Thanks for all the great feedback guys. I LOVE it! Here's the new update. Hopefully there will be another one out shortly.

TOXIC

Chapter 29

Build Me Up

It was early the next morning when Haley and Nathan both walked back inside the beach house from the night before. Somewhere between the first kiss and the last they had dozed off on the warm sand of the beach, a wake up call from the seagulls overhead, letting them know it was time to get up. The crystal blue morning sky above them was growing lighter by the minute.

They trudged back up the dock together, quietly brushing off the last remnants of sand from their backs. It was a comfortable silence though, one that didn't need to be filled with useless words, that were only said to break the awkwardness. There was no awkwardness, not now. Not after what was said last night. Haley still felt a bit raw from her outpouring, but she was trying to not think about that, for now she just wanted to be with Nathan. She just wanted to be content.

Pulling the back door open, Nathan let Haley slip in before him and then he closed it behind him as he too came inside. For a moment they just stood there, looking at each other quietly, happily.

"Do you....do you want something to drink? Some water or something," Nathan suggested, his voice rough and low, his hair jutting out in wayward spikes on his head, as his shirt lay titled on his body, exposing his strong muscular arms. He looked absolutely perfect, Haley surmised with a shy smile.

She pulled a piece of hair behind her ear, her big brown eyes locked on his blue ones, as the morning sun shone through the glass doors onto both of their figures. Haley softly nodded her head at Nathan's question, "No that's ok. I think I'm just gonna go get cleaned up."

Nathan's smile turned up into a slightly mischievous smirk at this, and he pulled at her nightgown to bring her to him. She placed her hands on top of his chest as his arms encircled her waist.

"Want some help," he offered in a whisper against her ear. Haley almost let out a moan as his hot breath hit the skin on her neck, but bit it back, arching her neck up to look at him, a giggle on her mouth.

"Uh, I think I can wash myself Nathan, but thanks for the offer," she said to him, and watched his face fall for a second. It wasn't that the idea of her Nathan in a shower together was unappealing in any way, shape, or form, because it was the exact opposite. But the last thing she wanted to do was rush into sex with him after they'd spent so much time building their relationship up, getting to the point where they were now. Where everything was finally good between them, where everything was right. She just hoped Nathan didn't take it the wrong way.

"Well if you change your mind you know where to find me," he cocked his head to the side and grinned, causing her to break out into another wide smile. He just didn't know when to give up.

"I'll remember that," she nodded, pleased that he didn't seem to upset with her decision to wait.

Raising up on her tip toes, Haley moved her arms up around his neck, as his arms tightened around her body. She waited as he dipped his head down and captured her lips in a searing kiss. Nathan let his tongue brush against her bottom lip, sucking it in as she pushed her mouth harder against his. It was the kind of kiss that left you completely still, and breathless all at the same time. The kind of kiss that stopped the world, made everything else but the two of you completely disappear. The kind of kiss that Haley never wanted to end.

Reluctantly though she pulled away first, knowing too well that if she didn't go now, she wouldn't end up leaving his arms all day. With a heavy breath Nathan released his hold on her body and watched as she began to glide out of the room.

"Come find me when you're done," he told her as she made it toward the stairs.She turned and nodded at him with a smile, disappearing up the steps.

About half way down the hall, a dark-haired figure emerged from one of the back rooms. She rubbed at her eyes, and ran her hand through her hair like a comb, coming to a stop when she saw Haley going into the master bathroom, a dreamy grin plastered all over her face.

"Hey there, smiley. Guess I know who woke up on the right side of the bed this morning," Brooke teased.

Haley rolled her eyes, but couldn't  for the life of her seem to get rid of her smile. It was like an alien had taken control of her face, and commanded her to stay unremittingly happy. Not that she was complaining, but it probably looked freakishly weird to everyone else who was used to the Haley of the past six months. Brooke could always read her though, no matter how she looked on the outside. So there was really no point in hiding her and Nathan's new development, even if she'd wanted too. Which she didn't.

"Good morning to you to Brooke," she breezed out, leaning against the bathroom door frame.

Brooke eyed her suspiciously, taking notice for the first time, of her disheveled night gown, the tiny speckles of sand in her hair and on her skin. "What's with all the sand? You go for an early morning swim?"

"Not exactly," Haley laughed.

"Then what? Tell me," Brooke prodded, and Haley didn't see the purpose in putting off the inevitable, so she let that far off look come over her face again, let her eyes glaze over at the thought of Nathan's kisses the night before, and the way he'd said he only wanted her.

"Let's just say that um, me and Nathan finally figured it out," she bit at her bottom lip, watching Brooke's eyes widen and then return to normal.

Brooke waved her finger up at Haley "As in you two are together now?"

"I think so," she smiled and waited for Brooke's response. It was important to her what her best-friend thought, no matter how much she might deny it. Her past with Nathan was complicated, and to know that Brooke was willing to look beyond Nathan's history with women was a big step.

Uneasily Haley watched as Brooke brought her hand up to touch Haley's hair tenderly. "Well it's about damn time," she spoke quietly and saw Haley's face brighten.

"Guess it is," the other girl agreed, and then they both laughed.

A little while later, Brooke found her way downstairs, only to come across Nathan sitting on the living room couch watching ESPN and eating a large bowl of sugar filled cereal.

"Good morning," she rang out with cheer as she headed to the refrigerator for some orange juice.

Nathan glanced over at the new figure in the room and mumbled, "Morning," with mild interest, his eyes focused on the game before him.

Brooke filled her glass and then waited in the kitchen debating. Part of her wanted to just go on about the way her and Nathan had been acting for the last three months now, just generally not talking to each other. She ignored him, and he ignored her and they got along like always. No interaction, no drama. But that was when Brooke was still undecided about whether Nathan would ever stand up and be the man that Haley deserved, and sure enough he had. She didn't know what to think or what to say to that exactly, and it probably wasn't her place, but still, she felt that this silent feud between them needed to end. If for nothing else then Haley's sake. She deserved to have a boyfriend and a friend that would at least be cordial to one another.

Coming out of the kitchen and standing by the couch, Brooke waited for a minute until a commercial came on. When there ceased to be basketball on the screen, Nathan realized that Brooke's form was staring down at him on the couch, her eye's intent.

"So...........," she began when Nathan finally looked up at her.

"So...........," Nathan repeated, not sure what she wanted or why she was trying to speak to him.

Brooke placed her hand on her hip, realizing that discreetness with Nathan, was like trying to teach a dog to meow. It was useless and irritating, and got you nowhere. Being direct was the only way to go, and Brooke did it best above all else. It was the only good thing she'd ever learned from either of her parents, and she going to put it into good use.

"So you and Haley," she blurted out, and for a second Nathan didn't move, just sat there and stared back at her. Until finally he shook his head back and forth in laughter.

"What's so funny," she tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, unsure of this response.

"You always are the first to find out about everything, aren't you Brooke," Nathan chuckled, pushing himself off the couch and going into the kitchen. He began to rinse his now empty bowl in the sink, as Brooke followed after him.

"And you just hate it don't you?"

"Nah. Not really," he shrugged, and silence came over them for a minute.

Brooke crossed her arms in front of her body, thinking about all the things that had happened in their lives since highschool. "You think it's always going to be with weird between us Nathan? Me with your brother, and you with my best-friend?"

Nathan leaned against the kitchen counter, contemplating her question. "Even when we were together things were weird between us. Probably because we were with each other and not the right people. We just didn't want to admit it," he said honestly, and Brooke was taken aback at how true his words were.

"And when, can I ask, did you become this wise old sage," Brooke said jokingly, and they both laughed.

"Even the Scott men have their moments Brooke," he stated, passing by her and heading to the stairs to change himself.

Brooke let him get half way up the stairs before she spoke. "Well make sure you have a lot of those with Haley, alright?"

Nathan nodded to her softly, solemnly, in a quiet vow, and then continued up the rest of the steps to his room.

......................

The rest of day went by quickly. When everyone was finally up and dressed they all decided to head out to the beach again to hang out and lounge around with each other. The guys threw around a football, while the girls sat and sunbathed. It was peaceful, and there was this kind of serenity to the whole day that everyone could feel. There was nothing exceptionally special that happened, it was just calm. The kind of calm after a huge storm has just passed, and you know that you are going to survive.

By the time the sun began to fall along the horizon, and the oranges, pinks and reds filled the sky the whole group trudged back up to the house to get their things to head home.

Outside by the cars, Nathan unpacked some of his and Lucas's gym gear to make room for more people in his backseat. From where he stood he could see Haley, Jake and Brooke messing around as Lucas lugged some of his gear inside, grabbing Jake for help as he went. Pausing for a moment, Nathan stood and gazed ts Haley as she laughed with Brooke about something they'd been joking around about. She looked so beautiful when she smiled, it was mesmerizing and took him off guard in a way that he never thought anything ever could.

Coming up beside him, Peyton rested her body against Nathan's SUV, and quietly watched his face. When he noticed her staring, he looked back to his open trunk .

"What," she asked him when he suddenly stopped what he was doing and began busying himself with something else. At her question though he looked up at her strangely.

"You're staring at me. I should be the one asking you that question," he countered, still rearranging things.

Peyton sort of laughed and shrugged realizing he was right. "So have you told her yet?"

Nathan eyed her strangely, not sure what to make of her question, or why she started this bizarre conversation in the first place. "Told who, what," he asked and moved more things out of the trunk for the distraction.

Peyton merely leaned closer to him, her demeanor even and calm as always. "Haley.....have you told her that you love her."

The question should have taken him by complete surprise. Neither he nor Haley had ever discussed the word love. The word want had come up over and over again, but never the word love. It was supposed to be too soon. She'd never said anything to him about love. He'd never said anything to her. Yet when he thought about it, the idea didn't seem so crazy. He didn't know what to do.

"Uhhh I don't........," Nathan tried to shake off her accusation, but realized even as he was doping it, it was a lie. And he didn't want to lie anymore, not to himself, to not anyone else, and especially not to Haley. With a deep breath he turned his toward her. ".......How'd you know," he uttered, meeting the blondes eyes.

"Because when she smiles," Peyton stated with ease, "You do too."

And then she was gone, walking back toward the group and leaving Nathan alone to think about her words. He did of course, think about what she said, over and over again in fact, all the way driving home. Occasionally he would glance over at Haley in the passenger seat as she looked out the window.

When she caught him glancing at her the third time, she shifted in her seat so that she was facing him. She rested her head against the back of the seat and let her hand rest on top of his thigh.

"What are you doing tomorrow," he asked her calmly even though he was feeling anything but that.

Her face glowed in the orange sunset, her light brown hair shining, her eyes sparkling as she gazed back at him. "Hanging out with you," she said easily, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Good," he grinned back at her. "I've got something I want to show you."

"What is it," she asked, raising her head up from the seat.

"Tomorrow," he maintained quietly. So she smiled and nodded in acceptance, before turning back to the window.