A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews! I just got back from two weeks at camp and it was really fun and I'm ready to start updating regularly!
Nathan walked into Karen's Café. Deb and Karen still co-owned it and they had also made Haley a partner a few years after she graduated high school. Deb was currently at the café. She handed a cup of coffee to a man, then spotted Nathan walking through the door. She smiled.
"Hey sweetie"
"Mom, I'm thirty-three. Don't call me sweetie."
"I am your mother and I'll call you whatever the heck I want"
"Fine, but just when it's the two of us" Nathan said giving in.
"Sit down. Tell me what's wrong" Deb said as they sat down.
"Nothing's wrong"
"Are you sure?" Deb asked knowingly.
"Oh, it's nothing" Nathan answered quickly even though he had a feeling it was something.
"Well, you know you can always talk to me about anything. So, what are you doing tomorrow?"
"Lucas and I are going to be at the basketball tryouts. We're both going to be coaching this year"
"Are Kevin and David trying out?" Deb asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not forcing them too" After he said that Haley walked into the café.
"Hi Deb, sorry I'm late for my shift" Haley greeted not looking either of them in the eye. Nathan could tell something was wrong with her face. Her make-up was done really heavily like she was covering something.
"Hey Haley. I was just about to go get Katie and David from your place" Nathan said getting up.
"No, you can't! Um, I mean they're not there" Haley said quickly.
"Well, where are they?"
"I'll drop them off later Nathan"
"Where are they?"
"They're with friends. I'll drop them off later, okay!" Haley exclaimed, aggravated.
"Are you okay?" Deb asked concerned. Haley rolled her eyes.
"Why does everyone keep asking that? I'm fine! Never been better! Perfectly happy! This conversation is over. Nathan, I will drop David and Katie off at your place later, so you can just let it go. I have to get to work now"
"I'm sorry if I offended you. I was just asking where my kids are"
"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of my kids Nathan!"
"Nathan, I was supposed to meet up with some friends soon so we'll catch up later" Deb said signaling to Nathan that he should go because she could tell he was making Haley uncomfortable.
"Alright, bye" Nathan said walking out. Something is definitely going on with Haley……and the kids….and that asshole of a husband is causing the problem Nathan thought as he got into his car and drove away. He kept driving until he stopped in front of a house. He noticed the lights were off. It looked like nobody was home. He got out of the car.
Nathan knocked. Once. Twice. Nobody answered at the third knock or when he rang the doorbell. He opened the door. It was unlocked. It seemed like noone was home. He thought it was weird that he had never been inside Haley's house until now. Ben was always annoyingly protective. He found his way into the kitchen. He saw a knife out on the kitchen counter…..it had blood on it. His suspicions were instantly confirmed.
He went upstairs and opened a door that led into a bedroom. He gasped. All that was in it was a bland looking bed, a dresser with nothing on it except a picture, and a carpet. The walls were white. The only way he knew it was David's room was because it had a picture of the Jr. High basketball team on the dresser. This was the exact opposite of the messy room David and Kevin shared in Nathan's house.
Katie's room was pretty much the same. It had a bed, a dresser, and a full length mirror.
He went into the biggest room in the house. It was Haley's and Ben's. The King-sized bed had beautiful sheets on it that looked expensive. There was a couch. There was a bedside table with pictures of Haley and Ben on it. He picked one up. Ben had his arms around Haley, looking down at her smiling. She was smiling too, but Nathan could tell it wasn't real. It was fake, so was the look in her eyes. She was scared of him, but why did it have to be obvious in a picture?
"What do you think you're doing? I don't go snooping into your personal things" Nathan heard an angry voice behind him.
"Haley, why are you back so soon?"
"I got off early. Anyway, I'm the one asking the questions here!" Haley yelled grabbing the picture from him.
"I saw a bloody knife on the kitchen counter" He blurted.
"You have no right to snoop through my house. You better leave before Ben, my husband who I love very much, comes back and sees you here!"
"I know what he does" Nathan said, not budging.
"That's it, Nathan! I'm not going to drop the kids off at your house until you cut it out! If you know what's good for you, you'll mind your own business for once"
"Wait, you're not going to let me see David and Katie?"
"Right now I am very angry with you, so just give me some time to cool off and I might reconsider. You can see David tomorrow at tryouts. Until then, stay away from them!"
"We'll talk later, when you're in a better mood" Nathan said walking out of the room and leaving the house. Haley just lay down on her bed and sobbed after she heard him leave. She cried for almost ten minutes until she heard Ben walk in.
"What's wrong?" Ben asked walking over to her.
"Nothing. Where are David and Katie?" Haley asked, not returning his hug.
"In their rooms. I told them to stay quiet for the rest of the night. Did you make me dinner?"
"I just got back from work ten minutes ago" Haley started to exclaim.
"I don't care! You're supposed to take care of me and feed me! I'm your husband!" Ben yelled slapping her hard.
"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes" Haley said quietly walking out of the room.
"It better be, bitch" Ben called back after her.
Haley walked into Katie's room. David and Katie were both in there sitting on the bed.
"Mom" Katie whispered in a scared voice. Haley just hugged them and kissed the tops of their heads.
"Don't worry. I'll figure something out" she said even though she knew she wouldn't.
"Are we still going to Dad's for the weekend" David asked.
"I think it might be best if the three of us stayed away from us for awhile. He suspects something. Kevin told him he saw bruises" Haley explained.
"That's my fault" David said.
"No, no it's nobody's fault except maybe mine" Haley said squeezing their hands tightly as if trying to hold onto them.
"Don't blame yourself, mom" Katie said.
"If Kevin and your Dad say anything, just deny it for now" Haley said standing up.
"But, Mom, we actually feel safe at Dad's house" Katie said.
"You can still see him. He would never want to stay away from you two. I'm going to go make dinner. I love you both more than anything" Haley said walking out of the room.
"Katie, if I tell you something you have to promise not to tell Mom or Dad, okay" David asked.
"Sure, what is it?"
"I told Kevin about the bruises. We didn't want him to actually tell Dad though, so he just pretended to ask Dad what happened to me so he would suspect something"
"I won't tell anyone"
"Thanks"
"I told him too"
"Really, when?"
"It happened when Ben first hit me. It was five years ago when I said something rude and he spanked me hard. We didn't say anything because we didn't think it was a big deal back then"
"I better go back to my room before we both get in trouble" David said giving his sister a hug.
A/n: Okay, I hoped you liked that chapter! Read and Review!