Second Time Around
Chapter 22

The wake-up call awoke Haley from her deep sleep and she rolled over to find a note where Nathan had laid just a few hours before.

Hales-
I could stay here forever, but I had to run home to change. I'll see you in a little bit.
Love you!
Always and Forever,
Nate

Haley got up and got ready to leave back home. She dressed in her red velour tracksuit with a black tank top underneath and her black chunky flip-flops. She put her hair up into a ponytail before grabbing her suitcases and putting them next to the door. She check-out using the TV and headed down to the parking lot. After filling the car up with gas she took it back to drop it off. When she walked into the office Nathan was already sitting there waiting for her.

"Hey. Sorry to leave you but I had to run home before I came in."

"Don't worry about it. I understand." Haley handed over her the keys along with one of her credit cards.

"I'm not going to make you pay for the car Hales."

"Why? I feel bad for not paying for it. I don't mind."

"No, I'm not going to make you pay for it. Even if I charged your credit card now, you know I would just cancel it later." Haley sighed and took her credit card back. "Thank you. So, you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Nathan picked up her suitcases and they walked out to his Hummer. He put the bags in the back while Haley climbed into the passenger seat. The rode to the airport was silent, with only the sounds of Panic! At the Disco being heard in the background. It had quickly became one of Nathan's favorite Cds--partially because they were good, but mostly because of who gave it to him.

After parking at the airport Nathan helped Haley carry her suitcases to the check-in counter. He followed her all the way to the security check point, where they both faced reality, Haley was finally leaving.

"So I guess this is it. I'm gonna miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Call me as soon as you land, and again when you get home. I just want to know you're safe."

"Okay. I love you Nate."

"I love you too Hales. Always and Forever. I'll talk to you later and I'll double check my schedule, but I should be able to make it out there to see you in about a week."

"Yeah, that sounds good. I guess I better go. I'll call you as soon as I land." Nathan leaned down and kissed Haley goodbye before she walked into like with her ticket and ID in hand. Nathan watched her walk through the metal detectors and down the terminal until he could no longer see her. When he was sure that she was out of sight, he walked back to the parking lot and drove back to his office. He walked in looking more like Lucas with the way he was brooding.

"So was that the famous Haley James that I have heard so much about?" Margaret, Nathan's secretary, asked as he was about to walk through his office doors. She reminded Nathan of Karen. She was a single mom with a seven year old son, and was wise beyond her years.

"That was her."

"You know people like that are special, and if you are ever given a second chance with them, you shouldn't let them go for a minute."

"I couldn't ask her to stay here any longer. She lives in New York. She needed to go back. And hopefully, next week I will be able to go visit her."

"Next week seems like an awful long time away to go and visit the love of your life." Nathan sighed. He knew after seeing Haley everyday that a week away was going to feel like forever.

After take-off Haley pulled out her laptop in an attempt to go over a few things before going into the office tomorrow, but she was constantly plagued by the events of last night.

After following Haley into to the hotel room, he leaned down and captured her lips. Somewhere along the way between the sitting area and the bed they both lost their shoes, and clothes, leaving Haley in her black lace bra and panties set, and Nathan in his black boxers. Their limbs became entwined with each other and the blankets before Nathan pulled away and rolled over.

"I can't Hales." He told her breathlessly, causing her to raise an eyebrow at him. "No, I mean I can, believe me I can and want to, but we can't. I don't want you to regret it Haley. We've only been back together now for less than a week, and I don't want you to feel rushed, I don't want us to feel rushed."

"Yeah, ugghh, this is so hard." After hearing a laugh out of Nathan she playfully slapped his chest. "I wasn't talking about that. I mean us, our situation, our relationship is difficult. But thanks for stopping, even though I highly doubt I would have regretted it, but it's nice to know that you do care that much." Haley rolled over putting one of her legs between his and draping an arm across his chest before nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Nathan hugged Haley against himself so that you couldn't tell where one body began and where the other ended. "I like this. Being in your arms like this. You know that night you found me on the beach and let me sleep at your house. Well, all I could think about the next morning when I saw you sleeping in the chair across the room was that I could get used to seeing that every morning, waking up with you."

"I could get used to that too Hales. Night." Nathan laid a kiss on top of Haley's head before they both drifted off to sleep.

Haley sighed and closed her laptop knowing that there was no way she would be able to concentrate long enough to get any work done, so she put it away and pulled out her iPod instead. She rested her head back and let Cute Is What We Aim For, Panic! At the Disco, and Fall Out Boy take her away for the rest of the flight.

When the plane landed Haley quickly got up and grabbed her carry-on bags before walking quickly off the plane. As soon as she was in the airport she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Nathan's cell. After receiving his voicemail she hung up and tried his house phone. After just getting his answering machine there, she hung up and called his cell phone again. It went straight to voicemail again so she just left a message for him.

"Hey Nate, it's me. I tried calling your cell phone once and your house phone, but didn't get an answer on either, so I don't know where you are. I just wanted to let you know I landed fine and I'm gonna head home now. I'll call you again when I get there. Love you." Haley flipped her phone shut and started towards the baggage claim. After grabbing her last suitcase she went out the sliding door and grabbed one of the cabs. After giving the cabbie the address, she put her headphones back on for the short ride to her apartment building.

Ah home, how I have missed you.

After paying the cabbie, she took her luggage up to her apartment and was greeted by a very cheerful Jessica, Melissa, and Chris.

"Hales!"

"Hey guys. So what's new here?"

"Nothing important. So, how did things go with Nathan, or do you still want the number to that hot mindless man whore."

"Jessica."

"What? I just wanted to know if she wanted it, cause if not I will be putting those digits to use."

"You can take the hot mindless man whore Jess, Nathan and I have decided to work things out. He should be visiting here in about a week and we're just going to work it out as we go along."

"See, Chris is always right. What did I say, 'Follow your heart', and look what happened. I haven't seen you this happy in years. Now if only everyone would realize how smart and hot Chris Keller is, then the world would make sense."

"I missed you Chris."

"Aww, I missed you too Hales."

"Yeah, no one talks in the third person like Chris Keller."

"Hey. Chris Ke-- I mean I, do not appreciate that. That's not really the way to say 'Thank you Chris for your great advice. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend as great as you, but I must have done something right cause damn, no one should look that hot and sing that good.'"

"I think you feed your ego enough that you don't need any help from me. But thank you guys for helping me when I called with my little dilemma, but now everything's solved. Speaking of which, if you will excuse me, I need to go call him."

"We're gonna go grab a bite to eat somewhere. Do you want us to bring you anything back?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks though."

Haley walked away, carrying her luggage to her room, leaving the three in the living room.

"She's got it bad."

Haley tried Nathan's cell again, but just got his voicemail. "Hey Nate. I hope everything's alright there. I just called to let you know that I made it home fine. Call me when you get this message. Love you." Haley flipped her phone shut and began to unpack her suitcases. Just as she finished with her last suitcase her phone began to ring. When she flipped it open she noticed it was Nathan.

"Hey! How are you. I miss you!"

"Hey Hales. I miss you too. Sorry I missed your calls earlier. I had some business to take care of so I couldn't answer the phone."

"Oh, don't worry about it. So everything's okay there."

"Yup. So how was your flight?"

"Lonely. So did you check your schedule? Can you come out next week?"

"Um, no, I'm not so sure that I will be able to make it then. Some things came up so I had to change my schedule around."

"Well, do you know when you will?" Haley couldn't help but hide the disappointment in her voice. Nathan promised her this would work.

"Yeah. Don't worry--"

"Nate? Nathan, are you there?" Haley heard the dial tone. She hung up the phone and tried calling his phone but got his voicemail right away. Just as she was about to set her phone down to wait for him to call back she heard a knock at the door. "They must have forgotten their keys. I love them to death, but I swear my friends definitely have their share of blonde moments." Haley reached for the door and opened it. Just as she was about to make a smart-ass comment to her friends for their ditziness, she shut her mouth.

"Hey. See I can't visit you next week because I realized that I was about to let go of the best thing that has happened to me, even if I was going to see her in a week. So after some help from some friends, I got on the first flight to make sure that I don't lose her. I lost you one time Hales, I'm not going to do it again. Not for a week, not for a day. I want you, always and forever."

"But what about work Nathan?"

"What about it Hales? I own it. If I want I can sell it. If not, then I can go down there once a month and have them fax me or e-mail me the rest of the time. I can work it out."

"So, some friends helped you huh?"

"Yeah. Margaret, my secretary, told me that I need to watch more romantic movies cause then I would know that if his love is flying away, then the man gets on the next plane and follows her. I laughed but she told me that when you love someone you will follow them to the end of the earth if that is what you have to do to stay with them. And I would Hales. I will follow you anywhere and everywhere."

"So did you get the next flight out? And how did you even know where I live?"

"Lucas and Brooke. They had already booked the flight out for me. I got your address from them too because you gave it to them so that they could send you a wedding invitation. They had even had a small bag packed for me. I guess Lucas went to the beach house during our date last night and grabbed some of my stuff. They had been planning it since we went out to dinner with them." Nathan smiled at her as she was still processing all of the information.

"Wow, I love you." Haley jumped into Nathan's arms and kissed him with all the passion and love she felt for him, which he gave right back. As soon as air became a problem they reluctantly pulled their heads back. "So, where do we go from here? How long are you staying?"

"As long as I can. I want to be with you Hales, always and forever. If you want to, I want to live together. If not, then I'll get my own apartment and we will continue this here, in New York."

"Wow. Thank you so much, for everything. And yes, I would love to live with you. You can stay here for a couple of weeks. That way Jessica and Melissa can decide what to do, and we can find our own apartment. So…I guess I'll give you a little tour." Haley showed Nathan through the apartment, ending in her bedroom. "And this is my bedroom, or I guess our bedroom now. I mean unless you want to stay in one of the guest bedrooms or something, cause that's fine with me. Whatever you want--" With the feelings that this was the start of a ramble, Nathan silenced her with a kiss. A kiss that started out innocent enough, but in the end left them both gasping for breath.

"Of course I want to stay in here with Hales. I would come all the way to New York just to stay across the hall from you. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Good." Haley reached up and pulled Nathan's head down so that she could meld his lips to her own. His arms wrapped around her waist and brought her body flush up against his as she raked her fingers through his hair pulling him closer to her. Haley moved her hands down his chest and began undoing the buttons on his shirt to reveal his white undershirt and quickly pushed the shirt down his arms and tossed it across the room. Nathan unzipped Haley's jacket, and it soon joined Nathan's shirt. Nathan pulled back as they both took a breath.

"Are you sure?" Haley didn't say anything. Instead she went over to the door and shut it before locking it. Nathan's eyes followed her every move as she walked back over to him. She reached out and pulled off his shirt and threw it down.

"I've never been more sure." Nathan looked into her eyes to know that this is what she wanted. After seeing the same love and want and need that he felt mirrored in her eyes, he reached down for the hem of Haley's tank top before pulling if off of her and capturing her lips. The rest of their clothes found their way to the floor until there was nothing separating the two of them, just skin on skin. They laid tangled within one another, and as their bodies became one, so did their hearts and souls. Always and Forever.

-Leigh