Chapter Seven: What You Learn From Love
Haley stared as her boss ventured further into her apartment.
"You're here… to hang out," she clarified in disbelief.
"Yeah. If that's okay. You were painting," he stated.
"And I need to paint again. So if you want to come back some other time…" suggested Haley.
"No, but can I help?" he asked.
"Sure," she said.
A wail erupted from Taylor's bedroom. Haley cringed, and quickly went through her head for excused. Suddenly she remembered the reason her lover had never visited her apartment.
"What's that?" asked Nathan in interest.
"Nothing," said Haley. Ignoring her protests, he followed the noise into the bedroom.
Nathan stooped over the cradle and took the infant easily into his arms. Haley's mouth dropped open when the baby quieted instantly, and her blue eyes stared up at him.
"Who's this?" he asked, smiling down at her.
"Um, Natalya Merryn James," she said quickly.
"James?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"She's my sister Taylor's daughter. She and my other roommate, Peyton, are gone for the weekend. Mr. Scott, why are you here?" she asked.
"Okay. Brooke went to Palm Springs and I realized I'm being an asshole. I haven't been treating you like a real person, and you deserve more," he said.
"So to unasshole yourself, to make yourself more worthy of my wife, you're going to start being nicer to your mistress?" asked Haley.
"I don't think there's anything more I can do to make Brooke and I work," he said. He looked back down at the baby, and smiled at her. She giggled. "Natalya Merryn, you said?"
"Yeah. Merryn's my cousin's name," said Haley.
"I like it," he assured her. For a moment, Haley felt a burning desire to tell him the truth.
After Natalya had begun to doze off in her father's arms, he set her back down lightly. The two of them walked back into Haley's room.
After an hour, Haley was able to mask her astonishment at seeing Nathan Scott paint her bedroom purple without his shirt on, and they were actually able to talk.
"So, we going to order in?" he asked, after the first coat had been applied and night had begun to fall.
"My roommates and I usually cook," she informed him.
"Cool, let's go," he said. As if he did it every night, the two of them walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and stared at the contents.
"Wow. There's not one thing in here I'd remotely consider eating," he said brightly.
"Yeah, sorry we don't' keep a running supply of steak and beer," she said sarcastically.
"Right, girl roommates. Point taken. But who wants to eat lentil salad?" he asked, bringing out the plastic container. Haley grabbed a fork and sighed dramatically.
"It's delicious! Here," she instructed, taking a forkful of salad and holding it to his mouth.
"You first," he instructed suspiciously. Without a qualm, she lifted it to her own lips and swallowed the mouthful.
"Not so bad," he admitted.
"Told you," she teased.
"Hey, you've got a speck. Right… here," he said, leaning down to lick it away before kissing her. It was the first time he'd kissed her all afternoon. Never before had they gone so long without touching each other.
"Okay, so lentil salad is not on the menu. We're having mac and cheese," she informed him.
"What? We're not four and we're not college students. So we're no longer obligated to have anything that's that bright of an orange," he said, unused to being instructed.
"Well, too damn bad. I love mac and cheese. And besides, I was only a college student three years ago, remember?" she asked.
"Right. Because you're twenty-four. You're making me feel old, girl," he said.
"Want me to make you feel you again?" she asked, going closer to him. He reached out for her as the baby screamed.
"I'll go get her," said Haley. He caught her arm.
"No, let me," he said. He walked out of the kitchen as Haley began to set the water to boil.
There was only one word to describe the environment later that evening: surreal. Nathan fed Natalya her peaches while he ate his own macaroni. Haley and Nathan easily kept up a conversation that often went into flirting. There was only one other word to describe what was happening: family.
When she began to doze of in her highchair, Nathan lifted Natalya out and carried her to her bed. Haley sat in his lap while he read her two stories and she finally feel asleep completely.
"Goodnight Nati," said Haley, hanging over her daughter. She whispered the last sentence quietly, so Nathan wouldn't hear: "Mommy loves you."
Nathan leaned down to kiss her cheek.
"I love babies," he confessed. Haley, who was getting ice cream out of the freezer, looked at him in surprise.
"Then why didn't you ever..?" she asked.
"Have one with Brooke? She was never to keen," he said.
"You still could," said Haley.
"Miss James… Haley… Brooke and I have had sex once in the last six months, and that was the night of the ball. And the only thing I was feeling was that I had betrayed you," he said. She turned to him.
"You didn't have to…" she said awkwardly.
"Yeah, I know. And I also know I shouldn't, don't worry," he said.
"I know it's not my place, but why do you stay together?" asked Haley.
"I can't leave her. I've tried. She's tried. It's guilt mixed with fear," he said.
"And your parents, maybe?" guessed Haley.
"God no. They hate Brooke, they always have. Which is weird, you know? Because she's miserable in Palm Springs and I'm having the time of my life at your house," he said.
Haley cringed slightly at 'time of his life'. She didn't want Nathan to be having a good time. Hell, she didn't want herself to be having a good time. He was married. He loved his wife.
In spite of this, her heart tightened when he came closer and put his arms around her. But all thought was swept from her head when he tilted up her chin and kissed her softly, and more passionately. And eventually took her in his arms and carried her to her bed and made love to her instead of laying her for the first time.
"I feel like we've never done that before," she said.
"Maybe because it's our first time ever on a bed," suggested Nathan. She slapped his shoulder lightly, a gesture that made electricity zing through her for a moment.
"I'm likin' the change," she said.
"So, can I stay the night?" he asked.
"Of course, Mr. Scott," she said coyly.
"Haley, do you even know my name?" he asked.
"Of course."
"Then say it," he ordered.
"Nathan," she said bluntly. It shocked her for a second. She said it again: gently, lovingly: "Nathan."
"Haley," he said.
She leaned toward him, and as their eyes locked Natalya's scream cut through them. Haley began to sit up, but Nathan pushed her back down.
"Don't worry, I'll go," he said. He went, and in a moment she was quiet again.
Unable to deal with how personal the situation was, and how she was beginning to feel for him, Haley pretended to be asleep. It was difficult to keep up the pretense when he arrived back, tucked the covers around her, kissed her forehead, and lay down beside her.
Both of them knew something was amiss when they awoke, but neither of them could place it. They both felt warm, safe and loved, and couldn't remember ever waking up and feeling like that.
As Nathan began to orient himself, he realized that during the night, Haley had cuddled up to him and he'd put his arm around her. She'd used his arm as a pillow, and they had been together in that fashion all night long. Somehow it was more personal than all the kisses they'd shared, all the times they'd done the things they'd done on Nathan's desk.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean…" said Haley, feeling groggy. Before she could move away, Nathan wrapped his arm fully around her and pulled her in to him.
"No, it's nice," he said. It was nice. Despite her guilt, despite her misgivings, Haley felt as though it was the nicest thing she'd ever experienced.
"It's wrong though. You're married," she said. His hold on her relaxed.
"Not for long. I'd forgotten how good life could be," he said.
"So you're just going to go home and tell your wife you're leaving? You've been married ten years," said Haley.
"I know. And we should have gotten divorced a long time ago," he said, leaving the room, using the baby's scream as an excuse to stop the uncomfortable conversation.
Nathan stayed another night and another day before going back to the apartment he shared with his wife. Before he left he kissed Haley, kissed Natalya and had to force himself to walk out the of the place that contained so many people that he loved, and back to the gloomy, wealthy apartment of himself and his wife.
Author's note: Did you know that Merryn is in fact my cousin's name? And a couple more fun facts: Callie Jagielski was originally intended to be Lucas' daughter and therefore not hook up with Sawyer. And Lucy Wheeler was created as Lucas' daughter, changed to Nathan's daughter and was eventually Dan's daughter. Anyway.
Haley's baby's name is pronounced like: Nat al ee ah Mar in
Spoilers (because your reviews have been so awesome)
Next chapter is major Brucas. Which will, in turn, bring on some Laley.
Off topic again. Don't you think it's weird that I don't write more Laley? You'd think I'd go for them, because I wrote 200 pages on Callie and Sawyer, best friends turned into lovers. Except for Sawyer's basically Nathan. And Callie isn't Haley she's like a mixture of Haley and Peyton and someone who's a bit high maintenance. And a bit of a bitch. Anyway.