A.N Hey guys a bit drunk so am just giving you a quick note to tell you that I am so glad to be back and I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's long overdue I know. I won't be doing individual shout outs in this chapter because there have been so many reviews for this chapter and if I responded to every one then I would take up far too much space but just want to say thanks for waiting so patiently for me to update. Hope it was worth it for you all. A big thank you to all my new reviewers who have commented on this chapter.

Chapter Twenty-six

As she drove she tried to erase the images from her mind of everything that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. She could hardly believe that now five years later Tim was once again destroying any chance she had of a life with Nathan. Never in her young life had she ever felt what it was to truly hate someone until Tim Smith had shattered every hope and dream that she had ever possessed in one callous act. The worst part was that even now the repercussions of that night were still reverberating throughout her life and she couldn't help but wonder if she would ever truly be free of it.

Tim had somehow managed to insinuate his way into her life once again even though she had not laid eyes on him since that fateful night five years ago. Her mind flashed back to that night in Barbados when she had been on her way to meet Nathan, for a moment she had thought she had seen him but had convinced herself that it wasn't true.

What if it was Tim? Would it have somehow made a difference to the situation I'm now in? Maybe I would have told Nathan the truth earlier and we wouldn't have ever reconnected in Barbados. If we hadn't maybe I wouldn't be hurting the way I am now.

As all the possibilities flashed through her mind she couldn't help but wonder how different her life could have been if Tim had never raped her.

Would her relationship with Nathan have lasted? Would they have been married now raising at least one child maybe more? But as much as her life had been affected she also knew that she was not the only one to lose out. Nathan had missed out on so much too.

He could have been a basketball star but had given it all up when she left but perhaps most devastating was the fact that he had never had the opportunity to know or hold his daughter and it was all because of Tim Smith. That man had caused so much carnage in so many lives and yet he seemed to have gone unpunished. Where was the universes reprisal for his actions? How could someone do what he had done and then go on to live a life of luxury, fame and prestige? There was no justice in this world. She was now sure of it.

Looking up at the approaching sign she saw she still had another 150 miles to go before she reached Chicago. The sun continued to shine brightly although she knew that within an hour it would go down and she wondered what sort of irony was at work here. She felt as if her life was ending and yet the sun shone brightly from above. If this had been a TV show or book you could almost guarantee that it would have been pouring with rain and the day as dark and dreary as her mood but here in the real world the sun continued to shine.

Her mind flickered back to her time in Barbados and as the images crowded into her mind it was all she could do to keep the car on the road. Deciding that she was far enough away from Tree Hill now to no longer run the risk of anyone she knew finding her she pulled over to the side of the road and allowed her mind to drift back to what in recent memory had been the best time in her life.

FlashbackHaley woke up to find Nathan perched on his elbow watching her with a huge grin on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked slightly unsettled by his scrutiny.

"Like what?" he asked innocently.

"Like you know something I don't." she replied.

He continued to smile at her for a moment until she slapped his arm lightly. His laughter only served to irritate her further.

"Stop it," she demanded.

"Hales I can't help it if I like the sight of you naked in my bed. Trust me the sight I'm looking at now would be enough to bring a smile to any guy's face."

She blushed slightly as he continued to gaze at her with unabashed admiration. Wanting to draw his attention elsewhere she pulled the sheet up to her chin.

"You know," she said conversationally "when you told me we would be coming to Barbados the last thing I expected to be doing was spending all my time in bed."

"Really? That's exactly what I was hoping for."

She slapped his arm again playfully pouting slightly.

"Nathan be serious."

"I'm very serious," he told her "and I haven't exactly heard you complaining either," he said with more than a hint of arrogance.

"I never said I was complaining it's just that here we are in this beautiful place and I've hardly seen the outside of our hotel room lately."

"So what are you suggesting?" he asked her quizzically "you actually want to get out of bed?"

The way he said it anyone would think she had just suggested that they take their next holiday on Mars.

"Well it might be nice to go for a swim," she said.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he asked as his left hand slid under the sheet and began tracing tantalizing patterns up her thigh.

Her hand came to rest on his halting its exploration of the bare skin of her leg.

"I don't know Hales being around other people you might have to control all those wanton urges you get when you're around me."

For a moment she looked at him in pure unadulterated shock.

"Me," she spluttered "what do mean my wanton urges?"

"Well correct me if I'm wrong but it was your idea to order the whipped cream from room service last night?" his eyes took on an almost dreamy expression as the images played back in his mind.

Her cheeks flushed once more with embarrassment at his words.

"Maybe so," she admitted cautiously "but the melted chocolate was all your idea."

"Didn't hear you complaining," he said his smug smirk back in place. "In fact why don't we make another call to Room service right now? Maybe we could get them to send up some honey this time?"

For a moment Haley too zoned out as she considered just what fun they could have with the sticky honey. Hearing Nathan's laughter she snapped her thoughts back to the matter at hand. "We're getting completely off topic here the point is I want to go swimming."

Shrugging his shoulders resignedly "alright Hales if that's what you want." Can I make one minor request though?"

She looked at him curiously as she waited for him to continue.

"I guess," she said nervously "but it depends what it is. If you think I'm going to go skinny dipping in the hotel pool you are out of your mind."

"Hales do you really have that little faith in me?" he said giving her his best wounded puppy expression "besides" he continued" I don't want anyone else seeing this," he said pulling the sheet from her loosened grasp and running an admiring eye over her body. "This is all for me."

"So what is it?" she asked still looking at him warily.

"Nothing much," he told her once again the picture of innocence, "I was just wondering if you still had that bikini Brooke packed for you?"

"No way," she said firmly ignoring the flash of lust in his eyes as he clearly went off into his own little fantasy world remembering how she had looked in it last time. "Nathan stop it," she said harshly as a smile crossed his face but rather than stopping his grin broadened. "Nathan," she said warningly but found he still ignored her. Reaching up she pinched the skin on his arm hard.

"Ow Hales what was that for?" he said rubbing his arm.

"I know what you were thinking," she told him.

"You know Hales we're really going to have to work on these violent tendencies of yours. First off you bite me in front of my mom when all I was trying to do was give you a little good morning kiss, now today you're slapping me and to top it all off you decided to pinch me. Maybe you should consider some anger management classes? You've obviously got issues," he told her with a grin.

Haley stared at him in disbelief "you have got to be kidding me?" she said "I'm the most mild mannered person I know if I'm getting violent then it must be your effect on me," she told him vehemently.

"That's right Hales it's always my fault isn't it?" he said with a laugh. "So are we going swimming or not?" he asked as he left the bed and jauntily walked across the room completely unashamed of his nudity.

"Oh my God Nathan you would have to be one of the most frustrating people on this planet," she said tossing the nearest pillow in the direction of his head.

He caught it easily and casually placed it on the chair beside him.

"So are you going to wear the bikini?"

Half an hour later she emerged from the bathroom dressed in one of the slightly less revealing bikinis she had chosen with Brooke. She watched as Nathan's eyes lit up at the sight of her and couldn't suppress the surge of feminine pride that coursed through her body when Nathan looked at her like that.

"Let's go," he said holding the door open for her to precede him out of the room. As she passed by him he lightly pinched her ass. "But before we go Hales lets make a little bet."

"What kind of bet?" she asked the hackles on the back of her neck rising as he looked at her so confidently.

"I'll bet you can't keep your hands off me in the pool," he said cockily.

"You have got to be kidding me?" she said.

"Nope no joke," he said.

"What are the stakes?" she asked.

"Why worried you're going to lose?" he asked.

"No." she said vehemently.

"Well then the stakes really shouldn't matter then should they?" The way he was looking at her she knew that he expected her to refuse but this was one bet that there was no way she was going to lose.

"You're on," she said determinedly.

Walking down to the pool area she smiled to herself he honestly thought that she couldn't control herself around him. He was in for a shock.

Dropping her towel and sunglasses onto one of the deck chairs by the edge of the pool she stood up turning just as Nathan lifted his t-shirt over his head. She had to fight to contain her involuntary gasp. It didn't matter how many times she saw him in various states of undress his muscular body never failed to impress her. His torso glistened in the sun and the muscles of his chest contracted as he stretched his hands up above his head. Placing the t-shirt onto another deck chair he looked up suddenly catching her intent gaze on his body and grinned at her "You're never going to last."

Turning away from him deliberately she made her way to the pool dipping a foot into the water as she debated the best way to go about getting in. Normally she would just dive in but glancing down at her bikini top she quickly dismissed that idea. There was no way she wanted to risk any body parts escaping unexpectedly. She was so lost in thought for the moment that she didn't hear Nathan quietly making his way up behind her until it was too late. It was almost the exact moment that she sensed his presence that his arms slid around her waist scooping her up for barely a moment before tossing her into the pool.

Surfacing seconds later she spluttered in disbelief "you did not just do that," kicking lightly she reached the edge of the pool and immediately made a grab for his ankles but he evaded her grasp easily and instead executed a near perfect dive into the cool water.

"Do you mind explaining to me just what that was about?"

"What?" He asked shrugging innocently reaching out under the water and grabbing her ankle as she treaded water yanking it sharply so that for a few seconds she disappeared under the water once again.

"Oh you are so going to pay for that," she told him moving behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders using all her weight to try and push him under. He laughed as she completely failed in her attempt.

"Fine," she said "you want to be like that then that's fine by me. I came here to swim anyway." Turning away from him she struck out to swim away from him but he caught her easily around the waist pulling her back against his body.

"Don't be like that Hales," he admonished her lightly.

His hand was tracing patterns on her exposed midriff under the water. His lips were close to his ear as he spoke once again. "You know you don't really want to swim Hales."

"Actually I do," she told him firmly trying to pry his hands from her waist.

"You would really rather swim than this?" he asked as his lips found her earlobe pulling gently on it. His hand that before had been moving against her stomach now dropped lower to trace the lines of her bikini bottoms.

She tried to fight the feelings he was arising within her telling herself that she would rather swim but her traitorous body refused to listen to the messages she was desperately trying to send out.

Pulling away slightly she turned around to face him looping her arms around his neck. "What happened to your desperate urge to swim?" he asked as her lips found his neck sucking and nibbling at the skin.

"Who me?" she asked innocently "I don't want to swim."

He grinned at her before claiming her lips with his own. Her response to his kiss was enthusiastic as one of her hands slid inside of his swim trunks her fingernails scraping against the skin of his buttocks. No longer content to simply touch the skin already exposed by her brief bikini he slipped a finger underneath the flimsy material teasing her moist folds and hearing her sharp intake of breath as he found the spot guaranteed to induce raptures. Neither one of them were aware of the various other holiday makers also making use of the pool who were now keeping a wide berth of the amorous couple.

Unaware that is until their attention was brought back to it rather abruptly by one of the hotel workers shouting at them.

"Mr Scott, Mr Scott." Nathan groaned in frustration as he turned to look at the small man standing at the edge of the pool. "Mr Scott I'm afraid I have to ask you to return to your room, other guests are complaining." Nathan looked around him and saw the expressions of distaste shooting in their direction from the other guests.

"Oh God," Haley groaned burying her face in Nathan's shoulder in chagrin.

"Maybe we should go," Nathan suggested and Haley could have sworn she heard a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Uh yeah we probably should," she agreed.

Getting out of the pool she started to walk towards her towel but immediately felt Nathan's arms snake around her waist keeping her in front of him as he walked. The reason for this was immediately apparent as she felt his erection digging into her back.

Opening the door to the room they both collapsed onto the bed laughing. Haley raised herself up onto her elbow looking down at him a smug smile of her own covering her face. "So I guess I win," she said with a slight trace of arrogance.

"What are you talking about?" he asked appearing confused.

"Your little wager," she told him "So what's my prize?" she asked mischievously.

"You're looking at it," he told her smugly "why do you think I let you win."

Her laughter rang out throughout the room "yeah right Nathan you just keep telling yourself that you let me win."

End Flashback

Looking back on that time now she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she would have been better off if she and Nathan had not gone to Barbados but the truth was that she would never trade their time together for anything. Although it was one of the hardest things she had done to walk away from him for the second time at least this time it felt as if they had achieved some degree of closure.

Starting up the engine again she pulled out onto the road that was almost void of traffic at the late hour of the day. As the car slowly ate up the miles separating her from her destination she deliberately kept her mind a blank. Flicking on the radio she made sure to avoid any news broadcasts not able to bare the mere possibility that she may once again have to hear Tim's name mentioned.

Finally seeing the bright lights of Chicago in the distance she heaved a sigh of relief. She was almost home. Once she was there she would be able to throw herself back into her life with Josh and forget everything that had occurred over the past few months in Tree Hill.

When she pulled up in front of the house she shared with Josh forty five minutes later she couldn't help the feeling of despondency that overwhelmed her. Determinedly telling herself that this was for the best she picked up her purse from the seat beside her and entered the house quietly. Seeing no-one around she made her way back to the bedroom pausing for a moment as she heard a groan emanating from within.

Gathering her courage she stepped up to the door pushing at it lightly unsure of what she would find inside. It sounded as if Josh had another woman in there with him but she was sure he would never do something like that. Josh loved her, he wanted to marry her. The door opened, the hinges creaking a little but Josh was too involved in what he was doing to take heed.

Her gaze fell upon the bed and she saw Josh naked his hands clutching the sheet beside him as he apparently was close to climax. She could see the shape of someone else beneath the sheet. He tipped his head back and groaned again this time in completion and she held her breath in anticipation as the sheet began to move, the other occupant revealing themselves to her disbelieving eyes. "Cameron?" her voice was barely above a whisper but both heads jerked around to face her.

"Haley, oh shit Haley." her brother said.

She backed away from the room as fast as she could almost tripping over the floor lamp in the hall. Turning around she tried to run but a strong hand grasped her wrist. "Haley stop you have to listen to me," Josh said.

"Get the fuck away from me now." She said venomously.

Spoilers:- Haley confronts Josh and gets a surprise phone call.

A.N I know I said there would be no individual shout outs in this chapter but I have to give credit where credit is due. Pink Pony you guessed what was going to happen and I only have one thing to say to you. Get out of my head. LOL. How the hell did you know what I was planning.