AN: Chapter title - underneath your clothes - Shakira. Bit of a filler chapter.
Chapter Twenty Two
Underneath your clothes
Taylor stirred softly. She opened her eyes and found herself facing… Robert?
Jumping up, Taylor pulled the sheet up around herself as memories from the night before came flooding back. She groaned and rested her head in her hands.
"Morning," Robert said, his voice groggy with sleep. Taylor jumped at his voice but tried her best to cover it. A new idea was forming in her head.
"Morning," she replied seductively. "Last night was pretty special, huh?"
"Sure was," Robert smirked. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "All I have to say is this: Wow."
Taylor laughed and leaned over, planting a kiss on his lips. "Well, I enjoyed myself too." She knew that she should probably be feeling revolted and cheap, but she was certainly attracted to Robert, and if she managed to solve this whole problem in the process of having a little fun, then all the better, right?
Robert grinned. "We were good together, weren't we?"
"Last night?" Taylor asked. "We sure were, I had no idea that…"
"No," Robert cut in. "I mean about before, when we got married. It wasn't all just for the con, was it?"
Taylor paused. "No," she answered, truthfully. At the back of her mind she had known it was a con, and she hadn't allowed herself to get too attached to him, but she was attracted to him, and sometimes she honestly thought he would make a good husband to somebody. Just not her.
Robert smiled. "I'm going to go get a coffee," he said. "What do you want?"
"Just a black coffee, no sugar, thanks."
"No problem."
"Robert, does this… change anything?"
Robert paused, his back to Taylor as he fastened his pants up. He turned towards her with narrowed eyes. "My God, I should have realised," he said, shaking his head incredulously. "That's what this was, wasn't it?"
Taylor realised that her plan was going horribly, horribly wrong. "What? No! I just…"
"You slut," Robert said. "I can't believe I fell for it."
"Robert, last night had nothing to do with that. I was just asking because… well come on Robert! It's not fair to punish Haley for my mistake!"
Robert shook his head. "Get me my money," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Or I'll go to the cops. You understand? I'll tell them about the little con job you've got going on here."
"Robert!"
"I want you out of my room by the time I get back."
The door slammed and Taylor stared at it with tears in her eyes. She had just made everything a whole lot worse.
xxx
Haley heard the front door slam and looked up to see Taylor wearing the same dress she'd been wearing the night before.
"Where have you been?" she asked, putting down the magazine that she'd been reading.
"None of your business," Taylor replied in a monotone. Haley raised her eyebrows but chose not to push the subject any further as Taylor stormed off into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
Haley picked the magazine up again, but dropped it in fright as the phone rang. She laughed at herself, thanking God that no one else was in the room to see her being an idiot and made her way over to the phone.
"Hello," she replied in a sing-song voice.
"Hey."
Haley smiled at Nathan's voice and threw herself down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Hello fiancé," she replied dreamily, unable to wipe the smirk from her face.
Nathan laughed at the other end of the phone. "I was just phoning to say good morning," he said. "So… good morning. You know, you could have came back to mine last night. I hate not waking up to see your face."
Haley laughed. "If I'd came back with you last night I may have been unable to keep up with my religious beliefs."
"Well, that's a double damn for me then."
Haley laughed again, twisting the phone cord around her finger. "You've got to admire my restraint."
"I'd rather not. But I do respect it," he said, his voice suddenly serious. "You do know that, right? I'd never make you do anything that makes you uncomfortable."
Haley felt her heart melt all over again. "I know," she said. "That's part of the reason I love you."
"I love it when you say that."
"I love you?"
"Yup."
"Okay then. I love you, I love you, I love you."
Nathan laughed at the other end and Haley suddenly realised that she was being watched by Taylor. She sat up suddenly, her tone changing.
"Uh, I've got to go."
"And I hate it when you say that."
"Bye Nathan."
"Bye, love you."
"Loveyoutoo," Haley said quickly, not catching Taylor's eye. She set the phone down and bit her lip.
"You really do love him, don't you?" Taylor asked.
"I do," Haley nodded. "And you know what, I trust him too. He's not going to fall for this con. Robert's going to realise that it's not working and leave us alone."
"God, don't be so naïve, Haley," Taylor said, rolling her eyes. Haley ignored her and made her way back into the living room where her magazine was waiting for her.
xxx
Brooke set down a plate of bacon and eggs on the bedside table and softly nudged Lucas awake.
"Ughaag," Lucas muttered sleepily, turning over. Brooke laughed and leaned over, kissing him on the forehead.
"I love you," she whispered. "And I'm sorry."
A knock on the door made her raise her head as she wondered who it could be. She got to her feet and shut the bedroom door gently behind her.
"Peyton," she greeted upon opening the door. "I hope you've come with an explanation for last night."
"Of course," Peyton said. "And I brought bagels too."
"Good choice," Brooke said, opening the door for her friend. The two girls promptly threw themselves down onto the couch and attacked the brown bag that had the bagels in it.
"So, Jake Jagielski, huh?" Brooke asked, chewing on her bagel.
Peyton nodded, a huge grin on her face. "Yeah."
"How long has that been going on for?"
"About a year."
Brooke's mouth dropped open. "That long?"
"Yeah. I wanted to tell you, but… It was a secret and I was scared it would get back to Dan."
"So… you didn't trust me?"
"Of course!" Peyton said quickly. "But I was scared you would tell Nathan and he'd use it as this get out of jail free card with Dan."
Brooke shrugged. "Fair enough."
"Are you mad at me?"
Brooke shook her head. "No. Of course I'm not. People should be with who they want to be with."
"Exactly, like Nathan and Haley."
Brooke grinned. "Now there is a love story," she grinned. "I mean, how sweet are they?"
Peyton nodded. "Hopefully after this wedding, our dads will finally get it through their heads that me and Nathan aren't meant to be."