Chapter Sixteen: The Lifted Veil

Author's note: I feel the need to bring your attention to the latest chapter in brookenlucas12's story, Only the Good Die Young. I make a cameo in it. You know Lucas' bitchy date? Yep, that's me. Tee hee hee.

The neighborhood was quiet, as if in mourning. Cars went slowly down the streets, afraid to disturb the peace. The peace that the grieving residents of the street would do anything to be rid of, so they could at least voice their pain.

Haley's brown eyes were clear and completely dry. She sat in her windowframe, curled up into the smallest possible area that she could. She remembered the times that she and Lucas had sat in that same window, licking Popsicles, singing at the top of their lungs and dangling their legs out.

She rested her head against the frame and tried to force herself to cry, but no tears would come. She'd been able to cry when she'd broken up with him but not when he was lying in a hospital bed with his girlfriend, possibly dying.

For once, Haley wished that her parents would come home. Fill the house with noise, mess, even laughter. Give her something to think about. But of course they didn't come.

They'd never come.

The only footsteps on the stairs had been hers. And his. Sliding down the banisters, sliding on the shiny hardwood. The vast, empty house had been their playground. They'd gotten older, floated on the pool, made out in the hot tub.

Haley was so wrapped up in her reverie that she didn't hear the footsteps on the staircase that she'd longed for.

It took only one glimpse of Nathan's endearing, calming face for Haley to summon the tears that she'd been lacking.

"Hales…" he said softly. He took her hand and led her to the bed and sat her in his lap while she began to sob.

"He's going to be okay," he said.

"We don't know that!" sobbed Haley, burrowing her head into his shoulder.

"Sure we do. The doctor isn't worried," he whispered.

"He's in the hospital. Hooked up to all those machines. I'm scared, Nate," she cried. He rubbed her back comfortingly, but a dark scowl began to spread over his features, as an image of his girlfriend and her ex filled his mind.

"It's not just that, is it?" asked Nathan, before he could stop himself.

"What?" she asked.

"Haley, are you in love with him?" asked Nathan. When nothing else could, this shocked Haley out of her tears. She sat up straighter and looked into his empty face, suddenly so far away from her. She touched her hand to his face and smiled through her wet eyes.

"Nathan, you mean more to me than I ever thought possible," she said. Her hand lifted and she smoothed his dark hair.

His hand wrapped tighter around her as he remembered the image he'd once had of her, as the beautiful yet arrogant girl, and the one he had now.

"I'm not in the mood tonight, but can you stay with me?" she asked. He nodded silently. It wasn't until they were curled up under the covers together that Nathan realized it was only the second time he'd spent the night with a girl, and it was the same girl.

XxxxxxX

Early the next morning, as had become her routine, Haley awoke and prepared to spend as many hours at the hospital as her schedule would permit.

She didn't know why she bothered, as Lucas was most often asleep. Mostly she talked to Brooke, or to Karen, or Jake or whoever happened to be visiting.

Nathan's eyes bored holes in her as she scurried around the room, getting dressed and collecting things to take to Lucas at the hospital.

"Why so early?" he asked.

"Sometimes Brooke can't be there till later," said Haley, as she examined her shoe collection.

"Isn't he still asleep all the time?" asked Nathan. Despite Haley's words of affection the previous night, Nathan's eyes were cold.

"That's beside the point. It's tradition, Nathan. We've known each other our whole lives, we've helped each other when we were sick. It's how it is," she said firmly.

"It's fine, Haley. But I'm going with you," he said, standing up and fiddling with his car keys.

Haley looked sideways at him. He'd come the first day, but he hadn't since. He had no need to. Lucas and Nathan had barely even spoken. They were from different worlds entirely.

The two went silently in Nathan's car to the hospital. For the first time in weeks, the magic had disappeared. It was if a veil had been lifted, one which had been constantly surrounding them, making even the most mundane details of their lives magic.

Now it was gone, and they were left to make things beautiful with their own devices.

Nathan stayed at the door to Lucas' room as Haley ran in and kissed his forehead before smoothing out the ripples in his bedclothes and taking his hand and squeezing it lightly. Slowly his eyes opened and he smiled at her.

"Hey, you're late," he whispered, with a voice that she didn't entirely recognize.

"Sorry, I'll come earlier tomorrow. Where's Brooke?" she asked.

"I'm just going to…" began Nathan, gesturing toward the hallway. Haley nodded distractedly and didn't look up. His face a mask of anger again, he left the room.

Nathan wandered down the hallway. He smiled flirtatiously at a passing nurse.

"Hey," he said. She looked up at him and smiled back.

"Hey."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Ange. Yours?" asked the nurse.

"Nathan. I'm here visiting," he said.

"Your girlfriend?" asked the nurse.

"Definitely not my girlfriend. Ange," he said.

"Well, that's good to hear," said the nurse. He smiled once more, but he was uneasy. Obviously the nurse thought he was much older than he was. She was older-at least twenty-seven.

"Brooke," he said in surprise, as Brooke rounded the corner of the hallway.

"What, fucking her to?" asked Brooke, folding her arms. Ange the nurse made a noise of indignity and moved on.

"I'm not with Haley for sex. And I'm not with her at all," said Nathan in annoyance.

"Why are you with her at all? We've spent fifteen years hating her. She's been a bitch to me for my entire life!" said Brooke.

"She's different than you see," said Nathan.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's different. Lucas isn't your brother," challenged Brooke.

"Of course not. But it was the same reason. I've lived my entire life with you, Brooke, it was scary to do something I know you'd disapprove of," replied Nathan.

"Then why'd you do it?" asked Brooke. He looked straight at her for the first time.

"Because I'm in love with her," he said. Brooke gasped in surprise, and remembered the realization she'd had the night she'd almost walked in on them.

"Um, congratulations?" said Brooke in confusion. He made a grab for her arm as she hurried past, to confirm his belief that there were tears on her face, but she passed too quickly.

She ran down the hall and into Lucas' room. Haley was sitting beside Lucas' bed in silence. Brooke almost smiled when she saw how awkward Lucas and Haley looked, every vestige of romance stripped from them.

"Oh, hey Brooke, we were just wondering where you were," said Haley, in obvious relief.

"Sorry," she said. She walked to the bed and kissed Lucas.

Haley looked up as Nathan walked in and smiled at her as though the tense moments had never happened between them.

"Hey," she said.

"Hi."

Nathan walked over and sat beside her.

"Where were you?" she asked in a whisper.

"Missing you," he replied. Smiling, she tucked her head into his shoulder, convinced again that everything would be all right.