Author's Note: Hey guys! I had a four day vacation this weekend with Thanksgiving so I had lots of time to write even though I had some family over. This chapter is mostly filler and aftermath of the party. I will warn you that drama is ahead! I know this chapter is short, but I wanted to end it like the way I did. As always, please read and review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. One Tree Hill and its characters are property of the WB.

Rating: PG to PG-13

In the Presence of an Angel

Chapter 8

The next morning dawned bright and Haley was first to wake by the morning sun shining its rays across her face. She tried to stretch but stopped at the heaviness of her arm and looked over to her left. Brooke lay with her head on Haley's shoulder and her left arm flung over Haley's stomach, curling around her waist, as she breathed softly in her slumber. She surveyed her surroundings and realized where she was, the events of last night flooding back to the front of her mind.

Haley and Brooke were kissing passionately, their hands roaming through each other's hair, parting every minute or two to catch their breath. "Let's go to my house," Brooke whispered between kisses. "We can't… we've been drinking…" Haley murmured. "…Don't have to drive…beach house…just down the shore…" Brooke said quietly as she began to place small chaste kisses on her neck. "Let's go," Haley responded a little breathlessly as Brooke placed her mouth on her collarbone, sending shivers throughout her body.

They had both slipped out of the house and walked down the shore to Brooke's beach house, only three houses away from Nathan's. They had kissed passionately late into the night until both fell into a peaceful slumber in each other's arms. They had gone no further than kissing, which Haley was grateful for. She would have been embarrassed that she had revealed herself to Brooke and then hurt by the fact that Brooke didn't want her. Although, last night it had felt like Brooke felt the same way by her warm kisses and soft caresses in her hair, she knew it was the alcohol that had fueled Brooke's actions; and hers as well, somewhat.

Haley didn't want Brooke to wake up and find her there, in bed with her, and remember the past night's events because it would only hurt both of them, herself even more so. She didn't want the awkwardness and distance in their friendship she knew would ensue if Brooke found out what had happened. 'Everything is better left buried…' Haley thought with sadness as she carefully crawled from under Brooke and put on her sweater then grabbed her purse and left the house.

A few hours later, Brooke woke and immediately shut her eyes after opening them. Pain radiated throughout her head and she laid back down. The sun had burned her eyes and she had sat up too fast. She waited a few minutes until she slowly crawled out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom only to run smack dab into a wall. "That's what I get for walking around with my eyes closed," Brooke muttered as she rubbed her face then opened her eyes slightly to see that the bathroom was in fact, not there. Brooke looked around the room and realized that she was in her room at the beach house.

She looked at her messy hair and wrinkled dress in the mirror then she glanced at her bed, with its equally wrinkled covers. 'Must have been one wild night,' she thought as she headed towards the bathroom for a shower.

Haley was working at the café that morning when Lucas came in with a concerned look on his face, "Haley, where did you go last night? I looked all over for you and I couldn't find you." She replied sarcastically, "I got drunk off my ass and made out with some guy on the beach. What was his name… I think-I think it was Spike or something weird like that." He stared at her with wide eyes for a few seconds as if he had actually believed what she'd said. "I don't need a babysitter Lucas, I'm seventeen years old. I can take care of myself," she replied. "But you were drinking…" Lucas pointed out as if that were some justification.

"So I had four drinks, big deal. I've seen you drink more. Besides, I was still partially sober." "It is a big deal," Lucas said fiercely. "Why," Haley retorted. "Because you don't drink. At least never that much," he responded with a pleading look in his eyes, "what's going on Hales? You've been up and down in your moods and you act closed off. You won't talk to me and when I ask you, you get defensive. We can't keep fighting like this, Hales. It hurts me that you can't or won't talk to me when there's something that's bothering you or something that you're going through." She walked around the counter and hugged him, "I know, but I just can't tell you. At least not right now." He stared into her eyes to see what she was feeling, something he had always been able to do until lately, and found them blank; she was closing herself off again.

"Just please tell me where you were? I was so worried about you," he said softly. "I got a ride home from Jake. He needed to get home to Jenny and I didn't feel like staying so he offered to take me home," Haley lied. "Thank you for telling me," he hugged her, "I've gotta get to Keith's shop. See you later?" She nodded with a forced smile and then he left.

Haley rested her head in her hands and told herself not to cry; she had been doing too much of that lately. It hurt so much that she couldn't tell her best friend what was going on in her life, at least the part that had consumed most of her thoughts and days the past two weeks.

Someone cleared their throat and asked, "Are you okay?" Haley looked up to see Brooke standing there in a pair of sweats and her white hoodie with her hair up in a messy ponytail. Haley was shocked, not only at seeing her there but in the clothes she was wearing. Brooke Davis was not one to go out in public dressed down like she was. "Yeah," Haley replied nervously, her voice choking up a bit. She didn't know if Brooke remembered last night and she hoped she didn't. "I saw Lucas leave, did you two get in a fight again," Brooke asked softly. "No, he was worried about me because I had a couple drinks last night at the party and I hardly ever drink, that's all," Haley responded as she began to wipe the counter with a rag.

"Yeah, that was some party," Brooke replied as she remembered the state of her bed that morning. Haley froze for a few seconds, fearing that Brooke had remembered. She composed herself and asked, "How's the hangover?" "It's a bitch. I don't know how much I drank last night. I think I lost count after five." "You know you can damage your liver by drinking so much… God, I almost sound like Lucas. He was lecturing me about drinking when I didn't have all that many and he usually drinks more than me."

She looked back up at Brooke and saw that she was rubbing her forehead with a pained look on her face. Haley asked, "Can I get you anything?" "Yeah, a mocha latte. Do you have any Tylenol? I'm all out. I was just on my way to the pharmacy to get some." "Sure, I'll get you some," Haley bent down behind the counter, retrieving her purse, and searching for the bottle of Tylenol. She handed two to Brooke as well as a glass of water and she gulped them down, "Thanks." "No problem," Haley replied with a smile. Haley prepared Brooke's latte and gave it to her. "Thanks again. I've got to get to the pharmacy now and have a few other errands to run. I'll see you later, okay?" "Yep," Haley replied as Brooke waved goodbye. Haley breathed a sigh of relief after she had left, both happy and sad that Brooke had not remembered their night together.