Chapter Four
The ride was long, tedious and uneventful. We stopped only when absolutely necessary and received about a dozen calls a day from Jake, three from Lucas and even the occasional one from Nathan.
"You should at least answer Lucas," she said for the third time.
"But then he'd tell Jake," I said.
"So? Jake's worried sick about you. He's crazy about you, and he relies on you. Would it hurt to let him know what's going on, so he doesn't think that Nikki's like murdered you?" she said.
"But he might come after me. I wouldn't put it past him," I said.
"Would that be such a bad thing? You're not sleeping, and I have a hunch it's because you're so used to sharing a bed with him. I mean you did it even before you started doing it with him. It's only out of concern!" she argued. By this time I'd pulled into a gas station.
"That's not true!" I argued lamely. "And they've probably noticed that you're gone too, and they probably think we just went off together because I needed to think this out."
"They're not mind readers. And they're our friends. Please?" she begged. I sighed as I pulled the car to a stop and pulled out my cell.
Half of one ring was completed before Lucas answered in a panicked voice.
"Peyton? Peyton, is that you? Are you okay? Where are you? Is Brooke with you? Jake's here with me, hold on," he said.
"No! Lucas Scott if you give him that phone… I'm safe. She is too," I said.
"He told me what happened. He's worried sick about you. Everyone is. And her, too. Couldn't you have at least left a note?" he asked. He took on an older brother tone. I hated that tone-I didn't think of him as my brother.
"We left quickly. I just need to think things out and I couldn't do it in that house with him," I said softly.
"Where are you?" he demanded.
"We're roadtripping. Tell everyone I'm okay," I requested. Through the phone, I heard a slight commotion and Jake's voice came on the phone.
"Peyton? Come home. We can talk about this. I love you," he said. I hung up. Brooke looked at me and raised her eyebrows.
"Well that went well," she said cynically.
"Yeah. Let's just get some gas and keep going," I said tiredly.
We did. And two days, one ticket and seven unanswered phone calls later we were in New York City.
My small town girl eyes were wide as I took in the noise and sights of the city. The city that never sleeps, people said. Tree Hill was always asleep.
With only one map and the slip of paper we managed to locate Haley's building and park my car in an underground lot. (The cost was unbelievable!) It was big and ritzy.
"And you are?" asked a doorman nastily as we tried to enter the building. Before Brooke had a chance to work her charms on him, I spoke.
"We're here to see Haley James Scott," I said coolly. He looked us up and down before, to our surprise, a flash of recognition passed through his eyes.
"Oh, are you the reporters from that magazine? She said you'd be coming today. Come on in," he said graciously as we both nodded dumbly.
"Try and look like you know what you're doing," I instructed her in a whisper. She nodded and purposefully strode to the elevator, which was thankfully empty.
"Quick, what apartment is she?" I asked as the elevator rose from the main floor to the second.
"Just as sec. Oh, here it is. Eighteen. Press eighteen," she instructed. I pressed-eighteen was the highest floor. Did Haley live in a penthouse?
She did. It was even one of those really cool elevators-it opened right into her apartment. We walked out and instead of a hallway we were standing in an elegant entrance. We heard her voice before she came into view-
"Hey. I'm not seeing Chris, the album's due out sometime in July, my favourite colour is blue, my first boyfriend is my husband Nathan and up next for me is another tour. Want anything else?" she asked. It was her voice but she sounded so irritable.
"Yes," I called out. After another pause she entered the room we were waiting in.
She looked at us. Looked away, and looked back. She blinked. She paused, her hand glued to the doorknob.
And then she ran.
The three of us met, happy and shrieking in the middle of the room. We giggled and bounced and said things at unbelievably high pitches. The Haley spark that Lucas had said was missing was entirely apparent.
"What are you doing here?" she finally managed to say.
"I needed advice in your area of expertise," I said, still excitedly.
"What's wrong? Where's Nathan?" she asked, glancing to the door.
"He's not here," answered Brooke. She nodded.
"I keep expecting him to come for me, but…"
"He's afraid you'll reject him. But he's always thinking of you. He's a mess Hales," I said.
"Okay. Um, let's talk about your problems?" she suggested, leading us through a maze of rooms to a small living room with a large piano in the corner. For the first time I really looked at her-she looked so different. First of all, she'd gone from comfortably think to Hollywood thin. Her outfits had begun to tend toward slightly more trendy and revealing even before she'd left town but now she was wearing expensive designer clothes that she'd never have worn in Tree Hill. Her hair was it's natural medium brown but curled perfectly at the ends, and her face was made up. I could see what Lucas meant.
"Okay, what did you mean my area of expertise?" she asked worriedly. I sighed as my cell rang again. I reached for it and looked at the name that appeared-Nathan. She looked at me curiously.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Jake," I lied.
"They're going out now!" said Brooke. Haley nodded as I answered it.
"Hey," I said.
"Peyton. Are you okay? Where are you?" he asked. I hadn't heard him a very long time.
"We went on a roadtrip. Didn't Luke tell you?" I asked. I was surprised he hadn't.
"Yeah, but I was hoping for more information," he said. To my horror, Haley spoke up brightly before I could answer. I heard him take in a breath sharply. "New York?" he guessed.
"Yeah," I said softly.
"I guess she'd understand," he said.
"Are you okay?" I asked. Haley suddenly looked up and peered at me suspiciously. He hung up.
"That wasn't your boyfriend," she said.
"Nathan," I supplied.
"I figured. Did he mention me?" she asked. She looked hopeful.
"He hasn't. Not in a year basically," answered Brooke. Then:
"Jake asked me to marry him," I said. Haley's eyes opened wide in shock as she stared mutely at me.
"What?"
"Jake. His lawyer said he has a far better chance of beating Nikki if he wasn't a single parent, seeing as she is. And he said that basically we're doing it now-we live together, sleep together, we have a kid together. So if we just make it official, apparently Jenny could very likely go to us," I said.
"So what's the problem?" she asked. I stared at her.
"Then there's no escaping. I'm bound to him forever-even if we divorce, it wouldn't be over, I'd still be obligated towards them. I don't want to decide my whole life," I said.
"Do you love him?" she asked.
"No. I mean I like him-I'm crazy about him, but I'm not in love with him," I answered.
"Wow. I used to think that love was enough-that since he and I had love we'd be fine. It turned out I was wrong, but I don't know how you could survive without it," she said.
"The thing is, I love Jenny and I hate Nikki and I can't stand the idea of Nikki taking care of her. And I can't help wondering if maybe that's worth the sacrifice?"
"The though of Nikki taking care of a hamster is terrifying, let alone a baby. Does Jenny love Nikki?" asked Haley.
"She doesn't even know her," I responded.
"She calls Peyton mommy. They live like a family already," said Brooke helpfully.
"We do but the thought of that forever… it scares me. I guess deep down I always figured it wasn't a permanent arrangement-just a 'for now' thing until we got old and drifted apart and married different people. I figured I'd just fill in as her mom until I got too busy with my own life and then just drop in occasionally. We're just so young…" I trailed off as I saw Haley's expression. She had been sixteen when she'd married Nathan. And their marriage had failed and they'd been so much in love.
"Do you really believe that? Or did you lie to yourself as to not get scared?" she asked. I stared at her-she knew me better than I realized.
"I don't know," I answered softly. The doorbell ran again, and she left after holding up one finger (she'd be back in on second). I glanced at her as she left and noticed something-Nathan's jersey number, 23 was still tattooed in her lower back. Brooke noticed, too. We exchanged looks of surprise.
We heard Haley speak quietly, seemingly with the reporters we'd pretended to be before she sent them away again and came back to us.
"Anyway Peyton, the bottom line is whether keeping Jenny away from Nikki is worth the 'sacrifice'," she said. She was guilting me out, I knew.
"What do you think I should say?" I asked, staring her straight in her eyes.
"It doesn't matter what I think," she said.
"It matters to me,' I insisted. She looked down and sighed before meeting my eyes again.
"Yes, Peyton, I think you should. I think you're in love with Jake and scared to admit it, and I think that Jake is undeniably in love with you. And I think that anything is worth it to keep a baby like Jenny away from Nikki," she said. Deep down I'd hoped she'd say that I shouldn't, which would give me an 'out' so I wouldn't have to. I switched my gaze to Brooke, who understood what I was asking.
"I think that it's sad that you have to decide the rest of your like so quickly but I think it's the right thing to do," agreed Brooke. I felt a tear escape my eye and trickle down my face. Haley noticed too and launched herself at me, landing on the sofa beside me and wrapping her arms around me as Brooke did the same on the other side.
"I know your right…but I just don't… want you to be… right," I said, my words interrupted by sobs.
"If you did this it would be so, so brave," said Haley.
"Is it even legal?" asked Brooke. I could hear tears in her voice as well.
"Yeah, we're eighteen," I responded. Suddenly I wondered how my father would react.
"My dad hasn't even met Jake," I said, cringing. After a moment, a giggle escaped Brooke's mouth. And then somehow, inexplicably, we were giggling too.
I finally found I could sleep so we spent the night in slumber party mode with ice cream and whatever else was in her expansive apartment. At this point my cell ran out of battery so I was utterly out of contact with my life.
We stayed up later and slept late. It was noon when we all awoke and gathered around Haley's dining room table.
"I'm so tired," I said.
"How is that possible? You just slept like eleven hours," said Haley.
"She hasn't been sleeping though. She drove while I slept and then she'd just stare at the ceiling all night while I was sleeping," explained Brooke. Haley's eyes widened. Suddenly a male voice startled us-
"Haley what are you still doing here? We're supposed to be in the Village in half an hour," said a demanding voice. I sent her a look of confusion as Chris Keller strode into the room. He didn't notice us as he entered-his gaze fell immediately on Haley. Slowly he took in the sight of her in her robe, her hair disheveled. He stared obviously and possessively and I saw her shiver under his intense stare.
"I can't make it. My friend's got a personal thing going on right now," she said.
"Remember what I said before? About how important this is? She'll cope. Hey," he said, nodding in our direction. His eyes went from me to Brooke and then back to me. He stared at me for a second, as though searching. "Oh, you're the club girl."
"Yes, she's the club girl. And she needs me now, so I'm not going. So go," she said.
"Haley it's okay. We can reschedule," he said. His tone was gentler now, from harsh to loving.
"No, we won't," she said firmly. She glanced sideways at us.
"What do you mean, we won't? This photoshoot is important. It really matters. So get up and go get changed. We'll almost be in time if we hurry," he said. She made a shrieking noise in frustration.
"No! I've had it with you! You don't own me! I'm going back to Tree Hill with Brooke and Peyton," she said, looking him squarely in the eye. He laughed.
"Right. How many times have you said that now? About crawling back to your husband? It's been a year Haley. He doesn't want you anymore," he said cruelly. I saw her eyes fill up with tears, which were more alarming than the shock of hearing her say she was giving up all this to come back home.
"Even if he doesn't I owe it to myself to try. Piss off," she said. I cringed.
"We had this same fight last week Haley," he said patiently.
"And it ended with you storming out. So go. Storm, for all I care," she said. He rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. I'll see you tonight," he said, leaving. She sighed.
"We have that fight weekly and he always manages to convince me to stay. What do you think the odds are this time?" she asked, wiping away a tear.
"Nonexistent," said Brooke. "You're coming with us." She stood and playfully dragged Haley to her feet. They both turned to me, and Brooke's expression turned to worry.
"Peyton?"
"I can't go back yet," I said, falling back into my chair.
"The longer you put it off the higher chance Nikki has of winning," said Haley. "Come on." She extended her hand to me and after a moment's pause I took it. Then, connected, we walked to the elevator and then out into the day.
Author's note: Does it make sense now? Once again, thanks for reading and reviewing and I'll try to add at least a couple chapters a week.
