"Sometimes people play hard to get to make sure that the other person's feelings are real."
— Brooke Davis
Chapter 16
January 30, 2007
"Rachel, I really fucked up."
Rachel, however, was very busy exchanging messages with her husband. She smiled at his reply.
"Rachel!"
She snapped up, putting her phone down. "Oh, sorry, Hales. What were you saying?"
Haley sighed. "I just don't know what to do with Nathan anymore, Rachel! Things used to be so perfect and we never even had to try, but now…everything is a struggle. Sometimes I don't even feel like it's us; it's everything around us."
Rachel groaned. "Don't tell me it's those bums again. Are you really going to let Lindsey and Clay or some other bitch screw up what the both of you have worked so hard for?"
Haley was taken aback by her brusqueness.
"I'm being tough on you because I care about both of you. Too much to let you just let this all go. It's not fair, I know. But you two are going to find out some way to make this work."
Haley hung her head, somewhat ashamed at her own complaining.
Nathan sat, staring at the sketch before him, which seemed to be mocking him. It didn't seem to be making any sense.
After a good fifteen or twenty minutes of simply staring, he heard a knock at the door, which was made of frosted glass. He was able to make out that it was Jake.
"Come in."
Jake entered, carrying some blueprints. He placed them on Nathan's desk.
"Sorry it took me so long to give you back these prints. Peyton keeps asking me about napkin colours and flowers. Be glad you're not getting married," Jake said with a sigh.
Nathan's expression remained the same. Jake could tell something was wrong.
"What's up with you? Are you and Haley still having problems?" he questioned.
Nathan put down the pen he was playing with. "I'm going to tell you something and you can't tell anyone. Not Lucas, not Brooke, not even Peyton. Especially not Peyton."
Jason sat in the chair on the other side of his desk, indicating that he was quite intrigued.
"I kissed Lindsey."
Jake couldn't believe it. "You kissed Lindsey? Lindsey, you were going to propose to before going to college? Lindsey, that heartless…bitch?" he asked.
Nathan nodded, feeling guiltier by the second.
"Were you sober?"
Nathan thought about it for a moment. He was pretty sure the answer was no, but there was always that one percent of doubt…
"No. Did you tell Haley?"
Nathan looked away from Jake. "No, I didn't. I haven't yet."
Jake sighed. "You've got to tell her and fast."
"I know but…I don't know how to. Especially after all she's been through with Clay. This makes me just as much an asshole as him," Nathan said bitterly.
"No, it doesn't. First of all, you were drunk. Most of the time, he was sober. Second, this is the ONLY time you have cheated on her. He had cheated on her more times than you have hair on your head. Third, while he slept with a thousand girls, you've only kissed Lindsey."
Nathan looked discouraged. "I still cheated."
"But it was only—"
"I still cheated," he repeated.
Jake knew there was no point in trying to argue with Nathan; he had already made up his mind.
"I need to go to New York again. I need to tell Haley," Nathan announced.
"You haven't told her yet? Aren't you leaving in like three days?" Jake asked.
Nathan shook his head. "Tomorrow, actually. I just haven't gotten to it. And I just found out for sure two days ago."
Jake thought about this for a minute. Without really thinking it through, he turned the phone on Nathan's desk so it was facing him. He dialled a number quickly before putting it on speakerphone.
"Hello?"
Nathan was startled when he heard the voice on the other end; it was Haley that Jake had just called.
"Nathan?" she asked, confused.
"Hey, Haley," he answered, as nonchalantly as he could.
"Nathan? Are you okay? You almost never call me from work," she said, the nervousness peeking out in her voice.
He nodded, only to realize she couldn't see him. "Yeah, I'm fine. But I needed to talk to you about something," he explained vaguely.
He quickly picked up the phone, to Jake's dismay, taking it off of speaker. Jake sighed in defeat.
"I need to go back to New York."
There was a pause which lasted for what seemed like forever.
"Oh."
The single word elicited from her pretty lips was laden with sadness.
Nathan knew she wouldn't ask why on her own, so he answered for her. "I can take the test again in two days, so I'm going to go tomorrow. Hopefully, things go well this time."
Haley gave him a fake half-laugh and he could tell. It broke his heart.
After another minute of meaningless explanations, Nathan put the phone back on the receiver.
"Thanks a lot, Jake," Nathan said sarcastically.
Haley sighed sadly. She looked at her nails. Rachel had left a while ago. Haley lied and told her that she had wanted to get a drink or something which Rachel couldn't have, but she just needed time to herself.
By now, it was already nine at night. She had been sitting there for hours by herself, just thinking. She didn't want to go back home. She didn't even know where that was anymore. She just felt like a nomad or a gypsy. There was no longer a solid place to call home.
She still couldn't figure it out—how did things get so screwed up?
"You've been sitting here for a really long time."
Haley looked up from her mild coffee to see a dirty blonde with blue eyes wiping down the booth in front of her.
"I can leave if you need me to," Haley insisted, though she had no intentions of moving.
She girl shook her head. "You can stay. It's fine with me. It's kind of nice to see someone in here. It's so empty. It kind of makes this place feel like…a failure."
"It's just a little diner in a small town," Haley reassured her.
"I guess you have a point," the woman agreed. She looked at Haley's table. It was empty except for her cup of coffee. "Please, let me get you something other than that ice-cold coffee."
Haley pursed her lips. "I'll take a Black Russian or a Bloody Mary," she answered dryly.
The woman sat down across from Haley. "I can tell something really crappy happened today. You can tell me what it was."
Haley sighed. "I have a boyfriend, who I love so much. But I messed up so much last night. I got drunk last night and acted like a slut and basically threw myself at my ex-fiancé. Now, I found out that he has to go to New York for the second time in like two weeks. I'm worried that we're going to break up. I love him too much for that, but I…I don't know what to do," she confessed.
As she said it, she felt some sense of relief. It really felt better to tell someone.
"Okay, I get the impression that I'm missing a lot of this story, so you should probably start over. I'm getting the impression that there's something with your ex, too. What's his deal?" she asked.
Haley sighed. "He was cheating on me with everyone while we were engaged. My boyfriend knew for a while that he was scum but…I wouldn't believe him. Finally, I saw for myself and broke up with him. Then, my boyfriend and I got together. Things were so perfect until my ex had to get back in the picture. And…"
"And what?" the blonde asked, intrigued.
"And his ex-girlfriend came back, too."
The blonde sighed. "Oh, God. Don't tell me about the exes." She looked Haley over. "So why are you here, sobbing to me about it? Shouldn't you be talking to your boyfriend?"
Haley sighed. "I want to. You have no idea how much I'd like to tell him everything."
"So then why don't you?" the girl asked, her blue eyes blazing. "Sweetie, believe me when I say that I know it can be hard to put everything you love on the line; I've lived it. But if you love him and he says he loves you like I think he must, things will work themselves out."
The girl tried to look at Haley, who was staring at the table and trying to avoid the woman's gaze. Haley knew it was no use since the diner was basically empty besides the two of them.
"I'm just scared because I cheated on him. I kissed someone else."
"…And?" the girl inquired, looking for more.
"And I cheated on him!" she exclaimed.
"All you did was kiss someone else? That shouldn't even constitute as cheating, especially if you were drunk," she said, attempting to persuade him.
Haley sighed. "I still feel like I betrayed him, and in the worst possible way."
The girl thought for a moment. "Well, I know you didn't ask for my advice, but I'll give you some, anyway. I think you should go home and tell your boyfriend everything that's happened. I'm sure he'll understand." After a moment of hesitation, she went on to add, "He's the boy who brought you flowers when you went on a date here, right?"
Haley looked up, confused. "How did you know that?"
"I remember seeing you a while ago. I knew you looked familiar. And your boyfriend? He's pretty cute, too. And sweet, he must be."
Haley nodded. She turned the bracelet on her wrist. "He is," she said dreamily.
"Girl, you need to go home to your boyfriend and makeup with him, right now. Just now, you went to your happy place, talking about him. Go," the girl ordered.
Haley got up from the booth, suddenly encouraged by the blonde. She was just about to leave before she turned back.
"Hey, who are you anyway? I don't think I've ever seen you before," Haley said.
"I'm Mila," the girl responded simply, her blue eyes sparkling slightly.
Haley thought for a minute. "Mila? Do you own this restaurant?"
Mila just gave her a smile.
He felt blocks being thrown at his legs. He looked down at the little girl, her dark brown waves spilling right near her shoulders.
"What should I do about this?" he asked.
In reply, she fumbled around with some of her blocks.
"I'm trying to think about it. What do you think your mother would do?"
She whimpered by his feet, continuing to play. She looked up at him, offering him a block.
"Did she ever tell you that you're a really good listener?"
That made her smile slightly. He was pretty sure that babies just knew sometimes.
"We'll figure this out, Anna. Or they will. But if they don't, you'll find a way to get them back together, won't you?"
Anna gurgled happily in reply.
Brooke smiled when she looked up to see Lucas walking through the door of the restaurant they had agreed on. This wasn't their first date—more like their sixth or seventh—but Brooke hadn't wanted to put labels on anything and would barely admit that they were dating. To Brooke, this was like a friendship date—despite the fact that everyone else could see otherwise.
"I got your text this afternoon," she said as soon as he sat down.
"I saw it and it made me think of you," Lucas repeated.
"I don't know if I should be flattered or offended that onions made you think of me," Brooke confessed.
"Did you even read the poem?" Lucas asked.
Brooke laughed. "I did, but I didn't think I understood it. Was the author seriously trying to compare an onion to love in a good way?"
He nodded and decided to change the subject; Brooke wasn't about to tell him how sweet she really thought he was for sending it to her. "How was school today?"
Brooke sighed. "Long and boring. My English professor is giving us another essay, even though the last one was due like two days ago," she said as she rolled her eyes. "The only interesting thing was my psychology class. At least that professor is sort of interesting." She reached out to hold his hand. "Let's not talk about that, though," she concluded as she avoided looking directly at him.
"What do you want to talk about, then?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I just want to sit here with you," she replied. "I don't feel like I need to say anything to you."
She could practically feel him smiling. After a few moments of silence, he said, "You make me so happy,"
Brooke couldn't help but smile. He'd said it before, but this was the first time Brooke truly believed it. She looked up at him sincerely with a smile on her face. She was betraying every single thing she had ever learned. "You make me very happy too."
She arrived home, not realizing just how late it was. She scrambled to get to their bedroom but was upset to see he was already fast asleep.
Not wanting to wake him, she just changed into her pyjamas and slid in bed next to him.
She was so anxious. How was she to tell him the next day about everything? How was she going to fix it? She knew she was going to, regardless of what anyone said.
Her thoughts continued to roam until she eventually grew tired and fell asleep.
The next morning, she woke up to the sound of an alarm. It was the alarm she usually got up with. She always woke up long before Nathan, so she thought that she had time.
Of course, when she looked over her shoulder, she found that he was nowhere to be found; just her luck.
"Nathan?" she called out quietly, hoping he'd reappear. "Nathan?" she repeated louder this time.
"Nathan?" she asked again as she crept into the main living area.
Neatly folded, she saw a letter on the kitchen counter with her name on it. Nervously, she picked it up, reading it.
So Nathan had left already.
Just her luck.
Less than three hours later, she had called the hotel he was staying at to see if he had gotten there already (once more, using the alibi that she was his wife). Apparently, he had gotten there about an hour ago.
I can't just let him leave that easily.
She completed a quick round of lighting packing and within twenty minutes, was out the door and en route to New York.
"Have you spoken to Haley? I've been calling her all morning and she hasn't picked up," Rachel said as she was fumbling with her phone.
Peyton shook her head. "I saw her yesterday. She was flipping about Nathan. I feel so bad for both of them. They're just really scared about everything."
"Looks like the honeymoon is finally over."
Rachel nodded in agreement. Before they could say anything else about the situation, Brooke came running over to their table in the restaurant, sliding before she sat down next to Rachel.
"Did Haley call you?" Brooke asked, out of breath.
"No—"
"That girl is crazy," Brooke declared.
Peyton furrowed her eyebrows, confused at what Brooke was getting at. "What makes you say that?"
"Because she called me about half an hour ago, telling me about how she had just gotten to New York City and was waiting to check into the hotel," Brooke answered.
"She's in New York? Why?" Rachel inquired.
Brooke shrugged. "I know Nathan was going there. She probably went to follow him," Brooke theorized.
They all thought for a minute.
As she thought about it more and more, Rachel's blood began to boil. She knew who was to blame for a lot of this. Sure, Nathan and Haley had their own faults, but there was certainly a catalyst.
She was going to get revenge on that bitch.
She looked around the room. He obviously wasn't here.
Sighing, she hid her suitcase in the closet. The room was void of any evidence he was there, which made her wonder where he was.
You don't need to stay here all day, waiting around.
Nodding and agreeing with herself, she exited.
Haley spent the rest of the day wandering around New York, visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Times Square, and Broadway.
Suddenly, she remembered coming to New York with her parents and older sister, Quinn, when she was ten years old. She remembered watching the couples skate and thinking about what it would be like to have someone to skate with like that when she got older.
Now, she looked longingly at them.
After the tiring fifteen minutes or so of punishing herself due to her inability to keep a man, Haley headed back to the hotel. She walked up the stairs slowly, worn out from the day of walking and hopping on and off of subway trains.
She debated knocking on the door but decided to just open it. Once again, the room was empty, but the lights were all turned on, so she assumed he was back.
She looked around the room, peering in the bathroom and seeing it left open ajar, with the light turned on. She looked outside and barely saw a figure outside, just outside the light from the room.
Some part of her wanted to go over there and talk to him, but the other part wanted him to find her.
She decided to go out onto the balcony. She sat down on the ground beside him.
He looked at her, very confused.
"Hi, Nathan," Haley said finally.
"What are you doing here, Haley?"
She looked out at the starry Manhattan night. "I'm doing the same thing you did for me in Paris," she said. She finally looked up at him. "I miss you. I'm not going to let you go," she said firmly.
He reached for my hand. "I'm so sorry for ever making you feel that way," he said apologetically, his voice cracking.
Haley wiped away a silent tear. "When I broke up with Clay, I didn't fight it. I just accepted that I couldn't change anything about what happened. But with you, I'm willing to fight whatever to stay with you because I love you so much. It's just hard because…I feel like we're both giving up now," she confessed.
"I'm sorry that I haven't been as open and affectionate with you as I should have been," he told me. "You deserve better than that." She gave a small scoff, not really believing that statement. "But I need to tell you something. When we had the argument at the restaurant and you walked out, Lindsey was there and I…um…"
Oh no.
"I let her kiss me," he said.
Haley found herself letting out a small breath of relief. "Really? I need to tell you something, too. I kind of…I got really drunk and I kissed Clay," she confessed.
Nathan was clearly somewhat frustrated by that but realized that he made the same mistake.
"Nathan…can we just agree that the only lips we want to kiss are each other's?" Haley asked.
Nathan smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more," he told her.
Haley smiled for what felt like the first time in ages. It made her think of something.
"I'm tired of dealing with the past," she said, capturing his undivided attention. "Lindsey, Clay…they were the past. You're my future. They don't matter to me." She took his hands in her own. "You do. So if it's still on the table, I'd like to try for you and me looking at a future together. It just doesn't feel right if my future isn't with you. And honestly, I can't picture it any other way."
Nathan took a moment to think about this. "Am I dreaming, or are you saying what I hope you're saying?"
Haley looked at him with amazement in her brown eyes. "How did I ever get so lucky to find you?"
"Actually, I think it was me who found you, smoking on a terrace garden and giving yourself lung cancer."
Haley rolled her eyes. "Hey, we all have our vices," she said defensively.
"I'm sorry for the secrets and the lies and not telling the truth," he told her as they walked into the room.
"I'm sorry for not letting you in and not going to you for help. I know that you'd do anything for me, just like I would do for you," she answered.
"Hales, do you ever get the impression that you talk way too much?" he asked her with a small smile.
She hit him playfully. "Get used to it, since you'll be dealing with it for the rest of your life," she said.
"Good. I can't imagine life any other way," he said before kissing her sweetly on the lips.
"Remember we're meeting my parents tomorrow for dinner."
He smiled as she took his hand.
Brooke practically passed out on her bed when she returned home from dinner that night. The night had seemed to drag on forever and, after her little mini-breakdown in Haley's bathroom, she had been eager to go home and get to bed. She blamed her lack of self-control on having had little sleep during the past few days, even though she was pretty sure that had little to do with it.
Throughout the whole night, it had seemed like Lucas had wanted to talk to her about something, yet he never pulled her aside. She wondered if she had freaked him out back in the living room when he had first arrived. Honestly, she wouldn't blame him if he was; she had acted much too skittish around him for her liking. She had tried to act as calm as possible, trying desperately not to be too close to him, but obviously, that didn't work.
And now she was going to have to spend a whole day with Lucas, with only Jamie to prevent them from doing anything stupid. She didn't know if she would be able to handle it, but, for the sake of her godson, she would.
But, despite all that, she knew that she was looking forward to Saturday way more than she should have been.
He wanted so badly to knock on her door. It was here, right in front of him, and she was behind it somewhere. And he wanted to see her, but he knew that he shouldn't. His actions at Nathan and Haley's had apparently made her a bit wary around him if her attempts at avoiding him the rest of the night had anything to do with it.
The thing was, after a few hours of laying awake in bed and thinking about nothing but her face, Lucas knew he needed to tell her how he felt. He couldn't hold back his feelings anymore. So, before he could change his mind, he had driven to Brooke's house, one thing on his mind. He was going to tell her.
But now, standing at her door, he had to rethink his decision. Plus, there was a great chance that Brooke didn't feel the same way. If he knocked on the door, he knew he would be risking their friendship and he couldn't stand losing that.
So he reluctantly turned away, knowing that he couldn't do this to her right now.
But then the front lights came on and the door opened and Brooke was standing there, a spatula in her raised hand, in nothing but a short pair of shorts and a white tank top. He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her in front of him, squinting at him with a confused expression and the spatula raised in a defensive mode.
"Oh," she murmured and she lowered the spatula, realizing that it was just him. "It's you. I heard a noise and thought it was a robber or something."
He laughed and shook his head. "And you were gonna attack him with a spatula?"
She looked down at her weapon of choice and glared at him playfully. "Hey, I was freaked out. I just grabbed the first thing I saw."
"I'm sorry I freaked you out," he said, unable to keep the grin from forming on his face. She was just so cute as she was annoyed.
She shrugged. "It's okay. Just don't do it again," she added, smiling lightly.
Lucas looked at her, in her dishevelled state, and admired her beauty. Brooke was the type of girl who didn't need anything—no makeup, no fancy clothes—to make her look insanely beautiful. It was just always so natural for her. It was one of the many qualities he loved about her.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"Um," he said, shrugging, "I guess I just wanted to…uh…I actually really don't know." He chuckled and grinned weakly back at her, all the while desperately hoping she wouldn't invite him inside because if she did he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her offer... And then he wouldn't be able to hold back telling her what he had really come here to do.
"Interesting…" she said, laughing lightly. He couldn't keep his eyes from her smiling face. They were only a few feet apart, but he felt like if he moved any closer he'd tell her everything. Please don't ask me to come in, he begged to himself, which was obviously useless.
"Well, I think you should come in." Her voice was soft as she took a step closer to him.
His throat noticeably tightened and he took a deep breath. Of course, she would do the very opposite of what he wanted. It's like she read his mind and asked him just what he didn't want to hear. He knew he could refuse, but in his mind, the deed was done: she asked something of him and he would do it.
"Okay…"
He followed her through the door and into her house, knowing that this was it—he was going to do it. His whole life was going to change tonight, but whether it would be for the better or for the worse, he didn't know.
She wasn't sure why she asked him to come in; after all, she had spent most of the night trying to avoid him. But for some reason, she just couldn't resist him. He was her biggest weakness.
There was one thing she did know, though: she would do something incredibly stupid if she wasn't careful. She was going to have to try her hardest to contain her emotions around him. She absolutely could not risk another almost-kiss, or better yet, an actual kiss. It just couldn't happen and she wouldn't let it. She got her self into this, and she was going to try her hardest to get out of it as cleanly as possible.
"Do you want a drink?" she asked as they both sat down on her couch, him on one end and her on the other.
"I'm good, thanks," he replied, his arm stretching casually across the back of the sofa. Her eyes travelled to his hand, only a few inches from her face and she felt her resolve slowly begin to crumble.
It was quiet for a moment, both of them lost in their own thoughts before Lucas spoke again. "We didn't get much of a chance to talk today," he murmured, scooting closer to her. She tried to move further back, but the arm of the couch wouldn't let her. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest.
"I missed you, Brooke," he said quietly. The hand that was resting on the back of the couch suddenly moved towards her face and she exhaled sharply when it rested on the back of her head. "I really, really missed you."
She smiled hesitantly. "I missed you too, Luke. A lot, actually."
His smile grew as he moved even closer to her. Now they were only inches apart, his hand still on the back of her head, slowly stringing his fingers through her hair. She didn't have much resolve left and judging by where the conversation was surely headed she was pretty sure she was screwed.
"Brooke," he said, putting his other hand on her knee and she was pretty sure that she visibly gulped, "I did a lot of thinking when I was out sailing with my mom and I came to a pretty important conclusion."
"Yeah?" Her voice sounded strained as she tried her best to sound as calm and collected as possible.
He nodded and looked straight into her eyes. The hand that was running through her hair moved to her face and he slowly cupped her cheek.
For a guy that she knew didn't have those types of feelings for her, Lucas sure wasn't touching her in a simple, friendly way. This was more. There was a spark there that hadn't always been there. At least not for a few years, that is. It had been there once when they had been together and in love. But he wasn't in love with her now…was he? She didn't know if she was absolutely sure anymore and, when he moved even closer to her, his face only a few inches from her, she had a strange feeling that she was about to find out.
"I really don't know how else to say it, so I just will," he said. She suddenly felt his hand grasp hers and she took slow, steady breathing, allowing his thumb to gently graze her knuckles. "I'm in love with you, Brooke."
She was pretty sure that her heart stopped at that moment. There was no explanation for what those words did to her. There was a joy; joy at knowing that he truly did have feelings for her, that he loved her the way she loved him and, after all these years, they still might end up together. There was also fear; fear at the huge change this would bring in her life and fear that she could lose the amazing friendship she had formed with him, not to mention her friendship with Peyton. And then there was a deep sadness; sadness in knowing that she and he just wouldn't work. At least not right now.
But she needed him to know that she felt the same way, even if they couldn't be together right now.
"Luke," she began and she felt the tears forming in her eyes. Not sad tears, though; these were happy tears.
"Brooke," he said, cutting her off, "I know this may come as a shock to you, I mean it's only been seven months but back in senior year everyone, including you, was telling me it was Peyton—she was the girl I was meant to be with. So I let myself believe that, and when she broke up with me I let her go. I got over her. And then I asked Peyton for a second chance, but I never had this firm, unwavering faith in my heart that she was the one I was meant to be with so I let her go again and look how that turned out. She's getting married to Jake. With Peyton, I never had that faith. With you it's different. It's real, Brooke. The way I feel about you is real and it's amazing and I've never felt this way about anyone else. I love you, Brooke. You're the one for me. You're the girl I want standing next to me when all my dreams come true...And I don't know if you feel the same way but…"
He looked at her helplessly, obviously not knowing what else to say to convince her of his feelings. Tears streamed down her cheek, but she didn't care. He was in love with her and that was all she needed to know.
"Lucas," she said as he wiped away her tears with his hands and waited patiently for her to respond. His gaze held hers and his grip tightened on her hand. "I…I love you, too. I'm in love with you."
His mouth stretched into possibly one of the biggest smiles she had ever seen on him and she knew she didn't need to say anything else. And suddenly his lips were on hers and he was kissing her like no time before. He wrapped his arms around her and her hands ran through his short blonde hair.
She couldn't stop. The feel of his lips against hers, his hands running gently along her back, it was almost too much for her. But she knew she wanted him now more than ever. Her mind briefly flashed towards Peyton, but she pushed it aside, letting the feel of him against her take her away from reality. His hands were pulling furiously at her shirt and she let him take it off before quickly pulling off his own shirt. She fell back on the couch and he fell on top of her, their lips never leaving each other.
They were moving too fast, she knew that, but for some reason, it just felt so right that there was no way to stop it.
"Mmm… not here," she murmured against his neck as he traced a line of kisses along her face and neck. He paused for a brief second. "Bedroom," she continued. He smiled and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked carelessly towards her room.
And then she was on the bed and he was on top of her. He was looking down at her, still seeking her permission. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. Tonight she would let them have their fairy tale and tomorrow... well, tomorrow she would just wait and see.
Nathan handed Haley a Star of Bethlehem as he opened the door home. She gave him a quick kiss on the lips, took the flower, and ran back into their bedroom. He followed. She was certainly out of her element today.
"What's wrong, Hales?"
She walked out of the closet, her mouth hanging open.
"What's wrong? The dinner, Nathan! Did you forget that we're having dinner with my parents tonight?" she asked, running back into the closet.
The more Nathan thought about it, the more nervous he got, which was why he chose not to think about it, or remember.
"My sister might be there, too. Ugh, this is going to be like death at a funeral."
He had to gulp. Haley was pretty much always right. "I'm sure it can't be that bad…" he attempted.
"No, it can be. My sister Taylor is the most overbearing, manipulative, cold person I've ever met," she said.
This was going to be a lot of fun.
"I'm just so nervous that they'll find one little thing they think is wrong with you and just nitpick at it. Remember, you're a professional now; they'll find that impressive. You have your license, right?" Haley asked as she fixed the collar of his shirt.
"Don't you remember that I passed the exam the day after we got back from New York?" he asked, smiling.
Haley nodded, not really breaking a smile, but the memory was a fond one. "Okay, so remember: you're a professional. What else? No arrest record. And do not mention that tattoo and I'll try my hardest not to. No lewd or profane jokes," she added.
"Me? Since when do I ever make lewd or lascivious jokes?" he said, a bit indignant. It wasn't funny in this time of seriousness.
"Since we've started dating? Probably like a week or two afterwards?" Haley suggested. "You are not as pure and innocent as I once thought you were."
The two of them walked over to the front door of the James' house. Haley was visibly nervous, probably more so than Nathan, who seemed to be fine.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"Are you?"
Haley sighed. She rang the doorbell.
"It's open!" her mother shouted from the inside of the house.
Haley took a deep breath before Nathan opened the door for her. She smiled as he held the door open.
Haley's mother was sipping on a glass of red wine as she examined one of her case files. Even at a family dinner, she couldn't fathom parting from her work.
"Hey, Mom," Haley said as she gave her mother a slight kiss on the cheek and a small hug.
"Hello, Haley."
Mrs. James looked at her daughter expectantly, waiting for an introduction. Haley shook her head. "Oh, um, Mom, this is Nathan, my…" she trailed off, trying to decide which title to give him. "…boyfriend."
Mrs. James nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. James," Nathan greeted, shaking her hand.
"Where is Dad?" Haley inquired, cutting into their formalities.
"I think he's in his study. He's a workaholic," she said dismissively.
Haley scoffed. "Look who's talking," she said to her mother. She turned to her boyfriend, taking his hand. "Come with me to say hello to my dad."
"Dinner is in five minutes!" Haley's mother called as they were halfway down the hallway to her father's study.
Or at least, that was where Nathan thought she was leading him. Haley quickly stopped him in the empty hallway, trapping him between her long, slender arms.
"Aren't we going to meet your father?" Nathan asked, looking down the hall.
"I thought we could do…other things," she said.
Nathan looked at her in a somewhat confused state. "I thought that you said not to play dirty, Hales," he reminded her.
She pouted. "I was just trying to let loose a little bit. You're already doing so well," she said before taking him by the arm to her father's study.
"I'm warning you that my father may threaten you, but you shouldn't take it personally; he did that with all of my boyfriends," she said before opening up the study doors.
Mr. James took off his reading glasses, putting down the case file (like wife, like husband).
"Hi, Daddy," Haley greeted before kissing her father on the cheek. "Um, this is my…boyfriend." She still seemed to have trouble with that word.
"Haley, are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Haley held her breath and blanched slightly. Her father was slightly more displeased than her mother when learning of Haley's breakup with Clay, who appeared to be the epitome of the ideal son-in-law. Aside from that, Haley knew he had problems with his cholesterol and blood pressure in the past, so hearing even jokes of such a morbid subject was not comforting.
"Hales, your sister is here!" Lydia James shouted from inside the kitchen.
Haley sighed. "I'd better go say hi to Taylor. Nathan?"
"I think we should talk for a few minutes. It could give you and Taylor some time to catch up and me some time to figure out if your boyfriend is good enough for you."
Haley blanched once more. "Please, don't scare him off, Daddy. And please don't use that intimidating technique of interrogating people which won you all those cases," she said before exiting the room.
She walked back out to the living room/kitchen, where she saw her sister for the first time in a while.
"Hey, Tay," Haley said before giving her older sister a hug. She hadn't seen Taylor since…probably before her pregnancy, or maybe right after. A lot had changed.
"Don't look so happy to see me," Taylor jested.
Haley paused for a moment. Taylor was being somewhat nice. Was this some kind of miracle? Or was fate just being incredibly cruel?
"Where is your husband?" Haley asked cautiously, afraid that Taylor's current veneer of kindness would disappear.
Instead, she just sighed. "He's coming, but he had to see someone in New York. I don't know; he really didn't talk about it much," she said nonchalantly as she took off her Burberry coat. It was only then that Haley noticed the slight bump in her stomach.
"Oh, my God. Taylor? Are you pregnant?" she asked cautiously.
Taylor gave her a smile, confirming Haley's theories. Though there was that tiny pang of melancholia she got whenever someone else announced a pregnancy, she was very happy for her sister. She was happy to become a (biological) aunt.
"Congratulations, Taylor," Haley said before hugging her sister once more.
"Thank you, Hales."
"When is the baby due? How far along are you?"
Haley looked down at the bump. "They're due in May and I must be four months pregnant," she said.
Haley was about to reply, but her mother interrupted her.
"Girls, can you help me set up the table?"
They nodded before going to help their mother.
Haley kept her hand on Nathan's leg as she watched her mother bring out the food.
"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Taylor inquired as she began to eat.
Haley stared at her finger. Her large engagement ring was taunting Haley; Maybe it wasn't so much the beauty and vanity of the ring, but the sentiment in it.
"Um, we've been going out for…"
Haley began to wonder whether she and Nathan should tell her parents the truth—that they had been dating for eight months already. She wondered if they'd be upset that she never told them.
Luckily, Nathan came to her defence. "We've been dating for six months," he said quickly.
Haley sighed as the tension faded. Her hand was still resting on his leg.
"Six months? And you didn't think it was time to meet the parents yet?" Jimmy James inquired.
"It's not his fault; it's mine. He's been wanting to meet you for months, but I've been holding off on it," Haley said before leaning on Nathan. "I'm still nervous to meet his parents," she added.
Nathan nodded in agreement.
Haley's parents accepted this. Their expressions were neutral. Haley bit her lip in nervousness. They hadn't acted like this the first time she brought Clay home; they had welcomed him with open arms, her father carried on business conversations with him, while her mother kept telling her that she should marry the boy. By comparison, this was a disaster.
On the other hand, Taylor seemed to be taking quite a liking to him. "How did you two meet?" she asked curiously.
Haley and Nathan exchanged a glance and a smile. Faked smile. She certainly couldn't disclose the truth (or the whole truth); she wasn't with Clay six months ago.
"We met at a benefit dinner. He sat next to me and was very sweet and kind," she said. It was a version of the truth, okay?
"And I caught her smoking a cancer stick outside and I knocked it out of her hands," he recalled.
"Haley Bob! That's a horrible habit. Since when did you pick that up?" Lydia inquired indignantly.
Haley looked a bit embarrassed. "It's something I sort of picked up from Clay." It wasn't a total lie; he did smoke on occasion, she remembered. But it wasn't something that he really taught her. But if she told him this lie, maybe they wouldn't be so heartbroken with their breakup.
Both James parents looked rather taken aback by that. Nathan looked at Haley, concerned.
Taylor broke the awkward silence. "Nathan, what do you do?" she inquired.
"I'm an architect right now, but I am working towards become the next great NBA player," he answered simply.
"Why an NBA player?" Taylor asked, her curiosity clearly piqued.
" Well, I've loved basketball the second I could hold a ball. I knew I wanted to make it to the NBA," he answered.
"So right around when you met Haley?" Lydia asked.
"Do you have your architect license?" Taylor continued.
Nathan nodded. Haley was about to protest but remembered the story they were going with. She decided to do him one better.
"You should see him play shirtless," Haley jokingly added as she began laughing, but stopped when she realized no one else joined in. "Nathan actually just designed the new house down the street," Haley added, knowing her parents would be impressed with him having such a wealthy client (the house was huge).
Lydia looked at least somewhat impressed. "Really? You designed the Applebys' house?" she inquired.
Nathan nodded.
"Their house is beautiful, Nathan. Have you done any other recent projects?"
"He just did the renovation on that one wing of the country club. And he designed that church that opened up just off of Main Street," Haley answered.
Taylor gasped. "You designed that church? We want to have the baby christened there. It's gorgeous," she said.
Haley couldn't help but think it was a little premature but didn't argue.
"You know, Nathan, Lydia and I were looking to do some renovations on this house. I think you'd be perfect for it," Jimmy said finally.
"Mr. James, I don't know if—"
"Call me Jimmy."
This caught both Haley and Taylor off guard. Mr. James had never told any of their other boyfriends to call him by his first name on the first meeting. This was unprecedented.
Nathan wasn't sure how to respond. "I don't know if this is such a good idea. I mean, I'm dating Haley and—"
"Clearly, if your designs are good enough to impress my wife and my older daughter, both of whom are extremely opinionated—"
Haley seemed to take some sort of pride in this comment.
"—I don't think I could settle for anything else," he said.
"You should do it," Haley prompted. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before whispering to him, "It would give you and my dad a really good opportunity to bond, considering…"
Nathan looked around the table, lastly to Haley's large brown eyes, begging him to say yes. "When you put it that way, how could I say no?"
"I can't believe how well dinner went," Haley said as she climbed into bed alongside Nathan. "My father has never asked another guy to call him 'Jimmy' the first time they met," she continued.
Nathan was surprised. "Really? Not even Clay?" he inquired.
Haley shook her head. "No. I mean, they talked business and my mom kept telling me about how I should marry him already, but my parents never told him to call them by their first names."
Nathan smiled thinking of that. "So I finally beat him at something?"
She curled up to him. "No…you have me?"
"He had you first," he answered. "But I won your dad over faster than he did."
Haley's face fell slightly. "Really?"
Nathan nodded before kissing her on the cheek. "Yeah. Goodnight, Hales."
Haley sat, confused. What just happened?
"Brooke, the flowers you picked out are so gorgeous. And please tell Peyton that I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday to help her move," Haley said as she looked over a portfolio Brooke had thrown together for her own wedding.
"Peyton said not to sweat it and that she'll see you at her housewarming get-together next week," Brooke answered. "And anytime. That's just what the maid of honour does."
Haley smiled. She wasn't sure who to choose, but with everything Brooke had done for her, from helping her get through everything to their long, long history together, Haley just knew Brooke was fit for the job.
"Okay, bye, Tigger. I'll see you soon."
She looked at the caller I.D and couldn't recognize the number. Puzzled, she answered.
"Hello?"
There was a pregnant pause on the other end before an eerily familiar voice spoke. "Haley?"
Her blood turned cold. "Clay. I haven't heard from you in a while. What do you want?" she asked coldly.
"I need to talk to you, desperately."
Haley sighed. "What do you want from me?"
"I need a favour."
She thought about this for a moment. "Since when do I owe you any favours?"
"Since I know your secrets and I have something you want."
She glared at him from across the booth. "What are you holding hostage?" she asked, her voice as even as she could make it. Her blood was boiling in her veins.
Clay slid a picture across the table. Haley blanched as soon as she saw it.
"How do you have this?" she asked nervously.
He looked at the picture. It was a James family heirloom. It was a bird in a cage necklace. It was on a silver plated chain, the cage was fashioned of sterling silver, with diamonds, rubies, amethysts, emeralds, and other precious gems encrusted in it. Inside was a small glass bird with glistening sapphire eyes and a shiny pinkish pearl in its beak. The whole pendant was only about an inch or inch and a half in length, she recalled.
"In your haste, you never took it out of our safety deposit box. And since I already took your name off the list of people who can open the box, it seems that you're in my debt if you want this back."
Haley's brown eyes had a fire raging in them. She was livid. After everything, he was asking her for favours?
"Clay, you don't give me back that necklace and I'll sue you for all you're worth," she threatened.
"I think that's more money than you'd know what to do with," he said nonchalantly.
She was both confused and a bit intimidated by his calm reaction. She knew this couldn't be anything good.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
"You know what I want."
Haley examined him for a moment, hoping he was joking, but knew he wasn't. "If you want a child so badly, get a surrogate or adopt. I am not having your baby," she said sternly. "I am not having sex with you, either."
He sighed before taking her hand. She (surprisingly) didn't pull away at first. "Haley, if we had another child, they'd have the perfect mix of DNA. They'd be so smart and they'd be the best at everything," he persuaded. He looked at her, confused. "Don't you want that?" he asked.
Haley pulled her hand from his grasp. "Maybe a year ago, I wanted it. But I've changed. I don't need flawless. My definition of perfect has changed. You may be flawless, but you're not perfect. Not to me. I have a feeling that a person with both of our genetic makeup would be a dangerous child," she concluded. "We're too alike. And if I had another child with you, I'd feel like I would need to be with you. And I don't want to be with you. I don't trust you, Clay. Do you understand that?" she asked.
"No. I can't. Why else would you think I'd keep asking you?" he questioned quietly.
Haley looked at him. He was sick; she knew that. But she couldn't help but feel some kind of pity for him. It was clear he really wanted this. Why? She wasn't quite sure, but it was clear that he was desperate here.
"Clay, you need help."
There was silence so loud, you could hear a pin drop. "I know."
She looked at him. For a moment, she remembered what things were like when she loved him so much.
Haley sat in their room, staring at the blank wall opposite the bed she was sitting on. She was thinking about how to help Clay in this situation if she even should.
She sighed, slumping back on the headboard of the bed.
She heard the door open but didn't move an inch. A moment later, Rachel and Brooke walked into the room.
"Are you okay, Hales?" Brooke asked immediately, noting Haley's odd behaviour.
Haley sighed. "I talked to Clay this afternoon," she explained, biting her lip.
Rachel groaned. "What did he want this time?"
She shrugged. "Same old. But this was different. He actually admitted that what he was asking me to do with him was sick, but he couldn't help but ask. I didn't know what to say anymore. I don't know what to say. I feel guilty saying 'no' so harshly all the time. Maybe I should try and help him find some alternate solution, like going to find a surrogate," she thought aloud.
"I want to know how you could even show a little bit of forgiveness for all of the mental abuse he put you through. And physical abuse, too, I guess," Rachel said.
Haley sighed. "I can't over it, but I can't just abandon him right now," she concluded.
"So what are you going to do?" Brooke asked.
Haley thought for a minute. "Maybe I can help Clay find a surrogate. Or a girlfriend. Maybe this is what he needs to get over his horrible habit of cheating," she added.
Brooke was surprised that Haley seemed to talk about this so easily. She expected the topic of cheating to be touchy when it came to Haley (and Clay).
"You're such a good person, Haley. I would never be able to do that," Rachel said.
Haley sighed. "I mean, I know he's hurt me, but I can't forget that I cared a lot about him at one point in time. I'd be lying if I said some part of me wasn't still grateful for the things he did for me so long ago," she explained, thinking about the rape. It struck a nerve with her. She quickly shook it off and continued. "I feel like I owe him this one thing and then we will have paid our dues."
She heard the door open to the apartment and she woke abruptly. She shook off the drowsiness and began to assess what she just thought of. She didn't even really notice her boyfriend enter the room.
Though there was a lot of things she blamed him for, there was a lot that she was thankful for that he gave her.
She sighed. Nathan caught on, sitting next to her. She finally acknowledged him.
"I met with Clay today," she said finally.
She caught onto his uneasy look. "Is he bothering you again, Haley?"
She shook her head. "No. I just keep thinking about what he's asking me."
"Are you thinking of doing it?"
She faced him, realizing how uncomfortable he was. She put her hand over his to reassure him. "I don't want to have a baby with him, but…I can't help but feel like he kind of deserves something like this. I think he needs it, I guess," she concluded.
"So you're going to do it?"
She sighed, biting her lip. "I think I want to help him find a surrogate," she said.
He nodded. He intertwined his fingers with hers. "I'll support you with whatever you decide to do," he said, giving her a small smile.
She put her head on her shoulder. "I love you so much," she told him. She got up, looking at him more intently. "I just want you to be sure that this isn't going to change anything; you're still mine and I'm still yours."
"I'm really proud of you for helping him," he said.
She smiled. "I do want the best for Clay, but I don't want to have any children with him," she said. She was about to elaborate but decided it would be better not to, as they never had this kind of talk before.
"You know, when I talk to you about things like this, it makes me think that we'll be okay, after all."
He began playing with her fingers. "There really was never a doubt in my mind."
Brooke walked through her door, completely exhausted, and fell onto her couch. It was 9:30 and she had been at the shop for almost a full twelve hours. She would not be doing that again anytime soon.
"So, are you still gonna be taking that shower?"
She jumped, her eyes widening in surprise as she turned to look at the owner of the voice, who was leaning against the counter in her kitchen. She couldn't help but glare at Lucas as he smirked at her.
"Lucas Scott, are you trying to kill me?"
He laughed and walked over to her. "Sorry about that, I really didn't mean to scare you."
She rolled her eyes and sat back down on the couch. As happy as she was to see Lucas, she wasn't very interested in a shower right now; she had had too little sleep the night before and being on her feet the whole day wasn't helping her feel any less tired.
"Honestly, Luke, I'm really too tired to do anything tonight," she said. He sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her.
"I can't say I blame you," he murmured, his lips resting against her forehead. "Why don't we just sleep, then?"
"Really?" she asked, looking up at him gratefully. Lucas had always been a gentleman, never pushing her into anything she didn't want, and it was one of the things she loved most about him.
He nodded. "Really."
"Thanks."
"Come on," he said, picking her up gently from the couch, "let's go to your room. It's much more comfortable."
He grunted as he carried her up the stairs and she laughed. "Am I too heavy for you, Luke?"
"No way," he said, chuckling.
He dropped her carefully onto her bed, pulling up the covers over her before slipping in next to her. They lay on their sides, his arms wrapped around her and she rested her head against his chest. Being held by him felt so perfect; there was nothing else in this world that made her feel so content. She felt herself slowly start to drift off, her eyes closing as she nestled close to him.
"I love you," she whispered quietly.
"I love you, too, Brooke Davis, and I always will."
She smiled, knowing that there was nothing else in the world that could make her as happy as those words did.
I'm not really happy with this chapter, but I hope you enjoyed it. This was more of a filler chapter than anything. I just thought we needed some BL fluff (finally!). SO sorry for the long wait on Brucas I was stuck on what to write about them, but I hope you enjoyed the fluff we got. There should be some more of that in the next chapter. The chapter after that is where things will start to get pretty interesting, at least I think so. Thanks so much for all the reviews you left for the last chapter. It was a great gift to return home to! So my semi-legitimate excuse: I was having writers' block, so I finally forced myself to write like before my Florida trip. I finally finished the chapter, so I was going to upload during my vacation, but I wouldn't be able to as I will be busy. There goes that plan. Oops.
I want to clarify that I DO NOT condone cheating whatsoever. I think it's the worst thing you can do someone, and as someone who has been cheated on, I know that there is no coming back from that. However, this is just purely a work of fiction and does not in any way express my own thoughts and opinions, considering Naley the many obstacles they've overcome together and individually they have seemed to forgive each other and move past it. I understand, that it would be extremely hard to move on from finding out the person you love cheated on you. It ruins the relationship completely. I just wanted to make that clear, so people don't assume I am okay with cheating.
*For clarity Lucas and Peyton dated briefly twice. Once in high school, and once after high school before college. However, Peyton ended it both times due to her growing affection and feelings for Jake and she never felt the intense connection with Lucas as she thought she would. She did care for Lucas, but at the same time she never really loved Lucas in a romantic way. The two have decided to remain amicable and friendly, there is no bad blood between them. Peyton has Jake and she's clearly happy, and the same goes for Lucas. Just wanted to mention that so people are not confused.*
Here's a spoiler (spoiler alert; you were warned): Naley, Brucas and cake. And then Naley and wedding stuff. And finally, Nathan helping Haley=rewards. Rewards galore.
thibbs65: thank you! i promise you no more cheating on anyone's part except the eventual brucas breakup. They will eventually break up but it won't be as amicable as we like to think. Let just say, Haley is still hurting and a bit bitter and resentful from the breakup as Nathan was her soulmate. Will Jeyton make it down to aisle? We will see. I will make sure everything is clear and concise. Thank you, I can't wait either. Nathan & Haley love each other way too much to hurt one another, but sometimes love makes us do stupid stuff.
Guest: I know! but in his defence, Haley also cheated by kissing Clay when she was intoxicated. Cheating or not, they are going through a rough patch in their relationship, however, that is no excuse to cheat on your partner. Should I bring back Liam? and have him and Haley have a go?
dianehermans: thank you! I hope this was enough BL fluff and interaction for you! I do miss writing them, but more is coming. Stay tuned for that.
Guest: I know it seems like everyone is disappointed in Nathan rightfully so, but they BOTH cheated on each other. They shouldn't have done that because the pain they will cause one another to feel would be unbearable. Plus, cheating is no excuse to hurt the person you claim to love esepcially if you're going through a rough patch in your relationship. I hope this was somewhat of an update on Brucas. I have had a hard time writing them, but they will be in more chapters going forward as I see people enjoy the balance between both ships. I'm sorry you feel this story is dragging now, but there is still we need to uncover about everybody. It wouldn't make sense to jump forward and continue the story if we don't have an understanding or clarity on every situation! I hope you understand! Thanks for reading.
Guest: I agree with you completely, cheating is definitely a big no-no, and Nathan being the grown man he is should understand that cheating is one of the main reasons Haley ended her relationship with Clay and that it affected her negatively the last time. She was hurt by his actions. However, this is a work of fiction and considering the many obstacles, Naley has overcome. It seems as though, they have forgiven each other and moved past this since Nathan is set to meet Haley's family.
Guest: Thank you! I like them too. I agree that Lindsey & Clay have got to go as they only drive the wedge between Nathan and Haley deeper and deeper, but what's a story without conflict? Nathan is that guy 99.9% of the time, it just his stupid actions while intoxicated lead him to stray and not be the man Haley deserves and not the man he wants to be.
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