"Haley can we please talk about this?" He asks me persistently. We're
back at the motel room and just got Isabella to bed. He reaches out,
grabbing me by my arm, causing me to wince in pain. It isn't the first
time and I'm almost certain it won't be the last. I pull away from him
determined not to let him get me down.
"There's nothing to talk about. I can't and won't keep doing this with you. I'm sorry. It's over." With that, I turn, reaching for the denim jacket that is hanging over the back of a chair. I grab the extra set of keys to the rental car and leave the motel room, knowing that Bella is in good hands. Despite the way he treats me I know he wouldn't lay a hand on Bella.
I sit in the SUV finally allowing the sobs to rack through my body. My hands are gripping the steering wheel so tightly that they are turning white against my bronzed skin. I quickly let go and brush away the tears, determined not to let this get to me. I have friends and family who will support me one hundred percent and I'm bound to take them up on all of it. I put the key in the ignition and start the car, driving aimlessly. It's been years since we've lived here but it's all the same. I still know my way around.
I end up at 115 Oceanview Drive and park the car in the driveway. Lucas and Brooke are home on vacation for a month and Dan offered them the beach house rather than staying in a motel room. I glance at my clock and realize it's late. Hopefully not too late though. I knock lightly on the door, not wanting to wake up Nicholas. Brooke opens the door almost immediately, clad in comfortable looking pajamas with a book in her hands. "Haley? Are you okay?" She asks, stumbling backwards and motioning for me to enter.
I drop myself onto their couch and silently begin sobbing. "No. I don't know that I can do this Brooke." She sinks down beside me and pulls me into one of her infamous chipper hugs.
"What's going on Hales? I know there's something you're not telling us." She says, referring to herself and Lucas, my best friend, my confidant.
I get a hold of myself knowing that Brooke is going to be able to offer nothing if I can't at least tell her what's going on. "It's Nathan. I can't stay with him anymore." I push up the sleeves from my long sleeve shirt and show her the black and blue bruises along with the fresh purplish ones that are up and down my arms.
"Holy shit. He did this to you?" She asks me in pure disbelief.
"Among other things, yeah." I tell her, finally at grips with what's happening. She shoots me a questioning glance and I decide to just flat out tell her what's been going on. "We've been fighting a lot. He wants Bella and I to travel the country with him while he's got games. I can't just uproot her and move the baby clear across the country. That's no life for a baby." She nods, obviously agreeing with me. Then again, that wouldn't be too hard to do given her circumstances. "He got all upset when I told him we'd just stay put and be there for him when the season is over. He said some horrible things and then left. He was gone for three days... didn't even bother to call and check on his daughter. I just can't keep living our life as a mystery. Either he's in it one hundred percent or he's not in it at all. He's got responsibilities Brooke- a family, granted that we're not married. But I've had enough. The drunken rages have got to stop." I stop, glancing down at my bruised and slightly swollen arms. "Every time he comes home drunk this happens."
I know she doesn't know what to say and realistically I can't blame her. It's not exactly the ideal situation that I've put her in to right now- having to stand up for me against her husband's brother. She takes a deep breath and even though it's evident that she's slightly confused by all that I've dropped on her she speaks to me gently anyways. "I think you need to get out of there now Haley. You shouldn't have to deal with him treating you like that. It's not healthy for either you or Nathan and it's certainly not good to put Bella in the middle of this Haley." I nod at her, knowing exactly where she's coming from but not quite what to do about it. I have a college degree but I never even got a job when I graduated because I was pregnant with Isabella. Since she's been born I've just been a stay at home mom.
"I'm going to get Lucas." She states, jumping up from her position next to me on the couch. She returns a few minutes later, Lucas following beside her. "Look at her arms Luke. Nathan's done that to her." I can tell she woke him up. He's rubbing his eyes, trying to pull himself out of the slumber he was in. His eyes bolt open though when he sees the purplish marks covering my arms and immediately he bolts back in the direction he came from. I burst into tears as I realize what I've put myself through. What the hell have I been thinking all these months since Bella was born?
Brooke moves to comfort me as I see Lucas reappear, storming down the hallway, clad in sweatpants and his Scott's Motors hoodie. "You two stay here. Lock the doors. And Brooke? Keep your cell phone on." He says, heading for the front door, stopping to grab his car keys on the way. He stops at the front door and turns back to us, pulling me into a warm embrace. "You're gonna be fine Hales." He says, trying to calm my jumping nerves. "Are you going to need me to bring anything back with Isabella?" My head is too jumbled up to think and Brooke notices this.
"Just bring her diaper bag. I'm sure it's still packed from the reunion. She can use some of Nicky's bottles for now." She says, kissing her husband before he heads out the door.
"There's nothing to talk about. I can't and won't keep doing this with you. I'm sorry. It's over." With that, I turn, reaching for the denim jacket that is hanging over the back of a chair. I grab the extra set of keys to the rental car and leave the motel room, knowing that Bella is in good hands. Despite the way he treats me I know he wouldn't lay a hand on Bella.
I sit in the SUV finally allowing the sobs to rack through my body. My hands are gripping the steering wheel so tightly that they are turning white against my bronzed skin. I quickly let go and brush away the tears, determined not to let this get to me. I have friends and family who will support me one hundred percent and I'm bound to take them up on all of it. I put the key in the ignition and start the car, driving aimlessly. It's been years since we've lived here but it's all the same. I still know my way around.
I end up at 115 Oceanview Drive and park the car in the driveway. Lucas and Brooke are home on vacation for a month and Dan offered them the beach house rather than staying in a motel room. I glance at my clock and realize it's late. Hopefully not too late though. I knock lightly on the door, not wanting to wake up Nicholas. Brooke opens the door almost immediately, clad in comfortable looking pajamas with a book in her hands. "Haley? Are you okay?" She asks, stumbling backwards and motioning for me to enter.
I drop myself onto their couch and silently begin sobbing. "No. I don't know that I can do this Brooke." She sinks down beside me and pulls me into one of her infamous chipper hugs.
"What's going on Hales? I know there's something you're not telling us." She says, referring to herself and Lucas, my best friend, my confidant.
I get a hold of myself knowing that Brooke is going to be able to offer nothing if I can't at least tell her what's going on. "It's Nathan. I can't stay with him anymore." I push up the sleeves from my long sleeve shirt and show her the black and blue bruises along with the fresh purplish ones that are up and down my arms.
"Holy shit. He did this to you?" She asks me in pure disbelief.
"Among other things, yeah." I tell her, finally at grips with what's happening. She shoots me a questioning glance and I decide to just flat out tell her what's been going on. "We've been fighting a lot. He wants Bella and I to travel the country with him while he's got games. I can't just uproot her and move the baby clear across the country. That's no life for a baby." She nods, obviously agreeing with me. Then again, that wouldn't be too hard to do given her circumstances. "He got all upset when I told him we'd just stay put and be there for him when the season is over. He said some horrible things and then left. He was gone for three days... didn't even bother to call and check on his daughter. I just can't keep living our life as a mystery. Either he's in it one hundred percent or he's not in it at all. He's got responsibilities Brooke- a family, granted that we're not married. But I've had enough. The drunken rages have got to stop." I stop, glancing down at my bruised and slightly swollen arms. "Every time he comes home drunk this happens."
I know she doesn't know what to say and realistically I can't blame her. It's not exactly the ideal situation that I've put her in to right now- having to stand up for me against her husband's brother. She takes a deep breath and even though it's evident that she's slightly confused by all that I've dropped on her she speaks to me gently anyways. "I think you need to get out of there now Haley. You shouldn't have to deal with him treating you like that. It's not healthy for either you or Nathan and it's certainly not good to put Bella in the middle of this Haley." I nod at her, knowing exactly where she's coming from but not quite what to do about it. I have a college degree but I never even got a job when I graduated because I was pregnant with Isabella. Since she's been born I've just been a stay at home mom.
"I'm going to get Lucas." She states, jumping up from her position next to me on the couch. She returns a few minutes later, Lucas following beside her. "Look at her arms Luke. Nathan's done that to her." I can tell she woke him up. He's rubbing his eyes, trying to pull himself out of the slumber he was in. His eyes bolt open though when he sees the purplish marks covering my arms and immediately he bolts back in the direction he came from. I burst into tears as I realize what I've put myself through. What the hell have I been thinking all these months since Bella was born?
Brooke moves to comfort me as I see Lucas reappear, storming down the hallway, clad in sweatpants and his Scott's Motors hoodie. "You two stay here. Lock the doors. And Brooke? Keep your cell phone on." He says, heading for the front door, stopping to grab his car keys on the way. He stops at the front door and turns back to us, pulling me into a warm embrace. "You're gonna be fine Hales." He says, trying to calm my jumping nerves. "Are you going to need me to bring anything back with Isabella?" My head is too jumbled up to think and Brooke notices this.
"Just bring her diaper bag. I'm sure it's still packed from the reunion. She can use some of Nicky's bottles for now." She says, kissing her husband before he heads out the door.