My Security 6-10-07
Thanks for reading my fiction, you guys are awesome. I'm not really happy with this chapter, so here goes nothing.
If you would be loved, love and be loveable. Benjamin Franklin
Chapter 15
"Go away!' Nathan yelled, blocking the kitchen door from Jimmy and Hales.
They had already eating breakfast Christmas eve morning and Mr. Durham had come over to help he make a special holiday meal.
Taylor and Patti were in New York under Mr. James's force, but he stayed home with Nathan and their new temporary tenant, Haley Myers. She agreed to stay after the much better lad's episode at school. She was still furious with him for not taking his medicine or not telling her he wasn't sleeping. She was also angry with the James's for his lack of care.
With the addition of the girl, Nate slept the better half of the last two days. It was Saturday and he was well all because of her. Jimmy couldn't believe it. They were so young, yet their connection was stronger than couples that had lived a lifetime together.
Nathan left Haley and Mr. James to their own devices. He was spending most of the morning helping prepare a yuletide feast. He didn't want his dear old friend Mr. Durham to be alone on such an amazing day. However, The only way he could get Whitey to come over was if the old man thought he was contributing. Therefore, Nathan asked for his catering service, his new job since Ms. Scott was temporarily incarcerated with no bail until a hearing in January.
Haley decided to go wash her car on the unseasonably warm morning, after all she was barely speaking to either her pigheaded boyfriend or Mr. James. Jimmy went out to help, hoping to mend some ties with the young woman. Haley kept working as if he weren't there, the warm sun beaming down on her cherub face. The sandy haired man pushed up the sleeves on his dress shirt and grabbed a scrub brush. He started working on the tires and rims. He was on the second one before saying anything.
"Are you sure Nathan is the stubborn one? This would go a lot faster if we talked."
"I have plenty of time. You can always go back inside." She cut, returning to her task. "Maybe Nathan can use you."
"Nope, James's finish what we start. We're committed that way. Besides, he won't let me near the kitchen and the games haven't started yet."
"Nathan doesn't do football anyway." She snorted. "If you took better care of him you might know that."
"What I know is you're a Panther's fan." Jim smirk at the perturbed little miss.
She stared at him before turning the sprayer on full blast and aiming it at her Mustang, barely giving him time to get out of the way.
He didn't back down and started on the third wheel. She certainly has Lydia's feistiness. He thought with a melancholy smile. He still missed her.
"Haley, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to let you or Nathan down. I haven't had to deal with a person with special needs before. Jules has always been the one to take real care of our foster kids until now...Most of the time Nate is so normal and bright. I forget that he can relapse so easily We thought the nightmares would stop and he would drink his juice whether we were at breakfast or not."
"But I warned you and offered to take over her care!" The girl huffed passionately.
"I trusted you with him, the most important thing in my life!" She yelled, throwing a paper towel away after cleaning a window. She rarely felt this enraged and it bother her.
Jim touch her shoulder, trying to diffuse the situation.
"But he's alright. There was no real harm done and now he's on the straight and narrow path."
"No real harm! He was cowering under a table in front of thirty of his peers! He was so exhausted he had to be forcefully shaken to away! Do you know how devastating to someone who's spent years hiding his secret hell?" She ranted loudly.
The remorseful man sensed her pain and protectiveness.
"I'm scared to ask him about school. Once the break is over he'll probably try and ditch. He doesn't have the grades for that!" She spilled. "This could have been prevented!"
They continued to clean up the car. Jimmy felt even more like a louse and Haley tried to keep her rage in check. She knew Nathan was as much at fault as the James.
Out of the blue, Jimmy quizzed her.
"There's more to your silent treatment than Nate getting sick, isn't there?"
"Why would you say that?" She ordered flatly offering no emotion.
"You're terrified about what happened to him at school. You keep saying how much you love him, but I haven't seen you two kids that put on your regular hourly gropefest, kiss, hug or even hold hands in the last two days." He accused to Haley's surprise.
"If there's any affection between you two, Nathan initiates it and you fight it."
"Perv much?" She snapped uncomfortable with his true observations.
It was unsettling to know someone cared that much. She sighed.
"I want him to realize how serious not taking care of himself is to me, maybe he won't do it again."
"Come on, Haley. Cut the boy some slack. He learned his lesson." He defended, watching her avoid his gaze.
"You know, no matter how mad a women gets at the man she loves, she isn't going to avoid his touch unless something big has happened."
"Like what?" She took her drying cloth and threw it in the bucket.
"Like either she's into another guy or you two aren't on the same wavelength if you know what I mean." He solved.
"Whatever!" She was ready for this conversation to end.
"Haley, you can tell me. Which one is it?"
She stopped listening, irritated again by the fact that he was right. They finished cleaning the vehicle in silence, then the damp girl sat on of the steps that lead to the house. She leaned back and inhaled the fresh air.
Jimmy joined her, taking in her delicate features. He realize how much she and Taylor favored. The similarities were chilling. Nah, she couldn't be his. Lydia said so herself.
"You're right. Nate and I had a big argument on the morning he broke down." She recalled these memories. "We disagreed on taking our relationship further."
Her whole body blushed.
"Was he pressuring you? ...Because it's okay to say no, Pumpkin." Mr. James added with a fatherly protection.
"He just loves me so much, but we can't, not without there being a future for us." She said glumly. "I'm kind of the one-guy-forever type of girl.
Mr. James shook his head and chuckled with pride. He ruffled her wavy tresses.
"You're teenagers. You have a right to be wary. Are you sure it can last?" He said without missing a beat when most parents can't even use the word condom in the same sentence as teenager.
"Positive." She stated emphatically.
"I can say one thing. A lot of girls your ages would gladly take up the offer to sleep with a guy like Nathan, even on the first date. It's obvious you want everything when it comes to him. It's admirable how you stick to your convictions."
Haley was surprised by how casually and confidently she could speak to Jimmy about something so personal. It was nice to have a grown up to talk to, that was something she rarely had since adolescence set in.
"Nathan is so much more than a boyfriend to me. I can't put into words what it means to me having him in my life. Every time he tells me he loves me, it just blows me away. He's special and with him already planning on breaking up with me when I leave for Princeton in the fall, being intimate would make things so much harder." She choked.
"You'll work it out. I see the love you share. Talk to him. You're wasting precious time not speaking." He squeezed her hand.
She nodded and noticed a glint in Jim's eye.
"Princeton, Huh!"
"Yes, Sir." She gave him a bashful grin, absorbing her father's praise. It felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter's morn or a glass of ice tea on the hottest day of the year, refreshing and comforting.
"I got a full ride." Haley added shyly.
"That's wonderful, Pumpkin! I'm really proud of you, very proud!" He chuckled loudly, throwing his head back and ruffling Haley's hair once more.
"That's my little ivy leaguer!" He reached over and gave her a fatherly hug.
Nothing in the world could have made Haley happier. In a few short weeks her life had change for the better. For the first time since his mother's death she had a family, Nathan, Jimmy and possibly even Taylor.
Nathan stopped peering out the glass of the patio door where he had been spying on Haley and Jimmy. The peppy teen strutted back to the kitchen with a huge smile on his chiseled face. He may be upset with Haley at the moment, but his plan had been worth the wait. Sure, he hated not getting any sleep for a days on end and purposely skipping his medication so it was making him crazy and pissed off his lovely girlfriend. Never the less, it got Haley and Jimmy under the same roof. If Haley finally got the father she deserved and needed . He would do it all again...
Whitey's dinner was scrumptious. They all talked and feasted like pigs. Haley helped clear the dishes after the meal. Nathan and Mr. James washed dishes before the elderly man called it a night, not before telling Nathan and Haley to stop with the silent treatment to each other.
After dinner, Haley and Mr. James retired to the entertainment room to watch football. Nathan strolled off to his room, not to be seen for a couple of hours. He was still upstairs when the doorbell rang at six o'clock.
Haley answered it, finding Tim and a few more of Nathan's worst buddies who were always up to no good. She let them in as Jimmy looked in on the activity in the foyer.
A smirk crossed his face at Haley's reaction when Nathan descended the stairs in baggy black jean and a long sleeved black and red Hawk's warm up jack that made him look all kinds of sexy. His hair was perfectly spike and his signature smirk was plastered on his face.
She met him at the bottom rung of the staircase. Haley knew wherever he was going there would be a flock of girls and most of them interesting in Nathan, no matter how single his cute friends were.
"Where are you going?" She asked casually, trying to feel him out.
"Out! Don't wait up!" He winked and waved at his foster parent. "Goodnight Mr. James."
"Goodnight, Son. Have fun."
Haley gave her man a desperate glance.
He ignored it and shouted a "Whassup!" to the delinquents at the door.
"Nate, I really think you should wait a few day until you get all your strength back." Haley coaxed, genuinely concern for his welfare and scared to death he was going out to meet someone else.
She hated being insecure and jealous but this was still their first real fight as couple. She wasn't sure where she stood, or if the tall, dark and handsome Scott would go back to his womanizing ways.
He rolled her eyes and breathed out harshly. "I'm fine and tired of talking to myself!"
"I can only say I'm sorry so many times a day, Hales?" He blew. "I've had enough."
He pushed passed her and headed for his gang.
Haley moved quickly and caught him by the arm, careful not to raise her voice. That would only get a negative reaction from Nathan.
"I'll stop the silent treatment. Sweetheart, please don't leave." She begged softly as his friends snickered at her groveling.
"Why shouldn't I? I'm sure I can find someone who wants to be around me. You've been avoiding me like I'm a scale at a Weight Watcher's meeting." He barked and bit his top lip trying to control his words.
He stalked over to the door.
The hot girl tossed her wavy locks and swayed her hips as she trailed him becoming the center of the semi-circle.
All of Nathan's crude pals considered Haley a dime piece and ogled her lustfully.
Her sweet drawly got their full attention.
"Nate, I don't want break up or fight anymore. I was upset cause I care about you so much and you weren't trying to stay healthy." She gulped with big watery brown eye and a quivering bottom lip, that broke all the boys.
"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, Nathan? You scared me, really scared me." She implored, winning points with all the guys. Boys need love too.
"She's a charmer." Jimmy proudly admitted to himself.
Nathan refused to look at her. She was getting to him and he hated it. He was suppose to be mad at her, very mad. He opened the door and the group walked out on the porch before him.
Haley slipped her hand in his, pulling him back.
"Don't run from me. We need to clear the air, then I'll take you wherever you want to go." She stood strong, twisting in his arms, hurt azure eyes meet sincere mocha ones. "I promise."
He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easy, no matter how badly she wanted to hold her and kiss her.
"I need a better reason than that!" He frowned.
She stood on the tips of her toes, letting her arms cross around the back of his neck. Her head slowly drifted toward his gorgeous face and her sugary words gave him butterflies.
"I love you, Nathan...You're it for me. I just want, no I need to kiss you."
Her pink mouth merged with his tasty lips in a delicate and arousing dance that let tongues greet each other and lips smack in a sweet seductive and intoxicating frenzy that left Nathan spellbound when Haley reluctantly backed away to get her bearings. His kisses made her dizzy, in a very good way. She raised up for three or four more pecks before waiting for his next move.
Nathan turned back to his envious friends whom were staring. He leaned against the door frame with a dreamy gaze.
Tim snorted and folded her arms. He still didn't care for Haley, jealous because he was never showered with such love and passion by any one.
"I'll catch up with you guys later. Going out doesn't seem so important now." Nathan confessed.
A few "whipped!" calls floated from the friends.
Tim stepped forward to try and talk him out of staying, but the door slammed shut in his face.
Jimmy walked back into the living room. Nathan was a hard cell and Haley had won. The girl could charm the stripes off a Zebra. She had to be a James, had to be! He thought happily.
The giggly girl pulled Nathan back into her waiting arms. She waggled her eyebrows and let her forehead lay against his.
"How about I make use of all those places you and I hung mistletoe around this mansion?" She flirted sensually and raced toward the study, Nathan hot on her trail...
Pamela