Stillness

Chapter 2

Thank you guys so much for the feedback. This story is similar to my other one the Mourning After but with less drama, just really focused on Nathan and Haley, and to some extent Lucas as you'll see here. The mood for this story is pretty dark as this best sums of my mood of late. I also want you guys to know that I'm nearly done with the next chapter of Behind the Scenes and I hope to post that soon. I really liked this chapter and the dialogue that takes place, I hope you do as well. I also want to let you guys know that I have a companion piece for "Principal's office" coming up, so if you hadn't had a chance, please check that out.

So I know this chapter is short, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Please review!

. . . .

Lucas took a shot but missed. The ball bounced off the rim and gently rolled onto the grass in the River Court. The ball stopped under the foot of none other than his brother, or someone he once considered his brother.

"What do you.." Lucas was in the middle of asking but Nathan was blunt and straight to the point.

"I can't find her."

"Good." He shrugged as he bent down and took back his ball.

"I'm serious Luke, where the hell is she?" It had been a week since graduation and Nathan was as miserable and lonely as ever. He tried his best to find her but to no avail. He figured the only two people who would know were Brooke and Lucas, but Brooke left to visit her parents in LA. Plus there was the fact he broke down her door and she was still pissed at him. Peyton on the other hand was just as a bitch to Haley this year and she wouldn't know where she was either. So now, he's back to square one with the only person he hoped would tell him where his wife was or else he was going to beat the living crap out of him to find out.

"If you can't find her, then you can't hurt her.. so ask me again why I would want to tell you where she is?" He replied coolly as he continued to shoot around. Lucas took the ball in his hands and went up for a lay up. Nathan came in quickly behind him and dragged him against the pole.

"This isn't a fucking game, Lucas, where the hell is she?"

"What? You're going to beat the information out of me, go ahead, I want to see you try!" Lucas egged him on.

"Lucas, I'm not playing!" Nathan warned. Lucas pushed Nathan off him.

"I'm not either, Nathan!" Lucas roared back. "You're poison.. poison to me.. poison to her, so just let it go!"

Lucas shook his head as his own anger started coming to the surface. "You don't get it, do you?"

"I know I hurt her, but I need to find her."

"So what exactly can happen? You're going to talk, kiss, make up and pretend like the last year didn't happen. She finally moved on with her life Nathan after putting on hold for months, don't take that away from her." He pleaded with him.

"I'm not!" He said frustrated. "I just.."

"What!?"

"I just want to talk to her."

"Then send her a letter." He huffed out, as he picked up the basketball.

"If I knew where to send it to then maybe I would." Nathan growled.

"If you asked me this a year ago, I would've gladly help you out.. shoot I'd even drive you to her myself.. but now, now there's no way I'm going to help you."

"She loves me Luke! You and I both know that and how would she feel if she knew you were trying to keep me away from her."

"I'll be damn if I tell you where she is but she's a big girl and she can handle herself. If you find her then so be it, at least I know it wasn't on my watch. I sat back and let you hurt her time and time again, I did nothing back then… and now I won't let you get the chance."

"She'll never forgive you if you knew what you did."

"What if I told her she knows?"

"What?"

"What if I told her that you talked to me?"

"What.. what did she say?"

"She didn't want to hear it. Like I said, Nate, she's moving on. Come on, we both know you already did anyways, so why bring up the past?"

"It's not over Luke!" Nathan said frustrated.

"She signed the papers, Nate.. just send them to your lawyer already.. it is done."

"No.. I signed those papers last year.. I .."

"You what?"

"I don't know.. but I love her Luke and I know our marriage sucks but an annulment.. it's not like we never even existed and despite our problems, I don't ever want to just brush it aside like it never happened."

"Then, I'll send her divorce papers." Lucas shrugged.

"Why are you like this?" Nathan couldn't help but ask. He'd never seen him like this before. He wasn't used to seeing Lucas like this, had he been that bad?

"Are you kidding me?" Lucas laughed. "Are you seriously asking me that?" He laughed harder.

"I tried to help you out but what did you say, you told me to mind my own business and I seem to recall you saying that this brother crap was over between us .. you treated me like shit Nathan.. when I first joined the team you made my life a fucking nightmare and then you had to fucking date Haley on top of it.. but I still gave you the benefit of the doubt and I even became your biggest fan once I saw how happy she was.. how happy both of you were .. I know Haley made her mistake and so did you .. you didn't just abandon Haley, you abandoned me too." Lucas finally admitted.

"Luke.. I .."

"Remember when you took me to Charlotte, to get tested." Lucas cut him off and Nathan nodded.

"I thought wow, Nathan actually did something nice for .,. like this was big.. he really had my back.. we were really brothers.." Lucas laughed bitterly. "Growing up, I always felt like something was missing because of Dan and I guess I latched onto you cuz it seemed like you filled it in.. that I had a brother .. a friend who would always be there .. but it was a lie.. all of it .."

Lucas shook his head, as he remembered how Nathan had been so quick to dismiss him like he was anyone else. "You know something Nate.. I have it okay.. I have HCM."

Nathan stood there stunned.

"I shouldn't have played this year but it was my senior year.. I wanted to .. I needed too.. I didn't tell anyone and Haley only found out because she caught me with my pills." Lucas looked down. "And where was my brother then? The one who told me that he would love and protect my best friend with all his heart."

"Luke.. I'm.. I'm sorry." Nathan said, his voice shakey, not believing what he had just heard. "Believe me, no one is more sorry than I am."

"Why? So I can have your pity, please."

"Luke I know I screwed things up with us too.. I know that.. but."

"But nothing Nate!" Lucas yelled. "You know what," he said in a more calm manner, " prove to me that you actually do have a heart and maybe.. just maybe I'll help you out." Lucas said with finality as he walked away from him.

. . . .

KNOCK KNOCK

"Coming!" She called out as she made her way to the door.

She opened it and was surprised to find a certain tall dark hair blue eyed man in front of her.

"Nathan?" She asked.

He took a minute to look at her, her long blond hair and her brown eyes. She looked so much like her sister but yet so different.

"Taylor." Nathan greeted her. He didn't know why he hadn't bothered talking to Taylor. He tried to put her out of his mind ever since the last time he saw her. But after his last talk with Lucas and all this sibling stuff, it dawned on him to go talk to Taylor. Unfortunately, he lost Taylor's number but luckily still remembered where she lived. He was glad that she was still around and hadn't moved.

"What're you doing here?"

"I need to find your sister."

"I figured as much. Why don't you come in?"

"I'd rather not."

"Nate, I'm not going to bite." She grinned as she twirled her hair between her fingers.

Nathan gave her a nervous smile. "No, I'm good out here. I can't stay long anyways, I just really need to find Haley, so can you help me or not?"

"You sure you can't stay? It was a long drive from Tree Hill to here."

"Taylor, please." Nathan tried to be polite. The last thing he needed was to ruin his last chances of finding his wife.

"And it's getting late, you should sleep over."

"Taylor." Nathan warned.

"Especially since my parents and Haley are coming tomorrow." Taylor added with a smirk.

"Wait what?!" His eyes went wide.

"Now, what do you say? Are you still going to leave?"

Nathan shook his head, no he was definitely not going anywhere. She turned around and he walked in behind her closing the door.

"I figured you'd come around here soon or later." Taylor commented.

"Oh, why is that?"

"Cuz, you're not the only one who's waiting to see Haley." Taylor turned the corner into the living room.

"What're you.." Nathan's voice trailed off as he saw Taylor's other guest. "Lucas.." Nathan said softly.

Lucas rose from the couch. "Oh, it's you. I guess you didn't need my help after all." Lucas turned to Taylor. "How did he know where you lived?"

"Oh he visited before." She replied nonchalantly.

"You did?" Lucas turned back to Nathan.

"Yeah.." Nathan cleared his throat.

"He was so mad, so upset over losing Haley .. he came to see me." Taylor then looked Nathan straight in the eye and he silently begged her not to say what he knew she was going to.

Taylor looked back to Lucas. "Like I said, he was so mad and upset over what Haley did to him.. you know the wholeChris thing.. "

"Taylor.." Nathan spoke up but Taylor ignored him.

"So he wanted to get even.. he wanted to sleep with me." She crossed her arms,

Lucas turned back to Nathan.

"Lucas .. look.." Nathan didn't have time to get another word in as Lucas' fist came barroling towards his face, sending him to the ground. Nathan didn't even fight it, he knew he deserved it. He was even was happy that it was Lucas currently throwing punches at him. Haley wasn't the only one he had betrayed and hurt along the way.

To Be Continued . . .