Disclaimer – I own nothing other than my ideas.

Hi All, I'm bringing you my 13th Story. I really enjoy writing these. I just wanted to point out while you are reading my stories. There may be a lot of grammar and spelling errors, this is down to my disability. So please be kind and understanding while reading. Lastly, I have the lovely othfangirl helping me with this story, I'm so thankful for her support with writing and encouraging with this story. Happy Reading.

Finding Our Future chapter33

After dropping Brooke off at the airport the night before, Haley had gotten a really unsettling night's sleep. She now stood looking in her closet, obsessing about what to wear for her first day of work.

"Why does it have to be this difficult finding something to wear?" She moaned to herself throwing the third outfit she had picked out onto the bed.

Sitting on the side of her bed she lifted her phone off the bedside table. To her surprise she had a text from Nathan.

"Good luck today Haley. I know you're going to do amazing,"

She read over the text a few times before biting the bullet and texting him back

"Thank you Nathan! If it's not too much trouble, do you think you could come over this morning please? She texted him but hesitated a few seconds before sending it.

Xxx

Nathan had just picked up his order at Karen's and was heading to his car when he heard his phone going off. He quickly got his phone out of his pocket and read the text.

Having not received a reply from him yet, Haley went on downstairs to start making herself some breakfast. While in the kitchen, she heard a knock at the front door.

"Nathan..I didn't think you got my text," she spoke with a small relieved smile on her face.

"Sorry, I came straight here as soon as I read it."

"Come in," she gestured opening the door wider for him.

"Here, I brought you some coffee and one of those bagel things you like," he spoke handing it over to her.

"Thanks", she whispered softly as she walked heading to the kitchen, letting him follow behind her.

"Haley, is everything okay? Your text did scare me a little if I'm honest."

"Um, this is going to sound really girly and petty of me", she spoke pulling her bagel apart not making any eye contact with him.

"Hey, you can ask or tell me anything. Remember we are still working on us. What is it?"

"God this is so silly. I was trying to get ready for work just now and I started feeling really nervous and overwhelmed. When I saw your text I just...um", she whispered looking over at him.

"You what?" He asked curiously.

"I needed a hug from you okay. I just needed to feel safe. I know we aren't where we should be but I...", she spoke going off on a total rant.

Hearing her request, Nathan quickly walked around to her side of the kitchen and leaning down he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in close to him

Feeling him wrap his arms around her gave them both a sense of calmness. While standing there he breathed in her coconut shampoo. "You're not silly Haley." He whispered softly to her.

"Thank you," she whispered softly against his chest as they continued standing in each other's embrace.

"Hey, do you want to know a secret?" He questioned getting her to look up at him.

"Only if it's not going to make me have another falling out with you," She joked with a hint of laughter in her voice

"Very funny! Actually when you texted me I was already thinking about coming over here."

"You were?" She asked surprised stepping out of his embrace to look up at him better.

"Yeah, I know you have always wanted to be a teacher at Tree Hill Haley, so I wanted to ask if it's okay if I drive you to work today? Please!"

"I think that would be nice and it's Hales by the way," she replied smiling at him giving him the reassurance that their fighting was coming to an end.

Xxx

"You got everything you need?" He asked as they got ready to head out the door.

"Yes, I think so," she replied checking through all her things one final time.

"Okay, stand right there," he spoke leaving her standing on the porch.

"Nathan what are you doing?" she questioned watching him walk down the steps onto the grass.

"We have to get your first day of school picture," he spoke taking out his phone.

"Nathan you can't be serious?"

"Oh I'm deadly serious Hales. Now smile nice for the picture."

"Fine", she spoke giving into his childish behaviour and smiling for him."

"Great, now come on. We don't want you being late on your first day," he spoke heading toward the car.

"Nathan, thank you for coming over this morning, I couldn't have done it without you." She spoke looking over at him.

"Like I said earlier, I wouldn't have missed this for the world. I'm so unbelievably proud of you Hales."

"Thank you", she whispered interlocking her fingers with his as they rested on the gear shift.

"You know if you're up for it, I can always swing by at lunch?"

"Well I don't know how busy my first day is going to be Nathan, but how about I text you and let you know if I think I'm going to be free?"

"Yeah that works for me," he spoke pulling into the school parking lot.

"Thanks again for dropping me off," she spoke taking off her seat belt.

"Oh I'm walking you to your classroom", he spoke as he took off his seat belt, getting out of the car and walking around to open her door.

"Nathan, you know this really isn't necessary."

"It's your first day, of course it is."

He grabbed her bag before interlocking his hand with hers as they walked into the school together.

Xxx

"Aww Nathan, you shouldn't have." Haley gushed as she saw the bouquet of roses outside her classroom door.

"Um actually I didn't," he confessed a little annoyed with himself that he didn't think of that.

"If they're not from you, then who could they be from? There doesn't seem to be a card."

"Maybe they are from Quinn or maybe even Brooke."

"Yeah maybe,"

"Good morning Miss James, nice flowers you have there." Grant commented as he walked by the pair.

"Haley, not that I want to argue with you today, but don't you think that maybe he would have left them for you?"

"No, don't be silly Nathan. He knows exactly where he stands with me, and I don't think he would do something like that."

"Okay, well I better get to work before Clay starts calling to see where I am."

"Right, I will definitely text you later about lunch. Thanks again for helping me out this morning, it really means a lot."

"You're welcome Hales. Have a great day and remember I love you," he spoke softly before leaving the classroom.

Xxx

"Who rattled your cage?" Clay asked when Nathan came storming into the office.

"No one,"

"Seriously man, you better tell me what's going on. We have clients coming into the office today and I need you to be on your game."

"It's fine, I will be." He replied aggressively as he flicked through the papers on his desk.

"Right Nathan, just stop before we both end up having a fight with each other. Did something happen between you and Haley?" He asked him curiously.

"Well sort of."

"What do you mean sort of?"

"Haley asked me to come over this morning, you know I was going over there myself anyways, and it was a really lovely morning until we got to school."

"What happened at school?"

"When I was walking her to her classroom a bouquet of flowers were sitting outside her door."

"They weren't from you?"

"No, I didn't want to do anything overly romantic when we are just getting back on track,. Although at first she did think they were from me, until I said they weren't."

"So who do you think they were from?"

"My first thought was maybe Quinn or Brooke, but when there wasn't a card to go with them, I started second guessing that idea."

"Who else could they be from?"

"I think they might be from Grant. He walked by us with a little smirk on his face, and when I mentioned it to Haley, she really didn't seem to think so. Something about it doesn't sit right with me though."

"Now you're pissed because you think he is messing with your head and making you look like the crappy boyfriend."

"Exactly!"

"Nate, I'm sure everything is fine. If they are from him, you already know where Haley stands so you have nothing to worry about."

"That's what she said. I just don't like the idea of him trying to mess with her or us again."

"I get that man, I do, but please try and put it out of your mind, at least until we get these meetings out of the way."

"I'll try my best," he spoke feeling slightly better now that he got it off his chest.

Xxx

Haley's morning had gone pretty smoothly now that she was into the thick of her classes.

"So Miss James, how's your first day of Tree Hill High treating you?"

"Oh Mr. Wilson, it's going pretty well, nothing bad to report so far."

"That's good! Well you know where I am if you need anything."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," she commented trying to be as casual as possible.

"Oh nice flowers by the way, get them from anyone special?"

"This morning I thought they were from Nathan, but he said they weren't and there is no card. So probably just from a friend." She replied not wanting to read too much into it.

"Maybe they are from someone who wants to be more then friends. I did think red was a pretty color for you. See you later Miss James." He spoke exiting her classroom without saying another word.

Letting his words sink in, Haley started to think that what Nathan said this morning could indeed be true.

She quickly got out her phone and sent him a quick text before her next class.

"Hi, yeah I definitely think meeting up at lunch would be good."

The rest of the morning her head was spinning, worrying how she was going to tell Nathan that the flowers had definitely come from Grant.

Xxx

"Hey, where do you want to meet?" Nathan texted as he got ready to leave the office.

"I'll meet you in the parking lot," she quickly replied before getting back to her lesson plans.

"So you like the flowers then?" Grant spoke coming into her room.

"Not particularly if I'm honest," she spoke not even lifting her head to look at him.

"You do know they are from me, right?"

"Yeah I had a feeling,"

"Oh what sort of feeling? Like a sexual feeling," he spoke watching her lift her head.

"Definitely not! You know what Grant, I don't know what games you're playing but I'm clearly not wanting to play along. So if you expect me to be able to work with you, then stay the hell out of my private life." She ranted, grabbing her bag and getting up to leave.

Grant quickly stepped in front of her, stopping her from going any farther. "You're very sexy when you're all riled up Miss James."

"Move out of my way or I will have no problem reporting you." She spoke very sternly.

Stepping away he pinched her ass as she went. "Tell Nathan I said hello." He spoke watching her leave the room

Xxx

Pulling into the parking lot, Nathan could see Haley storming out of the school like a woman on a mission.

"Hey, everything okay Hales?" He asked as she aggressively slammed the car door shut.

"Yes sorry, Hi!" She spoke leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Surprised by her actions, "Hales are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be?"

"Well that kiss on my cheek just now. That's the first time we have had any sort of intimacy since just before our talk."

"Geez, forgive me for wanting to be affectionate towards my boyfriend."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing Hales. It's just a little out of character for you, especially with everything that has happened between us recently."

"Fine, you were right."

"Right about what?"

"The flowers this morning were from him", she spoke finally looking over at him.

"Seriously, how did you find out?"

"He came into my classroom just now and basically told me. I told him to stop harassing me and us, or I would have him reported."

"How did he respond to that?"

"He didn't really seem to care. As I went to leave he grabbed my ass." She spoke as she watched him get madder by the second.

"He did what?"

"He pinched my ass," she answered again softly.

"Right, where the hell is he so I can give him a piece of my mind." He spoke pulling off his seat belt.

"Nathan stop! I don't want you to do anything. Please just leave it alone. The only reason I'm even telling you this is because I don't want any secrets between us." She spoke trying to stop him from getting out of the car.

"Unbelievable Haley! I can't believe you're still trying to protect him.

"Hey! That's not fair. I'm not trying to protect him either; I just don't fancy getting a warning on my first day."

"Fine! If he does anything like this again, then I won't think twice about kicking his ass. You know I'm not one for standing back and watching while the world hurts you."

"I know and I love you for that. Let's go get some lunch," she spoke interlocking their hands trying to calm him down again.

Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter and if you're reading please review.