"Never allow someone to be your priority while allowing yourself to be their option."
-Mark Twain
A/N: I just want to clear up a few things because people seem to be confused with the timeline of the story:
Haley, Lucas, Nathan, Brooke and Peyton ALL KNEW OF each other in high school, however, they did not speak to each other with the exception Lucas and Haley (best friends), and Lucas and Nathan (best friends/brothers) , Brooke, Peyton and Haley (ALL close friends), Nathan and Peyton (Acquaintances). Nathan & Brooke (not friends), Nathan & Haley (not friends). They only knew of each other by association.
Haley and Nathan began dating during college in the flashbacks after she separates from Clay.
Brooke and Lucas dated each other for two years (2006-2008) during the flashback however in chapter 3 the flashback details that they broke up, because Lucas cheated on Brooke with Peyton, and in retaliation, he told Brooke he was planning his wedding with Peyton to hurt her. They reconciled with each other about a year later after becoming friends again but Brooke never forgot about Lucas and Peyton.
The flashbacks are happening during college, everyone in the story with the exception of Clay is 20 years old. Clay is 21.
Rachel becomes friends with the group during the flashbacks. Nathan and her DID NOT date during the flashbacks (as she has a boyfriend), they only began dating during the present time (more on their relationship later). She is a mutual friend of Peyton and Nathan during the flashbacks, hence why she went to the gala dinner with him. Peyton and Rachel became friends during high school.
Peyton and Jake also dated for a few years in college, but just like Lucas and Brooke she cheats on Jake with Lucas, and in the process destroys her relationship with Brooke and Haley. She and Jake reconcile with each other afterwards for the sake of their child and get engaged because Jake did not stop loving Peyton despite the fact she cheated on him.
I hope that clears up any remaining confusion you have about the story. I will try my best to make sure everything is clear and concise for you guys to understand. I apologize for the confusion this may cause you. Without further ado, please enjoy chapter 4.
Chapter 4
May 17, 2006
"Thanks for walking me home, Jake," Peyton said shyly as the two walked down the street.
Jake laughed. "Are you forgetting? Your home is like two apartments down from my home. We're walking home together," he corrected.
Peyton rolled her eyes amicably. "Yeah, yeah, Smartass. You don't need to be such a Haley."
This made them laugh a little. Then, things got quiet and the only noises were cars passing and crickets chirping. "I also kind of wanted to walk with you to tell you something," Peyton said as they passed the halfway point to their apartment complex.
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
Peyton sighed and stopped walking. Jake became a little alarmed. "What is it?" he repeated, with more fervour.
"I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it." She sighed and looked at the ground. "I'm pregnant…" she began. "And it's your baby."
Jake was dead silent for a moment. He didn't even breathe. Peyton looked at him expectantly. Jake could feel his heart pounding in his chest. "You're pregnant?" he asked finally.
She nodded. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she said meekly.
"Well, I'm going to support whatever you do," he answered.
Peyton looked at him in shock. "Jake, you—"
"I'm as responsible for this as you are. If you want to give it up for adoption, I won't stop you. If you want to keep it, I'll support you. If you want to do other things…" Jake's voice suddenly became very quiet. "I'll deal with it."
Peyton shook her head incessantly. "I'm not going to abort it." She looked at the ground and up at him again. "Are you sure?" she asked.
"It's your child," he said.
She shook her head again. "It's as much mine as it is yours. I'm just carrying it," she insisted.
They looked at each other for a moment more before Peyton spoke again. "I'm really glad it's you and not someone else, Jake," she said before walking up the stairs of their apartment complex.
Haley awoke and the sun was shining warmly on her face. She smiled. Clay wasn't right beside her, but she smelt coffee downstairs and cheerily got up to greet him.
"You seem happy this morning," Clay noted as Haley immediately went for the pot of coffee, grabbing a mug.
"I've been down here for five seconds," she argued. "How could you possibly tell that?" she asked.
He shrugged. "I guess I just know you really well."
Haley smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I guess so because I'm really happy this morning," she confirmed. "What are you doing today?" she asked.
"I was just going to go to the office. I don't know if I'm doing anything afterwards," he informed her.
She pouted. "That sucks. I really liked having you all to myself yesterday," she said.
Clay sighed. "I hate to tell you, but there are going to be times I'm away for longer than eight hours, Hales," he reminded her.
She sighed; "I know, but that doesn't mean I hate them any less."
Clay planted a kiss on her lips before going upstairs. Haley stood, dumbfounded for a moment. Wait a second….what just happened? Haley shrugged it off. I guess that's just what love does to you.
"Hey, Peyton!"
"Rachel? What are you doing here?" Peyton asked as Nathan walked a hazel-eyed brunette in Peyton's apartment. Her name was Rachel. She had tan skin and hazelnut-coloured hair. She was about 5'5", or around Brooke's height.
Rachel was a mutual friend of Peyton and Nathan. She was Peyton's friend first when the two were both going to school at Tree Hill. Gradually, she grew closer to Nathan, with the two of them actually going on a few romantic dates, but deciding they were better as friends. Rachel and Peyton no longer spoke as much, but she was one of Nathan's best friends.
"I just decided, why not stop by? Besides, I'm in Tree Hill for work," she explained.
Peyton smiled. "This is such a great surprise. And when you say you're here…" she began.
"I've moved here. My boyfriend Dean is here, and I figured, why not? We're pretty serious, and it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Long-distance relationships are hard. And it's not much of a sacrifice. Tree Hill is beautiful and so much cleaner than New York City," Rachel added.
Peyton laughed in agreement. She looked at the clock in her apartment and sighed. "As much as I'd love to stay and play catch-up, I'm going to meet Haley," she said as she picked up her bag.
Rachel nodded and turned to Nathan, "So is she your girlfriend?"
Peyton smirked as the colour rose to Nathan's cheeks. "No! She has a fiancé," he responded.
Rachel nodded. "Just a friend?"
"Nathan wishes she was more than a friend," Peyton muttered with that ever-present smirk.
"I think you have to go, Peyton!" Nathan exclaimed, ushering Peyton out the door. Rachel couldn't help but laugh.
Peyton walked out the door reluctantly, hoping to make Nathan squirm once more, but not knowing how.
"I brought all of the necessities," Brooke said. Peyton immediately went to look in her bag, but Brooke simply shooed her away.
"What Malibu Barbie here forgot to mention was that she made me her pack mule," Lucas replied, walking in after Brooke. He was carrying several bags. Brooke sat down at the counter separating Peyton's kitchen from her dining/living room. He set them down on top of the counter.
Peyton looked in the bags. "Jeez, how much did you bring, Brooke?" she asked.
"Just the essentials. Ice cream, maternity pills, books about babies, the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting and The Back-Up Plan," Brooke said.
Peyton looked up at her as if she were crazy. "I thought you said just the essentials?"
"What? J. Lo was really good in that movie," Brooke said defensively.
Lucas sat down on Peyton's couch and sighed. "I thought you said Jake was going to be here. I won't be able to take the entire day around this much estrogen."
"He is. And I'm not sure who has more estrogen—me or you," Brooke remarked.
"I'd watch it if I were you, Malibu," he warned playfully.
Brooke rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Peyton witnessed the entire exchange. "You two would make such a cute couple," she taunted.
Brooke scoffed. "Okay, I made out with him at the bar that night because I was more than a little tipsy and he bought me a frozen yogurt."
Peyton nodded. "Right," she said with an undertone of sarcasm.
"It was! Nothing is happening."
"Just…do me a favour, and if you do it today, don't do it on my couch. I'm probably going to fall asleep there for the next nine months. Hell, I don't care if you do it in my bed. The couch and the counters are off limits."
If Peyton wasn't pregnant, Brooke swore she would've smacked her. "What do you mean? You're going to be here the whole time. I told you…we don't want to corrupt your innocence," she whispered.
Peyton smiled. "And you won't have to, because I'm meeting Haley for an hour or two. But you can watch What to Expect When You're Expecting for when you're actually expecting. Lucas should watch, too, so he knows."
Brooke scoffed. "You're just bitter because your baby daddy is not as hot as my hypothetical one would be."
Peyton smiled in victory before turning around and proceeding to walk out the door. Brooke realized what she just said. "Damn it! I didn't mean it like that! Peyton! You know what I mean!" she shouted.
"Oh, I know what you mean. You want to bear Lucas's children. And I think your babies would be adorable. See you later. Remember—no memories on that couch!" Peyton warned before walking out the door.
Brooke sighed in annoyance. Lucas watched from the couch. He witnessed the entire ordeal. "You want to what?"
Brooke turned red. She glared at him but wasn't able to hide her embarrassment. And Lucas enjoyed every second of it.
"So how long are you in Tree Hill for?" Nathan asked as he and Rachel sat down in a booth. They were at the coffee shop.
Rachel shrugged, looking around. "Not that long. Maybe like a month? A month and a half? I don't know. I've been working as a bartender in this bar," she explained.
He was surprised at that. "Oh? What happened to the modelling and method acting?"
"I've kind of given up on it. I'm just not what designers and photographers are looking for, you know? I'm not tall and thin as a rail. It's not that easy getting work."
"You're right. You're better," Nathan answered.
She smiled. "Thanks. And for the record, you're not so bad yourself." Rachel paused for a moment as she looked at a packet of sugar, playing with it. "Which is why you need to tell me about Haley. And how the hell this chick has a fiancé when she could have you," she said.
There was one thing about Rachel, and it was that she wasn't scared to get right to the point. She was just the kind of person who wasn't fazed by the smoke and mirrors; she just wanted the real story.
Nathan sighed as he thought of that. "When I met her, she was engaged," he explained.
"So what's wrong with her? Why hasn't she dumped her fiancé for you yet?" she asked.
"Rachel…" he began. "Things aren't that simple."
"They can be," she said. "If you want them to be that simple. If she wants them to be that simple, too. Everyone always talks about how hard love is and how difficult it can be, but when you have the right person and you really love them that much…it doesn't have to be," she explained. "I made them less complicated. I was sure of what I wanted. I really love Dean, and I know that I'd rather have him than my career in New York."
Nathan nodded. "I guess that means we have nothing."
Rachel shook her head. "That's not what I said."
Another thing about her was that she sometimes spoke in apparent paradoxes. She was a contradictory person.
"What I'm trying to say is that love, per se, is not that complicated. There are outside things that make it seem complicated; like a crossword or a Sudoku puzzle. True love will still find a way," she said.
As touching as what she was saying, Nathan couldn't help but laugh. "Okay, that was beautiful and all, but who are you and what have you done to Rachel? Because the Rachel I knew thought that love was overrated. Either you're not Rachel, or your boyfriend has turned you into a hopeless romantic. In that case, I need to meet him, because he's a miracle worker," he teased.
"I guess you're meeting my boyfriend," Rachel replied.
"Whoa, is this Haley?" Rachel asked as she looked through Haley's Facebook photos.
Nathan sat down beside Rachel. "Yes," he replied sheepishly.
Rachel looked at Nathan before looking back at Haley. "She's really pretty." She kept looking through Haley's pictures and encountered one on Haley and Clay's romantic trip to Spain. Rachel stopped and examined Clay. "Wait a second, is this her fiancé Clay?"
Nathan nodded. "Why?"
"I've seen him before."
He was intrigued. "Really? Where?" he asked.
"At the bar. Are you sure that this is really her fiancé?" she questioned again.
He sighed. "I don't like where this is going."
Rachel looked over at Nathan. "The man I met was not engaged. He wasn't wearing a ring and he started hitting on me. I politely asked him to flip off, and when he wouldn't, I was just about ready to flip him off. He doesn't come around much anymore, but when he did come frequently like two or three weeks ago, he was always with this one girl. And then he found another one. And another one," she explained.
Nathan looked at her. "No, that can't be true. Haley said he's a good guy," he insisted. "And he's engaged to her."
"Not the man I know," she replied cynically. "I'm sure Haley is great and this guy is just a scumbag," she muttered.
Nathan nodded. "I guess so because it's nothing that Haley did."
Nathan sighed and clicked out of the photo album. He still couldn't believe his ears.
Haley and Rachel were just having a really interesting talk when Peyton spotted them. She sat down at the table they were at.
"Hey. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to show," Haley began, hugging Peyton. Peyton smiled at Rachel.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I come? I was just caught up with Lucas and Brooke."
Haley groaned. "Why? Were they eye-sexing each other again?" she inquired.
Peyton nodded. "It was disgusting. So I just left them at my apartment. And as much as I'd love to be here with you guys all day, Jake is coming over at two-ish," she explained.
"Have you talked to him about the baby?" Haley asked.
Rachel nearly spat out the lemon water she was sipping. At least, it was enough to make her choke. "What baby?"
Oh, right. Peyton had neglected to mention it to Rachel. "So that night that we went to the bar, do you remember how drunk I was? Well, I stumbled into Jake's apartment and we had drunk sex and…now I'm pregnant," Peyton explained.
"And I'm the last to know?" Peyton braced herself for the worst. "What are you going to do about it?"
Peyton looked down at her still tiny stomach. "I want to keep it," she said, almost as quiet as a whisper.
"I'm really happy for you," Rachel replied, reaching out to hug Peyton. Peyton took the hug in surprise but hugged her back.
"So how have things been between you and Clay?" Peyton questioned once Rachel released her.
Haley sighed, but a smile was on her face. "Things have been great with us. Thanks for asking."
Rachel smiled. Haley didn't notice, but Peyton could see just how fake her smile was.
Peyton stared at him, her mouth agape. "Are you serious? Clay really is cheating on Haley?"
Nathan nodded sadly. "And Rachel confirmed it. She said she's seen Clay at the bar she works at with a bunch of different girls, and in a romantic way. He even tried hitting on her a few times," he explained.
Peyton scoffed in disgust. "I want to punch him in the face," she said bitterly.
"You pulled the words out of my mouth, Peyton," he replied in agreement.
Peyton sighed. "You have to tell Haley. You can't let her get hurt again."
Nathan walked over to the window, looking out at the rain. "If I tell her, I'll never know why I told her. I'll never know if it was because I wanted better for her, or…" he trailed off. His voice became very quiet. "Or if I wanted her for myself."
"You need to swallow your pride, Nate, and keep Haley from making the biggest mistake of her life. If you're really her friend, you'll tell her," Peyton insisted.
"It's not that easy!"
"Well, what's so hard? If you don't tell her, she's marrying a cheating scumbag, and if you do, she's not."
He bit his lip. "I don't want to lose her."
She was quite confused. "How will you lose her? If anything, she'll be thankful you told her," Peyton retorted.
"Peyton, I've seen it happen before, and things don't always work out that way," he answered firmly. "I will think about it, but I don't want to lose her."
"If this is the way you see things, you're going to lose her either way."
Those words echoed in Nathan's mind until he wasn't able to sleep that night. Even though he hadn't known Haley for very long, he already knew she was special. There was no way he was letting her slip out of his fingers. That wasn't happening.
Haley awoke to an empty bed and the doorbell ringing. She got up and looked outside the window, seeing that Clay's car was not in the driveway. She sighed as she went down the stairs. She slipped on a sweater over her camisole, answering the door. She was surprised to see the person behind it.
"Nathan? What are you doing here?" she asked. She noticed a brown paper bag and coffee in his hands. "And what is that?"
Nathan sighed. "Can I come in?" Haley stepped aside and allowed him in. "This is breakfast. I think you and I need to talk."
Haley was a bit confused but went with it. "What is this about?" she asked in a soft tone.
He shrugged. "Just about…things."
She eyed him cautiously but took the things out of his hands. She led him over to the kitchen island and set down the things. Nathan followed. She looked up occasionally to see him staring at her.
"It seems like something's really bothering you," she said finally.
He nodded. "I guess you can say that." He watched as Haley took out the bagels he had gotten and the brown paper napkins from the bag. "It's not about me. It's about a friend?"
Haley became intrigued. "Alright. Do tell," she insisted as she took out butter, jelly, and cream cheese from the fridge.
How do I start?
Brooke looked like she was about to turn beet red. She was already halfway there. "That cheating, lying bastard!" she fumed.
Peyton gasped. "Brooke! What if the baby can hear you?" she asked, placing her hands over her seemingly non-existent tummy.
Brooke rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh, please. Your baby is the size of my freaking pinky nail. They don't have ears yet."
"Well when they do get ears, I am not bringing them around Auntie Brooke's place, because they're going to come out swearing and flipping people off," Peyton answered sternly.
Brooke rolled her eyes. "Oh, kiss my ass."
"Can we get back on topic here? Sorry, Peyton; your baby won't hear Brooke and her foul mouth for a while yet," Rachel informed Peyton.
Peyton sighed. "Thanks, Rach, but that won't stop her."
Within the few weeks that Peyton and Haley had known her, Rachel was inducted into their circle quickly.
"This is serious. We have to tell Haley. Otherwise, she's going to be stuck, married to a cheater the rest of her life," Peyton reminded them.
"Do you want to tell her?" Brooke asked.
Rachel looked at Brooke like she was crazy. "I've known her for all of about a week. And I'd like to keep my face," she said.
Brooke sighed. "I'm not telling her. I will have to fight the urge to tell her 'I told you so,' and Haley so doesn't need that right now," she explained.
"Whoa, there is no freaking way I'm the one telling Haley."
There was dead silence except for the hum of the refrigerator in Peyton's apartment. Finally, Brooke came up with an idea. "We could all tell her together," she suggested.
Rachel was a bit skeptical of that. "Shouldn't Nathan be the one to tell her? He's the one who found out in the first place," she suggested.
"Yeah, I'm kind of with Rachel on this one. I'd like to keep my face. And my baby," Peyton added.
Brooke shrugged. "I don't care how she finds out, but it needs to happen before she gets married. Not after, not during. I am not buying a thousand dollar dress for a sham of a wedding that's going to be ruined anyway," Brooke complained.
Rachel gave her a strange look. "A thousand dollars for a dress you're going to wear once?"
"I go in a designer or I go in nothing," she answered.
Peyton smirked. "I'm sure Lucas would love that."
Rachel didn't even try to stifle her laugh as Brooke shot them a death glare.
"Nathan we've been sitting here exchanging nothings. You still haven't even begun to tell me about what you wanted to speak about," Haley reminded him.
Nathan's breath hitched, and he still had yet to think of the best way to break this news to Haley.
He glanced over at the clock. 12:45. He had killed quite a bit of time talking about stuff that overall meant nothing.
How should I say this? Haley, your fiancé is a cheating idiot and he doesn't deserve you. No…that sounds too rehearsed. Your fiancé is a cheater. No, that isn't it, either. Sometimes, when people are stuck in one-sided relationships, one party drifts off and does the act formerly known as "adultery"; it's now commonly referred to as cheating, and that's what your fiancé is doing to you. What do you want to do? Break her heart while coming off as a jerk AND insulting her?
He shook his head, trying to expel all of those weird thoughts. "Haley, there's something you need to know."
"I know that already. We've been sitting here for about two hours while you've been mentally debating how you're going to tell me this," she said.
It was like she knew his innermost thoughts; it was like Haley could pick Nathan's brain just by looking at him. Or is it just that obvious? "I just really don't know how to say this."
"Just say it," Haley urged.
Just as Nathan was opening his mouth to speak, the door to Haley's house opened.
Nathan felt his stomach do a flip flop as he saw the person enter the house.
It was Clay.
Nathan had no idea what to do at this point. It was obvious Clay was caught off guard by Nathan being there.
Haley stood and walked over to her fiancé. "Clay, this is Nathan. He's one of Lucas's friends," Haley said.
Subconsciously, Nathan was disappointed that Haley had never mentioned him before.
"And this is Clay, my fiancé," she introduced, breaking Nathan from his thoughts.
Clay extended his hand to Nathan. "It's nice to meet you."
Nathan plastered on a fake smile and the two exchanged pleasantries. Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan could see Haley smiling.
"I just came by because I forgot something upstairs," Clay explained to Haley. She looked a little disappointed as if she was hoping the reason for his unexpected arrival was to see her.
Nathan watched Haley as she watched Clay go up the stairs. It was as if Nathan wasn't even there at the moment.
Five minutes later, Clay was out the door again. Nathan had finally mustered the courage to tell Haley what she needed to know.
Haley sat down in front of Nathan, but it was pretty obvious she wasn't actually thinking or concentrating on him.
"Haley, this is really important. It's about Clay," Nathan began.
Haley's expression remained blank. "What's about Clay?" she asked.
"What I wanted to talk to you about!" he exclaimed. Then he took a breath. Haley still seemed unresponsive. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."
Haley didn't really seem to care. Nathan was becoming frustrated.
Rip it off like a band-aid.
"Clay is cheating on you, Haley."
Haley finally seemed to respond to this statement. "You're lying, Nathan. I'm sorry, but that can't be true," she insisted.
"I didn't want to tell you like this, Haley."
"You have no proof," she tried again.
"My friend Rachel works at a bar in Tree Hill, and she's seen Clay there a bunch of times with a lot of women," Nathan told her.
She shook her head. "They might be clients, co-workers; Clay wouldn't cheat on me," she said stubbornly.
Nathan sighed. "Hales, Brooke found a phone number from a girl. Rachel saw—"
"Don't call me Hales," she interrupted. "Only my friends can call me Hales."
"I am your friend," he responded.
"No. A friend wouldn't make up lies about my relationship!" she said, raising her voice. "You're lying to me right now."
He shook his head. "I'm not lying about this. I'm telling you because I care about you," Nathan insisted.
"I want you to get the hell out of my house. Right now!" she yelled. "I'm sorry, but you need to leave," she responded, pushing him out the door.
Haley began crying, and she wasn't entirely sure why. She was certain that even in retrospect, she wouldn't understand why. She didn't know if it was because she just sent someone she genuinely cared about out the door or if it was because she really believed her fiancé was cheating on her.
But maybe it was both.
Peyton shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She was seated next to Brooke, and on the other seat in the room was Jake. It was dead silent in the room.
"I think that our takeout is ready, so I'll go pick it up," Brook said finally.
Before either Peyton or Jake could protest, Brooke had her bag and was making her way out the door.
Peyton shifted uncomfortably on the couch. She looked down at her nails.
"Are we going to not talk about this?" Jake asked.
Peyton shrugged, not meeting his eyes. "I don't know what there is to talk about," she answered.
"We've been tiptoeing around it." Peyton didn't respond. Jake sighed. "Do you want to keep the baby?"
She shrugged. "I'm not getting an abortion. And I don't want to live my life wondering 'What if I never gave them up'. I think I want to keep it," she said sheepishly.
Jake nodded, understanding.
Peyton finally looked up. "Jake, I don't want you to think that by keeping the baby, I'm asking you to do anything else. We don't have to be together for the sake of this baby. We don't have to get married, or anything," she let him know.
"What if I wanted to go out with you? What if I wanted to take you out on a date?" Jake asked.
Peyton sat, the words not being thoroughly processed in her mind.
"Do you want to go on a date with me?" he asked finally.
She couldn't find words, so she simply nodded her head. Jake smiled, which prompted Peyton to smile, as well.
Rachel opened up the door and saw Nathan standing there. He was drenched, caught in the torrential downpour that plagued Tree Hill for the fifth time this week. Something else was obviously wrong with this picture.
"What happened?" Rachel asked.
Nathan was obviously shivering. Rachel took his hand and brought her into the apartment.
"Come inside. You're probably freezing," she said, her maternal instincts kicking in.
Haley sat inside her house, tapping the countertop with her fingernails. She was waiting for Clay to get home.
She was still unsure whether she could believe what Nathan was saying. As much as she trusted him and wanted to believe he wouldn't lie to her, she couldn't get over how irrational it was to end such a serious relationship due to someone else's belief.
She stared out of the window, thinking until her reverie was broken by the sound of a door opening. Quickly, Haley glanced at the clock. It was already three thirty.
Clay appeared and Haley mustered a smile as he kissed her on the forehead. She didn't know what to do. She was glad when Clay spoke first.
She wouldn't be relieved when she heard what came out of his mouth next.
"Haley, we need to talk," he said.
Haley looked concerned, hoping nothing bad was happening and that Nathan's suspicions weren't confirmed. "What's wrong? Clay?" she asked when he didn't respond.
"I want to know that you'll be okay."
Fear crossed her face. "Okay for what?" she questioned cautiously.
"I need to make a trip to Europe in a few weeks. France. Paris, actually," Clay said quietly.
Haley sulked a little bit. "Paris? Can't someone else go?" she asked sheepishly.
He shook his head. "I'm sorry."
They had talked about things they wanted to do as a married couple. Near the top of the list was going to the City of Love, Paris. Both had studied French in high school and were fascinated by the language and culture. Haley was crestfallen when she heard that he was going without her. "It's okay. I know you have to go," she lied.
Clay smiled at her. "I knew you'd understand. I love you," he said with a kiss on the lips.
Haley didn't want to let go of his hand but sighed as he left the room. She felt so alone at that moment.
"So what happened?" Rachel asked Nathan, giving him coffee. Rachel knew that he secretly didn't like the taste of coffee that much, but in order to make himself feel more like an adult than a child, he sucked it up and drank the coffee with his friends.
Rachel sighed. "I tried to tell Haley about Clay," he revealed.
"Uh oh. You said 'tried'. As in, unsuccessful," she noted.
He sighed again. "It didn't work out, Rachel. She was incredulous. She didn't even consider it. And then, she kicked me out of her house. She said I was lying and I'm sure she hates me now," he commented.
Rachel shook her head incessantly. "She can't hate you, Nathan. If she does, she's a fool. You're an amazing person, and Haley has to realize that. You're so much better than Clay," she insisted.
"Would you all stop with the two of us belong together all of that? She's getting married. Today was proof that nothing will ever happen between the two of us. She's in love with him," he snapped. Another sigh. "I'm sorry, Rach. I didn't mean to yell, but I just don't want to think about her being with someone like that. She deserves more and I really want her to be happy," Nathan explained.
"I know you do, Nate, I'm sorry that things are working out this way, but I'm sure that Haley will end up with the right person. She's a good person and she deserves that much," Rachel agreed, taking Nathan's hand.
They exchanged a smile and Nathan took a sip of the coffee, feeling like a child again. If only things were as simple as they were when he was seven.
Haley arrived at Peyton's house, giving her a hug. Peyton wrapped her arms around the much taller brunette. Haley smiled for what felt like the first time that day.
"Are you ready to go to your first ultrasound, P. Sawyer?" Haley asked Peyton, who was glowing.
Peyton nodded happily. "Very ready. I've been waiting all day," she informed her.
The two walked out to Haley's car. Haley insisted she drive, even though Peyton was only five or six weeks pregnant.
Peyton leaned back in the seat. "I'm enjoying my figure while I can. In a few months, I am going to be so big that I probably won't even be able to sit in this car," she said.
Haley laughed. "I think you're exaggerating. Maybe just a little?"
Peyton shrugged. "Maybe. Just a little."
The two exchanged a smile. Peyton really wanted Haley to know she wanted her support. Even though she thought her fiancé was a liar and a horrible boyfriend, she would always support Haley. Except for when it came to marrying Clay and starting a family.
Haley was glad knowing Peyton wanted her support and knew it was a big deal going to the first ultrasound. She felt honoured to become a part of the baby's life. She knew Peyton would need all the support she could get.
Once arriving at the OB/GYN's office, Haley became weary with the amount of pink and blue all over the room. There were so many pictures all over, making her feel uncomfortable. Peyton held her hand.
"Hales, I'm kind of scared," Peyton confessed quietly. She looked so sweet and innocent.
"You'll be fine, Peyton. You're not having the baby for another seven months, at least," Haley reassured her.
Peyton sighed and nodded.
Eventually, the two made their way into the OB/GYN's room and Peyton sat uncomfortably on the chair. Quickly, the nurse came and gave her the revealing, annoying paper gown required in the office, and Peyton reluctantly changed into it.
She came back, and not two minutes later, the doctor entered the room. Doctor Reynolds was Peyton's (and Haley's) OB/GYN. She was a really nice woman, about thirty or thirty-five, and Peyton and Haley both liked her a lot.
"Hello, Peyton, Haley, What brings you here today?" she asked brightly.
"I just came in for my first ultrasound," Peyton reminded her. "I just want to make sure everything's okay and just get to know about all the things I should and shouldn't be doing," she added.
Dr. Reynolds nodded. "Okay, well, why don't we get in there and see what's going on. Just to let you know, you're still not far enough along for me to use the abdominal machine to get a look, so we have to go another way," she explained.
Peyton took a deep breath and nodded. Haley got a little weary when Dr. Reynolds brought over a machine which had a long stick attachment. She figured where this was going and had to shake out the pins and needles she got in her hands.
"Whoa, Hales. You seem more nervous than I do," Peyton commented.
"Is the future Mrs. Evans going to be coming back here under different circumstances?" Dr. Reynolds asked. Her tone suggested something else entirely.
Haley shook her head. "No. We talked about it and we'd like to wait before having children," Haley informed them. "I'm on birth control right now," she explained.
Peyton rolled her eyes slightly while Dr. Reynolds nodded.
A few minutes later, the image came up on the screen. Haley saw tears forming on the edges of Peyton's eyes and water droplets forming on her long eyelashes. Peyton couldn't help but beam.
"Oh, my God. Haley," she said. Haley held her hand. She smiled at the sight, as well.
Dr. Reynolds sighed. "This is what I live for," she said quietly.
After a few minutes of admiring and printing out a few copies of the ultrasound, the machine was turned off and Peyton got to change back into her real clothes (which she was very thankful for).
"So, Peyton, one of the first things you should do it get started on some prenatal vitamins. I'm warning you that they will make you gain water weight, so your cute little figure may not remain so tiny, but it'll give the baby more nutrients and all those good things. Also, try not to go tanning or anything with a large amount of UV or Gamma-rays. In other words, try not to do anything that you'll need an x-ray for. It could hurt the baby," she explained.
Peyton nodded. "When should I come back here?"
"I'd say another six weeks. You're about six weeks right now. Then, you'll be about three months pregnant. You'll be a little bit rounder, and then, you'll be entering your second trimester," Dr. Reynolds informed her. She handed Peyton a copy of the ultrasound. "Congratulations, Peyton."
Peyton left the office, smiling, arm-in-arm with Haley. "I'm so happy, Hales. I know this baby wasn't at all planned, but I already love him or her," she said, glancing down at her flat stomach.
Haley nodded, leading Peyton to the car.
"It makes me think a lot about things. Like whether or not I really want children sooner or later," she said as she put the keys in the ignition. "I don't want to wait too long to have children."
Peyton nodded, not saying anything.
"Maybe I even want to start trying now."
Although she didn't say anything, the look on Peyton's face said it all.
Of course, Haley couldn't tell; she was already driving, and already far too oblivious to see how bad Clay really was for her.
"Ugh….pick up, pick up, pick up!" Peyton exclaimed in the phone. It gave one or two more rings before it went to Brooke's voicemail again. Peyton screamed as she threw her landline at the couch. She sighed. "You want to talk at three in the morning but you can't be bothered to answer when I call you at five in the evening!" she shouted. Regardless, nobody could hear her.
She looked around her empty apartment. The only thing that made her smile was knowing that eventually, that room would be filled with baby things.
Of course, Brooke was way too busy to answer Peyton. She had cuter priorities to tend to.
And before you go insane, wondering who could possibly be cuter than Peyton, picture a shaggy-haired, blue-eyed boy with the cutest smile sitting across from you.
Brooke was in that same situation.
Lucas smiled brightly as she attempted to eat Chinese food with her chopsticks. She finally gave up, putting the chopsticks down.
"So, again, I'm sorry that I acted like a complete and total bitch the other day, but around you, I just feel...stupider," she said. She picked up her cocktail, which was a Cosmopolitan Champagne, and a pretty pink colour. That was probably the main reason she chose that drink off the menu.
It must've tasted good, too, since it was her third or fourth one, and she was getting a little tipsy. She had to have been tipsy; there was no other way she'd own up to being bitchier than usual the other day.
"I just really like teasing you. You're such a tease. And you're so funny!" she exclaimed loudly. Lucas just had to laugh at a drunk Brooke.
"I think you've had one too many of these," Lucas said, taking the drink away from Brooke.
Brooke pouted in return. "I'd say I hate you, but I could never hate you," she confessed.
Lucas felt butterflies rise in his stomach at the sound of Brooke saying that. "Really?" he asked quietly.
She nodded. "Can you bring me home? I'm pretty sure we know which one of us should not be operating any heavy machinery at the moment," she said with a laugh.
He nodded, glancing at his drink quickly. He had settled for just a soda. And then he saw the four empty glasses of alcohol.
"I think we should get the bill right now."
Lucas flagged down the waiter. Brooke took a final bite of her food when she finally heard her phone ringing. It wasn't Peyton this time. It was Rachel. "Hello?" she answered, her mouth full of food.
"Brooke? Where are you?"
Brooke looked around, forgetting where she was. She shrugged, forgetting that Rachel couldn't see her.
Rachel sighed. "Never mind. Can you come to my apartment as quickly as possible? I tried calling Peyton, but she didn't answer and I don't want to bother her," she explained.
Brooke sighed dramatically. "Can you talk to my bodyguard, Rach? My bodyguard-slash-chauffer-slash-potential-boy-toy?" she asked with a slight slur.
Before Rachel could answer, Brooke passed the phone to Lucas, who had just gotten the check. "It's a fan. She wants to arrange a meet and greet. Can you ward her off?" she inquired before she began to play with the stirrer that came with her cocktail. She took two and put them in her mouth like she was a walrus.
Lucas looked her over, a little disturbed. "Sorry about Brooke. I think she's a little more than tipsy, and I'm pretty sure she thinks she's a walrus right now," he said as he observed Brooke's childlike/drunk state. "This is Lucas, by the way."
"Figures," Rachel sighed. "Can you bring her over as soon as possible? And can you stay the night at my place? Nathan's really upset. He needs help right now," she added.
"Of course. I just have to pay and find a way to get Brooke into the car…" he trailed off, contemplating a solution to this dilemma.
"Just give Brooke a paper plate or something else round and have her make believe that she's driving. Brooke likes to be in control," Rachel advised.
Lucas nodded while looking over at Brooke, who was now poking herself with chopsticks. "Yeah…I'll see you soon, Rachel. I think that we'd better get going soon."
Haley lay down that night, alone in her bed. Even though it was warm in the house, she felt so cold. She wished at times like these that Clay was with her more often.
She shook her head, scolding herself silently. She felt so selfish, taking Clay for granted. It was true, that he didn't have to be there with her. But he stood by her through thick and thin. And still, she asked for more and more, like a truly selfish person.
Haley fell asleep as she listened to Clay chatter away with someone, his voice as soothing to her as on the very first day, when they had met in school, and when he saved her the first time.
Her eyes shut and she fell into the spell of sleep before she could recall that day in full.
Lucas led the drunk Brooke into Rachel's apartment. Nathan was sitting on the couch. He looked so miserable; he might as well be in one of those commercials for anti-depressants. He was curled up, facing away from them and cuddling in a blanket.
Without thinking (or thinking with her drunk brain), Brooke jumped onto the large couch right next to Nathan. She began to hug him, almost like she was spooning him. "Can you help me? I'm cold," she mumbled.
Nathan offered Brooke some of the blankets and she began to cuddle closer. "You and I seem to be the only ones that think Haley and Nathan should have cute Naley babies. I want to sleep with you like this every night. Can you be my human dream catcher? Maybe your long hair can work as a real dream catcher," Brooke suggested sleepily.
Nathan sighed, not really thinking about most of her comments. "Well, I think that she's trying to tell you that, Lucas, not me," he said, getting up and leaving the blanket to Brooke.
Brooke brought it close to her and snuggled in the fuzzy thing. "Brooke and Lucas…shippity ship ship ship ship…" she trailed off. "Haley and Nathan…hashtag, I ship dat. Shippity ship ship ship," she said with a cute little giggle.
"I'd say that she's really drunk and I'll give her five minutes until she passes out," Rachel said.
At that, Nathan began the stopwatch on his phone. Rachel rolled her eyes. She got back on topic. "Nate, can you explain to Lucas and Drunk Brooke what you did today?" she inquired with a sarcastic undertone.
Nathan looked down at his feet. "I told Haley about Clay," he said finally.
"What about Clay?" Lucas asked. He was clearly out of the loop.
"That he's cheating on her. And then she kicked me out of his house," Nathan explained sheepishly.
Lucas stood, his mouth open. Brooke groaned on the couch. "For someone so smart, you're sooo stupid, Haley James!" she exclaimed with a slur.
"Haley seems like a smart girl, but I have to agree with Brooke. How much more will it take before Haley realizes that this relationship is toxic? Clay neglects her, abuses her, cheats on her, and is going to cheat on her when they're married," Lucas fumed.
Rachel braced herself for impact, the only person realizing that Nathan was unaware of the second statement.
"What?" Nathan asked. He already looked tense and ready to snap.
Lucas fumbled, not knowing what to say. "Um…"
"What do you mean by 'He abuses her'?" he demanded.
Rachel sighed, figuring she better explain this one. "Brooke and Peyton have seen it. We've talked about it. They said that sometimes, when Clay drinks, he gets a little physical, and not in a good way," she explained.
"How can you be so calm about it, Rach?! She's your friend, too, isn't she? How can you sit by and let her get hit?!" It was clear that Nathan was losing it at this point.
Rachel sighed. "Nathan, I can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves! I can't do anything to help her until she actually admits to someone that she's being abused, but whenever Brooke and Peyton bring it up, she denies it."
Nathan shook his head, clearly annoyed with the entire situation. Lucas was caught in the middle. Brooke laughed in her sleep, hugging the pillow. "You and I are going to be beeeeestest friends ever, and we're going to bring Haley and Nathan together. But once I get with Lucas, you can be my sidekick. And the fifth wheel on our dates. But maybe I can find you a nice pillowcase to go out with us. Hooooraaaaay for shipping….shippity ship ship ship," Brooke sighed.
Haley sighed. Not only was she feeling the stress of wedding planning, Clay going away, and her friends pushing her relentlessly towards Nathan, but now she had to deal with his accusations that Clay was cheating and something else.
She closed her eyes, willing those thoughts out of her brain.
The rhythmic and steady sound of water hitting the floor of the shower in the bathroom soothed Haley a little. She looked through Clay's belongings one final time to make sure that he had everything he needed for his trip. It was at times like these when Haley wondered whether she was supposed to be Clay's mother or fiancé.
Haley closed the suitcase as she felt two hands on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Clay standing there, shirtless. She gulped, unable to keep the teenage girl hormones and estrogen in check. She felt her mouth go a little dry.
"Can I drive you to the airport?" she muttered, wanting to be with him for as long as possible.
He nodded, teasing Clay by reaching around to take a shirt to put on. Haley held her breath at the contact.
"I'll be ready in fifteen minutes, Hales," he said quietly. She nodded.
Little did Haley know, while she was at the airport, dropping off Clay, Brooke was snooping around her house.
"Ugh, I don't think you guys gave me the right painkiller. I requested a bottle with a trough of water, not a baby aspirin," Brooke complained over the phone as she walked in.
"Brooke, it was all Rachel had in her apartment," Lucas responded.
Brooke scoffed. "So? How hard was it to go to the farm and get that trough I asked for?" she inquired. She walked up to the stairs to the second level, her Christian Louboutins clacking on the hardwood. Haley's no shoes-on-wood rule was shot to hell.
Brooke slipped into Haley and Clays' bedroom, automatically feeling creeped out. "Why was I coming here again?" she asked.
"I don't know, Brooke. You went there for unspecified reasons," he reminded her bitterly.
She had an a-ha moment. "It's because I knew you'd be judgmental. I was looking to see if I could find incriminating evidence. First I need to put on the sterilizing gloves. The last thing I need is to touch gonorrhea or syphilis germs unprotected. Especially off of some bitch I don't know," she said, looking around the seemingly spotless room.
Brooke walked into the en suite bathroom and fished out the disposable latex gloves Haley used for her OCD cleaning rampages. "Lucas, I need a guy's opinion on this. If you were married and were having an affair and brought your mistress home, where would you have sex?" she asked.
Lucas stuttered. "Well…I…I wouldn't…I'm not that kind of person," he finally mustered.
"If you were. Where you want to have sex?" she pressed.
"Not in the bed. That's kind of disrespectful. Even for Clay. Does he have an office or something at home? Maybe there?" he guessed.
Brooke nodded, though Lucas couldn't see, and went to Clay's home office. She looked through the drawers, around the cabinets, under the desk, pretty much everywhere. She stumbled upon something.
She groaned. "Clearly, Clay is not as neat as Haley, and right now I wish he was," she said, holding back a gag.
"What happened?"
She made a face. "You really don't want to know. Moving on," she announced, walking downstairs and getting to the living room. She stuck a gloved hand in between the couch cushions and felt something.
"I think I got a hit!" she exclaimed.
Pulling her hand out, she found a bra. "Damn! I was right! This couch eats everything!"
"What did you find?" Lucas asked.
"It's a bra, and, no offence to her—bless Haley's cute, naïve heart—there is no way that she could fill out this bra. It looks like a 34C or D, AKA, not Haley," she explained.
Lucas sat, trying to figure out what that meant. "I wish I knew how to speak bras, but I don't," he commented.
Brooke sighed. "Right."
She picked it up and placed it aside, making as little contact as she possibly could. She sighed, sticking her hand in the cushion again, looking for more. She ran her hands up and down the length of the couch and finally made a discovery. She pulled it out, finding a matching thong.
"This certainly does not belong to chaste little Haley James. This is probably the tiniest g-string I have ever seen. Clay can rot in hell for all I care," Brooke concluded bitterly.
Outside, she could hear an engine come to a stop as a car pulled into the driveway. "I've got to go, Luke. Haley is back."
Brooke hung up the phone, bracing herself for impact as Haley walked in. Haley came into the kitchen to get a glass of water, not noticing Brooke at first. She finally noticed her. She stopped in her tracks. "What are you doing here, Brooke? Did we make plans? Because if we did, I was just dropping Clay off at the—"
Brooke put her hand up and stopped Haley. With her gloved hand, she lifted up the lingerie. Haley looked confused. "What is that?" she asked, seemingly unaffected.
"It's something I found in your couch. I know it's not yours. I heard about what Nathan said to you," Brooke explained.
Haley sighed. "It's not your business what happens in our relationship!" she exclaimed.
"It's my business if one of my best friends is unhappy in her relationship," Brooke countered.
Haley scoffed. "I'm not unhappy," she insisted.
"You will be, Haley. Nathan was right. Clay is cheating on you. How do you even know that this 'business trip' he's on isn't just a romantic getaway with the girl you know nothing about?" Brooke asked irritably. She loved Haley, but she really was getting annoyed at how oblivious she was to this entire situation.
"Brooke! I know you don't like him, but I thought that for once, you'd be able to get over it. Get over it because I love him and I want to marry him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him! Don't you understand? Have you ever felt that way about someone?!" Brooke demanded before she could keep the words from spilling out of her mouth.
As soon as they came out, Haley regretted it. She regretted it because she knew how much those words stung and brought back uneasy memories to Brooke.
Brooke only stood in shock. Still, she didn't show it. "I'm doing this because I know exactly how you feel. But I'm done trying to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. I'm out of here," Brooke answered calmly, yet angrily before she took her bag and left for the door.
"Brooke, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"
Haley's pleads were cut off by the definitive slam of the door.
Haley sighed and leaned against the wall, not sure what to do anymore. She looked over at Brooke's supposed evidence and at the door again. She eventually walked over to the counter where her computer was charging.
She looked up the soonest flights to Paris.
So I think that this was a really long chapter as I had to try and copy this about seven times on Microsoft Word before it actually worked. It was a little over 8 pages long. Just to avoid any confusion this all takes place in one day.
I know I left it on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but you'll find out what made Brooke so upset eventually. I was thinking it as I was writing, and I think it really makes an interesting dynamic between Haley and Brooke and eventually Brooke and Lucas.
Guest: I know right! LOL!
thibbs65: I hope so too! Those are all good reasons to like her.
lalez: I know many people are confused about Lucas and Brooke's relationship. I promise I will dip into that a bit later, and hopefully, by then, it will be clear and concise. I know I enjoyed Brooke growing into the strong independent girl she was during the show, however, for context sake I had to add drama to the story and their relationship because what is a good story without conflict, right? Trust me in this story Rachel is bearable she's not as crazy as she was on the show. Oooh, you might be on to something! May I ask what about this hurts your head, and heart? Don't worry, all of the tension and conflict between Brooke and Peyton, Peyton and Lucas, Brooke and Lucas will be cleared up eventually. I don't like writing to them being upset with each other, because I do enjoy their friendship, but as I said, good conflict makes for a good story. I agree I believe Lucas should not end up with anyone, just cause of his poor character development. I know it's hard for me to write Clay being a complete a-hole, opposite of his character on the show, but I couldn't write him being this perfect-ideal boyfriend. It wouldn't make sense as to why they would break up, ya know? May I ask why the flashbacks confuse you? I would like to know so I can try and write it less confusing next time. Thank you for your review! I loved all of them. I hope you stick with this story and see where it goes!
dianehermans: thank you! I do as well.
Guest: I hope the bubble at the beginning of this chapter cleared up the confusion for you. I apologize that you are not enjoying the story, as it is confusing. I will try my hardest to make sure to make the upcoming chapters less confusing for everyone.
sandygirl: It is no problem. Thank you, I do as well. They will be together soon I promise I am just taking my time writing their relationship as well as Naley's because I don't just want to jump into having them together as it won't make very much sense ya know?. Thank you again, I wanted to do to that for a while and I thought Peyton was the best one to give that storyline too, as brucas aren't developed yet, and Haley and Clay are a whole other ballgame. When it comes to Brooke and Lucas, they will have children eventually I promise. They got to get married and sort through their issues first LOL!
With that being said, I don't know when I'll update next, but hopefully, it is soon.
Thanks for reading!
Until next time! -Sidney
P.S: I was right, this is super long. It's over 9,000 words!