Chapter 17

Brooke sat silently staring numbly at Haley, completely surprised by what she had just heard; she had always assumed that Haley ran because she wanted to follow her own dream rather than being tied down with the responsibility of having a husband and child so young. Knowing that Haley left to save her family rather than destroy them made the situation completely different. Also, she could tell that Haley was telling the truth. One little fact still confused her though

Pityingly Brooke said, "Haley I get everything with Daunte, and I'm sorry it happened, I really am. But if you couldn't come back 12 years ago, why could you now?"

Haley looked up from the spot on the floor that had held her gaze for the entire story and looked directly into Brookes eyes. "Because I couldn't take it anymore Brooke, everyday I woke up and the only thing I thought about was them. Not being able to see them for even just a second nearly killed me. I know it's selfish but I couldn't help it".

Brooke nodded, the intensity of Haley's gaze was hard to hold, "Have you told Nathan everything yet?"

Haley shook her head, "No, he's refused to talk to me other than that day you arrived. You're the first person I have ever told"

"Oh," Brooke felt completely numb, "what about Daunte, where's he now?"

"He's gone; I haven't laid eyes on him since he got the last of his money and I hope I never do see him again."

"Good", she noticed Haley's eyes float back down to look at the floor, reaching out and taking Haley's hand in her own, Brooke sent her a small reassuring dimpled smile, "Don't worry tutorgirl, you don't need to worry if you have Brooke Adams helping you."

Haley looked at her questioningly.

"That right, I have a plan" Brooke said and a small smile came onto Haleys face.

"What sort of plan?"

"You'll just have to wait and see" Hearing the noise of a motor outside, Brooke glanced out the window and saw a car pulling in to the driveway. "Crap, thats Nathan."

Haley looked up at her panicked, "He can't find me here, he'll be furious."

"I know, follow me." They darted down the hall looking for somewhere to hide, there was a large open towel cupboard that would be more than large enough for her, and that Nathan was unlikely to open. "Hide in there, I'll let you out once you can leave without him seeing you."

Haley nodded and quikly stepped into the cupboard, bumping into the person who had the cupboard open in the first place to get out a towel. But before she could do anything, Brooke closed the door and left them trapped with no clue that Haley wasn't the only one inside.



Brooke walked into the kitchen where Nathan was chucking his keys onto the counter having just entered the house, "Hey Nate" she said perkily hoping he wouldn't see through her.

"Hi" he smiled at her. "Whose here?"

"No-one" she said perhaps a little too quickly. "Why do you ask?" She asked casually trying to distract from her previous suspicious way of answering.

He looked at her strangely, "Theres a car in the drive."

Crap, Brooke thought, she had completely forgotten about Haley's car, at least he didn't recognize it though. Haley had always parked on the road, apart from the first time, when Nathan had been too drunk to remember the car type.

"Oh that's Ephraim's friend's car. He just got his permit so he drove here." Brooke lied coming up with her answer on the spot. What surprised her was that he believed her and didn't ask her anything else, even though she thought it was fairly obvious that she was lying. Instead he pulled something to eat out of the fridge and settled at the counter to read the paper. Meaning he unknowingly had perfect view of anyone who happened to be trying to make there escape from the house via the hall.

"Ow!" Ollie muttered as she felt someone's elbow push into sending her deeper into the towel cupboard, just as the door shut completely, trapping her, and the light from outside disappeared completely apart from the small crack of light from the cracks at the top and bottom of the door. "Who's in here and why did you lock us in?" she asked accusingly squinting to try, but fail to see.

Haley immediately recognised Ollies voice, "Umm it's Haley, your dad came home so Brooke hid me in here. We didn't know anyone was in here" she answered quietly but awkwardly, this sure was an uncomfortable place to be, considering neither had a way of getting out.

"Oh great" Ollie huffed sarcastically and sat down on the ground, not calling for anyone to let them out for Brooke and her dad's sake but also choosing not to initiate any conversation with Haley even if they were trapped in here together.

Feeling Ollie sit down, Haley figured she might as well too considering she had no clue how long they would be in here. In the cupboard, while there was enough room for both of them to sit, there knees were touching. Haley could tell that this made Ollie even more uncomfortable as she wouldn't stop squirming to try and avoid contact. Eventually Ollie gave up and stopped, her knees stilling. Then after what seemed like forever of them both just sitting there in silence, Ollie was the one to actually break it

She didn't use the angry stubborn tone that Haley was used to, instead her voice was small and overwhelmed, sad, and it reminded Haley that really Ollie was just a child, innocently caught up in the middle of this nightmare, "Why didn't you want me Haley?"

Haley was completely taken a back by the question, it had been the last thing she had thought Ollie would say and she had no idea how to answer it. "It's complicated Ollie." she told her tentatively.

"I heard some of what you told Brooke before." Ollie admitted. "And it isn't complicated. Even if you had to go, you could have called or visited, and then you could have come back after the 3 years and it wouldn't even be a problem." The anger was back in Ollie's voice, normally she would never be able to talk to Haley like this at all, but in a way the darkness of the cupboard seemed to be giving her confidence.

"You're right," Haley said, knowing that really Ollie was.

Ollie sniffled and Haley knew that she was getting upset, "Then why didn't you?"

"I guess I was just scared."

Ollie was silent, that had been exactly what her dad had said about the drinking, and she had forgiven him immediately, knowing that he had a fair reason and that even through his fear, he had never left her. She couldn't forgive Haley that easily.

"You were scared Haley? Well so was I. When I was just a baby and my dad was an alcoholic because of you leaving, and every mother's day when I had no-one to give the card we made at school to, and when I had my first boyfriend and could only tell my aunt, and when I found out that the person I had admired my whole life invited me into her home and lied to me about who she was, who I was. I was fucking terrified Haley." Ollie was sobbing from her outburst, never had she admitted to anyone the times when she had felt so alone due to being motherless, and now finally letting it out, she felt empty, free somehow and like the contact with Haley's knees was the only thing telling her this was real.

Guilt overwhelmed Haley, everything she had done assuming that she was making Ollie and Nathans life better had really made it worse for them. She reached over and pulled the girl into a hug, knowing that right now was also one of the times that the girl was terrified about. Ollie stiffened at her touch, but she didn't pull away either. Haley just whispered "I'm sorry." Over and over and over.

The second Brooke finally opened the door however; Ollie was gone, darting away from Haley, not able to face her without the safety of the blind darkness covering them. Her room's door, just down the hall shut just as soon as she reached the refuge of her room.

Brooke looked at Haley and noticed her red eyes. "Ollie was getting something from the cupboard when I shut you in wasn't she?"

Haley nodded grimly.

Brooke closed her eyes and sighed dejectedly, "Nathans in the bathroom. You can leave without him seeing if you hurry."

"Ok", Haley nodded equally as dejected.

"Hey Haley?" Brooke stopped her.

"Yeah?"

"I'll still help you if you want me to."

Haley nodded. "Thank you."

Then she quickly left the house and drove away, unsure whether the time spent alone with her daughter had a good result or whether it had pushed Ollie even further away. She just prayed Brooke had a good plan.