Chapter 4:
"You two arguing again..?" Nathan started to ask before he realized that Brooke was not the woman in the room. He looked over her curly blonde hair, her clothes, and a look of realization came over his face.
"Hi, Nathan." Peyton said with a smile. Lucas looked at her, seeing the tears in her eyes gone. He didn't think she would get that upset, he didn't mean it...
Nathan was pulling Peyton into a hug. "What are you doing here?" Nathan asked in complete shock. Peyton explained the story again, for the third time that day. When she finished, she noticed that Lucas had disappeared from the room. "Do they argue a lot?" Peyton asked quietly.
"Not a lot... but enough. About stupid things really." Nathan told her as he flopped himself down on the couch, looking right at home. "Speaking of.. what were you two arguing about?"
Peyton sighed. "What else but that memorable summer?"
Nathan nodded. "It must be weird- to see him again."
"You have no idea.." Peyton said as the entrance to the house flew open again. Haley came sprinting in. "Or maybe you do.." she said with a glance at Nathan, whose eyes were following Haley.
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"Hi." Haley said, unconfidently. She clutched onto her scarf as if it were a life support.
Nathan glanced down at the ground before looking back up at her. "Why are you here, Haley?" he asked coldly.
Haley sniffed and swallowed nervously. "Because I... I had to see you."
Nathan scoffed. "And why's that- Chris drop out of the tour?"
Haley shook her head. "I've told you- there is no me and Chris."
"Well, there's no you and me, either, Haley."
Haley looked down at the ground, the pain evident in her face. "Lucas gave you the papers," she stated quietly.
"The ones that you happened to sign."
"You signed them too!"
Nathan was quiet for a second. Haley looked up at him. His eyes were a dark blue. She could see the hurt etched into his face. The pain that she alone had caused him.
"That wasn't my signature, Haley. Dan faked it." Haley's mouth opened slightly. "Which means you were the only one to sign the annulment papers."
"Nathan I-"
The phone rang inside the house. Nathan looked into the house, searching for his mom. "Mom? You got that?"
He was answered when the phone stopped ringing. Nathan went back to Haley, turning clumsily with his brace. She had steady tears running down her face now, her hand over her mouth. "Haley-"
"Nathan," came a frantic voice from the stairs. "Get in the car, we have to go the hospital."
"Why, what happened?"
"Dan's there."
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Nathan's brain flipped back to present day. He could hear Haley talking to Lucas in the other room. Nathan let out a sigh, rising from the couch. "I'm gonna get back to school. I have practice in like half an hour," he said, looking at his watch.
Haley came running back through the room, papers in her hand. Looked like sheet music to Peyton. "Hi, bye," Haley said breathlessly with a wave as she went back through the door. Peyton shook her head. "Nate, do you mind taking me and my stuff to my apartment?" She glanced at Lucas who was re-entering the room. "I'm not really all that hungry anymore."
"Sure," Nathan told her.
Peyton walked past Lucas to get her stuff. "My apartment is only a few minutes away from here- you won't be late for practice."
Nathan nodded as he picked up one of her bags. "I'll see ya later, Luke," Nathan said as he swung open the door.
Peyton followed him out, turning in the doorway. "Tell Brooke I said sorry I had to miss dinner."
Her free hand reached out for the doornob and she swung the door shut behind her.