Chapter Eighty: Try to Understand
Author's note: Guess what? I finally finished planning out this story. It's going to be 116 chapters. And coming up is some of the naleyest stuff so far.
"So, taking me to Paris this weekend?" asked Haley casually. Nathan wandered in from the bathroom, cleaning off the last remnants of his shaving cream with a hand towel.
"You have to be at the doctor on Monday. Sorry, couldn't reschedule," he said apologetically.
"Yeah, I was just hoping you'd forget. So, non-alcoholic honeymoon. Where to?" she asked. For a second, his gaze dropped to her. She was lying completely naked on the bed, her hands roaming around her slightly rounded stomach.
"Let's go to Tree Hill. Brooke and Lucas were just there," he said.
"Inspiration? Cool. We can revisit all the places I shot you down," she said. He leaned over her and kissed her lips.
"Or we could tour around the city and point out the many venues that we've…" Haley pulled him down onto the bed beside her and kissed him to silence his speech.
Haley and Nathan stopped the car by the river court in the late evening and watched the river flow by for a time before getting out to go sit on the picnic bench.
"Ryan showed up. I thought she was your girlfriend," she remembered.
"You said something about how Lucas and were both in love with high school girls," he added.
"You tried to give me a lame bracelet. Pink plastic beads from a Cracker Jack's package," she said. They met eyes. "I wish I'd taken it."
"It's okay," he said, finding her left hand with his right. He held it up. "You have this."
Her wedding back twinkled into the light until she wrapped her hand around her neck in their kiss.
"Mm. Sorry, we can't do it here," she said, pulling away.
"Why not?" he asked, pretending to pout.
"Because this is a picnic table. Let's continue on our tour, shall we?" she suggested, walking to the car.
"The infamous Tree Hill country club. Home of our notable first meeting," said Nathan.
"Yep. We used to hang here ridiculously much. Kind of stupid, now that I think about it," she said.
"Ah, and the Country Club pool. One of the many christened by my brother and his wife," said Nathan.
"Lucas told you that? Thankfully, Brooke didn't feel she had to share," said Haley.
"Overshare, you mean," he said. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"Brooke's specialty is over sharing," she said.
"You hungry?"
"We're not members," she reminded him, glancing toward the door of the Club.
"Like that'll stop us," he said, scoffing. Within minutes, Nathan had received a table for himself and his wife, despite that never of them were wearing Country Club regulation clothing.
Haley grinned as three waiters fluttered around them.
"I have to admit, that was impressive," she said, ordering a die coke for herself.
"The thought of having us here was too much to resist," he said.
"You know, that waiter over there? His name's Javier. I've known him since I was six, but I don't think he ever recognized me as anyone besides your wife," she said. Nathan glanced over at Haley, her long, shiny blonde hair, her subtle yet immaculate makeup, her rounded stomach and slightly swollen breasts, visible in her scoop necked sweater.
"I don't think I would. You're not that Haley James anymore," he said.
"Well technically I'm not Haley James at all anymore. But whatever," she said, laughing as an overly zealous waiter placed a basket of bread on the table and sent a water glass flying.
"I like driving. I'd forgotten after all the company cars," said Haley in contentment. Nathan glanced sideways at her and smiled.
"I don't mind the company cars. They have privacy," he said. She smiled and leaned over to kiss him as they reached a stoplight.
Haley drove them without further incident to the best hotel in Tree Hill.
After quickly checking them in, Nathan carried their bags to the elevator and up the top floor. Haley smiled when she realized he was leading them to the room he'd originally had, that summer in Tree Hill.
"I sat in your lap here before we even…" Haley, about to recite a memory, was cut off by Nathan's urgent kiss. Under better circumstances she would have wrapped her legs around his waist, but with her extra pregnancy weight she didn't feel nimble enough. He obliged her by scooping her into his arms and bringing her to the bed.
His fingers were working on the zipper in her skirt before she began to fell a prickling feeling in her stomach. Throwing him off of her, she managed to reach the bathroom just in time.
Nathan ran in after her and began to comb her hair away from her face until he held all of it in his hands while she threw up into the toilet.
"You done?" he asked sympathetically. She nodded. As she stood up, he took an elastic from her wrist and tied her hair into a pony tail. She smiled gratefully at him.
"I'm good," she said, filling a paper cup with water from the sink and washing out her mouth.
They walked back to the bed. He walked around it to drop onto the far side, while she climbed into the right. Shivering, she remembered her most distasteful memory of Nathan-him leaving her, asleep on the bed. It had been this bed.
She turned herself around so that her head was resting on his lap. Pulling the elastic from her hair, she arranged it so that it fell over both of them like golden silk.
"Boys are supposed to make you sicker," she said suddenly, running her hand over her stomach. He smiled.
"If we get another girl Luke's going to start making wisecracks about my masculinity," said Nathan.
"Probably because he hasn't seen you in all your masculinity," she teased him. He couldn't help but smile proudly at her praise.
"Probably. What, Brooke's not happy?" he asked.
"Brooke's very happy, and you heard nothing," she said. As she spoke, she lifted his hand from the sheets and brought it to her stomach. He felt a soft yet distinct kick.
"It's growing," he commented.
"I refer to "it" as niña. Or niño. Depending on my mood. It's Spanish," she exclaimed proudly.
"I know. Cute. I hope Evie's okay with Jake and Ryan," he said.
"I know that they're careful, and she loves them and all, but I just can't help but worry," said Haley.
"I was so worried when she was born. I didn't know if I could be a good father to her," said Nathan.
"I never doubted it," she said, lacing her hand together with his. "Besides, you took care of Leigh and Ryan for a while."
"Never said it was logical."
"It isn't. None of it is. Our marriage, our daughter, your feelings for me," she said, propping herself up on her elbow to look at him. "My feelings for you. I don't understand them."
For so long, Haley had denied their existence. Though he'd always known it to be a lie, he couldn't help but be gratified by her words.
"Life would be boring if it was that simple," he said.
"Life could never be boring with us," she said.
Slowly she rolled away until her head was on her pillow. Tucking the sheets around her, she stared into the darkness for a moment. Quickly she felt his arms encircle her, her back pressed into his front. She relaxed and turned toward him, resting her head in his shoulder, the growing baby between them.