston blizzard yet have you?'

XXXXX

Well if she hadn't witnessed a Boston blizzard she just might giving the way the snow attacks the large window panes of Nathan's office blanketing the cityscape.

'It's getting heavier.'

'Yea.' Haley replies softly as she stands in front of the window with her arms crossed over herself. She can practically feel his breath on her neck from where he towers over her from behind, she hasn't spent a whole lot of time with him alone since their conversation last night, aside from the the small talk over their coffee this morning they have been missing each other at every turn.

It hasn't been intentional, it's the usual Friday scramble in the office no less and she feels grateful for it today because she needs the distance from him to centre herself.

He may have put that conversation to bed like he promised but she's been restless ever since.

He's giving her the easy way out yet being here with him now, it feels hard.

It shouldn't, that much she's aware of.

Her mind is a whirl of chaos timely resembling the obscuring snowfall over Boston.

She turns not realising how close he actually is to her watching as he backs up a little, their eyes meet as silence holds still between them.

She can feel her cheeks burning up and she's not even sure why but he's image is sinful on a girl as he stands before her in a crisp white button down shirt that has just the right amount of long day at the office undone appeal.

It's only then she really notices his usual thick head of raven hair has been trimmed shorter, it gives him an endearing boyish appeal.

'You got a haircut…' And seemingly she blurts out her thoughts now too. Her cheeks burn immediately from the idiocy of her words.

'Eh yea…' He says absentmindedly running his hand over his freshly trimmed hair. He's gracious enough not to draw attention to her words but she's acutely aware from the way his lips almost curve into that smirk of his.

And she can't fathom how she's the one that is the bumbling, awkward mess today. He's the one that made the confession about the kiss, he's the one that willingly gave information away while she withheld and yet…. she's seemingly the most affected here.

Thankfully for her it's Friday and she can go home for the weekend and just forget the weirdness surrounding them yesterday and even today.

She's undecided if the silence that lingers for milliseconds in the air between them now is awkward or not. Her mind has a flare for magnifying everything beyond what it actually is. She'd like the believe this time that the silence between them is just the working of her mind and he in fact can't notice it but it seems much too obvious for that to be so.

Even the way they stand before each other now seems misplaced somehow. stiff.

'So I think I'm going to get out of here.' Haley says as she grabs the files she left on his desk that she needs to drop down to Barbara.

'I won't be far behind you it's getting bad out there…' Nathan says as he watches her grab up her stuff. 'Thanks for fielding a lot of those calls again for me today Haley.'

'It's no problem. I'm just doing my job.' she says kindly.

He smiles gently. 'I'm pretty sure the work this week went beyond the spec of your job, normal service will resume on Monday.'

She smiles back at him and can't help but ponder on the double meaning of those words, wondering if things at least on her side will seem much more normal come Monday.

'Have a nice weekend.' Haley says as she swings the tote bag over her shoulder.

'You too, Haley…'

She glances back at him again; her name falls from his lips like an afterthought but the way his eyes meet hers now she feels itis anything but.

XXXXX

'What's going on?' Haley says as she arrives down at Barbara's desk to see the big commotion in the foyer.

'Looks like we aren't leaving anytime soon.' Barbara says as she takes the files from Haley's hands.

Haley frowns about to question her when Quinn is upon her. 'There's been a massive power outage on the east side, the subway is completely down…trams services have all been cancelled…'

'What does this mean?'

'It means we're staying the night.' Quinn says crossing her arms over herself like she's just told a viable, normal piece of news on a Friday evening.

'You're kidding right?' She's practically begging because there is no way this is her reality right now.

'Afraid she's not honey…' Barbara perks in as she glances out at the stream of people gathering at the doors to the building. 'All major roads have been closed and they're asking people to stay where they are. It's dangerous out there right now.'

Haley closes her eyes in disbelief cursing Lucas under her breath, it's like he jinxed this by mentioning the Boston blizzard to her this morning. Concern won out over her misplaced blame regardless as she sent him a quick message.

'Luke was supposed to fly out to New York earlier I'm just checking to see if his plane got out.'

'It's doubtful.' Quinn says. 'You guys ok now?'

'It's better I guess.'

'Told you it would be fine.' Quinn tells her and Haley can only manage a meek smile. Things just feel so far from fine right now, yea her relationship with Lucas may be ok but there's all this internal disaccord inside of her, feeling guilty over not being happy that things with Lucas or fine, fearing what she's chosen to let go of with Nathan because of Lucas, doing what's expected of her instead of what she wants, feeling guilty for what she actually wants.

'So I say we go the bar before everyone figures out we are stranded here and has the same idea.'

XXXXX

He tosses the squish ball over and back against the vertical window panes his view of the snow covered city is lessening as the late evening gives way to night. A near empty tumbler rests on the floor beside him.

Over and back. Over and back. It's repetitive and stops his thoughts in motion but that's all it does. He knows he needs another drink to numb himself entirely but he doesn't want that either. So he sits with it. His dear old buddy 'what if' And its nights like tonight he ponders the most what could have happened if he'd never left.

Haley is not even sure what brought her up here, she noticed quite early on he wasn't at the bar and then as the evening drew in that he wasn't coming she became even more curious although she knew the better thing would be to stay away, he was respecting her position in this but she couldn't stay away. That was the problem. She didn't even want to.

She notices quite quickly the atmosphere in the room is very unlike earlier as she steps around his desk she sees him sitting on the floor and despite his long legs stretched out his tall stature seems crumpled somehow, his jaw is locked tight as he tosses the soft ball to and from the window.

'Are you ok?' She asks softly. If he's startled by her sudden appearance, he doesn't show it. They're silly words really in light of what's happened between them the past 24 hours but it's all she can think to ask. His appearance has surprised her, she half expected to come in here and find him working away but this….no she hadn't expected this. A stark similarity to the man she met that very first night in the bar, before she even knew his name.

'Nathan...' She prods gently as she slinks down to her knees beside him trying to sit back a little more comfortably which is difficult considering the black pencil skirt she chose to wear to the office today.

He doesn't say anything but when he looks her way she almost gasps at the opaque wash of sadness that coats his blue eyes. The urge to curl her body into his takes hold of her so fast she's shook by the strength of her own response to his cumbersome appearance.

'How did you find out about me?' He asks her then. The words leave his lips in a low rumble.

It's unexpected and still it doesn't take her entirely too long to connect with what he's asking of her and maybe that's just it with them she just always seems to know where is line of thought is going, that doesn't make it any easier to address though.

'What did he tell you?'

Haley swallows hard as she stares out at the mahogany of white, it's almost mesmerising the way the snow clings to the bridled structures masking everything.

And so she tells him.

'We were in the library together, we stayed late after a seminar. We'd been friends for over a month at that stage. I gave up on the seminar work sooner than Luke I just couldn't put my mind to work so I pulled a book out of my bag and I thought if I can just do this instead. We had to read it for one of our modules. I could see him looking at the book strangely…'

'What was the book?' Nathan questions.

'Gulliver's Travels.' Haley says quietly.

'And then he just...he stares at the book and he tells me he has a brother…' Haley ponders; she remembers it like it was only yesterday or maybe more vividly recently but it had been the moment she realised their friendship was different to others. His openness met her own expansiveness and they never really went back from that honesty. 'A half-brother he never really knew.' She continues. 'I wondered where his words came from, you know...like why was he telling me this and then he told me he read this book when he was younger and he imaged that you were Gulliver and he was Pedro and he rescued you…'

'From what?' Nathan's hung up on her every word of this version of Lucas he's had no exposure to. He fears asking that question but deep down he already knows the answer.

'From the bleak fallenness at the centre of human nature…. he stole those words right from the book and somehow I knew they resonated with him.'

'It's only when I met you that I realised he had been talking about Dan all along.' Haley says softly.

Nathan swallows hard her words instantaneously activating his internal alarm system, thoughts of his father have always held a certain capacity to do so over him but the fact those words are dropping from Haley's lips and framed by Lucas' mind…. it's almost too much to bear.

She watches, frays of confusion nip away at her insides, an urge to trace the lines that seem to be carved into his forehead as he sits there slouched over in his suit.

He's the emblem of a man and a boy all at once and the longing to comfort that stirs inside of her is confounding.

'Nathan…'

'You know I was so afraid of failing?' He mumbles as he idly toys with the ball in his hands. 'In his eyes I was the chosen one, he would tell me how lucky I was…. I knew I had to prove myself to him so badly so he wouldn't regret his decision. I couldn't fail….' Nathan chuckles but its mirthless and empty.

'But I was failing all along Haley, I didn't need rescuing anymore because my choices they were making me just like him...Luke saw that.'

'You were also just a kid.' Haley counters.

'But I knew what I was doing it's like I could see the outcome before I even got there and I just couldn't stop, I couldn't make any of it stop…' The splintered timbre of his voice pinches her gut, it's not like he hasn't been open with her before, the very night they met has its roots in vulnerability but tonight, that pain that seems to linger in the ghost of his father is almost crippling.

At some point she figures he did in fact make it stop, it's how he got here after all to this place and she wonders what had been his breaking point. And she also knows from the vulnerable state he's in tonight that question doesn't bare asking and maybe she too fears the answer.

Her fingers curl around the bottle of whiskey as she pulls it away and leaves it to the side of her.

'Nathan what happened tonight?'

And he finally holds her gaze, she fights not to let her face crumble for there's a painful indigo essence that darkens his blue eyes.

'I called him.' The name is lodged in his throat. 'He has an 8-hour layover in the airport and you know I thought stupidly that we could talk but I….'

She finally caves fighting her instincts and reaches out to touch him and boy does he feel it, the charge between them.

Nathan flinches moving away his movements are harsh and clumsy unlike his usual refined nature most likely a product of the whiskey consumed. He clambers to his feet closing his eyes against her soft whisper of his name.

He's an idiot. It's all he can think right now.

He was an idiot for calling Luke and he's an idiot now for telling Haley just that.

And maybe he's a coward too for just walking out that door but that's what he needs to do for all parties involved.

'Where are you going?' She's on the balls of her feet so fast and for once she's deftly more composed than he is in her nature.

She even seems demanding and it confuses him why she'd not just let him escape like this. After all, wouldn't that be easier?

'I can't have this conversation with you Haley don't you see that?' He turns making a point of it. 'I'm just putting you in the middle of all this again.'

'Can you please stop talking about putting me in the middle?'

'They were your words Haley not mine.' He raises his voice and she's taken back by how fast one emotion seems to supersede the other, anguish and anger flaming together leaving him on the defensive.

'So maybe I'm the idiot.' Her tone of voice has risen to meet his there but in its rise is also her downfall as her eyes begin to water ever so slightly.

'Maybe I'm the idiot for thinking I could stay out of this when the truth is I can't…I can't just pretend that your Luke's brother and that's all you are to me just like I can't stop thinking about you….' She outpours heartily. She's sure if she wasn't so damn near crying she would laugh at the stunned look that has softened the lines on his face.

Her words so unexpected, she's being denying herself the truth of them for so long.

Silence hangs in the balance and he stands there in this awkward diagonal stance across from her. 'But….I…..we….you…' He runs his palm across his brow as he fumbles over his words, it's cute but she hasn't the space to appreciate his ungracefulness in light of her own admission.

Her heart beats through her ears as his eyes meet hers again. They're softer now. 'Last night you said….'

'I know what I said…' Haley repeats softly just begging him to understand the emotion swirling in her brown orbs. 'Or didn't say…'

Their eyes meet, her yearning capsizes his confusion until all he can feel is the sweeping warmth of desire flood his veins, instinct has always propelled him in her compnay but he's had to withhold it so much it takes on even more of an edge now as he reaches her in two quick strides clasping his hands around her head as his lips crash onto hers, delighting in the surprised whimper that gets caught in her throat.

His lips are urgent almost harsh against hers, unlike their previous slow, long and sensual kisses this one is rough; mouths clanging together desperate for each other's unique wet taste, it's by all means what her high school heart would have deemed an explicitly sloppy kiss but now she has no qualms with the way his tongue seems to battle for space in the hot recesses of her mouth.

There's a slight aftertaste of whiskey laced with his own inherent taste and she's pretty sure liquor has never tasted so sublime, she pushes him back against the wall by the door surprising herself and evidently satisfying him as he groans in response to her unbridled actions.

She gasps feeling his rough hands clasp onto her smooth thighs their mouths barely breaking for a breath of air as he hoists her up her legs curve around him tightening as he continues to dance his tongue so fervently against hers. The steel desk provides a delicious contrast to the heat simmering inside of her as he places her down, she's whimpering deliciously as Nathans mouth now attacks her neck a sinuous combination of biting, nipping and sucking that's leaves dampness coating her thighs and holy god she'd not sure she's ever been this wet before sitting here on his desk ready for the taking.

'Nathan….' She practically mewls inhibitions lost on her as she tightens her thighs around his lower body bringing him in close to her again.

'Fuck….' His voice is gruff, a timbre of lust that only serves to heighten her desire and as she rubs up against him desperate for some kind of friction she feels just how swelled and hard he is. 'Oh god….' Haley whimpers. She can't help herself…. he feels so big.

She doesn't care that they're practically dry humping and making out like a couple of horny teenagers in his office, she's practically insatiable and maybe embarrassingly so although she hasn't much time for humiliation when her body is practically humming with pleasure.

A firm knock on his door jolts them back to reality.

'Nathan…'

He pushes back from her slurring a mumbled curse word as he tries to straighten himself. Haley quickly hops off the desk straightening out her rosy pink blouse and pencil skirt.

'Yea…' he doesn't recognise the gravel to his own voice. He clears his throat deciding to just go on over to the door.

'Where are you man?' She relaxes immediately when she hears Clay's voice on the other side and is mildly amused no less by the way Nathan seems to hide his well-endowed lower region behind the door.

Haley blows out a long slow breath trying to think of anything but the size of his…. Jesus when did I turn into such a lascivious girl?

As she begins to calm herself embarrassment coats her slightly, she was all about to lie back on his desk and let him take her or even better let him go in from behind…'Jesus Haley…' She admonishes herself for the explicit images in her mind. 'Fuck…'

She turns to see Nathan's rather bemused face watching her surprised to see the door is already closed. She's never known anyone to get rid of Clay so fast, as nice and all as he is he has that whole gift of the gab quality about him.

'What did he want?' Haley wonders deciding she's going to ignore the fact Nathan caught her trying to qualm herself no less by cursing which is something she rarely does.

'Oh…eh the guys are playing pool downstairs…'

'He came all the way here to tell you that…'

'Well no….he…'

Nathan shuffles his hands into his pockets awkwardly and Haley is even more curious now.

'He was looking for your sister.'

'Oh….' Haley says not entirely surprised, in fact she's sure the whole company wouldn't be entirely surprised given the way Quinn and Clay had been openly fondling for want of a better word each other at the company's thanksgiving dinner.

'Look if you want to go play pool…'

Nathan just shakes his head. 'I'd rather finish where we left off…' He tells her watching her eyes practically bug out at his words before he backtracks and realises his error.

'Oh no…' He practically blurts out then earning himself an even stranger look and he wonders when the tables turned from her being the embarrassed one to him, he can even feel his cheeks heating up which is a very unfamiliar feeling for him. Blushing. But boy can he for this girl.

'I didn't mean that…' He says pointedly realising that doesn't sound too right either. 'Not that that wasn't eh good…I just….' Oh dear god Nathan stop talking before you lose any fricking cool points you have left. Great, now she's practically biting back a smile. Add bumbling idiot to your resume why don't you. He pats his hands down on his trouser pants trying to find some composure and simply tells her. 'I'd like you to stay so we can talk a bit more.'

She simply smiles at his words and he feels himself going dizzy all over. What is happening to him?

'Are you hungry?' Haley proposes then and he can't help but grin back at her.

'Starving.'

XXXXX

'No way….' Nathan chuckles as he pops a tortilla chip into his mouth.

'Yes way and that definitely wasn't my last.' Haley muses.

'How were you not fired?'

'My charisma I suppose.' Haley jokes as she twirls the chip around in the dip.

He just smiles finding the truth in her words, there is something so joyfully charismatic about her, air itself is lighter in her presence.

He feels lighter too after the defeat of his earlier phone call her presence has comforted him and allowed him to relish in a light heartedness he hasn't felt for a long time.

He knows they have kind of parked the topic of their situation for now but it's nice, welcoming almost to enjoy her company without the shadow of Lucas and what that whole thing means for them.

It's nice to just be Nathan and Haley for a night surrounded by a random selection of unhealthy canteen food talking about their younger lives.

'You know I worked in Karen's café one summer…' Haley says then as she leans over twirling her chip in the dip.

Her honey blonde hair tickles his bare arm from where his jacket was long discarded to become a blanket for Haley to sit on and he resists his urge to retract his arm back. Yep, he was about 2 seconds away from taken her on his office desk earlier, the image of her head tipped back, the feel of her thighs tightened around him well he isn't going to forget it anytime soon not to mention all that pent up sexual energy that seems to be simmering away in the background between them.

'What would you have done if I walked in?' Nathan teases with that grin of his.

She lights up at his teasing. 'Oh I don't know dropped the teapot because of how insanely handsome you are…..' She plays back.

He wiggles his eyebrows and she chuckles. 'Is that what you thought when you met me?'

'Now you're just fishing for compliments.' She says pointing her chip at him before popping it in her mouth.

'I don't need to fish for compliments I know you think I'm sexy Haley.' He winks and she blushes because right now sitting there in charcoal grey work pants and his cuffed white shirt the back end of the work day looks insanely sexy on him.

'What about me?'

'What about you?' He plays along.

She rolls her eyes before tossing her hair back over her shoulder. 'What did you think of me?' She positively flirts.

He chuckles enamoured by her. 'I thought you were really pouty.'

'Yea exactly that..' He teases as she gives him a look.

'And maybe a bit of a drama queen cause I had to buy you a new drink..'

'You knocked my drink over.' She reminds me. 'And I insisted that you didn't have to buy me one.'

He smirks. 'I know but I wanted to.'

'Why?' She asks with a playful glint in her eye.

'Because I thought you were beautiful. You are.' He tells her honestly his eyes holding hers.

'I was so nervous that night...' He admits with a smile.

'You make me nervous sometimes...' She counters softly. As if to prove that point he shuffles closer to her. 'Like now...' He teases...'When I want to kiss you...' He leans in tilting his head his nose nudges against hers she can feel his hot breath ghost over her upper lipline, he seems to linger there tortuously so, anticipation transcends her nerves now and she whimpers slightly as hovers. God she needs to taste him again so badly. His eyes fall onto her lips as she wets them which seems to be his undoing as he presses lips to hers in a kiss that is so soft and seeking, his tongue traces along her lip line and she obliges slanting her mouth wide across his, their tongues touch in a delicate thrusting rhythm and she feels her nerve endings ignite as he moans pulling her against him. She's full on straddling hip before she even realises it, the edges of her pencil skirt constrict harshly against her open thighs but she can't find the will to even care as she presses herself up against him.

She's not sure how long they languorously kiss like that for as she straddles him feeling emboldened by the feel of him hardening beneath her, they're panting but unwilling to break apart until needs must and even when he tears his lips from hers for some air he's not apart for long as he begins placing a series of gentle kisses down her jawline before he reaches her neck, she arches her body into his chest and feels the curve of his lips against her weak spot. 'Nathan….' She mewls rocking into his hips and his moans cause delicious vibrations against her neck.

'Hales…' He hums against her neck in pleasured pain as she continues to rock against him. Fuck he pretty sure he's about to reach his climax in his trouser pants and he's never been so close to losing it before not so soon.

Deep breaths he coaches as he stills her movement resting his hands on her hips. 'Hales….we've got to stop or I'm….'

She sits back on his thighs watching him trying to hold himself together and she clambers off him feeling like some teenage girl that's never felt a hard cock before, her eyes widen…oh god she all but climbed onto him. He was just kissing her and she all but straddled him. 'Nathan…I'm sorry…you must think I'm like some nymph or something….'

'Haley…. that's not it….' He interrupts her realising he's completely gave her the wrong idea. He didn't want to stop. He had to stop…well he presumed he better before he embarrassed himself entirely.

'I just….' Well this was embarrassing how do you explain to the girl you like at 26 years of age your acting about ten years less than that and can't seem to control yourself.

She smiles bashfully as she catches on, clearly he is trying to hold himself together for a whole other reason entirely. Is he that turned on? She can't help but glance down swallowing hard she looks up at him again and she's even more embarrassed now because clearly he caught her looking at his…well and now she who always has any amount of words or sentences to stew together at any given time has absolutely nothing to say.

Because all she can think about is his cock. Maybe she is nymph.

A small laugh escapes her, god she's being ridiculous acting like a teenage girl who's just made out with her guy from prom in the backseat of his car for the first time.

But maybe that's what is so exciting about all of this, here with him on his office floor no less its conjuring up all those giddying heady reckless feelings of teenage romance.

'You're laughing…' Nathan comments. I mean it's not exactly flattering for an ego being laughed at by a girl but Haley's laugh, well that's something else entirely and the sound of it always serves to make his lips curve on their own accord. Her laugh is truly infectious.

'Sorry….this is all just a little weird right…' She suggests glancing between them inadvertently acknowledging how slightly awkward they are being sexually around each other.

'Yea…I guess.' He chuckles. 'I made it weird.' He sighs feeling the need to explain himself further. 'Aside from the fact the majority of our colleagues are still somewhere in this building.' He says taking her soft hand in his now. 'This is all so new Haley and I don't want to rush into anything with you because you mean a lot to me in such a short space of time, that's kind of surreal but it's also true…' He says softly. 'And I'd like to take you on a date sometime if you'll let me…'

'I would really like that.' She says softly leaning in to peck his lips again before she pulls back only slightly. 'I care about you a lot you know?'

He smiles at her words opening his arm for her to snuggle in against him.

I care about you more more than you know. The words whisper in her heart and somehow she doesn't feel the need to say them because she believes that's something he will come to understand of his own accord when he relinquishes his own hangs up on her relationship with his brother. And she doesn't want Lucas to be the elephant in the room between them anymore, she wants to help them both by being there for each of them but not actively trying to bring them together.

Maybe that's the best she can do in this right now.

'He never had any regrets about now knowing Dan you know?' Haley prods gently knowing this topic is heavy and since they put it to rest earlier the light giddiness between them has been heart-warming.

Still the half bottle of whiskey still rests on his desk and she knows his heart is still so heavy.

Nathan doesn't say anything. 'You know someone tells you that and you're not sure if you believe it and I didn't for a while but now I know because I read it in his writing, that feeling never came off the page. But you….' She sighs softly. 'I know he regrets your relationship, the not knowing…that's why it's hard for me to understand why he is pushing back on this so hard but maybe someday you'll get the door open you know?' She says rhetorically not recognising the emotional quiver behind her own voice, a strange thing it is to admire them both equally in such different ways.

'Or maybe he'll just open it for you.' She says softly.

He doesn't respond with words instead he holds her closer letting his chin rest on top of her head, she smiles at the tenderness of it all, they fit together so perfectly it's a strange thought that things can simultaneously feel so imperfect.

As you'll see from this chapter we're going to be getting deeper into the plot of the story now Naley's evolving relationship and Lucas' ties to this, the past has an important part to play in this story and I've mildly alluded to things that have happened. Please let me know by reviewing if you're still interested/still reading this story – I know there has been gaps with updates but would like to know if people are still reading along. 😊