A.N This is a slightly longer chapter then normal but that's because there is quite a lot that happens. For those of you who have been waiting for Lucas to find out your wait is finally over. Enjoy.
Giving In To Desires
Chapter Twelve
By the time Haley headed to the cafeteria for lunch the next day she was a mass of conflicting emotions. On the one hand she was relieved that it appeared her blackmailer had become bored of her already as there had been no more threats but she was also puzzled as to why Lucas seemed to be avoiding her. She had barely seen him since she had arrived at school that morning and the few moments she had managed to pull him aside for before one of her classes he had barely even looked at her and had seemed to deliberately avoid making eye contact with her.
Walking over to their usual table she noted that all the usual gang were there although the seating arrangements had been changed around somewhat. Brooke had seated herself between Peyton and Lucas while Nathan sat next to Tim a space left between him and Lucas for Haley to sit. While Nathan appeared unfazed by the weekends events Brooke sat glaring balefully at Nathan and turned her glare to Haley as she sat down too. Haley was a little stunned to see the look Brooke was giving her but wrote it off to Brooke being pissed off with the world at the moment. After all she had just been dumped.
The tension at the table was obvious to all, well everyone apart from Tim anyway who blathered on as usual. No one could ever accuse Tim of being over sensitive. Picking disinterestedly at her food Haley tried to start a conversation with Lucas but her efforts were to no avail as he answered any questions she asked in monosyllabic responses. Haley eventually gave up, Lucas' behaviour had been strange ever since the club the other night but if anything it had actually worsened today.
Suddenly Lucas shot out of his seat and with a general "I've got to go," aimed in the direction of the table stalked out of the cafeteria. Haley debated going after him as she wasn't sure that there would be any point if he still refused to speak to her but before she could make any firm decision Brooke too had stood up and headed out after Lucas.
"Well Jake and Nate what say we go shoot a few hoops? You girls going to come watch?"
Peyton and Theresa looked disdainfully at Tim and then both turned to glare at Nathan in disgust both making it clear that they would prefer he stayed away.
Nathan caught the looks the two girls were sending his way and elected not to go shoot hoops with the guys.
"I think I'll just hang out with Haley while she finishes her lunch Tim. I'll catch you later though."
"Alright man catch ya."
Meanwhile Brooke had caught up to Lucas and found him pacing around an empty classroom.
"Lucas what's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" he repeated in disbelief. "What's wrong is the way you thought you could stick your hand in my lap with my girlfriend sitting right beside me. That's what's wrong. Especially since I told you yesterday that what happened between us was a mistake and not one that I am ever going to repeat."
"Please Lucas?" Brooke pleaded with him giving him her best, wounded puppy expression as she moved towards him.
She leaned in and kissed him and for a few seconds he responded before ripping his lips away from hers in disgust and shoving her away from him.
"I told you Brooke I'm not interested. I love Haley."
Brooke stared up at him in shock she could not believe that yet again someone was choosing Haley over her. All her life she had been forced to listen to her mother's constant griping about how she should be more like Haley, then she had discovered that her boyfriend was sleeping with her and now she was practically throwing herself at Lucas and he still steadfastly refused to even consider a relationship with her and all because of Haley. That's it. Its time to put the next part of my plan into motion. Lets see her try and talk her way out of this one.
Haley and Nathan sat together talking.
"So what's going on with you and Lucas?" he asked.
Releasing a frustrated sigh Haley replied, "I wish I knew. He's been acting strange ever since we went to the club Saturday night."
"I thought you two sorted things out yesterday."
"Yeah well so did I but apparently I was wrong. He came around and apologised but even after that he was still acting strange and distant."
"Oh why is everything such a mess?" she groaned. "I get the feeling even Brooke is pissed with me but I don't know what the hell I've done to her."
Nathan raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.
"Well I don't know what I've done to her that she knows about."She ammended quickly.
"Don't let it get to you Hales. Brooke has been acting strange for a while now and I really doubt that it has anything to do with you."
Standing up he pulled Haley out of her chair. "Come on I have a few ideas of how I can make you forget your troubles."
"Oh really?" she asked with a laugh raising her eyebrows suggestively at him.
They walked out of the cafeteria casually keeping a friendly distance between their bodies. Reaching his destination he opened the door to the janitors closet pushing her inside casually glancing around to see if anyone had seen them before following her in and locking the door behind him. He failed to notice the extremely angry brunette watching them from just down the hall.
Nathan and Haley extricated themselves from each other's arms as the bell sounded to indicate the end of lunch. Making sure all her clothing was back in its proper place she left first walking quickly in the direction of her locker a satisfied smile gracing her lips. As she reached her locker and opened it what appeared to be a photo fluttered to the ground. Haley leaned down to pick it up and froze as she saw Nathan's naked profile framed in her window. She too could be seen in the photo which had apparently been snapped from the street outside her window, standing there in all her naked glory with her hands resting on Nathan's chest. His left hand was on her shoulder while his right hand was nowhere to be seen. From memory Haley had a pretty good idea just where his hand had been when this photo had been taken and she was glad that the photographer had been unable to capture exactly what that hand had been engaged in at that point in time.
Oh my god I must be losing my mind. I've just found out someone has been watching me and Nathan and what's worse taking pictures and all I can think about is what magic Nathan was working at the time. She looked around trying to see if anyone was watching her now but everyone around her seemed to be busy with getting together his or her books and inane chatter. Wondering if she was the only one to receive a picture she looked down the hall to where Lucas was standing at his locker smiling at something Tim was saying as he pawed through his locker. Leaving her books she grabbed the photo hugging it to her chest as she went in search of Nathan.
Finding him at his locker she slid the picture inside on top of the book that he was about to pick up. He looked back over his shoulder to see her before turning back to pick up the photo.
"What's this?" he asked smiling.
His smile faded as he took in the contents of the picture.
"Where did this come from?
"I found it in my locker. Apparently my blackmailer decided to up the stakes a bit."
Examining the picture in his hands Nathan turned it over to look at the back.
"More than a bit," he stated grimly showing her the bold black words printed on the back.
IF YOU DON'T WANT EVERYONE IN THE SCHOOL TO GET A COPY OF THIS PHOTO THEN I SUGGEST YOU START TO PLAY NICE.
I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE.
Haley stared at the words in shock. "Whoever wrote this isn't fooling around. "What am I going to do?"
"Well for starters the two of you could get to class" an authoritative voice told them.
Turning to look at the teacher standing over them Nathan grabbed Haley's arm.
"We were just on our way." He lied.
Dazedly allowing Nathan to lead her away she told him confusedly "But I don't have my books."
"Hales we're not going to class ok. We're going to find somewhere quiet so we can talk and figure out what to do."
One couldn't help but wonder how long it would take Haley to realise just how much she had come to rely on Nathan lately and the fact that he never seemed to fail to come through for her. Surely it could only be a matter of time.
Entering the library Nathan drew her over to the stacks in the far corner where the self-help books on how to be a successful student were kept. In other words an area he knew they were very unlikely to be disturbed in. Pulling her down to the floor where he sat he positioned her to sit between his thighs her back leaning against his chest and his arms wound tightly around her waist.
"I think the time has come to tell Lucas." He spoke softly into her ear.
She shook her head slowly trying to deny the truth of his words. But she could no longer tell herself that this was something she could keep from him. She felt a pang of guilt run through her body as she thought of how hurt he would be.
"I'm such a horrible person," she told Nathan.
"No you're not Hales," he told her but she would not allow herself to be comforted by his words. In her own mind she was convinced that she did not deserve comfort.
"When are you going to tell him?" he asked.
"After school I guess."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"More than anything," she answered truthfully "but this is something I have to do on my own."
She relaxed back into his arms and tried to formulate exactly how she was going to tell her boyfriend of three years that she had been cheating on him with his brother.
While all this was happening Lucas sat in History class trying to concentrate. He could feel Brooke's eyes boring into the back of his head as she sat behind him but he refused to acknowledge her. Opening up his textbook to the place they were now up to in class he stopped in disbelief. Stuck to the page of his book was a full size glossy print of his girlfriend and his brother naked. He blinked trying to clear what he was sure must be a hallucination but the picture remained staring back at him. Haley's beautiful face awash with ecstasy as she looked up at Nathan who was smirking down at her. Slamming the book closed he stood abruptly and walked towards the door.
"Lucas Scott. Where do you think you're going?" his teachers voice demanded from behind him but he ignored it and continued walking.
"Get back to your seat right now." The door opened and Lucas disappeared through it slamming it behind him as he went.
Nathan's hands massaged the knots of tension in Haley's neck and shoulders and she tipped her head forward allowing him better access. He bent his head to press a light kiss to her neck and felt her tension ease even more.
"So it's true." Nathan's head snapped up as Lucas' disgusted voice reached his ears. "The two of you have been having it off behind my back. How long has it been going on?" he asked looking in to Haley's eyes for the first time since he had entered the room. He wasn't surprised to see the obvious remorse but what did shock him was a look of what could almost be described as relief flashing through her eyes.
"Almost five months" she answered simply, truthfully.
"Lucas I'm sorry man I didn't mean for you to find out like this…" Nathan said but was cut off by Lucas' voice for the first time raised in anger.
"Oh and how did you intend me to find out Nathan? Was this your handiwork I found in my textbook?" he asked thrusting the offending picture into Nathan's face.
"Of course not. I would never hurt Haley like that."
"Oh but you would hurt your own brother. You would sleep with his girlfriend. Why shouldn't I believe that you would do something like this too?"
"He didn't do it Lucas," Haley's voice broke into her soon to be ex boyfriend's tirade. "I got a photo in my locker too."
"So you went on hiding this from me even though you knew that someone else knew. You didn't even have the decency to tell me to my own face instead you let me find out like this."
"Lucas I was going to…"
"Save it Haley I don't want to hear it." Turning on his heel he left the two of them behind and Haley finally allowed her tears to flow.
A.N Ok I promise this time they really have been caught. But this story is far from over. In some respects the drama is just beginning. So if you want more you had better review.
