Hey guys, sorry for the wait! Life's been pretty hectic. Enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend and I'll try and update tomorrow for ya too! Leave some reviews on how you feel :). Thanks! And as always, reviews for last chapter were awesome. I think it's safe to say we all hate Dan and Taylor!


Chapter 22

After school the next day Nathan walked to his car to find Haley already leaning up against it waiting for him. "You ready for your first day of work lover boy?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Nathan you'll be fine. I mean seriously, if I, the world's biggest klutz can do it, then you can too."

"I guess you're right."

"Besides Karen's your family she'll go easy on ya!" And with that he pulled out of the parking lot and drove to the café. Karen welcomed them both with open arms and then asked Haley to show Nathan the ropes. He would be the new bus boy and she of course was already a waitress.

"So basically I just get to follow you around all day?" Nathan questioned.

"Basically."

"Hmm… maybe this job isn't so bad after all," he stated a smirk coming over his face.

"Nathan!" Haley squealed, a blush forming across her face.

"What?" He asked innocently. Haley just rolled her eyes and pointed for him to clean the table in the corner. After several hours and the serving of numerous customers their shift was finally over, allowing them to walk out the door after waving a quick goodbye to Karen.

"So, how what'd you think of your first day Nathan?"

"Much better than expected."

"Of course, I mean what could be better than being my little slave following me around everywhere?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of the fact that I get to just watch my hottie of a girlfriend prance around and tell me what to do. You can be pretty feisty when you've got some power."

"Yes, me ordering you to put the coffee cups in the sink and wipe down the table is the epitome of power," Haley said causing them both to giggle as they walked back to the car. After finally getting back to her house and watching Nathan pull out of the driveway Haley smiled to herself. Work would be that much better now that Nathan would be around.

And it was, for the next week everything down at Karen's Café went much smoother and also allowed for some serious flirting to go down. Who knew a job could bring people who were already drastically close, that much closer. To Haley, things seemed perfect. She had Nathan by her side almost all the time except when he had basketball practice and all they did was cuddle, talk, or make out. Things couldn't be better. They were young and in love. Too bad for them, not everyone seems to think being young and in love is a good thing.

Nathan was walking out of his car the next week on his way to get Haley when he was startled by someone in the driveway.

"Hi Nathan," the figure said coming out of the shadows.

"Taylor? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was going for a jog and I just happened to stop by."

"You were going for a jog?"

"Yes."

"In my bushes?" He questioned looking confused.

"Okay so maybe there was no jog and maybe I just came here to talk."

"Um, okay, but make it quick I need to go get Haley."

"Actually this has to do with Haley."

"What is it? Is she hurt? Is she okay?"

"Actually, she's fine. It's just, she told me some stuff about you and I wanted to know if you needed some consoling," Taylor stated, forcing a sympathetic look across her face.

"What are you talking about?"

"I hear your dad is a real hardass. You know, roughed you up in front of the team a bit. Is kind of an embarrassment to you. Oh, and about Lucas."

"Wait she told you all that?"

"She tells me everything," Taylor lied, looking him in the eyes.

"I thought she hated you."

"She's not that fond of me, but those were big burdens to hold and we both know Haley isn't a very strong person…"

"I thought she was."

"And I guess the key word their was thought," Taylor said smirking.

"Well, I told her not to tell anyone. Those were private thoughts from my journal, and well the Lucas thing. Did she really tell you that? Or are you messing with me?"

"You mean the fact that Lucas isn't really your cousin but a lovechild of Dan and Karen, meaning he's your brother?"

"Shit. She really told you."

"Nathan it's okay I won't tell anyone."

"That's besides the point. I mean, she betrayed my trust. That was my darkest secret and she goes and shares that. To someone, no offense, who I would never trust with anything and who I thought she hated."

"Nathan I didn't mean to start any trouble I just wanted to see if you needed someone to talk to," Taylor said soothingly, placing a hand on his arm. He immediately pulled his arm away from her.

"I don't need someone to talk to. I had Haley, but apparently she can't be the one for me to lean on like I am for her," Nathan stated, his anger rising. "I can't believe she told you."

"Am I really that bad?" Taylor said drooping her bottom lip for effect.

"This isn't about you Taylor, get it through your head. It's about me and Haley. Things have been great but now I've found out that she tells all my little secrets to you. Even the one about Lucas. I mean, they're not secrets anymore if everyone knows! I just, I don't know if I can trust her."

"Haley was always the one to spill the beans when we were little," Taylor said truthfully, leaving out the fact that she meant Haley would literally spill beans, not secrets.

"I don't need all this right now. Haley was the one I could confide in. She's my girlfriend. But now… well now I don't know what to think."

"I'm sorry Nathan," Taylor said placing her head yet again on my arm.

"Don't touch me. Just because I'm amazingly mad at Haley doesn't mean I'll cheat on her. I'm not Chris," he snapped pulling his arm away. "But do me a favor Taylor, I don't really want to see Haley right now so can you just drive her over in your car?"

"Yeah, no problem," Taylor said a devilish smirk going across her face.

"Thanks," Nathan stated hoping into his car and driving to Karen's.

It was four fifteen and Haley's shift started at four. "Where is Nathan," she whispered to herself, utterly confused as to why he had not shown up to drive them to their shift. After another five minutes she took it upon herself to just walk the several miles to Karen's. "Bye Tay, I'm going to work."

"Where's Nathan?" She asked innocently.

"I don't know, but I got to go," Haley stated before running out the door. It was five thirty when she finally got to the café, walking in the door looking a bit disheveled from her power walking with sweat dripping all over.

"Uh Haley, honey. Would you come with me to the back?" Karen asked, escorting her to the storage room.

"What is going on with you?"

"What are you talking about Karen?"

"Well you're an hour and a half late and you're a mess."

"Nathan didn't pick me up, so I had to walk here by myself, and then just my luck it drizzles for a little and well, let's just say me and puddles don't mix well. Do you know where Nathan is anyway?"

"He's well, here."

"He's what?"

"Here. He got here at four and has been bussing tables ever since. He even did a little serving when it got hectic."

"Why would he be here without me? This is our shift, he was supposed to pick me up," Haley said storming out of the storage room and searching the café for her boyfriend. She spotted him in a corner wiping down a table. "Uh, Nathan can I talk to you," she said in a very sharp tone.

"No," he stated not even making eye contact.

"Nathan please. Why are you acting like this?" Haley asked, utterly confused.

"I don't know you tell me. You seem to tell everyone else stuff."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well that sucks for you because I'm not about to tell you."

"Nathan I've never seen you like this before," she said following him to the kitchen where he began washing some dishes.

"Well there's a day for everything," he said sarcastically while viciously scrubbing the plates.

"Nathan please!"

"Please what? Huh Hales," he said looking at her in distress.

"Talk to me. Help me understand. Everything has been so perfect lately and now all of a sudden you stand me up and now you won't talk to me."

"Don't blame all this on me Haley. You started it," he said looking at her in anger.

"STARTED WHAT NATHAN? PLEASE WILL YOU JUST LOOK AT ME," she asked grabbing his face and forcing him to look her straight in the eyes.

"I can't right now," he said softly looking back at the sink beside him. At this moment Karen stuck her head into the back. "Hey you two, whatever is going on take it out back, you're scaring the customers."

"Sorry Karen," Haley said solemnly.

"And don't worry, there's nothing left to talk about right now," he said to her turning back to the dishes as she left the room.

"Nathan will you please just tell me what's the matter."

"You of all people should know what's the matter. It's happened to you before in fact.

"And what is that Nathan. Because I honestly don't know what you're talking about," she said, her eyes glassy.

"Trust."

"Trust?"

"Trust."

"What about trust Nathan? I mean, we both trust each other. Does this have to do with you dad?" She questioned, still in the dark about what was going on.

"No Haley, that's the thing. You betrayed it. I can't trust you," Nathan stated monotonously, his words repeating in her head as his eyes bored holes into her brain. And that's when he saw it happen. Haley James break, I mean really break. Tears were streaming and there was no turning back. She didn't even try to hide it she just stood there looking dazed and confused, her face a jumble of emotions as tears streamed down her face.

"You don't trust me?"

"No."

"Why not?" She said through sobs.

"You should know. And right now I don't feel like going down that road. Just leave me alone right now Haley. I mean it," he said with anger.

"Fine," she whispered almost so it was inaudible. "If that's what you want."

"That's what I want," he sneered, his face now slowly breaking from anger into sadness.

"Then I will leave, but I honestly don't know what I did Nathan. I hope that sometime soon you will tell me. Because our love was perfect, until right now. This confusion. Let me know what I can do to fix this, I love you… always and forever."

"Well sometimes love isn't always enough," he mumbled as she left the room and the café. He stood by the sink placing his hands on the cool metal and just looking down into the drain. "What just happened?" He though to himself in disbelief, and it seems he wasn't the only one thinking that.

"Um, Nathan," Karen said poking her head into the room. "What was that all about?"

He gave her a blank stare until he finally spoke, "Did you ever love someone so much that you think nothing will change it? That if you could just at that second choose to spend your life with hat person you would? That when you're with them you can't hug them enough and when you're without them you want to be?"

"Of course I have… with your Uncle Keith."

"Ah, but then have you ever had the carpet ripped out from under your feet sending you tumbling down to the ground with no return? To have that love betrayed and make you rethink everything about the person?"

"No, no I can't say I have."

"Well then I don't wish it upon you or even my worst enemy, because you know what Karen?"

"What?"

"It sucks."

"Oh Nathan," she gasped, wrapping her arms around him for comfort. It broke her heart to see this boy who was so young full of love and life crumble into a ball of second guesses. "Everything will be okay."

"I don't know if it will Karen, that's the thing."

"What happened Nate?" She questioned softly.

"Me and Haley have one very big thing in common. Secrets. I help her deal with hers and she helps me deal with mine. Somewhere along the way we fell in love and they became our little secrets. Things we couldn't tell anyone other than ourselves."

"Uh huh," Karen nodded, confused as to what the problem was.

"But she told someone. She betrayed my trust and has been sharing my deepest thoughts with her sister. A girl who is the last person you'd want to tell anything to because it would be the same as asking your principal to say it over the loudspeaker. She told her my deepest secret. A secret that doesn't even affect me as much as it can affect other people. I just, I feel betrayed. I've lost trust."

"Nathan," Karen stated giving him an extra squeeze, "things will work itself out. I'm sure there's an explanation for all that's happened."

"Yeah, but I don't know if I feel like hearing it."

"If you love her as much as you claim to then you'll listen," Karen said soothingly.

"What's the point if it will end in heartache? I thought Haley could be the one stability in my life. You know I have the disappearing mother, the embarrassment of a father, and nothing else. There was Haley but I don't know anymore."

"Do you still love her?"

"Yes."

"Then go talk to her. This all could be an overreaction. Go see her side of the story and maybe you'll get a different perspective."

"You're right Karen. I let my anger get the best of me. I need to go talk to her."

"Go get her," Karen said patting him on the back.

"But what about my shift?"

"Eh, I'll call Lucas down. Just go get your girl."

Haley lay on her bed bawling when she heard a knock on the door. "Go away."

"Come on little sis, let me in," Taylor said soothingly.

"No."

"I've got cocoa and cookies."

"Fine," Haley said allowing her sister to come in. She took a seat at the foot of the bed and looked at the limp figure formally known as Haley that was lying at the other end.

"What's the matter Haley-bub?"

"Nathan. He totally pulled a Mr. Hyde on me today and won't tell me what his problem is. He won't even look at me. I just, everything was perfect yesterday and just lately in general with us but now he's this monster and I don't even know why. The weird part is he's blaming his action on me but I didn't even do anything to him."

"Haley I'm sorry," Taylor stated tucking a piece of hair behind her sister's ear.

"I just hope he'll talk to me soon. I'm so confused," Haley continued a tear rolling down her cheek.

"You know what's funny?"

"What?" Taylor questioned.

"Last time I was breaking down like this was when I found out about Harley and Nathan was the one to console me," Haley began, "and now I'm breaking down because of Nathan and you're the one consoling me."

Taylor managed to stifle a laugh as the guilt began to build in her stomach. Haley wasn't crying over Nathan right now. She was crying over Taylor yet again, she just didn't know it. It began to dawn on her what she was really doing to the lives of these two innocent teens.

"You're going to be okay Hales. With or without Nathan."

"I'm hoping with. Our relationship has been kind of whirlwind, but I love him. I mean, really love him. That's why this hurts so bad," Haley said the tears starting to well up in her eyes again.

"Shh, Haley it's okay. Do you want to know why I've never really settled down with anyone?"

"Enlighten me," Haley stated sarcastically.

"Because I learned early on that if you just play with boys you spare yourself the heartache. You don't end up crawled up in a ball on your bed crying till there's no tears left."

"But what if the heartache is worth the love that came before it?"

"That's your decision to make not mine," Taylor stated. "But I'll go and let you sleep on all this. Maybe Nathan will come around."

"I hope so. Oh, and Tay?"

"Yes," she said turning around in the doorway.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Taylor stated closing the door behind her. She continued down the hall to her bedroom picking her cell phone off the desk and punching in a number.

"Hello," a deep voice said on the other line.

"Dan I want to call it off. I just, I feel horrible."

"So I'm guessing you've drove a wedge between them?"

"Yes, but I can't do this to them. They're already a mess."

"Taylor I'm not paying for you to quit on me, I'm paying for you to get the job done. You want you kid to have a good life right?"

"Yes but I also want one for my sister despite what my actions say."

"Well I want one for my son too, and that's a life without your sister. So give me a good life for my son and I'll continue to provide a good life for yours."

"You can really be a bastard you know that?"

"No the bastard would be your son," Dan stated provoking her.

"You can't see me right now but I'm giving you the look of death."

"Glare at me all you want Taylor, I don't care. Just make sure my son and your sister break up and stay that way."

"You can't change fate Dan."

"No, but you can play with it. Prolong it."

"Whatever, I'm hanging up now."

"Bye-bye, and remember, finish what you started," Dan sneered into the phone before hanging up. Taylor took a seat on her bed, feeling extremely guilty at what she had just done. She had to choose, happiness for her sister or happiness for she and her son. The question was, which one was more important?

She was about to just crash from all the stress around her when she decided to go the bathroom first. As she walked down the hall to the bathroom she heard a light bang come from somewhere. She took a peek into Haley's room finding her sound asleep on the bed, but also a clatter of pebbles hitting the window. Taylor walked over to the window to see what caused all the racket and noticed Nathan standing beneath it.

Now was the final moment, she had to decide: happiness for Haley or happiness for herself and Harley…

Yepp, so things are kind of going down hill and you're probably killing me for this chapter. I wonder what Taylor will choose, and I wonder what will happen with Nathan and Haley. Anyways, leave reviews and let me know what you think!