Some big things are starting to happen...dun, dun, dun. This chapter is the start to a turning point for Naley, they just doesn't know it yet, hehe. Which explains why this chapter is a little bit shorter than previous ones. It serves as an intro to kind of the second phase of this story. I have been absolutely dying to get to this part of this story because I have so much planned. Some good, some bad...but more good than bad ;)

I know a lot of you have been wondering about/hoping that Nathan has a future with the basketball team. I'm not going to give anything away, but just know that I wouldn't be bringing up Nathan and basketball so much if I didn't have a purpose for it.

Nathan leaned back in the office chair, the hard plastic digging harshly into his back. His legs were crossed at the ankles and his hands were clasped together, resting behind his head. He glanced around the familiar dark blue walls of Principal Turner's office. Not much had changed since the last time Nathan had stepped foot in in that box of a room, not even the feeling of rabid irritation that was currently flowing through his veins. He rolled his eyes when he glanced at the clock. He had been sitting in that stuffy office for almost thirty minutes.

His first two years at Tree Hill High had warranted for quite a few trips to the Principal's office. Teachers would send him as a reprimand for mouthing off or for causing multiple disruptions in single class periods. He would roll his eyes, mumble a few expletive words, and truck his ass down to the office. Principal Turner would give the same speech about how delinquent behavior wasn't tolerated and his parents would be disappointed in him. Every time, Nathan tuned the speeches out. It wasn't some of his proudest moments.

After his parents passed, his trips to the Principal's office became less frequent and the reason for them changed drastically. Principal Turner's once authoritative and demanding talks turned into soft whispers and inspiring quotes. Once a month, like clockwork, Principal Turner would call Nathan into his office to "check on him." Nathan preferred the lectures over those pity formalities any day. He hated pity. People only felt sorry for him because they were relieved they weren't him.

Nathan knew Principal Turner meant well and he hadn't meant to be so bitter about it, but he also couldn't find the means to care to change his attitude.

The sound of the office door creaking open had Nathan tilting his head back. Principal Turner made his way into the office, a welcoming smile on his face. Facing forward, Nathan inwardly cringed as he mentally prepared himself for the looming conversation.

"Sorry about the wait, Mr. Scott. A parent wanted to speak to me," Principal Turner apologized as he smoothed out his gray tie and slid into his desk chair.

Nathan remained silent, except for a small grunt of acknowledgment.

"I'm sure you know exactly why I called you in here," He continued with a small smile, his hands folding together on the polished desk. Nathan swore that Principal Turner only smiled like that around him. "How are you doing, Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged as he rolled out his usual response to that question. "Good."

"I heard that you're dating Haley James," Principal Turner said next, clearly oblivious to Nathan's lack of interest and discomfort in their conversation, as he always was.

Nathan scoffed as he sat forward in the plastic chair. This was definitely a new topic of conversation. "Since when do you pay attention to the love lives of students?"

"I don't," He reassured Nathan, still maintaining that sickeningly sweet smile. "But, that doesn't mean that I don't hear the rumors."

For the most part, Nathan always kept his answers to Principal Turner's inquiries as vague as possible. He felt that same need with his relationship with Haley. Principal Turner was the type of person who acted as if he knew exactly what Nathan was going through. He'd try to relate his personal experiences to Nathan's situation and most of the time, it came off as insensitive. He wasn't in the mood to deal with that.

Clearing his throat, Nathan nodded his head. "We've been together a little over a month."

"She's a remarkable student and an amazing tutor. I think she would be good for you," Principal Turner raved, his eyes widening in appreciation.

"Uh, yeah, she is," Nathan agreed awkwardly. Something about discussing his love life with his principal felt a little…odd.

Principal Turner sighed as he sat back his desk chair, his elbows leaning on the arm rests. Finally, that smile melted off of his face and Nathan felt like he could breathe again. He laced his fingers together and placed them on his lap. "Look, Nathan, I can tell that you're not a fan of these meetings. But, I know that your parents would have wanted me to check in on you every once in a while. You know your dad…"

That was the point in the conversation where Nathan usually tuned Principal Turner out. He'd heard this speech about a million times. It was all about how Dan Scott was such a pioneer when it came to the history of Tree Hill High School. Dan had donated so much of his time and money to the school, something that he had zero obligation to do. While Nathan was proud of his father for that and took pride in the fact he was related to such a man, he was bored of hearing the same old spiel.

Plus, it hurt a lot less to not listen.

"…but, there is another reason why I called you in my office."

Nathan's head shot up when the tone of Principal Turner's voice unexpectedly changed. He sounded more serious, the friendly and light mood completely dissipating from the room. It had been so long since Principal Turner had talked to him in that way. Nathan watched with anxious eyes as he reached into his desk and pulled out a rather thick file.

"I asked your teachers to give me a progress report for the semester. A few of them have expressed concern about your grades. Presently, you aren't failing any of your classes, but a lot is riding on your midterms," Principal Turner explained as he flipped through the contents of the file. "Your teachers have been very graceful about being lenient on you, given everything that you've been through. But, you need to show some initiative and effort, as well."

"What do I need to do?" Nathan asked, straightening his posture. It took Nathan a minute before he realized what he'd said and the shock wasted little time to wash over him. He never cared about school or his grades before. This time, something felt different.

Principal Turner pushed one of the loose pages he was shuffling through towards Nathan. With his index finger, he pointed out what all of the different numbers and symbols meant. "You have to get at least a seventy—seventy five, in some classes—on your midterms in order to pass. If you don't, then you won't be able to graduate come the spring."

The things Nathan felt in that moment were completely foreign to him and completely unprecedented. He found himself…worried. The threat of not graduating felt like a dark and gloomy cloud hanging over him. It wasn't like he suddenly had an intense interest in school, but he didn't not care, either. It seemed to throw him completely off kilter. His future suddenly had meaning to him.

"Since it's the last week before holiday break, most of your teachers will be finishing up any new material for the semester. When we return to school in January, you'll only have a little less than two weeks before midterms. So, I suggest that you spend some time over break studying. Maybe you could ask Haley to help you out," Principal Turner offered up. "Or, if you aren't comfortable with that, the Tutoring Center is full of great tutors. I could set you up with someone."

Nathan swallowed thickly, shaking his head. "No, I, uh, I'll talk to Haley."

~x~

Haley tightened her sweater further around her body as another shiver tore through her. Goosebumps prickled the exposed skin her sweater didn't cover and her teeth were clattering together. She looked over at Brooke and Peyton from across the lunch table, her mouth dropping open in disbelief when they seemed completely unfazed by the weather. They looked relax, lounging in long sleeved t-shirts and thin sweaters.

"How are you guys not freezing?" Haley forced out through her chattering teeth.

Brooke crinkled her nose at Haley's crouched posture and insistent bouncing—her attempt at maintaining at least a little warmth in her body. "Tutor Girl, it's almost sixty-five degrees, that's a lot warmer than it normally is for this time of year."

"Sixty-five degrees is cold!" Haley argued.

"I forgot that you're accustomed to California weather. Isn't it still like ninety in December?" Brooke asked wistfully. "I'd love to spend Christmas tanning on a beach."

"Besides being warm, it's not all what it's cracked up to be," Haley muttered. "Now Christmases in Tennessee? Those are amazing."

"Too southern slash redneck-y for me," Brooke dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Speaking of Christmas, have you decided what you're getting Nathan yet?"

Haley shook her head as she sighed heavily. "I haven't got a single clue."

Haley and Nathan never had an official conversation over if they were exchanging gifts of not, but Lucas had let Haley in on a little secret. Evidently, Nathan had been "bugging the shit" out of Lucas on how to shop for a girlfriend for Christmas. Initially, Haley had found that comical, until she realized that she didn't know how to shop for a boyfriend.

"You could always get him a new leather jacket, because no offense, the one he has now is a little…well worn," Peyton suggested with a curt giggle.

"That's a good idea! It's something he needs and it's safe," Brooke encouraged.

Haley pursed her lips and shrugged her shoulders quickly. "I guess I could get him that. But, I was hoping to get him something…more meaningful."

"Lingerie," Brooke quickly suggested. "No boyfriend would protest that as a gift, trust me."

Haley nervously laughed as she ducked her head, sufficiently hiding the blush that was coloring her cheeks. "Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen either."

"Why not?" Brooke asked with furrowed eyebrows. "Lingerie is the perfect way to spice things up in the bedroom!"

Haley shook her head vigorously, the ends of her hair whipping against her face. "I don't think—"

"Oh. My. God," Brooke suddenly gasped, her mouth falling open and her eyes going wide. "You and Nathan haven't had sex yet!"

Haley cringed at Brooke's loud volume, her cheeks flaming a brighter red. "Would you keep your voice down?"

"Sorry," Brooke mumbled, although in Haley's opinion, she didn't look all that apologetic. "I just can't believe you guys haven't slept together, yet."

"Brooke," Peyton started with a laugh. "Not everyone jumps in bed the first chance they get."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "I know that P. Sawyer, but she and Nathan had this major sexual tension vibe going on between them. They were practically having eye-sex every time they saw each other. I figured they'd jump each other's bones in no time."

"We were not!" Haley loudly denied, embarrassment warring irritation. "How did you even figure out that we haven't…you know?"

"Remember that sixth sense thing I told you about?"

"Oh."

"You know…sex would be a pretty good Christmas gift, too," Brooke giggled.

"Ignore her," Peyton said, knocking her shoulder against Brooke's lightheartedly.

Brooke opened her mouth to respond, but her mouth fell closed when she spotted Julian walking past their table. They locked eyes for a brief moment and Brooke's features turned ice cold. Cutting her eyes away from him, her fingers curled around her water bottle in a tight fist. Her drastic change in mood and the lingering eye contact between the two exes didn't go unnoticed by Brooke's surrounding friends.

"Have you and Julian talked at all since you guys broke up?" Peyton inquired gently.

It was going on three weeks since Brooke's 'friendsgiving' and her subsequent break-up with Julian. Picking a fight with Nathan had been the last straw for her. Additionally, the way Julian had spoken to her and the way he'd roughly put his hands on not only her, but Haley as well, really made her choice to break-up with him a no-brainer. She tried to talk to him after Lucas and Jake had ushered Nathan out of the room, but he wasn't listening.

He was completely blinded with rage over whatever reason he had to hate Nathan. If he wasn't going to tell her anything, she wasn't going to beat it out of him. He was no longer the Julian that she once knew. She wasn't going to sit around and let him take her down with him as he spiraled out of control.

"Not really," Brooke finally answered. "He's called me a few times, but I haven't answered."

Peyton sighed as she tossed an arm around Brooke's shoulders. "You should talk to him, Brooke. I'm sure you guys could work it out. You've been together far too long to just give up like this."

"I don't know," Brooke mumbled sadly. "I still love him and I don't want this to be the end, but he's just not my Julian, anymore. He's so…consumed by this hatred that he has. He was never like this before until…"

Haley swallowed hard when Brooke trailed off. Guilt bubbled up inside of her. "I am so sorry. I feel like this is all my fault."

Brooke was quick to shut down Haley's apologize. "Please stop apologizing, Haley. It's not your fault at all."

"Yeah, but—"

"No, buts," Brooke insisted. "My issues with Julian aren't whatever his issues are with Nathan. My issues are with how he's dealing with it and how he's treating me in the process. If he wasn't being such a Grade A asshole about it all, things would be completely different."

"Okay," Haley conceded, taking a mental note of the sincerity that colored Brooke's words.

"Wow, speak of the devil," Peyton mumbled, nodding her head towards an approaching figure.

Haley whipped around to see Nathan walking towards them. A smile instantly illuminated her face when they locked eyes. He smiled softly back at her, before crouching down and pressing a quick kiss to her lips. Nodding his acknowledgement towards Brooke and Peyton, he slid into the spot next to Haley at the table.

Unlike Brooke and Julian, things had been going exceptionally well between Nathan and Haley. They spent a vast majority of their time together, even stopping by Karen and Keith's house every once in a while. The topic of what happened at Brooke's was one that they readily avoided. It was still in the back of Haley's mind, but she couldn't find the heart to pressure him about it. She trusted Nathan and she believed that when he was ready, he'd let her in. Despite that, she'd never felt closer to him.

"What's on your mind?" Haley questioned, taking notice of how tense Nathan looked. His forehead was creased with worry and his leg hadn't stopped shaking since he'd sat down.

Nathan was about to shake his head and brush off her concern, but he stopped himself. He looked over at her and took a shaky breath. He was surprised at just how nervous he was. He knew there was no reason to be ashamed, but asking for help was never something he liked to do, regardless of the situation.

Now was one of those times where he needed to learn how to swallow his pride.

Clearing his throat, he shifted his body so that he was facing her head on. "Do you, uh, remember what you told me on our first date? How you'd tutor me if I wanted you to?"

Haley nodded her head, her eyebrows furrow. "Yeah, of course. Why?"

Taking one last calming breath, he plowed forward. "I just talked to Principal Turner and in order to graduate, I have to pass all of my midterms with at least a seventy-five. D-Do you think you could help me?"

Haley smiled brightly at him, her nose crinkling in a manner that he could only describe as absolutely adorable. "Of course."

"Are you sure? I know that you already have a full roster of tutors and you have your own classes to worry about."

"I'm positive," She promised. "How about we start tonight?"

"I, uh, I'm doing something with…Lucas, after school. But why don't you come over around 5?"

She nodded. "Sure. Just make sure you have everything that you're going to need help with."

~x~

"It's about damn time your ass decided to show up," Damien goaded as he swung the pool house door open wide enough for Nathan to walk through.

"I had something to do," Nathan mumbled as he reluctantly followed Damien through the beach house.

A month had passed since Nathan first agreed to join Damien again and he still hated every single second that he had to spend in that godforsaken pool house. It made things a little easier now that Jake and Lucas knew the truth. He hated lying to Haley though. So far, he'd done a pretty good job of crafting lies about where he was going…something that he despised himself for. She was putting so much of her trust in him and the last thing he wanted to do was break that trust.

He was going to have to tell her everything, eventually…he knew that. He kept pushing it off and thankfully, Haley hadn't pressed him on the issue since Brooke's dinner. It was always there in the back of his mind, though. Every time he thought about telling her the truth, he became paralyzed with fear. It felt like a large hurtle that he just couldn't find the height or the strength to jump over.

He kept telling himself that he needed to open up to her completely and he knew that he eventually would…he just needed it to be the right time.

The worst part of it all was that Nathan felt as if he'd reached a standstill with Damien. He could tell by shifting eyes and prodding questions every time they "hung out" that Damien still doesn't quite trust him. It's completely aggravating, but precedent. He figured Damien wouldn't have welcome him back with open arms and loose lips. But that didn't mean it didn't get aggravating, especially when Damien had forced him to do countless things that he didn't want to do—drink until he puked, conduct drug deals, etc.

The last breakthrough he had was finding that packaging on the bathroom floor and with every second that ticked by with nothing but silence, was another second he felt himself racing towards insanity.

"Was it with Haley?" Damien inquired, wiggling his eyebrows at Nathan.

"Your obsession with her is getting borderline creepy," Nathan shot back, his jaw clenching. It was getting harder and harder to keep his anger in check, especially with all of the crude comments made about Haley on a daily basis. But, he knew capitalizing on his anger would cause a lot more harm than it would good.

"Dude, I'm just waiting for you to get done with her so I can take my turn," Damien said with a wink. His hand swatted at Nathan's shoulder.

Nathan clenched his jaw, his fists involuntarily tightening. He wanted to spit out "over my dead body", but he held back. "I don't think you're her type."

"If she fell for you, then I'm definitely her type," Damien laughed loudly.

Nathan chose to ignore him. His walking came to a screeching halt when he realized they were standing just outside of Damien's office. His stomach knotted uncomfortably and a thin layer of cold sweat coated the back of his neck. "Why are we here?"

Damien smiled and it was one of those sinister smiles that makes your stomach twist. "Because, my protégé, you have finally earned your privileges back."

Nathan's heart stopped as he watched Damien reach into his pocket to retrieve the office key. He thought to himself that there's no way he could possibly be that lucky, but when Damien swung his office door open and waved him in, he felt like jumping for joy. If Damien was about to do what he thought he was going to do, his previous aggravation would completely disappear.

Walking further into the office, Damien plopped down in his office chair and immediately kicked back, his feet on the table and his hands behind his head. "I gotta say Scott, you've really surprised me."

Nathan hesitantly walks further into the office, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Surprised you?"

Damien nodded. "I always knew the real you was buried somewhere inside of you. I figured I would have to do some major corrupting to bring him out. I didn't think it was going to be so easy."

A sour taste slipped up Nathan's throat. He wasn't sure what scared him more—the fact that his acting was that believable or that maybe Damien was right and the "real" him was threatening to break from the seams.

"With that being said, I think you've managed to prove your loyalty quite well to me," Damien announced, his smile widening. "Back in the day, you used to be the one I could count on when it came to…recreational shipments."

The beating of Nathan's heart was loud in his ears as he fought to curb his anxiousness. "Meaning?"

"Meaning…I want you to be that guy for me again."

Nathan almost swallowed his tongue. Being that guy meant having access to Damien's files…more importantly…the logo. "Really?"

Damien nodded, his eyes cutting to a thick coldness that Nathan couldn't recall ever seeing in him. "But, just know that if you cross me or make me regret this, I swear to you, a little fire at your parents' house will be the least of your worries."

~x~

"So, all you have to do is make sure you solve the logarithm. Once you do that, you just input those numbers into the equation, solve for x, and then you're done. Make sense?"

Silence. Haley quirked an eyebrow. "Nathan?"

He still didn't move. His gaze was fixated on the open math book in front of him, his chin resting on his folded hands. The foot that was dangling off his bed was shaking nervously, rocking the bed slightly with each movement.

Leaning forward, she hovered her lips right over his ear. "Nathan!"

That surely got Nathan's attention as he shot up. Glancing over at Haley, he sheepishly smiled when he saw the amused expression on her face—an eyebrow arched and her lips curled upwards in a smirk.

"I zoned out on you again, didn't I?"

"I'm afraid so."

Nathan rubbed at his eyes as he gave his head a give shake. "I'm sorry, Hales. I just really, really hate math."

"Well, you're going to really hate if you have to take it again because you failed your midterm and next time, I won't help you," Haley pointed out.

Nathan narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you always this mean with your tutees?"

Haley shrugged innocently, smiling softly at the cute pout adorning Nathan's face. "If it's necessary."

Nathan chuckled, before turning serious. "I really am sorry. I asked you to help me and I repay you by zoning out. I'm just so—"

"Stressed?" She filled in for him. When he nodded, she pushed her notebook out of the way and scooted across the bed so she was lying directly next to him. Resting her head against his shoulder, her fingers soothingly ran over the veins in his hands. "You're going to be fine, because I'm going to help you and those midterms don't stand a chance."

Nathan smiled gently at her as he felt his heart swell. He wasn't sure he was ever going to get used to the way she cared for him. And while he was stressed about his grades, he was more stressed about Damien. He finally had his in and the threats that came with that were monstrous. Deciding to push those thoughts of his head, he leaned forward pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"You're amazing, you know that?"

A light pink blush dusted her cheeks. "You keep telling me that and one of these days, my ego is going to explode."

Nathan just shook his head.

"I think I have an idea on how to make you less stressed," She murmured as she pushed herself off the bed and rested back on her knees. "Take your shirt off."

Nathan's head whipped around. His eyes were wide with surprise, but he couldn't fight the smirk from spreading across his face. "Oh, I definitely like where this is going already."

Haley's cheeks flushed further when he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "A massage, you dork."

Nathan laughed as he sat up and pulled his red t-shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. "I figured, I was just messing with you."

The teasing environment melted away as Haley's eyes racked over Nathan's naked chest. She was well aware of how in-shape he was, but it always caused her body to heat up whenever she had the privilege of seeing him shirtless. She felt a brief moment of reprieve when Nathan laid back on the bed, until she realized his back was just as muscular as his chest.

Taking a cleansing breath, Haley straddled his hips.

"I really like where this is going," Nathan murmured huskily.

Haley swatted at his back as she giggled. She could perfectly picture the smirk she knew Nathan was sporting. Once Nathan's laughter had died down, she instructed him to close his eyes and relax. When he seemed relaxed enough, she gently began to knead the flesh of his back. His skin felt hot beneath her finger tips and she smiled when he let out an appreciative groan.

All of the tension in his body seeped away with every rub and squeeze of Haley's hands. All thoughts of Damien and school melted away, leaving Haley as the sole focus of his thoughts. He groaned when her hands pressed against a certain sensitive spot. Her touch was slowly driving him mad. His skin felt like it was blistering as everything seemed to pull inside of him. He wasn't sure what it was- the feel of her hands on his bare skin or the way her thighs were squeezing his hips, but he was quickly becoming aroused. When she leaned forward and pressed a delicate kiss against his shoulder blade, he lost all control.

She gasped when Nathan suddenly turned over, his hands gripping her waist in his hands. The gasp quickly turned into a small moan when she felt the effect her massage had on Nathan pressing against her. She felt her body heat up even further when she noticed the unadulterated lust swimming in his eyes. In one swift movement, he had her on her back and his lips were feverishly moving over his.

Haley was acutely aware of the spiral notebook pressing into her back, reminding her that they needed to be studying. But when Nathan nipped gently at her bottom lip, all thoughts of stopping flew out the window. She moan in protest when he pulled away from her lips, but was quickly rewarded when he kissed the corner of her mouth, across her jaw and down her neck.

A breathy sigh escaped Haley's lips as her nails scraped against the smooth skin of Nathan's back, causing him to buck against her, pushing her further into the mattress. Her hands trailed further up his body until they were buried in his hair, holding him against her neck. She began to rock her hips into his, desperately searching for some kind of friction to quell the raging inferno that was quickly spreading through her body.

Nathan felt like he was going to combust with the way Haley's hips were grinding into his. His groan was muffled by her skin, his lips nipping more forcefully against her neck. His eyes were practically rolling to the back of his head as he tried to maintain some semblance of control. Her fingers alternated between stroking his back and pulling on the strands of his hair, all of which were turning him on even more.

He couldn't get enough of her. The way she tasted of something so sweet and something so innately Haley, the soft sighs leaving her lips, her wandering hands…it was all so damn addicting.

They'd shared quite a few heavy make out sessions before, but something about this one felt different. The intensity in their kisses and touches were fiercer…more desperate. There was a charge in the air and Nathan suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. Kissing Haley and just simply touching her brought him a type of pleasure that felt too good to be real.

Pulling away from her neck, he swallowed thickly when he saw the small blotch of red skin. Haley breathlessly moaned his name, one of her legs curling around his hip and he knew that he had to stop. If he didn't now, he wasn't sure he'd be able to.

"Hales," Nathan groaned, his voice heavy with lust. He squeezed her waist gently. "You've got to stop that, baby."

She was breathing hard as she reached up to palm his cheek, her neck craning to rest her forehead against his. The sound of their harsh breathing swallowed the silence in the room. A shiver ran down her spine as she stared into his darkened eyes. She didn't want to stop. There was a fire licking up her spine and she wanted more. She noticed that his hands had remained on her waist the entire time they were kissing. It both warmed her heart and aggravated her because she needed more.

"Touch me, Nathan."

Nathan heart started hammering in his chest. "I'm already touching you," He teased, more for himself than her.

Haley gently wrapped her fingers around his wrist and tugged his hand upwards. His mouth felt as dry as sandpaper when she placed his hand over her breast. Covering his fingers with her own, she showed him exactly how she wanted him to touch her.

Swallowing hard, he looked up at her with questioning eyes, confusion warring with arousal. His throat closed up when he took in her appearance—kiss swollen lips, flushed cheeks, and eyes dancing with lust. She was so goddamn beautiful and he knew he could never tell her no, even if he wanted to.

"H-Hales, are you sure?"

Haley's heart gave a slow thump at his obvious concern. This whole situation scared her to death, but she didn't want to think, she just wanted to feel. It felt right and she didn't want to question that.

"Just keep touching me, please," She breathed out.

Not needing to be told twice, he dove in to kiss her again as his hand continued to gently squeeze and caress her t-shirt clad chest. She moaned into his mouth when he gently pinched at her nipple, her foot stroking the back of his jean covered leg. She broke the kiss moments later, her head titling back and burrowing further into the pillows.

"I need more," She desperately gasped. Later, she would probably be embarrassed by her needy whine, but right now, she didn't care. Heat pulled in the pit of her stomach as she squirmed against him. It all felt like too much, yet not enough at the same time. She felt like she could combust just from his hands on her breasts and his mouth of her neck, but it still just wasn't enough. It had to be a sin to be feeling as good as she was.

He was painfully hard at this point, but at that moment, that was the least of his concerns. Watching Haley wither in pleasure and beg for more was more than enough for him, and we wanted to do anything he could to keep that look of pure ecstasy on her face.

"I want to try something," He said thickly. "Do you trust me?"

With her eyes hooded and her bottom lip secured between her teeth, she nodded her head.

Keeping his eyes trained on her face, he slowly moved his hand down her body. He caressed the soft and smooth skin of her exposed stomach from where her shirt hard ridden up. When he reached the button of her jeans, he paused. His heart was pounding in his chest as he waited for the "okay" from Haley.

Haley's heart was in her throat. The butterflies in her stomach threatened to eat her alive. She knew they were about to take a giant step forward in their relationship and it terrified her beyond believe. But it was a toe-curling and adrenaline pumping kind of fear.

Scraping her teeth against her bottom lip, she gave him the go ahead.

"Tell me if you want to stop," Nathan mumbled lowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

His heart skipped a beat as he fumbled to undo her jeans and pull the zipper down. Slowly, he slid his hand underneath the hem of her jeans and his eyes nearly crossed when he felt the heat emanating from her. Her eyes fell closed and a breathy moan fell from her lips as he gently stroked her through her underwear.

"N-Nathan, please," She begged, her hands gripping his comforter tightly. His slow pace was driving her wild.

Smirking, he increased the pressure and speed of his movements. He nearly groaned when Haley's back arched off the bed, her hips undulating against his hand.

"How does that feel?" He asked her gruffly.

"So…so good…f-faster, please," She babbled. Her whole body felt like a coiled spring just waiting to snap. Her toes curled into the bed when he began to stroke her faster. She was a hundred percent convinced that it was a sin to feel as good was she was feeling. She grabbed his wrist, her finger nails digging into his skin. "Oh, God, Nathan."

He couldn't look away. He knew she was close and when he began to suck on the sensitive spot right under her ear, she snapped. He nearly let go with the way his name dripped off his lips in breathy moans. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her face was flushed beautifully.

Quickly, she yanked his hand away from her, her body buzzing sensitively. It took her several moments to calm her breathing, before she was able to open her eyes. She smiled lazily at Nathan who had yet to take his eyes off of her.

"How do you feel?"

"Amazing," She gushed.

"If that's how all of our tutoring sessions are going to go, I'll definitely pass all of my midterms with flying colors."

Haley gasped, giving him a playful shove and Nathan fell to the bed, laughing.

~x~

Haley smiled blissfully as she entered the front door of her house. Her body was still tingling with pleasure and she physically felt like she was floating. A small part of her felt embarrassed for being as girly as she was about what had transpired between her and Nathan a couple of hours ago. She felt like a cliché teenager girl stuck in one of those ridiculously cheesy and cliché romantic novels.

But, God, how could she not?

The way Nathan had touched her…the way he kissed her…the way he looked at her—she was done for. She always imagined herself being a fumbling and nervous mess when she first progressed in her relationship with a guy, and while she was incredibly nervous, something about Nathan's attentiveness soothed her fears. He was so gentle with her and never once pushed for more than she was willing to give.

She never knew something could feel so sinfully good and her cheeks heated up as the moment replayed in her head. Haley couldn't believe how daring she had been—telling him exactly what she wanted and not being embarrassed to do so. Something about that moment just felt right. It was terrifying yet absolutely exhilarating at the same time.

Keeping the same enamored smile on her face, she walked further into the kitchen. Haphazardly, she tossed her book bag on one of the kitchen chairs. The TV in the living room casted a blue glow across the entire kitchen, but she didn't see her mom occupying the couch like she usually did.

"Mom?" Haley called out, her eyebrows furrowing. Walking further into the room, her heart started to hammer in her chest when she noticed the glass of wine tipped over on the cherry wood coffee table. The red liquid was a puddle on the table, a few drops slipping from the edge. Her heart completely stopped when she saw the tips of her mother's fingers peeking out from the side of the couch.

With an uneasy stomach and heavy breathing, Haley darted around the couch and fell to knees in front of her mom. The once polished woman was sprawled out on the ground, a bottle of pills loosely gripped in her left hand. The cap to the bottle was gone and a few white pills scattered the carpet. It was in that moment that she felt her world stop turning.

"Mom! Oh, God. Can you hear me? Mom!" Her pleas were desperate as she shook her the woman lying next to her. When she received no response, fear and panic completely devoured her.

Everything around Haley became blurry as her body moved on autopilot. Her ears were filled with white noise. The only sound she could clear hear was the rapid beating of her head and her heavy gasps for air. The sheer adrenaline coursing through her veins allowed her to scramble for the telephone, her trembling fingers fighting to dial 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"