Chapter Eleven

Nathan awoke suddenly in a heap of sweat. He was having a hard time catching his breath, it felt as if someone had knocked the wind out of him. He sat, unmoving on the end of the couch, his thoughts automatically went back to that night.

He sat there in his car for a moment, before he realized the reality of the situation. He opened his car door, and took slow steps toward the wreckage. After a couple of steps, he opened his cell, he had grabbed before leaving the house, and dialed 911. He told them of the situation of the wreckage, and said that he was going to check to see if anyone was alive. He got to the first car, although his heart was more into going to Brooke's to get her out, and hold her close, but he couldn't. He saw that a passenger in the other car was slightly moving.

He got to the door, and saw that the driver, was unconscious, and barely breathing. He tried to get the door opened, but it wouldn't budge. He pulled and pulled, but it was jammed from the impact. He couldn't get to the passenger side, because of Brooke's car, so he went to the back, and tried that one. He tugged three or four times before finally giving up.

He saw a small piece of metal sitting on the ground, he assumed from the wreckage in front of him. He grabbed it, and hit the rear window, until it busted, and he was able to fully see into the car. He heard a groan from inside the car, and knew that there was someone other than the driver in the car. He slide half of his body into the car, and saw a small boy laying in the floorboard of the backseat.

"Are you alright," Nathan called.

"Help mommy," the boy called.

"Don't worry, I'll get your mom, but let me get you out first," Nathan said.

Nathan threw in another third of his body, so that he could reach the boy better.

"Can you grab my hand," Nathan asked the boy.

He didn't answer, instead, he reached up his hand, and locked it with Nathan's. Nathan pulled hard, but tried to not hurt the boy worst than he already was. The boy cried out in pain, as Nathan pulled him from the car. He got him away from the car, and went back to get the boy's mother out. He knew he wouldn't be able to go through the window to get her. He went back to the driver side door, and began to pull on it, determination written a crossed his face. He paused when he heard sirens coming, he knew that they couldn't be farther than a mile away. He decided that he was no help to the woman in the car, no until the ambulance and fire truck got there. The only way they were going to get her out was to cut the door off.

He went around to the other side, and laid down on the ground to look into Brooke's car. He knew instantly that she was dead. There was no way any human could be laying in the position that Brooke was laying in, and live to tell about it. He couldn't just leave her there though, he had to at least, try to see if she could possibly be alive.

He got up, and grabbed the piece of metal again, and smashed the back window, and slide in just enough to reach Brooke's head. He put his fingers to her neck, to check for a pulse any sign that she was alive. Nothing, no heart beat, she wasn't breathing. She was gone, and it was all his fault.

He heard the sirens getting closer, so he got up, to meet them. He stood beside the boy, to make sure they didn't hit him. The first on the scene was an ambulance, two young men, not to much older than Nathan.

"We got a call about," the man started but stopped as soon as he gazed upon the wreckage.

"Oh my god," the other said, walking toward them.

"Yeah, um, I pulled this little boy out, he was conscious but he seems to have lost it now," Nathan said.

"Is there anyone else alive in there," the first one asked.

"The mother was alive, but I haven't been able to get her out, the door is jammed," Nathan said.

"What about in the other car?" the other one asked.

"No, she didn't make it," Nathan said, as a single tear slid down his cheek.

He turned toward the wreckage, just hoping neither one saw the tears as they became more apparent. He pulled himself together, enough to talk to the two gentlemen again.

"I busted out this back window, if there were someone to help pull me out, I could go in and get the woman," Nathan said.

"Okay, I'll get rope," the first one said.

"I'll check on the boy," the other said.

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Nathan pulled himself out of his nightmare, when he heard someone descending the stairs. He turned around to be face to face with Haley.

"Hey, why are you up?" she asked, not seeing the tears in his eyes, yet.

"Couldn't sleep," Nathan said, hoping she wouldn't come closer.

"Nate, are you crying?" she asked.

"Umm, kind of," he said, knowing he couldn't lie.

"Are you okay, are you feeling okay?" Haley asked, as she sat down next to him.

"I'm fine really, just a too real nightmare, you know," Nathan said.

"Yeah, I'm here for you, if you wanna talk about it," Haley said, rubbing her hand on his.

He grabbed her hand, and looked into her deep hazel eyes. He never noticed how beautiful her eyes were before.

"You know, I love you Haley James," he said, meaning it with all of his heart.

"I love you too, Nathan Scott," she said, laying her head down on his shoulder.

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Up on the stairs, Peyton watched them.

How can she love him, she hasn't been with him for too long. She doesn't even know him, she doesn't know what he did. If she knew him, for the selfish pig of man that he was, she damn sure wouldn't love him anymore.

"I've got to tell her," Peyton said, lightly to herself, as she turned and went back upstairs.