Little White Lies

This Unstable House of Cards

Nathan

Haley is going to kill me. Seriously, I'm getting murdered when we get back to Duke. Maybe even beforehand if all of this 'we're not dating' thing blows over.

"Uh Mom, maybe we should go somewhere else," I say, not able to take my eyes off Haley who is glaring at me while her new boyfriend is trying to look at me without really looking at me. What are the chances? Seriously? I wish Haley had given me a heads up on where she would be so I could, you know, not be there.

Mom turns around to me with a confused look on her face. She obviously hasn't seen my 'ex' yet. "Why sweetie, it's great in here. It's my favourite restaurant, probably because it's the only place I haven't been to with your dad," she says, and her face looks so hopeful that I feel guilty for even suggesting we leave.

"Right. Okay," I say softly as the Maitre'D approaches us. Please not a table next to Haley, please not a table next to Haley.

"Let me show to your seat," he says.

And takes us to a table right next to Haley. What the hell is wrong with the world today?

At that moment, Mom finally sees Haley, and her eyes shoot up to mine in understanding. "Oh, is there another table?" she asks the Maitre'D, who is folding a napkin. The Maitre'D looks at us confused. "No, I'm afraid we're fully booked, but if another table comes up I'll tell you." He must feel the tension between us and the table next to us, because he keeps shooting glances at them. Because he's done it, I feel my eyes start to wander to Haley who I've kind of avoided looking at since we sat here.

She's mad. Really mad.

Which makes me ask the question, why? Was she having a good time or something? And just like that, my mood darkens. I was hoping to be able to do the twenty minute thing from in here, but how can I when the two of them are sat right there?

"We can... we can leave, if you want to?" Mom says, looking uncomfortable and sympathetic both at the same time. I can tell it's in her nature to say hello to Haley, but she doesn't want to look like she's betraying me. I look over to the table where they're sat and see them talking. There's a big enough gap between us that I'd only be able to make it out if I were listening hard, but I don't think I want to hear what they're talking about on their date.

"No," I say, resigned because if I were the old me, we'd be out of there in a heartbeat, regardless of my mom's feelings. Still, if I were the old me we wouldn't need to because I wouldn't have married Haley in the first place. However, the new me obviously loves torture as he wants to watch his wife on a date, just because he doesn't want to upset his Mom.

The new Nate… is a loser.

"I know you love it here, so I guess I'm okay with it."

Mom smiles at me. "I'm so proud of you Nate," she says softly. "You've grown into a beautiful and gracious man."

"Mom!" She's obviously choosing to ignore the whole 'I slept with my girlfriends room mate' thing. It's kind of refreshing actually, to get away from it for one night. "So, uh…" I say, signifying that I'm getting onto a topic that I'd rather not but feel I have to. "What's happening with you and Dad? I thought you were asking him for a divorce."

Mom sighs. "I did, but you know how stubborn your father can be. I'm his property in his eyes, he owns me, so it's going to be a little while before I can break free."

"Why don't you just leave him?" I ask, feeling weird that we're talking about my Dad this way. Mom sighs again and I see unspilled tears in her eyes. I put my hand on hers trying to comfort her and she smiles at me gratefully.

"Because Nate, it's hard to run away when you're scared to even walk."

Surprisingly, I'm kind of enjoying myself. It seems like years since me and my mom have had a proper talk, and I never realised how much I miss her when she's not around.

I look down at my watch. Shit! It's been 45 minutes since I got here, which is way more than twenty. I risk a glance at Haley who is looking pointedly at her watch. Shit! Okay, okay don't panic. I'll just have to… go to the bathroom! Yeah, that's what I'll do, I'll go to the bathroom.

"I'm just gunna go the little boys room," I tell my mum quickly, grabbing my cell phone out of my jacket pocket which is on the back of the chair before I go.

The bathroom here is what a poncey person would describe as 'swish', but seeing as I'm not poncey (seriously, no jokes please), let's just say it's kind of nice. I take my phone out and start to press speed dial 1 when the bathroom door open.

And in walks Sam.

Again, what is wrong with the world today?

"Hey," Sam greets, hanging around by the door and not really doing anything except looking at me nervously.

"Uh, hey," I greet back, giving my best suspicious glare. What? He's on a date with my wife for God's sake.

Sam opens his mouth to say something then stops. I realise that I probably looks just as dumb as he does so I make my way over to the urinal. Sam follows. We don't say a word because it's like this unspoken law that you don't make small talk with the person next to you when they're both doing their business.

When we both finish we move over to the sink. At the same time. Something is up here.

"Uh look," Sam says, now that we're away from the urinals. "I… I know you and Haley had this huge… thing going on together, but what's going on? I mean, it can't be just a coincidence that you're here, right?"

I raise my eyebrows. Is this guy for real? "Well, it is just a coincidence. I had no idea Hales would be here, and my mom decided on this place."

Sam nods. "Right, okay then." Something about his tone tells me that he doesn't really believe me.

"Look man, what's your problem? You're on a date with my w… my ex-girlfriend, and you're in here grilling me?"

"Hey, I'm not grilling you, okay? I just wanted to know where I stand with Haley."

"Well then you should probably be asking her, not me."

"Do you still love her?"

"What?" My mouth drops open in shock. "What the hell business is that of yours?"

Sam shrugs, starting to look nervous. I mean, the guy's tall, but he's got the whole beanpole thing going on. I on the other hand play basketball and spend a lot of time training. I could so take him.

"It's not, I'm sorry I asked it's just… it's just the way you look at her, and the way you punched your own dad yesterday for insulting her, I just… I just wondered if there was still something between the two of you."

I nod and clench my fists. "For your information, I do love Haley, and as far as I'm concerned, you don't stand a chance!" With that I storm out of the bathroom, my cell phone still in my clenched fists and still not making the call to Haley. Shit.

"Nathan!" Haley hisses when Sam goes to the toilet for the second time, later on in the night. Mom looks over at her confused, but doesn't say anything.

"What?" I hiss back.

"What are you doing here?"

Mom turns to face Haley and gives an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry Haley, I suggested it, I had no idea you would be here."

Haley opens her mouth again, but her eyes soften. "Don't worry about it." She turns back to me and her eyebrows narrow again. "Where the hell is my phone call?"

I give a cocky smirk. "Can't wait to get away, huh?"

Haley's eyebrows raise and she matches my smirk. "Actually I'm having a fantastic time, I'm just worried if I stay here another second I might Fall in Love with him or something!"

"Okay, okay, I get the point!" I mutter, while Mom still looks between us confused.

"What's going on here," she asks.

"Nice one Haley," I hiss. Haley bites her lip.

"Well, maybe your Mom can know anyway?" she suggests, and my mouth drops open.

"Are you kidding me?"

"No!" She says defensively. "I just… come on, she's not Dan."

"I'm sat right here," Mom says, starting to look annoyed. "What are the two of you talking about?"

"Your boyfriends coming back," I mutter. Haley pulls a face but sits back as Sam approaches, sitting down and throwing me a wary look.

"Nathan, what the hell is going on."

I look at my mom and I can't get Haley's suggestions out of my head. 'Well, maybe your Mom can know anyway?'

You know what? Maybe she can.

"God Nathan, anyone would think you wanted to see me on a date with another guy."

I roll my eyes at Haley's sarcastic tone and turn to my Mom. "Can you hear something, like an annoying little buzz?"

"Very funny Nathan. Why the hell did it take you so long to call?" Haley asks, and from the front seat I can imagine her pouting in the back. I turn to her and grab her hand. Thankfully she doesn't let go.

"I went to call and that idiot followed me into the toilet, then I was mad at him interrogating me so I kind of… sulked."

"Sam interrogated you?" Haley asks, and bursts out laughing soon after.

"What's so funny?" I ask.

"Nothing, just the image of Sam interrogating you. It's kind of funny, if you think about it."

Mom stops the car in front of Peyton's house. "This is your stop, isn't it Haley?" She asks, sounding annoyed as hell. Probably because she can't fathom why we've been acting so weirdly.

"Isn't Dad away on business tonight?" I ask. Mom looks from me to Haley, and then to our joined hands.

"What's going on Nate? Because for two people who've had this big overwrought break-up, you're not acting terribly like it."

"Lucas is at Brooke's, and Dad is away for the night. I'll tell you everything when we get home Mom. All of us."

Haley holds my hand tighter and I can see the tears in her eyes. I turn back to her. "I love you."

"Okay, so maybe now someone can tell me what the hell is going on," Mom declares, banging cupboards about in the kitchen as me and Haley sit down on the couch, our hands still joined.

"I can't believe you waited outside for us," I whisper.

"I had to, Sam insisted on waiting for someone to pick me up. He didn't even offer me a ride home. I just told him that I was really upset and would appreciate the time alone."

"What did you tell him?"

"That my sister Elinor had an accident."

"Isn't that tempting fate? Wait a second, you don't…"

"Have a sister called Elinor, exactly."

Mom comes storming into the living room with a cup of coffee. She slams it down on the coffee table and glares at us. "So what's going on?" She asks, staring between the two of us. I take a deep breath and pull a chain from around my neck. On the end of the chain are two rings. Mine and Haley's, our wedding rings.

Mom looks at them, confusion written on her face. She takes a couple of steps forward and her mouth drops open. "Please tell me those are just badly picked out promise rings," she says. "Because they look an awful lot like…"

"Wedding rings," Haley whispers. "They're our wedding rings."

Mom looks between us, her expression one of complete and utter shock. "You're…"

"Married," I say.

"What is with everyone finishing my sentences!" she exclaims, sitting down on the chair opposite us. "I… I can't believe this. You're eighteen Nathan! Eighteen years old. You have all the time in the world to get married… why, why would you do that?"

I stare at my mom and smile. I squeeze Haley's hand and turn to look at her. Her dark brown eyes look straight into mine and I wonder how the hell I did so good. How I got Haley James to marry me. How I can be so in love. I open my mouth to answer but Haley gets there first.

"Why wait?" she asks, still looking at me. "I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about Nathan. I wanted to show him how much he means to me, and marriage allowed me to do that." She turns to my mom. "I don't expect you to understand Mrs Scott, but I do expect you to be happy for us. We need some support and… well, we're trusting you with this secret Deb. That's got to mean something, right?"

I turn to Mom as well, and silently plead for her to be happy for us. I feel Haley tighten her grip on my hand.

"I… congratulate you," Mom says, tears in her eyes. "And I'll keep your secret, but I am not happy for you. Don't you see that you're too young?" With that, she gets to her feet and leaves, leaving me and Haley on our own.