Chapter Seven
The lights dimmed in the room, and a projector started up.
"People die from driving under the influence than anything else. We together can put a stop to it."
A mid-aged woman walked up to the podium.
"My twenty-three year old son, died a couple of years ago from a drunk driver," the woman said, before breaking down to tears.
"I will never forgive the person who killed him, who took him from me," she paused to wipe the tears from her face.
"I stand here today, a broken shell of a person I once was, because someone decided to drive drunk, now, I have decided to start a co-foundation with mother's against drunk drivers," the woman said before leaving the podium.
Haley turned to Nathan, to make sure that she was close enough for him to hear her.
"I've got to the restroom," she said, sliding from her chair, and slinking from the room.
She stood in the hallway, and broke down to tears. Why did she agree to go, why did she come here. She couldn't take it anymore, she knew she promised she wouldn't drink but she had to.
She grabbed two glasses of champagne from the table, and headed to the bathroom. She went into a stall, and down both glasses, and needed more, she just needed to feel numb. She just needed to not be there.
She remembered that she always kept a tiny flask in her purse, for special occasions, and this was special enough. She grabbed it, and downed the whiskey she kept in there, in one drink.
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She made her way back to the table, feeling a nice buzz, and sat down.
Nathan looked at her, and could tell she was sliding into drunkenness.
"We need to talk," he said grabbing her hand.
He walked up to the counter of the inn.
"Look, I need an empty room please," he said, credit card in hand.
"How long will," the girl said as she turned around and came face to face with Nathan Scott, "you be staying?" the girl asked, seeing Haley James with him.
"Not longer than an hour, maybe not even fifteen minutes," he said.
"Yeah, okay, that will be five hundred dollars," the girl said.
Nathan handed her the card, and waited while she went through the paying process. He never let go of Haley's hand, knowing she would attempt to get away.
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Nathan made his way to the room, the girl had given him the key to. He went in with Haley dragging behind him.
"Sit down," he said pointing to the bed.
She sat down, as he locked the door.
He grabbed a chair and sat in front of her.
"Haley, I want to help you, I do, but you've got to want me to help you," he said, grabbing her hand for support.
"It's not that easy Nathan, what I did, it's not forgivable," she said, she couldn't look him in the eye.
He put his thumb on her chin, and raised her face to his, he kissed her lips gently.
"I'm here for you, I'm not going to judge what you did, I just need to know what happened, I'm getting you help," he said.
"Okay fine," she said.
He moved just a bit closer and held her hand tight.
"A few months after I got my record deal, my dad had a heart attack. It did some much damage that he had to have a quadruple bi-pass. My mom called me and told me that he really needed me to be there for him. Well we were just about to start our year long tour, so I told her I didn't have the time. A couple of days later he had his surgery, and he died on the table." she paused, as tears streamed down her face.
Nathan moved to the bed and held her tightly in his arms.
"When I found out, Doug let me take sometime off, you know to grieve. Well instead of grieve like normal, I turned to drinking. I was dating this guy at the time, his name was Jake Jagelski. We had been out drinking, although Jake wasn't as drunk as me, I said that I would drive. We had a horrible accident, hit a car head-on. I broke my shoulder, collarbone, my arm, and my leg. I got off easy, Jake died. That's when I hit rock-bottom I haven't been really what you call sober since." she said, tears falling freely.
"Hales, your dad's death, wasn't your fault," Nathan said as he caressed her head.
"But it was, he wanted me there, and I wasn't there," she said.
"He still might have died had you been there," Nathan said.
"I guess we'll never know," Haley said.
"Can I ask who was on the phone last night?" Nathan asked.
"My mom," Haley said.
She could tell from the shocked expression on his face that he wasn't expecting that.
"She hasn't had a meaningful conversation with me since his death," she said.
"She blames you," Nathan said.
"Yeah, it's my fault," Haley said.
"What's your mom's number," Nathan said.
"Why?" Haley asked.
"Cause, we're flying out to see her, and I want to make sure she knows where coming," Nathan said.
"Why?" Haley said.
"Because, I told you, I'm here for you, and I want to help you," Nathan said.
"Why though?" Haley asked.
"Because your better than this, all of this, and I love you too much to let you do this to yourself," he said, without really knowing what he had said.
"Excuse me?" Haley asked, needing to know that she heard him right.
"Your better than this," Nathan said.
"No, after that," Haley said.
"I said I love you," Nathan said.
"You do," Haley asked, her eyes becoming teary again.
"I do," Nathan said, kissing her lips gently.