Chapter Fourteen: But Not All of Us Get One
.Author's note: to Sw33t Lavender (Sophie) my name is Hilary. Thank you for asking, and thanks for your reviews.
Nathan emerged from the bedroom and grasped Taylor's shoulders, shaking her lightly.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me," she said.
"You're lying. Tell me, I'm not going to hurt her," he pleaded.
"No! She didn't tell me! And I'm fairly sure it was because she didn't trust me not to tell you! Because I want to tell you!" Taylor exclaimed.
"So she just left? With my daughter? My wife's gone to my brother, I'm free to be with her and she just left?" demanded Nathan.
"She thought everything was messed. The whole reason she never told you about Natalya was because she didn't want your marriage to be ruined," said Taylor.
"Where would she go?" asked Nathan. Taylor shrugged. "Come on, I need to know. Your parents? A sibling?"
"Our parents travel, and Haley wouldn't go to a sibling. She obviously doesn't want to be found. She's got to come back eventually," said Taylor. He stared at her for a moment.
"I'm not prepared to wait for eventually. Goodbye, Taylor," he said, running again from the room.
Nathan hailed another cab and they sped toward JFK airport. He didn't know what possessed him to look there but he knew if he didn't try, he'd regret it for the rest of his life.
He threw the cab driver some money before rushing into the large building. Staring wildly around the bustling space, he blindly made his way toward the gate that was announcing it's final boarding call.
A short lineup was in front of the desk checking people in for the plane. The one second to the last had long blonde hair, a short stature.
"Haley?" he called out experimentally. Her face whipped around to see him, and he caught a glimpse of the baby in her arms. He stood still while she stared at him, as though evaluating him.
While she stared, the rest of the lineup handed their boarding passes to the attendant and boarded the plane. She stared a moment longer before the attendant lightly touched her arm. Struck out of her reverie, Haley handed in her boarding pass, hoisted Natalya further onto her hip and made for the door.
"Haley!" yelled Nathan in a panic. She was so close to him now.
She turned one more time and smiled slightly at him, a smile of love and regret.
"I love you," she mouthed to him. He began to run desperately toward her, but before he could reach her she stepped through the door and it was closed firmly behind her.
"Can you let me in?" he demanded of the blonde woman who had just closed the door.
"Sorry, only those who have purchased tickets are allowed in. Airport policy," she explained.
"Please? That's my kid that just went in there. It's highly possible that I'm never going to see her again," he pleaded. The woman gave him a blank look before turning and walking away.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, furiously punching in the speed dial to Haley's own cell.
"Hello?" came her voice.
"Haley? Come back," said Nathan urgently.
"I'm sorry, I can't," she said, hanging up her phone. When he rang her again, she'd turned it off.
Nathan stared out the large window as her plane departed, gaining speed as it moved along before taking flight.
"I wonder what's Nathan's doing right now?" said Brooke, happily in the arms of her brother-in-law.
"With Haley, hopefully," he said, kissing her hair.
"Doesn't that kind of freak you out?"
"Totally. But I slept with his wife. It kind of negates my right to object," he said.
"You're so smart. It's kind of hot," said Brooke.
"Oh yeah?" he asked, laughing.
"Oh yeah," she said seductively, moving on top of him and kissing him.
Much later they lay contentedly in each other's arms again, exhausted but exhilarated.
"Are you excited?" she asked suddenly. He looked confusedly at her for a moment before she indicated her stomach.
"Of course. I've always wanted kids," he said.
"I haven't, but I'm glad somehow. Wouldn't it be creepy if it looked like Nathan?" she said, giggling.
"Completely. I think it will be blonde though. Have dimples, your cute little cheeks, and my eyes," he said.
"Hey, I don't have cute little cheeks," she said, giggling in delight.
"Sure you don't. And he'll be a basketball player…"
"And a ladies man…"
"And a perfect gentleman, of course," added Lucas.
"Of course," she agreed.
"When do you want to get married?" he asked.
"After I'm divorced," she said easily.
"Okay. Works for me. Do you think it will take long?" he asked.
"No. We'll sell the New York apartment, I'll take the Palm Springs house, he'll take the Tree Hill house and we'll sell the California condo. He can take everything else. It all has bad karma," she explained.
"That sounds way too easy," said Lucas.
"I guess. It isn't," she said.
"Nathan's not going to sue you, there's no kids. I hope you're right," said Lucas.
"Yeah. Me too," she said, kissing him gently.
Nathan stared at the only photograph of Haley he possessed. Natalya was on her lap, tugging her long blonde hair. She was smiling, half at the camera and half at her baby. Her smile wasn't posed, it was a grin of genuine delight.
Nathan couldn't make himself smile. She'd said she loved him. Ignorantly he'd supposed she'd wait for him. Her plane had taken her to California, but that wasn't a very big clue-it was one of the largest states, and if Haley didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.
Brooke was gone along with her personal belongings when he arrived back at the apartment. He was happy for her, on some level, despite the fact that she'd betrayed him so royally. But he wasn't blameless-none of them were blameless anymore.