Chapter Eighteen
Nathan sat beside Haley, and remained quiet. The slience wasn't in the form of awkardness, it was just that both had said they're peace and now just wanted to sit sliently in each other presence.
"Look, I think I'm going to catch a flight back to L.A., would you like to fly back with me?" Haley asked, not wanting to push him.
"Nah, and I don't think I can let you get a flight back either," Nathan said, as he figured out she was avoiding the real reason they came to Tree Hill in the first place.
"Look, I know you probably don't want to do that, and I sure as hell don't want to, it's fine really," Haley said, as she started to run her words together out of nervousness.
"No, I think you have to. Hales your great, and you can achive your greatness again, but you have to overcome your past first," Nathan said, as he soothly rubbed her back
"Okay, but your like coming to, right?" Haley asked.
"Of course, I will be there every step of the way," Nathan said with a light smirk.
"Good, cause that woman scares the hell out of me," Haley said, as she shivered from the light wind that had picked up.
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They both decided that it wasn't a good idea to stay at Peyton's. Considering that Haley was counting the different ways she could yell and scream, kick and fight her. Nathan drove to a hotel on the edge of town, and check them both in to ajoining rooms.
"All of our stuff is at Peyton's," Haley said as she made her way up the steps to the room.
"I'll drive back over and get them," he said, as he turned to go back down the steps.
"Hey Nate," Haley called over her shoulder.
"Yeah?" he yelled back.
"Keep those hands to yourself," she said, with a light laugh.
"Can do," he said with a small smirk.
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Haley finally made her way to the door that stood in front of her and sleep. She opened it, and sauntered in. She took of her jacket, and walked over and sat down on the firm matteress. Her thoughts automatically went to Nathan. They were a lot a like, and he had forgiven her with ease for her mistakes. She suddenly felt bad about acting the way she had. Although she didn't cheat on Jake, but she was however beyond drunk when they where driving home.
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Nathan arrived back to the hotel a mere twenty minutes later. One suitcase in hand, and it wasn't his.
"Where is your luggage?" Haley asked.
"Apparently, I'm the reason you no longer like Peyton," he said.
"Let me guess, she burned your shit?" Haley asked.
"Most of it," he said.
"What did she do with the rest?" Haley asked.
"Well apparently, I inrupted her burning ritual, so she chucked the rest of my belongings at me," he said.
"So you didn't grab that stuff why?" she asked.
"Well, I happened to grab your suitcase, and a shirt and a pair of boxers. I didn't grab anything else because Peyton is a crazy bitch, and I was scared she was going to kill me," he said, as he sat Haley's belongings against the wall.
She watched him pull his arm back up, and saw a decent sized gash on his upper forearm.
"Nate, your bleeding," she said.
"Oh, your right," he said, as he went to the bathroom to grab a rag.
"Let me bandage that up," she said, grabbing hold of his arm.
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Nathan woke the next morning to a horrible buzzing noise. Once he came out of his slumber a little he realized it was his alarm clock going off. He reached over and switched it off. He pulled back his covers, and rose slowly from the nice warm comfortable bed. He stood up, and stretched his arms, and yawned loudly. He grabbed the shirt he had laid out and the pants from the night before, and made his way to the bathroom.
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Haley heard Nathan moving about his room, and knew that it was time to get up. She fought it for another five minutes before, she too rose from her bed, and grabbed the clothes she had laid out the night before. She then headed off toward the bathroom.
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Haley emerged from the bathroom, fully refreshed and dress in a not to low cut shirt, and a pair of hip hugging jeans that showed off the shape of her body perfectly. She saw Nathan sitting on the edge of the bed, with another rag on his arm. She had been worried about it the night before, trying to talk him into going to the emerency room, but he wouldn't have any of it.
"Let me see," she said, as she closed the distance between them.
He pulled down the rag, and she let out a sigh. The wound was diffently infected, as it was extremely red, and very swollen.
"Nate, you really need stitches, it's really deep," she said, as she got out another bandage.
"I will go to the doctor after we pay a nice little visit to your mother," he said, as he got up, and let Haley sit down.
"Look my mom can wait, I don't want you getting sick from that. Don't you understand that you can get sick from the infection that is in that wound?" she asked.
"I understand, but I think it will be fine for another couple of hours," he said, as he handed her, her shoes.
"Fine," she said, throwing her hands up in mock defeat.
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The drive to Haley's mother's house was done mostly in slience, except for the few directions she had to give Nathan. They pulled up to her house, which was a small house with an unkept yard. They got out of the car, and walked toward the door. Haley's hand was shaking uncontrollably, so he grabbed hold of it for support. Haley looked at him, as he smiled and winked at her. The door opened to a woman about Haley's height, with Haley's hair color.
"You must be Nathan," she said unwilling to look in Haley's direction.
"That I am, and you must be Mrs. James," Nathan said, holding out his hand.
"Yeah, just come in," the woman said.
Nathan sat down right beside Haley and put his arm around her. She leaned against his chest, unknowing if she could take what she knew her mother would say.
"Look, I'm glad to see that Haley's pulling her life together, but I really don't want her in my house," she said, sitting down in the chair directly in front of them.
"Mrs. James I don't understand how you can say that to Hales. I mean she is the best person I've ever met. I mean yeah she's got her problems and issues, but so does everyone else. I have to tell you, I'm here with her to help her work out her problems," Nathan said, as he gave her knee a light squeeze.
"Mom, I'm sorry, and I know I'm to blame for dad's death, but can't you ever forgive me," Haley asked, with a small tear in her eye.
"Let me see, can I forgive you for taking away the love of my life. No Haley I don't think that I can. I loved your father very much, and I loved you too. I loved my entire family, and yeah your father wasn't exactly willing to allow you to throw your life away, but did that give you any reason to do to him what you did. Your a selfish little bitch you know that, you don't deserve to be forgiven, not ever," she said, refusing to look at her daughter.
Haley couldn't take it anymore, she got up and fled the house, with a river of tears flowing down her face. Nathan jumped up and ran after her, he wasn't going to be the cause of two death's in his life.