Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm FINALLY back with another chapter to The Sweetest Sin! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get it up. I had writer's block for awhile then couldn't find the right way to put my ideas into words so I think this chapter is a little crappy, forgive me. I'm going to try and wrap up this story within the next five or six chapters if you haven't already read that in my a/n on FOWB. Anyways, I hope you all like this chapter! As always, please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and it's characters are property of the WB.
Rating: K+ to T
The Sweetest Sin
Chapter 18
"Luke," Haley called out as she and Krissy neared the rivercourt where Lucas, Skillz, Junk, Fergie, and Mouth were all playing some ball. Well, Mouth really wasn't playing, just doing his usual commentating as he always did. Lucas rushed over to her concernedly, "Honey, what are you doing out here walking around? You should be at home resting." He brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and caressed her cheek. Haley heaved a sigh as she looked down at her stomach and placed a hand there, "Lucas, I'm fine. I've been resting most of the day for the past week and nothing has happened; no pains, dizziness, nothing like that. I feel like I'm trapped in a jail cell, being in the house all day. I need to get out for awhile. I felt like taking a walk, okay?" He nodded as he hugged her gently, "I know, I just worry about you. With everything that happened… I just don't want that to happen again, alright?" She nodded as she gently kissed his lips. "Yo Luke! Let's play some ball, man," Fergie called out. "Alright, chill, I'll be there in a minute," Lucas responded then turned to Haley, placing his arm around her back, "come on, why don't you two sit on the picnic table and watch me play some basketball?" "Okay Daddy," Krissy smiled up at him, and he smiled back. He kissed Haley softly on the mouth and then he deepened it, pulling her closer to his body with the arm wrapped around her waist. Haley moaned softly.
"Luke man, come on! We know you love her and all, but you get her 24/7. We're only available for a certain amount of time. So stop making out with your girlfriend before you two start doing it right here on the court and let's play some ball so I can kick your scrawny ass," Skillz shouted. "Hey, watch your mouth! We've got little ears around," Lucas responded as he pressed Krissy's head gently against his pant leg and covered her other ear with one hand and placed the other hand on Haley's stomach. "Sorry man," Skillz replied. Lucas guided her to the picnic table and helped lower her onto the bench before kissing the crown of her forehead and rubbing her back then jogging back onto the court. "Hey Mouth," Haley smiled as she looked up at him. "Hi Haley," Mouth grinned back, "How are you doing?"
"Damn dawg, she's beautiful," Skillz replied as he stared at Haley, who had her head thrown back, her mouth open in a wide smile, her soft curls bouncing as she laughed at something Mouth had said, "You lucked out with her, man, really lucked out." "Uh thanks, I think. Other than you crushing on my girlfriend right in front of me, her boyfriend, which I must say is a little lame and disgusting, considering the fact that she is pregnant with my child, what did you mean I 'lucked out with her'," Lucas asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Luke man, look at what you have. You have it all. You have a wonderful, beautiful girlfriend, an adorable little girl, a baby on the way, your own house… and you're only eighteen. You found your true love, your soul mate, at just eighteen years old, even before that, and you found her just right under your nose, disguised as your best friend. Us other guys, we don't have something like that. We'll still be searching for that someone who loves us as much as you and Haley do, someone that you can connect with deeply, but even then we know we cannot reach the closeness that you two have. You and Haley have been through everything together, and that is what makes your bond so strong. The rest of us can only hope to achieve that close of a bond," Skillz responded then said as he scrunched up his face, "Okay, I'm not really good with all that emotional crap, am I? I don't do mushy well." "No man, that was deep," Lucas replied sincerely as he grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him in for a tight hug, "Thanks, for what you said."
"No problem man, I'm just tellin' it like it is," he smirked. "Yeah, well I'm going to wipe that smirk off your face when I beat your ass in this game. You know I'm the best, don't deny it," Lucas grinned. "Aw, hell no! You didn't just say that! You know I'm the best street ball player out here," Skillz retorted. "Yeah, after me," Lucas smirked. "Oh, it's on. Your ass is grass Luke," Skillz shook his head as he began to bounce the ball. "Bring it," Lucas goaded as he crouched, getting in position to steal the ball from him.
Back at the picnic table, the talking had died down as Krissy watched intently to the guys playing their game of basketball and Haley fidgeted slightly in her seat, becoming slightly restless. She spent most of her time at home sitting down and resting; she wanted to move around. She heard a car engine pull up then cut out and she turned her head to see Peyton's black convertible parked near Lucas' Jeep. Peyton hopped out and then Brooke got out from the other side. "Tutor Mom!" Brooke exclaimed as she raced over to her and wrapped her arms around her neck in a hug. "Careful!" Lucas shouted from the court. "Relax Broody, I'm not going to hurt Haley or Baby Scott. You worry too much," Brooke smiled. "That's what I keep telling him," Haley grumbled loud enough for Lucas to hear. He shot her a small glare before returning his focus to the basketball game at hand.
Over the past few weeks, ever since prom, Brooke and Haley had been hanging out more often. Mostly with Peyton with them too though, because she was usually the only thing that kept her sane around Brooke sometimes. Brooke was a crazy wild child, very loud, outrageous, dramatic, and very, very perky. They didn't call her Cheery for nothing. It was hard enough experiencing her 'uniqueness' as Peyton liked to call it, when you were a sane normal person, but when you add in the pregnancy hormones and all the emotions and feelings that go along with it? That makes for two crazy people.
"Hey guys, what are you two doing here," Haley asked as Brooke sat down beside her and Peyton finally reached them. "Well, we were at Goldilocks' house lying on her bed, bored, and listening to her crap music, when I finally came up with something to do and guess what? We're taking you shopping," Brooke said excitedly. Haley groaned as she leaned her head back and rolled her eyes, "Brooke, you guys took me shopping last week." "I know, but that was for baby clothes. Today we're going to shop for some Mommy clothes. You're going to be the hippest dressed mom in all of Tree Hill!" "Oh god, kill me now," Haley replied as she let her head fall back and groaned, closing her eyes.
"That woman is mad. I mean crazy, insane mad," Haley huffed as she dumped the fifteen or so shopping bags that she'd accumulated at the mall on the living room floor; she'd lost count after seven. "Looks like you had fun," Lucas asked in a questioning tone and she let out a short laugh. "Fun isn't even the word to describe that kind of torture," Haley blew a piece of hair out of her face as she lowered herself onto the couch beside him. He wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder then he kissed her forehead, "Tired?" She nodded and he asked, "Do you want me to rub your feet?" "Please," she said eagerly as she laid back against the armrest of the couch and put her feet in his lap. He began to massage her feet as they talked about her day and the shopping spree with Peyton and Brooke. "So what all did you get," he asked. "Oh lots of stuff. We got some tops and pants and dresses, skirts, and some intimates," she replied. "Oh," Lucas inquired as he looked up at her, anticipation filling his eyes.
"Not those kind of intimates you perve," Haley replied with a laugh as she lightly poked him in the side, "I mean like short shorts and boxers and stuff that I can wear around the house when nobody is around." "What about me? I happen to think you look sexy in my boxers," he grinned cheekily. "I can't wear your boxers anymore. My stomach is too big; the waistband doesn't fit around it," she pouted. "Aw darn. I really liked seeing you prance around in my boxers," he pouted too. "I do not prance," she blushed fiercely as she slapped him on the shoulder with the back her hand. "Well, you did that one time when you gave me-" Haley abruptly covered his mouth with her hand then kissed him. He moaned slightly a few seconds later and when she pulled away, he asked, "What was that for? Not that I'm complaining." "Had to find a way to shut you up," she smirked then replied, "I'm tired. Let's go to bed." He nodded and helped her to her feet, leading her to the bedroom and pulling back the covers for her. She went to change clothes while Lucas climbed into bed and waited for her to return. She came back from the bathroom and got in beside him, pecking him softly on the lips before resting her head on his shoulder and placing her hand on his chest. "Night Luke," she said softly as she drifted off to sleep.
The next afternoon, Haley was sitting on the couch reading before she got ready for work at twelve. The apartment was peaceful, as it was so rarely, and she was trying to take advantage of it as much as she could before it got noisy again. Luke was at the auto shop with Keith and Krissy was at her afternoon daycare. She sighed as she set her book down on the coffee table and just stared into space, thinking about Luke. She suddenly felt the baby kick and she smiled as she placed her hands on her round stomach. She loved the feel of the unborn child moving around inside her and it made her heart swell with love and happiness. It began to kick and move more frequently and she adjusted her position to where she was lying down, her head on the armrest, as she glided her hands over her belly. She simply lay there for several minutes as she felt her baby kick against her hands. It was such a marvel that a real live little person was growing, living inside her. She soon became sleepy, but she had to get ready for work in an hour and a half. Haley decided that she would take a quick nap before heading in to the café and muttered as her eyelids closed, "Just an hour…"
Later that evening, after Lucas had left the shop, he went to play some basketball at the rivercourt with the guys again. He shot some hoops for an hour or two after they left to go do other various things then he went to go pick up Krissy from daycare. As he headed to the center, Lucas checked his phone for any messages and realized that he'd turned it off. Once he turned it on, he saw that he had three messages on his phone. He listened to them and he immediately became worried.
First message:
Luke, hey honey, it's Mom. I just wanted to know if Haley's feeling alright because she looked a little pale this morning when she came in for her usual morning tea. I've tried calling her, but she hasn't been answering her cell phone. Well, if you talk to her, please call me back or have her call me. Talk to you later sweetie. Bye.
The next message:
Hey, it's Mom. Haley didn't show up for work this afternoon and I thought that maybe she'd felt sick after the way she looked this morning. She usually calls in though and she hasn't. I'll try the house and see if I can get a hold of her.
The third message:
Luke, I've tried the house many times and I still have gotten no answer. I'm getting worried honey. Have you talked to her at all today besides this morning? Could she have gone somewhere and forgotten her phone? I know you have a lot of customers at the shop today and I would go to the house to see if Haley was there, but we're really busy at the café…
It was then the message cut off, for it was over the time limit. He quickly drove the remaining distance to the daycare and picked Krissy up, all the while frantically trying to get a hold of Haley, but to no avail. He rushed the rest of the way home and as soon as he entered the house, he called out, "Haley? Hales, are you home?" No answer. He searched the bedrooms and finally the living room, where he found her lying on the couch. He raced over to her concernedly, crouching down by her side. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was just sleeping. He rubbed her arm gently as he said softly, "Hales, wake up sweetie." "Mmm, Luke," she mumbled with her eyes still closed, "What are you doing home early? Did you come home for lunch?" He brushed some hair out of her face, "Honey, it's 6:30 in the evening. You missed your shift at the café and Mom left me some messages on my phone saying she couldn't get a hold of you. You had me so worried honey…" Haley quickly sat up, her eyes wide, "I missed my shift? I-I can't believe I missed my shift! I was only going to take a nap for an hour before work!" She was cut off by Lucas cupping her cheek and caressing it softly with his thumb, "Sh, it's okay. Mom will understand. She was really worried about you too. I'm gonna go call her alright? I brought home some Taco Bell if you're hungry. Krissy is playing in her room." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before standing and going into the kitchen to grab the phone.
He dialed the café, knowing his mother would still be there, and waited for her to pick up. "Karen's Café, this is Karen. How may I help you," her voice came over the line. "Mom-" he began but was cut off. "Lucas! Oh my god! Did you get my messages? I tried calling you but you must have had your phone off. Haley didn't come into the café today and I couldn't get a hold of her-" she replied worriedly when she heard her son's voice. "Mom!" Lucas said loudly to stop her ranting, "I got your messages about thirty minutes ago. Haley's okay. She was here at the house taking a nap before work and I guess she was really tired because she was still sleeping when I came home." "Oh thank god," Karen sighed in relief. "Listen Mom, I'll talk to you tomorrow. We're about to have dinner and I want to spend some time with Haley and Kris before Kris goes to bed. I'll see you later, okay?" "Okay honey, bye," Karen replied. Lucas returned the farewell then returned to the kitchen to hang up the phone, where he found plates and food already set on the table, Haley and Krissy already digging in with their mouths full of tacos. He had to laugh at the sight. He soon joined them, all laughing and talking about the goings on in their lives.
The next day, Luke didn't have to go into the shop until one while Haley went to the café at ten to make up for not being there yesterday, but was on strict orders to rest often. She had nearly scared the life out of him when he got those phone calls from his mother yesterday; he thought something had happened to her.
Around 11:30, he had a turkey sandwich and some chips for lunch then he went to go get the mail. He sifted through it as he walked back into the house, sorting the bills, junk mail, and other pieces of mail they'd received. His eyes landed on a specially marked envelope. Urgent. It was addressed to him. His eyes widened when he read who it was from and he quickly but carefully tore open the envelope, pulling out the letter. He read over it again and again, not believing what he was reading. It said:
Dear Mr. Lucas Scott,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the High Flyers Summer basketball camp. Congratulations! This is an amazing feat as we only allow 50 high school students or graduates nationwide to attend this camp. This year, the camp will be held in Charleston, North Carolina and will last for two months, from May 25th until July 21st. Please let us know as soon as possible if you will be able to attend. If you have any questions, please call us at (612) 415-9032.
Sincerely,
David Young
Sr. Coordinator
Lucas stood there in shock for several minutes. His first emotion was happiness and elation. He couldn't wait to tell Haley. Haley. He couldn't leave her. Not with all that had recently happened in their lives; the trip to the hospital, even last night… He needed to be there for her. Who would help her out of bed or off the couch? Who would rub her feet or back when they hurt? Who would take care of Kris? Haley couldn't take care of Kris all by herself, not when she was five, nearly six months pregnant. It was then he decided that he wouldn't go to High Flyers. It just wasn't the right time. He needed to be there for Haley right now. So he folded up the letter and put it back in the envelope, stuffing it in his back pocket.
Later that day, Lucas called Haley at the café, "Hey sweetie, how are you?" "Fine. What's up," she asked. "You okay? You sound a little distracted," he questioned concernedly. "Oh yeah, we're just a little busy right now. Early dinner rush, she explained. "You're resting, I hope," he replied. "Yes, DAD," she said exasperatedly. "Alright," he amended, "I'm going to get off work in about two hours. Why don't you pick up Kris and meet me at that little restaurant on 5th Avenue and Main Street? Let's say, 6:20?" "Sounds good to me," she responded, "I'll see you later Luke, another customer just came in. Bye sweetie." She hung up before he was able to return the gesture. His brows furrowed in concern? Was something bothering her? Or was she really just flustered with the café being so busy? He vowed to find out later tonight when they had dinner.
At six, Haley left the café and went to go pick up Krissy from daycare before heading to Luigi's, a nice, quaint little Italian restaurant. As Haley waited for Lucas to arrive, she looked over her menu while keeping an eye on Krissy, who was scribbling on a piece of paper with some crayons. A waiter, not much older that her, came to take her drink order and gave her a disapproving and disappointed stare with a shake of his head. He thought to himself, 'Damn, how could someone as hot as you have two kids at your age?' She could just see the wheels turning in his head. 'Man, I'd want to tap that ass every chance I got too. She must have one damn lucky boyfriend.' His eyes brightened at a thought, 'What if she doesn't have a boyfriend? I've never had sex with a pregnant chick before…' He finally broke out of his thoughts when he realized that he had been standing there staring at her for two minutes. He cleared his throat and asked, "What would you like to drink, miss?" Haley turned to the little girl, "Hey Kris, what do you want to drink?" "Milk," she responded as she continued to color. "One Iced Tea, a Diet Coke, and a milk for the little sister," Haley said as she ruffled the girl's hair. His eyes widened a little at this information before he composed himself and responded, "I'll be right back with your drinks." He then walked to the kitchen to get the beverages.
A few minutes later, Lucas finally arrived and he greeted her with a soft kiss on the lips as he slid into the booth, "Hey sweetie, sorry I'm late. A car came in last minute needing an oil change." He then placed his hand on her stomach and rubbed gently before leaning down and kissing it, "Hi baby." She smiled widely, her eyes big and round with happiness. "Luke," Krissy called with her arms outstretched. He picked her up from her highchair and patted her back, "Hey Squirt. How are ya? "I'm good! Gimme a high five," she replied and he did so. He put her back in her chair again because she wanted to color. "What kind of kiss was that? That was like a grandma kiss," Haley smiled then looked down to her stomach and rubbed her hand across it, "your daddy isn't a very good kisser, baby." Lucas smirked, "Oh, I'll give you a kiss. Come here." She scooted closer to him and he pressed his mouth hard to hers, his tongue pushing lightly at her teeth for permission to enter. Haley wrapped her arms around his neck and he around her waist as they continued to explore each other's mouths.
"Eww, gross," Krissy said, breaking the moment, "you guys were kissing. Girls can get cooties from kissing boys." "That's right, so don't go kiss any boys okay." Lucas replied. Haley hit him lightly in the chest. "But you and Haley kiss. Is that how you have a baby inside, by kissing?" Both Haley and Lucas blushed and he responded, "No, but kissing can lead to other things which can lead to a baby." "What other things," the girl inquired curiously. "You'll understand when you're older, Squirt," Lucas answered. "Oh, okay. But I'm still not kissing any boys," she replied. "Good, that's the right way of thinking. No kissing boys until you're twenty-five and no dating until you're thirty years old," he said with a smile. "But Luke, that means you can't kiss me goodnight when you tuck me in," Krissy pouted with her bottom lip sticking out. "It's alright for me to kiss you. I won't give you cooties. I've had the Cootie shot; it keeps the cooties away," he explained. "Okay," Krissy said happily. Haley snuggled into his arms and kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "You're going to be a great father," she said softly, "You already are."
"Are you sure you're alright? Is something bothering you? Because when I called earlier today…" he began that night as they laid in bed. "No, nothing's bothering me. I'm just tired. It was really busy at the café today, that's all," she replied, "Is something bothering you? You seemed kind of quiet tonight. Kind of broody, which I haven't seen in a while. What's up?" She took his hand into her own and kissed the back of it. He tensed a little, and he hoped she didn't feel it. She could almost always tell when he was lying. "Nah, nothing's wrong. I'm good," he responded as he kissed her hand back, "Let's get some sleep. I have to go into the shop extra early tomorrow since I went in late today. I love you Hales." "Love you too Luke," she replied softly. Somehow, she could sense he was keeping something from her. But what was it?