I was absolutely blown away from the reviews of the last chapter. Thank you so much!
If you can't already tell, this is mostly going to be Nathan-centric. I don't think I'll be doing anything from Haley's perspective! I still have a few more chapters left in this. Thank you all so much for the reviews, they really mean the world to me.
"Who are you texting?"
Nathan looked up from his phone at Clay's question, clearing his throat. "I'm not texting."
"Uh, you've been on your phone all morning and we're supposed to be having a meeting," Clay said, raising his eyebrows. "What are you doing?"
"I'm texting Lucas," He said, shrugging slightly.
"About what?" Clay asked him, scooting his chair around his desk.
Nathan locked his phone, quickly setting it in his pocket. "Nothing. Let's meet."
"You aren't texting Lucas," Clay said quickly, reaching forward to grab Nathan's phone out of his pocket.
"Get away from me, man," Nathan said, shoving his hand away and standing up.
Clay raised his eyebrows. "Who are you talking to?"
"It doesn't matter," Nathan argued, stepping away when Clay took a step closer to him.
"It does matter. Is it a girl?" Clay asked, reaching his hand in Nathan's pocket again.
"Dude! This is weird," Nathan smacked Clay's hand again, pulling his phone out of his pocket and holding it high.
"Let me see!" Clay said, grabbing Nathan's arm and attempting to pull it down.
Nathan shook his head, "Back off, Clay!" He said, his voice cracking.
Clay stopped, staring at him with raised eyebrows. "You're hiding something. Are you talking to a girl?"
"Why do you care?" He asked simply, shrugging.
Clay lunged for the phone again, Nathan turning and boxing him out.
Clay jumped on his back, reaching forward to try and grab Nathan's phone.
Nathan stumbled forward a bit, scowling. "Clay, what the hell man?"
"I really want to know! You don't hide things from me," Clay said, reaching further, grabbing his wrist.
Nathan flipped Clay onto the couch in his office, shaking his head. "Because it's nothing, Clay!"
Clay was ready for Nathan's next move and tackled him by his legs.
"You're kidding me!" Nathan groaned, shoving Clay lightly. "Get off me, man! You're crazy."
"If you have a girlfriend you better tell me now, because if I find out by stalking your phone, I'm going to be heartbroken," Clay joked, forcing Nathan's hands against the ground, grabbing his phone out of his palms.
"Clay, stop!" Nathan said quickly, shaking his head.
Clay looked at Nathan's phone, shrugging his shoulders. "Instagram? Slid into someone's DMs? You dog!"
"Clay..." Nathan trailed off, laying his head back across the ground, letting out a defeated sigh.
Clay aimed the camera towards Nathan's face so that it would unlock and he could read the notification.
When he turned it back around to him, Nathan watched his eyes go wide.
"Clay..." Nathan trailed off.
Clay jumped up off of Nathan, taking a step back. "You're talking to Haley?" He asked him slowly.
"Clay, please, don't make it a big deal," Nathan said, getting up to his feet.
"You're kidding me, right?" Clay asked, pushing Nathan's shoulder lightly before shoving his phone into his chest. "You're talking to Haley."
"It's nothing... We're just catching up. It's been a long time," Nathan said quietly, shifting slightly.
"Yeah, I know," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I have to tell Quinn."
"What? Why?" Nathan asked quickly, raising his eyebrows. "You don't have to tell anyone."
"What do you mean? You're talking to Haley!" Clay said, pulling his own phone out of his pocket.
"Just since last night," Nathan said, rubbing his neck.
"Are you sure you can handle this?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.
"It's been almost six years," Nathan grumbled, clearing his throat.
"Yeah, but if I would have said her name last week, you would have stormed out of the room," Clay laughed, sitting down at his chair again, pushing it back behind his desk.
"No," Nathan argued, knowing full well that it was absolutely true.
"I love Haley, but watch out for yourself, Nathan. You'll fall for her quick," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'll keep this to myself until you know what to do with it."
"Thank you," Nathan said, tugging on the collar of his shirt, glancing down when he received another notification.
"She double messaged you?" Clay asked, resting his elbows on his desk, putting his chin on his hands.
"No," Nathan said, shaking his head. "Contrary to popular belief, I do know other people besides you and my ex I haven't talked to in six years."
"Until last night," Clay reminded him, shrugging. "Don't tell me you're talking to Carrie again too?"
"Hell no," Nathan chuckled, running his hand through his hair. "Not after I broke up with her and she promised she was going to steal my first born child. Rumplestiltskin type shit."
"Not sure who was crazier, Carrie for that, or Haley for letting a catch like you go," Clay said, winking at him.
"Sticking your hands in my pockets, now you're flirting with me? Aren't you a married man, Clayton?" Nathan laughed, sitting down across from him again.
"I'd give her up for you, Nate," Clay joked, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. "What have you been talking about?"
"Nothing," Nathan answered, shaking his head.
"How long have you been talking?" Clay asked, looking at him expectantly.
"We talked a little last night but she had to work today so she went to sleep," Nathan informed him, clearing his throat.
"And who started the conversation this morning?" Clay interrogated, his gaze flicking to the phone.
"She did," Nathan said, putting his feet up on Clay's desk.
"And how did you start talking last night?" Clay questioned, pushing Nathan's feet off.
"We followed each other on Instagram and she messaged me," Nathan told him, tapping his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Can we move on to our actual meeting?"
"Three more questions," Clay said, holding up three fingers.
"Go ahead."
"One. Who else knows?"
"No one."
"Not even Lucas?" Clay asked, raised eyebrows.
"I didn't tell him. Maybe she did but I doubt they talk that often," Nathan said, shrugging.
"Okay. Two. Can you promise to pay attention during our meeting? No texting?"
"Yeah."
"Excellent," Clay nodded, sitting up straight and clearing his throat.
"And your third question?" Nathan asked, rubbing his neck.
Clay looked at him, hesitating to ask, before letting out a sigh.
"Did she tell you that she's coming to visit next week? For the first time since we moved here?"
Nathan looked at Clay, his posture stiffening.
"She's coming here? I thought you guys always just met up in Tree Hill..." He said quickly.
"Quinn is eight months pregnant, Nathan. She doesn't want to make a three and a half hour drive," Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "I wasn't going tell you until the week of, but you might as well know now."
"She's coming here," Nathan repeated back to him slowly, feeling his heart start to pound in his chest. "I can't see her."
"She's going to want to see you," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's been six years, Nathan."
"I can't see her, Clay. I'll fall for her before she even gets one word out," Nathan whispered, letting out a deep breath. "And she'll just leave again."
"Nathan, I really want you to be godfather to our baby, but Haley is the godmother," Clay told him, shaking his head. "You're my best friend, but Haley being godmother is a dependent variable. It won't change."
Nathan ran his hand through his hair, looking at Clay with wide eyes. "I get it, yeah. I mean... I'd be honored, but..."
"But nothing, Nathan. You have to see her. It's Haley. I'm sure she has a lot to say to you," Clay said, blowing out a deep breath. "Please Nathan, meet me halfway here. I really, really want you to be godfather. Quinn and I have been holding off telling you because of this. But now that you and Haley might be building a friendship-"
"I've been talking to her for less than twelve hours," Nathan said, his voice cracking.
"You're my best friend, Nate. I really don't want to choose anyone besides you," Clay said simply, nodding at him.
"I'll stay here. But just promise me you won't trick me into anything and promise me you won't leave us alone together unless I give you the nod of approval," Nathan said, clearing his throat.
"Done and done. We'll probably bring her here and show her around," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'll fall in love with her again, Clay. She could spit in my food and kick me where it hurts and I'll thank her for it," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.
"I know, buddy," Clay said, offering him a comforting smile. "But I've got your back. I think the healthy option would be to talk to her though. It has been six years."
"Who was your first heartbreak?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Melinda Lane," Clay said, an eye roll accompanying it.
"Exactly. You don't just forget," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "I spent more than half of my life chasing her. And I never told her how I felt until I was eighteen years old. That was ten years between the time I met her and the time I told her how I felt. I don't do things the healthy way."
"Like I said, I've got your back," Clay said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Is she dating anyone?" Nathan asked him, clearing his throat.
"She dated a guy for about two years, but they've been broken up for a year now. I don't think she's been seeing anyone since," Clay said, nodding at him. "Not that it matters, because you're not going to fall in love with her again."
"Right," Nathan said, nodding at him. "It's just easier if she's not dating anyone, since I'm not dating anyone."
"I get it," Clay said, offering him a small smile. "Let's get back to our meeting, yeah? No responding until we're done."
Nathan nodded, letting out a deep breath and sighing. "Yeah, let's do that."
xxxx
'nathanscott: I heard that you're coming into town next week...'
'haleyjames: Yep! I really wanted to come visit Quinn before she has the baby. I haven't seen her since the beginning.'
'haleyjames: I was going to tell you, but I'm guessing Clay already did?'
Nathan typed for a moment, letting out a deep breath, his thumbs coming to a stop.
'nathanscott: Yeah'
It took her a little while to respond, Nathan leaning back against the couch and flicking on his TV, sighing softly.
'haleyjames: I hope it's alright that I'm coming.'
He looked down, swallowing thickly.
'nathanscott: I don't own the city of Charlotte, Haley. Haha, you can do anything you want.'
Maybe throwing a 'haha' in there would make him seem less nervous about the whole thing.
It took her quite awhile to answer that one. Long enough that he was beginning to be worried she wouldn't answer.
'haleyjames: Right...'
'haleyjames: It's been a long time so I figured it would be okay.'
'nathanscott: Yeah. What day do you get in?'
'haleyjames: Wednesday morning.'
Nathan quickly pulled up the calendar on his phone, looking at his schedule for next week.
Awesome. He'd be out of town until Thursday evening.
'nathanscott: How long are you staying?'
'haleyjames: About eleven days. I'm leaving Sunday morning.'
'haleyjames: I'd like to see you, Nathan.'
Nathan blew out a deep breath, tossing his phone to the side. That was a good place to stop for a little while.
He stood up, walking out of his living room into the kitchen, pulling open the refrigerator door and sighing softly.
How could he let go of all the anger he held against her? Clearly he still wanted to speak to her before he responded without hesitation. But when their breakup flashed through his mind, he felt his blood boil.
If he heard any explanation from her besides that she was wrong, he'd lose it on her.
He'd never had the chance to lose it on her, so maybe he deserved that.
He wouldn't. He knew himself and he could scream at everyone how angry he was at her, except for her.
He sucked in a deep breath, pulling leftover pizza out of the fridge and setting it on a plate, deciding to just eat it cold.
He took his own sweet time, trying to focus his thoughts on something besides Haley James.
He left his phone on the couch for a little while, going down the hall to his bedroom and taking a long shower, trying to ease the newfound tension from his body.
When that didn't work, he sat back down on the couch, his eyes narrowing on his phone.
Dammit, Haley.
He picked up the phone once again, sighing. Had it really only been 18 minutes since she messaged him?
He began to type out a message.
'nathanscott: I do have some traveling to do, but I'm sure we can make time for something.'
It took her less than a minute to answer.
'haleyjames: I hope we can.'
xxxx
Nathan walked into Fortitude the following Friday, quickly pushing the up button on the elevator.
He'd gotten in a little bit later than he planned last night, so he was running late the morning.
He pushed the button to take him to the third floor, where his and Clay's offices were located. He adjusted the strap of his laptop case on his shoulder, letting out a deep breath.
Work was just what he needed to distract him from Haley's arrival on Wednesday. They'd talked pretty frequently until Tuesday morning, and then he'd gotten on a plane to go to Texas and had not really had the time to talk to her.
He tapped his foot impatiently, tugging on his tie lightly. It felt like it was suffocating him today.
Why he'd chose to wear a suit today, he wasn't sure. He usually dressed more casual than this, especially on a Friday. But this morning the navy suit had been calling his name.
Whatever, he'd loosen up in his office.
When he stepped off the elevator, he froze in his steps.
That laugh.
Oh shit.
He quickly turned around to head back onto the elevator.
"Nathan?" Clay called out from behind him, walking out of the conference room across from their offices, carrying two water bottles, a surprised tone in his voice.
Nathan whipped around quickly, looking at Clay with wide eyes.
"I thought you were coming back tonight," Clay said slowly, clearing his throat.
"Nope, I got back in last night," Nathan said quickly, sending Clay a pleading look.
Clay's eyes shot over to his open office door where his wife and sister and law were talking and laughing.
"Clay, who are you talking to?" Quinn asked, stepping outside of the office, raising her eyebrows. "Oh."
Haley stepped out after Quinn, her eyes immediately meeting Nathan's.
"Nathan," She said, a small smile forming on her face.
"Haley, hi," Nathan said slowly, his facial expression softening as he saw her.
Haley stepped past Clay and Quinn until she was only a few feet from him.
Nathan felt the air leave his lungs as she got closer. A dopey smile forming on his face.
Yeah, he was screwed.
It only took a step for Nathan to close the distance between them, meeting her in a slightly awkward hug.
"Clay said you'd be back in town tonight," Haley said quietly when they parted, looking up at him.
"He doesn't listen," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nathan," Clay interrupted. "Why are you here?"
"I had some work I needed to finish up," Nathan answered without taking his eyes off Haley.
She looked stunning. Her blonde hair was cut to her shoulders and worn with her natural curl rather than curled with an iron.
She hadn't aged a day. She still looked like his Haley.
He was glad he wore the suit today, because Haley could never resist when he wore a suit. She loved to play with his tie.
Wait- that didn't matter.
He needed to kick that thought from his head.
"Why don't you go get settled into your office then?" Clay said, letting out a deep breath. "And then you can come join us."
"Right, of course," Nathan said, finally looking at Clay. "Yeah, I'll just... Go into my office," He said, pointing to the door that was marked with his name.
"An office. Very official," Haley commented, a smile forming on her face.
"You better believe it," Nathan chuckled, pulling his keys out of his pocket, stepping to the door and looking at Haley, fumbling with the keys loudly until he found one that fit in the handle.
He unlocked the door quickly, looking over at Clay. "Yeah, I'll join you in a minute. I just need to get settled and send some paperwork down to Texas."
"See you soon," Haley said, nodding at him.
Nathan cleared his throat, "Yeah, I'll see you soon."
He stepped into his office, closing the door behind him. He was thankful that he'd decided to close the blinds before he left on his trip, because that meant they couldn't see him.
He set his bag on the ground quickly, taking a seat at his desk. Okay, Nathan. Get work done.
He couldn't actually go join them, could he? He clearly still had an attraction to Haley, and wasn't sure if he'd be able to turn off the charm.
Clay opened the door a second later, closing it and letting out a deep breath. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it, Clay. You thought I'd be home later and you were just showing her around," Nathan said, swallowing thickly.
"We're just about to go anyways," Clay said, shrugging slightly.
"It doesn't matter to me either way," Nathan said quietly, focusing on his computer.
"Well then you should join us," Clay said slowly, tapping his hands on his legs. "But maybe you should loosen up. Lose the suit. You look too handsome in the suit."
Nathan chuckled quietly, tugging on his tie until it came loose, pulling his jacket off and undoing the top two buttons of his shirt. "Good enough?"
"Perfect," Clay said, raising his eyebrows. "Now do you want me to ask you any questions about the girls you met on your trip?"
"I didn't meet any," Nathan grumbled, pulling up the documents he needed to email.
"But do you want to make up a story right now?" Clay asked, clearing his throat.
Nathan looked at him, shaking his head. "I don't want to play games."
"Good answer," Clay said, holding up a thumbs up. "Come into my office when you're ready."
Nathan sent the email quickly, pulling a rubber basketball out of one of the drawers in his desk, tossing it at the wall casually, letting out a deep breath.
He could do this.
He stood up after a moment, rolling up his shirt sleeves to just below his elbows. He stepped forward, pulling the door open quickly, taking a few steps to his right to the entry way of Clay's office.
"Hey," Nathan said, rubbing his neck lightly.
"Nathan, we were just trying to decide where to go to lunch," Quinn said, gesturing to her, Clay, and Haley.
"Oh, well don't let me intrude," Nathan said politely, leaning against the door frame.
"You wouldn't be," Haley said quickly, offering him a smile.
"Not at all," Quinn said, gesturing to the seat on the couch next to her.
Nathan sat down slowly, sending a small smile in Quinn's direction. "Hi."
"Hey," Quinn said, rubbing Nathan's back lightly. "How was Texas?"
"Really great," Nathan said, nodding at her. "I like traveling, you know that."
"Of course I do. My house is way quieter when you're gone though," Quinn laughed, smiling over at Clay.
"This building is incredible," Haley added, gesturing around.
"Yeah, well it started out small and shitty," Nathan laughed, shrugging.
"Hey! It had character," Clay laughed, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, but I like the salary that we have with this place much more. Not to mention I like not sharing an office with you," Nathan teased Clay, leaning back against the couch.
He met Haley's eyes again, feeling himself easily get lost in them.
She was so beautiful. She had just a presence to her now. She carried herself so confidently.
Confidence was sexy.
Get a grip, Nathan.
Nathan tore his eyes from hers at the sound of Clay's voice.
"I was thinking of taking Haley to the place we go to lunch when we're arguing about a decision," Clay said, raising his eyebrows.
"Are we about to fight?" Nathan asked him, laughing quietly.
"You know I'm always ready to fight with you, Nathan," Clay joked, standing up.
"He just likes to make up," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.
"They have really great mac and cheese there," Nathan said softly, smiling over at Haley.
"That's all it takes for a restaurant to be great," Haley laughed, standing up.
Nathan stood up, grabbing onto Quinn's hands and pulling her up to her feet.
"Thank you," Quinn said, looking up at Nathan with raised eyebrows.
"No problem," Nathan said, letting out a nervous breath.
Quinn sent him the most comforting look he thinks he's ever received from her.
"Haley, have they told you that the baby like me the most?" Nathan asked, looking over at his old flame, a smirk on his face.
"Oh, don't you start with this again," Quinn said, letting out a deep breath.
"Really?" Haley asked, looking at Clay, who was now standing in the doorway.
"It's true," Clay said, rolling his eyes. "The baby goes wild for Nathan."
"Most women do," Quinn said, rolling her eyes and rubbing her stomach.
"So creepy," Clay grumbled, shaking his head. "Plus, we don't know if it's a girl."
"Yeah, all kids just really like me. We don't need to specify whether or not it's a girl or boy," Nathan said, shrugging his shoulders.
"I think it's a boy," Haley said, humming softly.
"He or she thinks I'm the greatest," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "If I use the right tone, I can't get him bouncing off the walls."
"Oh yeah?" Haley questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah," Nathan laughed, smirking at the annoyed sigh that came from Quinn.
"It's true. This baby thinks Nathan is the greatest," Quinn grumbled, "Let's just go before I change my mind about Nathan coming to lunch."
"Did you ever think that maybe it's because I am the greatest?" Nathan asked, shrugging his shoulders. "Back me up, Hales."
He didn't even realize he'd called her by her nickname.
"It's true," Haley said, shrugging slightly. "As long as I've known Nathan, he's had a crowd of people following him. Everyone liked him in high school except for Peyton. And Lucas for a little while."
"Wait, wasn't Peyton your girlfriend?" Quinn laughed, raising her eyebrows.
"Yep," Nathan said, shrugging. "I was a dick to her."
"Let's go, guys. I'm starving," Clay said, gesturing for them to walk out the door.
"I'm going to go ahead and drive myself, I have to come back to work," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "So I'll meet you there."
"I can come with you?" Clay offered, raising his eyebrows.
"That's okay," He said, stepping to the doorway of his office, tapping on the metal that lined it lightly.
"Okay, we'll see you there then," Quinn said slowly, looking over at Clay briefly.
"Yeah," Nathan said, rubbing his neck lightly, easily stepping back into his office and closing the door.
He ran his hand through his hair, listening when he heard the elevator doors open. He sat down in his desk chair, folding his hands behind his head.
What the hell was he doing?
Why could he just drop everything and follow Haley around like a lost puppy within ten minutes of seeing her again?
It had been six years. Did he even have a right to still be upset with her?
He felt like he did. He felt like he should be more angry that he was. He should be more hesitant and skip out on lunch with them.
When he saw her... His heart stopped. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she looked.
And their hug might have been a little awkward, but he'd melted into it.
Damn Haley James.
It wasn't fair. He wanted to tell her all the resentment he'd felt for her. He wanted to make her feel bad.
But he didn't feel that anger and resentment right now.
He stood up, picking up his suit coat once again, sliding it over his shoulders. He quickly tied his tie around his neck, shaking his head to snap himself out of the trance he'd been in.
"Okay, Nathan. You've got this," He told himself out loud, running a hand through his hair.
He walked out of his office, opting to take the stairs to lengthen the time between his office to his car.
The drive to the restaurant had been quiet. Well, the radio had been playing but he'd been too inside his own head to listen.
When he arrived, he unbuckled his seatbelt and wiped his hands on his pants, letting out a deep breath.
He got out of the car slowly, heading into the restaurant.
He saw them, sighing softly. Clay and Quinn were sitting across from Haley.
He'd somehow hoped that Clay had thought this far ahead and opted to let Quinn sit by Haley.
He stepped into the seating area, nodding at the waitress he passed, letting her know he was joining his table.
"Hey, you made it," Clay said, nodding when Nathan approached the table.
"This is where we argue, and I have some things to say," Nathan joked, casually taking a seat next to Haley.
At least he hoped it looked casual.
He swallowed thickly when he felt his arm touch hers, glancing over at her, before subtly scooting the other way.
"Oh, by all means," Clay said, gesturing to Nathan.
"Well to start, I think if you have a boy he should be named Nathan-"
"No," Quinn answered, shaking her head.
"You didn't even listen to my reasons," Nathan pouted, looking at her.
"Don't look at me with those baby blues. I'm immune," Quinn said, shaking her head.
"Now what a minute, Quinn. Let's hear the reasons," Haley laughed, looking over at Nathan.
"Reason one. He'd have a great namesake," Nathan said, nodding his head.
"Hm. Okay, true. Tell me more," Clay said, gesturing for Nathan to continue.
"Two. I'm going to love him the most," Nathan said, leaning back and shrugging.
"Argument. I'm actually going to love him this most," Haley said, holding up her finger and raising her eyebrows.
"You have like forty nieces and nephews. What makes this one so special?" Nathan asked her, laughing.
"Same question to you," Haley said back, shaking her head.
"I have one niece and one nephew," Nathan said, shrugging. "Plus, Lucas is just okay. Have you met Clay? He's a legend."
"I'm sold. Nathan it is," Clay laughed, shaking his head.
"You three," Quinn groaned, rolling her eyes.
"Quinn usually finds this funny," Nathan informed Haley. "I think the final months of her pregnancy are getting to the funny parts of her brain."
"Nathan, I'll stab you with my fork," Quinn grumbled, glaring at him.
"Hey crazy," Clay said, resting his hand on Quinn's shoulder, offering her a smile.
"Sorry," Quinn said, sighing softly and shaking her head.
Nathan laughed, feeling his knee bump against Haley's under the table.
Why did he have to be so tall?
"Nathan, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you come in. What can I get you to drink today?"
A waitress asked as she approached the table.
"I'll just have water today, Hannah," Nathan said, offering her a smile. "How are you?"
"I'm doing well. Can't say that I've ever seen you two bring other people here," Hannah responded, nodding to Haley and Quinn.
"Ah, yes. Hannah, this is my wife Quinn and her sister Haley," Clay said, humming softly.
"We decided to share this place for once," Nathan laughed, shrugging.
"I'm hoping that means you two will keep it down," Hannah said, sending Nathan a pointed look.
"Of course," He said sheepishly.
"Just your regulars today?" She asked, looking at them.
"I'm actually going to go with the house salad," Nathan said, shaking his head.
"Yes," Clay answered, nodding at her.
"And for you two?" Hannah hummed, shifting her eyes from Quinn to Haley.
"I'll have whatever he's having," Quinn said, tilting her head to Clay.
"I'll have the Mac and cheese," Haley hummed, handing her many over.
Nathan smiled slightly at her answer. Totally expected, of course.
"Okay, I'll be right back with that water," She said, stepping away from the table.
"You two really are regulars, huh? I had no idea you two disagreed so often," Quinn said, looking at Nathan then at Clay.
"Nathan can be pretty difficult to get along with. He doesn't say much, but his silences do," Clay said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh shut up, Clay," Nathan grumbled, leaning back.
"Hannah has played mediator more than a few times," Clay said, shaking his head. "She hates when we come in."
"She does not," Nathan argued, rolling his eyes.
"As someone who has worked as a waitress, she probably dreads seeing you two walk through the door, but also finds it mildly entertaining," Haley said, shaking her head and smiling.
"There you go," Nathan said, gesturing to Haley. "She set the record straight."
Quinn yawned, rubbing her hand down her face. "I am so tired."
"I'm sorry," Clay said, glancing at Nathan and shrugging slightly.
Nathan mouthed 'put your arm around her' to Clay, who raised his eyebrows.
'What?' Clay mouthed back, shaking his head.
'Put your arm around her' Nathan tried again.
'What?' Clay asked again, shrugging.
Nathan sighed, beginning to put his arm around Haley without thinking to show him, mouthing it again.
'Oh' Clay mouthed back, doing as Nathan said and putting his arm around Quinn.
"You two idiots know that I saw that whole exchange, right?" Quinn laughed, shaking her head. "I'm pregnant, not blind. And sitting right across from Nathan."
Nathan cleared his throat, shrugging slightly. He looked up when a water was set in front of him, offering Hannah a small smile, before she was hurrying away again.
He took a long drink of his water, suddenly kicking himself for almost putting his arm around Haley. Should he apologize? It was kind of late to do that, so he was just going to leave it.
When their food arrived, the conversation went to more of a casual talk. Clay and Quinn asked Haley questions, and Nathan would occasionally ask a follow up question based on her answer.
But really, it had only been a few months since they'd seen her, so they didn't have many questions for her.
Nathan had thousands it seemed, but it only asked a handful of them.
It was all fine, until Quinn got up to use the restroom, and not a minute later, Clay received an important phone call.
Leaving the two of them at the table, side by side.
"So, uh, how's Scottsdale?" Nathan asked, pushing his salad around with his fork.
"It's nice around this time of year, but it gets really warm during the summer," Haley told him, clearing her throat and looking at him.
"Yeah, I'm in Phoenix every once and awhile. It gets so hot there," He chuckled, rubbing his neck.
"It gets pretty warm here too though," Haley said, gesturing out the window they were sitting by.
"Yeah, it does," Nathan agreed, glancing over at her, before looking down at his plate. "Did you like your food?"
"Of course," She laughed, nudging him lightly with her elbow. "I love almost all Mac and cheese."
Nathan smiled slightly, nodding his head.
She was being so easy going about everything. He actually felt so uptight compared to her.
He wanted to relax and be with her without talking about the weather.
"That will never change, I'm sure. Not very often do people keep their favorite food the same their whole life," Nathan chuckled, looking at her and rolling his eyes.
"The trick is to not order it every single place you go," Haley said, shaking her head. "Branch out, try new things, but always come back to what you love the most."
Nathan almost choked on his water at her words. Could there have been a double meaning there?
Surely it was in his head. There was no way she still loved him after six years. He was such a different person. He definitely wasn't in love with her right now.
Sure, the feelings were still there. But there was no way there was a double-meaning behind her restaurant ordering analogy.
"That's good advice," Nathan hummed, leaning back in his seat and letting out a deep breath.
"So you really like to travel?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.
"I do," Nathan said, nodding his head. "I think it probably has something to do with getting to spend time with incredible players from all different types of sports. I went golfing the other day with someone who is going to be one of the best golfers in the world, I can feel it."
"Do you regret not going to the NBA?" Haley asked him.
"Sometimes. Not very often. I was good enough, and I proved that to myself. I don't think my dad ever forgave me though," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize," She said quickly. "Apparently the way to earn Dan's love is to have kids. That's what Lucas always says, anyways."
"He sure does have a soft spot for Sawyer and Lee," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "And mom will give Lee anything he wants because they named him after her."
"That's what Lucas tells me. She says she doesn't have a favorite, but deep down, they know she's lying," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Your mom, huh?"
"Yeah, she's a piece of work," Nathan said, shaking his head.
"How often do you see them?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrows.
"I try to go down there every few weeks. Always bearing gifts. No matter what, l'm their favorite uncle by default but I want them to be excited to see me," Nathan laughed, shaking his head.
"That's not true! Peyton has a brother," Haley argued, shaking her head.
"Okay, she has a brother that she sees once a year. I'm the favorite uncle," Nathan laughed, nudging his elbow into her side. "I'm insulted that you would insinuate otherwise."
"I'm just teasing you," Haley laughed, rolling her eyes. "Come on, Nathan. How could you not be the favorite uncle?"
Nathan smiled at her, clearing his throat. "Well I'm sure you're the favorite aunt, right?"
"Not by a mile. It's Quinn, and then Taylor, and then me. I'll be Quinn's baby's favorite aunt though," She hummed, shrugging her shoulders.
"What? There's no way! They were always so excited to see you," Nathan said, frowning.
"No, Nathan, they were excited to see you," Haley laughed, looking at him. "I was the aunt that made them eat their vegetables, and you would sneak them into the garbage."
"But you always noticed that I put them there and you never said anything," Nathan said, knitting his eyebrows together in confusion. "I swear they loved you."
"Nope, they loved you," Haley said, shaking her head. "In fact, I think when we broke up, they were more upset than anyone else."
Nathan just about choked again at her words. Just like that? So casual?
They definitely weren't true, he was pretty sure he took that crown.
"Yeah, I doubt that," Nathan responded, clearing his throat.
"Nathan..." Haley began, trailing off when Quinn came back to the table.
"I just want this baby out of me," Quinn said, sighing and beginning to eat her food rather aggressively. "What did I miss?"
"Clay, um, took a phone call. He'll be right back though," Haley said softly, looking at Quinn and smiling slightly.
"I always tell him not to take phone calls during lunch but he never listens," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.
"Can I get you guys anything else?" Hannah asked as she approached the table, looking at Nathan.
"It looks like we'll need three boxes and I'll take the check," Nathan said quickly, glancing at Clay, Quinn, then Haley's plates.
"Nathan, you don't-"
"I'm paying, Quinn," Nathan said quickly, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, handing Hannah his card.
Hannah nodded, before heading away from the table.
"Thanks, Nathan," Haley said quietly, making eye contact with Quinn and shaking her head.
"Yeah, don't mention it," He said, keep his eyes focused on the plate in front of him.
Clay arrived back at the table at the same time Hannah was coming with the boxes.
"We're done?" He asked, raising his eyebrows.
Nathan stood up slowly, shaking his head. "I really need to get back to work. Sorry."
Clay looked at him, knitting his eyebrows together in surprise. "Come on, Nathan. It's Friday. You've been traveling a ton lately. Why don't you just stay?"
Nathan made eye contact with Clay, beginning a silent argument with him full of eye gestures, head nods, and different expressions.
"You should stay, Nathan," Haley said, reaching out and grabbing onto his wrist, pulling him from any type of conversation he was having with Clay.
Nathan looked at her quickly, his eyes softening when they met hers.
What the hell was wrong with him? She was the reason he was trying to get out of this lunch so quickly. She crossed a line he didn't want her to cross when she brought up them, although it had been casual, it brought back the mixed emotions.
Why did she have so much power over him? It really wasn't fair. His brain could tell him to walk out, but as soon as she says stay, all of the sudden it sounds like a great idea to him.
"I can stay for a little while," He said, clearing his throat and sighing softly.
"Awesome," Clay said, clapping Nathan on the shoulder.
"Can we go back home though?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah," Clay said, leaning down and kissing her head. "We'll continue the Charlotte tour tomorrow."
"I'm from North Carolina, I have been here, you know," Haley laughed, looking at Clay and shaking her head.
"True, but you didn't know about this place. Only people that live here know the full experience. Oh! Maybe we should go to a Hornets game!" Clay said, looking at Nathan quickly. "I'm going to make some calls later. There's a home game this weekend."
"Oh great, now there's another excuse for them to go to a basketball game," Quinn said, shaking her head and standing up.
Haley stood up slowly, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking up at Nathan.
Nathan met her eyes for a moment, before looking away again.
"I think I'm going to stop by my apartment and change clothes. I'll see you guys at your place," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath.
"Sounds good," Clay said, nodding at him. "I'll walk you to you car?"
"Uh, sure..." Nathan trailed off, shrugging his shoulders.
Wow, there was no way it wasn't completely obvious that Clay was going to talk to him about the girl that had been the hot topic of their discussions lately. Because why else would he need to walk him out to his car?
Nathan rolled his eyes as they started walking, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"What happened?" Clay asked when they exited the building.
"This is all just too weird for me, man," Nathan said, looking over at Clay. "She's so put together."
"You're so put together, Nathan," Clay laughed, shrugging. "Look at your life. It's not like she's better than you. I'd say that you're almost as put together as she is. The only difference is, she's not all jittery and acting like she's had ten cups of coffee."
"I just don't think I can do the whole casual conversation friends thing," Nathan told him, looking over. "Did she say anything about me on the drive here?"
"No," Clay answered, shaking his head. "Not that it matters, but I've heard your name come out of her mouth maybe ten times in the last six years. She hasn't said one thing to Quinn about how she's been messaging you."
"Really?" Nathan asked, looking over at him.
"Yeah," Clay said, clearing her throat. "I think it's because the memories hurt her too. And before you argue and say the memories didn't have to be painful, just save it."
Nathan nodded, kicking his foot at the ground. "It doesn't change how weird this is."
"Just relax, Nathan. As long as she doesn't go into anything too deep, just keep it light. If she casually brings up something that happened while you were dating, then roll with it. I mean if she says that she tries to go any deeper, think with your brain and your heart. Just relax, man. You're acting really uptight today, and that's not who you are," Clay laughed, patting his shoulder.
"Okay. But as soon as I get to your house, I want a beer in my hand, and I want to be cut off after the first one," Nathan laughed, nodding at him.
"You got it, buddy," Clay said, glancing over when Quinn and Haley walked out of the restaurant.
Nathan let out a deep breath, climbing into his car, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
He took the long way home, making sure to stop at every single yellow light. It took him a little bit longer to pick out what to wear than he'd like to admit.
When he arrived at their house, he knocked on the front door before heading inside.
A smell that he had not smelled in six years overwhelmed him, letting out a deep breath.
He walked into the kitchen, clearing his throat.
"Hey Nate," Clay said, looking at him from the countertop bar. "Haley is making Quinn brownies."
"I see that," Nathan said, leaning against the counter, smiling at Haley when she looked over at him when she pulled open the oven to check them. "That was fast, I didn't think it took me that long to get over here."
"On the drive home Quinn was craving them, and Haley started making them as soon as we walked through the door," Clay laughed, smiling at his wife when she walked into the kitchen.
"Haley makes great brownies, so I don't blame her," Nathan said, nodding slowly.
"Oh, my brownies are nothing compared to Taylor's. Taylor is the worst in just about everything, but when it comes to making brownies..." Haley trailed off, looking over at them.
Nathan quickly looked at Quinn, whose eyes shifted to him just as quickly.
He could tell she was holding back a laugh.
"What?" Haley asked, a confused look appearing on her face.
"Nothing," Nathan said, looking back at her and smirking slightly.
"No, you two just shared one of those looks after I said something!" Haley argued, crossing her arms.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Quinn said, shaking her head.
Clay eyed the two of them suspiciously. "I saw it too, Hales."
"It's nothing," Quinn said, shrugging. "Yeah, Taylor makes good brownies."
"Really good," Nathan added, clearing his throat. "You're right, Haley."
Haley scowled, her eyes darting back and forth between Nathan and Quinn a few times.
"Tell me," She said when her eyes finally landed on Quinn.
"Tell you what?" Quinn asked her innocently, raising her eyebrows.
When Haley found no use out of Quinn, her eyes moved to Nathan.
"Nathan," Haley said, looking at him with one eyebrow raised. "Tell me."
Nathan swallowed thickly, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Nathan," She said again, clearing her throat.
"Taylor's brownies have a special, secret ingredient in them," Nathan said quickly, before hitting his hand against the counter.
"Nathan! That was a secret! You swore you wouldn't tell," Quinn groaned, leaning back in her chair.
"I'm sorry!" Nathan groaned, looking over his shoulder at her.
"What?" Haley asked, looking at him with wide eyes.
"Haley ate pot brownies!" Clay laughed, shaking his head. "That's hilarious."
"You two let me eat those? No wonder Taylor hasn't made them for me in like seven years!" Haley said, scowling at them.
"Haley, you really needed them," Quinn laughed.
"You're my sister. You're supposed to stop things like this," Haley groaned, shaking her head. She pointed at Nathan, "And you, you were my boyfriend!"
"You did really need them. One day she was at our apartment, and Quinn was there, and you were getting so stressed out because you had a test the next day and Taylor dropping by wasn't helping... So she asked us if we thought it was a good idea..." Nathan trailed off, clearing his throat.
"Easily the most fun I've ever had," Quinn laughed.
"I don't think I've ever seen you and Taylor get along so well," Nathan laughed, looking over at Quinn.
"I can't believe this," Haley groaned, running her hand through her hair.
"Don't worry, Haley, I didn't eat any. I kept an eye out for you," Nathan laughed, shrugging.
"Oh, my hero," Haley grumbled, looking at him and shaking her head. As soon as she made eye contact with Nathan, she couldn't keep the straight face anymore and started laughing.
"I can't believe you two let Taylor drug me!" She laughed, rolling her eyes.
"You're not mad?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrows.
"What's the use of being angry about something that happened seven years ago, Quinn?" Haley said, shrugging her shoulders. "You two have been carrying that around for years."
"You still got an A on your test, so no harm done," Nathan said, shrugging.
"Any other times you two have drugged me that I should know about?" Haley asked, looking at them.
"I think just the one for me. Quinn?" Nathan asked, looking over and laughing.
"Just that once," Quinn confirmed, nodding.
"Have you two ever drugged me?" Clay asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Oh, honey, you couldn't take it," Quinn joked, patting Clay's cheek.
"I've gotten you drunk hundreds of times, but never drugs. Sorry," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.
Haley laughed quietly at the conversation, opening up the oven when the timer went off, pulling the brownies out slowly.
"Oh, Haley. You're the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Quinn gushed, grinning at her.
Nathan looked over at her, raising his eyebrows.
"Oh, right, besides my baby, and Clay, all that, you know what I mean," Quinn said, getting down from her chair.
"Thank you," Haley hummed, looking down at them. "Better let them sit for a minute or two."
Nathan stepped over, looking down at the brownies and humming softly. "They smell incredible, Hales."
"Thank you," Haley hummed, looking up at him and smiling.
Nathan smiled back at her, rubbing his neck. He glanced over at Clay after a moment, letting out a deep breath.
After the brownies cooled, they all got settled in the living room, just talking casually.
Since it was November, Clay convinced everyone in the room to watch cheesy Hallmark movies with him.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty light hearted and breezy. Nathan surprised himself how seriously he took Clay's words to him in the parking lot earlier, and how he let himself relax and live in the moment, rather than the past.
When it hit about nine o'clock, Quinn was falling asleep on Clay's shoulder, so Clay promised he'd be right back after taking her to bed, but he had yet to come back, and it had been ten minutes.
"Nathan," Haley said, bringing his focus away from the movie. They were sitting at opposite ends of the couch.
Nathan looked at her quickly, raising his eyebrows. "Hm?"
Haley reached forward, grabbing the remote off the coffee table and pausing the movie.
He knew instantly what she was about to talk about. Them. The past. Rehash thoughts that until last week, he'd buried and never dealt with.
That was him, though. Haley didn't avoid things.
Well, it had been six years, but still.
"I wanted to come here to see Quinn, that was true," Haley began, clearing her throat. "But I also really wanted to see you."
"Oh," Nathan answered, nodding slowly.
Lame answer, Nathan. Great job.
"I think it's time for us to talk, you know? It's been six years, and I don't know about you, but I have a lot to say..." She said calmly.
Nathan felt his panic rising. He really didn't want to relive this with her.
It was the immature option, for sure. But he hated the situation. He hated that she broke up with him so many years ago.
He wasn't going to do this with her. Maybe she should check back in another six years.
If only she wasn't going to be here for several more days.
"I know it's going to be hard," She began, letting out a deep breath.
"Yeah, it is," Nathan said quickly, looking at her and shaking his head. "So let's not."
"What?" She asked him, raising her eyebrows.
"Let's not do this," He said simply, standing up.
"We've already avoided this conversation for too long, Nathan," Haley said, standing up as well. "I have things to say to you, and I know you have things to say to me."
"No you don't. You don't know me," Nathan said, shaking his head. "I'm not the same 21-year old kid you tossed to the side like a basketball."
"Well that comment right there tells me you have more to say," Haley argued, crossing her arms.
"Don't debunk me," He said in a monotone voice, keeping his anger levels low. He could get mad when he got home, but he wasn't going to blow up on her.
"I don't have anything to say," He said, picking up his jacket from off the back of the couch. "It was great seeing you, Haley. Try me in another ten years," He said, walking to the front door.
"Nathan, come on," Haley groaned, following after him.
"No, Haley. I'm walking away from this conversation because I don't want to have it. I don't need to have it," Nathan said, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm doing just fine without it."
Haley let out a deep breath, gesturing for him to go.
Nathan nodded, pulling the door open and storming out to his car quickly.
The whole drive home, he kept his head level.
He focused on driving, otherwise he might crash his car into a tree or something like that.
But as soon as he crossed through the door to his apartment, he felt his anger towards he come out.
He was so mad at her. Maybe he should've talked to her, but he didn't want to hear more excuses. He was sure she thought she made the right decision.
But he knew she was wrong.
He would've given up anything for her. Even at the young age of 21, he was ready to forget any life he was making for himself and make a life for them instead.
She thought she could make a decision for him, and it wasn't fair.
He couldn't stand this anymore. He couldn't stand thinking of her. Being around her didn't help because it actually made him miss her. He missed her. He missed thinking of the life they were supposed to have together.
They were supposed to be having kids right now. She was supposed to be his wife. But she thought she knew better than him. She always thought she knew better than him.
After stewing in his own thoughts for awhile, he realized he had not moved from the front entry way when he heard a knock at the door.
He pulled the door open, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"Haley? How did you get my address?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.
She looked angry. Pissed off. A look he rarely saw when they dated, but one he recognized as not the time to play around.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Nathan?" Haley snapped to him, pushing past him and shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" He asked, scowling at her.
"What I mean is, I'm begging you, after six years to let me hear you, and to listen to what I have to say, and you walk out like it doesn't matter!" She said, looking at him and rolling her eyes. "That's the easy way out!"
"It doesn't matter, Haley!" He argued, "it's not going to change anything."
Haley laughed bitterly, glaring at him. "That's a load of shit, Nathan! It matters!"
"What do you have to say to me, Haley?" He asked her, shaking his head. "Let me guess. It has something to do with how young we were. How I followed you to college and needed to experience my own life without you," He said, stepping closer to her, glaring down at her.
She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.
"How I wasn't ready to marry you because I didn't even know who I was, or what I was doing?" He asked, his eyes narrowing at her. "Or maybe we should talk about you," He began, clearing his throat. "Maybe you thought that you were better than me. You thought you could do better than your bestfriend's little brother that had been in love with you for years. Maybe, just maybe, moving away was your excuse to break it off with me," He said bitterly, continuing to move closer to her.
A few more steps and she'd be backed into the wall behind her.
"Nathan..." She warned at his last comments.
He saw the anger growing in her eyes at his words.
He knew they weren't true. He knew she genuinely thought she was doing what was best. But she deserved to hear what was in his head, and he deserved to say it.
"Or maybe you'd already found someone else," He brought up the point, glaring down at her.
That one definitely wasn't true, but he could tell she was fuming now.
"Maybe I was just some joke to you. Something to do," He said to her, shaking his head. "Maybe you figured you owed me. I'd gone all the way to Stanford for you. I was going to fail out if it wasn't for you, and I couldn't keep coming to you if you'd rejected me, so maybe it was easier this way," He said to her, looking down at her when her back hit the wall gently.
He cleared his throat, preparing to speak again, when she cut him off.
"I was wrong, Nathan," Haley said quickly, staring up at him.
Nathan blinked in surprise at her words, easing up for a moment, before laying the pressure he'd put on again. The room had shifted somewhere along the lines when he was backing her into the wall. He still felt the rage, but it was accompanied by something new.
He placed his hands on either side of her head, staring down at her.
"Wrong?" He asked, glaring down at her.
"I was wrong," She said again, staring up at him. "I thought that I was making the right choice by breaking up with you, but it wasn't."
That wasn't what he was expecting to hear from her at all. Haley was always very calculated in her decisions and rarely regretted them.
Nathan was even closer to her now. He didn't know exactly how it happened, but he could feel her rage mixing with his.
"You're a jerk," She told him quietly, her hand coming to rest on his chest. "An ass. For you to even say, let alone think any of the things you just told me."
"Say it again," He said to her, glaring down at her.
"You're a huge ass. But I was wrong, Nathan. I thought I knew better than you, but you knew better than me," She said, scowling up at him.
For years, they'd argue who kissed who first.