Chapter Eight

Haley and Nathan continued to kiss as they sat on the beach, growing more passionate as the minutes flew by. Haley put her arms around his neck and, wanting to get closer, Nathan pulled her towards him so that their upper bodies touched. He deepened the kiss, but as Haley turned her head toward him her nose knocked into his.

She pulled back immediately, blushing furiously over the fact that she had done that twice tonight. "I'm so sorry," she muttered, looking down, but Nathan just chuckled.

"It's okay." When she still looked embarrassed, he repeated, "It's okay," and planted a soft kiss on her cheek.

He kissed the corner of her mouth before returning to her lips. Haley was hesitant, but soon gave into the kiss, parting her mouth slightly when Nathan traced her lips with the tip of his tongue. He slowly slid his tongue inside her mouth, and took her soft sigh as a positive sign until she moved back abruptly.

Thinking, he'd gone too far too quickly, Nathan apologized. "Sorry, I –"

"No, it's not you," Haley interrupted as she reached inside her pocket. "It's my phone." She held it out so that he could see it was vibrating since she had put it on silent.

"Oh."

"I have to take this."

"Yeah, okay. Go ahead."

Haley flashed Nathan a smile before she answered the call. "Hi Peyton," she said, doing her best to sound light and cheery and not breathless as she recovered from Nathan's sweet kisses.

"Haley! Where are you?" Peyton shouted into her phone so that she could hear herself over the loud stereo system.

"I just…went down to the beach."

"By yourself?"

"Uh…yeah."

"Shall I come there?"

"No! I mean, you don't need to."

"Are you sure? Because I don't mind, Hales," Peyton told her.

"I'm sure, Peyton. Thanks, but it's not necessary."

"Okay, but don't wander alone down there for too long."

"I won't."

"See you soon."

"Bye."

Once Haley had hung up, Nathan asked, "Is she coming?"

Haley shook her head. "No, she's not."

Nathan looked relieved. "Do you want to go back?" he asked a moment later.

Haley sighed. "Not really; but I probably should. I mean, if Peyton's calling, then Lucas might be worried."

"Lucas. Right… Then, I guess we should…"

"Yeah."

Nathan stood and held out a hand to help Haley up. She took it, and grinned when he didn't let go after she was standing; in fact, he laced his fingers through hers.

Silently, they started walking back to the beach house, and Haley's mind went into overdrive. She didn't want to over analyze what had just happened, but she couldn't help it since nothing had been resolved. Those kisses had been incredible! Not that she had anyone to compare Nathan to.

That was part of the problem. Nathan had lots of experience, while she, on the other hand, had never had a boyfriend so she had no idea how this was supposed to work. What was going to happen with her and Nathan now? She was in love with him and up until tonight he had thought that she didn't even like him! And he had never said how he felt about her. The kissing and the hand-holding were all good signs, but Haley knew she wasn't the type of girl Nathan Scott dated. What would happen if someone they knew came by and he just dropped her hand? She'd be crushed, that's what.

"Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"I have to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

Haley took a deep breath. "What is this? I mean…what are we?" Haley shook her head, remembering an article she had read in her mother's magazine that had said talking about them collectively as a 'we' too soon could freak the guy out just as much as the 'l' word. Haley started again, "Say if Peyton asks me what happened out here; what do I tell her?"

Nathan pursed his lips, and stared off into the distance, but Haley derived some comfort from the fact that he still hadn't let go of her hand. "What do you want to tell her?"

"The truth," Haley said simply.

"Then, tell her the truth."

"But…I don't know what just happened. I mean, I know what happened," Haley corrected herself. "But what does it mean?"

"So it has to be something? Right now?"

"I know it's all kind of sudden, I just…I need to know what you're thinking. If you don't want this to be anything then that's okay, I just…I need to know."

Nathan nodded, understanding where she was coming from. "Lucas isn't going to like it."

Haley had known that from the beginning, but if there was any possibility that she could be with Nathan, then she wasn't going to let Lucas' opinion stand in the way of that. "Just forget about Lucas for a little bit. What do you want?"

By this time they had gotten back to the pool where Haley had been standing earlier. She reluctantly let go of his hand and stood beside the pool once more, facing opposite Nathan, and prepared herself for the worst.

"Do you want to go out?"

Haley's face lit up. "You mean, like on a date?"

Nathan laughed at her surprise. "Yeah, like on a date."

"You want to go out with me?"

"I just asked you, didn't I?"

Haley replied by wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a smacking kiss on the lips. When she beamed up at him, Nathan chuckled.

"I'll take that as a yes, then."

"Take it, mister."

Grinning, Nathan lowered his head and they kissed, more languorously this time.

"Nathan…" Haley breathed.

"Mmm?"

"Are you sure?"

"Do you ever stop thinking?"

"If you're not sure-"

Nathan placed the tips of his fingers over her mouth. "I'm sure. I know it's soon, but I want to date. We can just see where things go from there."

Haley grinned. "Okay."

She stood up on her tip-toes and kissed him again. Nathan held her body close with one arm, as his other hand caressed her cheek. Just as Haley was working up the courage to pick up where they left off when Peyton had called her, she heard someone screech, "Oh my God!"