Hey, guys, I'm back with another chapter. You can all do a little happy dance now. You have my permission. :) Just kidding. Well, I'm a little bit happier with this chapter than the past few. It's written in both Nathan's and Haley's points of view and I hope you all will enjoy it. Here is a shout out for everyone who reviewed for the last chapter:
glassy waltz: Well, I'm glad you decided to give my story a shot and that you liked it so much. I guess it was just fate that you were so bored that day. :) Yeah, I know it doesn't sound that great from the first chapter, but what can you do? I had stuff to explain. Aww... you have no idea how happy your comment about quoting my story to a friend made me. My story is now a bonafide topic of conversation. Who woulda thunk it? lol. Yeah, I liked writing Haley's grandmother cause let's face it, we all have that one nut in our family, don't we? I know I do. Haha, well I'm glad you're all for the bitchiness and cockiness because I can tell you that there's a definitely a lot more of that coming up. And yes, I do have a lot of plans for this story. I think it's safe to say it will not end at all quickly. :) Thank you so much for leaving such an amazing review.
OTHbabe23: Yay! Another new reader. I'm always up for one of those. Wow, I didn't mean that quite as dirty as it sounded. lol. I just meant love getting new perspectives on my story. :) So thanks for putting your two cents in. I'm glad you liked her kneeing him in the balls, I thought it was a nice little show of aggression from Haley James. You know, just in case no one got that she wasn't as pure and innocent as she was in the show. Well, I hope I don't disappoint with the naley action and with Nathan's point of view. And I'm so glad you found my story. :)
luvhotshot23: Hey, thanks so much for reviewing! I love hearing people's thoughts on my story, especially when they're as nice as yours. :) Hehe, I'm glad you're liking bitchy Haley. I think writing her inspired me to find my true inner bitch. Which, even though it doesn't sound like it, can be a good thing sometimes. lol. Thanks for the good comment about keeping it light and funny. Personally, I'm more for that than angst, but I guess it will have to get serious at some point. But at least it's not for now, right? Anyway, thanks again for your comments.
HJS-NS-23: Hey, girl! Thanks for faithfully reviewing for my stories. It's nice to have such a loyal reader. :) Yes, tough Haley is a blast to write, so I'm glad you're enjoying reading her. Haha, and I'm so glad you're liking the Tim stuff. I love putting Tim into stories and I decided to make him kind of comic relief in this one. Not that there's any reason for it yet, but he's fun to write just the same. :) And I'm also happy that you're looking forward to Nathan's point of view. I knew it was a risk to suddenly bring in his POV, but it helps to know you support it. :) Thanks for always being so great.
naley23brucas03: Wow, I have to say that your review put a huge smile on my face. I'm so glad that you love the story and thank you so much for saying you think it's amazing. That's one of the sweetest compliments you could give me. :) Well, have no fear, I fully intend on finishing this story. Although it probably will be a lot longer, so the end is kind of the distant future. But you don't mind, right? lol. Thanks for leaving awesome feedback!
Chapter 5:
Haley's POV
He pisses me off like no one else does. How can one person cause me to harbor such hatred, such animosity? I mean, I've always been a bitch, but it's never come so naturally. Nathan's not like anyone else I've ever met. He brings out the worst in me. And yet, at the same time, I find myself, in some weird, cosmic way, attracted to him. I don't know how to explain it. I can't explain it. It's just there.
We've only just left Alabama thirty minutes ago and already, we're not speaking to each other. This has got to be the longest ride I've ever been on. And I'm not even driving. He is. I turn to look at him just as he's glancing at me. I smirk. "Staring at me again?"
He scoffs. "No, why would I be looking at you? Nothing to see."
My mouth hangs open in shock. He did not just say that to me. "Well excuse me Mr. 'What? It was a good view.' You didn't seem to have any problem admitting your leering to me earlier."
He rolls his eyes. "Please, I was just screwing with your head."
"Or maybe you were just thinking about screwing me," I shoot back, beyond pissed now. Does he not know anything about girls? Even if you think they're ugly as hell, you tell them they're beautiful. It's just the way it goes.
He shrugs. "Whatever you need to believe."
"Asshole," I mutter under my breath, being as quiet as I possibly can in hopes that he can't make out what I'm saying. But, as always, my plan backfires. I see his jaw clench and he swerves to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding a car driving in the opposite direction.
Damn, guess he heard me. But I have more important things to concentrate on right now. Like giving Nathan a piece of my mind. We both get out of the car, standing on opposite sides. "Nathan!" I scream. "What the hell was that?! You could've killed us!"
He runs a hand through his hair, clearly as frustrated as I am. "Yeah, well, I didn't, now did I?"
I groan. "Damn it! Why do you have to be such a jackass?! If you weren't, we could probably be almost to Tree Hill in the time it's taken us to get here."
His eyes are dark now, churning with fury. Then, he blows up. "Yeah, well if you weren't such a bitch and if you didn't have to go steal my car, maybe we'd be a lot farther along!"
I scream at the top of my lungs. "Oh, so now it's my fault?! If you hadn't gone all 'I'm Nathan Scott Mr. Hot Shot, I can get any girl I want' on me and started harassing that girl back there, maybe I wouldn't have been forced to steal your car! Ever think of that?!"
He smirks. "What? Are you jealous?"
I scream yet again. "You are so infuriating. Not to mention insane. Why would I be jealous of some blonde whore with a totally screwy dye job? I was getting impatient waiting for you to get your ass back out to the car. So I decided to teach you a lesson."
Now, he's standing in front of me. Apparently, I wasn't paying him much attention because he's somehow managed to slip around the car and is about five inches away. And he smirks. Just like he always does. 'Screw you,' I think.
He raises a brow at me. "Damn it! I said that out loud, didn't I?" My eyes squeeze shut, praying to hear a resounding no. But, as always, that doesn't happen.
Rather than answering my question, he chooses to respond, quite cockily I might add, to the statement he wasn't meant to hear. "You only wish you could."
Again, my jaw threatens to hang open, aghast, at the audacity of his words. "I can't deal with your crap right now!" I exclaim, turning abruptly back to the car, deciding that the best way to deal with him is to ignore him entirely.
Grabbing my shoulder and clenching it, he spins me back to face him. "You're not getting out of this one that easily, James. You want me. We both know you do."
I scoff. "Please, you're not exactly my type."
He takes a step closer and I, in true cowardly fashion, take a step back. And he smirks. Should've seen that one coming. Then, his mouth twists into a sort of half smile while somehow still smirking. And it's damn sexy. Focus, Haley! Focus. Crap, he's saying something now. "Wait, mind repeating that?" I ask and the ever present smirk appears for the second time in the past 10 seconds. I swear, the boy couldn't go a day without smirking if you threatened to kick his ass for it. Oh wait, I already did that. Then, I smirk. Props for Haley.
He raises his brows at me. Damn it! I wasn't listening again. "Uh, sorry, I missed that," I mutter, slightly embarrassed. And predictably, he smirks. Cocky, arrogant bastard. Probably thinks I was thinking about him. Well, you're wrong, asshole! OK, so maybe he's right, but he doesn't have to know that.
"I said," he reiterates, very slowly, clearly mocking me, "And what would your type happen to be?"
I raise a brow in amusement. "Certainly not self-centered asshole jocks who think with their dicks. You're such a—."
And then, he's a little too close for comfort and suddenly, his lips are on mine, cutting off another of my all too frequent rants. Obviously, he doesn't understand the sheer importance of allowing me to finish said rants, thereby releasing all of my anger verbally rather than killing him. But these thoughts are lost as the matter of Nathan Scott kissing me takes precedent in my mind.
Shit! He's kissing me. And I'm kissing him back. This is just great. Not only have I managed to make myself hate someone I've just met and barely know (usually, it takes a good 24 hours at least), but I've managed to let him seduce me. Well, sort of. And I know I should just push him away, maybe knee him in the balls again, do something. But he's a damn good kisser.
His lips caress mine gently at first, then roughly, as all our anger and frustration explodes. His tongue finds mine and they dance together as we press closer to each other. His hands move to my waist, drawing me ever closer as I fight to gain control of myself. But I'm too far gone; lost in him as my arms snake around his neck to hold him securely to me.
For awhile, we don't break apart, not even to take a breath. And it's amazing… until he smirks against my mouth. And he's just ruined it. I push him away as hard as I can and he stumbles backward, falling against the car.
He winces as his back collides with the unyielding metal. Ha! He deserved it. It would've been so much more classic if he'd fallen on his ass. Stupid monstrous, hideous piece of metal just had to stand in the way. I always did hate it. I mean, who drives… things like that?! Wait, I think we've been over this before. Ah yes, only you know celebrities, famous people, everyone who matters. But since it belongs to him, I am forced to hate it with a passion! Yes, all my problems should be blamed on the piece of shit Nathan is now leaning against.
"Damn, girl," he's rubbing his back now. "You sure do have a lot of strength for such a petite body."
"What the hell was that?!" I scream at him. Sometimes, it seems like that's all I do around him. Scream, cuss, yell, get angry and upset. But the guy needs to be taken down a notch. And if no one else will do it, I'm more than happy to.
He just gives me this infuriating look; one that says I'm being childish, the one that says, 'Don't deny it, Haley. You know you liked it.' Damn him and his stupid mind reading skills. I mean, I can't be that easy to read. Then again, he can't possibly be that intuitive. Anyway, back to our very important conversation. "Well?…" I prompt angrily, tapping my foot impatiently.
And there comes that smirk I know all too well by now. "Come on, Haley. Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
"You're such an arrogant bastard!" I exclaim.
He steps toward me again. "It didn't bother you, did it?" he breathes into my ear, teasing the skin there with his lips. My breath catches in my throat. I pray he didn't hear it as my eyes close in embarrassment. When I open them, he's staring at me, amused. Damn. He heard. I shove him away, but he only closes the distance between us quickly again.
"What the hell?! You need to keep at least ten feet between us at all times," I stammer nervously.
He moves even closer and my heart rate increases noticeably. Stupid damn hormones. "Why? Afraid you'll give in?"
Damn it! Guess I don't hide it as well as I'd originally thought. Or maybe he's just screwing with me. Yeah, that's the only possible explanation. "Give in to what? You? That's a joke if I ever heard one," I mumble sarcastically, hoping I can get us out of this compromising and, though I wish it weren't, dangerously intoxicating, position. Wait, no, I am not attracted to him. I refuse to be. But somehow, I don't think that's helping my current situation much.
I quickly take a few steps back, just out of his reach and clear my throat. "Maybe we should, um get back on the road again."
And for a moment, I think I see a hint of frustration, and maybe a little disappointment, flash through his eyes. But it's gone before I really get the chance to classify it as he turns back to the car. Somehow, knowing he has emotions and that, like the rest of us, they sometimes take over, is the biggest turn on. And I simply can't resist, so I spin him around and jump back into his arms, setting my lips back on his.
He seems surprised, but quickly regains composure and responds forcefully, smirking as always. Yet, this time, I don't break away because, for reasons I'll never understand, it only makes him sexier.
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Nathan's POV
You know, when I first went to pick this girl up, I found all her little comments so amusing. Then, they just got hell of annoying when she turned into a bitch.
Of course there's no denying the physical attraction. The girl is damn hot! And she doesn't know it either. It amazes me that someone with her… shall we say assets… is so degrading toward herself. She's petite, but with curves in all the right places. Yet she doesn't see it.
From the moment our eyes locked and she uttered her famous 'Who the hell are you?', I knew I'd found my match. I mean, come on, I am Nathan Scott, one of the finest looking male specimens you will ever meet. No girl had ever been so shockingly rude to me before.
Haley James certainly is one of a kind. Even when she's yelling at me, she manages to make it seem so sexy. I can't help but want her. What guy wouldn't? Hell, what girl wouldn't?
I have to tell you, when she kneed me in the balls, I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. It hurt like hell and suddenly, I wasn't thinking about her anymore. I was focusing on the searing pain. In fact, that pain has only dwindled a little by now, leaving me with this ache that I can't seem to get rid of. Maybe Haley could fix it for me.
But somehow, I get the impression she isn't up for that as I glance at her, trying not to be too obvious (she can't know I'm interested, right?). And after staring stonily ahead for the past 30 minutes, she chooses this exact moment to look my way. And she smirks. Damn, am I that annoying when I do that? "Staring at me again?" she questions, a hint of smug satisfaction in her voice.
Shit! She caught me. I scoff. "No, why would I be looking at you? Nothing to see." Ohhh, that's a low blow. Especially for a girl. And apparently, she realizes that as her jaw drops and eyebrows furrow in outraged indignation.
Always one who was quick with the witty remarks, she fires back with a, "Well excuse me Mr. 'What? It was a good view.' You didn't seem to have any problem admitting your leering to me earlier."
Damn it! Why does it seem like for every insult I shoot at her, she has two more ready? It's annoying as hell. And it's slowly wearing me down. But ever the calm one, never allowing her to see my temper as it flares, I respond with a cool, "Please, I was just screwing with your head."
She rolls her eyes, something I used to find completely irritating, but which has become sort of a turn on through the course of our little road trip. Never missing a beat, she quips back, "Or may you were just thinking about screwing me." Well damn it if that's not the truth. But I definitely won't be telling her that.
I shrug and retort with a nonchalant, "Whatever you need to believe." And I can tell I've gotten under her skin. She's filled with loathing for me now. But she's filled with something else too. Something every girl feels for me: want.
She turns away from me and I smirk. Another point for Nathan. Until I hear her say under her breath. "Asshole." And then she's stepping way over her bounds. This girl picked the wrong day to screw with me. She's a damn nuisance if I ever met one and I refuse to let her keep insulting me. Suddenly, she's gone from hot and sexy to an ugly witch.
So, acting almost as a reflex, I swerve the car to the side of the road, narrowly avoiding a collision with an oncoming car. But I barely notice, my fury clouding my sight. I'm practically seeing red by this time. That girl needs to pop a fucking Midol or something or one of us is going to end up dead on the side of the road. And it sure as hell isn't going to be me!
In seconds, we're both standing outside, on opposite sides of the car. Then, she lights into me. "Nathan!" She screeches. "What the hell was that?! You could've killed us!"
I run a hand through my hair, beyond pissed by now, but somehow managing to keep my voice level as I grind out, "Yeah, well, I didn't, now did I?"
She groans, clearly just as angry with me as I am with her. "Damn it! Why do you have to be such a jackass?! If you weren't, we could probably be almost to Tree Hill in the time it's taken us to get here."
Then, I snap. Who does this whore think she is?! All I did was come to pick her up from some town in Alabama to escort her to North Carolina and she turned all psycho bitch on me. I swear, she's friggin bipolar. Unable to contain my rage any longer, I blow up at her. "Yeah, well if you weren't such a bitch and if you didn't have to go steal my car, maybe we'd be a lot farther along."
And suddenly, with no warning whatsoever, she's shouting again. Damn! That girl has got herself a pair of powerful lungs. Who knew someone so small could be so loud? "Oh, so now it's my fault?! If you hadn't gone all 'I'm Nathan Scott Mr. Hot Shot, I can get any girl I want' on me and started harassing that girl back there, maybe I wouldn't have been forced to steal your car! Ever think of that?!"
Wait a minute, maybe I do know where this is coming from. Of course! How could I not have seen it before? I smirk my famous Scott smirk. "What? Are you jealous?"
Apparently, my little theory is incorrect. How do I reach this conclusion? Simple. She begins yelling again. "You are so infuriating. Not to mention insane. Why would I be jealous of some blonde whore with a totally screwy dye job? I was getting impatient waiting for you to get your ass back out to the car. So I decided to teach you a lesson."
While she's screaming at me, I slip around to her side of the car so that when she's done yelling, I'm standing about a yard away and I can smell her intoxicating scent. It's a combination of strawberries and vanilla and it's driving me wild.
Then, as always, she has to go ruin our little moment as she says, "Screw you." I raise a brow at her and her eyes close as she frowns. "Damn it! I said that out loud, didn't I?" This is quite amusing.
Somehow, I don't think I was supposed to hear that. But I just can't help calling her on it. "You only wish you could."
And just as before, her mouth hangs open in shock, but I can't help being cockily overconfident. I have everything in the world to be overly confident about and then some. "I can't deal with your crap right now!" she exclaims, turning back to the car and looking as though she's about to climb back in.
Something tells me I shouldn't let her dismiss this quite so easily. Something tells me I don't want to. Just seeing her get all worked up is enough to make any guy want her. So, I decide to enrage her further. "You're not getting out of this one that easily, James. You know you want me."
It's her turn to scoff now. "Please, you're not exactly my type."
It takes all I have not to hit her right then and there. But that would just be impolite. And Nathan Scott doesn't do impolite. Conceited, arrogant, ass, cocky prick, bastard jock, spawn of satan, yes; but impolite? Never. 'You're not my type.' What the hell is she talking about?! I'm everyone's type. I could turn a gay girl straight; even a straight guy gay. Might sound cocky to you; to me, it's the truth.
I step closer to her and she steps back. I smirk; guess she's not quite as confident as she'd like me to think. We can work with that. It always makes it easier to manipulate a person. "Well, what is your type?" I ask, smirk never fading, instead turning into a sort of half smile, half smirk; something women all over the country have been known to swoon over. Cocky? Yes. Truth? Definitely.
"Wait, mind repeating that?" she asks, almost nervously it seems. Then, I realize, she was totally checking me out. I knew she couldn't resist!
"I asked you what your type was," I say. But again, she doesn't answer. And I realize she's still not paying attention. Well, screw her.
"Uh, sorry, I missed that," she admits begrudgingly. And I smirk yet again. She was definitely checking me out that time.
"I said," I repeat very slowly, mocking her with no shame, "And what would your type happen to be?"
Her eyes light up with the look that says I set myself up. Damn it! Why do I always seem to do that around her? Apparently, she has another little sarcastically sassy remark to throw at me. "Certainly not self-centered asshole jocks who think with their dicks. You're such a—
I cut her off, not able to stand it anymore. She's just so damn hot when she yells at me like that. So, I lean forward and I kiss her. Damn, this girl doesn't know what she's doing to me. I'm surprised when she reciprocates, having thought she'd immediately kick my ass. But then, I recover. Of course she's returning my kiss. I'm Nathan fucking Scott, remember?
I kiss her gently at first, not wanting to push my luck. But then all our frustration explodes and together, we deepen it. My tongue finds hers as my hands move to grip her waist, tiny in my hands. And it's a perfect fit. I feel her arms around my neck, fighting to bring me closer. Normally, such desperate actions would've tipped me off that a girl was easy and that would have disgusted me. But having Haley do it gives it a whole new meaning.
It feels so right to be kissing her. Tim would be jealous. Now, there's a funny thought. It's actually kind of creepy. Wait'll I tell him I was making out with his hot cousin. He's gonna beg me for every dirty detail. I can't help smirking at the thought. And that's when I realize, I've made a horrible mistake. Because suddenly, I find myself propelled backward against the hard metal of my car.
She shoved me! The nerve of this girl. I'll kill her. She thinks she can get away with this?! I wince and rub my back where it hit the car. That's gonna leave a mark. "Damn, girl. You sure do have a lot of strength for such a petite body."
Most of her time is spent cussing me out. And it's as if she can read my mind because suddenly, she's screaming again. "What the hell was that?!" Apparently, she's not too happy. Shit. I've infuriated her again. But something tells me she wanted that just as much as I did. I can see the lust burning in her eyes; the vulnerability and I think, hell I know, she wouldn't have pulled away for anything if I hadn't slipped up and smirked.
So, I decide not to let her bluff her way out of this one. Or if she does manage to, I'll sure as hell have fun dangling her on a hook. She's tapping her foot and the irritating noise annoys me to no end. "Well…?" she prompts.
"Come on, Haley. Was it as good for you as it was for me?" And there it is. One of many famous Scott phrases. Any normal girl would've taken the bait in a heartbeat. But we must remember, Haley James is no ordinary girl.
"You're such an arrogant bastard!" she shouts at me, glaring into my eyes accusingly, as though that will make me really listen to her; to feel some remorse for how much of an ass I'm being. It doesn't.
I step even closer to her and breathe into her ear, lightly running my lips over the skin there. "It didn't bother you, did it?" I distinctly hear her breath catch in her throat. She closes her eyes, ashamed, as I stare down at her in amusement. I find this highly entertaining. She opens her eyes to find me directly in her line of vision and it appears to make her flustered. She shoves me away, but I only move back to my previous position just in front of her.
"What the hell?! You need to keep at least ten feet between us at all times," she stutters out, but I can tell she's starting to crack. Good. Because I don't know how much more of this I can take. This… um… arguing I mean. It's really starting to exhaust me. I was absolutely not referring to how much I wish her lips were back on mine at this moment; how much I wish she was back in my arms. Because that would be admitting that I'm really attracted to her. And I'm not quite prepared to do that just yet.
So, I cover it up with my usual cocky facade, murmuring. "Why? Afraid you'll give in?"
It seems she's at a loss for words, eyes darting back and forth between me and the ground. Then she regains her composure, much to my displeasure. She's kind of cute when she's flustered. Or, so Tim would say. Yeah, just giving Tim's opinion here. Nathan Scott would never call a girl cute. It's not in my dictionary. "Give in to what? You? That's a joke if I ever heard one," she mutters, clearly not able to come up with anything wittier.
She quickly puts some distance between us. "Maybe we should, um get back on the road again." And for a moment, I feel almost disappointed. But then, that moment is gone. I couldn't possibly be disappointed. No, I don't do disappointed. 'Yeah, just like you don't do cute, right?' whispers my conscience. 'Damn you,' I think at it. Great, now she's got me talking to voices in my head.
I turn back to get in the car, realizing it's pointless to keep arguing. What? I'm not disappointed… Suddenly, I feel her small hand on my shoulder as, with surprising strength, she hurls me back around to face her. I'm careful not to lose my balance as she launches herself back into my arms and kisses me again.
Shocked, it takes me a few seconds to respond, but I quickly realize that I need to take some action, so I kiss her back hungrily, not able to keep the smirk from my mouth. Shit! I did it again. But this time, she doesn't pull away. If anything, she only kisses me with more fervor.
This girl confuses the hell out of me…
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Haley's POV
Damn it! We're kissing again. But this time, I just can't stop myself. Not even when he smirks. Somehow, it only fuels my desire for him. Damn. What am I supposed to do now?
One minute, I'm livid with anger directed at him; the next, I'm kissing him with so much passion, I feel like we're on fire. I've never been in a situation such as this before and quite honestly, it's too damn confusing. So, I decide to just go with it.
He turns us around so my back presses into the car. He pushes me up against it, so he can concentrate on something besides balancing us. I don't stop his hand as it travels slowly down my back, moving closer and closer to my ass. I don't even stop him as his hand rests lightly on it, then trails back up to hold me tighter to him. Then, his other hand slowly moves over my shoulder and down my arm, creeping to the hem of my shirt. He rubs the exposed skin where my shirt rode up on my stomach and I bring him even closer to me.
Then, his hand begins to drift under the thin, cotton garment, knocking me back to reality. Fuck! Why does he always have to go do something so…. so…. uh, I can't think of anything. Probably because his lips are still pressed to mine. Having incoherent thoughts: not a good sign.
OK, so how should we handle our little problem this time? I've already kneed him in the balls once; should I really do it again? I've shoved him against a car too. But he didn't land on his ass. Maybe I should do it again and hope for a better outcome? No, too unoriginal. And then, I know exactly what I should do.
He presses closer to me and I almost forget my brilliant plan. Almost. But then his hand slides farther up my shirt and I remember. I kiss him back furiously, making sure he doesn't suspect a thing; so he'll be caught off guard. I start to step forward, pushing him with me. He doesn't seem to care what's happening as I maneuver us as quickly as I can to the middle of the road in the yellow turn lane, praying all the while we don't get hit. He's so caught up in what we're doing, he never knows it. My small hands travel to the waistline of his belt and I feel him grip me tighter. He thinks he knows what's coming. If only he did know.
Hooking my thumbs on his belt loops, I yank down hard. As his pants slide to his ankles, I quickly run back to the car. He hops about in short, little awkward jumps, trying to pull up his pants while simultaneously trying to come after me, looking the angriest I've ever seen him.
I just lean against his car, his precious car, the one I despise, and smirk, watching him make a fool of himself. A car filled with four teenage girls drives by. And they're all laughing at him. This is priceless. Pulling out my phone, I take a few pictures. Camera phones are miracles. These might come in handy some day when he really pisses me off. Just think what the Tree Hill natives would say. Then again, probably nothing most of the female population hasn't seen.
He's finally succeeded in pulling his baggy jeans up and he's now advancing toward me with this gleam in his eye that wasn't there before. I can't quite place it. It's not the look he usually gets when he's mad; it's different. And that's what scares me. It looks so much more….intense. Like, I don't know, like he wants to strangle me or something. In fact, if it wasn't broad daylight and there weren't so many witnesses, he probably would. But, he restrains himself, prowling toward the car.
When he reaches me, he stops a couple yards away, this time being the one to keep the distance between us. "Get in the car, Haley," he breathes out in a quiet, yet somehow menacing tone. It only makes me more afraid.
But I can't let him win. "No," I breathe back, softly, yet firmly. I refuse to back down.
"I said get in the damn car!" he yells, anger erupting. Okay, maybe I don't.
Wordlessly, I open the door and slide in, shutting it quietly behind me. He just stands outside for a few seconds, breathing hard, still furious, then flounces to the driver's side and slams into the seat, door swinging shut behind him.
He starts the car in silence and, when I reach over to turn on the radio (anything to break the angry silence) he gives me a warning glare and I know I shouldn't test him. So, I decide not to. Just this once. Wouldn't want him to follow through on that whole death threat thing. Not that he actually threatened me. Just with his eyes. Well, sort of. It's still a threat though, right?
He can't stop frowning and I know I should apologize, I just can't bring myself to. Why would a cocky jackass like him deserve an apology from me? So, I decide with conviction that I won't be the one to break this little quiet game we have going on between us. And it doesn't end, the silence, for a good ten minutes. Then another five minutes passes, followed by another five. And still neither one of us has spoken. This is getting really old. But still, it stays quiet.
Until Nathan's cell phone rings. He answers it with a quite calm, "Hey, man," somehow managing to keep the anger out of his voice. "Yeah, she's here. Right next to me. Dude, stop being pathetic. No... I don't think she wants to hear any of your bullshit right now. Whatever, man. Gotta go." Then, he flips the phone shut, hanging up on the other person, who I'm guessing was Tim. I whip out my phone and sure enough, not three seconds later, it rings.
And it's Tim. I consider not answering it, but he already knows I'm here, so what's the point? I try to sound as tired as possible so maybe he'll just think I'm trying to sleep and leave me the hell alone. "Hello?" I say groggily. He doesn't notice. Damn. Now, how do I get rid of him?
"Hey... Haley?" as if he doesn't know it's me.
"Yeah, you called me dumbass."
He seems phased by my comment, but then quickly recovers. "Right. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'm not as much of a loser as you think I am. And whatever Nathan's told you, it's not true. None of it is, I swear."
"Whatever, Tim," I mumble. "Something important you had to tell me?"
"Oh, right," and now he remembers. "Like I said, I'm not as desperate as you think I am."
By this time, I'm amused and intrigued. "Oh, really. Care to prove it?"
And he takes the bait. He's so retarded. "As a matter of fact, me and the guys-
"What guys?" I interrupt, knowing he's pulling some bullshit story out of his ass.
And it does throw him off. "Just… the guys… ok, Haley? Anyway, and I met this really hot chick and yeah, she's so into me."
I can't contain my laughter, so I don't even try. "Right and I'm in love with you."
He sounds hurt. "Was that supposed to be a joke? Because it's not funny. I'm really trying to prove something here. I mean, Nicole here is so hot for me."
Then I hear someone in the background yelling. "My name's Robin, you jackass! And you are so lying."
It sounds muffled, as though he's trying to cover the mouthpiece, but the conversation leaks right through. "Hey," he grits, "I gave you 20 bucks. I want my money back."
And then, he's yelling. "Hello? Hello! Get back here. Hey! Give me my money!"
Sighing, he comes back on the phone. "Sorry, we were having an argument."
I'm laughing hysterically by now. "Tim, you are so pathetic."
And then I hang up, before he has a chance to further humiliate himself. I look over at Nathan and he's still mad. I can practically see the steam coming from his ears. Not a good sign. It's silent again and I think maybe he'll crack a smile at my conversation with Tim, but he's just staring straight ahead. He won't even look at me. Not even to leer at me or smirk or whatever the hell he's always doing.
Something is wrong with this picture. And then, suddenly, the car pitches forward and he bangs on the steering wheel, letting out a long string of profanities. And then, when I think he's done: "Damn it! Stupid piece of shit!" I tried to tell him. Well, kind of.
We get out to examine the damage and it's a flat tire. Perfect. Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse. We both whip out our cell phones. "Damn it! No service," he groans, stomping over to me to watch as I try to get mine to work. And suddenly, he's standing close to me again and it's like I can't breathe. But this time, he doesn't notice and the moment passes quickly. I almost wish he had noticed. Then, maybe he would've kissed me again. But I just remind myself of what he did the other times and try to forget about how close he is.
I jab various buttons, but I don't have any service either. "Great. This is just fucking perfect!" he yells, like it's somehow my fault. He's the dumbass with no spare tire. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?!"
"Walk," I answer.
He looks at me incredulously. "Are you serious? We won't reach the next town until it gets dark."
"What the hell am I supposed to do?! You got a better idea?"
He shakes his head, almost shamefully it seems, and we begin our long trek in silence, walking side by side.
This could get interesting…
So, as I said, I hope you guys see a little bit of improvement in this chapter even if only because it's much longer. Thank you so much to the people who leave me reviews. I wouldn't be writing this story if it wasn't for you. :) Well, I'll be back to update again soon, maybe even as early as tomorrow if I feel motivated enough... maybe a few reviews might help?... I guess we'll see, won't we?
Anyway, thanks as always for reading.
Until next time, Ashley
P.S. Oh yeah, anyone want any spoilers? Well, if you do, then read on:
What happens when a storm comes and two certain somebodies are forced to find shelter for the night? What happens when the space in that shelter is severely limited and there's barely room enough for two?
Guess you'll have to wait and see...