+24
Recap:
After a few minutes, Haley reluctantly detached herself from Nathan. "I owe you," she told him.
He handed her his cell phone. "My room's straight down that hall on the left if you want."
She smiled at him and wiped her eyes trying to compose herself as much as possible. She took the phone. "I'll be back," Haley said as she went down the hall.
"I'll be waiting."
END PART 22
Part 24
Haley came out of Nathan's room feeling pretty good; although she was getting really tired of this crying stuff. She actually had a smile on her face though.
Seeing Haley come out, Nathan turned the game off. He got up and went to her. Nathan noticed her eyes were still red and puffy, she must have been crying again. He hated seeing Haley like this. When she was in arms reach he held out his hand for her and when she took it, he pulled her to him. "Feel any better?"
Haley nodded. "Yeah I do. Thanks," she answered him, smiling at him.
"Good." He wrapped his arms around Haley. Nathan tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and leaned down slowly to kiss her.
Haley broke away with an even bigger smile on her face. "Scott, you really know how to make a girl feel better."
Nathan laughed. "Want to go out? Grab a bite to eat or get ice cream?" he asked.
"Ice cream!" Hales yelled like a little kid.
Nathan shook his head, smiling. "Let's go." He picked his jacket up from the chair and held it out for her to slip into. Nate grabbed his hoodie and pulled it on. Nathan locked up and they headed out. "Walk or drive?"
"Walk. Maybe by the time we get there I won't look like such a wreck."
He slipped his arm around her waist. "Haley, you couldn't look like a wreck even on your worst days. You're always beautiful."
Haley started laughing. "There's that Scott charm."
"Hey. It's true. I haven't ever seen you look like a wreck," Nathan told her. "Besides you said it yourself at my party. "You're fine," he reminded her, grinning.
She just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," Hales said shaking her head. "Oh I forgot to tell you. Luke's coming by tomorrow morning. We are going to spend the day together catching up on old times."
Nathan nodded. "That's cool Haley. Been awhile huh?"
"Too long," she agreed. "Right now Lucas is tending to Brooke."
"Tending to?"
"Yeah. Apparently she was playing basketball with Peyton, Lucas, and the guys at the River Court. Peyton knocked her down and she cracked her head on the pavement," Haley explained to him.
"Is she ok?" Nathan asked. Nathan, Brooke, and Tim had grown up together since they were in diapers.
Haley nodded. "Yup. The doctor told Lucas she just needs to be kept an eye on for a few days. Lucas was gonna see if Karen would hang out with her tomorrow while we hang out. He doesn't want to leave her alone and all."
"Yeah. I'm glad she's ok," Nathan told Haley as they continued to walk. "We aren't that close and all now, but we used to be really close."
Haley looked at him and smiled. "Cell phone please."
"For?"
"I just need it for a second," Haley told him. "Either you give it to me or I take it from you Mr. Scott," she threatened.
"You are so terrifying," Nathan said sarcastically, but surrendered his cell phone to her.
Haley stopped walking, grabbed the phone and dialed Luke's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Luke. It's me," Haley greeted him.
"Hi Me. What can I do for you?" Lucas asked. "Not calling to cancel on me are you?"
Haley shook her head. "Duh. No. I had an idea though. Tomorrow when you come pick me up, why don't you drop Brooke off? She can spend the day with Nathan. I'm sure he can keep a good eye on her," Haley suggested. "And then...maybe...all four of us could hang out later."
"Haley," Luke said. "I don't know if I trust leaving her in Nathan's care. I just...would feel more comfortable leaving her with my mom."
Hales scowled. "Lucas Scott. She will be fine. When you pick her up a Brooke Davis better be with you," she warned. "Or else."
"Or else what?" Lucas challenged.
"You don't want to know." Haley was sure he must be rolling his eyes at the phone. "Well?"
Lucas reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But do we have to ALL hang out later?"
"Luke do you remember what you said to me in the café?"
Haley heard him sigh. "I guess that means I have to."
"Besides you might have fun. I'm not crazy about Brooke but I'm willing to ignore that and have some fun tomorrow night," Haley told him.
"Fine, you win Haley."
Haley grinned. "Great. See you tomorrow morning."
"Bye."
"Bye Lucas."
Haley hung up the phone and put it in her jacket pocket.
"Do I want to ask what you just signed me up to do?"
Haley slipped her hand into his as they started to walk again. "You and Brooke are going to get to hang out for a day. And then, you, Lucas, Brooke & I are all going to hang out, at your beach house."
Nathan just looked at her like she had twelve heads. "Is that going to go over well?" Lucas and he could barely stand to be in a ten mile radius, let alone a ten foot radius.
"As long as you pretend he's not Lucas and just set out to have fun, yes," Hales told him. "Besides I need some fun. I'm sure Brooke would like fun too."
"Ok Haley. For you," he said kissing her forehead.
'What am I getting myself into?' he wondered.
A few minutes later they walked through the doors to the local ice cream shop, a bell alerting their presence.
"Can I help you?" a woman asked from behind the counter.
Nathan looked to Haley. "Go ahead order."
"A soft chocolate ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles," she told the woman.
"And for you?" she asked Nathan.
"Same, only with vanilla ice cream instead."
"Coming right up." A moment later the woman handed them their cones. "That'll be $3.00."
Nathan handed the woman a three singles and put two in the tip jar.
"Have a nice day!" Haley said to her.
"You too."
Nathan and Haley walked out of the store eating their ice cream.
"Haley James."
Haley stopped in her tracks but didn't want to turn around.
END CHAPTER 24
Recap:
After a few minutes, Haley reluctantly detached herself from Nathan. "I owe you," she told him.
He handed her his cell phone. "My room's straight down that hall on the left if you want."
She smiled at him and wiped her eyes trying to compose herself as much as possible. She took the phone. "I'll be back," Haley said as she went down the hall.
"I'll be waiting."
END PART 22
Part 24
Haley came out of Nathan's room feeling pretty good; although she was getting really tired of this crying stuff. She actually had a smile on her face though.
Seeing Haley come out, Nathan turned the game off. He got up and went to her. Nathan noticed her eyes were still red and puffy, she must have been crying again. He hated seeing Haley like this. When she was in arms reach he held out his hand for her and when she took it, he pulled her to him. "Feel any better?"
Haley nodded. "Yeah I do. Thanks," she answered him, smiling at him.
"Good." He wrapped his arms around Haley. Nathan tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and leaned down slowly to kiss her.
Haley broke away with an even bigger smile on her face. "Scott, you really know how to make a girl feel better."
Nathan laughed. "Want to go out? Grab a bite to eat or get ice cream?" he asked.
"Ice cream!" Hales yelled like a little kid.
Nathan shook his head, smiling. "Let's go." He picked his jacket up from the chair and held it out for her to slip into. Nate grabbed his hoodie and pulled it on. Nathan locked up and they headed out. "Walk or drive?"
"Walk. Maybe by the time we get there I won't look like such a wreck."
He slipped his arm around her waist. "Haley, you couldn't look like a wreck even on your worst days. You're always beautiful."
Haley started laughing. "There's that Scott charm."
"Hey. It's true. I haven't ever seen you look like a wreck," Nathan told her. "Besides you said it yourself at my party. "You're fine," he reminded her, grinning.
She just rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah," Hales said shaking her head. "Oh I forgot to tell you. Luke's coming by tomorrow morning. We are going to spend the day together catching up on old times."
Nathan nodded. "That's cool Haley. Been awhile huh?"
"Too long," she agreed. "Right now Lucas is tending to Brooke."
"Tending to?"
"Yeah. Apparently she was playing basketball with Peyton, Lucas, and the guys at the River Court. Peyton knocked her down and she cracked her head on the pavement," Haley explained to him.
"Is she ok?" Nathan asked. Nathan, Brooke, and Tim had grown up together since they were in diapers.
Haley nodded. "Yup. The doctor told Lucas she just needs to be kept an eye on for a few days. Lucas was gonna see if Karen would hang out with her tomorrow while we hang out. He doesn't want to leave her alone and all."
"Yeah. I'm glad she's ok," Nathan told Haley as they continued to walk. "We aren't that close and all now, but we used to be really close."
Haley looked at him and smiled. "Cell phone please."
"For?"
"I just need it for a second," Haley told him. "Either you give it to me or I take it from you Mr. Scott," she threatened.
"You are so terrifying," Nathan said sarcastically, but surrendered his cell phone to her.
Haley stopped walking, grabbed the phone and dialed Luke's number.
"Hello?"
"Hey Luke. It's me," Haley greeted him.
"Hi Me. What can I do for you?" Lucas asked. "Not calling to cancel on me are you?"
Haley shook her head. "Duh. No. I had an idea though. Tomorrow when you come pick me up, why don't you drop Brooke off? She can spend the day with Nathan. I'm sure he can keep a good eye on her," Haley suggested. "And then...maybe...all four of us could hang out later."
"Haley," Luke said. "I don't know if I trust leaving her in Nathan's care. I just...would feel more comfortable leaving her with my mom."
Hales scowled. "Lucas Scott. She will be fine. When you pick her up a Brooke Davis better be with you," she warned. "Or else."
"Or else what?" Lucas challenged.
"You don't want to know." Haley was sure he must be rolling his eyes at the phone. "Well?"
Lucas reluctantly agreed. "Fine. But do we have to ALL hang out later?"
"Luke do you remember what you said to me in the café?"
Haley heard him sigh. "I guess that means I have to."
"Besides you might have fun. I'm not crazy about Brooke but I'm willing to ignore that and have some fun tomorrow night," Haley told him.
"Fine, you win Haley."
Haley grinned. "Great. See you tomorrow morning."
"Bye."
"Bye Lucas."
Haley hung up the phone and put it in her jacket pocket.
"Do I want to ask what you just signed me up to do?"
Haley slipped her hand into his as they started to walk again. "You and Brooke are going to get to hang out for a day. And then, you, Lucas, Brooke & I are all going to hang out, at your beach house."
Nathan just looked at her like she had twelve heads. "Is that going to go over well?" Lucas and he could barely stand to be in a ten mile radius, let alone a ten foot radius.
"As long as you pretend he's not Lucas and just set out to have fun, yes," Hales told him. "Besides I need some fun. I'm sure Brooke would like fun too."
"Ok Haley. For you," he said kissing her forehead.
'What am I getting myself into?' he wondered.
A few minutes later they walked through the doors to the local ice cream shop, a bell alerting their presence.
"Can I help you?" a woman asked from behind the counter.
Nathan looked to Haley. "Go ahead order."
"A soft chocolate ice cream cone with rainbow sprinkles," she told the woman.
"And for you?" she asked Nathan.
"Same, only with vanilla ice cream instead."
"Coming right up." A moment later the woman handed them their cones. "That'll be $3.00."
Nathan handed the woman a three singles and put two in the tip jar.
"Have a nice day!" Haley said to her.
"You too."
Nathan and Haley walked out of the store eating their ice cream.
"Haley James."
Haley stopped in her tracks but didn't want to turn around.
END CHAPTER 24
