"We accept the love we think we deserve."
-Stephen Chbosky
Chapter 9
January 16, 2007
Peyton looked over things one last time for Haley. She showed her a list which was on the refrigerator.
"And those are the emergency numbers. There's money in the cookie jar with twenty dollars for pizza," Peyton told Haley.
Haley scoffed. "I think I can manage, Peyton. I'm not in high school; I'm not doing this for minimum wage," she reminded her.
"Good, because I wasn't planning on paying you. Consider this tribute for the time I held back your hair all day when you decided it would be a good idea to eat three half-gallon containers of ice cream in one day. To make it worse, your lactose intolerance was acting up," she said.
Haley rolled her eyes. "You're never going to get over that, are you?"
"Nope. But thanks for watching Anna on my date with Jake," Peyton said as she began to put on some heels. She stood and walked towards the door, opening it. She stopped while it was ajar. "And I would normally say no boys allowed, but I think you and Nathan are adorable, and I trust you not to do anything inappropriate with Anna around," she added.
"Okay, Peyton. You should probably go before you get ahead of yourself. We'll be fine. I'll take good care of Anna," Haley promised.
She ushered Peyton out the door before she walked into Anna's nursery, picking her up and rocking her.
Anna was such a lovable little girl.
Except for when she wasn't.
Haley was trying to coax Anna into eating, but the feat seemed to be near impossible, as the little girl was smart enough to swiftly avoid any food Haley had tried to give her. Peyton had suggested earlier that if she wouldn't eat the pureed foods, to try and give her formula, but she didn't want that either.
Haley sighed as someone knocked on the door. She gave up, getting up to get the door. She allowed Nathan, who was standing there, to come in. Normally, she would've given him a small kiss, but she was too frustrated by Anna's unwillingness to comply with her attempts. Nathan followed her inside. Anna smiled at Nathan.
"I can't get her to eat anything," Haley said, the frustration peeking out.
"Do you want me to help you?" he asked.
Haley shrugged. "Go right ahead. Good luck getting her to put anything in her mouth. I've been trying for like half an hour and she—"
Haley stopped midsentence when she saw Nathan feeding Anna with ease. It was like she was looking at the eighth wonder of the world.
"How did you manage to do that?" she asked in amusement.
He shrugged. "Maybe you're trying too hard," he teased.
Haley nudged him in the arm, playing along. "Hey!" she exclaimed. She sighed as she sat down next to him and across from Anna. "I realize that I may not be the most motherly person, and I probably shouldn't have children anytime soon. But you don't have to rub it in," she said with mock annoyance and disdain.
"Don't be ridiculous. You would probably make a great mother," he replied. Secretly, he was glad that Haley was able to make jokes so soon, though he knew that she was probably still thinking of her son.
She sighed as she looked at Anna, who was studying Nathan carefully. "Right now, I think I'm just content with being Anna's aunt," Haley said finally.
Nathan nodded. He could understand that.
"Peyton actually just asked me if I would be her godmother," she announced.
"Really? That's great, Haley," he said as he fed Nathan another spoonful of food. "You must be so excited."
She smiled. "I am. I love her so much." She was staring at Anna, who was still staring at Nathan intently with her big hazel eyes. "You know, she's really fascinated by you," she informed Nathan. "Almost as much as I am."
Nathan smiled brightly at her. He pecked her quickly on the lips.
"What was that for?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Nothing; for being you," he supposed. "Why? Do I need a reason to kiss you?" he asked jokingly.
She shrugged. "Clay always made me feel like everything he did for me, even kissing, had to have a justified reason. Like…I had to do something to earn it," she explained as she wiped away some food from Anna's cheek.
"You don't have to do anything but be yourself for me," he announced, entranced by her beauty. "If anything, I'm the one who's lucky to have you," he insisted.
Haley didn't say anything, but got up and picked up Anna. "I'm not having this argument with you right now," she responded with a discreet smile.
"What argument?"
She shrugged. "I just know that your statement is wrong, but I know that if I call you out on it, you're going to unremittingly deny it. Even though it's true," she answered.
"I'm right," he said stubbornly.
"No, I am. I'm the lucky one," she retorted playfully.
He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Hales. But I'm right."
She proceeded to pat Anna on the back, rocking her gently, and walking into her room. She looked around the room quickly. She remembered when Peyton first started living in the apartment that the room was bare and devoid of life. Now, it was bright, with baby toys present in nearly every corner of the room.
Haley placed Anna down gently in her crib, smiling as the little girl giggled. She reached out for a toy which was in her crib, snuggling up to it. Within a matter of minutes, the little girl succumbed to sleep. Haley smiled. Through the whole time, she hadn't realized Nathan was watching her from the doorway. She almost jumped as she saw him standing behind her.
"God, you scared me!" she said quietly, before brushing past him and into the living room. Nathan followed her, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Haley walked over to the dining room table, sitting for a moment before picking up a deck of cards. "Do you want to play a game?" she asked.
He shrugged. "Sure. What do you want to play?"
"Do you know how to play BS?" she asked.
"Doesn't everyone?"
She rolled her eyes with a smile as she took the cards out, beginning to shuffle them with ease, pulling a bunch of fancy card tricks on the deck.
"What, did you aspire to be a blackjack dealer?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I had a boyfriend in high school who was completely the opposite of what my parents would've wanted: he was a professional poker player. Or, he was working at it," she explained.
Nathan laughed. "But he's a professional," he insisted.
Haley rolled her eyes. "You're right. He was a professional. Anyway, I picked up some things from him," she explained.
"I'm sorry, I can't picture you dating a poker player. Did he have a bunch of tattoos? Piercings?" he asked.
She thought about it. "He had a lot of tattoos and a piercing in his left ear. I don't even think I was attracted to him. I was just attracted to the notion of dating someone my parents didn't like. And then, when I got to college, I realized that they didn't want me dating guys like that for a reason. And I don't mean guys who looked like him. I mean guys who just don't care about anything," she said as she began to deal the cards. She looked up at him as she placed the last card in his deck. "In fact, compared to the guys I was seeing in high school and college, you'd be a saint. Even if you do have a tattoo," she teased with a smirk.
"So now I'm meeting your parents? And how do you know if I have a tattoo?" he inquired as he picked up the cards.
She smiled. "I'm just being hopeful; that's all." Her smile faded to a smirk.
Haley was caught in a trance as she stared at him. "You're an amazing person, you know that?" she asked finally.
He looked up at her as he put down two cards. "Two twos," he said.
"You're amazing, but BS. I have three," she said.
He shrugged. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice," he answered.
"I should've realized you really can't play BS with two people. Do you want to see what else Peyton has? I think there are Monopoly and Scrabble in her closet," Haley said, averting her eyes from him as she took the cards on the table.
"Monopoly takes too long," he replied. "Let's play Scrabble."
Haley nodded before going off to get it. She returned with the board game and placed it on the table.
"Prepare to be beaten to a pulp," she teased.
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Confident, aren't we? You should know I'm undefeated at this game."
About seven rounds and two or three glasses of wine into the game, Haley examined the board before determining which move she would make. She finally put down the word "scamper", putting her a few points ahead of Nathan.
"Your turn," she announced with a smirk as she calculated the points.
Nathan examined her, looking down at his tiles. In no amount of time, he came up with "syllabus", reaching the triple word score and the double letter score on the letter "A", giving him forty-two points, plus fifty points for the bingo bonus, pushing him way ahead of Haley, as this round, he scored ninety-two points.
"Boom," he said simply. "Ninety-two points. Beat that."
Haley scowled as she double and triple checked him, but found that he was correct. "You got lucky this time," she mumbled.
He shook his head and fished around the bag for more tiles.
After a few more gruelling rounds and two more glasses of wine, the game was over. Haley threw the pencil down in defeat.
"Fine. You won. This time," she argued.
He rolled his eyes. "Admit it, Haley. You're inferior to me at this game," he teased.
She scoffed. "You got lucky and I haven't played in almost a year. No big deal," she insisted.
Nathan simply laughed. His smile was infectious and Haley found herself smiling again. Her phone buzzed against the table. She picked it up and glanced at it, her smile fading and being replaced by a scowl.
This did not go unnoticed by Nathan, as he noticed that her phone had been buzzing throughout their game. "Is someone bothering you, Hales?" he asked.
She shrugged, beginning to pick up the tiles. "Someone told Clay that I was pregnant and he's been bothering me. Especially recently," she explained warily.
"How recently?"
"The last month or so. I don't know if he knows that I had the baby," she revealed.
Nathan looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. "You have to tell him."
She sighed. "I know. But I don't even want to look at him, Nathan. I don't even want to think about him. I just want to forget."
She closed the bag and placed all of the contents of the game back in the box before turning to Nathan. "Nathan…help me forget," she said.
He furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?" he asked wearily, worried about where this was going.
"I just want to remember what it's like to laugh again and be happy. And you're the person who I think would help me the most," she confessed quietly as she went into Peyton's room to put back the board.
Nathan thought about it as he heard someone fumbling with the doorknob and knew immediately it was Peyton.
Haley walked back in the room about the same time Peyton walked in. Peyton sighed as she sat down on the couch, taking off her heels.
"Hey, Peyton. How was your date?" Haley asked.
Peyton threw her shoes on the floor and sighed. "Great! How was yours?" she looked a little bit glassy-eyed, a pretty clear indicator that she was likely a little bit tipsy.
Haley turned the slightest shade of pink. "I wasn't on a date," she murmured.
Nathan took that as his cue to leave. "I think I'd better show myself the way out. Goodbye, Peyton." He turned to Haley, smiling at her. "Bye, Hales."
As soon as the door clicked shut, Peyton broke out into a devious smile. "Aww…you're both so adorable! So how did that date go?" she asked.
Haley rolled her eyes. "There really was no date. We just stayed here while Anna was sleeping and played Scrabble."
Peyton raised her eyebrow. "Haley! I never pictured you guys doing it in someone else's apartment. Though truth be told, I'm not that grossed out by it, unless you did it in my bed."
"Peyton!" Haley exclaimed incredulously. "What are you talking about? We didn't do anything."
"I know what playing Scrabble is code for. It's code for Rock, Paper, Take Off All Your Clothes," she mumbled.
Haley shook her head. "You need to go to sleep. I'm not bringing the horse tranquillizer tomorrow," Haley warned before she brought Peyton to bed.
Haley was channel surfing later that night when her phone buzzed. She was fearing another text from Clay but instead received one from Nathan.
Do you want to go out sometime?
Haley contemplated this. She decided to tease him some by dragging this out forever.
Like on a date? A romantic one?
She realized she was being cruel, not to mention that Nathan had been waiting forever for something like this to happen, but figured he might as well know he was possibly getting involved with a sadist.
Yes. You can say no if you don't want to go.
She smiled at his sweetness. How could she refuse?
I would love to go on a date with you. Just say when and where and I'll be there.
She cringed at how cheesy that sounded but got a reply quickly.
I thought maybe we could meet at Panino. That one that we first went out to? Is Wednesday at six a good time?
Haley made a mental note to cancel anything she might've scheduled for that day.
It sounds perfect. I'll see you then.
Haley paused in the mirror as she observed herself in the mirror.
God, why was she such a perfectionist?
She fixed the red sundress she was wearing, wondering if the dark red shade of red on her lips was too dramatic. She wondered if her heels made this feel like too much of a formal date. She felt kind of over-done for this simple first date.
But she wanted to make an impression. She wanted to make him say, "Wow."
He's going to say it, anyway. He already loves you. You don't need to try with him.
The voice in her head, for once, was right. Haley didn't want to admit it, but she knew, deep down, that this was the truth.
Nathan paced back and forth in his apartment, stressing over this first date with Haley.
He was excited, to say the least since he had been waiting for this for ages, but he couldn't help but wonder whether he would really screw things up. That was his biggest fear.
He walked into the room filled with all the paintings. For a moment, he wondered whether this was normal, or if someone would see his pictures as a creepy gesture, making him out to be a stalker.
He tried to shake the uncertainty.
Something, however, caught his eye.
He had a great idea.
Haley took a deep breath before she opened the door and walked into the diner, looking for Nathan. She spotted him and walked over.
Nathan stood, pulling out her chair and helping her into her seat. She smiled. At the risk of causing Susan B. Anthony to turn over in her grave, she wasn't all too unhappy to see that chivalry was still alive and well. It wasn't something that Haley was used to—having a man show such a simple gesture of affection.
Nathan gave her a bunch of white orchids. Haley figured that he really liked her since he was pulling out all the stops. She took them graciously.
"Nathan…they're beautiful. Thank you," she said.
He gazed at them, then at Haley. "They're still not as beautiful as you," he replied quietly. "I looked up their meaning. White orchids mean delicate beauty. Like you," he explained.
Haley didn't even try to contain her blush.
It was you all along.
As the end of their date was approaching, both of them didn't want it to end. They were avoiding the topics, veering off into other ones, ordering multiple cups of coffee so they'd have another excuse to stay.
Neither one ever felt the need to make a conversation. There was never a need for talking, as there was this unspoken agreement that they were content with each other's company. It was a sight that could make even the most cold-hearted person smile.
"You do realize that we will eventually have to leave, right?" she said, breaking him out of his childlike laughter.
"I know," he answered somewhat sadly.
She smiled optimistically. "But that doesn't mean that this date has to end." Her words were coated in the same childlike veneer.
"What are you saying?" he inquired.
She shrugged. "A rematch? I've been brushing up on the dictionary and my Q-without-U words," she informed him.
He sighed. "I don't know. Do you really want to put yourself through the pain of losing again?" Nathan asked playfully.
"Who are you calling the loser?"
Haley watched Nathan place the tiles down as she held a glass of wine to her lips, not drinking any.
"Yellowing. That's twenty-one. Times three is sixty-three. I think that would push me way ahead of you," he said with a smug expression.
She bit her lip as she placed the glass down. He was crushing her, and it was his first turn. She had, unfortunately, gotten a bunch of vowels that were utterly useless, and the only decent word she could form was "yell".
She nodded, trying to keep the disappointment off her face. "So it's seven and sixty-three, you. But things could still turn around."
He flashed her a smile, which she found infectious. She gave in and smiled. "Fine. I've finally met my match with this game. I admit it," she said. "But for the record, you're the only other person I've played who hasn't been completely crushed."
"I can deal with being the only one."
For everything.
She nodded in agreement. She looked down at her tiles when her phone buzzed. Admittedly, Nathan looked more nervous than she did.
She looked at the phone and placed it back down, her expression unwavering. Nathan looked at her with concern. "Was that Clay again?" he asked cautiously.
She shook her head. "No. I sorted that out. He shouldn't be calling again, ever," she replied brusquely. She sighed as she looked down at the tiles again.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
She looked up at him, her brown eyes filled with some kind of emotion. "What is there to talk about?" she asked innocently.
"A lot of things. How do you feel about it all?" Nathan asked.
Haley looked into the depths of his blue eyes, the windows to his soul, and saw how much he cared and how genuine he was about it all. "I don't know. It's weird. I feel sort of…alone. And I know it's because I've been pushing people away throughout all of this, but I regret it now. Things just don't feel the same with Peyton or Brooke or…anybody, really," she confessed.
"Things are different now. You're different," he agreed cautiously.
She nodded. "I'm different," she repeated. "I don't know if that's good or bad anymore."
"It can be a good thing."
"How do you feel about the new Haley?" she inquired nervously. She felt her nails digging into her palm as she waited for an answer.
He thought about it for a moment. "I think she's just as amazing as the old one. She's still Haley. She's just more…grounded and observant," he answered, picking out his adjectives carefully.
She laughed. "Are you saying I was stuck-up and ignorant before?" she asked. From the tone of her voice, he could tell she was joking.
He shook his head. "Not at all. I'm just saying that you've learned from what you've been through," Nathan answered with a smile.
A week later, Haley and Nathan were both leaving the restaurant that they had gone to for their second date.
"Do you maybe want to see that Hitchcock double feature next week? They're playing Psycho and The Birds at the classic movie theatre in town," he suggested.
Haley was about to bring up how Clay used to hate that movie theatre but bit her tongue. She didn't know how to answer.
"I used to love those old movies and I used to watch them a lot. I even remembered watching Psycho for the first time with my mom. She loved thrillers," he said.
Haley looked over at him, and she nodded. She wanted to talk about his family. She wanted to talk about her family. She wanted to talk about everything with him. "I'd love to go see that with you next week," she answered with a smile.
And once more, Haley was caught up in his dazzling blue eyes.
The car ride home consisted of about a minute of awkward silence. But then, Nathan turned on the radio. Some classic rock music came on.
"Do you really listen to this station?" she asked in disbelief. The only person she knew who listened to this station was her father in his wannabe-cool dad phase. It was an old station where they pretty much played the same ten songs all the time.
"What? You don't like rock music?" he inquired with mirrored disbelief.
She shook her head. "I like it. But the only person I know, or knew, who listened to this station was my father when he was going through his weird phase," she explained.
"Well, I'm not your dad, and we don't have to listen to it if you don't want to," he said, reaching out to turn off the radio.
Haley reached out, her hand touching his. He didn't pull away, nor did she. Eventually, he put both hands back on the steering wheel. "Don't change it. I like it," she said with a smile.
Nathan smiled, turning back to the road.
Haley sighed as they walked into her apartment. Months ago, if someone had told her that she would've been walking into her apartment, which she had alone, coming back from a second date with Nathan Scott, and she was already absolutely certain that she loved him, she would've laughed.
Then again, she was a different person a year ago. One year earlier, she never would've thought of being alone. She would've liked to have believed that Clay would be there for her, unconditionally. She also wouldn't have thought to have fallen in love after two dates.
Three months ago, Haley wouldn't have ever pictured such a beautiful moment. She would've figured that she was a lost cause when it came to love. She was already impregnated by someone, having their child. She would likely never meet a man who wanted anything more than just sex, simply because of that fact alone. And never in a million years would she have thought that she'd be on a date with Nathan. Secretly, she had hoped for it, but it never crossed her mind that her dream might have come true.
Now, it all felt so natural to her.
"Thank you for bringing me home. I had a lot of fun tonight," she said. "Do you want coffee?" she asked, already walking over to the quintessential coffee pot.
Nathan looked at her but sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't I have a lot to do tomorrow. I wish I could stay," he answered lustfully.
Haley found it endearing, his blue eyes seemed lost in thought. Still, she pouted. "Maybe some other time?" she asked.
"If we're still on for the double feature, I'm pretty sure that's an empty week for me, for the most part," he announced, acting as if he really were thinking about it in his mind.
She smiled and nudged him. "You're such a tease," she said.
Haley walked him to the door, saddened at the idea of him leaving. "Hey, Nathan?" she called out as he was about to leave.
He turned all his attention on her.
"Do you think it's possible to be in love after two dates?" she asked quietly.
"I'd say it feels as though we were dating for a lot longer," he answered honestly.
She nodded slightly. "I know, but…it feels crazy."
"Love is crazy," he reminded her.
She nodded with a smile. Their love was insanity but…it was her clarity, too. "I'll see you next week," Haley answered as she was about to watch him leave.
"Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked.
She nodded with a nervous smile. Nathan bent down to give her a gentle kiss on the lips.
"I was hoping you'd finally ask me that."
And for the first time, the past was the past.
Seven Months Later...
August 16, 2007
"You look really beautiful, Rachel," Haley commented as she watched Rachel fix her hair for the thousandth time in the mirror.
Rachel sighed. "I know how you feel about Tara, but you would be so wrong if you had seen her this past week before her wedding. She just went completely bridezilla," Rachel insisted as she fixed the part once more. Haley slapped her hand. "Ow! What was that for?" she demanded.
"If you touch your hair one more time, I will cut your hand off. You're ruining it," Haley scolded, fixing the locks she had spent so much time perfecting already. "And I seriously doubt that Tara could ever be that bad. She's the best and she's so sweet."
"To you. I've had the pleasure of being around her a lot this entire week, and it's been hell and back," Rachel responded.
Haley laughed. She stepped back to look at Rachel. "You look beautiful," she repeated. "You really do."
Rachel smiled at her. "Nathan is one lucky guy. You look hot, Haley," she insisted.
Haley blushed just thinking about it. She looked down at her dress. It had a short, flared skirt that reached about an inch above her knee. It was a sleeveless halter dress which was a deep, rich carmine colour.
Rachel glanced at the clock on the wall. "Come on, Hales. We're going to be late and Tara is going to have my head on a guillotine."
Haley looked at the clock and saw that they still had about an hour to get to the church which was thirty minutes away in Charlotte. "We still have time."
Rachel looked at Haley in amusement. "You, Haley James, claiming we don't have to leave yet? From what Brooke told me, thirty minutes early is late in your book. Is this the work of my best friend?" she asked, referring to Nathan.
"Maybe," Haley said. Her cheeks were about to match the same red as her dress. "Look, I'd appreciate it very much if you would stop scrutinizing my relationship."
Rachel smirked. "I think it's cute, Haley. You're still, oddly, in that honeymoon phase. Even though it's been seven months since you guys made it official," she commented. "I guess Nathan will just have to wait to see you when we get to the church because I'm stealing you for now," she said.
Haley nodded. "Are you and Nathan walking down the aisle together? Should I be jealous?" she teased.
"Like the first time, you saw us together?"
Now that Haley knew Rachel was a in a relationship, she felt silly every time she looked back on that memory; the memory she had of first meeting Rachel and Nathan. "I'm sorry. I didn't know!"
"I just want to let you know that dating Nathan would be like dating my brother. He practically is my brother. I'd never date him. But I don't think that Nathan is looking to date anyone else now," Rachel teased.
"Hey, stop it. I don't want to hear more about any of your crazy theories. The entire group has been driving the both of us crazy about everything," Haley said, being certain to use a very general term as not to give Rachel any ideas.
Rachel smiled. "You mean about you and Nathan getting engaged?"
Haley frowned. "Yeah. That," she grumbled. "Why are you so dead set on me and Nathan getting married? Wasn't this discouragement enough? If someone as cool as Tara can get all bent out of shape over her wedding, imagine what I would be like," she added.
"I'm thinking about the long-term. You know: cute Naley babies and a quaint little house for the two of you and your kids. And you'll probably have a lot of kids," Rachel said.
"You sound just like Brooke and I never pegged you for being dirty-minded, Rachel," Haley answered.
Rachel paused. "I wasn't insinuating anything." She turned to Haley "Are you?"
Haley froze and was certain her cheeks matched the colour of her dress.
"You dirty girl. But now that you mention it, I'm sure he's great in the sack. Is he?" she inquired absentmindedly.
Haley closed her lips tightly. "I wouldn't know. We haven't…done it," she disclosed reluctantly.
Rachel's mouth hung open slightly. "Are you planning on getting lucky tonight?" she asked with piqued curiosity.
Haley smiled. "We'll see. Maybe," she answered with a seemingly innocent smile.
Haley sat at the front of the church. Tara had asked for her to be right there weeks prior. Haley thought it was a kind gesture.
She stood as people began to walk down the aisle. First came down Shane, the groom. Haley had only met him once or twice, but he was a great person and she liked him a lot. Next came down two sets of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Then, Rachel came down by herself. Lastly, Nathan walked down with Tara. Tara was beaming as she walked to her soon-to-be-husband. What Haley realized was that Nathan was staring at her the entire time. Haley realized with some kind of embarrassment that she had only briefly glanced at Tara since she and Nathan walked in the room. She was locking eyes with him for most of the ceremony and only looked up when the rings were being exchanged and when Tara and Shane kissed for the first time as a married couple.
Nathan and Haley lingered in the church as most of the guests went outside to follow them. There were still a couple standing there, as if they were waiting for something else to happen, though it didn't.
"We should probably go," Nathan whispered quietly as he came very close to Haley. She took his hand and nodded.
"It was a beautiful ceremony," Haley commented absentmindedly as they got outside just in time to see the two off.
Nathan nodded in agreement. They both smiled at Tara and Shane, both with smiles spread wide across their faces.
Haley leaned her head against her arm, which was resting on the back of her seat as she watched the couple dance along with a few others. She sighed. She felt like a young, naïve girl, watching beautiful, older, wiser women dance in their high heels and fancy dresses. She remembered wanting to be like them when she was younger.
"Do you want to dance, Haley?"
Haley turned her head in surprise to look at Nathan. "I thought you said that you didn't dance. You never liked it. You didn't even dance at your high school prom," Haley recalled as if she were there with him.
Nathan shrugged. "I know you like it. And for you, I'll do it."
The corners of her mouth formed into a smile, and she took his outstretched hand.
"I'm warning you that I haven't danced like this in a while and I'm probably terrible," Haley warned him as he led her to the floor.
He pushed back a loose strand of hair. "I don't think there's anything that you're bad at. And trust me, I'm the bad one," he said before kissing her lightly on the lips.
Before Nathan, she hated when people used PDA. But now that she had him…well, could you really blame her? They were one of those couples who were fond of PDA, and people often found it disgusting in a cute way.
Before Nathan, she wasn't a lot of things. He changed her for the better.
Haley leaned her head against his chest. She could feel his heartbeat, which reminded her of how much shorter she was. When she was with Clay, she was about the same height as him in heels (one thing which completely angered him). She was pretty tall at 5'5". But Nathan was much taller at 6'4", a height she still wasn't in her highest heels.
"I hate that you're taller than me," she said with a slight pout. Though most people would've been angered at her temperament, Nathan found it cute.
"Can I tell you a secret, Haley? It's actually better than you're so much shorter than me," Nathan told her.
Haley looked up at him, not amused. "Really? I'd like to know how."
"When you and I hug, you can hear the heart which only beats for you," Nathan told her before kissing her on the forehead.
Haley smiled. "You're so cheesy and I love you for it," she said before she kissed him sweetly on the lips.
Haley laughed as Nathan dragged her down the hall to their room. They were both wearing the biggest smiles on their faces.
As soon as they were both in the room, Haley tossed her clutch onto the bed and felt her lips press onto Nathan's in an instant. She involuntarily moaned as she felt her back press against the door, shutting it. Her heart raced as she felt Nathan's hand on her cheek, the other pressed against the door, trapping her right in front of him.
"Give me five minutes?" she asked, biting her lip.
Though Nathan didn't want to, it was impossible to resist anything Haley had to say. He sighed and nodded. "Don't keep me waiting too long, Hales," he teased.
She watched him walk into the main of the room, her legs going numb. She wasn't sure what exactly it was…maybe his flirty nature, or how he called her "Hales", or just how he was so…Nathan. She let out a tiny sigh as she walked into the bathroom, removing her makeup and letting her hair out of its high ponytail. Even without her makeup, she felt so beautiful. It was likely because of Nathan. She ran the brush through her hair, then brushing her teeth before she walked back out. Before she even got a second to walk into the room, she felt herself being lifted off the ground and tossed over Nathan's shoulder. She yelped, but couldn't contain her laughter.
"What was that?" she asked through her laughter.
"You were taking way too long," he teased.
She pulled him by the collar of his shirt, dragging him closer to her. "Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" she asked teasingly, her lips fractions of a centimetre away from his.
"Maybe. But I think you have some making up to do."
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly, leaning back onto the bed and kissing him. As she went back for the second round of kisses, Nathan turned his head so she ended up kissing him on the cheek. She frowned.
"Don't you want me?" she asked innocently, her bottom lip sticking out.
He laughed at how cute Haley looked at that moment. He touched her cheek gently with his thumb. "Of course, I want you."
Haley felt her heart flutter a little in her chest.
"But are you sure you're ready?" he asked with concern.
She paused for a moment before nodding. She wrapped her arms around his neck, getting very close to his face again. "Remember what I told you seven months ago? After we played that game of Scrabble in Peyton's apartment, babysitting Anna? About how I wanted you to help me forget about Clay and all that crap I had to deal with? I want you to erase all the pain," she said, leaning into a kiss.
"Well, I think that might have been those six or seven glasses of wine you had talking," he teased.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm trying so hard to be romantic. You are not helping right now," she responded with a playful smile.
"Are you sure, Haley?" Nathan asked again.
She nodded. "I've never been surer about anything. I want you to make love to me, Nathan," she said softly. Her large brown eyes were filled with emotion, pleading. "Please, Nathan. I want to be with you in every which way."
For a moment, Nathan felt bad that Haley felt as though she had to beg him for this. He was extremely attracted to her. She was gorgeous. He met her lips in response. He pulled away before it could grow heated, looking her in the eyes. "I don't have anything," he informed her.
"I'm on the pill," she insisted. She pulled him closer.
Since when is she on the pill? She continued to kiss him. He couldn't recall a single instance which he ever saw Haley taking birth control, and he had stayed over her apartment a lot in the last few weeks.
Nathan's thoughts were silenced as Haley kissed him more passionately, as though she was demanding something. Haley smirked as she pulled away from him.
"What? Are you nervous someone's going to barge in? Lucky for us, Brooke isn't here and Peyton is hardly the type. And I chained the door," she teased before kissing him again. Her smirk faded. "Or do you not want to be with me?"
He shook his head incessantly. "No. I would love to be with you in that way," he responded, running his hand up her arm. "I don't want you to regret it afterwards," he insisted.
She scoffed. "Please. I've been dreaming about it since we started having sleepovers. Do you know how tempting it is when you're lying down next to me in only your boxers and I'm lying down next to you in only your shirts?" she questioned. "I've been—"
She was cut off by a deep, passionate kiss from Nathan. She began running her fingers through his hair.
"You talk way too much sometimes, Haley," he insisted before kissing her again.
She pulled away this time. "Did I mention that you make me feel stupid sometimes, I'm so love-struck?"
He nodded before kissing her again. "All the time. Not as much as I mention how gorgeous you are. Haley, you're so beautiful."
"Okay, Romeo, could you please just shut up and kiss me?" she demanded playfully.
He nodded, happy to comply with her demands. She pushed her back down into the large, plush pillows adorning the King-sized bed while kissing her. Her hand travelled down to the hem of his shirt, teasing him slowly as she touched his side so gently, pushing his dress shirt up and untucking it. His hands roamed from her cheek down the zipper, but not unzipping the dress.
"You're such a tease."
"So are you, Juliet."
She rolled her eyes and continued to kiss him. She unbuttoned his shirt quickly, desperate for the feel of his skin against hers. He proceeded to unzip the back of her dress, touching the bare skin on her back. She shivered at the contact. She felt chills go from his fingertips up and down her spine. The chills only increased as he began to place tender kisses from her jaw to her earlobe to the base of her neck. She bit her lip, trying to avoid any embarrassing moans or involuntary whimpers. She tried to steady her unstable hands so she could remove his shirt. She kissed him as she finally tossed it aside. She also began to pull up his wife-beater (and was so mesmerized by him that she didn't even make a mental note to question that name). Nathan slowly pulled off her dress and tossed it mindlessly on the floor. Haley watched the red chiffon land on the floor beside his white dress shirt and added his undershirt to it. Nathan watched her examine it.
Haley pecked him sweetly on the lips. She played with his hands; they were large in hers.
It was as though Nathan could read her mind. She was almost asking him to touch her, to come closer. He pressed his lips against hers, holding her closer to him. Haley's hands travelled down to the waist of his pants, unbuckling his belt in haste. Nathan practically kicked off his pants. Haley slid under the sheets. She smirked as if she were daring him to come closer.
Nathan smiled and got under the sheets with Haley. He had one hand on her waist, the other playing with the strap of her bra. She was wearing a black and red lace bra and black lace boyshorts. Nathan was wearing black boxers.
Nathan couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked. She almost looked like an angel, wrapped in white sheets. Her hair was spilling out onto the bed, and she was looking at him with lust-filled brown eyes. Her lips were stained red from the bright lipstick she was wearing that day. Her eyelashes looked long, and Nathan's heart swelled at her brilliant smile that she was using on him.
He was broken out of his reverie by Haley pulling him by the waistband of his boxers. She brought him closer to her. Her hands were on either side of his face, her thumb stroking his cheekbone. "Make love to me, Nathan," she repeated, her voice soft, yet seductive in an odd way. She bit her lip.
Nathan pulled her closer to him, kissing her with as much fervour and love as he could muster.
Haley laughed when the kiss was over, inching away from him for a second, so they were only connected by their hands, which were still intertwined together. "Call me crazy, but I'd say that you're happy to see me," she teased.
Nathan was glad that it was somewhat dark in their room since he felt a bit of colour rise to his cheeks. He came up with a witty comeback, a trait of Haley's that had rubbed off on him in the last months they were dating. "Just for that, Haley James, I'll get you back," he threatened.
She shook her head, kissing him aggressively. He ran his fingers roughly through her blonde curls, and she relished the feel of his bare skin making contact against hers. She clung onto him as he kissed her jaw. Her lips were right next to his ear.
"Nathan…I'm ready," she whispered quietly.
Haley rolled over, the light blinding her as she opened her eyes. She sighed, then groaned at the brightness. She rolled back over, finally realizing that Nathan was grasping onto her. Their legs were intertwined, both of them completely naked and covered only by the snow-white sheets on the bed. She snuggled back into his embrace, like the contact and the warmth. She could feel his hot skin on hers, and she smiled.
The smile faded when she felt him move. She looked up, seeing Nathan (unfortunately in his boxers now) walk across the room to get something. She frowned at the loss of contact.
"Why did you get up this morning? I miss laying next to you," Haley complained with a pout as she reached over and put Nathan's dress shirt from the previous night onto her small figure.
"This is going to sound really weird, but you look really good in my shirt," he commented flirtatiously.
Haley allowed Nathan to pull her closer to him. She rested her head on his chest.
"I need to tell you something, Nathan," she said, her eyes closing as she listened to his heartbeat.
He was the slightest bit concerned, but simply asked, "What?"
"I love you, so, so much," she said. It was barely audible, like a faint whisper. Nathan's heart melted a little. He already knew he could be hers, forever.
Nathan's thumb made circles on the small of Haley's back. "My heart is already yours, Hales," he replied, almost making a promise to her. "It will be, forever," he promised.
She smiled as she hugged him. "Thank you for last night. You were gentle and…it was amazing," she said, a blush creeping onto her face.
He brushed some stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I like waking up to you in my arms. Which is why I have to ask you something, Haley," he began seriously. Haley began to feel little butterflies. "I know it may be kind of soon and we've only been dating for seven months, but…will you move in with me?" he asked.
Haley was a little taken aback. That wasn't what she was expecting to hear from him. She was excited. Why was she so tongue-tied? She smiled. "I want to wake up every morning to your face and your blue eyes," she answered. She kissed him, bringing them both down on the pillows. One peck turned into two or three gentle kisses. Nathan's phone rang and Haley groaned.
"It's probably Rachel. I made her promise she'd call me as soon as she got to Miami," Nathan said before getting up to answer the phone.
Haley realized something as she watched Nathan pace back and forth, speaking to Rachel. She knew something she didn't know before she met him.
She knew what love felt like.
"Haley, how many boxes of shoes do you have? We might just have to go through your Louboutins, and I might just have to steal some," Brooke said as she dropped a box into Nathan's apartment, which was definitely big enough for the two of them.
Haley rolled her eyes. "They're not shoes, Brooke. They're books," she answered.
Brooke groaned. "Right. If it were Peyton, they'd probably be shoes. You're the boring one," she commented.
Haley glared at her, while Lucas walked past, bringing one of Haley's boxes into Nathan's—and soon, Haley's, as well—bedroom. That was the last of the boxes from Haley's apartment. All that was left to do was unpack and return the keys from her old apartment to the landlord.
"Brooke, can you help me unpack? I'm guessing that Luke doesn't want to sift through my clothes," Haley said, and Lucas immediately flashed a grateful smile.
Brooke groaned. "Hales, what makes you think that I'd want to look through your clothes, either? Some of it is so boring. Your clothing is so anal and refined," she commented.
"Well, on one of my mother's guilt-trips to New York, she went on a shopping spree down Fashion Avenue, and if you help me organize our closet, you can keep a pair of Manolos," Haley announced, knowing this would work.
Brooke looked her up and down. "Last season or this season?" she asked with her best poker face on.
"This season," Haley answered with a smirk. "Only the best for Lydia James."
Brooke glared at her. "Fine. But I get any pair of Manolos I want. And if you throw in a Rebecca Minkoff, I will colour coordinate yours and Nathan's closet," she said, sweetening the deal.
Haley extended her hand. "I think we have a deal."
Brooke shook it, smirking. "I think that my closet will be looking spruced up tonight."
"Haley! How could you put crimson next to maroon when it obviously goes next to carmine?" Brooke questioned as she grabbed a dress from my hand. She sighed as she put it in her proper spot. "Sweetie, I don't know what you'd do without me," she commented. Brooke brushed an unruly strand of chestnut-coloured hair away from her eye, stepping back to examine her work. She smiled at the result. "Consider this my early engagement present for the soon-to-be fiancés. You lovebirds make me sick."
Haley rolled her eyes. "What is with your obsessive need to put Nathan and I together? Why do you want us to get married so much?" she inquired.
"Because there are some couples who once the two people are together, you can tell that you're already in it for the long haul. You and Nathan are one of those couples. I personally think that Nathan should've done it the second he met you," Brooke said.
Haley was about to protest when there was a knock on the door. She simply stood there.
"Aren't you going to get it?" Brooke asked.
Haley snapped out of her little daydream. "Right. This is my apartment now, too," she said. Suddenly, she was a little calmer, simply thinking of him. "This is our apartment," she repeated.
Brooke pushed her out of another mini-daydream by shoving her towards the door. Haley stumbled as she made her way to the door. She looked through the peephole. She saw a girl with dirty blond-brown hair and blue eyes in front of the door. Brooke looked at her expectantly.
"Who is it?" she asked.
Haley shrugged, confused herself. "It's a girl."
"Uh-oh," Brooke murmured, already not liking where this is going.
Haley decided to open up. The girl looked a little surprised to see her.
"Can I help you?" Haley muttered. She was secretly hoping that if she was in any way connected to Nathan, she was a long lost sister or something. Please don't let it be an ex…or worse…
"Oh, I must have the wrong apartment. I'm looking for Nathan Scott," she commented.
Haley nodded slightly. "He lives here. He's not here right now." She tried to figure out what to say next. "Who are you?" she inquired as politely as she could possibly be.
"I've just been looking for him. When he gets back, can you give him this number and tell him that Lindsey is back in Tree Hill? I've been meaning to talk to him for a long time. I've put it off for too long," the girl said.
Haley took the number. She nodded slightly, not offering any emotion to this girl. She quickly closed the door.
"Who was she?" Brooke asked.
Haley shrugged, looking down at the number again. "She said her name is Lindsey and she asked me to give Nathan her number. She told me to tell him she was back in Tree Hill and that she needed to speak to him," she explained.
"Are you going to do it?" Brooke inquired.
"Why shouldn't I?"
Brooke sighed. Haley was so naïve. "It's probably an ex who wants to get back with Nathan! I mean, can you really blame her? He's hot and sweet. And you didn't even mention that you're his current girlfriend!" Brooke scolded.
Haley suddenly began feeling more self-conscious. "I'm not going to keep this from Nathan. That'll just cause more trouble. Whatever happens, happens," she supposed.
Brooke became softer. "I didn't mean it like that, Hales. If she is an ex, they're exes for a reason. Nathan probably dumped her ass. Besides, she kind of gave off that bitchy vibe," she assured Haley.
Still, she was a little unsure of herself.
Haley was examining the piece of paper as if she hoped it would tell her something about this mysterious girl. All that was on the ripped out piece of notebook paper was a phone number, and the name "Lindsey".
She began thinking about what she could possibly want from Nathan and if she should be concerned. She didn't even hear the door open and someone walk in.
"Hales?"
Haley broke out of her reverie, looking up at Nathan. She smiled when she saw him, getting up off the couch. She hugged him before giving him a kiss.
"I could get used to coming home to you every day," Nathan jested.
Haley smiled. There was still doubt in her mind, going back to that stupid piece of paper. "I could get used to being there all the time," she said, sitting back down on the couch, trying to entice him. She finally just pulled him closer to her. She kissed him again. "I think you should take a shower," she began, before kissing him, and continuing, "and then we can have dinner…and then…well, I should probably stop before I get ahead of myself." She had a smirk on her face, and he knew exactly what she was insinuating.
Nathan kissed her once more. "We'll see. I'm going to take a shower now," he informed her. He noticed Haley was now in the mood for sex all the time, ever since their first time together. But he didn't really mind very much.
Haley watched him go. She still had no idea what to do about the dilemma. She sighed, trying to figure out what to do.
She heard the water come on in the bathroom and assumed Nathan was taking a shower. She walked over near the door. "Nathan? I think I'm going to get takeout. What do you want?" she asked.
"Whatever you want, Haley," he replied.
"Is Thai okay?" she asked.
"That's fine, Hales."
Haley walked into the apartment to see Nathan standing in the apartment, faced away from the door, clad in only a towel. It was clear he had just gotten out of the shower. Haley knew how he liked to take long showers.
She had this urge to rip his towel off right then and there. She put the bag down, certain he hadn't even heard her come in.
Nathan jumped when he heard the bag rustle. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand. The piece of paper Lindsey—whoever she was—handed her that afternoon.
"Nathan?" she asked with concern. She really hoped he wasn't angry.
He held the piece of paper up so she could see it. "How did you get this?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or upset. He just sounded…nervous.
"I was here with Brooke sorting through our clothes, putting my things away, and someone knocked on the door. I answered, and it was some girl named Lindsey? She said she wanted to see you, and she needed to say something. She wanted me to give you her phone number," Haley announced.
Nathan looked the number over before he ripped the paper twice.
"Nathan?"
Nathan sighed, sitting down on the couch. "Lindsey is my ex-girlfriend."
Haley was confused. Supposedly, when she met Nathan, he hadn't been in a serious relationship for quite some time. "Ex-girlfriend?" She tried her hardest not to come off as the jealous girlfriend, but was finding it increasingly hard, as she remembered how pretty this girl was…prettier than her.
"She was my girlfriend in high school, and we ended it two years ago. I ended it, actually. She was just…pushing me into things I wasn't comfortable with. I didn't want that," he explained.
Haley nodded, understanding. "I was going to tell you; I swear. I didn't really know how to, but I was going to during dinner, I guess," she said, her voice uncertain.
He nodded. After a moment of thinking, he brought her closer to him. "I don't want to talk about her anymore. I don't need her, and I don't want you to get nervous about this. I already have everything I could've ever wanted," he insisted before he kissed her.
Haley smiled as she kissed him back. "Now that that's out of the way, you can see how Brooke and I arranged the closet. She insisted on colour coordinating it," Haley told him.
Nathan groaned. "I'm scared, Haley."
Haley frowned. "Why? I promise it's not that bad. Brooke isn't nearly as anal about her clothes as I am," she promised. "Besides, now when you step into your closet, you'll remember that I live here now, too," she reminded him.
"How could I forget when I'm already warming up to the idea of waking up to you in my arms every morning and you haven't even spent your first night here?" he questioned, taking her hand as she pulled him towards their room.
She smiled. "Have you forgotten that we've spent several nights here together since the wedding?" she teased.
"I could never forget that, but this will be your first night living here. This is the first night that this is your bedroom, that's your bed, this is your apartment," he reminded her.
"That this is also my closet?" she questioned.
Nathan nodded and sighed. "That this is your closet."
"Okay, I think I've done enough teasing. Can I just show you already? It's not that bad; I promise," she repeated for about the zillionth time.
"Just show me, Haley."
Haley opened the closet door and turned on the light. Lo and behold, their clothes were separated neatly; Nathan's side was on the right, and Haley's was on the left. Furthermore, Brooke had colour coordinated each side. Their shoes were lined up neatly on the closet floor. She even took the liberty of organizing the drawers according to colour and article of clothing. Needless to say, Brooke certainly earned those Manolos and that Rebecca Minkoff.
"It's not that bad, Nathan," Haley insisted.
"No, it's just…weird looking at it."
Haley raised her eyebrow. "Really? I thought it would've been more aesthetically pleasing. I mean, now the colour kind of shifts easily from one shade to another—"
Nathan cut her off with him shaking his head. "That's not why it's weird. It's…different seeing someone else's clothing in my closet."
Haley held her breath, biting her lip before he went on. "I like things being different. It's good," he added.
Haley exhaled a little sigh of relief. "Really? Good, because I was worried that maybe you were having second thoughts and—"
"Haley?"
She stopped herself. "What?"
"I could never have second thoughts about this. Also, one more thing."
She waited expectantly.
"You talk a lot," he commented teasingly.
She rolled her eyes. "So I've heard. And I babble when I get nervous."
Nathan came closer to her. She felt her heartbeat quicken and those ninth grade butterflies come back. "And I happen to get nervous a lot when I'm around you," she commented quickly.
Nathan simply kissed her on the lips. "You don't have to," he reminded her quietly.
She nodded, looking down. "I know. But I still do."
He sighed slightly. Before he thought it through, he picked her up and brought her out to the bedroom, placing her on the bed. She looked at him expectantly.
"Was there a reason you had to do that?" she asked.
He shrugged. "No reason. But this room has a bed," he answered. "And beds make…certain tasks a little bit easier."
She smiled. "You sound kind of like me," she teased.
"We've been rubbing off a lot on each other, haven't we?" he asked.
She nodded before kissing him.
So um, yup, Naley made love for the first time since they began dating, moved in together seven months after, and Nathan's ex is trying to get back in his life, and her name is Lindsey. And Naley's getting a little bit more domestic, which is really cute. The real question is will she stir up drama between Nathan and Haley, and drive a wedge between them? We will see.
Again, I am SO SO SO sorry for making you wait! But after I moved into my new home there was this whole problem with the internet..apparently, it was not installed properly, and I was out of the internet for a whole week. I also apologize for the lack of Jeyton, and Brucas these last two chapters, I've just been spending time focusing on Naley and their relationship. Anywho, thanks for the reviews last chapter appreciate them! You guys are awesome.
thibbs65: Thank you you're too kind. Rachel will remain their friend for a while she won't turn into the enemy just yet. I hope you enjoyed seeing what happened with Nathan, Haley, and Peyton. More on Brooke and Lucas later, we will also see their relationship blossom as well, for now, it will remain Naley with sprinkles of each thrown in. Writing is something I am passionate about, so I will not be giving up on this story, until you guys are tired of it, or I am not getting any feedback.
naley12: Thank you! I agree those two together are so cute. A little too cute, that comes off nauseating LOL.
dianehermans: thank you!
Thanks for reading! Until next time! -Sidney