It had been about 29 hours since he left the message and he had yet to receive a response. He looked at the red blinking lights beside his bed. The clock shone back 4:37 AM proudly and he merely groaned, raising his hand to cover his eyes.
He had yet to get a good night's rest since…
He paused, deciding it was better not to refer to the incident. All it would do was cause him to go on another crazed tangent and he did not need any more meaningful talks with anyone of the Scott family nor did he want to make anymore human contact.
He just wanted to rest; Wallow in filth and just cling onto the hope that she would return his call.
Three minutes later and still no answer. Nathan let out a heavy sigh before he pushed himself off the bed. He stumbled into the bathroom, flipping on the light switch and cringing at the bright light that filled the small room. He kicked the door shut, out of habit then anything else, it wasn't like anybody was going to coming into his apartment at this time of the night.
He turned on the shower, making sure the water was scalding hot before he stepped in. The sizzling drops of liquid relief pounded down on his skin as he pressed his fingertips into the wall in front of him. He closed his eyes, letting the water wash over him, wanting nothing more than to burn the memories of her out of her mind.
He scrubbed himself harshly with some soap before he grabbed the shampoo. With a flick of his fingers, the plastic bottle was open and he poured some cleanser out… it was that vanilla strawberry blend that she liked so much. He was surprised that she didn't take it with her.
Smoothing it into his hair, the bathroom was suddenly filled with the scent of her and if he kept his eyes closed, it almost felt as if she were there.
His blue eyes snapped open and he quickly washed out the shampoo, making sure it left no residue. He wouldn't succumb to that, he told himself. He might've missed his wife but he was still a man. He was still Nathan Scott and he still had his pride, no matter how battered it was at this point.
The water had turned cold now and Nathan merely shook off the beads of chilled fluid. He turned the shower off and grabbed a towel. Wrapping it around himself, he walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway. The place was revolting, pizza boxes and bottles of empty beer strewn all over in a haphazard fashion.
She would be so disappointed. It was too bad she wasn't there.
Rolling his eyes, he opened the fridge and not to his surprise, a box of cold pizza laid in the center. As if in a memorized fashion, he grabbed the pizza, heated it up and ate it as he amused himself with the television. Flipping through the endless channels advertising the latest fad, he leaned back against the couch. He could do this, he told himself. He didn't need her.
He didn't need to wake up to her smiling face in the mornings or kiss her soft hair at nights. He didn't need to wrap himself within her luscious body and he didn't need her words or her comfort during the nights where his nightmares would haunt him into dawn.
He didn't need her at all.
So, why could he even think her name?
The thought kept him frozen for a few moments before he shook himself out of the daze. He flipped the television off and stared at the dimming black screen for a few moments before he walked into his empty bedroom. Throwing on a pair of sweatpants and his favorite red sweatshirt, he grabbed his keys, slipped on a pair of sandals and walked out his apartment, leaving it unlocked.
There was nothing valuable there now. It was like a desecrated prison.
He need fresh air. The cool morning air greeted him with open arms but he quickly sped down the stairs, and locked himself in his car, going from one prison to another. Turning on the engine, he put the gear into drive and pressed the accelerator.
And as simple as that, he was on the road.
To where, he didn't know… but he found solace in the empty streets of Tree Hill. When he was beyond the cement and tarred roads of his home town, peace did not suddenly overwhelm him and he still did not feel like he was escaping.
It just felt like he was running away. But, for now, that was okay.
Haley had already tried calling him seven times. Each time, she would manage to dial a few more numbers and on the fourth try, she was even close to pressing the call button but the ending result still remained the same, she couldn't bring herself to finalize the call.
No amount of preparation or mind work could steel her against his anger-tinged voice, ready to pounce on her with the guilt she so rightfully deserved. She had no desire to put herself through even more angst ridden thoughts. She knew she did not deserve relief from them but she was human and she was weak.
She just wanted to rest.
The phone slipped from her fingers and after fifteen minutes of traveling between reality and the depths of sleep, the phone jolted her back into the real word. She looked down at the screen and the name that was flashing on the screen only served to bring sharp stinging tears forth.
Chris.
Oh, god.. he was the last thing she needed right now. Through a daze, however, she found herself answering the call. She should've been proud of herself. She kept her voice steady and even managed to laugh at a few of his ridiculous jokes. The show had been a success and the profits made had skyrocketed this tour through the roof. They were already sold out at their next venue. He had called as soon as he found out.
She should've been ecstatic but the joy eluded her.
She hung up with him 3 minutes and 23 seconds later. His voice could not fill the void in her heart like Nathan's. And, he could see through her act like Nathan could.
It was because he wasn't Nathan. He could never be Nathan and she had no desire for him to even try, because he would always fall short.
She should've been packing her bags now and she should've been calling the airline, asking for the next flight out.
But, instead, she crawled off the bed and slipped into the bathroom and prepared herself for the party that evening.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this update and thank you so much for all the support and feedback. It really means a lot. As for the N/H... well, I'm not one for fast paced fluffiness so I plan to take things slow and develop the characters as the writers tend not to do.