Chapter Fifty-Three: Headed Nowhere

Author's note: The scene in italics is a flashback.
Haley was growing by leaps and bounds as she gazed at the landscape around her shift rapidly as the train passed it.

Only she didn't know if she was growing younger or older.

She lifted her feet to the seat, and protectively encircled her knees with her arms, trying to make herself as compact as possible.

It was terrifying, this prospect of living again. She'd been dying for two years, ever since…

Haley enjoyed dancing with Peyton. Peyton was a good dancer. Life was hard to imagine without her friends in it.

Annoyance snapped inside of her when they were joined by one of the varsity basketball players, a tall blonde boy.

"Do you do everything like you dance?" asked the blonde boy. Haley blushed automatically, used to another boy saying such things.

She realized that she was not alone in her annoyance when strong hands encircled her waist from behind and pulled her away.

Nathan pulled her in and turned her around until she was facing him. Even without his prompting, Haley moved to him until they were pressed together, dancing sensually to the music. As the faster song ended and gave away to s slow one, she put her hands on his shoulders and he possessively encircled her waist again.

"I don't think I can leave you," admitted Nathan.

"You're not. I'm leaving you, remember?"

"Can you come to LA at Christmas?" asked Nathan hopefully.

"Christmas is a long way away," she said.

"Not compared to how long our lives will be," he said tonelessly. Their whole lives. Had he really meant that?

Suddenly he was kissing her, and she was kissing him. They were passionately kissing the kiss of a pair of lovers destined to part.

Haley remembered her thoughts:

They had tonight.

As it turned out, they'd had that night alone.

At some point, Haley had fallen off to sleep, her flashback mingling with a dream. She woke up as the train reached New York City. Grabbing her purse and the only small bag she'd brought, she went hurriedly off the train.

Haley didn't require an address. In New York, Scott Publishing was legendary.

"I'm here to see Nathan Scott," she said to the receptionist at the desk. Her eyes swept Haley.

"In a business capacity, or personal?" she asked.

"Personal," said Haley, her eyes cold. After a moment, the secretary nodded and directed her toward his office.

Haley looked down as she walked through a maze of corridors and up an elevator. To look up and acknowledge his empire would only force her to admit how different their worlds now were.

Nathan's office wall was solid, and not frosted glass. Haley wondered what he did behind it that warranted its opaqueness.

This was before she reminded herself that she didn't care.

"Sophie, what is it? I'm busy," he said.

"Just a memory," said Haley.

Nathan glanced up sharply, and his eyes met hers.

"Haley…" His voice was low and disbelieving. Haley looked down as to not lose herself in his blue eyes. She slid her eyes close and took a deep breath, suddenly feeling short of air.

"You look…"

"Don't," whispered Haley. She gripped the doorknob tightly, attempting to gain balance. He leapt out of his chair and ran to her, steadying her.

She shook off his offending hands. As she glanced up at him again, he hurriedly removed the wire-rimmed glasses he was wearing and stuffed them in his pants pocket.

"You're here," he said lamely, after another interminable moment of silence.

"I'm not. I mean, I shouldn't be," she said. But she didn't move.

His astonished eyes took in her appearance. His Haley, the Haley he'd always known, was replaced by someone entirely different. She was wearing stiletto sandals that made her several inches closer to his height, a skirt that showed a long expanse of her tanned legs. Her off the shoulder shirt was topped by a short, fitted white jacket.

"Then why are you?" asked Nathan. As she leaned back into him, in another fit of nerves, he had a passing impulse to take her in his arms and do everything he'd been dying to do to her for years.

"I need help." Nathan took her arm and led her to the couch, sitting down a respectable distance from her.

"Anything," he promised.

"How about you try to grope me and then leave while I'm still sleeping half naked in your bed? Oh, no, you've already done that," she said bitterly.

"Haley…"

"Right. It's not actually me. You remember my sister, Taylor? She's in trouble with like a gang and they're going to kill her if I don't bail her out," explained Haley. She looked up at Nathan. He looked so old. He'd always been older than her, but acted so immature that it had never posed a problem. Though he was freshly shaven, he looked years older than he ever had. Older than he should have looked.

"A few thousand? I can…" Haley laughed bitterly.

"A few hundred thousand," she explained apologetically.

Nathan abruptly stood up and began to pace the length of his office. Haley crossed her legs and let one sandal clad foot dangle in the ear.

"Shit, Haley. I can't just. I mean, the money, it's… How..?"

"Taylor's always been pretty good at getting herself in trouble."

"I mean, the money's mostly tied up in assets. I can't just make that big a withdrawal. And it's fairly unethical," he explained.

"I'm finally here, and all you can think about is ethics?" she demanded, standing up.

"You would not believe the thoughts going through my head right now," he said. Haley brought back her hand to slap him, but he caught her wrist, hard.

"I guess you changing really was just an act," she said with resignation. He took a deep breath. He'd never imagined he'd be so close to her again.

"Your boyfriend…"

"Shut up. So you can't just give me the money. Is there anything I can do to change your mind? Maybe some sort of… collateral?" she suggested, looking innocently at him.

"Don't…"

"Afraid you'll see something you like, Mr. Scott?" asked Haley provocatively. Her mind flashed briefly to Seamus.

"But I don't… anymore," said Nathan. Words were not coming to him at their ordinary rate.

"So? You want me," she said.

"You planned in advance," he said. Slowly, he leaned down toward her.

"And?" Haley's heart quickened as he came closer and closer.

"Haley?" Haley let her eyes flutter closed, and she waited expectantly for the touch of his lips.

"Yeah?"

"Marry me?" he suggested, his voice in the same quietly seductive tone.