It has been way too long since I've updated. I have been so busy it's not
even funny. Well, like they always say, better late then never, right?
Please Review! Thanks!!
Chapter 9
The following days Haley did her best to avoid Nathan. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. She thought she was over him and didn't have anymore feelings for him, but she did. She couldn't deny it, but she didn't know if he felt the same. As soon as she saw him, it all came flooding back. The feeling was so overwhelming; it was almost as if she couldn't breathe.
She hung out with Karen a lot, talking to her about her job, her son, her lack of a love life. She didn't tell her that she thought she still might be in love with Nathan after so many years. She had to figure that out first before she went and started telling people her pity story. When she wasn't with Karen she was with Lucas. Sometimes they talked about Keith and the funeral, but other times they just sat around and played with Jeffery.
Nathan didn't know about Jeffery yet. As far as she knew, he didn't even know he existed. She figured Lucas might have told him but she wasn't sure. The day they all met to talk about the funeral, Jeffery was at her parents house. She was afraid of how he would react. She didn't think he was smart enough to figure it out, but Nathan was always full of surprises. Nathan showed up at Karen's house the day after the funeral with coincidently, Haley happened to be there too. Luckily Lucas had taken Jeffery to the park to shoot hoops. Jeffery was only almost three and a half years old, and he was already taking a great liking to basketball.
"Hey Karen. I just thought I would drop by and see how you are doing."
"Thanks Nate. I'm as well as can be expected considering my husband just died."
"Yeah." Just then Haley emerged from the bedroom. She was holding magazine, rummaging through the pages as she walked. Nathan didn't say anything, just stood there amazed by the fact that she could still make his heart flutter. Karen now had her back to the duo, as she was making some food for the boys when they came home from their basketball fiasco. Nathan stood by one of the chairs that was pushed under the table, and didn't move when she kept walking, not watching where she was going. She walked closer and closer to Nathan, still not paying attention, until she finally ran right into him. She took a step back and looked him in the eye.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Obviously." He said with a smile. She smiled back. She loved his smile, it was so contagious. "Do you want to go somewhere and talk? I've missed." he wasn't able to finish his sentence, for just then Lucas and Jeffery walked in.
"Mommy!!" Jeffery shouted as he ran to give her a hug.
"Hey Jeff, how was basketball with Lucas?"
"Awesome! I beat him at horse 3 times!"
Haley let out a laugh. "Good job baby." She said giving him a peck on the cheek. Nathan watched the interaction with admiration.
"Oh, Nathan, what's up man?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing just came to talk to your mom."
"That's nice. You want to stay for dinner? Peyton's coming over too."
"Yeah sure. Karen, how long will it be until the food is ready?"
"Half hour at the most."
"Ok. Haley, will you come with me please?" he said not giving her a chance to say no as he grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom she came out of earlier. He pulled her inside and shut the door.
"Ok. what do you want to know? It must be important to drag me away from my son."
"Yeah, Lucas told me you had a son. How old is he?"
"He'll be four in July." Nathan tried to do the calculations in his head but didn't say anything about it just yet.
"Who's the father? Ex-boyfriend?"
"You could say that."
"Why did you leave Haley? Why, I just don't understand."
"It's complicated."
"Explain it to me."
"I..."
"Wait you said he was almost four?"
"Yeah."
"That means either you got pregnant right after you left, or you were pregnant when you left." Haley looked at the ground as tears came to her eyes.
"Can we not do this right now?" she asked as she reached for the door handle.
"Haley,"
"No, not now. Not when my son is right outside." She walked out and walked into the bathroom to wash her face. She couldn't let Jeffery see that she had been crying.
Nathan walked out of the room a confused sad look on his face. He still didn't know why she had left, but figured it had something to do with Jeffery. He wanted to hold her and comfort her when he saw that she had tears in her eyes, that's all he wanted to do for four years, but he knew she wouldn't let him. He saw Lucas, Jeffery and Karen all staring at him.
"Where's Haley?"
"In the bathroom." Nathan said as he plopped down on the couch. He saw Luke whisper something in Jeffery's ear, before he left headed off in the direction of the bathroom to check on Haley. Jeffery came over and sat down next to Nathan.
"Hi," said the little boy.
"Hi. I'm Nathan Scott. What's your name?"
Jeffery's eyes got big. "Jeffery," he managed to squeeze out.
"Jeffery Lucas. Scott." It was now Nathan's turn for his eyes to get big. Haley was standing in the door way watching him interact. When Jeffery revealed what his name was, she ran out the door. Not sure where she was going to go, just knew she couldn't stay there. Nathan saw her run, but didn't make an attempt to stop her.
"Jeffery, why don't you go watch tv?" Lucas suggested.
"Ok" he said as he jogged into the other room.
"Nathan? Are you ok?"
"Lucas, I'm gonna ask you one question and you better give me an honest answer. Is Jeffery my son, or yours?" Lucas looked at Nathan, anger shooting through is eyes.
"Are you stupid? Of course the he is your some. Why would you ever think such a thing? Haley and I have never given you a reason not to trust us. We wouldn't do that to you." "I know that I'm just making sure."
"Yeah, he's your son."
"Why didn't she tell me? Is this the reason why she left?"
"It's not my place to tell you things like that. You need to talk to her."
"I tried, but she keeps running away."
"Well try harder." Neither one of them said anything else. Peyton showed up 5 minutes later, and dinner was served. Haley, as expected, didn't come back for dinner. Nathan was worried about her, but had an idea of where she might be. Karen, Lucas, Peyton, and Jeffery made conversation as they ate dinner, but Nathan just sat there, too wrapped up in the situation that had just taken place. After dinner they helped Karen clear the table and they sat down to play with Jeffery. Nathan thought about going to look for her but knew she would come back to get Jeffery. He didn't want to risk her coming and going while he was out. So he decided he would sit and wait until she got there, then he would talk to her.
The following days Haley did her best to avoid Nathan. She wasn't sure what she wanted anymore. She thought she was over him and didn't have anymore feelings for him, but she did. She couldn't deny it, but she didn't know if he felt the same. As soon as she saw him, it all came flooding back. The feeling was so overwhelming; it was almost as if she couldn't breathe.
She hung out with Karen a lot, talking to her about her job, her son, her lack of a love life. She didn't tell her that she thought she still might be in love with Nathan after so many years. She had to figure that out first before she went and started telling people her pity story. When she wasn't with Karen she was with Lucas. Sometimes they talked about Keith and the funeral, but other times they just sat around and played with Jeffery.
Nathan didn't know about Jeffery yet. As far as she knew, he didn't even know he existed. She figured Lucas might have told him but she wasn't sure. The day they all met to talk about the funeral, Jeffery was at her parents house. She was afraid of how he would react. She didn't think he was smart enough to figure it out, but Nathan was always full of surprises. Nathan showed up at Karen's house the day after the funeral with coincidently, Haley happened to be there too. Luckily Lucas had taken Jeffery to the park to shoot hoops. Jeffery was only almost three and a half years old, and he was already taking a great liking to basketball.
"Hey Karen. I just thought I would drop by and see how you are doing."
"Thanks Nate. I'm as well as can be expected considering my husband just died."
"Yeah." Just then Haley emerged from the bedroom. She was holding magazine, rummaging through the pages as she walked. Nathan didn't say anything, just stood there amazed by the fact that she could still make his heart flutter. Karen now had her back to the duo, as she was making some food for the boys when they came home from their basketball fiasco. Nathan stood by one of the chairs that was pushed under the table, and didn't move when she kept walking, not watching where she was going. She walked closer and closer to Nathan, still not paying attention, until she finally ran right into him. She took a step back and looked him in the eye.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Obviously." He said with a smile. She smiled back. She loved his smile, it was so contagious. "Do you want to go somewhere and talk? I've missed." he wasn't able to finish his sentence, for just then Lucas and Jeffery walked in.
"Mommy!!" Jeffery shouted as he ran to give her a hug.
"Hey Jeff, how was basketball with Lucas?"
"Awesome! I beat him at horse 3 times!"
Haley let out a laugh. "Good job baby." She said giving him a peck on the cheek. Nathan watched the interaction with admiration.
"Oh, Nathan, what's up man?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing just came to talk to your mom."
"That's nice. You want to stay for dinner? Peyton's coming over too."
"Yeah sure. Karen, how long will it be until the food is ready?"
"Half hour at the most."
"Ok. Haley, will you come with me please?" he said not giving her a chance to say no as he grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom she came out of earlier. He pulled her inside and shut the door.
"Ok. what do you want to know? It must be important to drag me away from my son."
"Yeah, Lucas told me you had a son. How old is he?"
"He'll be four in July." Nathan tried to do the calculations in his head but didn't say anything about it just yet.
"Who's the father? Ex-boyfriend?"
"You could say that."
"Why did you leave Haley? Why, I just don't understand."
"It's complicated."
"Explain it to me."
"I..."
"Wait you said he was almost four?"
"Yeah."
"That means either you got pregnant right after you left, or you were pregnant when you left." Haley looked at the ground as tears came to her eyes.
"Can we not do this right now?" she asked as she reached for the door handle.
"Haley,"
"No, not now. Not when my son is right outside." She walked out and walked into the bathroom to wash her face. She couldn't let Jeffery see that she had been crying.
Nathan walked out of the room a confused sad look on his face. He still didn't know why she had left, but figured it had something to do with Jeffery. He wanted to hold her and comfort her when he saw that she had tears in her eyes, that's all he wanted to do for four years, but he knew she wouldn't let him. He saw Lucas, Jeffery and Karen all staring at him.
"Where's Haley?"
"In the bathroom." Nathan said as he plopped down on the couch. He saw Luke whisper something in Jeffery's ear, before he left headed off in the direction of the bathroom to check on Haley. Jeffery came over and sat down next to Nathan.
"Hi," said the little boy.
"Hi. I'm Nathan Scott. What's your name?"
Jeffery's eyes got big. "Jeffery," he managed to squeeze out.
"Jeffery Lucas. Scott." It was now Nathan's turn for his eyes to get big. Haley was standing in the door way watching him interact. When Jeffery revealed what his name was, she ran out the door. Not sure where she was going to go, just knew she couldn't stay there. Nathan saw her run, but didn't make an attempt to stop her.
"Jeffery, why don't you go watch tv?" Lucas suggested.
"Ok" he said as he jogged into the other room.
"Nathan? Are you ok?"
"Lucas, I'm gonna ask you one question and you better give me an honest answer. Is Jeffery my son, or yours?" Lucas looked at Nathan, anger shooting through is eyes.
"Are you stupid? Of course the he is your some. Why would you ever think such a thing? Haley and I have never given you a reason not to trust us. We wouldn't do that to you." "I know that I'm just making sure."
"Yeah, he's your son."
"Why didn't she tell me? Is this the reason why she left?"
"It's not my place to tell you things like that. You need to talk to her."
"I tried, but she keeps running away."
"Well try harder." Neither one of them said anything else. Peyton showed up 5 minutes later, and dinner was served. Haley, as expected, didn't come back for dinner. Nathan was worried about her, but had an idea of where she might be. Karen, Lucas, Peyton, and Jeffery made conversation as they ate dinner, but Nathan just sat there, too wrapped up in the situation that had just taken place. After dinner they helped Karen clear the table and they sat down to play with Jeffery. Nathan thought about going to look for her but knew she would come back to get Jeffery. He didn't want to risk her coming and going while he was out. So he decided he would sit and wait until she got there, then he would talk to her.
