This first thing I want to say is HOLY COW! I got an overwhelming response to this fic. Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. As always, the more reviews I get the more eager I am to write. Its hard for me to find time to write on the weekends, because I have so much time to write at work during the week, but because I got so many reviews, I decided to write a chapter today. Again I want to say, Thank You!
Chapter Three-Getting HelpNathan stood at Peyton's side as they walked into the drug counseling office. The two of them hadn't spoken since they left Tree Hill. Nathan drove her to Charleston. After checking in at the front desk the two of them took a seat in the waiting room. "Do you want me to go in with you?" Nathan asked interrupting Peyton's thoughts. Peyton shook her head no.
Peyton had been thinking the same things over and over again since they left tree hill. What if this didn't work? What if as soon as she left Nathan's house she felt alone again and turned back to coke? What if she just collapsed and let her feelings over suicide take over her. What if she wasn't strong enough?
"Your amazingly strong." Nathan spoke.
"Holy shit." She said startled. "That was freaky." He had known exactly what she was thinking. She smiled at him and elbowed him in the arm. The woman called her name. "Here goes." She said standing up. "And Nate? Thanks for coming."
Nathan nodded. He watched his curly haired ex girlfriend follow the woman. She was about to do the hardest thing she'd ever do. She was getting help. He admired her for that.
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
Peyton didn't speak on the way home from Charleston either. Her counseling had gone well. She was a bit embarrassed to talk to Nathan about it. "Where do you want to go?" Nathan asked as they drove around Tree Hill.
"Home." She suggested.
Nathan wasn't so sure if this was the best idea. "Are you sure?" he asked.
She nodded. When they got to Peyton's house she asked if he wanted to come in. Nathan thought for a second before replying. "Is that an invite or is that one of your questions to make me feel stupid when I come to the door?"
Peyton laughed. She thought about the time she asked that question to Lucas. Lucas was so eager to come inside and then she shot him down. "It's an invite." She climbed out of the car.
Nathan wearily parked the car and followed her inside. The two of them sat down at the kitchen table and Peyton put a pizza in the oven. "When was the last time you saw Haley?"
Nathan didn't want to answer this question. Him and Haley was the last thing he wanted to talk about. "The day she showed up at my door step I guess."
"What did you say to her?"
"I told her that she was right. We were too young when we got married. We both made a mistake. We needed to follow our dreams."
"Then why didn't you go to High flyers?"
Nathan shrugged. "Partly for my mom I guess, and because of my dad. I just don't know about basketball anymore. With my dad gone it would be a lot easier, only it makes it harder."
"What do you mean?"
"My dad was a horrible person. You know how bad he treated me Peyton. But it was my dad. Of course I can't just write it off as another guy in Tree Hill that died."
Peyton knew exactly how he felt. Her mother wasn't really her mother. She was adopted. But the woman lying in that grave would always have her heart. She loved her more than life it's self. But Ellie, the woman who gave birth to her would now take a place in her heart even if she hated her for giving her away. She couldn't hate her. She gave her life, and she gave her the woman she called Mom.
Peyton didn't say anything but Nathan knew she understood him. "Why is everything so different between us now?" Nathan asked. "We used to be so, screwed up."
Peyton sighed. "Because it's not just about sex anymore Nathan. It's about so much more than that."
What did she mean by that? Nathan thought. He quickly corrected himself for thinking that way. Of course it meant it was about friendship.
The two of them sat talking about Peyton's counseling for over an hour. She told him how they were going to write her a prescription for depression. She would have weekly counseling appointments in Tree Hill, and she would go back to Charleston once a month. Smoke started to fill the kitchen, and Peyton remember the pizza. "Shit!" She muttered pulling out the completely burnt pizza.
"How about Chinese?" Nathan suggested opening a window.
"That sounds great!" she accepted.
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
Before they knew it, it was dark outside. Peyton and Nathan had been sitting in the Chinese restaurant laughing and talking all night. She knew she was going to have to go home. "I should get going."
Nathan shook his head. "You know, you don't have to go home. My mom is really worried about you. She said you could stay as long as you need to."
"Thank her for me?"
Nathan nodded. "Are you sure you want to go home?"
"Yeah." Peyton told him. "Actually, you know what? Why don't you come over? We could rent a movie, like old times." She suggested.
Nathan suddenly grew nervous. Why would he be nervous around Peyton? He was never nervous with her. Not even in the beginning. "Sure." His phone ringing interrupted him. "Hello?" he answered not recognizing the number.
"Nathan, it's Lucas." Nathan hung up the phone. The last person he wanted to talk to was Lucas. He hadn't spoken to him since he told him they were no longer brothers. Not even at Dan's funeral. Then he found out that Lucas was going to New York with Haley. That was the end of their friendship for good
"Who was that?" Peyton asked.
"Nobody."
"Okay" she accepted when she noticed that now her phone was ringing. "Hello?"
"Peyton, it's Lucas."
"Hi Lucas, what's up?" she asked notincing Nathan rolling his eyes.
"I called Nathan and he hung up on me, have you seen him?"
"No, why would I see Nathan?" she lied.
Nathan smiled.
"Listen Peyton, it's about Haley. She's in the hospital."
"Haley's in the hospital? Why?" Peyton asked worried.
"There was an accident at her show. A light fell from above her and hit her. They don't know if she's going to make it!" Lucas cried.
"Oh my God. I'll try and talk to Nathan and call you back." She hung up the phone and looked up at him. "They don't think Haley is going to make it."
Nathan's heart dropped. Now what was he going to do? He didn't want to see her. She hadn't even come when he was in the hospital. But it was his ex wife, no amount of pain in his heart wanted her to die. He knew what he had to do. "Let's go to New York."
