Chapter Nineteen: Someday Somebody's Going to Ask You

Author's note: for BOB, who makes me out much worse than I actually am. You know who you are.

Nathan stopped when he saw Brooke sitting by herself in her and Haley's apartment, crying her eyes out. Instantly blaming Lucas, he ran over to sit with her. "Hey buddy," he said softly. He put his arm around her and drew her into him. "Hey," she said.

"What's wrong?" Nathan's entire body tensed as Brooke didn't answer, but let out another sob. He wondered if Haley had done something to her, though he doubted it. Haley was rapidly mellowing, according to him. Then Nathan wondered if Lucas had hit her.

"He cheated on me," she said pitifully. His arm tightened around her shoulder.

"Bastard" he muttered. Brooke sobbed again, and Nathan remembered the matter at hand.

"With who?" he asked, his voice low and comforting. Brooke looked up so suddenly that she shocked him.

"Oh God, you don't know," she murmured.

"Don't know what?" asked Nathan. But in his heart, he already knew.

Lucas was on the river court, shooting baskets. His face was lined and nervous. He knew then that he really loved Brooke, that what had happened with Haley was a mistake.

"Hey. Scott," said Nathan angrily, parking his car by the court and walking on.

"Hey Nathan," said Lucas in annoyance.

"You told Brooke that you loved her, and you hurt her that badly?" demanded Nathan.

"Right, because this is all about Brooke," said Lucas, looking nowhere but straight ahead of him.

"You hurt her…" began Nathan.

"And apparently I hurt you. And Haley. You know I'd call her your girlfriend, but it's a bit of a strong term if she can't last more than a few months with you before turning elsewhere," said Lucas. Nathan's first instinct was to punch in his pretty blonde head, but he forced himself to hold back. He was shaking with anger, his anger touched with fear.

"Haley's mine. She'll always be mine."

"Keep telling yourself that. Because that'll definitely keep her from…" It was then that the first punch fell.

XxxxxX

Haley screamed as she leapt out of her car and encountered the two boys, rolling on the ground, inflicting pain in whatever way possible.

Blood was spurting out of Lucas' nose. Nathan's eye was rapidly swelling and darkening, but still they continued to fight. With all her might she ran to Nathan and wrenched him off Lucas.

"Oh my God, are you okay?" she said anxiously, lifting her hand to examine a cut on Lucas' face. Over her shoulder, he smirked knowingly to Nathan. Suddenly Haley knew what had happened. She dropped her hand.

Nathan stared at her as Lucas got into his car and drove off. With his eyes he peeled off the gentle, misunderstood Haley he'd made for her and saw only the coldhearted life ruiner that all others saw. She shivered, feeling naked without the better image of herself.

"How the hell could you do that? You had to fight? Can't you rise up against your basic animal instinct?" demanded Haley, her voice cold and her eyes warm.

"I'm not the one with the problem rising above basic animal instinct," he said in disgust.

"Nathan…" she pleaded. He walked on past her and shrugged off the hand she gripped on his shoulder.

Haley gasped in alarm as he powerfully and painfully grabbed her right wrist, the one which was falling to the ground.

"You're hurting me!" she winced. But by the time her last words were out, his warm hands had moved from her skin. Already they'd stripped her wrist bare of the beaded bracelet that had once sat there.

Haley watched in horror as he drew back his arm and threw the bracelet. It gracefully flew through the air and landed with a small splash in the river.

"You…" Haley gasped. He threw her a look of disgust.

Nathan didn't give her the opportunity to run away quickly. He got in his own car first, forcing her to watch him drive away from her.

XxxxxxX

She was losing him. He was almost gone. Haley knew there was only one thing she could do.

As she'd done so often, she went into his house without knocking and ran up the stairs. Living with Brooke across town made visits slightly more difficult, but she'd always felt compensated for her trips.

She caught a glimpse of Justine through her open door, but ran before the girl could say anything. She pulled open the door of Nathan's room and ran inside.

"Haley…" said Nathan angrily, standing up from his bed. She walked to him, pressed her fingers to his lips.

"Hush," she whispered. Even his anger didn't stop him from responding to her tender kiss. She pushed them backward onto the bed and pulled off her shirt between kisses.

"Haley, no," said Nathan. She gasped as he pushed her off of him and she landed on the bed, dressed in her jeans and her bra.

"Can't we talk about this?" she begged. She swung herself up to her knees and opened her eyes wider.

"I don't have anything to say to you right now," he said.

"Nathan, please! I love you," she said. A tear dripped from her eye. It didn't effect him.

"You know Haley, yesterday that would have meant everything to me," he said. "Today I can't even believe what might be the truth."

XxxxxxX

Haley's footsteps had been quick and eager when she'd left the apartment earlier that day, but they got back to it slow and reluctantly. She knew Brooke knew. She knew she was about to lose on of the best things that had ever happened to her.

"Brookie?" she called out. Half of her (slightly more than half of her, perhaps) wanted to go hide until the morning, when surely everything would be brighter, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.

It didn't take her long to make a complete circle of the apartment. It wasn't a large place. If Brooke was truly there, Haley knew that nothing would stop her from coming in to rip her head off.

She paused before entering Brooke's bedroom. Lucas Scott was sitting on her bed, his head in his hands. He silently passed the paper in his hands to Haley, whose eyes skimmed it quickly.

Haley,

This is not about you. I promise. I really loved him but I have to let go. I need you to take care of him. And Nathan. I know I can trust you for that, little sis.

You know where I am. Don't tell him.

Love Always,

Brooke

Haley closed her eyes briefly, working out the hidden meanings in the letter.

"What's she saying?" demanded Lucas, standing from the bed.

"This is addressed to me, Lucas," said Haley.

"Don't…" he whispered. Glancing upward she caught a glimpse of his hurt, tragic face. A force she didn't understand put her arms around him and held him closely while he cried.

XxxxxxX

Nathan ran up the walkway to Brooke and Haley's apartment, wiser than he'd been a half hour previously. Thoughts of Haley's declaration of love, of the one he'd make in return, of the peace between them filled his heart as he ran toward their house.

As was his custom, he glanced up at Brooke's open bedroom window.

It was the only thing in the world that could have made him stop, stare and finally turn back.