Chapter Sixty-Nine: Love Is Just a Glance Away
Nathan smiled softly as he leaned against the doorframe of his bedroom. He hadn't slept in it in months, but he still considered it theirs. He remembered the night Haley had kicked him out of it, and hoped they'd come farther since then.
Haley and Eve were asleep in the bed. Haley had obviously nurse their child, causing both of them to nod off. Eve was dressed in a pink sleeper, and Haley was still in her pajamas.
"Did you two have a good day?" he asked, as she stirred. She opened her eyes lazily to look at him.
"We did. She's working on the whole sitting up thing. Kid's a genius," said Haley, attempting to rise. Nathan took a half step toward her.
"No, don't get up. You looked tired," he said in concern.
"Mm. She's tiring. Come join us?" suggested Haley, beginning to nod off. Nathan smiled before removing his shoes and button up shirt. After his pants had joined the pile on the floor, he stepped into the bed and gathered his wife and daughter into his arms.
"Hey," said Haley, surprised to awaken and find her husband's blue eyes staring deeply into her own.
"Hey," he said softly.
"You slept with us," she said.
"Haley, I hate not being near you."
"I know. It's hard on me too," she admitted.
"Tomorrow night's our anniversary. Let me take you out?" he suggested. Her nerves tingled at the thought of being close to him after so long. "We'll lend Eve to Jake and Ryan. Go to the Plaza, get a room…"
"Mm. Sounds nice," she said.
"Sounds very nice, Mrs. Scott," he said teasingly. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips as their daughter slowly began to awaken.
Nathan picked up Eve, leaving Haley on the bed. She watched as he took her across the hall to change her diaper, and put her into a new sleeper. Haley stretched out luxuriously. She loved being a mother. She loved being able to trust her husband with her baby. She loved…
No, she didn't. Ever.
Slowly she got out of bed. Nathan couldn't help but let his eyes linger on her. She was wearing pink flannel pajama pants and a camisole, which accented her swelled, milk filled breasts. She noticed his gaze and blushed.
"Come on, let's go eat," she said, taking the baby from him. Eve cooed and relaxed in her mother's arm as the three of them made their way downstairs.
Haley strapped Eve into her chair on the counter, and the two of them began to throw together dinner for themselves. Since the birth of their daughter, their lives had become considerably more hectic, and considerably less uniformed.
"I'm going to call Ryan," said Haley, leaving the room. Nathan watched her go before turning to his daughter with a smile
"Ry? This is Haley," said Haley uncertainly, once she'd dialed.
"Hey sis, what's up?" asked Ryan. Ryan was always so relaxed and easy going. And nice. Something all the other three Scotts seemed to be completely lacking in.
"Uh, do you and Jake want to borrow Eve tomorrow? Overnight?" asked Haley cautiously. She could practically hear Ryan silently calculate.
"Oh my God! It's your anniversary, isn't it? Aw, that's adorable. You need the house to yourself to do it in?" asked Ryan eagerly. Haley blushed scarlet, despite having lost her virginity a year previously.
"Actually, you guys can take over the house. It might be easier. Nathan and I are going somewhere else," she said, already regretting her decision to talk to Jake, who would have suspected nothing, over her decision to talk to Ryan, who'd guessed instantly.
"Perfect. We'll be there. This is so romantic. Or kinky. I'm not really sure," said Ryan frankly. Haley hung up the phone abruptly and dropped it on the hall table.
Haley wandered back into the kitchen to find her husband tossing a salad, and attempting to keep up a conversation with their three month old daughter.
"So, Ryan and Jake are coming by tomorrow," she said.
"Great. Hope they can handle her," said Nathan. Haley slowly walked to her husband, their months of distance daunting her. She wrapped one arm around his neck and pressed her body against his.
"I hope you can handle me," she whispered tauntingly. He groaned and leaned down to kiss her as Eve began to scream.
"Hold that thought. Seriously," he said, walking quickly to their daughter and trying to ignore the obvious, physical sign of how much he loved and missed her.
Nathan's eyes widened considerably as his wife began to descend the main staircase.
Haley was wearing a black silk gown that went to her knees and showed her back, and managed to minimize the few pregnancy pounds she hadn't yet lost. Her blonde hair was tied loosely up, with a few tendrils left hanging to accent her face. The diamond earring he'd given her the day after their original blowout were in her ears.
"You look beautiful," he said reverently, giving her his hand as she walked down the last few steps. She took it and felt a tingle rush through her.
"You look pretty fine yourself, Mr. Scott. Ryan and Jake arrived, right? Let's go," she said. He noticed the high-heeled shoes she wore, which made her much closer to his height.
"I've got a car waiting," he said, his hand dropping to the small of her back to lead her outside.
The whole block seemed to be watching as Nathan and Haley walked out of their town house and into the limousine parked outside. Haley stared out the tinted windows as they drove past, hardly believing that her life had brought her here, to this moment.
"Here," said Nathan, handing her a champagne flute. She frowned.
"Nathan, I'm still breastfeeding. I can't…" He laughed.
"Hales, it's ginger-ale. Drink up," he instructed her. She put hers forward for a toast.
"To us. To our future, that it may be less sucky than it has been," she said. He laughed and they clinked glasses.
They were seated in a corner at the restaurant he'd chosen. Already at the table was a bouquet of red roses. She smiled at him.
"You're trying to hard," she said accusingly. Shooing away the waiter, he pulled out her chair for her.
"I'm trying to make it up to you, Hales," he said. She touched his hand as he pulled it away.
"I think Eve might have been enough," she said softly. The diamonds in her ears twinkled. Briefly, Nathan remembered the Haley he'd fallen in love with: her innocent eyes, her casual clothing. He recalled with a lurch that he'd been twenty-four at the time, and that he was now twenty-seven. Even she was twenty-one. It seemed like such a huge leap.
Haley smiled as she followed Nathan into their hotel room. One not so negative aspect of marrying into the Scotts were the luxuries-the huge house, the limos, and the five star hotels. She took it in at a glance.
"Why, Mr. Scott, are you planning to seduce me?" she asked playfully.
"As ever. Here. I brought you something," he said. Smiling, she stuck out her hand.
"Gimme."
"No, sit down," he said, pointing toward the vanity. She obediently sat.
Haley gasped and lifted her hand to her throat as Nathan put a diamond pendant necklace on a silver chain around it. It matched her earrings perfectly, and had obviously not come cheaply. She smiled tearfully.
"It's beautiful. I love it," she said.
"I love you," he said fervently. Mentally, he cursed himself. He had not meant to say so. She met his eyes in the mirror before standing up, knocking over the chair that stood between them, and gliding into his arms.
Not daring to wait for her to change her mind, Nathan lifted Haley into his arms and walked toward the bed, his hand already sliding up her skirt.
He threw her on the bed and climbed on top of her. Once she'd taken off his tie and shirt, she flipped them to the best of her ability.
"My turn," she said, now on top of him. He smiled as she straddled his hips.
"Whatever you want," he said.
Once her stroking had become too much for him, Nathan sat up and pulled Haley close to him. She gasped as he slowly slid inside of her. He slid his eyes closed in equal ecstasy as she tightened around him. Her hold on him tightened as he kissed her neck and let his kisses trail downward.
"Jesus Christ, Haley…" he said desirably.
Haley pushed her hips toward him, sinking him deeper in to her. She held her breath to keep herself from uttering a similar exclamation.
Later, exhausted by their efforts, Nathan withdrew from her and lifted her off of him onto the bed beside him. She curled up next to him, breathing heavily.
"I missed you. There wasn't a day that I didn't miss you. I'm so sorry. The only days in the last three years that I haven't missed you are the days we spent together, last September," she said fervently. He kissed her blonde hair, and marveled at her perfection.
"I know. I'm sorry too, I started us off on the wrong foot," he said.
"You're not sorry. I'd be horrified if you were. If you had told me straight off that you loved me, I'd never have married you. And you don't regret that… do you?" she asked. He tilted her chin upward to kiss her properly.
"Less than I've ever regretted anything in my entire life," he promised.