Chapter 9

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Nathan said with a smile on his lips when he saw that Haley was awake.

"Good morning!" Haley answered and gave Nathan a kiss.

"How did you sleep?"

"Good. This is the first night that I have slept really good since the accident. And you're still here!"

"Yes, I am, and I always will be."

"I like the sound of that," Haley said gave Nathan another kiss.

"Does your head still hurt?" he asked concerned.

"Just a little."

"Well, I'm going to go make breakfast and I promise you, when you eat it, all you're problems are going to disappear."

"Oh, really? We'll see about that."

"Yes, we will."

"Do you any need help?"

"Nope. You just stay here and think of me..."

"What makes you think that I would think about you, huh?"

"What else could you think of?"

"Good point."

"I'll be back," Nathan said, giving Haley one more kiss before he went to the kitchen to make breakfast, while Haley was still in their bed thinking.

'I wonder what Dan meant when he said that I owed him…' she thought. 'I have to go talk to him.'

Just the thought of going to see Dan made Haley shiver. But there was another thing she had to do that made her shiver. Okay, maybe she didn't have to do it, but she wanted to. Well, maybe not wanted but should. Yeah. Should. It was the right thing to do. She just didn't know if she had the strength to do it.

She got out of bed and went to the kitchen.

"You didn't have to come. I would have called for you when breakfast was ready," Nathan said when he saw Haley.

"Yeah, I know, I just wanted to tell you something."

"What's that?"

"I want to go see the family of the man that I hit. Today," she told him.

"Haley…"

"No. Don't try to talk me out of it. I have already made up my mind."

"Are you sure you want to do that? I mean, they have already lost someone they cared about, and I'm not sure they would want to see the person who…"

"I know. I know that they might not want to see me, but I have to try."

"Why?"

"I just have to. I need closure."

"And this is the way you're going to get it?"

"I think it is."

"Okay. If that's what you want, then I'll support you."

"Thank you."

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked even though he already knew the answer.

"No thanks. This is something that I have to do alone."

Haley was standing outside his house. She didn't want to see him but she knew she didn't really have a choice, so she went up the small steps and knocked. A few seconds later he opened the door.

"Haley! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Dan said, his smug smile in place.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Sure. Come on in," he said and motioned for her to come inside.

Haley walked into the house and in to the living room, and sat herself down on the couch. Dan did the same.

"Well?" he said.

"What did you mean when you said that now that you have saved my life, I somehow owe you?"

"When did I say that?"

"You know damn well when. At the hospital."

Dan pretended to think for a little bit. "Oh, yes. Now I remember," he said after a while.

"So? What did you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. You owe me."

"So that's how you get whatever you want? You do something nice for someone and then that person has to do something for you."

"In this case, yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's like you said at the hospital. I don't like you."

"Yeah, you have made that perfectly clear since day one. But what I don't get is why you even bothered to save me if you don't even like me."

"Let's just say that I like the idea of you owing me. And remember, whenever and whatever I tell you to do, you'll do it. It can be a week, a month, even a year from now, but you will do it."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then there will be hell to pay."

"Whatever. You can't do this. I'm going to tell Nathan and Lucas and whoever else wants know, because I'm not doing anything evil which is what you are all about and…"

"And what? You are going to keep your mouth shut and you are going to do whatever I say, when I say it. Don't look so worried, I'm not going to ask you to kill someone or anything like that."

"I wouldn't be surprised if you did."

"Well, it won't come to that and you are not going to tell anybody about our little arrangement, and if you do then it's not just you who are going to pay the price." He threatened.

"You're gonna do something to Nathan or Lucas? They're your sons!"

"Tell that to them."

"I got to go," Haley said and started to walk towards the door.

"Of course. It was nice doing business with you."

"I wish I could say the same thing," Haley said and walked out the house, slamming the door behind her.

Haley was now standing outside the house that had belonged to the man she had hit. It was a beautiful, big white house with a beautiful garden.

She had passed the house several times before but she never thought that she would go and knock on the door to the house which belonged to a man that she had actually killed and tell his family that she is very sorry for everything that she has caused them.

But she was going to do exactly that. She walked to the front door and knocked. After a while, a little girl opened the door.

"Hi!" Haley said to the little girl. She was about 8 years old Haley guessed and she looked really sweet. 'God, how could I take her father away from her,' she thought.

"Hi!" the little girl said.

"What's your name?"

"Michelle.

"It is very nice to meet you Michelle. I'm Haley and I was wondering if your mommy is home?"

"She is but she has been really sad since my dad died so I don't know if she wants any visitors."

"Could you ask her please? It is really important."

"Okay, but you have to wait outside."

"No problem."

Michelle went back into the house while Haley sat down on the porch. 5 minutes later a woman in her late thirties opened the door.

"Can I help you?" the woman asked.

"Hi, my name is Haley James and I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute?"

"This really isn't a good time…"

"I know but it's important. It's about your husband."

"Peter?"

"Yes. Can I come in? Please?"

"Sure..."

Haley walked inside the house and saw that it was almost more beautiful than the outside if that was even possible.

"You have a beautiful home Mrs. Black," Haley complimented.

"Thank you and please, call me Lauren."

"Lauren. I also saw your daughter. She's adorable."

"That she is. I don't mean to be rude but what are you doing here? You said something about my husband...My late husband I mean," Laura corrected herself.

"I am so sorry."

"It wasn't your fault but thank you anyway…"

"Actually…"

"What is it? Oh! I totally forgot to ask. Do you want anything to drink?"

"No, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay, then. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Okay. This is really hard…I…I was the one who hit your husband with my car."

"What?"

"I'm so sorry…"

"I this some kind of a joke? Because it's not funny."

"No. It's no joke. I know you must hate me and you probably just want to kick me out or something but I just want to explain…"

"Explain! Explain what? You have no right to explain anything! How dare you even come to our home! You came to kill us too?"

"No! I just want to explain what really happened that night."

"I know what happened."

"With all due respect, you don't! I tried to save him, I really did. I didn't see him before I hit him. That's why I kept driving."

"You're not supposed to keep driving when there's a red light!"

"I know."

"Then why did you do it? Because if you hadn't, my husband might still have been alive!"

"I know. I'm so sorry!"

"Sorry? You're sorry?"

"Yeah, I am. I have a husband too and I almost lost him once, and if I had, I have no idea what I would have done so I know what you're going through. Almost anyway."

"You have a husband? What are you, 17?"

"That's right, I am, but it doesn't matter how old I am. I love him just like you loved your husband, so I understand what you're going through."

"You don't understand anything. I lost my husband and you didn't."

"Yes, but…"

"I want you to leave!"

"But…"

"I want you to leave now! Don't make me call the police."

"I talked to him a little before he died. He just said a few words but…"

"You did? What did he say?"

"He didn't get the chance to say what he wanted to but I saw in he's eyes that he wanted me to tell you that he loved you and that he was going to miss you. He was a little bit out of it, but I saw it. I saw how much he cared. And I'm sorry I took that away from you."

At this point Lauren was crying and Haley just sat beside her and tried to comfort her the best she could. Then when Lauren had calmed down a bit they just sat there quietly but in their minds they said everything they needed to say…

"So how did it go?" Nathan asked when he saw Haley walking into the café.

"It actually went okay," Haley answered.

"What went okay?" Lucas asked who was also there, along with Brooke and Peyton.

"Haley went to see the family of the man she had hit," Nathan explained.

"What?" Lucas, Brooke and Peyton asked shocked at the same time.

"Yeah…"

"Well…what did they say?" Brooke asked and turned to Haley.

"The wife, Lauren was upset at first. Really upset but then she started to cry and I tried to comfort her and then we just sat there not saying anything. Of course after a while we started to talk and I think that she in her own way forgave me for my part of the accident. Not entirely of course but she started to." Haley told them.

"So you got what you went there for?" Nathan asked.

"Closure? Yeah, I think I did." Haley said, smiling.

The End