Chapter Seventeen: Not Quite Forever

"Haley?" said Lucas in confusion, as he answered the door.

"Hey Luke," she said. Without an invitation, as she'd always done before, she walked into his apartment and sat down.

"What's up?" he asked, the confusion still alive.

"You know nine years ago a visit like this wouldn't have made you think twice," she said. He smiled his mysterious, toying smile.

"Ten years ago," he corrected her. Haley didn't know the exact date of the drift between them, but she knew what had started it. She had chosen the wrong brother. Or at least the other brother.

"Ten. Am I interrupting anything?" she asked. He watched as she stood and glided over to the stereo.

"Since when do you bother with such details?" he asked.

"Since now. What's in here?" she asked. He glanced carelessly at his stereo as she pressed the on button.

"Uh, Ryan Adams?" he said in surprise. As the first few notes floated out he continued to stare at her, but as horrific realization came, he lunged out to shut off the machine.

"This is…" she began. She made a cynical smile as the familiar song came out. When the Stars Go Blue would haunt her for the rest of her life. "You know this is what I gave up my life for? A cover of some song that never should have been a duet in the first place."

Haley's face was bitter as the song in it's original form blared.

"We can turn it off…" he said awkwardly.

"It's not worth it. It was never worth it," Haley cursed.

"You deserved a shot at your dream," said Lucas. Haley smiled unexpectedly. His words didn't affect her.

"Do you remember when we were kids together, and we taught each other how to kiss?" asked Haley. Lucas smiled.

"Yeah. You were the first girl I ever kissed," he said.

"You too. I taught you everything and then Brooke Davis got to take advantage of it," joked Haley.

Only suddenly Lucas wasn't so sure she was joking.

He stared as she turned and silently appealed to him. He stared at her long hair, her exposed skin, her beautiful eyes, all the wisdom behind them.

Neither would ever be able to remember who's lips leaned in first, but never would it matter.

All that mattered to Haley was his touch, her desire. How Luke's lips had once been unsure and gentle, how that now all they made her want to do was to strip down and seal the deal right then.

The years of friendship and platonic love slipped into their passionate kiss, making it tender and sweet. In his kiss Haley sensed not only her own tutelage, but that of what the years, the love and loss Lucas Scott had experienced.

"Haley, I can't," he said, breaking off the kiss reluctantly.

"But you want to. You've wanted to since the night on the train," she whispered. He looked reluctantly down into her eyes, afraid of what he'd see.

"You have, too," he said. He meant his words to come out as a question, but he knew the answer. She couldn't keep secrets from him. At that moment, she didn't want to.

Haley didn't know where her gestures, her words, her desires were coming from, but she followed them. Lucas couldn't help but look as she tugged down her shirt to reveal her shoulders and cleavage.

"Don't…" he said. He could hardly bring himself to say it.

"Lucas…" she breathed. She took his hand, limp, ready to follow hers and carefully inserted his hand against her breast, inside her bra.

Her free hand went down to his belt.

Their lips met again, and this time Lucas didn't stop he as she wrapped her legs around his waist and they began to shed their clothing.

Haley lay on her back on the bed, preparing herself for his mouth on hers again. She smirked as he mounted her backwards, in the position she'd never used with Nathan. He always seemed to think her too innocent for such things, but Lucas didn't worry.

As she took him in her mouth he began to service her, and she instantly realized the pleasure of what she'd never done with Nathan.

Lucas was bigger and completely different feeling from Nathan inside of her. She moaned in pleasure as he did the same.

XxxxxxX

Logic flew back to Haley as Lucas feel asleep beside her and she was left to her own devices. She'd just slept with her best friend. Her boyfriend's brother. It was so wrong, yet so right.

Somehow she managed to fall sleep beside him. They'd slept together in the same bed before, on their sleepovers growing up, the time he'd visited her in New York. Sexuality had never come into question on these many occasions. Haley had had to expect that it wouldn't be banished from them forever.

The next morning she wandered into his kitchen wearing only his discarded t-shirt.

"Hey," she said softly. He turned his head to her and smiled, handing her a cup of coffee as he did so.

"Hey. How are you?" he asked.

"Do you think that was a mistake?" she asked.

"No. I do think that it'll bring up some pretty sticky issues, however," said Lucas.

"Yeah," probably," she said. On the wrist of the hand that she reached out for the coffee with was the beaded bracelet. Lucas stared at it.

"Is that…" he asked.

"Yes," she murmured.

"But… You left it behind… Nathan has it…" stuttered Lucas stupidly.

"He gave it back," she explained.

"You're still with him."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling honestly sorry, wishing she'd never come back into contact with either.

"I just slept with my brother's girlfriend," said Lucas, looking to her for clarification.

"He's not mine anymore. I'm not his. We tried, but…"

"Not his? Haley you're wearing his bracelet! You've got that brand on your back! It's still his number!" yelled Lucas.

"I'm sorry," she said again.

"I can't believe you opened this up again," said Lucas, covering his eyes with his right hand.

"Luke…" she began. He weakened. He'd always been Luke to her. "We can go there. Nathan and I are finished. I'll have it removed."

Lucas stared hard at the woman before him, appealing for his love. A woman he wanted desperately. His brother's woman.

"You two will never be finished," he said in disgust before leaving the room.