Chapter 13- What's the Deal?

Haley stood on Nathan's front porch for a few minutes before letting herself in. She had knocked but it was rare that anyone ever heard the door. As she climbed the stairs to Nathan's room her nervousness increased. She tried to fully collect herself, she didn't want him to see her cry. After talking to Lucas Haley felt a little better, but she was still worried as to what Nathan would have to say about all this. She just wanted it to not be true, she didn't want everything that had happened between her and Nathan to have been a lie.

"Nathan?" Haley called as she lightly knocked on the door, after hearing no response she began to open it slowly.

Nathan was there in bed, fast asleep. Truth be told they hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

"Nathan, wake up." Haley stroked his hair a little.

"Hales, what's up? How did you get here?" Nathan asked groggily.

"Lucas dropped me off. I have to talk to you about something."

"Sure, what's going on?" Nathan sat up and rubbed his eyes, Haley's tear stained cheeks and red eyes told Nathan that whatever Haley wanted to talk about was a pretty big deal.

"I was at work and Tim told me something." Haley took a deep breath, fighting back her tears, realizing it was hopeless she stopped fighting it and let them fall. "He said that when you first met me you had a little bet going to see who would sleep with me first." Haley looked at Nathan, his eyes had widened in shock. "Is that all this has been Nathan? Some kind of bet?" Haley crossed her arms over her chest and waited for an answer.

"I won't lie to you Haley. We did say something to that effect when we first met you, but once it was said it was done. We didn't mention it again, I honestly never gave it a second thought. To be totally honest with you, I knew, the minute that I saw you, that you and I were going to be something great. Not just some little romp in the sack, but something serious. When I finally got up the guts to ask you out the last thing I had in mind was sleeping with you. You have to believe me Hales. That was my last intention. I never wanted to do anything that you weren't completely comfortable with. You know that."

"Why would you even say something like that to begin with Nathan?"

"I don't know, it was dumb, just a guy thing." Nathan thought for a minute, "And it wasn't a bet Hales. It was just a passing comment. You have never been a bet to me, I swear."

"You mean it?" Haley asked, still crying.

"I mean it. Haley, I love you. I did say that to Tim, and it was so stupid. But you and me, it was never about that. With you and me the last thing this is about is sex. I promise you that. You need to believe me Haley, I love you, so much. I wouldn't do anything to hurt you. Tim on the other hand, I am definitely going to hurt him. He had no reason to tell you this, it was a passing comment, it wasn't important." Nathan started to look angry.

"I know you love me Nathan, this just really freaked me out. You have proven to me that this wasn't about sex, really you have. I just got all fogged up when I heard this. I'm sorry Nathan, I shouldn't have accused you of anything like this." Haley sat down on the bed next to Nathan.

"You definitely aren't the one who should be apologizing. Just know that I love you Hales, don't ever forget that." Nathan moved aside in his bed, "Now get in here and take a nap with me."

Haley peeled off her coat and stepped out of her shoes and crawled into bed next to him. Nathan immediately wrapped his arms around Haley and a feeling of safety wash over her, she knew that her and Nathan, they were going to be just fine. Haley knew she had to believe Nathan. He hadn't ever done anything but treat her right. Boys would be boys, they sometimes said the most ridiculous things.

Closing her eyes Haley let her worries drift from her mind as she fell into a deep sleep.

ooooOoooo

"The Tim, talk to me."

"Seriously Tim, why do you answer your phone like that? It is so stupid." Nathan wasn't in any mood for times games right now.

"Jeez, sorry man. What flew up your ass and died?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe that you almost screwed up things for me and Haley big time."

"Chill out man. I was only being honest with her."

"There wasn't any reason for her to know what we said. It was like ages ago. It didn't mean anything. You had her thinking that it was some big bet that we had made." Nathan was furious with Tim, not only had he caused an unnecessary bump in Nathan and Haley's relationship, but he had hurt Haley. Nathan never wanted to see her hurting.

"Dude, I never said it was a bet."

"Okay Tim, that makes it all better." Nathan's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Wake up Tim, I don't care exactly what you said, I care that you said anything about this to begin with. I had nearly forgotten about it."

"I don't get what the big deal is. Did she forgive you?"

"Yeah she did, but that isn't the point. The point is that you said something to Haley that you knew would do nothing but hurt her. Why did you do that Tim? Are you jealous of us or something?"

"Am I jealous of you and Haley? Of course I am. Haley's a great girl and I couldn't hang onto her. And you, well you always get all the girls. Maybe I was sick of it, maybe I was sick of you getting the great relationship with the great girl, and here I am single and horny." Tim was embarrassed to admit these things to Nathan.

"Maybe I have a great girl because I treat her right. Face it Tim, you aren't so good at treating girls right."

Tim couldn't believe Nathan had said that. Nathan was usually such a dick to girls. "You usually aren't either."

"Yeah well it is different with Haley. I want to treat her right, I never want to see her hurting, and especially because of something I did. The way I treated girls before was wrong Tim, that was why none of them stuck around very long." Nathan hated to admit it, but he had been terrible to girls before. He hooked up with them just for the satisfaction of upping his number, he never cared about them. It had all been a big game to him, until Haley came along.

"I get it Nathan. I see your point. I shouldn't have said anything to Haley, I know how much you like her and I shouldn't have messed with that." Tim paused for a minute, knowing that he was about to say was going to come out sappy sounding, "I'm glad you are happy with her Nathan, I really am. I guess I just get jealous of her sometimes, you spend so much time with her. Come on man, don't you miss your Tim time?"

"Keep saying things like Tim time and I really won't want to hang out with you." Nathan laughed out loud, it felt good to break the serious mood for a second. "Seriously though, I know that things are different now Tim. I do realize that I have been spending a lot of time with Haley and I will make more time for you and I to do stuff, like we used to. Just don't go around messing with Haley because you are upset with me, okay?"

"Yeah man, sorry about that. I am glad she forgave you though. I will apologize to her next time I see her. I won't mess with her anymore. Sorry man."

"It's okay dude. Just be more careful, I make enough mistakes to screw this thing up on my own, I don't need your help." Nathan looked down at his watch, "I have to run man, I have a little business to take care of and then I have to get to work. I'll talk to you later." Tim knew about Nathan's little side venture and had always been cool about it, he had even set up Nathan with some new customers.

"Got ya, later man."