Chapter 26
Nathan hesitated for a moment, but then his eyes saw the sincerity shinning passionately in hers, and he could see she meant nothing but the truth. So he nodded, "Ok"
But something else plagued her mind now, not her own relationship with Nathan, but her best friends. "You need to speak to Luke? Please Nathan, all this has been hard on him too."
"I guess" he sighed, knowing it was inevitable, "I'll speak to him."
"Good" Haley smiled slightly at the absence of hostility in his voice."Nathan? Umm also do you think that maybe I can talk to Ollie about all of this? I mean I really just want to make her Ok with it."
"I don't know. Is that really a good idea? She knows about the divorce papers and might be angry or upset at you. She might listen better if I talk to her about it."
"Please, Nathan."
"I…"
Nathans answer was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Glancing out the window, she saw Luke's car. Haley knew Lucas was bound to pop round sometime, he often did on Sundays.
"It's Luke." She told Nathan.
"Oh"
"Stay here and talk to him, please?"
"Yeah, Ok I will."
"What about Ollie?" Haley asked, knowing they hadn't agreed yet. She wanted both he and Ollie to know that they could trust her.
Nathan hesitated, looking into her pleading eyes before caving, "Ok, just don't push her if she doesn't seem to accept it."
Haley nodded and awkwardly squeezed his arm in a sign of distant affection. "Thank You" she whispered before breaking away from him and going to the door to greet Lucas.
She opened the door, "Hey Luke."
"Hey Hales" he answered casually stepping inside.
"Whats up?" she asked.
"Nothing really. Peyt and the kids are out and I was bored so I came to see you. Is that cookies I smell?" he asked raising his eyebrows excitedly.
She rolled her eyes, that had been exactly what she knew he would say "Yes they just came out of the oven. Oh, and there's someone who wants to talk to you as well."
"What? Who?" he asked puzzled.
"Just go. And be nice." She told him giving him a little push toward the kitchen where Nathan was.
Lucas stepped into the kitchen, wondering who would be at Haley's house wanting to talk to him, "Nathan?" he exclaimed surprised to see him sitting there.
"Turning to look at him, Nathan smiled uncertainly at Lucas. "Hey Luke."
Lucas frowned in confusion, "Hi Nathan, what are you doing here?"
"I came to talk things over with Haley. Try and make things better."
Lucas nodded seriously, "And have you?"
"I think I've started with Haley. But I need to make it right with you first."
Lucas nodded again. "I get that you think I took her side, and in a way I did but I'm not sure it's that simple Nate. Ephraim told me you were drinking again for a while there. I would have helped you if you had trusted me, but you didn't so I stayed away. You don't have to apologise.
"Yes I do. You were her friend as well as my brother; I shouldn't have seen it as taking sides." Nathan explained, "I do have the drinking under control and I won't touch it again. I'm sorry for being such a jerk, man."
Lucas smiled at him, pleased that he seemed to be dealing with everything now, "It's cool Nate. You were hurting."
Nathan grinned thankfully at his brother, "Thanks Luke. It sort of sucked not having you round all the time anyway."
"Yeah, you too little brother." Luke agreed. "Oh and one more thing Nate. You did send Rachel packing right?" Luke wondered thinking back to the other night.
Nathan chuckled remembering how Rachel had let her true colours out during their little date at Tric. "I sort of didn't have to. Turns out she doesn't really like kids. She walked off muttering something about finding an old man to seduce. I really don't think I'll be seeing her again. Not that I want to."
"Good" Luke laughed, it didn't sound much like Rachel had matured since High School. "So what about you and Hales?"
"Ollie told me about Daunte when she saw the divorce papers Haley sent. I came right here and we talked. I sort of wish I had stopped being such an ass and listened sooner. I mean, you know I never really moved on from her, I was just so angry but I think the thought of completely losing her again and divorcing, I just couldn't. So I dunno. I think we're gonna try and take it slow, no divorce. Get to know each other a bit and forget all the anger."
Luke smiled, "And Ollie? Is she ok with this?"
"I have no idea. When she first found out about Haley, she was so upset and hated her. But now, I dunno Luke. I just don't want her to get any more hurt by this than she already has been."
"Haley won't hurt her Nathan. You can be sure of that. She loves her more than you can imagine." Lucas reassured him.
"How can she? Haley hardly knows her."
"She doesn't need to."
While Nathan and Lucas were, she hoped, making up, Haley had just arrived at Nathans house. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she raised her fist to knock at the door. Before she could, however, the door flew open to reveal her daughter looking very accusing.
Without a word Ollie nodded to let Haley know to come in and went into the lounge.
"Hey Ollie" Haley smiled taking a seat in one of the soft chairs, noticing Ollie had remained standing.
"You want a divorce?" Ollie practically shouted, the second Haley sat down. "You come back, make a big issue of trying to get him back and then you freaking file for divorce. It's like you're playing sick little games with us or something." She accused pacing around the room, seeming quite distressed.
"No," Haley said softly standing up. "Ollie?" she put a hand on the girls shoulder in an attempt to settle her down and stop her pacing. It didn't work. "Ollie?". Ollie still didn't look at her. Haley put both her hands, one on each of Ollies shoulders and squeezed them gently, turning Ollie to face her. Once more she said, a little louder this time, "Ollie!"
Snapping out of it, Ollie blinked and looked up at Haley. Ollie's body was trembling. It had all gotten too much for her. Protecting her dad, dealing with having Haley around, finding out about Daunte and trying to get everyone happy again. And now this, she couldn't handle it anymore; nothing good seemed to be coming out of anything. So she was breaking down.
Worriedly, Haley led her to the couch and sat her down.
"What's going on?" she heard a male voice say angrily .
Looking up Haley saw Ephraim entering the room eyeing her warily before taking a seat next to Ollie and wrapping his arms around her protectively whispering softly into her hair. Glaring up at Haley, he demanded, "What happened?"
"I don't know", Haley whispered hollowly, distraught at seeing Ollie this way. "I just came in and she…"
Ephraim nodded his expression softening as he saw that Haley was terrified by this. "Ok, um can you just give us a second?"
Nodding Haley stood and went into the kitchen to do as he said.
After a couple of seconds, he stood too; making sure Ollie was ok and followed Haley into the kitchen. Haley was leaning against the counter with her head in her hands, utterly defeated.
Ephraim found a box of tissues and handed it to her wondering if either of the two females would need them. She turned to head back into the lounge but he noticed her hesitating, "What do I do?" she asked pleadingly.
"Love her."
Surprised to hear something so raw come from someone so young she turned to him with her brow knotted. "What do you mean?"
He paused for a second thinking of a way to explain. "Well, Brookes not my real mom. She adopted me when I was 4 from a foster home my parents put me in because they didn't give a damn about me. At first when I came here to live with Brooke, Nathan and Ollie, I didn't know what a real family was like because I had never had one and for the longest time after coming here, I was terrified my birth parents would come and take me back again." He swallowed. "It's the same with Ollie, she never had a mom and then you come and she gets to know you a little and starts to like you. And for her, you filing for a divorce is essentially what my birth parents taking me away would have been for me."
Haley nodded understanding exactly what she had to be for Ollie. Looking at the young boy, who was so much wiser than his years in the eye she asked, "Your fear went away?"
"It did" he stated with finality, holding open the door back to the lounge for her. No longer wary of her intentions toward one of the people who were responsible for ending his own fears back when he was a kid.