A/N: I'm really sorry for the infrequent updates..i'm having some case of writers block while i depress myself on not having a job and getting ready for my start at college in august, so i just havent been feeling it..though today i was able to get out this chapter and possibly the next chapter..so look out for 11 sometime very soon..thank you so much for your replies, they mean so much!
-Debbie
"So. You're talking to me now?" Haley asked as they entered the kitchen and she made her way to the fridge, taking out a bottle of water.
"I wasn't not talking to you." Nathan said as he watched Haley, refusing to let his sex-drive get the best of him.
"Right, we were yelling, sorry for the confusion." Haley muttered sarcastically.
"We don't have to do this you know." Nathan told her.
"Do what?" Haley questioned.
"You know what? Just never mind." Nathan scoffed, turning around to go upstairs.
"No, Nathan wait. I'm sorry, this morning sucked and I guess I'm not completely over it. But what did you want to talk about?" Haley asked, pleading for him to talk to her.
"No, it's okay. Just forget about it." Nathan told her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yea, but uh, tell Peyton I had to go."
"Yea ok." Haley answered softly as he turned to go and change.
"Nathan?" Haley called out and he stopped to face her.
"I love you." She told him quietly, guilt and hurt written across her face. Nathan smiled sadly before turning and leaving Haley, who wished for more between them.
Nathan quickly changed and left Peyton's to go home and finish packing for High Fliers, which he was leaving for the next day. No one knew he was leaving so soon except Deb who was driving him to the airport to see him off. She was suddenly oddly accepting of Haley and Nathan's marriage and had even had a heart to heart talk with Nathan, encouraging him to fight for his marriage.
"Mom, I'm done packing so I'm gonna head out. I'll be back whenever." Nathan called to Deb who was in the kitchen.
"Wait Nathan. Where are you going?" Deb asked, appearing in the doorway to greet her son.
"You suddenly want to know?"
"Nathan. You're leaving tomorrow for two months, yes I'd like to know where you'll be spending your last night here." Deb told him.
"Whatever. I'm just going to head down to the rivercourt, nothing life threatening."
"Alright. Don't come home too late." Deb instructed, retreating back into the kitchen.
"Whatever" Nathan muttered to himself as he left the house.
When he got to the court he had it to himself and was enjoying having the net for only him, making his own commentary as he shot.
"Were you going say anything?" Haley asked upset, as she interrupted Nathan's shot, approaching him quickly.
"I didn't know you were here." Nathan told her simply, not knowing what she was talking about.
"Nathan, you're leaving tomorrow!" Haley exclaimed as tears slowly began to descend upon her face.
"How did you-" Nathan started as he moved closer to Haley, suddenly feeling extremely guilty for not telling her.
"Your mom told me, she figured I knew." Haley told him angrily.
"I was going to tell you." Nathan insisted, now standing directly in front of his wife, who was refusing to look at him.
"When Nathan?" Haley demanded as she let her tears fall freely now.
"I-" He didn't know what to say, so instead he did what his heart told him and moved closer to Haley to bring her into his embrace, which she happily accepted.
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Haley asked quietly into Nathan's shirt.
"I was going to. And then the whole thing happened with my dad and you came back, and now everything is happening at once." Nathan explained, still holding on to Haley.
"So I shouldn't have come back?" Haley asked, pulling away.
"I honestly don't know right now." Nathan told her.
"Well, uh. Have a safe trip Nathan." Haley told him sadly as her comfort level dropped. Quickly she turned around and left the court, heading back to her home for the summer.
next morning
"Nathan, wake up or you won't make your flight." Deb insisted as she opened the curtains in her son's room, allowing the sunlight to filter into the otherwise dreary room.
"Mom." Nathan whined, shielding his eyes from the sudden light.
"Nate, you're acting like a little kid. Now get up and eat something before you leave." Deb commanded before leaving his room to double check the arrangements made for Nathan when he landed.
"Why are you up so early?" Lucas asked as he took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Nathan's flight leaves in a few hours." Haley admitted, taking a drink of her coffee.
"Are you going to the airport?"
"I don't know."
"Do you want to?"
"Well yea. But last night he told me he didn't know if it was a good thing for me to have come back."
"And now you're reconsidering it."
"Well what else am I supposed to do?"
"Stay. He loves you Hales. He'll come back to you, just give him some time."
"What do we do until then?"
"I say we party." Peyton announced as she entered the kitchen, having heard their conversation.
"How long have you been up?" Lucas asked, surprised neither him or Haley had noticed her presence.
"About the part when Haley here thought about leaving us again." Peyton told them, retrieving a cup of coffee and joining her new family at the table.
"Thanks." Haley said sarcastically.
"Anytime." Peyton laughed.
"Alright, I'm gonna jump in the shower, so don't use the water." Haley warned, leaving Peyton and Lucas to fend for themselves for food.
"Nathan, be sure to call me when you land, and then again when you get to the camp." Deb insisted as she hugged her son.
"Alright mom." Nathan agreed, trying to free himself from her embrace while also looking around the airport for Haley's familiar face.
"You okay?" Deb asked once she finally relieved him of her motherly love.
"Yea, I was just-" Nathan tried to come up with some excuse for his frantic searching.
"Looking for Haley?" Deb finished for him.
"Yeah." Nathan sighed, he was next to go through security.
"She'll be here for you when you get back." Deb consoled.
"She could leave again." Nathan voiced.
"She won't. I won't let her." Deb assured, giving her son a smile and another hug before he started through the gates.