Chapter 11
"What am I doing, Brooke?" Haley pleaded. She begged her friend for the answers that she couldn't give herself.
"I don't know, sweetie." Brooke offered Haley a friendly smile before leading her to the couch.
"He hates me."
"No one hates you, Hales."
'You didn't see his eyes. He hates me."
"Nathan?" Brooke questioned. She nodded. "Haley, what's going on with him?"
Haley laid her head in Brooke's lap as she let out a confused sigh. "I don't know." Brooke watched Haley's eyes glaze over as she began to talk. "He makes me so angry with some of the things he says and that stupid smirk that's always on his face. I've known him a day and every conversation we've had has resulted in us arguing. Then, the next thing I know, we're kissing, and then we're naked."
"Could it just be about the sex?"
"I thought it was, but when he kisses me…" Haley's voice trailed off. "I've never been kissed like that before."
"What about Steven?" Brooke hated that she had to bring his name into the conversation, but he was a reality. And she wanted Haley to figure things out before they got even more complicated.
"I don't know. Maybe you were right, maybe I'm not with him for the right reasons."
Brooke ran her fingers through Haley's hair as the girls sat in silence, both thinking what each were afraid to say. Things were never going to be the same.
As soon as Nathan and Lucas arrived at the house, Nathan changed and left again.
"I'll be at the gym," he said flatly.
The more Lucas watched Nathan, the more worried he became. Lucas had spent most of his life watching his younger brother and because of that he knew him, probably better than Nathan knew himself. Nathan's silence wasn't like his normal calm before the storm. There had been no storm. This silence meant that there was something else -- something that ran much more deep inside. Only two people had ever had the ability to put Nathan into silence. Their father and Nathan's first and only love.
Four miles and two hours of lifting later, Nathan finally sat down. Haley's face immediately made its way into his thoughts. He just as quickly shook them away. He wasn't going to allow himself to go through that again. And then, for the first time in awhile, he started to think about her.
For seven years, they had shared everything. They had been to hell, both on their own and together, but they stayed together. She had been his rock for so long. Everyone thought he was the strong one, but in truth, she was. She had supported him and listened to him. When everything else in the world seemed to be going to crap, she had always managed to make it better.
Through the latter part of high school, college, and a year after, she had been his world. Until, without any warning, she was yanked away. He had never seen it coming. To this day, it still ate at him. It still hurt deep inside when he thought about her. He had wanted to spend the rest of their days together, but all he had ended up with was a broken heart and the vision of her with someone else.
He had tried to understand, tried to make it better, but it was already too late. She was already gone.
Nathan's thoughts quickly shifted to the man he had heard in Haley's apartment this afternoon. He suddenly recognized the pain and pleading in his voice. It was the same tone he himself had once used. The tables had suddenly switched. He was the other guy. He knew there was something special about Haley, but he always knew what it was like to be on the other side. He didn't know if he could do that to someone else. No one deserved to feel the way he had.
Nathan left, even more confused then he had been when he arrived. One thing he did know for certain though. Nothing else could happen until he was sure.
Lucas was spread comfortably out on Nathan's leather sofa. 'There are definite perks to being related to a famous athlete' he thought as he flipped through more cable channels than he had ever known existed. Truthfully, he wasn't paying that much attention to what was flashing across the screen. There was only one thing occupying his thoughts and that was none other than Brooke Davis. He'd only met her last night, but he was finding it impossible not to think of her. Her smooth skin and soft lips. The hint of vanilla that still lingered on his clothing from their afternoon together. Just the thought of her was taking him into dangerous territory.
But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a knocking at the door. Lucas moaned as he pushed himself up from the cozy couch and across the room to the door. He opened it and was greeted by the absolute last person he had expected to see.
"Peyton," He said, still in disbelief.
"Hello, Lucas," she said warmly. A unsure smile making its way across her face.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Nathan."
Lucas' mind was still swarming as he let the petite blonde into his brother's home, completely unsure of how Nathan would react when he arrived.
"What am I doing, Brooke?" Haley pleaded. She begged her friend for the answers that she couldn't give herself.
"I don't know, sweetie." Brooke offered Haley a friendly smile before leading her to the couch.
"He hates me."
"No one hates you, Hales."
'You didn't see his eyes. He hates me."
"Nathan?" Brooke questioned. She nodded. "Haley, what's going on with him?"
Haley laid her head in Brooke's lap as she let out a confused sigh. "I don't know." Brooke watched Haley's eyes glaze over as she began to talk. "He makes me so angry with some of the things he says and that stupid smirk that's always on his face. I've known him a day and every conversation we've had has resulted in us arguing. Then, the next thing I know, we're kissing, and then we're naked."
"Could it just be about the sex?"
"I thought it was, but when he kisses me…" Haley's voice trailed off. "I've never been kissed like that before."
"What about Steven?" Brooke hated that she had to bring his name into the conversation, but he was a reality. And she wanted Haley to figure things out before they got even more complicated.
"I don't know. Maybe you were right, maybe I'm not with him for the right reasons."
Brooke ran her fingers through Haley's hair as the girls sat in silence, both thinking what each were afraid to say. Things were never going to be the same.
As soon as Nathan and Lucas arrived at the house, Nathan changed and left again.
"I'll be at the gym," he said flatly.
The more Lucas watched Nathan, the more worried he became. Lucas had spent most of his life watching his younger brother and because of that he knew him, probably better than Nathan knew himself. Nathan's silence wasn't like his normal calm before the storm. There had been no storm. This silence meant that there was something else -- something that ran much more deep inside. Only two people had ever had the ability to put Nathan into silence. Their father and Nathan's first and only love.
Four miles and two hours of lifting later, Nathan finally sat down. Haley's face immediately made its way into his thoughts. He just as quickly shook them away. He wasn't going to allow himself to go through that again. And then, for the first time in awhile, he started to think about her.
For seven years, they had shared everything. They had been to hell, both on their own and together, but they stayed together. She had been his rock for so long. Everyone thought he was the strong one, but in truth, she was. She had supported him and listened to him. When everything else in the world seemed to be going to crap, she had always managed to make it better.
Through the latter part of high school, college, and a year after, she had been his world. Until, without any warning, she was yanked away. He had never seen it coming. To this day, it still ate at him. It still hurt deep inside when he thought about her. He had wanted to spend the rest of their days together, but all he had ended up with was a broken heart and the vision of her with someone else.
He had tried to understand, tried to make it better, but it was already too late. She was already gone.
Nathan's thoughts quickly shifted to the man he had heard in Haley's apartment this afternoon. He suddenly recognized the pain and pleading in his voice. It was the same tone he himself had once used. The tables had suddenly switched. He was the other guy. He knew there was something special about Haley, but he always knew what it was like to be on the other side. He didn't know if he could do that to someone else. No one deserved to feel the way he had.
Nathan left, even more confused then he had been when he arrived. One thing he did know for certain though. Nothing else could happen until he was sure.
Lucas was spread comfortably out on Nathan's leather sofa. 'There are definite perks to being related to a famous athlete' he thought as he flipped through more cable channels than he had ever known existed. Truthfully, he wasn't paying that much attention to what was flashing across the screen. There was only one thing occupying his thoughts and that was none other than Brooke Davis. He'd only met her last night, but he was finding it impossible not to think of her. Her smooth skin and soft lips. The hint of vanilla that still lingered on his clothing from their afternoon together. Just the thought of her was taking him into dangerous territory.
But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a knocking at the door. Lucas moaned as he pushed himself up from the cozy couch and across the room to the door. He opened it and was greeted by the absolute last person he had expected to see.
"Peyton," He said, still in disbelief.
"Hello, Lucas," she said warmly. A unsure smile making its way across her face.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see Nathan."
Lucas' mind was still swarming as he let the petite blonde into his brother's home, completely unsure of how Nathan would react when he arrived.