A/N: I just wanted to give all my readers the heads up that this story is
coming to a close. I have this chapter and one more then it's completed.
However, don't worry! I've had such great response to this one, I figure
I'll try out another idea I have in mind. More details for that will be
available with the final posting for this one.
Also, I haven't yet taken the time to do this, but it is very important to me. Without my readers the inspiration to continue this story would not exist. I just wanted to take this time to thank all my read and repliers. OTHlover04, tardychick06, Marissa-Xtreme Piper Fan, lala456, OneTreeHillGirl, laffertyluver23, evcrules, CHSIVA2005CHIC, starryskyangel1, and last but not least, lysser8312. Thanks so much for your encouragement!
[hr]
"You think that will work?" I ask my half-brother. I'm not so sure it will. Maybe it will help me as a person. But to win back Haley and Bella? I'm not so sure about that one...
"It can't hurt anything Nathan." Lucas tells me. "Just remember what you're going after. Haley and Bella and the new baby." I hear him tell me, reminding me of what's important in my life. Wait. Did he just say [i]new baby[/i]?
"New baby?" I can honestly say I have no clue of what he's talking about. "Haley's pregnant?"
I can't believe that I just let that slip. Haley didn't want him to know. I told him. "Yeah... she is..." I tell him quietly. He stands from the table, slamming his fist into the wall beside us. Luckily, the wall doesn't budge.
"How the fuck did I manage to screw everything up so bad?" He screams, a blood-curdling scream. "How Lucas?" He glares at me and momentarily I find myself wondering if he's going to lunge after me the way he's lunged at Haley so many other times. No wonder she left him. I've never seen my brother act like this before. Had I ever, it would have been stopped long before now. Nathan has a problem. A problem that no one is going to be able to solve other than himself and his conscience.
"Look man. I'm gonna give you some time to process this." I warn him, backing away slightly. "I need to give Brooke a call and let her know I made it out here okay? Then I've got a few calls to make for the office. After that, we'll grab some dinner, okay?" He nods as his fist connects again with the wall. No wonder Haley's scared.
[center][/center]
"Hello?" Her voice sounds raspy, tired almost and I instantly regret leaving her alone with Nicholas when he's still so young, needs so much attention.
"Brooke, sweetie, is everything okay?" I glance at my watch, hoping I haven't woken Nicholas up. It's early still, but not too early for him to be in bed by now.
"Ugh, Luke..." She sighs into the phone. "Haley's been a nervous wreck all day since I told her you've gone to Chicago. She's been pacing this place since lunch and she won't sit down for more than five minutes at a time. Nicky can feel the tension and he's been fussy all day..."
I feel the regret traveling through my body at having left her alone with our two-month old son, Haley and her ten-month old daughter. "I'm sorry..."
"No, it's okay. It's not your fault." She tells me, her voice finally returning to its normal fun-loving tone. "So how's it going?" I groan at her question, wishing there was some way we could have avoided this situation.
"Eh... not so good. He's miserable Brooke. Absolutely miserable. I'm trying to help him, to give him some idea of a way to make this right, but he's taking it all wrong. I can see just by the look on his face that he's thinking they'll get back together..." I stop, peeking out the door of the spare bedroom, hoping Nathan's no where to be found. When I see the empty hallway in front of me, I know it's safe to continue the conversation. "When I told him about the baby, he went off the deep end, Brooke. He punched the wall, he swore. He just went on a rampage. I don't know how long he's been like this, or how long he's been taking it out on Haley, but after seeing the way he acts, there's no saving this for those two..."
"You told him about the baby?" She spits back at me. "Haley didn't want him to know..."
"I know. It was an accident. We were just talking and it came out. Besides, I think it's better that he knows, rather than waiting... It'll just make everything worse to try and hide it from him." A silence fills the line between us, nothing but our own breathing filling the air. "Well... I need to make a few calls for the office before Nate and I grab some dinner. Love you sweetie. And I'll see you in a few days." We say our goodbyes and hang up the phone. Tonight's going to be wonderful.
[center][/center]
Before the conversation turns fiery, I jump in, wanting to make it known from the start that there's no guarantee for anything. "Nate. You need to know this. Just because I'm trying to help you and Haley out doesn't mean that things will ever go back the way they were before... well, before... you know..." He shakes his head at me angrily and I know right now that from here on out, things are not going to be the same between us. He's clearly disgusted with me.
"You can give up all you want Luke. This is Haley. This is Bella. This is a new baby. I can't just put them all behind me and move on. I have to do this Lucas. I have to. I have to try and fix what I've destroyed. I have to prove that things will be different..."
Also, I haven't yet taken the time to do this, but it is very important to me. Without my readers the inspiration to continue this story would not exist. I just wanted to take this time to thank all my read and repliers. OTHlover04, tardychick06, Marissa-Xtreme Piper Fan, lala456, OneTreeHillGirl, laffertyluver23, evcrules, CHSIVA2005CHIC, starryskyangel1, and last but not least, lysser8312. Thanks so much for your encouragement!
[hr]
"You think that will work?" I ask my half-brother. I'm not so sure it will. Maybe it will help me as a person. But to win back Haley and Bella? I'm not so sure about that one...
"It can't hurt anything Nathan." Lucas tells me. "Just remember what you're going after. Haley and Bella and the new baby." I hear him tell me, reminding me of what's important in my life. Wait. Did he just say [i]new baby[/i]?
"New baby?" I can honestly say I have no clue of what he's talking about. "Haley's pregnant?"
I can't believe that I just let that slip. Haley didn't want him to know. I told him. "Yeah... she is..." I tell him quietly. He stands from the table, slamming his fist into the wall beside us. Luckily, the wall doesn't budge.
"How the fuck did I manage to screw everything up so bad?" He screams, a blood-curdling scream. "How Lucas?" He glares at me and momentarily I find myself wondering if he's going to lunge after me the way he's lunged at Haley so many other times. No wonder she left him. I've never seen my brother act like this before. Had I ever, it would have been stopped long before now. Nathan has a problem. A problem that no one is going to be able to solve other than himself and his conscience.
"Look man. I'm gonna give you some time to process this." I warn him, backing away slightly. "I need to give Brooke a call and let her know I made it out here okay? Then I've got a few calls to make for the office. After that, we'll grab some dinner, okay?" He nods as his fist connects again with the wall. No wonder Haley's scared.
[center][/center]
"Hello?" Her voice sounds raspy, tired almost and I instantly regret leaving her alone with Nicholas when he's still so young, needs so much attention.
"Brooke, sweetie, is everything okay?" I glance at my watch, hoping I haven't woken Nicholas up. It's early still, but not too early for him to be in bed by now.
"Ugh, Luke..." She sighs into the phone. "Haley's been a nervous wreck all day since I told her you've gone to Chicago. She's been pacing this place since lunch and she won't sit down for more than five minutes at a time. Nicky can feel the tension and he's been fussy all day..."
I feel the regret traveling through my body at having left her alone with our two-month old son, Haley and her ten-month old daughter. "I'm sorry..."
"No, it's okay. It's not your fault." She tells me, her voice finally returning to its normal fun-loving tone. "So how's it going?" I groan at her question, wishing there was some way we could have avoided this situation.
"Eh... not so good. He's miserable Brooke. Absolutely miserable. I'm trying to help him, to give him some idea of a way to make this right, but he's taking it all wrong. I can see just by the look on his face that he's thinking they'll get back together..." I stop, peeking out the door of the spare bedroom, hoping Nathan's no where to be found. When I see the empty hallway in front of me, I know it's safe to continue the conversation. "When I told him about the baby, he went off the deep end, Brooke. He punched the wall, he swore. He just went on a rampage. I don't know how long he's been like this, or how long he's been taking it out on Haley, but after seeing the way he acts, there's no saving this for those two..."
"You told him about the baby?" She spits back at me. "Haley didn't want him to know..."
"I know. It was an accident. We were just talking and it came out. Besides, I think it's better that he knows, rather than waiting... It'll just make everything worse to try and hide it from him." A silence fills the line between us, nothing but our own breathing filling the air. "Well... I need to make a few calls for the office before Nate and I grab some dinner. Love you sweetie. And I'll see you in a few days." We say our goodbyes and hang up the phone. Tonight's going to be wonderful.
[center][/center]
Before the conversation turns fiery, I jump in, wanting to make it known from the start that there's no guarantee for anything. "Nate. You need to know this. Just because I'm trying to help you and Haley out doesn't mean that things will ever go back the way they were before... well, before... you know..." He shakes his head at me angrily and I know right now that from here on out, things are not going to be the same between us. He's clearly disgusted with me.
"You can give up all you want Luke. This is Haley. This is Bella. This is a new baby. I can't just put them all behind me and move on. I have to do this Lucas. I have to. I have to try and fix what I've destroyed. I have to prove that things will be different..."