Second Time Around
Chapter 19

On her way back to her room Haley caught a glimpse of Jake, Peyton, and Jenny through the lobby doors. She walked out towards the lounge chair Peyton was sitting on watching Jake and Jenny playing in the pool. Haley sat down on an empty lounge chair as Jake and Jenny waved at her.

"Hey. So how did lunch with Brooke go?"

"Eye-opening." Peyton raised her eyebrow so Haley would continue. "Just found out some interesting information. I guess I never thought Nathan would be heartbroken too after it happened. From what Brooke told me it sounded like he took it pretty hard."

"You both did. It always hurts to have your heart broken, especially when it's true love."

"Do you think I'm crazy to be giving him a second chance?"

"No. I don't believe in forgetting, but I believe in forgiving. You two had a strong relationship together, and that doesn't just disappear, and it shouldn't. You two were lucky enough to find true love, don't let it go. Maybe things didn't work out the first time, but maybe the Second time around things will be different. What he did was wrong, but I think he deserves a second chance."

"Even with all the obstacles in our way? Our jobs and where we live?"

"Like I said, what you guys have is true love, and true love conquers all."

"Thanks Peyt."

"No problem." The two sat back and watched Jenny and Jake racing across the pool.

After hanging out by the pool for a while longer, Haley went back to her room to get ready to go out with Nathan, Brooke, and Lucas. She changed out of her sweater into a cream tank adorned with a gold design while leaving on her distressed jeans with the gold embellishments and her gold jewelry. She changed out of her brown suede stiletto boots and put on her dark strappy sandals. Just as she was reaching for her perfume her cell phone starts to go off. Not recognizing the number she hesitantly answers.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's Nate, I got your number from Brooke. I was just calling to make sure we were still on for tonight."

"Yeah, of course. So what are we doing?"

"I talked to Lucas earlier and we are meeting him and Brooke at Tric at 7 for dinner and drinks or whatever. We still have a couple of hours so I was gonna see if you wanted to hang out or something."

"Sure. I'm just in my hotel room right now, do you want me to come over your beach house?"

"I actually just got done with work and running my errands, so if you're ready I can just pick you up now."

"Sure. Just call me when you're close to the hotel and I'll come downstairs." Haley heard a knock on her door. "Can you hang on real quick." Haley walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Nathan standing there in his suit he had worn to the office this morning. "Hey. Just give me one second."

"Shh. I'm on the phone with someone. They just put me on hold."

Haley looked down at the phone still in her hand and flipped it shut. "I think they just hung up on you for being a smart-ass."

"Damn. She was a hot one too."

"Ah, competition?"

"Nope. No one even stands a chance against you." She smiled as he leaned down and softly kissed her lips.

"I'll be ready in just a second." Haley went back into the bedroom and sprayed her perfume on and grabbed her dark brown suede jacket that matched her shoes. She grabbed her purse and walked back into the sitting room where Nathan was waiting. "I'm ready." They both walked out into the hall and headed for the elevator as their hands naturally found one another and their fingers intertwined.

Nathan and Haley didn't know what to do until they needed to go to Tric so they decided to go to the beach house and hang out and watch a movie. When they got there Nathan changed out of his suit and into a pair of dark blue jeans, a red polo with a white shirt underneath, and a pair of white and red Pumas. After not being able to settle on a movie, they decided to just watch some Friends reruns that were on TV. Nathan sat on the couch with his legs up on the coffee table while Haley laid her head in his lap and he absentmindedly played with her hair. Both were calm and content, just happy to be relaxing with the one another. Nearly two hours later another show started so Nathan flipped over to ESPN to see what was on. Haley took the break to get up and get them both drinks. When she came back into the room she found Nathan watching a replay of a basketball game that was on the other night. She handed him one of the bottles of water she had grabbed before sitting back down and resuming her previous position. Several minutes later her curiosity finally got the better part of her.

"Hey Nate?"

"Hmm?"

"How come you never went any farther with basketball?"

"Didn't want to. I loved basketball, I guess I still do, but it changed. Something was missing. Playing in college was great, it just wasn't what it used to be. So I just took over the family business when my dad retired." Haley just nodded her head before going back to watching the game.

When Haley and Nathan walked into Tric they immediately spotted Brooke and Lucas at a booth towards the back of the club. They walked over and sat down across from them, waving at Karen behind the bar on their way.

"Hey you two!"

"Hey bro. Hey Hales. I missed you. How have you been?"

"Good, but I missed you too. I hear you've been doing pretty good too. So, have you two set a date or anything yet?" Brooke jumped at the chance to talk about the wedding. It had quickly become her favorite thing to talk about this past week.

"Not yet, but we're hoping for early July, so that gives us about three months. I know, I know. Only three months? That's not a lot of time. But with my contacts through work the dresses will be no problem. And come on, let's face it, this is Tree Hill. It may have grown a little these past few years, but you can still get the church for the service like that." Brooke snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. "Speaking of which, you better come back down for the wedding Hales. I most definitely expect you to be in it."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." One of the waitresses came up and took their orders and the conversation of the four turned to catch up on each other's lives. By the time the food arrived Lucas had already caught up Haley with his teaching and coaching job and him and Nathan had talked about the outlook for next year's team. Throughout their meal Haley told them all about Chic and Jessica, Melissa, and Chris. They finished their meals and ordered drinks before they moved over to a table next to the dance floor now that the club was starting to fill up. Brooke pulled Lucas onto the dance floor while Nathan and Haley stayed at the table. Brooke came back after a few songs , but only to drag Nathan and Haley onto the floor. Nathan hated to dance, but for Haley, he would do anything. They began to grind with the new song that came on and a smirk came across Nathan's face at the way Haley was dancing. Haley James never was one to hold her alcohol well. Get a few glasses of wine in her during dinner, and she was driving Nathan wild with the way she was dancing with him. The DJ slowed it down with the next song so Nathan snaked his arms around Haley's waist as her arms draped over his shoulders and she rested her head against his chest. After the song was over Haley and Nathan decided to head back to the table and sit down. They watched a guy trying to impress a girl with his "dancing skills". The guy looked like he was about to pull something or he already had, and the girl looked like she was scared to death. They both laughed cause this guy totally reminded them of Tim back in high school. Brooke and Lucas soon came back and the four of them decided to go home since they had all had a long day.

Nathan opened the passenger side door of his Hummer and helped Haley in before going around and starting it. "Did you want to do something tomorrow?"

"Sure. Do you have to work at all?"

"Nope. I'm free all day."

"Great. So what do you want to do?"

"I kinda have it planned. Can you come to the beach house around noon? And just so you don't do the whole I hate surprises so I'm not going to talk to you thing that you do, I figured we could have lunch and then get ready and go out for dinner."

"Sounds perfect." They both smiled at each other before Nathan looked back to the road and Haley set her head back on the head rest. Haley closed her eye in content as Nathan's thumb hypnotically rubbed circles on her hand that was entwined with his. A smile spread across her face as she realized what Nathan had playing. It was the Panic! At the Disco CD she had bought him yesterday.

-Leigh