Chapter Twenty-Three: It'll Come Back Around
"Luke, you got a call," said Davis quietly, when he entered her room. He raised his eyebrows as she handed him his phone.
"Oh, who?" he asked in surprise.
"A girl," she said, trying to sound genial. She wasn't stupid. She knew it was too early to sound jealous, as much as she wanted to.
"Haley? She ran off the other day, and Jussy said she set up her and Nathan," explained Lucas.
"No, it wasn't Haley. She said to say Haley and Nathan were okay, but it wasn't Haley," said Davis. He looked up at her and shrugged.
"So? Who was it?" he asked.
"Brooke."
"She hasn't contacted me in months," he said, laughing it off.
"What went on between you two, anyway?" she asked, her voice rising slightly.
"We dated a bit. No big deal. We should go, there's a party at Jagielski's," he said. He walked back out through her door and she stared after him for a moment. It wasn't fair to call this the end. Anything that ended had to have a beginning. And nothing could begin with Lucas Scott while he was still in love with Brooke Davis.
XxxxxxX
"You guys really need to go home," called out Brooke, as heard a moan of desire immediately upon entering her apartment. The moans abruptly stopped and within a seconds a blushing Haley appeared, wrapped in her dressing gown.
"We're going tonight. I promise. You can still come with us," said Haley. Brooke opened her mouth to answer as the door opened again.
A woman in her mid thirties entered, followed by a cumbersome baby carriage. The woman was fairly youthful looking, and noticeably pretty. Brooke smiled.
"Hey Mom," she said. She looked intensely uncomfortable, and even more so as her mother glanced around the room and caught sight of Haley, instantly identifying her.
"Haley James," she said under her breath in amazement. Nathan followed her out in the hall and his gaze flickered to the carriage as the child within began to whale.
"Haley James-Lee. It's nice to meet you, Ms. Davis," she said uncomfortably.
"Yes," she said indistinctly. Her eyes swept over Haley, obviously taking in the similarities to Brooke. Haley blushed under her searching gaze.
"Who's this, Diane?" he asked, directing his comment at Brooke's mother.
"Hey Nathan. This is Jack, of course. Brooke's…" Brooke coughed distinctly and Diane's gaze met her daughter's. "Brooke's new cousin. Just born."
Diane Davis picked the small baby into her arms and soothed him as his wails grew louder.
"He's sweet. We were going soon, sorry to intrude," said Haley, going back into the room. Nathan remained, and rolled his eyes. Haley had grown in almost every way since her other life, but in some ways she was still so blind.
XxxxxxX
Haley stared out the window as their car whizzed through the empty countryside. Occasionally they'd pass a gas station, or a village, but nothing that caused her thoughts to shift from Brooke and how much she missed her.
"You tired?" asked Nathan eventually.
"Nope. Just sad," she said.
"She'll come around," he said comfortingly. She looked over at him and gave him a half smile.
"She has to," said Haley, to comfort herself as well as him.
She was asleep when they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building, so Nathan left the bags in the trunk and walked over to her door. She began to slip out of the car as he opened it, so he reached out and lifted her into his arms.
Haley stirred after Nathan had carried her up the elevator and down the hall.
"Hey, put me down," she commanded, her words slurring in her half slumber.
"In a second," he said comfortingly.
"You're such a gentleman," she said fondly, resting her head on his shoulder as he opened the door.
He set her down just inside their doorway and he looked around in satisfaction. They'd informally agreed to live here, at her and Brooke's house, at least until other arrangements could be made. It wouldn't make much difference for him. He'd spent much of his life here already, hanging with Brooke and later with Haley.
Haley began to check the messages on her answering machine, but stopped as the announcement came on that it was her and Brooke's house.
"Come on, we have to change that," she said, smiling at him.
XxxxxxX
Nathan jogged down the hallway toward their apartment. Basketball practice had just finished, and he was eager to get away from the probing questions about where he and Haley had gone.
"Haley?" he called, as he entered the apartment.
"Oh, hey Nate," said Justine, wandering into the room, still clad in her cheerleading uniform.
"What're you doing here?" he asked in surprise.
"Not exactly feeling the love here. But we're all here," she explained, as Haley appeared behind her.
"All?" he asked, as she moved into kiss him.
"Just a few," she said innocently, as Bevin Gilmore, Theresa Mendez and Peyton Sawyer appeared.
Nathan quickly walked across the room to access the shower, feeling awkward in the roomful of girls he didn't know.
"So you're a tutor and a basketball player? How does that fit?" asked Peyton, as he began to retreat.
"You're a blond cheerleader, and you're lecturing me about stereotypes?" he asked.
"I'm not your average cheerleader," she said proudly.
"You're not? What is then?" asked Nathan. Haley frowned despite her self.
"I don't know, your wife?" supplied Peyton.
"Shut up," he said playfully, walking further down the hall.
"You shut up," she said, as Nathan entered the bathroom.
Bevin, Justine and Theresa exchanged surprised looks for a second. Peyton hadn't been lying. In general, she wasn't a typical cheerleader. She didn't backstab. She wasn't a bitch.
"Come on, these guys need their privacy. Let's go," said Justine, smiling apologetically at her sister-in-law.
"These guys don't care much about privacy," joked Peyton as she left. Haley frowned, finally comprehending why Nathan had been so mad at her.
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