In this chapter, you will find out a bit about what happened with Chris and Haley. I will go into more detail in later chapters. Enjoy!
**Credits to the writers of Season 1, Episode 8 for some of the dialogue/storylines featured in this chapter!**
Previously in Show Me How To Live…
Nathan wanted to spend more time with Haley, just the two of them, but Haley wasn't so sure about the idea, panicking at the thought of getting close to another man after events from past.
Haley told Brooke about the whole "Nathan" situation, and Brooke tried to convince Haley that Nathan is changing, and that she can't lock her heart away forever. Sometimes, you have to take a chance.
Haley went to The Docks, a fancy restaurant thinking she was meeting Brooke and Peyton for a girls' night. She was shocked to see Nathan show up as she was seated at a table for two.
A confused Haley shook her head, sitting down at the table, trying to figure out what Brooke was up to.
She found out all too soon, though, when a pair of familiar icy blue eyes met hers as he walked up.
"Nathan?' Haley questioned, wanting to strangle Brooke right about now, "What are you doing here?"
"Lucas set up an interview for me with Mouth, I mean, Marvin McFadden. Apparently he works at the news station?" Nathan replied, acting confused himself, "I was supposed to meet him here. I swear Haley, I knew nothing about whatever this is."
"Lucky for you, I unfortunately know exactly who is behind all of this," Haley sighed, looking at Nathan.
"Brooke," they answered in unison, lightly laughing.
Haley said, "I should have known. She's been acting weird the past few days."
"Lucas too," Nathan said, still hovering awkwardly over the table, hands in his pockets, "I'm sorry, I really didn't know she was going to do this."
Just as Nathan said that, the hostess returned, an envelope in her hand.
"Mrs. Scott requested that I leave this with you," she politely said, before handing the envelope to Nathan and walking away.
"Well, I guess we should open it," Nathan finally sighed, taking the seat across the table from Haley, and opening the envelope.
"I know you both probably hate me a little right now, but believe me, you'll definitely thank me for this. Order your favorite dish for the other person. While you wait for the food to arrive, tell three things that you like about each other," Nathan read.
"I don't know about this," Haley stammered, beginning to stand up from the table.
"Look, I'll go first," he rushed, trying to get her to stay, "You are the most patient person I know. You had to be to put up with me every day at the café. And I like that you don't treat me like I'm somebody special. I've been treated that way for so long, I forgot what it was like to just be….me. Look, I know I have no right to ask, but will you stay? Plus, this is Brooke. I mean, you can bet it's not going to be boring."
As Nathan spoke, Haley remained standing next to the table, their eyes locked together, a small smile appearing on her face.
"And I'm free to bail whenever?" Haley prompted, still looking unsure.
"Absolutely," Nathan replied, "Trust me."
"Uh huh," Haley looked around, sighing, before sitting back down, "Okay. What the hell!"
Their waitress came, handing them menus, before leaving to give them a few minutes to think about what they wanted.
"So we're ordering our favorite dish for the other person," Haley smiled.
"Any chance your favorite dish is prime rib?" Nathan asked, matching her smile.
"Oh yeah, because we have a lot of that at my house," Haley replied sarcastically.
"I'm not very experienced with this so…uh…" Nathan began to say nervously.
"Ordering food?" Haley questioned.
"No, I mean, my life has all just been parties and games and drama. I never really did anything like this. This is different," Nathan sincerely answered.
Haley nodded, "Different good? Different weird?"
"No, good," Nathan assured her.
"Okay," Haley shyly smiled, before looking back down at the menu.
Nathan couldn't help but look at her, this beautiful woman who was unlike any other he'd met before, "I'm really glad you decided to stay."
"You know, you never did say the third thing you like about me," Haley pointed out, as they waited for their food.
"You're one of the best moms I've ever met," Nathan said, "Jamie adores you. At camp, you were all he could talk about."
"Oh please," Haley laughed, "At home, you're all he talks about. But thanks. It's been hard, no doubt, but I couldn't imagine my life without him."
Nathan smiled before saying, "Alright, your turn."
"Okay, uh, three things I like about you," Haley began.
"My good looks, of course," Nathan cut in, smirking.
Haley laughed, "I like how great you are with Jamie. You really have become one of his favorite people in such a short amount of time. And I like how I can see that you're changing, and that you're committed to being better. And I guess you're not horrible to look at."
"I thought you'd be into lobster," Nathan stated, as a bowl of macaroni and cheese was placed in front of him.
"Dude, macaroni and cheese is food of the gods," Haley smiled.
Nathan laughed, "Yeah, if the gods are five year olds."
"Well, I do live with one," Haley replied, taking a bite of her prime rib, "Ugh, so good!"
"Haha don't rub it in," Nathan teased, as the waitress came back, handing him another envelope.
"Now that you've warmed up to the idea of this date, it's time to get a bit serious. Reveal a secret that nobody else knows about you," Nathan read.
"Okay," Haley started, "When I was in the second grade, I stole some candy."
"Come on," Nathan laughed, "that's not a secret! Tell me something, for real."
"Alright," she nodded, "When I was 17, I got offered a record deal and a tour with a music label."
"Woah, Haley, that's a big deal," Nathan began, before he did the math in his head and realized, "But you didn't take it, because of Jamie?"
"Touring and raising a baby? I knew that I couldn't do both things halfway, so I had to grow up and make a choice. I put my dreams on hold, so I could raise my son," Haley explained.
"And Jamie's dad?" Nathan asked, before realizing what he'd just asked, "Sorry, that's none of my business."
"No, it's ok," Haley replied, suddenly stammering and feeling slightly nervous. She hadn't spoken to anyone about Chris, and what really happened with him, in five years, "He and I performed together, at Karen's and other venues in nearby towns. They offered the tour to both of us, together. I said no, and he said yes."
"Woah," Nathan blurted, "Haley, I'm sorry that you had to go through that."
"Don't be," Haley nervously chuckled, "We're so much better off without him."
A few moments of silence passed before Haley said, "So, what about you? What's your secret?"
Just as she asked that, a familiar face passed the table, before stopping and walking back over.
"Nate, what are you doing here?" Clay, Nathan's agent asked.
"Well, um," Nathan suddenly got nervous and stammered, "You know that Haley owns the café I've been helping out at, right?"
"Looks more like a date to me," Clay replied, looking concerned. He was not only Nathan's agent, but one of his best friends, and he didn't want anything ending up in the press that could ruin the reputation that he was rebuilding.
"No, Clay, it's definitely not a date," Nathan quickly replied, "Nothing to worry about, I promise."
"There better not be," Clay sternly said, before walking away.
"Hey, sorry about that," Nathan said to Haley, who looked visibly hurt by what she'd just heard.
"Are you really that embarrassed to be seen with me?" Haley asked.
"No, Haley, of course not," Nathan tried to explain, "Clay's my agent. He's just worried about my reputation and the press…"
"Your reputation?" Haley gawked, "Oh, I get it. Being seen with a diner girl isn't as good as being seen with a supermodel. Is that it?"
"No," Nathan pleaded, "Haley please just listen to me."
"You know, for a few hours there I was actually starting to think that you weren't a son of a bitch and you just, God, fooled me again," Haley sighed, standing up, throwing her napkin on the table, before walking out.
"Haley wait!" Nathan called, too late though.
"HE DID WHAT?" Brooke shouted, déjà vu for Haley from her previous conversation with Brooke about Nathan.
Haley had left The Docks and driven straight to Brooke and Lucas'. Jamie and Lucas were both asleep, but Brooke had decided to stay up to see how her handiwork had played out. Haley had told her everything.
"Brooke, I really thought he was different," Haley sighed, a tear running down her cheek, "God, I don't even know why I'm crying. The whole thing is just a stupid mess."
"I'll kill him Haley, I really will," Brooke insisted, "No one will suspect that a pregnant woman did it."
"Thanks Brooke, but I should have seen this coming," Haley replied, "He dates supermodels and actresses. Why would I think he'd really be interested in a single mom who owns a café and has a ton of baggage?"
"Haley, you listen to me," Brooke sat down, taking one of Haley's hands in her own, "Any guy would be lucky to have you and Jamie in their lives. You deserve the best, and you need to follow your heart. From what you said, it sounded like up until he saw his agent, he was being real with you."
"What do you know about that guy, Clay, anyway?" Haley asked, knowing Brooke knew something.
"He and Nate were friends in high school, in Charlotte," Brooke began, "They're really close, but Nathan's made their friendship hard by screwing up so much. Clay is left behind to clean up his messes. I'm sure that that is why Nathan acted the way he did, Hales. He doesn't want Clay to worry."
"I know he's your family Brooke, but you can't keep defending him," Haley sighed, standing up, "That's what everyone's been doing for him his whole life. One day, Nathan Scott is going to have to grow up and realize that he has to fight his own battles. He has to fight for what he wants."
The next morning, Haley was at the café, working. It was good to have Chef Jeff back to work in the kitchen, as well. She'd loved looking at the photos he'd brought of his newborn daughter Clara, oohing and ahhing at the adorable little girl.
But, today, she couldn't ignore the nagging in her head. She'd gotten so used to working with Nathan, that not having him here was strange. The regulars had asked about him, but she'd avoided the questions entirely.
Last night was still a vivid memory in her brain, although she wished she could forget it. She had let her guard down and shared a genuine secret with him, thinking that she could trust him. She still remembered that feeling that she'd had when he'd caught her in the kitchen only weeks ago. That spark, that electricity that she felt whenever he was in close proximity.
She shook her head, returning to work, taking orders and accepting payments.
Things began to slow down, and the café was almost empty, when the familiar door bells chimed as someone walked in. Icy blue eyes met cold brown ones as Nathan nervously entered the café.
Haley stood behind the counter, pretending to be busy doing anything at all, when he approached the counter.
"Haley, can we talk for a minute?" he asked, trying to be quiet.
"Sorry, I'm busy," she quickly replied, not making eye contact with him.
"Like hell you are," Joe Turner, one of the regulars, cut in from his seat at the counter.
"Joe," Haley snapped, looking at him wondering what he was thinking.
"Haley, you've been moping around here all morning and we all know it has something to do with Nathan," Joe said, "So let him say what he has to say. And if you want some privacy, I'm sure Chef Jeff and Adam would love a break. Send 'em out here and we'll all keep them company while you two talk and sort things out."
Feeling the eyes of the remaining customers, all regulars, on her at that moment, she knew it was of no use to fight against them. She sighed, finally making quick eye contact with Nathan before gesturing towards the kitchen doors. Chef Jeff and Adam had heard Joe's comment, and as soon as Haley and Nathan walked in, they walked out.
Haley led Nathan to the stockroom, so they could have a sliver of privacy.
She finally turned to face him as he said, "Look, Haley, I need to apologize."
"You should write your apologies in bulk if you're going to hand them out that often," Haley huffed, her arms crossed in front of her.
Nathan looked upset, saying, "Can we just…I don't know how to do this alright? I'm not like you."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Haley asked defensively.
"I screw up a lot, alright? And being around you has just further proven to me that I don't want to be that guy anymore."
Haley sighed, "Well, who do you want to be, Nathan? Hmmm?"
"I want to be someone who's good enough to be seen with you," he replied quietly, looking down at his feet, showing for a moment, that his macho bravado he usually carried around was an act.
Haley paused for a moment, before speaking, in a louder, more frustrated voice this time, "Well you should've thought of that last night. You know, I keep, I keep putting myself out there, and you keep blowing it, it's probably a good thing because at this point there's nothing you could say or do that's gonna surprise me."
As she had just gotten her last word out, and before she even fully realized what was happening, Nathan leaned in and kissed her quickly.
The responsible voice in Haley's head demanded that she push him away and establish boundaries. But, she thought, how much harm can one kiss do, really? Besides, he was a really good kisser.
Haley spoke up, quietly, after the kiss had been broken, "Except that. You really shouldn't have done that, Nathan."
"I wanted to," Nathan replied glumly, looking down at the floor again, before meeting her gaze once more.
"Yeah," Haley paused, looking at him.
Then, suddenly, without any warning, Haley launched herself at Nathan, their noses bumping before their lips touched. But when the kiss started, it was like dynamite exploding, much more passionate than the first kiss. Nathan pulled her close to him, holding her around her waist.
When they finally broke apart and came up for air, they stayed in their current position, Haley's arms around Nathan's neck, and his hands around her waist, looking into each other's eyes.
Haley was breathing slightly heavily, as she looked at him, "I should, um…get back to work."
"Yeah, you should," Nathan replied, but neither of them moved.
Nathan leaned forward, stealing one more kiss, before Haley laughed, pulling away.
She straightened her shirt and fixed her hair, which had gotten rather tousled in their heated make-out session.
"What time do you get off?" he asked, as they walked towards the kitchen doors.
"We close at 9. You could come help me clean up, if you wanted. For old time's sake?" Haley offered, smiling shyly at him before walking back out into the café.
After Haley had said goodbye to Chef Jeff and Adam, she self-consciously brought her hand to her lips, touching them and remembering her encounter with Nathan earlier that day. She was brought out of her memory by a knock at the door.
She looked up, seeing Nathan standing outside. She hurried over, unlocking the door and letting him in, before locking it again.
"So, it was a slow night, and I already got everything cleaned up, but I thought maybe we could talk," Haley sighed, taking a seat at one of the tables, Nathan sitting down next to her.
"I'm guessing you want to talk about what happened this morning then," Nathan began, looking at her for confirmation. Her being so flustered and her face turning a slight shade of pink gave him his answer.
"Haley, I meant what I said this morning. I like you, and I'd love to get the chance to know you better, and spend more time with you, you and Jamie, if you're okay with that?" Nathan asked, his hand resting on Haley's knee.
Haley moved her hand to rest on top of Nathan's, caressing his hand with her thumb, "Nathan, I like you too. But I have to be careful about all of this. No matter what I feel, I have to think about Jamie first."
"I wouldn't want you to do it any other way," Nathan smiled, "This is the last week of the camp, but if it's okay with you, I'd like to keep working with Jamie a few times a week. He has a real talent and he loves the game. Reminds me of me when I was a kid."
Haley couldn't believe that this was actually happening, "I think that he'd like that."
"I have to warn you, Haley," Nathan said, sounding more serious, moving his hand to intertwine their fingers together, "You know that the press has been all over town since I've gotten here. They're vultures. I think we should be careful and keep things low profile for now. I don't want you and Jamie getting followed and harassed. Once they have you in their sights, they won't stop until they get what they want."
"I understand," Haley replied, "Since we don't even know what this is yet, I just think we should take things slow."
"We can take things as slow as you want to," Nathan assured her.
As Haley returned home that night, she paused in Jamie's doorway, looking in on his sleeping form, wearing his autographed Nathan Scott jersey. She smiled, knowing that he wore the thing every day. She could hardly get it off him to wash it once or twice a week.
Nathan had walked her home, a true gentleman, and even kissed her goodnight at the doorstep. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but she was interested to see where things could go.
Before she went to bed, she sent a quick text, before turning out her light and going to sleep.
Nathan's phone buzzed as he got out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist. He clicked on the message and read:
You still owe me a secret ;) –Haley
Hope you all enjoyed the fifth chapter of Show Me How to Live!
Leave a review with any suggestions, comments, or ideas you want to see in future chapters!