So I'm just relaxing and hanging out today so I figured I'd update again, because I'm actually having fun writing this so far. You know me and angst. We love each other so. Anyway, thank you all for the loverly feedback. You know it's my weakness, so I really apperciate it!! Now on to Part dos.

Part Two

He could feel her slipping away from him. He could feel it in his bones, and that's what scared him the most. Nathan wasn't the kind of person to just give up on something because it was difficult, Hell, if that was true then the two of them never would've even gotten to know each other in the first place. He would've just walked away from her that first time he went into the tutoring center and she had boldly told him that no she couldn't help him, because Lucas was her friend. But he hadn't quit then, and he didn't want to quit now.

He didn't know if he could fight for this though, whatever this was that was wedging itself between them. It would've been easier if it had been some guy that she liked. He could've dealt with that. But this, this nothingness that stood between them lately and swallowed up the silence. Well it was consuming.

Part of him knew that being married was going to be difficult, he'd seen his parents' marriage and how much trouble they went through daily. He saw his grandparents marriage's on both of his parent's sides and knew that they fought sometimes. Everybody did.

This was different though. They'd moved passed the little petty arguments, passed the yelling, passed the not talking to each other for days, passed it all. Now there was just this quietness, this looming dread that they knew it was about to end. And the sad thing was, they hadn't even gotten to tell anybody about it yet.

It had been a mutual decision at first to keep it secret. They wanted to wait until everything was settled, until they were comfortable with the marriage, had gotten to spend sometime together in happiness before the inevitable explosion that would come from their parents, and everyone else they'd lied to.

So they had let weeks pass by, then months, and they still had only told one person, and that was Lucas. It made it difficult to live with, not being able tell people something that made him so incredibly happy. He'd welcome sharing it with Lucas if he could. Maybe his older brother could be some source of comfort, even if they were still just getting to know each other. It would be somebody to talk too at least.

Usually Nathan liked to keep things to himself, he wasn't much of a share-your-feelings kind of guy, but now that him and Haley were stuck in this silence, this quiet darkness that held them close enough together but far enough apart, he needed some advice. Badly.

He felt like every new decision he made in their relationship, every new corner he turned was just digging them farther into the proverbial ditch. Like walking away from her embrace just then, and into this cold shower by himself. When he walked through the door from one of the most strenuous workout his body had ever taken and she jumped up into his arms, it felt like everything was going to be ok again. When she smiled at him, and pressed her lips up to his, he could feel his heart beat faster in his chest. He loved the feel of her body molded into his, her mouth against his mouth. It was how he wanted to spend the rest of his life, no matter how cheesy or corny it sounded to everyone else. He'd spent way too much time worrying about what other people thought to let that detract him now, when everything he wanted was in his arms.

Yet, why didn't he feel fulfilled then? He was happy with Haley, and he was pretty sure she was happy with him. They didn't make sense by themselves, but together, together they made sense, and that's all Nathan needed or wanted to know. So he couldn't think about anything else. He wouldn't.

Letting the droplets of water from the showerhead rain down upon his face, washing his body clean, Nathan wondered again why he hadn't asked Haley to join him in his shower. It's not like he didn't want her, he did, pretty much every hour of the day. When they were together like that, was the only time he didn't wonder about all the crap that was falling apart between them.

Thing was, he hated when she looked at him with those sad eyes of hers, like she was getting ready to apologize, or maybe say goodbye. It killed him a little every time.

Once he was out of the shower and finished drying himself he slipped on an old pair of shorts and a loose fitting T-shirt. As he opened the bathroom door he could faintly hear the t.v. in the living room being shut off.

It was so quiet in his apartment then, so still, and he hated it. It reminded him of the first night he'd spent there alone, only a bed and the darkness there to keep him company. He'd thought about a lot of things that night, about his life, about Haley, about Lucas. It was when he'd come to realize how much everything had changed in the course of seven months. How one little event, like Lucas joining the team could affect everything else.

And now he was here, in the dark of his room sitting on the edge of his bed, alone again. He wasn't really alone though. Haley was waiting for him on the couch. Waiting to talk to him, or be with him, he wasn't sure. But she was waiting.

Slowly, Nathan pushed himself off the bed, and walked down the hallway that lead to the front room. On the corner of his couch, legs bent together with her hands folded neatly in her lap sat Haley. His Haley. And God she looked so alone as well.

She smiled up at him uneasily when he came into the room, her body stiff with pain. Nathan began to step his way toward her quietly, gulping back an unneeded breath of air as he sat down beside her. His weight causing the cushion to bend down farther, making Haley involuntarily lean into him. For a minute they didn't say or do anything, just stared out into the emptiness. When Nathan couldn't take it any longer, he moved to grab the t.v. remote control. He needed the sound, something to break the silence. However, Haley's hand on his arm stopped him from picking it up.

He turned his head toward hers, his forehead crinkled up in that cute way that always meant he was confused. She wanted to giggle at him a little, run her hand down the side of his face and kiss him so that it would smooth out, and go away.

Instead her eyes flashed down to her hands resting in her lap, as her finger continued to fiddle and move about.

"I can't stay here tonight," she spoke softly, deliberately. Her face was set forward, while Nathan stared down at her.

"Ok," he shrugged, not sure of what else to do. And that hurt Haley more than she would've like to admit. He was trying to be sweet, let her do what she had to do, but right now she needed reassurance from him. He used to pout and mope around every time she said she couldn't stay with him. Then they'd argue and she'd explain that if her mother found out where she was, they'd have to tell her the truth.

Right now she wished they had just told everyone the truth, from the very beginning. Maybe that would've saved them both a world of hurt. As it stood now, Haley didn't know what Nathan wanted any more then he did and that frightened her, because Nathan always knew what he wanted. He knew what he wanted and he went for it. But he wasn't doing it anymore with them.

"Yeah, so I should probably go then," she moved off the couch and into the kitchen where her purse was.

Nathan observed as she collected her things quietly. How many times had he just let her walk away from him? How many times had he just sat by and watched her leave? To many to count.

And now here he was doing it again. People really don't change, he thought, as he looked at her go to the door.

"So I'll talk to you tomorrow then," she asked, as if she didn't already know the answer.

"Sure," Nathan responded with a nod, his mouth turned up into a tight-lipped smile. Haley turned and smiled back at him the same, before she disappeared behind the door and was gone.