I have to tell you guys... I am having such a blast with this story. (If you can't tell by the quick updates!) Thanks for not letting it just be a one shot.
And thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, each one makes me want to continue writing. I mean it. I'm so thankful.
P.S. I love writing flirty Haley. Usually I have Nathan kind of "fight for her" but I love writing him nervous and trying to prolong the inevitable. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!
Nathan ran a hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath as he leaned against the bar, tapping his hands slowly.
"What can I get you?"
The dark haired bartender asked him, raising his eyebrows.
"What do you recommend?" Nathan asked, sighing softly.
"Oh, have I got the drink for you, my friend," He laughed, stepping away from the bar. He returned a moment later with a bright blue drink in his hand, setting it in front of him. "This, is a Brain Blaster."
Nathan raised his eyebrows, picking up the drink, taking a sip of it. He looked at the bartender again, shaking his head. "Dude, this is gross."
"What?" He asked, frowning. "No it's not."
"Yeah, it is," Nathan laughed, setting the drink down and shaking his head. "Gross. Have you ever tried it?"
"Yeah! Well... No," He said, leaning against the bar. "I've heard it's bad luck."
"To try the drink you've made before you serve it? I don't think that's right," Nathan laughed, shaking his head. "A bartender that doesn't know how to make drinks?"
"Bar manager, actually," He corrected him, tapping on his name tag. "I usually keep my distance from the bar, but... We're short staffed tonight..." He said, nodding around, before his eyes flickered over to a girl that was sitting at the end of the bar.
"Well..." Nathan looked down at the name tag on his chest. "Chase, I'm Nathan. And if you need any help, I'd be happy to jump over the bar and show you my skills. I don't want to brag, but I was in a frat my senior year of college."
"Unless you're looking for a job, I'm not really supposed to do that," Chase responded, laughing quietly.
"I think that it will be okay," Nathan gestured around, laughing. "Peyton is my sister in law and Deb is my mom."
"Oh! You're that Nathan," Chase said, nodding. "Yeah, you can make your own drink if mine suck."
"They do. Don't make this drink ever again until it's improved," Nathan joked, gesturing to the brain blaster.
"Hi, Mia!" Chase cut the conversation short when the woman Nathan had noticed him looking at earlier had walked over.
"Hi Chase," She greeted him, smiling brightly. "Do you think I could get a drink?"
"Long island iced tea?" Chase asked her, smiling at her.
"You know me so well," Mia hummed, winking at him.
Chase quickly made the drink while Nathan and Mia stood awkwardly next to each other at the bar, making small talk.
Once he returned, he handed it over to her, another dopey smile on his face. "Here, Mia," He said, handing it over to her. "Let me know if I can get you anything else, Mia." He hummed, clearing his throat. "You look great tonight, Mia."
Mia, Nathan was positive that was her name now, smiled at him with a blush, then walked back to the group of friends at the other end of the bar.
"I think I blacked out for a second," Chase said, shaking his head. "What happened?"
"You said her name way too many times when talking to her," Nathan laughed, sipping from the bottle in his hands. "Every sentence, dude. It was bad."
"I read on one of those Facebook articles that girls like when you say their name," Chase told him, shaking his head and sighing softly.
"They do, but not that much," Nathan told him, shrugging his shoulders. "If you say it so much it's just awkward, right Chase? Saying their name a lot in a sentence makes them feel confused, Chase. Chase, it was just really weird, Chase."
"Okay, I get it!" Chase laughed, rolling his eyes. "You really are the meanest Scott, hm? How can you be Luke's brother?"
Nathan laughed, tapping his hand on the bar. "I was going to lay some wisdom on you, but now I'll save it to myself."
"No, wait..." Chase sighed, looking at Mia again and letting out a deep breath. "Why are you hanging out here? Don't tell me you came drinking by yourself?"
"No," Nathan said, tilting his head to where Lucas, Peyton, and Haley were sitting with their friends. "That's my ex girlfriend," He informed him, sighing softly.
"Her name is Haley, right? I've met her a couple of times," Chase said, nodding at him slowly.
"Yeah. Well... We broke up six years ago, and we haven't told anyone but we're kind of talking again. She's interested in, y'know, rekindling things, but I think it's best to stay friends," Nathan informed him, letting out a deep breath and sipping his drink again.
"She broke your heart," Chase said, to which Nathan nodded to confirm.
"And to sound totally lame, I can't go through it again," Nathan said quietly, letting out a deep breath. "But, that doesn't matter because instead of hanging out with them and falling in love with her again- I'm going to help you, my new good friend Chase, finally work up the courage to ask out that lovely lady."
"And you're the master?" Chase asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "Since we're talking about our lives, I had my heart broken when my girlfriend of four years cheated on me last year, so I've been off my game. Where does that put me?"
"In a bad place," Nathan said, smiling sympathetically at him. "But, Chase, I'm going to help you get your head back in the game."
"And, Nathan, I'm going to help you not fall back in love with Haley tonight," Chase said, bumping his fist against Nathan's and laughing.
Nathan laughed, nodding. "Good man. So, how long have you known this girl?"
"About a month and a half. She just moved to town and she's in a band," Chase said, nodding at him. "They play here every Friday night. The lead singer is a piece of shit, and it seems like they're kinda the on again, off again couple."
"Musician. Nice," Nathan chuckled, smiling at him. "What else?"
"But he's human garbage. The songs are just okay, but I've heard Mia warming up on her own before and she's incredible," Chase said, smiling down the bar at her, before looking back at Nathan quickly.
"You know, Peyton would probably ask her to perform solo if she knew, she doesn't generally put up with bullshit," Nathan said, clearing his throat.
"He's always pretty okay when Peyton is around though. Or Deb. But, they're not always here, especially while they're warming up," Chase said, sighing softly. "But Mia, wow... She has a voice. But it's been drowned out by an entitled white man. Typical," He grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"I'm hoping they're off again right now, yeah?" Nathan said, raising his eyebrows.
"I think so. I think they've been broken up almost the whole time they've been here," Chase said, smiling over at Mia when he caught her eye.
"Well, I can tell that you're just here working for her, because you definitely aren't short staffed, at least not right now. There are not that many people here, and you've been talking to me all night while the other bartender was getting the twenty people in here drinks," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Chase asked him, nodding at Mia.
"Yeah, she's cute, man," Nathan agreed, smiling at Chase. "And I'm going to help you score a date with her tonight. Do you think you can hop away from the bar?"
"Yes," Chase said quickly, nodding at him.
Nathan nodded at him when he came around, letting out a deep breath. "So, we won't be playing any games with her tonight. Got it? No jealousy, nothing. Well... Maybe I'll send someone over while you're talking to her so that you can say you're busy. Girls love having your full attention, probably as much as we love having there's."
"Okay, sounds good," Chase said, letting out a deep breath. "What's the plan?"
"They like when you're not afraid to make a fool out of yourself. So sit tight, I will be right back. I'm going to use my owner's son privileged rights to help with this," Nathan laughed, hurrying away quickly. He headed over to the table where Peyton was sitting, nodding at everyone quickly, before leaning down and whispering in her ear.
A moment later, Peyton stood up quickly and hurried away, while Nathan walked back over to Chase.
"What's going on?" Chase asked him, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm going to introduce you to the beauty of laughter. You don't seem like you've had that much fun, and I'm a lot of fun. Well, I used to be," Nathan laughed, patting Chase's shoulder.
"I have plenty of fun," Chase grumbled, shaking his head.
"Not in the last year you haven't. So let loose, and trust me," Nathan laughed, smirking slightly.
"I've only known you for about twenty minutes, dude," Chase reminded him, sighing and glancing over his shoulder at Mia. "Fine."
A minute later, Peyton stepped out on stage, a huge grin on her face.
"Okay, guys. We weren't doing karaoke tonight, but we're going to make an exception because a there has been a very special request," Peyton began, nodding at Nathan. "One song. One performance. Two legends. Give it up for Nathan Scott and Chase Adams!"
Chase looked at Nathan quickly, shaking his head. "You're kidding me."
"Come on, buddy. I'm your new best friend, we have to do this," Nathan said, pushing him forward. "This is your moment, man. She'll love this."
"You know what? Fine," He said, letting out a deep breath.
"Okay, let's bust a move," Nathan said, dragging him up onto the stage.
After the total embarrassment of a whole song, Nathan and Chase both jumped off the stage, laughing.
"Dude, that was crazy," Chase laughed, pushing him lightly and shaking his head.
"Oh, come on, it was fun," Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders.
"Guys, that was incredible!"
Chase turned around quickly when Mia hurried up to them, laughing.
"Not even close to anything you could do," Chase complimented, smiling at her.
"Oh, I think this was even better. I better hope Peyton let's me keep my spot in the line up after that performance. You might be off bar manager duty, and on to performing," Mia said, patting his arm.
"More like hopefully I don't get fired after she heard my terrible singing," Chase laughed, smiling at her.
"Hey, do you want to come sit with me? My friends are leaving, but I'd love to hang out with you," Mia said, nodding up at him.
Chase looked over his shoulder at Nathan, "Nate, buddy-"
Nathan laughed, nodding. "Dude. Go." He said, gesturing for them to go sit down.
'Thank you' Chase mouthed to Nathan, before quickly following Mia to her previous seat.
Nathan chuckled, shoving his hands into his pockets, looking over when the group he came with rushed over to him.
"Nathan, that was insane," Peyton said, laughing loudly.
"I just wish I had filmed it," Lucas laughed, wiping a tear from his eye from laughing so hard.
"I think I need to teach you some moves," Mouth said, patting Nathan's shoulder. "It's okay, young one. Someday you will learn."
"I just have one question..." Peyton said, shaking her head. "Why?"
Nathan tilted his head towards Chase and Mia, shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh, that's so nice," Peyton laughed, ruffling Nathan's hair. "Isn't he supposed to be working? He practically begged me to let him bartend tonight."
"Let it go," Nathan said, smirking slightly.
"Fine," Peyton said, clearing her throat.
"Man, that was awesome," Skills said, fist bumping Nathan. "All to help little old Chase get a date."
"What can I say? I've gone soft in my old age," Nathan said, rubbing his neck and letting out a deep breath.
"I think you aced it," Haley commented, offering him a smile.
"Why, thank you," He laughed, tipping his head in her direction. "Now, if you will excuse me, I'm going to go get another drink."
He stepped away, heading back to the bar, letting out a deep breath and ordering another beer.
It was only a moment before Haley appeared next to him, a grin on her face.
"I don't want to hear anything from you, Hales," He laughed, shaking his head and looking at her.
"That was so awesome," She said, winking at him. "Like, really, really great."
"I do what I can to get other guys laid," Nathan hummed, clearing his throat and shrugging.
"A true hero," She said, letting out a deep breath, looking up at him. "I wish you would have spent time with us though."
"I really was planning on coming back, but Chase is pretty cool," He laughed, shrugging. "Not to mention, I was able to show off my singing and dancing skills."
Haley smiled at him, laughing and shaking her head. "You were absolutely incredible. Blew me out of the water."
"Really? You were impressed by that?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking at her.
"More than impressed," She hummed, winking at him. "I thought it was cute, that's for sure. In general, and then when I learned why you did it. I didn't know you could be such a softie."
"I think you know better than anyone that I have a heart," He said, looking at her and shrugging his head.
"I guess that's true," She hummed, glancing over her shoulder. "Nathan Scott, Tree Hill's bad boy with a soft spot for love."
"Bad boy is a bit extreme," He laughed, smirking at her.
"I know," She hummed, ordering another drink and letting out a deep breath.
He took a moment to admire her again while she was distracted, smiling slightly. "You should've ordered the brain blaster while Chase was working. So good."
"Yeah, I will never make that mistake again," Haley laughed, looking at him and rolling her eyes. "Don't think you can trick me into that one."
"Has everyone tried it?" He laughed, raising his eyebrows.
"Everyone," She assured him, shaking her head.
"Why doesn't anyone tell him it's bad?" He laughed, leaning against the bar and grinning at her.
"Well... The time I had it, it was my first time ever meeting him and I didn't want to hurt his feelings so I just drank it," Haley hummed, laughing.
"You drank the whole thing?" He asked her, raising his eyebrows.
"Yes," She laughed, shaking her head.
"Oh, Hales," He laughed, resting his hand on her shoulder. "I feel for you."
She smiled at him, letting out a deep breath. "Why don't we head back to the group?"
"What? So we can ignore each other and be awkward all night?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I don't know, Hales. Honestly, I'd rather just stand here and talk to you. You think I'm here to hang out with Junk and Fergie?"
"Well, do you think I'm here to hang out with them? I mean, I love everyone over there, but I just wanted to see you again," Haley informed him, humming softly. "I see them every time I come home."
"I don't know. I think I might just head out, honestly," He said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Don't," She said, shaking her head and looking at him. "I think you should stay."
He smiled at her, letting out a deep breath.
"Come on, Nathan," She said, smiling back at him. "I want to hang out with you."
"I'll stay for a little bit longer," He said, leaning against the bar and smiling at her.
"You're the best," She said, squeezing his arm lightly and letting out a deep breath.
He opened his mouth to say something, before a third party appeared next to him.
"Oh my gosh! Nathan Scott!"
Both Nathan and Haley looked down down the bar to none other than...
"Oh, hey Theresa," Nathan said, offering her a slight nod and then a smile.
Things were about to get painfully awkward.
He glanced around Tric until his eyes landed on Chase, who gave him a thumbs up.
Great, Chase had sent her over in an attempt to get Haley away most likely. But little did he know, Nathan would much rather be talking to Haley than Theresa. Well, he'd much rather be talking to Haley than anyone, really. But Chase could not have picked a worse girl to send over to him.
Theresa was beautiful, that's for sure. But since he'd been home (all of about twenty-eight hours) his mom had offered to set him up with Theresa like three or four times.
"I didn't know that you were here," Theresa commented, smiling brightly at him. "But, I must say, your performance was fantastic."
"Thanks," Nathan chuckled, taking a sip from the bottle in his hand. "You, uh, remember Haley," He said, taking a small step back so they were in better view of each other.
"Yes, of course!" Theresa said, smiling politely at Haley. "I didn't realize that you two were together again."
Nathan was going to let it slide and let her believe it, because he honestly did not want to spend the night talking with her. He wanted to talk to Haley for another hour, then go home.
"We're not," Haley said, patting Nathan's shoulder. "Just here as friends."
"Oh," Theresa hummed, leaning against the bar. "Well, Haley, I do have something to talk to you about later that I think you'll be interested in."
Nathan almost choked on his drink trying to stifle the laugh that was bubbling in his throat. He glanced down at Haley, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
"Yeah, sounds good," Haley said, resting her hand on Nathan's back. "I'm going to go sit back down."
"Okay," Nathan said, clearing his throat. "I'll join you in a second."
As soon as Haley was gone, Theresa had suddenly been much closer to him.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and clearing his throat.
"I'm actually sober," Theresa informed him, her hand reaching up to brush some nonexistent lint off his shoulder.
"Water?" Nathan asked, looking down at her.
"Would be lovely," Theresa hummed, nodding at him. "What sparked that incredible performance tonight? In high school, you never would've done that. Well... Except for at the auctions."
"Oh, wow. Haven't thought about that in years" Nathan cringed inwardly. The auctions. Yikes. Something he'd never forget. Every year, I hoped that Haley would buy him, and ever year he was disappointed. Always some girl that wanted to date him. In fact... He was pretty sure Theresa had actually bought him once year. Oh, this was just not going to be fun.
When he ordered her water, Theresa grabbed his arm to thank him, and he swore it was like she burned him with hot metal.
He just wanted Haley, he really did. He knew they had to stay friends, but he didn't want other people feeling up his bicep, or touching him at all.
He glanced over his shoulder to where she was, making eye contact with her and offering her a small smile.
"So, what have you been up to? I think your mom told my mom something about sports?" Theresa asked him, laughing. "Sorry, it's hard to focus on what my mom is telling me during a spin class."
"Yeah, I'm an agent," He informed her, smiling slightly. "Graduated college, started a business with my friend and it really grew," He hummed, clearing his throat.
"That's fascinating," Theresa said, shaking her head. "I always thought you'd go to the NBA."
"I considered it for a little while, but I'm really happy where I'm at right now, y'know?" He said, shrugging slightly.
"That's what's most important," Theresa said, smiling at him.
He nodded, smiling at her response. Maybe if he didn't feel like one giant mess right now, he really could enjoy spending time with her. She seemed... Alright.
"What have you been up to?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, I got married and then got divorced a year later and moved back here," Theresa said, gesturing around. "Honestly, it's been a little rough, but things have been looking up. It's a little hard during this time of year when I meet up with my friends from school, and they're happy and having kids while I'm still trying to figure things out."
He nodded, sending her an empathetic look and letting out a deep breath, taking a sip of his drink.
"Can I just say that you look fantastic?" Theresa said, taking a step back and looking it over. "I mean, you've really kept things tight."
Nathan laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Oh, y'know, I find exercise a great way to blow off steam."
"Well whatever you're doing is really working. You look great," She gushed, smiling at him.
"Well, you don't look too bad yourself," He complimented, offering her a small nod. "Let me guess- spin class?"
"Oh, wow, you listen," She hummed, taking a step closer to him, resting her hand on his chest. "You were kind of a jerk in high school, so it's nice to see that you've really grown into a gentleman."
"Yeah, well if I remember, you weren't exactly the nicest either," He informed her, laughing and shaking his head.
"Oh, honey, I'm still not the nicest," She said, winking at him, before taking a sip of her water, fiddling with the collar of his shirt lightly.
Nathan swallowed thickly. He knew that the whole group of friends that he came with was probably watching, and that Haley was probably fuming on the inside.
She wasn't his girlfriend, so it didn't technically matter, but damn did he feel guilty.
"So, Nathan, I'm guessing you don't have a girlfriend," Theresa said, almost as if she read his thoughts.
He looked down at her, shaking his head. "Not currently, no. My work schedule is pretty demanding so I don't really have the time."
"I see," She nodded, tapping her fingers on the bar. "Well lucky me then. I'm surprised, though. You seem to be a catch. Not to mention, you look great in that shirt and blue just happens to be my favorite color."
Nathan glanced down at his shirt, before looking at her and shrugging his shoulders. "Thanks," He said, clearing his throat and shifting slightly.
He let out a deep breath when Haley approached the bar once again, taking her previous spot on the other side of him.
If he could have sank into the floor than he would. Why did this have to be so complicated for him? Why couldn't he just have kept hanging out with Chase all night?
He stayed quiet while Haley ordered several different drinks, tapping his fingers on the bar lightly.
He cast a quick glance in her direction, making eye contact with her and smiling slightly.
"Hi again," Theresa greeted her with a tight smile, raising her eyebrows.
"Oh, hi," Haley hummed, nodding over at her.
He looked over his shoulder, looking at Peyton and sending her a stressed look.
A look that she laughed at. Dammit. She must've been near drunk.
He envied that. Maybe if he followed in her footsteps, this would all be a little bit easier.
He picked up his beer, taking a long drink, closing his eyes and letting out a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Haley asked him, raising her eyebrows.
"Yeah, I just have a bit of a headache," He informed her, clearing his throat, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt lightly.
"Maybe you should sit down," Theresa said, raising her eyebrows at him. "Or drink some water."
"Yeah, Nathan," Haley agreed, nudging him lightly. "Maybe you should sit down. I'm sure Theresa would have no trouble finding a place for you two."
Maybe she wasn't fuming? It was hard to tell... Maybe she was actually... Enjoying this?
"Oh, yes! Nathan, I know exactly the place we can go!" Theresa said, nodding at him.
"Thank you, Theresa!" Haley said, rubbing Nathan's back lightly. "Why don't you go with her?"
Nathan raised his eyebrows, looking over at Haley, sending her a confused look. She seemed to find this funny.
"Come on," Theresa grabbed his hand, smiling up at him.
He could tell that Haley didn't quite like that, but she kept the smile on her face.
"Sure, just... Let me get a couple more drinks..." Nathan said slowly, ordering himself two more beers, glancing at Haley. "Theresa," He said, clearing his throat. "Do you mind if I have a quick word with Haley before we go?"
"Oh, go right ahead," Theresa hummed, sending Haley Nathan could only identify as a thankful look, before walking away, humming softly.
"What's your angle here, James?" Nathan asked her, raising his eyebrows and looking at her.
"To find you someone that can make you happy," Haley said, grinning up at him. "Oh wait, I have, and it's me."
He laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I'm not quite sure how pushing me into Theresa is going to somehow get us back together."
Haley smiled up at him, shaking her head. "You're cute, Nathan. You know that?"
He shrugged his shoulders, leaning against the bar. "I try."
"I have no problems sending you off with her, simply because I'm not jealous," She said, shrugging her shoulders.
"Oh really? And why is that?" He asked her, clearing his throat.
"Because you're a good guy," Haley hummed, patting his arm. "And you aren't going to sleep with her. So why should I care?"
He raised his eyebrows, crossing his arms. "And what makes you say that?"
"Because she's not right for you," She informed him, shaking her head.
"Now, Hales, I don't think that's stopped me in the past," He whispered, smirking slightly.
"Maybe not, but... You won't do it," She laughed, looking up at him. "I bet she tries to kiss you and you don't let her."
"What if I like her?" He asked her, shrugging his shoulders.
"You don't," Haley hummed. "I know your signs and your body language, and it couldn't have changed that much in six years."
He swallowed, looking down at her and letting out a deep breath.
She was right. There was only one person in this whole place that he was attracted to, and it was her. Sure, Theresa was super beautiful, but she wasn't Haley.
"In fact, I'd be willing to bet on it," She hummed, raising her eyebrows at him suggestively, tempting him to take her up on her offer.
"A bet? On what? If I kiss her?" He asked, raising his eyebrows and laughing. "Well now I'm going to do it just to win."
"You won't," She hummed out, grinning up at him. "If I win... Hm..." She tapped her chin, looking up at him. "You have to let me take you on a date. Oh! And, your family has to come to the Christmas party my parents are throwing this year."
"Okay..." He said, shaking his head and laughing. "And if I win?"
"You can pick that one," Haley said, leaning against the bar and looking up at him.
"You have to buy some of the stuff that she sells," Nathan said, tilting his head over to Theresa slightly.
Haley rolled her eyes, laughing and nodding. "Fine. Good luck."
He shook his head, picking up the bottles and nodding at her. "Don't worry, Hales. It's all going to be alright."
"Oh, you don't have to assure me, Nathan. I know what's going to happen," She said, winking at him.
"See you on the other side," He said, hitting his glass against hers, heading over to Theresa, making sure to hold both of the bottles in one hand, using his free hand to hold onto hers.
"Ready?" Theresa asked him, raising her eyebrows.
"Absolutely," Nathan said, grinning at her, following after her when she pulled him outside.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise when she lead him to what he assumed was her car, getting in the front passenger seat.
This was going to be a weird night.
xxxx
Nathan blinked his eyes open, rubbing his hand over his head at the throbbing pain. He was never getting drunk again. Ever.
He let out a deep breath, shaking his head, suddenly realizing that he was not alone in bed. Nor was he in his room.
In fact, he knew this room very well. But... He had to glance over at the person next to him to ensure that he was where he thought he was.
Yep. Haley James was in his bed once again. Actually, he was in her bed this time.
What the hell was wrong with him? How could he let himself fall to her yet again?
He sighed softly, noticing his clothes piled on the ground next to the bed. He carefully picked up each article of clothing, putting them on as quickly as he could.
He smoothed out his tousled hair, rolling out of bed slowly, squinting his eyes at the sunlight that hit them. Damn, his head was pounding.
Where was his phone? How did they even get here? He figured he was too drunk to drive, and Haley wouldn't have slept with him if she'd been sober while he'd been drunk, so she must have been drunk as well. There's no way Lucas dropped them off, so they must have taken a car here.
He knelt down, finding his phone under the bed and letting out a deep breath, squinting at the notifications.
'Maybe: Theresa; Hey, Nate! It's Theresa. Just letting you know I had a fun time last night. I hope to see you again soon! ;)'
He sighed softly, shaking his head and moving on to the next.
'Lucas: Mom called me wondering where you were like you aren't a grown ass man. I just told her the truth, sorry dude!'
Okay, that one was from an hour ago.
He glanced at the clock, shaking his head. It was only nine. Why did his mom care where he was?
Okay, moving on.
He'd missed a phone call from his mom, but he'd be home soon enough.
He couldn't help but wonder where Lucas told Deb that he was. Did Lucas know that he was at Haley's house.
He let out a deep breath, taking a seat on the bed, sliding his shoes on quickly.
A new text came in, from yet another number he didn't recognize.
'Dude! You're definitely the best wingman I've ever had. I had the best night!'
'Sorry, it's Chase. I got your number from Peyton. I owe you big time.'
Nathan chuckled quietly, deciding to text him back later, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
He finally let himself look over at Haley again, a small smile gracing his lip.
As if the thought hadn't constantly been running through his mind since they reconnected, it popped up again. She was so beautiful.
It wasn't fair that he had to have a hot ex girlfriend that still wanted him. Let alone one that he'd never been able to say no to in his life.
She was laying on her stomach, the blankets pulled up fairly high, giving him only a view of her bare shoulders.
If he traveled the length of her back, he'd find her '23' tattoo that she'd gotten for him a long time ago.
She was practically glowing from the sunlight hitting her.
She was an angel. A seductive, manipulative angel.
He let out a deep breath, resting his hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly.
It took her a moment, but she finally turned her head so that she was squinting up at him. "Nathan," She breathed out, clearing her throat. "Hi."
"Hey," He whispered back, looking down at her and smiling slightly. "Did you drug me last night?"
She laughed, rolling onto her back, holding the comforter up to her chest and shaking her head. "You know, I don't think so. I may have."
"Probably," He said, smiling down at her and letting out a deep breath. "This is bad."
"It's not that bad," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "People hook up all the time."
"We don't, Hales," He said, gesturing between them. "This isn't us."
"It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to mean anything," She told him softly, smiling up at him. "My head is killing me."
"Mine too," He said, letting out a deep breath. "Do you remember anything?"
Haley squeezed her eyes shut, before looking up at him again. "I remember you going outside with Theresa, then drinking my fair share of everyone at the tables drinks."
"How did we get back to your house?" He asked her quietly, shaking his head.
"I have no idea. I don't even remember exactly how we ended up together," She said, shaking her head and laughing.
"The last thing I remember is being with Theresa in her car," He said, rubbing his eyes.
Haley smiled at him, raising her eyebrows.
"What is that look?" He asked her, laughing and shaking his head.
"You just can't resist me, Nathan Scott, and you're going to come to realize that soon," She told him, reaching over and patting his arm.
Oh, he was fully aware that he couldn't resist her. Even now he wanted to rip all his own clothes off and relive the previous night all over again.
But he couldn't, and he wouldn't. Drunk Nathan might disagree, but hungover Nathan knew it was a bad idea. She'd have to get him pissed or drunk if this was going to happen again.
Which it wouldn't.
Probably.
"You're full of yourself, Haley," He informed her, smiling down at her.
She bit her lip, looking up at him and shaking her head, raising her eyebrows.
"I should probably go, hm?" He said, standing up slowly.
"You could always stay for breakfast, I'm sure my family would be thrilled we had sex last night," Haley hummed, winking at him, sitting up slowly, still holding the blankets.
"Hm... Pass," He said, letting out a deep breath. "I'm going to jog down the block and call a car, probably."
"Okay," She said, smiling at him. "You know how to get out?"
Nathan walked to her window, unlocking it and sliding it open. "I'm a pro at sneaking out of this bedroom," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders.
"That you are," She said, laughing quietly.
Nathan was half way out the window, before a memory from last night came to his mind. He looked over at her. "She kissed me," He said, clearing his throat.
"What's the verdict?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.
"You were right," He said, sighing softly.
She smiled triumphantly, letting out a deep breath. "I'm not going to brag."
"That's a first," He laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "So, I'll see you later, I guess?"
"Definitely," Haley hummed, winking at him. "Good luck finding your way down."
He laughed, nodding at her and climbing out the window.
As promised, he found his way down fairly easily, running a hand through his hair.
Okay... Go to the next block and then call a ride back to his parents' house.
"Nate?"
Clay. Of course.
He turned to see his best friend slow from his jog, pulling his headphones out of his ears and raising his eyebrows.
"Clay," Nathan said, letting out a deep breath. "Hey."
"Again? Really?" Clay asked him, laughing and shaking his head. "It better have been Haley and not Taylor."
"Can you give me a ride?" Nathan asked him, kicking at the ground and sighing.
"Yeah," Clay laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "Sit tight, I'll go in and get my keys."
Nathan shivered slightly as the cool morning air hit him, hiding behind the side of the house while he waited for Clay to come back.
This was a mess.
Clay walked back outside a moment later, unlocking his car and getting in without a word, Nathan following quickly.
"Look-" Nathan began, sighing softly.
"You don't have to explain," Clay cut him off, shrugging his shoulders. "You and Haley could never keep your hands off each other. How could you think after six years it would be different?"
"It is," Nathan defended, clearing his throat. "It's not going to happen again."
"Until it does," Clay chuckled, shaking his head. "And hopefully it's not someone else that sees you sneaking out. Someone with a bigger mouth, that doesn't care if you're trying to figure all of this out or not."
"I'm going to go back to her, aren't I?" Nathan asked him, leaning against the seat, letting out a defeated sigh.
"If I had a gun held to my head, and I had to answer that question honestly, most likely," Clay laughed, smirking at him. "You told me that she said she was wrong, and now she's trying to make it right."
"But I don't know if I want her," Nathan defended lamely, rolling his eyes at himself.
"I feel like that's bullshit, but you're going to have to tell her that straight up if it's true," Clay said, glancing at him.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore, my head is pounding," Nathan said, leaning back and letting out a deep breath.
"Ah, the wonders of getting drunk," Clay laughed, clapping Nathan on the shoulder lightly.
Nathan sighed, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, looking down at his wrinkled shirt.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to the Scott household.
Nathan turned to Clay, shrugging his shoulders. "See you later, man. Actually... I guess I'll see you at the Christmas party Jimmy and Lydia are throwing. I promised Haley I would go."
"Dutiful boyfriend," Clay said, winking at him.
"Dutiful old friend," Nathan corrected him, shrugging his shoulders. "Bye, Clayton."
"Farewell, Nathan. I'm so happy I could uber you to save you from the walk of shame," Clay laughed, waving at him.
Nathan got out of the car, shaking his head and sighing. He waved at Clay, before walking into the house slowly, pushing open the front door.
"Here he comes, the walk of shame," Dan Scott announced, a grin on his face as Nathan walked into the kitchen.
"I have no shame," Nathan corrected him, clearing his throat. "Okay, maybe a little."
"So happy you're back. Maybe next time you could call?" Deb suggested, raising her eyebrows.
"I'm twenty-seven, Mom," Nathan said, shaking his head and letting out a deep breath.
"So you must have really liked Theresa, hm? I knew you would be a good pair," Deb hummed, winking at him.
He would normally be weirded out that his mom just commented on his sex life, but he was a little confused by it.
Theresa?
Lucas must have seen him leave with Theresa, and then not seen him actually leave with Haley.
"This is getting a little too weird for me," He commented, shrugging his shoulders.
"Nice choice, Deb," Dan commented, grinning at his son. "Maybe there is hope for you after all, son."
"I'm going upstairs now," Nathan groaned, shaking his head and walking out of the room.
He heard his parents laughing at his obvious discomfort towards their comments as he exited. With a soft sigh, he ascended the staircase and walked into his room, another text coming through.
This time it was from Haley.
'Hope you're ready for our date. I'll keep you posted.'