Disclaimer: The WB, and its writer's have decided to let me have control of the show. Yes the rumors are true. I will now be the sole owner of One Tree Hill, including James . . . and all of his delicious body parts. Oh but wait, that's just my fantasy, nevermind then. I own nothing, as usual.
And then there was one . . .
Inside of You
Chapter 10
Outside of Me
The gym was completely full. The stands filled with students and parents alike, screaming and cheering on the Ravens in their 46 to 45 lead over the Charleston Chargers.
Lucas jumped high in the air and caught the ball. He ran down the court quickly, toward their team's basket, ands glanced up at the clock: 30 seconds remaining. Better get this, he thought.
He swivered in and out of the opposing player's way, but still he couldn't get close enough. Not well enough to guarantee the shot anyway. Over his shoulder Lucas saw Nathan bust away from his opponents cleanly on the other side of the basket. Nathan was now close enough he could make the shot. Lucas knew it didn't matter at this point whether he made the basket at all. They were going too win the game.
Glancing over at the stands, Lucas watched Haley and Dan. They were only a few feet away from each other, but their faces still held the same amount anticipation, anxiousness, and it was for Nathan
**************************************
Three Days Earlier . . .
Aimlessly Nathan wondered into the hallway after class. He made the short distance from the end of the hall to his locker, feeling a little tired and discontent. Ever since the argument, or rather his proclamation to his father the week before, he'd been feeling less than stellar. He wasn't used to fighting with his Dad. Being angry, irritated, spiteful behind his back, yes, but not guilty.
Nathan hated fighting with his father, mostly because it felt like a no end situation. There was no right or wrong with Dan Scott, just his way of doing things. And frankly Nathan was tired of it.
All he wanted to do was see Haley, and forget about the massive headache that was brought on by even the smallest of thoughts concerning his Dad.
When he finished retrieving his books from his locker, and turned around to see a tall blonde in front of him, he was pretty sure that wasn't exactly the distraction he was looking for.
The girl in front of him gave off other vibes all together though, as she gave him a quick once over.
"So you're Nathan Scott," she purred, hooking a finger through her belt loop so that it showed off her tan midriff.
Nathan glanced down at her, confused about why this chick had suddenly decided to come lavish him with her attention. "Ye-ah," he said slowly, brow quirked to left.
"Hi. I'm Sarah Baker. My Father's friend's with–."
"My father, yeah I know," Nathan finished, realization finally dawning on him, that this was the girl his Dad had tried in vain to set him up with. Well this was just awkward.
The blonde took little notice of Nathan's growing disinterest of her presence, instead showing him her most sensual smile. "So you've heard of me?"
"Sort of," he answered, trying to slip to the side, so that she wasn't quite so close to him.
She took advantage of his momentary pause, and moved forward again. "Well then you know my father rarely comes home from the office before ten," she grinned, pressing her body against his suggestively.
"Is that right," Nathan squeaked out, feeling all of sudden rather hot and uncomfortable.
"Sure is," she breathed, her face inches from his.
It was at this unfortunate moment however that Nathan looked up, his eyes locking with Haley's from down the same hallway he had come only minutes before. He froze, his body rigid against the metal locker. This entire situation was just about to go from bad to worse, if he didn't explain how this had happened, and now.
Quickly he tired to wriggle his way out from her embrace, Haley's stone cold eyes still watching him, then flicking downwards, as she hastily turned the down another hall.
"Where you goin' handsome," the blonde asked curiously.
"I got–I gotta go," he stated awkwardly, as she tried to move closer.
"But we're getting off to such a good start," she ran her hand down his chest.
Nathan grabbed her hand, and pulled it off, sliding away. "I can't ok, I've got a girlfriend," he finally barked, leaving her behind as he rushed down the hall toward his girl.
**********************************
Haley watched as he ran passed her, calling out her name frantically. She couldn't help it. He looked so upset, so worried and scared. She turned toward the wall holding her side. Her body shook. Nathan noticed her then, coming up from behind her, his voice coated with care.
"Haley . . . Haley don't be mad. It's not what you think, I swear. Please don't . . . laugh?"
Haley turned forward, her hand over her mouth as she tried to control her giggles. "Oh, but Nathan Scott you're soooooo dreamy, how will I ever manage to contain myself," she mocked, thrusting herself up against him, like the blonde cheerleader had done.
Nathan's face relaxed with relief as she continued to alugh. "Ha, Ha, Ha, that's not funny. I thought you were seriously crying over here," he pouted, feigning hurt.
Haley just let out another chuckle at his expression. "What? Over that Britney Spears wannabe pawing at you? Yeah I don't think so," Haley shook her head, "Who was she anyway?"
"The daughter of one of my Dad's friend's, I think. I don't know . . . ever since my mom left, it's like he's been trying to make sure I don't leave him too. Like setting me up with his friend's offspring is gonna keep me and him connected or something."
"You are probably one of the only things he's ever really cared about Nathan. He's afraid of losing you. And for once, I can understand where he's coming from," she grinned, tugging lightly on the bottom of his shirt.
Nathan smiled down at her, "Is that so?"
"It is," she replied, looking into his eyes, bringing her finger up to point at him. "But from now, keep the rich socialites away from your locker ok."
Nathan chuckled, nodding in agreement as a new thought occurred to him. He stopped mid motion, cocking his head to the side. "You're jealous!"
Haley gave him an incredulous stare. "Am not."
"Are so. I can tell, because you're doing that little eye squinting thing."
"What eye squinting thing?"
"It's what you do when something annoys you. You squint your eyes just a little, and push your lips together like this," he said, trying to mimic her face.
Haley looked at him comically, "I do not do that. You're making it up."
Nathan was about to counter her words when Brooke's friend Theresa came around the corner smiling and waving, "Hey Nathan," she called, as she passed him.
"Hey," he waved back politely.
Haley watched the little interaction between them, and said nothing, Nathan turned to look at her, and stuck his finger in her face.
"Ooh see that's what I'm talking about," he verified, Haley's features slackening under his scrutiny.
"Fine I give up. You win, I'm jealous. I'm the jealousy Queen. Can we go to lunch now," she said trying to pull him forward.
Nathan noticed that she seemed a little put down by his words, which wasn't his intention at all.
He halted her, pulling her back to him. "Hey wait. I like it that you're jealous all right. Makes me feel all manly, and special. And I like the little faces you make. I like all that stuff. It's all apart of why I love you."
The world seemed to fall off its axis the second the words left Nathan's mouth. And for a moment neither of them moved, just stood staring into each other's eyes.
Well you finally did it, he thought, gulping back a breath of air. You finally said it.
Haley blinked, breaking whatever trance was holding them together. "What did you.....did you tell me you loved me?"
The obvious answer would have been yes, but Nathan simply couldn't get that word to come out. He half heartedly nodded, fear in his eyes.
"I don't know what to say," Haley mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip nervously, watching Nathan's every move.
He looked to side at her words, and she knew it had been the wrong thing to say, possibly the worst, but it was too late to reconcile it now. The damage was already done.
"You don't have to say anything," he countered coldly, moving away from her.
Haley could see him building his wall up, beginning to shut her out. She tried to grab his hand, her heart racing inside of her chest. "Nathan it's not like that, I just . . . "
"Forget I said anything," he pulled away again, turning to walk out the door a few feet from them.
"Nathan," she called, hoping to explain, but knowing that the last thing he wanted to do was listen, at least to her anyway.
"Let's get lunch some other time, ok" he muttered, eyes cool as steel as he walked out the door, leaving her behind in the silent hallway.
************************************
Lucas casually strode out of practice with a satisfied grin. It had gone well today. Better than it had in a long time in fact, which made him all kinds of happy. He'd made every shot, every single shot, and his team had won during scrimmages, yes all was right with the world.
It was Nathan's less than spectacular effort, which had Lucas a little curious though. Was he just tried today? Is he tried of the game? Lucas didn't know. And honestly he wasn't quite so sure why he all of sudden cared.
Bringing a hand to wipe the perspiration off his face, Lucas noticed Haley sitting on bench studying outside, as he came around the corner of the building.
The second she noticed his presence, she gathered up the rest of her belongings and ran to catch up with him.
"Hey best-friend, how ya doin'," she walked next to him quickly, holding her books in her arms.
"Good, and you," he asked, amused by her enthusiasm to see him.
"Oh same old same old," she rambled on. "Got an A on my English essay. Have to go to work tonight. Nathan said he loved me. A new episode of ER this week. Ya know, that kind of stuff."
Haley began to start talking again, when she looked beside her and noticed that Lucas had stopped walking. She turned to him, as he stared at her.
"What?"
"Nathan said 'I love you'? Nathan Scott? As in the son of Dan Scott: the boy who has the emotional maturity of a rock. That one?"
"Yes. Yes all three of them," she answered, trying to look confident but failing miserably. Sighing loudly she walked up to her friend, setting her books on the ground.
"I don't know what to do Luke. This is . . . I didn't expect . . . I never thought he'd be the one to say it first," she finally finished, pacing back and forth in front of him.
"Does that mean you don't feel the same way, or are you pissed because you wanted to say it first? I'm not really sure where you're going with this Haley. And honestly I'm not sure I want to know."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't want to get involved in you and Nathan's relationship. It's weird Hales," he uttered, watching her move around, anxiously.
"I'm not asking you to get involved, I just need some male advice that's all," she replied, stopping to glance at him, her face wrought with worry.
"Alright, shoot," he placed his hands in his pockets with an audible sigh.
"I think I may have made a colossal mistake," she began recounting the entire afternoon's conversation she had with Nathan.
Lucas listened closely until she was done, scratching his head in thought as he pondered what information he impart on her.
With a grin he looked at his waiting friend. "It's easy Hales. Just think, whatever you would want him to do for you, is probably what he would want you to do for him. Men and women aren't all that different," he concluded, starting to walk again.
Haley nodded in agreement, collecting her books from the ground, and following him down the sidewalk, a new idea beginning to converge in her mind.
********************************
Of all the plans she'd ever thought of, of all the ridiculous thoughts, and schemes, she'd concocted throughout her life, never had she felt worse about any of them than this one.
Oh it seemed like a good idea at the time, sitting in the comfort of her own home, in her own bedroom, thinking about him.
But now . . . now was different. Now she was actually standing at the side of his house at one o'clock in the morning, trying to wake him up. And feeling like, probably, the biggest dumbass in the entire world.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized it had only been a few months ago, maybe even less, when it was him standing in front of her home, trying to get her attention. God, the world had a funny way of working sometimes. Maybe this was why she and Nathan had finally come full circle.
Haley again threw another pebble at Nathan's window, hearing the 'tink' sound it made against the glass, before falling to the ground. This time however she saw the dim light of his bedroom lamp flicker on, his drapes open, as he pushed them away, before glancing down at what it was exactly that was disturbing his slumber.
With a yawn, and a mildly irritated scowl, Nathan unlocked his window and stuck his head out to look at her.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I want to talk to you about yesterday," she shouted from the ground, trying not wake any of the neighbors, as she raised her voice.
"What about it," he asked bluntly, looking bored.
"Can you come down here," she pleaded, twisting her hands together nervously, and suddenly not caring so much about what anyone else thought. Just wanting to get through to him.
"Umm, no. Just say whatever it is you wanna say, and then go home Haley. I'm tired."
"I probably deserve that," she answered pausing and trying to figure out how she should begin. How should she tell him what a fool she'd been.
Tell him the truth, she thought to herself, taking a deep breath.
"Ok so here's the thing. I freaked out. And I'm sorry if that . . . if I hurt you. I know that doesn't make up for anything, but I wanted you to know. Because I do love you, I just wasn't ready to say it then."
"Well, maybe you're too late," he countered, the pain evident.
"All I can do is ask for your forgiveness. And wait," she repiled, trying for a smile, and ending up with something more akin to a look of dejection as she turned to walk away.
She got to the end of his yard, and he still hadn't said anything, hadn't asked her come back, or called for her to stop.
By the time Haley was a few houses away the knowledge that he really wasn't coming after her finally began to sink in. He doesn't care, she thought. I really hurt him that badly. God I'm such stupid idiot.
Haley paused at the end of the block to take a calming breath, unsure that she could make it all the way home in one piece. A soft aching pain began to grow around her heart, and all she really felt like doing was sitting down right then and there, and letting her self cry.
She stood still though, forcing herself to be strong -as always- and tried to move forward again, a strong muscular hand grabbing hold of her shoulder.
Haley spun around quickly to see Nathan standing behind her, decked out in his pj's, bare feet on cement, as he breathed heavily.
"You didn't really think I was gonna let you leave like that, did you," he said, moving closer to her now, grinning.
Haley's eyes widened,"When you didn't say anything I just assumed . . . "
"I had to make you suffer a little, I mean come on, it's only fair," he teased, running a hand lightly over her face, and into her hair.
Haley let out a carefree giggle, and leaned into his caress, the relief and despair she'd been feeling only moments before now gone.
"Ok, I deserved that," she replied with a smile, moving into his embrace, and resting her head on his chest.
Nathan cranked his head down to observe her face. Noticing the soft lines of her jaw, the curve of her lips, the dark curls of her eyelashes, and how it all seemed so perfect, so right.
He couldn't quite understand how he'd gotten so lucky in finding someone like Haley, someone that loved him, despite the daily drama his life entailed. But he knew that for now, he didn't need to understand it, he just needed to be happy with it, and he was.
"Thanks," he whispered softly into her ear finally.
"For what, "she asked, looking up at him now.
"For being the one person I can depend on. Being honest with me. Being real . . . with me. All the bullshit seems worth it, if I can be with you."
Haley knew how difficult it must've been for him to say that, and she only wished she could say something back that, wished she had a better way with words. Grasping his face she pulled him down to her and kissed him. It was a soft kiss. Nothing that would be considered overly passionate or lust driven, but tender, and full of love. Nathan's finger's slid back and tangled in her hair even as he pushed her away.
"Haley . . . "
"Don't stop," she begged, trying to move closer to his lips again.
Nathan gave her a sweet smile, "I should get you home, it's late."
Haley jutted out her mouth into a pout, when he pulled away and began leading her forward. "Where are you going," she asked, confused about why he was following her.
"I don't want my girl walking out late by herself, now come on I'll walk you home," he replied, clasping their hands together, as his bare feet slapped against the pavement, while they walked.
*****************************
The Following Night . . .
Lucas jumped high in the air and caught the ball. He ran down the court quickly, toward their team's basket, ands glanced up at the clock: 30 seconds remaining. Better get this, he thought.
He swivered in and out of the opposing player's way, but still he couldn't get close enough. Not well enough to guarantee the shot anyway. Over his shoulder Lucas saw Nathan bust away from his opponents cleanly on the other side of the basket. Nathan was now close enough he could make the shot. Lucas knew it didn't matter at this point whether he made the basket at all. They were going too win the game.
Glancing over at the stands, Lucas watched Haley and Dan. They were only a few feet away from each other, but their faces still held the same amount of anticipation and anxiousness. And it was all for Nathan
Without a second thought, Lucas bounced the ball against the ground one more time, and propelled it forward.
Across from him, Nathan caught it with ease. He then checked his defenses on either side of him, before bouncing the ball once . . . twice . . . throwing it into the air.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
The Crowd cheered.
The Ravens cheered.
Lucas cheered.
***********************
The bulk of the crowd had dissipated over the last twenty minutes. The only people lingering where a few of the players here and there, and their friends and family.
Lucas walked toward the locker room with his bag in hand, and immediately a grin began to grow on his face. In the corner of the room he could see Dan Scott talking to Haley, shaking her hand in fact, and seeming almost cordial? For a second Lucas thought he must be hallucinating. He rubbed at his eyes, and opened them again to see the same thing.
Well I'll be damned, he thought, walking away from the bleachers. As he passed Dan and Haley, he could see Nathan standing next to them, a lightness to his demeanor, something he couldn't remember ever noticing before.
Nathan nodded at Lucas in gratitude for his gesture earlier that night, and Luke simply nodded back. No words were needed. No in that moment.
When Lucas came to the door of the locker room, he paused, glancing back at all of the people that had affected his life recently. How they had affected each others lives. He watched as they mingled, intertwining with each other.
Nathan and Haley talking and holding hands. Brooke, Peyton, and Jake joking around. Even his mother and Keith, sat off to side together chatting about the game, and laughing. It all reminded him of a book he'd came upon once, a couple of years ago by Eileen Caddy. The passage reminding him that life is not just about previous choices people make, but also the ones we make today.
"Dwell not on the past. Use it to illustrate a point, then leave it behind. Nothing really matters except what you do now in this instant of time. From this moment onwards you can be an entirely different person, filled with love and understanding, ready with an outstretched hand, uplifted and positive in every thought and deed."
The End
A/N: So here we are at folks. We've finally come to the end. Wow I didn't think I'd make it in one piece. But I'm glad I did, and I'm glad all of you came along on the ride with me. First and foremost I want to thank each and every one of you who read this story. I hope it was worth the time you spent reading it. I know I enjoyed writing it. Well most of the time anyway.
Secondly I want to give everyone who reviewed a big hug and kiss. You don't know how much each and every review meant to me. If it was one word, or an entire paragraph: I loved them all. It really spurred me on in the hard times, and kept me motivated, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
What's up next? Well my new fic 'Toxic', should be coming out soon, so be sure to look for that! Thanks to everyone again.
Love, Finn
A/A/N: Don't forget to review and tell me what you guys thought of the last chapter, and/or the entire story!!
