Author's
Note: Thanks for the replies. I'm glad that you haven't all forgiven
Nathan yet. I'm planning on making him go through hell and high water
to make everything right again. Anyway, please tell me what you
think. Thanks.
OTH
"So, what do you think I
should do?"
Brooke had to spend another ten minutes trying
to calm Haley down again. After Brooke had admitted that something
might be up with Nathan, Haley had lost it again. She didn't know
what she was going to do, Haley just wouldn't stop crying. The sobs
where starting to make her sick to her stomach. The only thing that
was keeping her from crying herself was the anger that was in the pit
of her stomach over what Peyton was doing to Haley.
"If I
was you," Brooke began, brushing some of the tears off Haley's
face. "I wouldn't confront him until you have some kind of proof.
Cause if you just go up to him and start accusing him of stuff, he's
just going to lose it."
"Yeah, I guess you're right,"
Haley answered. Before Brooke could respond there was a sudden bang
at the front door.
"Haley!" they heard him scream while
he banged on the door. "Haley, Haley, please open up!" At the
sound of his voice, Haley crawled further into Brooke's lap. She
started to cry again and shook her head.
"I don't wanna
see him," Haley cried. She looked up at Brooke with pleading eyes
and it broke Brooke's heart all over again. "Please, make him go
away."
"You got it, sweetie," Brooke assured her,
wanting her to know that she wasn't going to let Nathan hurt her
anymore. "I'm gonna yell to Peyton, okay?"
"Okay,"
Haley whispered, burying her head into Brooke's leg so she couldn't
hear her as well.
"Peyton, get the door, will ya!" Brooke
screamed, not knowing that Peyton was just sitting outside the door.
"Ah, yeah," Peyton mumbled, pulling herself off the floor
and wiping her eyes, not wanting Nathan to see the tears on her face.
She had heard everything that they said and it killed her to hear
Haley talk like that. "I'll go get it."
"Tell him that
Haley doesn't want to see him," Brooke added, trying to keep her
new hatred for the girl out of her voice. She didn't want Haley to
pick up on because she wasn't going to tell Haley until she had the
chance to bitch out Peyton.
"Okay," Peyton mumbled,
wandering down the hall. She had a major headache and the last thing
she needed right now, was to hear Nathan banging incessantly on the
door.
"Haley, please open the door!" Nathan yelled again.
He knew that he was probably waking up all the neighbors, but he
didn't care one bit. All he wanted was to talk to Haley before
Peyton told her everything.
"Hold on!" Peyton screamed,
trying to be heard over the loud banging. When Nathan heard her
voice, he stopped banging. After a moment the door wiped open to
reveal a very upset and pissed off Peyton.
"Hey."
"Do
not 'hey' me," she snapped, holding the door only half way
open. She didn't want him to come in and she knew that he was going
to try. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to
Haley," he answered. Peyton was surprised by the desperation she
could hear in his voice. She took a good look at his face and noticed
that he looked scared to death.
"She doesn't want to talk
to you," Peyton told him. She stared at him for a moment longer
before moving to close the door. Before she could get it closed all
that way, Nathan shoved a foot in the way.
"I need to talk
to her," he repeated, trying to plead with the blonde girl. He
didn't blame her for acting this way; she had every right to hate
him. Hell, he hated himself right now. "Please, it's really
important."
"No, Nathan," Peyton said without giving it
a second thought. "She doesn't want to talk to you." She
watched his face fall. "Can you really blame her? After what you
said to her back there. What is your problem?"
"I know
what I said was wrong," he explained, jumping at the chance to make
things right with at least her. If he couldn't explain to Haley,
Peyton was the next best thing.
"You think?" Peyton
snapped. She shook her head and tried to close the door, but Nathan
wouldn't move out of the way. "Nathan, move."
"No,"
he stated. "Not until you listen to me."
"I am not
interested in anything you have to say," Peyton replied. "Cause
it seems that every time you open your mouth lately, it's to hurt
Haley and I'm done standing around and watching you hurt my best
friend."
"I don't want to hurt her anymore," Nathan
agreed. He had to think of something and fast because patience was
not one of Peyton's strongest virtues. Peyton looked at him,
clearly not impressed.
"And I'm supposed to what?"
Peyton asked. "Jump up and down and tell you what an amazing guy
you are because you're going to stop verbally abusing your
girlfriend?"
"That's not what I'm..."
"Cause
you know what," Peyton cut him off. "I'm thinking it's too
little, too late time." Nathan's stomach topped to his feet. She
said the words that he was most dreading.
"No, I just have
to..."
"I really think you broke her this time," Peyton
said, her voice getting quieter as she thought about the vision of
Haley laying on her bed, crying. "You should see her, Nate. I mean
really, you've never seen her like this. You've never seen what
you do to her."
"I know," he whispered, afraid his
voice would crack if he spoke any louder. "I've been a horrible
person to her. It was like it was when we were together."
"It's
so much worse than that," Peyton told him. "With us, we were
never in love so when you said those kinds of things to me, they
didn't really pack the same kind of punch."
"Oh," was
all Nathan could say. He bowed his head, not being able to look her
in the eyes. Peyton had the kind of eyes that could tell you
everything she was feeling. Even an idiot could read them, plus Tim.
And right now, she was pissed.
"You always hurt the one you
love," Peyton sighed. She had always hated that saying because it
hit too close to home for her. "But what you're doing to Haley,
it brings new meaning to the phrase."
"I know." Nathan
took a deep breath and raised his head. He was surprised at the
amount of anger in Peyton's eyes; it wasn't as much as he thought
there would be. It was being overshadowed by the guilt. "And I want
to stop doing that."
"It's really about time."
"She
speaks the truth," Nathan said, trying to lighten the mood.
Peyton's face didn't change. "I want to stop hurting
her."
"Good."
"But I need your help." Peyton
eyes widened. She couldn't believe that he had the balls to ask her
that. He saw that she was about to lunge at him so he quickly
continued. "Please, you're the only one."
"Are you
actually saying these words?"
"Look," Nathan began,
taking a step forward. "I know that you don't want to tell Haley
about what I've been doing behind her back. You don't want to
hurt her anymore than I do."
"Is there a point that
you're going to be getting to?"
"Don't tell her," he
begged. He knew that he was asking for a lot more than he deserved,
but he had to ask. It was all he could do. He knew that if Peyton did
tell Haley, it was his fault. He was the big slut.
"What?"
"Please, I'm begging you here," Nathan pleaded. Peyton
looked at his face, trying to tell what his intension where. "Don't
tell Haley about those other girls." Peyton quickly looked behind
her, making sure that Brooke and Haley were still upstairs.
"I'm
not going to talk about this right now," she told him, quickly
starting to close the door. Once again he pushed his way through.
"Nathan, she doesn't want to see you."
"Just don't
tell her tonight," he said, backing out of the doorway. He didn't
want Peyton to think that he was going to break into the house.
"Fine," she said, willing to say anything to get him
lost. The last thing she needed right now was for Brooke or Haley to
come down the stairs and overhear their conversation.
"So,
you wouldn't tell her tonight?" he asked hopefully.
"No,
I am," she hissed, sarcastically. "Yeah, after she's done
crying herself into exhaustion because her bitch of a mother doesn't
want her, I'm going to tell her that the man she loves and trust
more than anyone is a cheating bastard. How do you think that will go
down?"
"I'm sorry..."
"Unlike you, I actually
have a heart," she told him. "And unlike you, I love that girl up
there."
"I love her too...."
"But I show it,"
she stated. Deciding that she was done with this conversation, she
moved away from the door.
"Wait," he called out. Just
then, Brooke came to the top of the stairs to see what was going on.
Neither of them noticed or heard her.
"What?"
"Come
to my apartment tomorrow morning?" he asked her. Peyton's eyes
glazed over in confusion. That was the last thing she expected him to
say. "I want to explain everything to you. Hopefully, I can
convince you to not tell Haley." Peyton looked at him uneasy for a
minute before letting out a breath.
"What time?" She knew
she should be doing this; there was this little voice at the back of
her head telling her that she shouldn't listen to him, that she
needed to tell Haley everything. But if there was a way that they
could get through this without hurting Haley, that she was all for
it.
"Whenever you can," he told her. He started to turn
around, but stopped. "You wont tell her?"
"It's our
little secret," Peyton sighed. Nathan smiled at her, more grateful
than he had ever been in his entire life. He leaned forward without
even thinking and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thanks, Pey."
Without waiting for a response, he quickly ran off into the night, no
doubt back to his place. Peyton let out the breath she didn't know
she had been holding and closed the door. She closed her eyes and
leaned her forehead against the cold wood.
"Isn't that
nice," came a voice from behind her. She jumped up and turned
around to find Brooke sitting at the top of the stairs. Her stomach
suddenly felt like lead.
"Brooke," she squeaked out. "How
long have you been sitting there?"
"Long enough to hear
you make your next date with Nathan," Brooke answered coldly,
glaring daggers at the blonde. "How could you, Peyton? You know
what he means to Haley."
"Brooke, what are you talking
about?"
"I don't know who you're trying to fool, but
it's not going to be me." Brooke grabbed into the railing and
stood up. "I really thought you were better than that."
"Brooke."
Peyton took a step forward, but stopped when she saw the look in
Brooke's eyes.
"Stay away from Haley," Brooke warned
her. "I think you've already done enough." Without another
word, Brooke turned on her heels and went back to join Haley. Peyton
stood stalk still, trying to process what Brooke had just said to
her. She ran a hand through her hair, realizing that Brooke was
accusing her of sleeping with Nathan. God, when did her life get so
messed up?
OTH
That's all for now. I know
it's nothing great, but that's what I've got for you right now.
Please tell me what you think. Replies make me move faster. Thanks
for reading.
