Title: Let Me Go
Author:
xScott23x
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that involves OTH. Although, heh… I wish I did own James Lafferty.
Description:
It's been five years since Haley and Nathan left Tree Hill, but not together and now they have to come back... But who's really in for a rude awakening? –Naley-
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, guys, they really mean a lot. I know you guys are really unhappy about the Naylor and Caley in the story but they are merely stepping stones ! Hang with me, It's time for drama to begin! I just want to let you know again in advance that I didn't get around to Dan and Nathan talking. I had it in but it didn't fit. I think I'll hold it off for now and try to put it in a later chapter.


- Chapter Five -
When The Sun Goes Down

"Where's Taler ?", James asked Haley as they looked around the park.

"She should be here soon", she assured him as she glanced down at her watch. They were only a little early. Haley smiled at him and kissed his forehead as she sat him down in the swing. "We can play till she gets here", she smiled and started to push him easily on the swing.


"Dude, what is it?", Nathan asked Lucas he was walking around the apartment trying to find the keys to the car that his mom lent him.

"We need to talk", Lucas insisted.

"About what, I'm running late and I'm supposed to met Taylor in the park in like… 5 minuets", he sighed as he finally found the keys and turned around to face him.

"That's just it, you're living with her and now you with her", he told him. "It's a little odd that you're dating your wife's sister", he told him.

"She's not my wife", Nathan glared. "I'm not with Taylor either", he told him with a simple shrug.

"Then what do you call it?", he asked him.

"We're hooking up, that's it", he told him. "I have my life and she had her life, we're just combining them for the time being", he told him. "Now if you'll excuse me…", he smirked. "I have plans", he told him as he finally shut the door to Lucas' beach house and set his mind on getting to the park.


Haley lifted James into her arms with a sigh and looked down at him, "Well… I guess aunt Taylor decided not to show up", she told him as she ran her hand through his hair. She smiled at him again to try and turn his little frown upside down. "Oh come on kiddo", she said. "I bet she'll call and reschedule", she said trying to make the situation better.

James smiled a little and kissed Haley's cheek. Little did they know Nathan had been looking around the very same park for the very same person. As he rounded the willow tree, he looked up and saw a woman and her child. Nathan glanced up once but didn't bother to look since he didn't recognize them.

James gave Haley a very familiar famous smirk and jumped down out of her arms and grinned at her. "Mommy, Catch Me!", he laughed and took off running just as Haley's eyes went wide.

"Oh you little sneak", she laughed and shook her head as she took off after him. Haley had to admit, for a four year old, he had legs that could run a mile. She laughed as she almost caught up to him but everything seemed to go by fast.

Just as James turned his head to glance back at Haley he found himself running straight into Nathan. The four year old fell flat on his behind and gasped as he looked up at the man, horror stricken.

"Oh my gosh… I'm so sorry", Haley said as she bent down and picked James. Just at that time Haley looked straight into the eyes of Nathan Scott.

Nathan stared back and then down to the little boy. He was dumbfounded, he just stood there for what seemed like an eternity and stared. "…H...", he couldn't even get her name out. It seemed so unreal like there was a ghost there.

"Nathan…", she stared as the words fell from her mouth like liquid.

Nathan finally regained his composure and took a deep breath. "Haley…", he said finally managing to get it out. "What are you doing here?", he blurted.

"I…", Haley had her mind so set on being frank with him when she saw him but now that she did see him… she just couldn't do it. "I'm visiting Taylor… she told me to meet her here"

"That's odd… she told me to meet here too", that's when it clicked. "Did you call Taylor last night around 7?", he asked her as he ran his hand through his hair and glanced at the little boy, trying to keep his eyes off him.

"Yeah…", Haley could feel it cliquing as well.

"I think she set us up"

"Gee what gave you that idea?"

Nathan just glared at her and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Look…", being frank with him was starting to become easy but she still didn't think she'd be able to tell him why she wanted a divorce. Not that it was any of his business.

"At?", he said in a smart ass tone.

"The back of my head because I'm out of here", Haley sighed as she started to turn around but was cut off by James finally realizing who the man was.

"Daddy!", James shouted.

Haley cringed as she turned around but slowly turned back around to face Nathan. "He didn't mean that, I'm sorry", she told him.

"No! Mommy! That's the man on TV, he plays ball, he's my daddy!", James insisted.

"James, sweetie, your mistaken", she told him.

"No!", he glared at his mother. Haley had to admit, he had the same cocky know all attitude as his father.

"James Nathanial!", she said looking down at him.

Nathan didn't know what to make of all this so he decided to cut in. "This, your son?"

"Again, ya think ?", she asked him as she turned to him. Haley didn't mean to get so hastily but she didn't want to upset him with James' true accusations.

As Nathan watched and looked at the little boy he started to get a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Had Haley been telling him the truth that night? The memories of the night were starting to flood back. The night she had told him he had a son and he denied it. He couldn't believe he was now staring into the eyes of a little boy who looked identical to him.

Nathan was so wrapped up in listening to the little boy protest to Haley that he had forgotten she was being a smartass. Nathan shook his head as he was brought back to reality. He wasn't about to deny his own son but he still wasn't ready to be a father.

Nathan looked at them, "Look… Haley… Leave the kid alone", he said as he watched her stop protesting to the little boys' thoughts. "Don't lie to him", he sighed.

Haley looked at Nathan oddly, most of which was shock. "Are you saying…"

"No, I said don't lie to him…If I am… so be it", he told her. "But I'm not ready to be a father, or a dad or anything", he told her.

Haley nodded and took a deep breath; she understood and bit her lip. "Look… I know how much you hate me, Nathan but we have to talk and no it's not about him", she told him before he could protest like James had done.

That was far from what James was going to protest too but he kept his mouth shut. Nathan didn't hate Haley… he may not like her but Hate was a strong word. "I never said I hated you…", he trailed off.

"And you never said you liked me", she sighed.

"but I did say I loved you", he sighed as he put his hands in his hoodie pockets. "and that still didn't stop you from walking out the door…"

"I came back and you slammed the door in my face", she hissed at him.

"I wasn't the one who walked out in the first place but I am walking away now", he glared at her. "Call me when you have that stick out of you're a…" but Nathan didn't finish as he gazed upon the eyes James. With that, Nathan turned around and stomped off. He was defiantly going to kill Taylor now.


That night, Nathan found himself sitting on the beach just outside of Brooke and Lucus' house. He and Taylor had gotten into a fight and Nathan decided to leave. They of course made up and were on good terms but Nathan didn't feel right staying there anymore. He didn't know what was eating him up.

Actually Nathan did know what was wrong he just didn't know why. He ran his hand through his hair as he stared off into the distant sun. The whole day had been one big blur for him. Seeing Haley at the park with his son had brought back a lot of old memories. Some bad but he had to admit that a lot of them were good.

Seeing the look on James' face when Haley tried to tell him that he wasn't his father almost made him feel bad as he thought it over. He felt bad for the little guy, no father. Not that Nathan had much of a father either but he did have a figure like Keith. James didn't even have that. James knew from the internet stories that Haley had been living with Chris but there was never any mention of James.

He assumed it was privacy sake. From the looks of it, James must have known that Chris wasn't his father. That put Nathan's mind to rest in more then one way. Haley was still beautiful and she seemed to be doing a great job at raising James.

Nathan leaned back in the sand and closed his eyes as he placed his hands behind his head. What was Haley really there for? He knew it couldn't of solely been for Taylor seeing as Taylor admitted she was just as shocked as he was. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to talk to her…


"Hello?", Haley said as she picked up her cell phone. Haley had finally found a place to stay with James. It felt good to finally be out of a hotel. The two of them were staying in apartment that Haley got a lease on that morning. The furniture had been delivered while she was at the park, bickering with Nathan.

As she fell back on the couch and glanced at James' sleeping form in the chair she heard Chris' voice on the other end.

"Hey baby, I called to see how things were going"

"Just fine", Haley lied.

"So… how're you parents?"

"Their good", she said. "They were surprised to see me", she said. Haley had gone and seen her parents of course. They were her first visit, right after her run in with Dan Scott.

"Really? So what else have you done?"

What is this? 21 questions?, Haley sighed and bit her lip. "Nothing really…", there went lie number too. Some relationship they had going… All based on lies.

"Haley… don't lie to me"

"Look… I guess it's time I was honest"

There was silence on the other end of the phone as Chris waited for her to continue.

"I came here to find Nathan…"

"WHAT THE FUCK, HALEY?"

Haley winced and took the phone off her ear. "Chris, relax… I came to find him to get a divorce…", she sighed.

"I thought you took care of all that already", his voice was annoyed and defiantly not pleasant.

"No…"

"I'm coming to Tree Hill" he said suddenly.

"NO! Chris, damn it! Don't you dare come here", she threaten.

"Hey, if you really there for a divorce then you don't have damn thing to worry about"

: CLICK :

Haley sighed and rubbed her forehead as she thought of the shit she was going to be in now. No sooner then she had set her cell phone down had it already started ringing again.

"Chris, I'm not going to fight with you, James is asleep and I'm tired!" she yelled into the phone but suddenly went pink as she heard Nathan's voice on the other end.

"Nathan, I'm sorry", she said apologizing. How the hell did he get her number? Taylor, no doubt.

"Sorry for what? Busting my eardrum?", he sighed. "Look, I don't even want to know… I just called to tell you that we really do need to talk"

"Right", Haley agreed.

"Meet me at Karen's Café tomorrow at 5, don't bring the kid … we need to talk alone", he said.

"Alright, gotcha, see you tomorrow", she sighed in a tired voice.


Coming Next:
More Talking amongst Haley and Nathan… Lucas and Brooke Get Into the Picture… Dan and Nathan have a chat…