Chapter Twenty-Three: Almost Forgotten
Author's note: Please remember that due to an overuse of the name "Ben" I have changed the Ben in this story (Brooke' baby cousin) to be called Jack henceforth. Sorry for the confusion.
Haley glanced over her shoulder as Nathan stepped in the front door. He smiled to himself. He remembered the first Haley he'd seen: his girlfriend Haley, with her pristine appearance. Haley was now as she always was at the end of the day: dressed in her jeans, his sweatshirt, her hair messily tied back.
"Dinner'll be ready in a second," she said, turning back to the pot on the stove. He walked over to her, pushed several strands out of the way and gently kissed the nape of her neck.
"I always feel guilty when I watch you do this," he said into her ear.
"Why?"
"Because I'm always worried you're going to wake up in twenty years and resent me for making you have dinner on the table every night or something," he said.
"But you don't. I like to cook, Nate," she said.
"I didn't claim that it was a rational fear," he said.
"Good, then worry all you want," she teased.
Her eyes slid close as his kisses travelled down her neck. Unable to resist, she turned around and put her arms around his neck, kissing him sensually. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in, bridging the distance between them.
The doorbell cut into the spell, and Nathan turned his head toward it in annoyance.
"Please tell me that that isn't your cheerleaders," he said. She laughed and slipped out of his arms.
"No, they're hanging at Theresa's. I wonder..." she opened the door and quieted immediately. Standing awkwardly on the porch was Davis Taylor. The last person on Earth Haley expected it to be.
"Can I come in?" she asked, the slight tremor in her voice the only thing distracting from her brave stance.
Haley silently stood aside as Davis walked in and cast a glance around the room. Haley nodded toward the sofa and the three of them sat.
"What do you want?" asked Haley bluntly.
"I just want to know if I'm fighting a losing battle," she said simply.
"With Lucas," stated Nathan, before Haley could speak. Davis nodded.
"You love him?" asked Haley. Davis shrugged uncomfortably.
"He's not in love with me. You don't have to worry about that. But you've definitely got an opponent in Brooke," admitted Haley, feeling sorry for her for the first time.
"Your sister?" questioned Davis in surprise. Haley forced herself to remember that to the outside observer, Brooke and Lucas hadn't really been anything to each other. They'd kept their relationship almost entirely under wraps.
"Yeah. She's still in love with him," said Nathan.
"They might always be," said Haley gently. Davis nodded.
"It's not fair," she said, half to herself.
"Hey, we're just about to have dinner, do you want to stay?" asked Haley kindly. Davis looked up in surprise.
"Sure, that'd be great. Did I make the squad?" she asked curiously, guessing that she'd rarely be on Haley's good side again.
Haley considered this. Davis had been the best to try out, but if the news got back to Brooke (and it would) Brooke would feel betrayed.
"I'll give you a shot," she finally conceeded.
XxxxxxX
Davis left that evening at around eight, at which point Nathan and Haley sat together at their kitchen table and worked through their homework.
Haley automatically reached over and answered her cell as it began to vibrate.
"Hello?" she said, her eyes focused on her homework.
"Hey," said the voice.
"Hey Peyton. What's up?" she asked. Nathan looked up from his own work, glad of the excuse to be rid of it.
"Actually I was just wondering if Nathan was around," said Peyton.
Haley wordlessly passed the phone to her husband and sat back in her chair, folding her arms.
"Peyton? You know you could call my phone..." said Nathan, pausing for a second before laughing. He flashed a small smile to Haley before getting up, walking to their bedroom and closing the door firmly behind him, blocking out his conversation.
Haley waited impateitnly for the fifteen minutes he spent inside the bedroom to be up. When he exited, she quickly stood and put her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
"What?" he asked innocently, tossing her back her phone. She caught it purely on reflex.
"I didn't realize you guys were so close," she said nastily.
"You were doing homework. I didn't want to disturb you," he said slowly.
"You were supposed to be, too! But I guess she's worth blowing it off for? Or is her blowing worth blowing it off for, I guess is really the question," said Haley. He advanced toward her in two long strides, and for a moment Haley was certain that he was going to hit her. Perhaps Nathan was certain of it, too. He looked angry enough, but her forced himself to be calm and drop his hand.
"I'm not having this conversation with you," he said.
"Like hell you aren't," she growled.
"You don't have the right, Haley," he said. Haley knew he was correct. If anyone had the right to be possessive or angry, it was him.
"Go to hell," she said, backing into their bedroom and slamming the door shut while he went out the front door and did the same.