Chapter Forty-Eight: When the Morning Came

Lucas was slightly intimidated by the snappy, short tempered Brooke that became after Christmas was over and all their guests went home. This was why when one day, just after New Years, when she left the apartment abruptly saying she'd be gone for a few days, that he didn't protest.

After flying overnight, she reached New York in the morning and rented a car to drive to Providence, the place where her best friend spent her days, the place she'd never seen.

The address scribbled on a piece of notebook paper led her to Haley's dorm room, which she burst in to, unannounced.

Haley's first reaction was so natural that it didn't surprise even the exhausted, furious Brooke. As soon as the brunette entered they hugged their shared past temporarily melting away all anger between them.

Brooke looked around the room, curious about her friend's life. As she caught sight of a man's jacket casually draped over the arm of a sofa, her anger returned.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she asked coolly.

"Oh, when you tried to trick me into hooking up with my ex again? God, I just have no idea what got into me," said Haley sarcastically.

"It's for your own good," said Brooke evenly.

"I wish you guys would stop making him into such a victim. Sure he's gone through his crap, and sure I feel for him, but you know how be broke up with me? He left me half naked on his bed without so much as a note, and then broke up with me over his answering machine. And you just expect me to jump back into his waiting arms?" demanded Haley.

"We all do," argued Brooke.

"That's crap. His arms aren't even waiting. He's made no effort to be with me since August. He's over me," said Haley.

"So? You're not over him," she said.

"You people seem to forget that I have a boyfriend! A nice, normal, functional relationship with a man!" cried Haley.

"Nice, normal, functional. Definitely sounds like the stuff of great romance," said Brooke sarcastically.

"Whereas impromptu pregnancy does?" asked Haley. Brooke flushed an angry shade of red.

"Look into my eyes and tell me that you feel the same way for Seamus that you do for Nathan," said Brooke angrily. Haley tossed her hair over her shoulder and forced herself to be calm.

"Nathan I didn't work out. I can't use him as a comparison for everything," she said, refusing to answer.

At this moment, Seamus entered. He looked with confusion between the pregnant brunette and Haley, both flashing in anger.

"Haley?" he said questioningly.

"Oh, this is the rebound guy?" asked Brooke.

"Get out," said Haley.

"Call me if you ever get out of denial," said Brooke, stalking out. Seamus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I'm guessing that's Brooke?" he said.

"Yeah."

"Why don't I know anybody from your life?" he asked her, as she began to walk to her bedroom. She stopped.

"Seamus, don't start with me," she said tiredly.

He followed her in to the bedroom and watched as she fell onto her bed and hid her face in her knees.

"What is it with this Nathan? Why does he have so much power over you?" he asked.

"Quit it."

"Haley, I'm serious," he said.

"How much did you hear?" she asked, her voice weary. He considered her for a moment.

"Everything."

Haley stared at him for a second, irritated by his presence. She wished he'd go away and leave her to sulk. This wasn't about him, and she'd never be able to make him understand that.

"Of course I don't feel the same way for you that I did for him. You're completely different people," said Haley. For a moment, she found herself irritated by the calm look on his face. Nathan was angry, Nathan was passionate. But Seamus was safe.

"Haley, are you still in love with him?" asked Seamus.

"No, God, no. I was never in love with him. You're not a rebound, Seamus. You might even be the real thing," said Haley. Was she lying? Was she honest? Even she didn't know.

Seamus stared at her for another second. She forced herself to look into his eyes. When she'd first met him, she'd imagined their relationship as easy. Since he was nice, and available, she'd assumed they'd coast along.

"Are you in love with me?" she asked eventually.

"I don't know," said Seamus. Of course Seamus knew. At that moment, even Haley knew. Never had anyone been so transparently in love with him. Chris never had been in love with her, Nathan had held his emotions close to his chest. This was different.

"Okay," she whispered. Slowly, they moved closer to each other.

"Did Brooke put you up to it?" asked Nathan. Ryan looked up. She was sitting on her wide, four poster bed, immersed in college application leaflets.

"Yes. Everyone knew," she said. Nathan slowly came to sit by her. It was their first night back in New York, and he's just gotten home from work.

"Was she there?" he asked.

"No, she figured it out. It was a pretty crappy Christmas," admitted Ryan.

"I'm sorry."

"I shouldn't have lied. I don't get it, Nathan. Why couldn't you have come, if just for our sake's?" asked Ryan shakily.

"I can't. I can't face her, I don't deserve to," he said. Ryan had never seen her brother look so tortured. Awkwardly she patted his back, briefly taking in his Italian leather shoes, the long black coat he wore over his single breasted work suit, his silk tie. This was not the Nathan Scott of the previous summer. But as Ryan caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she felt the same. Her prep school uniform, her long blonde hair, were all the same, but the depth in her eyes made her infinitely older.