+16
Recap:
"You don't have to go to work this morning," her mother told her. "I'm sure Karen would understand."
"No mom, it's ok. I want to. I'll uh see you later."
Haley walked out the front door and let the tears freely fall as she started her walk to Karen's Café.
Part 16:
Haley put on a wonderful performance for Karen, though she wasn't entirely sure that Karen had believed it. She however didn't push Haley. And that was one of the things she loved about Karen. She didn't have to worry about questions like 'Are you ok?' or 'Haley what's the matter?' No. It was much better this way. The only she worried about was concerned looks from her regular customers, when she'd mess up an order, or knock over a cup of coffee.
"Damn it," she hissed under her breath as she knocked over the woman's latte. "I'm sorry about that. Let me fix you a new one."
"It's ok," the woman told her.
Haley handed her the new latte and sent her on her way. Everybody else was helped she had a reprieve. She sat down on the stool behind the counter and sighed. Hales could feel the tears coming. Her eyes were burning.
'No,' she commanded herself. 'Not here, not now.' And a single tear slid down her cheek.
The door bell jingled. Haley stood up and wiped her eyes ready to attend to her customer.
"What can I get for you?" she asked, at first not looking at the customer. "Nathan?"
He immediately noticed she didn't look well, and he caught her wiping her eyes. "What's wrong Haley?" Nathan asked concern present in the urgency of his voice.
She shook her head. "Nothing," she lied, but her voice betrayed her with the truth. It was shaky and uneven.
"C'mon Hale, don't do this," Nathan told her. "Don't shut me out when I can be there for you." Not caring, Nathan rounded the corner of the counter and wrapped his arms around her.
And that was all it took. Haley broke down, her tears escaping her eyes and running down her face.
"Shh," Nathan tried to calm her and lightly rubbed her back. He walked her over to a chair in the back and sat her down.
Haley curled herself up in the chair, bringing her knees close to her chest. She started rocking back and forth.
Nathan went over to the counter and was going to take over for Haley. He pulled out his cell phone, and looked around for Karen's number. He found it and dialed the number.
"Hello?" Karen answered.
"Karen its Nathan," he told her. "I'm at the café. Would it be a problem if Haley went home and someone came in for her? She's sitting in the back crying. I have yet to figure out why," he spit out a bit panicked. Haley had never broken down like this in front of him. "I just, I don't know what to do. I took over for her, but I don't know how good I'll do."
"I'll be right down Nathan. Thank you for calling. Bye."
"Bye." Nathan hung up with Karen and was sure she was on her way, racing down here. Haley had always told him that her and Karen she were close, almost like a mother and a daughter. Karen cared about her as much as she cared about Lucas.
Within a few minutes, and about three coffees, Karen was running into the café. "Where is she?" she asked with the utmost urgency.
"Right over here," Nathan showed her.
Karen kneeled down in front of her. "Haley, what's wrong?"
Haley shook her head not able to form any words, just sounds.
"Call me later then" Karen told her. "And I hope you feel better," she told Haley sincerely. Karen walked back over to the register. "Thank you Nathan," she said with a smile at him. "Now go. Take care of her."
Nathan did as he was told. He walked over to Haley and helped her up, letting all her weight lean on him. Once outside the café he helped her into his truck.
Before Nathan got in the car, he made a call. He called Lucas but his voicemail picked up.
"Luke, it's me Nathan. This call is about Haley. She's upset and I figured you would want to know. I haven't been able to get out of her what's bothering her but call my cell phone when you get this." Nathan hung up. He just hoped Lucas would listen to it before deleting it.
He climbed in and looked at her. "Where do you want to go?"
"Any where but home," she answered between sobs.
Nathan put the car in drive. He knew where he'd take her. Somewhere they could be alone and undisturbed.
END PART 16
Recap:
"You don't have to go to work this morning," her mother told her. "I'm sure Karen would understand."
"No mom, it's ok. I want to. I'll uh see you later."
Haley walked out the front door and let the tears freely fall as she started her walk to Karen's Café.
Part 16:
Haley put on a wonderful performance for Karen, though she wasn't entirely sure that Karen had believed it. She however didn't push Haley. And that was one of the things she loved about Karen. She didn't have to worry about questions like 'Are you ok?' or 'Haley what's the matter?' No. It was much better this way. The only she worried about was concerned looks from her regular customers, when she'd mess up an order, or knock over a cup of coffee.
"Damn it," she hissed under her breath as she knocked over the woman's latte. "I'm sorry about that. Let me fix you a new one."
"It's ok," the woman told her.
Haley handed her the new latte and sent her on her way. Everybody else was helped she had a reprieve. She sat down on the stool behind the counter and sighed. Hales could feel the tears coming. Her eyes were burning.
'No,' she commanded herself. 'Not here, not now.' And a single tear slid down her cheek.
The door bell jingled. Haley stood up and wiped her eyes ready to attend to her customer.
"What can I get for you?" she asked, at first not looking at the customer. "Nathan?"
He immediately noticed she didn't look well, and he caught her wiping her eyes. "What's wrong Haley?" Nathan asked concern present in the urgency of his voice.
She shook her head. "Nothing," she lied, but her voice betrayed her with the truth. It was shaky and uneven.
"C'mon Hale, don't do this," Nathan told her. "Don't shut me out when I can be there for you." Not caring, Nathan rounded the corner of the counter and wrapped his arms around her.
And that was all it took. Haley broke down, her tears escaping her eyes and running down her face.
"Shh," Nathan tried to calm her and lightly rubbed her back. He walked her over to a chair in the back and sat her down.
Haley curled herself up in the chair, bringing her knees close to her chest. She started rocking back and forth.
Nathan went over to the counter and was going to take over for Haley. He pulled out his cell phone, and looked around for Karen's number. He found it and dialed the number.
"Hello?" Karen answered.
"Karen its Nathan," he told her. "I'm at the café. Would it be a problem if Haley went home and someone came in for her? She's sitting in the back crying. I have yet to figure out why," he spit out a bit panicked. Haley had never broken down like this in front of him. "I just, I don't know what to do. I took over for her, but I don't know how good I'll do."
"I'll be right down Nathan. Thank you for calling. Bye."
"Bye." Nathan hung up with Karen and was sure she was on her way, racing down here. Haley had always told him that her and Karen she were close, almost like a mother and a daughter. Karen cared about her as much as she cared about Lucas.
Within a few minutes, and about three coffees, Karen was running into the café. "Where is she?" she asked with the utmost urgency.
"Right over here," Nathan showed her.
Karen kneeled down in front of her. "Haley, what's wrong?"
Haley shook her head not able to form any words, just sounds.
"Call me later then" Karen told her. "And I hope you feel better," she told Haley sincerely. Karen walked back over to the register. "Thank you Nathan," she said with a smile at him. "Now go. Take care of her."
Nathan did as he was told. He walked over to Haley and helped her up, letting all her weight lean on him. Once outside the café he helped her into his truck.
Before Nathan got in the car, he made a call. He called Lucas but his voicemail picked up.
"Luke, it's me Nathan. This call is about Haley. She's upset and I figured you would want to know. I haven't been able to get out of her what's bothering her but call my cell phone when you get this." Nathan hung up. He just hoped Lucas would listen to it before deleting it.
He climbed in and looked at her. "Where do you want to go?"
"Any where but home," she answered between sobs.
Nathan put the car in drive. He knew where he'd take her. Somewhere they could be alone and undisturbed.
END PART 16
