Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or its characters

So so sorry for the wait! I don't know how I let myself get so behind with this story.

Chapter 5: Come Undone

Haley stood in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in her hand. Her head was killing her. She didn't remember much from the night before, but she kept getting vague flashbacks. Something that was standing out to her was puking over the railing at the party and having Nathan carry her to her bed. That was the most mortifying thing of all.

She hated looking weak in front of anyone, but in front of Nathan? She would have rather died. The idea of Nathan thinking that he needed to swoop in like some hero was ridiculous. She didn't need him to take care of her.

There was a knock on the door and the sound caused Haley to rub her temples. Her head was still pounding as she made her way towards the door. Her leg was also starting to sting a little. When she reached the door she was surprised by who she saw on the other side.

Brooke was standing on the other side dressed in a pair of gray sweats and a white Ravens Cheer hoodie. Her hair was pushed back with a head band and she was holding something in her hand. She smiled slightly at Haley when she opened the door, but Haley could tell by the look on her face that she felt awkward standing there in front of her.

"Hey," Brooke said.

"Hi," Haley replied. This was the most they talked since the accident.

"I have your jacket."

Brooke stuck out her hand that held the black jacket that Haley had been wearing the night before. She hadn't even realized that she'd been missing it.

"You left it in the back of Peyton's car and she asked me to get it back to you."

"Oh," Haley replied, she'd forgotten that she was even in Peyton's car the night before. Great, how many other people had helped her get back to her house? "Thanks."

She reached out and took it from Brooke who nodded. After taking it from her, she watched as Brooke continued to stay rooted to her spot on the porch. Haley wondered if she had more to say to her. Maybe she really wanted to yell at her. She could imagine that Brooke wasn't exactly happy with her. It was because of her that Nathan had been away for the past few months. And because of her that he had to keep his distance from everyone.

"Look," Brooke said, "Nathan would hate me if he knew I was saying this but… please cut him some slack."

"What?" Haley asked, taken aback by what Brooke was saying to her.

"I totally get that you probably don't want to be around him, but he's paid for what he did. He just wants to try and get his life back to normal."

"You think I don't want that?" Haley asked. "I'm sorry but you're right I don't want to be around him. I don't want anything to do with him. Sorry if that messes up his social life but to be honest I don't really care."

"I understand that. But you don't know how sorry he is and how much he's hating himself for all of this. Just please… don't hate him."

"I don't really know what you want me to do or say. Even if I did, I don't know that I could do it."

Brooke nodded, "I'm sorry Haley. I guess I just want… I just want things to be the way they were before."

"I don't think they'll ever be that way again."

"Yeah," Brooke said with a nod of her head, "anyway. Just wanted to make sure you got your jacket back."

"Thanks."

Brooke opened her mouth like she was going to say something else but she quickly shut it again before turning around and walking down the steps of the porch. Haley watched her walk across the grass and back towards her house. That was the most she'd talked to Brooke in what felt like forever and she couldn't stop the voice in her head that kept screaming at her about how much she had missed her best friend.

Brooke had after all be the one person she told everything to. She probably knew more about her than anyone else in the world. There wasn't a secret that she hadn't told Brooke. And now everything was different. It was so hard for her to be around her and not think of Nathan. She couldn't help but always see his face when she was around. She wished she could keep them separate them, but she just couldn't.

January 18, 2010

Haley shut her locker after grabbing her biology book and she turned and faced Nathan. He was dressed in his collared shirt and tie and a pair of dress pants. His hair, along with most of the basketball team, had recently been shaved. She thought that most of them couldn't pull off the look, their heads weren't shaped right. But Nathan, he could pull it off. He was one of those guys who could probably pull off anything.

"Ready?" Nathan asked?

When she nodded they both headed in the direction of their next class. Biology was Nathan's favorite class. When people thought of him they probably didn't think of smart as the first word to describe him. He was sure they thought of basketball, jock, popular. Not smart. But when it came to biology, he just got it. It made sense to him. And it wasn't too bad that he shared this class with Haley.

"We're just watching more videos today aren't we?" she asked. However, before he could answer Rachel walked up beside him. Haley rolled her eyes when she watched him stop so she could stand on her toes and place a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi," she said with a smile before glancing at Haley.

"Hey," Nathan replied and smiled back. Rachel was a good girlfriend. She always made him cookies before a game, she cheered the loudest of anyone there when it was time for the game and she was hot. Maybe they didn't really have anything in common and she didn't really get along with any of his friends, but she was good to him.

"We still on for after the game?"

"Of course."

Rachel smiled again and kissed him on the lips before giving Haley another sidelong glance. She looked away from both of them before making her way down the hall to her next class.

"Ugh," Haley groaned, "why do you date her?" she asked as they walked into the classroom.

"What?" Nathan asked with a laugh. "She's not that bad."

They took their usual seats next to each other and Haley dropped her books to her desk before taking her seat. Nathan sat down next to her and leaned back against the back rest before looking at her. He knew that she and Rachel didn't really get along, but he didn't know she hated her.

"She's terrible," Haley said, "come on Nate you could so much better than her."

"Oh yeah?" Nathan asked with a smile, "and who should I be with? You?"

"Oh please," Haley said with a laugh, "yeah right. That's not what was saying. Just maybe you could find a girl who's actually smart."

"She's smart."

Haley turned in her chair and stared at him. "Are you forgetting that she failed freshmen geography because she couldn't find the US on a map?"

Nathan laughed and nodded, "ok, yeah that was bad. But she's really not that bad Hales. You guys just don't get along-"

"Yeah, because she's a bitch-"

"But maybe if you guys just hung out or something you could be friends."

"Not gonna happen."

The teacher began to speak telling them to pull out their notebooks and take notes during the videos. When the lights shut off Haley leaned closer to Nathan and whispered, "just think about what I'm saying. You could do way better."

The videos started and Haley turned her full attention to what was being taught. Nathan jotted down a few notes before turning his attention Haley. She didn't even notice that he was watching. There was something about Haley that made it hard to look away from her. She was captivating and she didn't even know it. Whether she was dancing or just taking notes in class she always caught his attention.

Thinking back on it now, Haley was right. Haley was always right. He definitely should have listened to her when she told him Rachel was bad news. She always saw the way people were right off the bat. She trusted her instincts and it took a lot to change her mind. He had a feeling she would never change her mind about him now. Too much damage had been done.

He wiped down the counter of the café and went to grab the pot of coffee so he could go around and refill cups. Jake had just finished his shift and he was waiting for Haley to get to the café. She would be closing with him tonight and he knew that meant more awkward run- ins. He wasn't sure why Karen would ever schedule them to work together.

"I have to run some errands," Karen said walking around from the kitchen, "will you and Haley be alright closing without me tonight?"

Karen hardly left them alone anymore, he had a feeling Haley had requested that. But now she would be gone and it would just be them.

"Oh," Nathan said, "are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Nathan."

"Yeah, but Haley-"

Nathan stopped talking when he heard the bell above the door. He looked over his shoulder and saw Haley coming through the door. She was dressed in a pair of sheer black tights and bulky white sweater dress with a pair of black boots. She had both her crutches under her arms and she was trying to avoid making eye contact with him as she struggled to get through the door. He wished he could help her, but he knew she would freak out if he came anywhere near him.

"Hey Hales," Karen said, "I was just telling Nathan that I'll have to run some errands tonight so I'll need you guys to close."

"Oh," Haley said, "is Lucas coming?"

"I don't think so," she replied as she slipped on her coat, "he's working at the shop with Keith tonight."

Inwardly Haley rolled her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck here with Nathan. She knew Jake had already worked today and he wouldn't be coming in tonight and if Luke was at the shop he wouldn't be here either. It was just the two of them. She had just gotten to the café and she already knew that tonight would be one of the most awkward nights she would suffer through.

"Oh," Haley replied.

"But you have my number if you need anything." Karen slipped on her jacket as she approached the door. She turned around once more and faced them both and smiled. "Thank you so much for closing. I wouldn't leave you if I didn't have so many errands to run."

"It's fine Karen," Haley said, "I can handle it."

Nathan looked up when she said that. Something about her tone of voice threw him off. The way she said I can handle it, like he would be no help at all. Like she had to do all of this on her own and he was just in the way. He could help if she would just let him.

"I know you can," she said with a smile before walking through the glass door signaling the bell above.

Haley watched as Karen left and soon it was just her and Nathan and a handful of customers. Luckily most of them had already been served and they wouldn't require too much attention. She grabbed the coffee pot off the counter where it sat next to Nathan's hands.

"I can do that," Nathan said and rushed around the counter. If Haley was on her crutches she probably wasn't up to going around the café refilling cups.

"No," Haley said quickly and propped her crutches against the counter. "I'm fine."

Nathan's eyebrows creased as he watched her try to not limp as she made her way towards the first table. Obviously she didn't want his help, but there was something different about it today; like she was even more pissed off at him than usual. He didn't know what he'd done now, but she was definitely pissed at him.

A couple left their table and Nathan hurried over to clear away their plates before Haley could have the chance to beat him to it. He just had a feeling that tonight would be a night filled with her trying to do everything without any help from him. But he wasn't about to let that happen.

He filled the gray tub with their coffee cups and plates and when he turned around he saw Haley standing at a table across the café watching him with serious eyes. It was like she was waiting for him to screw up at any minute. The look on her face just made him want to prove her wrong even more than ever.

Eventually all the people had cleared out of the café and it was almost time to close up for the night. Haley moved behind the counter and began to balance the register while Nathan wiped down the tables. She looked up at him and cleared her throat before speaking.

"You can just go home. I can do all this."

Nathan dropped the cloth on the table before turning around and looking at her. "I can help you."

"I don't need your help," Haley replied curtly.

Nathan took a few steps towards the counter and when he reached it he placed his palms on the surface before looking at her. She was trying to avoid his gaze but he knew that eventually she would have to look up at him. "Is this about last night?"

"What?" Haley asked, still staring down at the money in the register.

"Are you mad at me because of last night? Is that what's going on?"

"You think this is only because of last night?" Haley asked and slammed the register closed. "No, it's not just about last night. It's about May and every day since then. It's about the fact that it kills me to be around you. It kills me to see you."

Those words were like a knife in his heart. He didn't understand how life could throw such a curveball at him. How could she go from being one of his best friends, to being a girl that hated just the sight of him. Haley had been one of the few people who he felt like he could actually talk to. Like she didn't judge him and she was always there to listen when he needed it. Now she hated him and they could never go back.

She had finally looked up at him and he could see the tears in her eyes and he watched as one slipped down her cheek. He could feel the urge inside him to reach out and wipe it away, but he knew that was a bad idea.

She quickly brought her hand up to wipe away her tears. God, she couldn't believe she was crying in front of him now. It was bad enough what happened last night and now she was crying in front of him. She wanted to at least pretend like she wasn't a complete mess, but he was making that really hard.

"Haley," Nathan said quietly. "I'm so sorry. I know I've said it before and I know it still doesn't mean anything but if I could I would trade places with you. I would take all the pain I caused you away and I would-"

Nathan stopped talking abruptly when he heard the door open and the bell ding. He didn't turn around to see who had come in he just watched Haley look up at the door and smile.

"Hey," the person said and Nathan recognized the voice. It was Erik.

"Hi," Haley replied, still with a smile on her face.

Nathan turned around finally and saw Erik standing at the door. He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt and he watched the two of them intently. "Everything ok?" he asked when he caught sight of the fact that Haley was crying. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Haley replied with a shake of the head.

Nathan walked back over to the table he'd been at before and picked up the cloth before walking back into the kitchen. He really didn't feel like being alone around the two of them. Things were already weird enough.

Erik watched Nathan walk back into the kitchen and he made his way over to the counter before leaning across it to place a kiss on Haley's cheek. "Are you ok?" he asked a second later.

"Yeah," Haley replied, "I'm fine. You know I'm just kind of an emotional mess."

"You sure that's it?" he asked and motioned towards the kitchen before talking with a hushed tone. "Did he say something to you?"

"No," Haley replied. "Everything's fine. He didn't say anything to me."

Nathan stood just inside the kitchen listening to them talk. He could hear it in Erik's voice that he thought of him as scum. Not that he blamed him. He had destroyed the life of the girl he liked. But still, the fact that he thought he would say something to her to intentionally hurt her, it made him feel like shit. All he wanted was for things to go back to the way they were. He wanted her to want to be his friend again. God knew he never wanted to hurt her again.

"Ok," Erik replied and smiled. "You still up for that movie?"

Haley nodded and smiled. "Yeah. We're almost closed up and then we can go."

Nathan walked back out and headed towards the door. "The dishes are done, they're just drying. We all set here?"

Haley nodded her head but didn't look up at him. "Yeah, you can go."

Nathan nodded and pushed the door open before looking at Haley again. All he wanted was to keep talking to her. He wanted her to yell at him and get out all her frustrations. He wanted her to say everything to him that she'd been dying to say since he came home. He wanted things to be normal again.

Nathan walked in through the door and saw Brooke sitting at the kitchen island with a magazine laid out in front of her and to his surprised his mother was cooking at the stove. He wasn't sure when the last time he'd seen his mother cooking was. It had to have been a really long time ago.

"Hi Sweetie," Deb said and turned to look at him with a smile on her face. "How was work?"

"It was alright," Nathan replied, still confused at the scene in front of him. "You do know it's like 10 o'clock, I hope you're not cooking dinner."

"Well your father just got home and he hasn't eaten so I'm just whipping something up real fast. Have you eaten? Are you hungry? There's plenty for you too."

Nathan shook his head, "no I'm alright, I ate at the café."

Deb nodded her head. "It's so great of Karen to give you that job. I need to call her soon and thank her for that."

"Don't just yet," Nathan said, "I'm not sure how much longer I'll be working there."

"Why?" Brooke said with a laugh, not looking up from the magazine. "Aunt Karen fire you?"

"No," Nathan said with a shake of his head. "It's just with Haley there… things are kind of awkward and you know I don't wanna upset her by being there. Maybe I should quit."

"You work shifts with Haley?" Deb asked. "Why would Karen put you two together? She should know better than that."

"Stirring up trouble as usual."

Nathan looked up at the sound of the voice and he saw Dan come walking through the door and farther into the kitchen. His tie was loose around his neck and the top few buttons of his shirt had been undone and by the look on his face, it had been a long day. And leave it to Dan to make an entrance when the subject of Nathan working for Karen had come up.

"She's not," Nathan said, "it's not like I'm ever alone with Haley," he continued, choosing to leave out the details of tonight.

"I'd hope not," Deb said, "her mother would have a fit."

"I should talk to Karen," Dan said, "tell her that you can't be working shifts with Haley. She's just causing more problems for us."

"Dad it's fine," Nathan said with a shake of his head. Sometimes Dan could be so over dramatic. He was trying to make this a bigger deal than it needed to be and it was best if he just stayed out of it.

"We don't need any more trouble with Haley James and that mother of hers."

Brooke cleared her throat and stood up before walking out of the kitchen. Nathan knew it was hard for her to hear about Haley. She had lost her best friend through this whole ordeal and she wasn't taking it well, and rightly so. Nathan couldn't imagine what she was going through. They had practically been sisters and he was sure this was killing Brooke.

"Can you just drop it?" Nathan asked, "Christ Dad, you think Brooke really wants to hear about it?"

"Watch your mouth," Dan said before grabbing the plate of food that Deb had prepared. "Don't you talk to me liked that."

Dan stared at his son for a few more seconds before taking his plate and walking out of the kitchen. A few seconds later they could hear the sound of his office door shut. Nathan shook his head, he should have known he would go off to sulk in his office. He pretty much lived there now.

"Honey your dad's just under a lot of pressure at work. He doesn't mean to take it out on you."

Nathan shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

He walked closer to Deb before placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Night Mom."

Making his way out of the kitchen he hurried up the stairs and towards his room. He could still hear Dan's angry voice in his head and he just wanted to shut him out for awhile. But before he could do that, he needed to check on Brooke.

He lightly knocked on her door and a few seconds later she gave the ok for him to come in. When he pushed the door open he saw her sitting on her bed with her legs crossed and her laptop in front of him. "You ok?" Nathan asked and leaned against the door frame.

Brooke shrugged, "not really."

Nathan nodded his head, "yeah I understand that."

There was a silence that filled in around them before Brooke looked up at her brother. "Nathan, I'm so sorry. All of this is… so fucked up and I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Brooke. I'll get through it."

"But… I feel so bad."

"Hey," Nathan said with a shake of his head, "you have nothing to feel bad about. This is all on me, remember? I can handle it."

"Maybe if I just told everyone-"

"Stop," Nathan said more sternly. "You have nothing to tell anyone. Everyone already knows what happened and nothing's gonna change that. It's over and done Brooke, just leave it alone."

He stared at her a few more minutes and watched her nod her head. "Ok."

He nodded and said goodnight to her before heading back towards his room. He walked through the door and turned on the light and walked towards his window before staring out. He saw Mrs. James's car parked in the driveway. She didn't work on Sunday nights. He figured Haley wasn't back from her date with Erik since he hadn't seen her light come on.

There were lots of nights that he had seen Haley in his room. Their rooms had always faced into each other's and when they were kids they used to use flashlights to signal each other. But that was a long time ago. They weren't kids anymore and things were really fucked up now.

So this chapter's pretty short and not my favorite but I really wanted to update for you guys. I'm so sorry for the wait! I suck…

But please review and let me know what you think! Also the song for this chapter is Come Undone by Jackson Waters