Well, here we are again. Me with the apologizing and you guys with the hateful glares. Isn't this just a vicious cycle? Maybe someday we'll all be able to laugh about it though. One day when I finish this story and you guys realize I didn't abandon you, I just always took waaay too long to update. Haha, haha. Too soon?
I really am sorry. I guess all of our lives are just busier than we think they are, aren't they? Like I always think I have all this time and before I know it, another month has passed and I haven't accomplished half of what I needed to. Like wedding plans... let's just say they're not coming along as quickly as I had hoped.... haha. Anyway, sorry to ramble on again. Just accept my apology and we can move on.
So.... here goes a much deserved shout out:
Oh wait, yeah, I'm really sorry if anyone gets left out of this. I swear it's not on purpose, my computer's being all weird and not sorting my reviews right, so I can't exactly tell who all reviewed for this chapter. :( But I'll do my best. OK, now here goes:
BloodLustBaby: Aw, I know. I still feel bad about all this waiting you guys too. But at least it builds suspense or something, right? Haha, ignore that; it's just me trying to make myself feel less like a bitch. Just kidding, anyway, oooh yeah... trust me been there done that with the embarrassing reactions thing. But sometimes you just can't help the automatic excitement, right? Haha. Well, I'm glad you like the two points of view. You know, I was worried it might get too repetitive at first, but I figured their points of view are so different, maybe it wouldn't. And it seems to be working, right? So, we'll leave it at that. lol. Yeah, I don't like Kaitlin and Jamie much myself, which is ironic considering I made them up. But every story has its villains, right? Haha, that sounds so melodramatic calling them villains, but whatever, it works. You might be right... Nathan almost kind of has to be there with Haley if they're stuck in the motel, don't you think? Haha, yeah those weren't my exact words in the spoilers, but you might be right.... you'll see. :) I know, I'm so cruel. But I'm still awesome, so you have to love me anyway, right? Haha, kidding. Aw, thanks. Well, I'm glad you said it was worth the long waits cause this was definitely a long one :( sorry again. Anyway, thank you so much for the awesome review. You deserve a big hug, but I'm not there to give you one, so I'll just give you a :D Haha, love you!
babyjames21: Haha, thank you so much for all the enthusiasm, I had fun reading your reply. :) Oh no, now your dad probably thinks you're crazy lol. Then again, most people in my life think I'm crazy and we all know how great I am, right? Haha, just kidding. Aw, thank you. You're so sweet for the compliments. :) Haha thanks for the congratulations. I'm just engaged now, getting married next year. Sorry for the long wait. Hopefully, it will be much shorter this time. But yeah, thanks again!
Adnama23: Whoa, that takes real dedication reading my whole story in one sitting. Haha, wow, I really am kind of blown away by it. Aw, thank you so much, babe. That means more than you know. I'm so glad you love it. Ah yeah, that was one of the more fun chapters to write. Those are always my favorite parts of stories, when people crack and let you see a different side to them. I think that's why Nathan and Haley break down and make out all the time in my story. Haha, anyway, thank you so much again and I'm sorry for the wait.
naley19: Haha, I loved reading your review. I'm pretty sure fantabulous isn't a word, but it definitely should be. I think it's the only word fantabulous enough to describe my story, right? Haha, just kidding. I'm glad you like all the naley, including their fighting. I feel like it's a really big part of their relationship... sometimes it's all they ever do, but what can ya do, right? lol. Yay! I'm glad you liked Nathan/Haley/Jamie scene. It was one of those things I was totally picturing in my head as I was writing it. :) Haha very true what you said. They should just date or hook up already, shouldn't they? I guess I just like dragging it out and torturing you guys... or maybe if I didn't have all the sexual tension, I would be totally lost and not know what to write, who knows? lol. I'm so glad you're still sticking with me. I love reading your reviews. :)
Jess2303: Thanks so much for reviewing. I'm so glad you loved the last chapter. Aw, you think I'm funny? That's like the best compliment you could give me actually. Haha. So, thank you again. :D
HelReese4ever: Hey! Thanks for your sweet review, it was very smile inducing :) Haha. I think maybe I'm just addicted to compliments. Don't worry, I won't let them go to my head... too much, lol just kidding. Aw, thank you for congratulating me on my wedding. Just thinking about it gets me all excited. Haha, anyway, thank you again! Love you :)
HJS-NS-23: Haha yay! I was happy to see a review from you. I'm glad you're still faithfully supporting my story, even though I leave you hanging all the time. :) Haha, I know, I almost made myself angry when I disrupted them, but it had to be done. Ooh yeah, I forgot I gave you guys spoilers. Man, just another way I torture you... sorry :( But anyway, I'm glad you're excited to see what happens. I was excited to have the chance to update and have a few less people angry at me. Haha, just kidding. Thanks again, love ya babe.
Hales luvs Nate: Aw, thank you for congratulating me. :) Haha, you did a silent cheer when I appeared in your inbox? Good thing it was silent, we wouldn't want people questioning your mental stability. Maybe you'll cheer again now :) Haha, I'm glad you liked the tension, sometimes I feel like it's cruel of me to do it to them, then I remember they're just characters in my story, lol. Thanks for the awesome review~=!
happywtmylife: I can always count on your reviews to be extra long and extra special. :) Well, I'm glad you thought it was worth the wait, hopefully the same feeling will apply for this one? Too much to hope for? Haha, well in any case, I'm sorry again. Sometimes, it seems like I never stop apologizing. :) Aw, that makes me feel so good. I'm glad I give you some incentive to keep visiting the site. Maybe I can singlehandedly expand traffic for fanfiction. Too ambitious? Oh well, reach for the stars I always say. lol. Haha, I'm glad I could give you a good love story. And I'm glad you like them getting stuck in the motel. I had to figure out a way to keep them on the road a while longer and it was too perfect. :) It's good that you're anxious for them to get together, it means I'm doing something right hopefully. Which is a relief cause I pretty much never know what I'm doing, haha. Yay for your working on your stories! Yeah, trust me, I completely understand the business. Not enough hours in a day, huh? I feel like every time I start to catch up, something happens and I get further behind. Or maybe it's just because I leave everything to the last minute, lol. Ooh yeah! I'd be happy to give feedback. Thanks for the well wishing on my engagement. We're still engaged, so that's a good sign, right? Haha. Oh, don't even worry about the length. It was still plenty long enough. And don't worry about rambling either, I feel like we could be best friends cause I do the exact same thing, lol. And I'm just glad you're so enthusiastic and have so much to say. Thank you for always making my day. :) Love you!
inzie23: Haha, well I hope your sister doesn't think you're too crazy. Don't worry, I randomly laugh at things all the time, and I won't even be reading or anything. People definitely think I'm really strange, but that just doesn't stop me, lol. I'm glad you liked the comforting and the motel situation. It was just too much fun to write. :) Oooh yeah... I'd forgotten about Leyton season 1. Maybe it's time for me to pull out those season DVDs and remind myself... haha. Oh no, I'm not offended at all. Thanks for the comment. Please correct me when you see something wrong. I'm not always the best at self-editing and all. :) Haha, I'm glad you could imagine Nathan interrupting. It's funny cause it was totally playing in my head while I was writing it. Aw, thanks, I'm so glad you liked the chapter. Haha, you're right. Maybe they won't be interrupted this time... anyway thanks once again for such a sweet review. :D
alwaysandforever08: Oh my gosh, you are so incredibly sweet. Thank you so much for reviewing, and being so awesome. :) I'm so glad you like the shout-outs. I've always liked writing them cause I felt like they help me connect to readers. Bet you won't be thanking me for updating this time seeing as it took months. Haha, I'm so glad you're hooked. Hope I didn't lose you, cause that would make me very sad. :( Thank you again for reviewing. I love you!
naleylovex3: Hi! I'm so glad you've started reading my story. I always get way too excited about new readers. lol. Haha, thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you like sarcasm, it's sort of one my specialties. :) Oh, and the bickering Naley, another specialty of course, lol. Haha, I'm glad you agree about the karma thing. I've always felt like it was unnecessarily cruel to me. I mean really, I've never done anything that bad... I don't think. lol. Ooh, the ACT, I remember hating standardized testing and getting up early on Saturdays. :( Haha, I'm glad you like the rare non-fighting moments, they'll get more frequent as the story goes on. :) Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and again, I'm glad to have you. :) Sorry I made you wait so long for an update.
Jessilynn23: Yay! Another new reader! Haha, sorry, don't let me scare you away with my enthusiasm. I'm so glad you started reading and that you like it. :) Thanks for reviewing. That deserves an even bigger smile. :D Haha.
So, that's it. And again, I'm really sorry if I missed anyone. And sorry that it was such a long wait. But it's an extra long chapter if that helps at all? :) And now, I'm sure you all just want me to hurry up and get to the chapter, so here it is:
Chapter 12:
Haley's POV:
It's that stupid bitch from the bar the other night. What was her name again? Katie or something? Well, whatever it is, she's practically fucking Jamie right up against the wall. It's disgusting really, all this PDA. But what's more disgusting is their complete lack of tact.
What were they planning to do? Seduce us? Ha! Like I'd ever let that guy Jamie come near me. Such a freaking girl. 'You tried to kiss him,' whispers that little voice in my head that won't go away.
"What the hell?!" Nathan shouts and I remember just how angry I should be. I've had enough people screw me over. I don't need this asshole adding to the pile. They jerk apart and they have the audacity to look guilty. Oh, I just want to rip that Katie bitch's fake blonde extensions right out of her head. If she thinks she can fuck with Haley James's livelihood, she's sadly mistaken.
Then, the blonde bimbo looks at us pleadingly and goes, "We can explain..." I just want to laugh in her face. 'I'll bet you can, you skank!' I want to scream, but decide it would do the already volatile situation no good.
She looks to Jamie, but he doesn't say anything, so Nathan speaks up again. "Uh huh... let me guess," he leers. "This is your sick brother."
I narrow my eyes at Jamie, deciding maybe I've calmed down enough to hash it out with the bastard... maybe not. "I thought you didn't have a girlfriend," I say as calmly as I can.
"Well..." he can't meet my eyes and that's when I know control is impossible. But I'd probably lose in a fist fight (though I'm sure Nathan would back me up) and I decide it's not wise to get into any more trouble than we have the past few days, so I just tear my hand from his and go back into our motel room, slamming the door behind me for good measure.
I can't believe them. They actually thought they could get away with this. Too bad we caught them in the act. And I mean too bad for them. It's never a good idea to piss off two people as violent as me and Nathan. We'd make a good team if we could ever stop bitching at each other long enough. But I don't see that happening in the near future, so I immediately dismiss the thought.
I pace around the room, trying to get my fury in check. But it's no use. Why do people always feel the need to walk all over me? I'm sick of all their shit and I won't take anymore from the gruesome twosome we just met. I sure as hell don't need anymore drama; not at this point.
Screaming in frustration, I fling the remote at the wall and watch it fall to the floor, then search the room for my next victim. Spotting the air conditioner, I stalk over to it and kick it viciously until it makes a thumping noise, then promptly stops emitting cool air. Great. Just one more thing to worry about.
Hearing a cough, I turn to look toward the sound and there's Nathan. He's just standing there, watching me, looking all worried. Fuck him.
I start kicking the wall and ignore the pain that shoots through my ankle. Two strong arms wrap around my waist and struggle to pull me away. I whip around to face him and see his eyes full of pity. And that's when I break down. I just start bawling. And I don't even know why. It's just what happens and I can't stop once I've started. I can feel all the bitterness welling up inside me, threatening to drown me. And I can't let that happen. Nathan reaches for me, but I push him away blindly and rush into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I don't need his sympathy right now. I don't need anyone's.
(still Haley's POV)
It's about half an hour later and I've finally managed to stop crying. Nathan gave up pounding on the door and yelling for me to come out a while ago. Guess he got tired of it. Hell, I would have too. I know I haven't exactly been really nice to him, but really, who could expect any less? I'm dying and he's a pain in the ass.
Finally, taking a deep, calming breath, I pull the door open and walk out. Nathan's sitting on the bed, propped up against the headboard, flipping through channels. He looks up when I come in, but then returns his eyes to the TV. Guess I've pissed him off again.
Slowly, I go over and sit next to him, mimicking his position.. He sits there quietly for a minute or two, then turns to me. "Are you OK?" he asks softly.
I nod, then crack a grin. "What a couple of bitches, huh?"
He laughs and throws his arm over my shoulder. "They're worse than you."
I tense up, but then try to relax, telling myself he was just joking. I smile uneasily. "Yeah, who would've thought?"
He looks at me and seems to realize what he said. "Hey, look, I didn't mean it like that..."
I abruptly stand up from the bed and put some distance between us. "Whatever," I mumble.
He just rolls his eyes and goes back to watching TV.
Bastard.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nathan's POV
I walk in to see her kicking the air conditioner. Yeah, she's kicking the shit out of the air conditioner. It should be that Jamie kid, but who's complaining, right? At least it's not my ass she's beating. It's actually kind of funny seeing this little slip of a girl barely making a dent in the metal box attached to the wall. She looks so mad and, yes I'll admit kind of scary, as she desperately lights into it. And then, it starts to get a little frightening as she seems about ready to rip it out of the wall, so I cough, hoping maybe it'll stop her.
It does. For about two seconds. Then, she turns on the wall and starts trying to break that too. Yeah, that's right. She broke the damn air conditioning. Really uncalled for since our room's gonna feel like a sauna without it, but I won't yell at her yet. Wouldn't want to be her next victim.
Getting really worried, I walk over and grab her around the waist, trying to pull her away. She shoves away from me and looks up and into my eyes. And I watch her break down. Her eyes get all teary then and she lets out a sob. Then, she can't stop. She's crying her eyes out and I'm helpless. Good Lord. Why isn't Lucas here? He's the one who knows about this stuff. He's the sensitive one. He's the one who has serious relationships.
I reach out, hoping to comfort her, but she won't let me. She storms into the bathroom and slams the door. I try the knob, but she's already locked it.
I have this sudden need to help her. I don't want to hear her cry. She sounds so sad... and she looked so lost. I don't want her crying.......... because it's annoying! Yeah, that's what it is! It's irritating. I don't give a damn why she's crying. It just has to stop.
I bang on the door. "Come on, Haley! Open the damn door!" I yell.
I think I hear a muffled 'fuck you' and I fight the urge to break something. Why does she always have to be a bitch about everything? I'm only trying to help her. I know what she wants me to do. She wants me to beg; to grovel. Hell no! I will not beg. Nathan Scott doesn't beg. That is where I draw the line. This girl has pushed the limit one too many times. I won't let her push me that far! Begging. I want to laugh just thinking about it. Nathan Scott doesn't beg. Period.
Five minutes later and I'm begging. That's just fantastic. Jesus, what did I do to deserve this?! Must've been something really horrible. Hate to say it, but I'm starting to buy into the whole concept of karma. I had to have done something because stuff like this doesn't just happen to people. Not to people like me.
Finally, I just get tired of banging on the door and pleading with her to open it, so I slump over to the bed and flick on the TV, completely uninterested in whatever crap is on. I've been rejected. This has never happened to me before. Hell, any other girl would've been ecstatic I gave half a shit about them, but not Haley. I let my head fall back against the headboard. God, she's really getting to me.
And I can't tell if it's in a good way.
(still Nathan's POV)
It's been half an hour and, I can't help it, I'm getting worried again. What the hell could she be doing in there? I heard her stop crying a few minutes ago.
Finally, the door creaks open. I don't want to look at her, but I do. Then, I turn my head back to the TV. I don't know what to say to her. She's managed to piss me off and get me all concerned. I just don't know what to think. Not a minute later, I feel the bed depress slightly and glance over to find her sitting next to me, leaning back against the headboard. I quickly tear my gaze away from her again before she notices I'm looking at her.
But she doesn't say anything for a few minutes, so I turn to her and, careful to keep my voice light, ask, "Are you OK?"
She nods, then looks back at me and finally smiles. "What a couple of bitches, huh?"
I let out a laugh and put my arm around her shoulder, pulling her slightly toward me. "They're worse than you."
"Yeah, who would've thought?" she says quietly.
I look over at her and she's looking down, seeming almost sad again. I squeeze her shoulder a little. "Hey, look, I didn't mean it like that..."
But she's already pushing herself off the bed and backing away from me. "Whatever," she grumps.
I almost want to reach out and bring her back down next to me, but just as quickly as the urge comes, it's squelched by my growing pissyness at her mood swings. Why can't she ever just stay calm for more than 30 fucking seconds?! I roll my eyes and continue flipping through channels. I'm through trying to be the nice guy. If she wants to apologize, she can just suck it up and do it. If not, I'll just keep giving her the cold shoulder.
She huffs a few times, but I don't respond and she slams angrily back into the bathroom. A few minutes later, I hear the water running. She's taking a shower. Damn it?! Why does that make me want to go in there and join her?! I hate her guts. But I can't deny she's hot. And probably a great lay. I really need to get laid. Don't really think Haley's the person for the job though. If only Kaitlyn hadn't turned out to be a cheating whore. Maybe she could've helped me.
Twenty minutes later, she comes out, looking only slightly less mad. She's drying her hair with one of the motel's cheap towels and I flinch. Don't want to know where that's been. Apparently she sees my grimace because she take a few steps closer and squints at me. "What?" she asks.
I shrug. "Nothing, just... when do you think they last washed that towel?"
She blanches as she looks back down at it, then tosses it toward me. "Gross!" she squeals when I snatch it out of the air and throw it back onto her head. I just chuckle and keep watching the TV. Wouldn't want to push my luck by continuing the conversation.
She lets out an irritated sigh and I frown at her. What could I possibly be doing now that would upset her? She throws her hands into the air. "Fine! I give up! Are you just never gonna talk to me again? I know I made you mad, hell, I know I've been a complete bitch, but you're not exactly Mr. Sunshine, alright? You can be just as bad as I can."
Oh, that does it! I shove up from the bed and face her, fists clenched. I really wish she wasn't a girl. I so need to punch her right now. "Listen, you bitch!"
But she takes a few steps forward and slaps her hand over my mouth. "I don't want to hear it dickhead!"
Then, she's heading for the door. I blow out an angry breath. "Hey, where are you going?!"
"Out!" she spits, without bothering to turn around.
And, even if it makes me look like a complete bastard, I have to have the last word, so I shout, "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!"
For the second time today, she slams the door angrily behind her and I flounce back onto the bed, angrily snatching the remote up. Why is she so damn hot and cold?!
Not five minutes after she leaves, there's a knock on the door. Hoping if I ignore it, it will go away, I try to tune it out. But whatever asshole's on the other side isn't getting the hint. They just keep knocking. So, with an annoyed groan, I heave to my feet and answer the door to find some smiling shrimp of a guy on the other side. "What the hell do you want?" I grit out.
"Well..." he starts. I roll my eyes, waiting impatiently for him to finish. "I couldn't help seeing your hot roommate come out of here a few minutes ago and I was wondering if maybe..."
"Sorry, pal," I seethe, "she's not back yet."
He nods eagerly and I want to scoff. He's like a little kid; all excited over nothing. "I know, but I was hoping maybe when she came back, you could introduce me?" Hell no! But I keep listening anyway. "You know, maybe hook us up or something? I really could use a good lay...." he keeps rambling, but I've heard enough.
I sneer at him. "Well, you know what? So could I. And I'm not letting you ruin it for me. So, get the hell out cause I don't play matchmaker." Then, I slam the door in his face.
As I'm crossing back over to the bed, there's another knock at the door. Stomping back over, I start yelling before I even open it. "Listen you little shit! I told you to fuck off. Now..." but I've opened the door and it's Kaitlyn standing there. I glare at her coldly. "Something you want?" I bite out harshly.
She bites her lip and lets out a nervous laugh. "Wow, I feel sorry for whoever you thought was at the door..."
I hold up a hand to stop her. "Who's to say I didn't know it was you?"
She flinches and chews on her lip some more. Then, she sighs. "OK, I probably deserved that. But Nathan, can't we just talk about this? I mean_"
But I can't take anymore of anyone's bullshit today. First Haley's, then Kaitlyn and Jamie's, then the retard pounding on my door a few minutes ago, now this slut again. No, I'm in no mood to deal with this. So, I lay a rough hand on her shoulder and press down until she stops talking. Fighting the urge to really hurt her, I lower my hand and take a deep breath. "Look, Haley will be back in a minute and I'm sure you don't want to get in a cat fight with her because, believe me, she'd win. So, maybe it would be best if you'd leave."
She pouts and I roll my eyes, completely immune to her feminine wiles. "I just wanted to come and apologize. Maybe even stay for a little bit?..." her lips twist up in a small smile and I almost want to give in. But then I think about what she and her no good manwhore did to me and Haley. Then, I think about Haley. She wouldn't be too happy. I'd never anywhere with her.
So, I quickly put an end to it. "No fucking way." Then, I try to shut the door in her face, but she shoves it. Hard. No wait, that wasn't her. She's not that strong. I chance a look out the door and there's Jamie. I swear, I'll beat his ass if he can't learn to stay away from my room. "What the hell do you want, man?"
He holds up both his hands and I know he's gonna try to reason with me. But I was never very close to that nice guy Reason, so I do the one thing I'm good at in times like these. I throw a punch. Then he throws one. And, angry, I slam him against the wall.
It is so on.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Haley's POV
The asshole's just sitting there, rolling his eyes and pretending he can't see me. I can't believe he's ignoring me. Damn him and his stubbornness! I huff and puff a few times, but he does nothing, so I angrily go back in the bathroom and shove the door shut behind me. I hope he heard that one. I look in the mirror and can see my own rage in my eyes. I just want to punch right through my reflection. But I hate glass and I hate blood, and, put the two together and I'm a goner.
So, instead I strip off all my clothes and slam on the hot water. Stepping in, I let it scald me. It's better than being out there with him. Just when I think he's the least bit human, he goes and turns into a jerk again. I swear, that boy will be the death of me. Saying sweet things like he did last night, then mauling me like he did earlier, then doing a complete 180 and going postal when I get the slightest bit irritated.
And then, the hot water just gets to be too much when I start imagining Nathan in there with me. What I wouldn't give to feel those abs of his again. To have him in here with me right now... kissing me like he was earlier... so we could continue where we left off...
Immediately, I turn on the cold water. I hate him. I really do.
When I'm done with my shower, I step out, shivering, and reluctantly re-dress in my old clothes. We really need to get my suitcase back soon. I can't keep wearing these clothes. It's kind of disgusting. I don't know how it's not bothering Nathan. But I decide not to think about that anymore. I refuse to get hung up on him.
Snatching the towel I'd used to dry myself with back up, I start drying my hair with it as I slowly reenter the room. He's still there, in the exact same position, watching the exact same channel. Stubborn as hell, that's what he is. He looks up and our eyes meet. He takes in what I'm doing and grimaces. I take a few hesitant steps toward the bed and narrow my eyes at him. "What?" I finally ask.
He shrugs, then looks back at the TV. "Nothing, just... when do you think they last washed that towel?" Realizing what he's implying, I flinch and throw it toward him.
'Damn his quick reflexes!' I think as he catches it quickly and throws it back so that it lands on my head. "Gross!" I squeak, flinching at my own high-pitched, girly squeal. He just laughs and turns back to the tube. I'm surprised when he doesn't make some macho chauvinistic comment. But I quickly grow annoyed when he doesn't say anything at all. I sigh and he frowns my way. So, I throw my hands up and light into him again. "Fine! I give up! Are you just never gonna talk to me again? I know I made you mad, hell, I know I've been a complete bitch, but you're not exactly Mr. Sunshine, alright? You can be just as bad as I can."
He quickly stands up from the bed and takes a few steps toward me, stopping abruptly and balling his hands into fists at his sides. "Listen, you bitch!"
But I'm in no mood to hear him cuss me out, so, trying to appear as intimidating as possible, I close the remaining distance between us and slap a hand over his mouth. "I don't want to hear it dickhead!" I shout, hoping he'll just stop. I don't want to have to bitch slap him, but I will. I swear I will.
Satisfied when he doesn't say anything, I head for the door, not knowing where I'm going, but knowing I need to get away from him and cool down. I hear him suck in a deep breath behind me before he calls out, "Hey, where are you going?!"
I almost flip him off, but decide against it. "Out!" I bark without looking back at him.
Then, he has to go piss me off even more. He just doesn't know when to stop. "Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!" he shouts.
I slam the door open, then walk out, slamming it back behind me before I completely lose it. He never shuts up! Wandering down the hall, I think about what I can do to occupy my time. I reach the door at the end of the hall and open it, looking outside. The weather's still all windy and stormy and it's still raining, but I don't see any harm in just running across to the main building, so I do, not really sure what possesses me to do it.
I see that Ryan guy at the counter and almost run right back out, but he sees me and smiles, waving me over to where he and another guy around our age are talking. I don't move and he laughs, waving me over again. "Come on, Haley! Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I was an ass, OK?"
Smiling confidently, I walk over to the counter and lean against the opposite side from them. "Yeah, you kind of were."
The guy standing with him chuckles and holds out his hand. "That's my dumbass of a best friend for ya. I'm John."
I shake his hand, still smiling. This guy's actually kind of hot. And he seems much nicer than Ryan, who actually isn't turning out to be that bad. Maybe it won't be so terrible being stuck here for the next day or two.
We've been talking for a few minutes before Ryan invites me over to their side of the counter. "You know, you don't have to stand out there," he laughs and motions to the counter. I hop up on top of it and swing my legs over the side, dropping down in front of them. His grin widens. "Smooth."
I'm starting to relax and enjoy their company when John gets called away to do something. Apparently, he works here too. A few seconds later, Ryan gets called away too. He shrugs, disappointed, then reaches under the counter and pulls out a bottle, handing it to me. I read the label. Vodka. He winks. "Share that with your boyfriend. You guys should enjoy it. Maybe you'll even like me better when you're drunk."
I throw him a flirty grin. "Oh, I like you just fine."
He steps a little closer. "Is that so?"
I nod, taking my own step forward. Just as he's about to make a move, his boss calls him again. "Ryan, now don't mean in five minutes! Get your ass back here!"
He sighs, disappointed. "Alright, I'm coming, damn it!" he yells back, giving an apologetic smile before running off.
I hurriedly climb back over the counter before anyone can come see me back there by myself and think I'm trying to rob the place or something. I glance down at the bottle in my hand and grin.
Share it with my boyfriend?
What boyfriend?
Enjoy it?
Hell yes!
I glance back out the door and wait for a minute before sighing dejectedly and hurrying back to the other building. The wind whips my hair all around and I just know I'm getting soaked. Great. And I just took a shower too. I knew there was a reason this was a bad idea. Well, at least I got booze.
Heading back into the other building, I walk slowly back in the direction of our room. I'm definitely not in a hurry. But the sound of a fight has me stopping at the end of our hallway. Right in front of our door, I see Nathan. He has Jamie pinned to the wall while they both keep throwing punches. Jesus Christ! Not again!
"Stop!" I yell, racing down to where they are. But neither one of them listens. I try to tug them apart, but it's no use. I'm no match for two muscular guys. I turn to Kaitlyn for help, but she just shrugs and starts inspecting her nails. I roll my eyes, exasperated. Good for nothing whore. "Nathan!" I try to get his attention, but he won't budge. I slap the back of his head and call his name again.
"Ow! Shit, Haley, that hurts!" he grunts, throwing Jamie back against the wall when he tries to push away from it.
"Good, you son of a bitch!" I scream, hitting him again.
"Stay out of it, Haley. This is my fight."
"Nathan, you've gotta stop this."
He shakes his head and continues to pound the poor guy. "He deserves it."
I grab onto his arm. "Maybe so, but it's not helping anything."
He hesitates and glances down at me. Jamie takes the opportunity to shove away from the wall and get out of Nathan's death grip. Nathan's still staring down at me. "We can't just let him get away with it." I give him a disapproving glare. "Haaaaley," he whines, but I refuse to be persuaded.
"Come on," I take his hand and shake the bottle of liquor in front of his face. "Let's just forget about them," I throw a disgusted look at Jamie and Kaitlyn, watching us, amused.
Nathan seems about to agree, but Jamie sneers over at us. "Well, ain't that sweet? You do everything she says, man?"
"Oh, come here you asshole!" Nathan screams, trying to jump back on him. But I hold him back as best I can.
"He's not worth it!" I scream.
"Can't make up your own mind?" Jamie leers. I throw him a hard look, but he doesn't seem to notice and continues to taunt Nathan.
I do the only thing I can think of. I wrap my arms around him and hold him tight. "Please, Nathan," I whisper, hugging him to me.
"Come on, Nate. You gonna fight me or what?" Jamie mocks.
I can feel Nathan tensing in my arms. "Son of a_"
I shush him. "Nathan, it's OK." He shakes his head, but I rub my hand comfortingly over his back and his arms slowly come around me. I hold him tight as he slowly starts to relax into me. His head droops down so it's resting on my shoulder as he pulls me closer to him.
Jamie slowly advances toward us, lip bleeding and eye swelling. "What are you? Scared or something?"
Nathan tenses again, but I won't let him go and he takes a deep breath, then whispers in my ear. "Come on, let's go before he really makes me mad."
I giggle and allow him to keep an arm around my waist, guiding me into our room and shutting the door behind us. He blows out a long breath and rests his head back against the door, his eyes falling shut. "What a bastard," he mumbles, arm still around me. His other arm reaches out so he can lock his hands around the small of my back as his eyes lazily drift open. "Thank you, Haley."
I nod. "No problem," I smile, surprised when he pulls me into a hug. I let him hold me for a few minutes, but quickly realize what we're doing probably isn't a good idea. And even though I wish we could stay like this, I know it isn't practical, so I pull away softly and smile up at him. "So, want a drink?"
He nods and slowly releases me, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. His stare's kind of unnerving me, but I don't want to tell him that. So, I calmly go about trying to find something to drink out of. Well, damn. Guess there's no complimentary glasses or anything. I probably shouldn't have expected any less. I turn to him and shrug. "Guess we'll just have to drink straight out of the bottle."
He's still leaned up against the door, staring at me. I give him a quizzical look. He grins and holds out his hand. "Come here."
I know I shouldn't, but I take his hand and let him pull me back against him. He wraps me in his arms and slowly bends down to catch my lips with his. And then, he's kissing me again and I can't even think straight. He keeps pulling me closer to him until, finally, he's holding me so tight, he's lifting me off the ground. I wrap a leg around his waist to hold myself up as one of his hands moves up to tangle in my hair. He lifts me higher so he can cup my ass with his other hand. "Nathan," I whisper against his lips. But he ignores me, holding my head closer against his and plunging his tongue into my mouth. Moaning, I let my other leg come around his waist as he walks us slowly toward the bed, never losing contact.
He sets me on the bed, bracing his hands on either side of me, so he, still standing, can lean down to kiss me again. I let him for a minute or two. But when he pulls away and straightens, beginning to lift his shirt over his head, I reach up to stop him. He glances down at me, eyes dark. I swallow. "Maybe we shouldn't..."
He sighs deeply and drops his shirt. I watch his abs longingly as they disappear beneath the cotton material again. He sits beside me, head falling into his hands. "God, Haley," he mumbles, "you're killing me."
"I'm sorry," I whisper, biting my lip and laying a hand on his back.
He puffs out a strangled breath. After a few minutes, he looks up and gives a small smile. "How about that drink?"
I smile at him gratefully and get up to find the vodka.
That was close.
(still Haley's POV)
Forty minutes later and we're both completely wasted. I think. We tried to slow down. Really we did. OK, maybe that's a lie. Who really knows? All I know is I feel like I'm floating through a bunch of clouds right now. And it's really hot. "Hey!" I yell at Nathan. "What happened to the air?!"
He claps a hand over my mouth from his place beside me on the floor and opens his eyes wide. "Shhh!!!" he whispers loudly. "They can hear you!"
I gasp. "Who?! Can they see us too? What's happening, Nathan?"
He laughs. "I meant the people next door, Haley bo baley."
I scrunch up my nose, completely confused. "Ooohhh. Well, I don't give a damn if they can hear us!" I yell, then reach over and pound on the wall we share with the adjacent room. "You hear that?! I don't give a shit if we're bothering you! Might want to think about keeping it down yourselves! No one wants to hear you screwing each other!"
Laughing, he grabs my hand and pulls it from the wall. "Such a trouble mailer."
I scrunch up my eyes. "What's a trouble mailer?"
He furrows an eyebrow. "Huh? A what?"
"You mean troublemaker," I say as realization hits. Wow, he's an even bigger dumbass drunk. I giggle at the thought.
He grins. "Wanna order a pizza?"
I shake my head. "Nope. I wanna know... what happened to the air."
He looks across the room to where the air conditioner is and squints his eyes at it. Then, he shrugs. "Dunno."
I roll my eyes and sock him lightly in the arm. He frowns at me. Whoops. Guess it wasn't that light. "Well, go turn it on."
He wiggles his eyebrows at me. "Oh, I can turn it on."
I scoff. "Fine, whatever strikes your fancy."
His frown deepens as he gets that clueless look on his face. "Whaaa..."
I roll my eyes. He did have more to drink than I did. "Just go check the air, dumbass."
He burps. "Fine, I bill, witch." I giggle at his mixup, but he just stumbles to the other side of the room and tries to squat next to the air. He ends up falling on his side.
Watching as he tries to pull himself up, I know he needs my help. I try to stand, but find I can't. So, I crawl over to him instead, then use the air conditioner to pull myself to my feet. I hold out my hand, indicating he should take it. He does and I attempt to help him up, but only end up falling back down next to him. We both cock our heads at the air conditioner. Nathan whacks it, but it doesn't do anything. He pouts. "Damned air conditioner!" He turns to me. "It's broken," he points out.
I gasp and hit it like he did. My hand starts stinging. "What the hell?! It's not working!"
He nods somberly. "I know. It died."
I jab an accusing finger at him. "You killed it."
He shakes his head empathically. "Nuh-uh, I just slapped it. It died on its own."
I cross my arms and glare at him. "Murderer."
He glances down at my still extended finger. "Finger pointer."
I roll my eyes. "New game, please."
The temperature in the room keeps rising and it only gets worse with each new sip of alcohol I take. Twenty minutes later and I'm burning up. Nathan and I are leaned up against the air conditioner side by side. Something I say (don't really remember what it is) makes him mad and, with a lot of trouble, he makes it to the bed and climbs up under the covers. I pout at him, but he ignores me.
Climbing to unsteady feet, I wobble towards the bed. I trip just before I can climb on and fall onto Nathan. He tries to gently shove me off, but my balance is off and I end up on the floor. He peaks sheepishly over the side of the bed at me. "Sorry?" he offers, unsurely.
"Just help me up," I grunt out. He reaches his hands down and I grab them and, between the two of us, we lift me up onto the bed next to him.
Once I'm settled, I look over to see him staring back at me. "Haley?" he asks softly.
"Yeah?"
He hesitates. "Do you really hate me?"
I freeze. I didn't think he'd remember. That sobers me up slightly. I shake my head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I was just upset."
He nods. "OK." He reaches over to the nightstand and plucks up the bottle, taking a generous sip before offering it to me. I take a long gulp, then hand it back to him. He sets it back on the nightstand.
"It's really hot in here," I say, throwing the covers off of us.
He nods and agrees with me. "Fucking air conditioning. We're gonna die of a heat stroke." I nod in all seriousness. He laughs. "I was kidding. We won't really die."
I pout, offended. "You never know, we might could." And the temperature goes up another few degrees. I feel like I'm burning from the inside out.
I look over at Nathan to see him once again staring back at me and slowly, we both lean in until our lips are pressed together. He pulls me over so my whole body is fitted tightly against his as we both melt into each other. It just keeps getting hotter. Pulling away slightly, I rip my shirt off over my head and toss it behind me. Smiling, he pulls me back down to him and keeps kissing me. He slides his hands all over the naked skin on my back and stomach, then traces over the lace edge of my bra. The room gets even hotter.
He reaches back for the clasp on my bra. I can hear it snap open and I kiss him harder.
Then, the world goes black.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Nathan's POV
Five minutes later, I've still got him pressed against the wall. And I've definitely gotten in more hits than he has. Little wuss. He's obviously never fought anyone before. The boy's got balls though, I've gotta give him that. Surprised he's lasted this long. "Is that all you got?" he huffs out and I pull him away from the wall, then slam him back into it, punching him in the eye.
Then, I hear her voice. Haley's. "Stop!" she yells. Seems she's always trying to stop me from fighting. Well, I won't let her this time. Ignoring the footsteps I hear pounding toward us (knowing they're hers), I punch him again. "Nathan!" I hear her shout. I pretend not to hear her. Who needs someone with a conscience on their side? I learned to put mine on hold a long time ago. Then, she calls my name again, this time slapping my head really hard too.
"Ow! Shit, Haley, that hurts!" I groan. The Jamie punk tries to push away from the wall, so I slam him back against it again. Can't get away from me that easy jackass!
"Good, you son of a bitch!" she yells, slapping my head again.
She's really starting to piss me of. "Stay out of it, Haley. This is my fight," I grind out between clenched teeth.
"Nathan, you've gotta stop this," she pleads desperately.
I shake my head and punch him twice more, satisfied when he grunts in pain. "He deserves it," I smirk.
I feel her hand grabbing my arm. "Maybe so, but it's not helping anything," she says softly. And I realize how right she is. Damn it! Why couldn't she just have stayed away?!
I look down at her and the puppy dog eyes she's giving me. I know I've lost now. "We can't just let him get away with it," I argue weakly, already starting to cave. She gives me this disappointed look. She sure knows how to get what she wants. "Haaaaley," I whine, but she doesn't seem to be budging. Damn it! When did she get so persuasive?
"Come on," she grabs my hand and I hold tightly to hers, afraid I'll go after him again if I don't. "Let's just forget about them," she gives Kaitlyn and Jamie a disdainful glare, then shows me a bottle of vodka and I can already feel myself beginning to loosen up.
Then that bastard Jamie has to go be an ass again and say, "Well, ain't that sweet? You do everything she says, man?" And I'm seeing red I'm so mad.
"Oh, come here you asshole!" I shout, lunging for him again. But Haley's arm shoots out to try and stop me and I obey her, not wanting her to come to any harm.
"He's not worth it!" she tries to tell me, but I can't really hear anything besides my fury.
"Can't make up your own mind?" Jamie continues, egging me on.
I try to go for him again, but Haley puts her arms tightly around me. "Please, Nathan," she whispers and I can feel my resolve crumbling again...
Only for it all to be shot to hell once Jamie starts talking. "Come on, Nate. You gonna fight me or what?" he leers.
I tense up. "Son of a_"
But Haley cuts me off. "Nathan, it's OK," she tries to calm me down. Fuck no! It's not anywhere close to being OK! I shake my head, but she starts rubbing my back and I almost forget why I'm mad. Slowly, I put my arms around her. She holds me tight and I relax into her touch. I let my head rest on her shoulder as I pull her closer. She smells insanely good.
I hear Jamie say, "What are you? Scared or something?" and I start to tense back up. Damn it! He's always ruining everything.
Haley won't release me though, so I take a deep breath to try and calm myself down. She keeps rubbing her hands over my back and I slowly start to relax again. I put my mouth right by her ear and whisper, "Come on, let's go before he really makes me mad."
Keeping one arm around her waist, I take us both back into our room and shut the door hard behind us. I exhale loudly and let my head fall back against the door, not removing my arm from around her. "What a bastard," I mutter, still not quite able to shake off those lingering bad feelings toward Jamie. He really is a dick. Opening my eyes, I reach my other arm around so I can lock them loosely around her back. "Thank you, Haley," I say, surprised at how genuine it sounds.
She nods and smiles. "No problem," and I just can't help giving her a hug. She feels good in my arms, her body pressed tightly against mine. She immediately returns the gesture and we just hold each other for a few minutes. Then, she pulls away gently and I try to shake off the empty feeling I get when she does. "So, want a drink?" she asks. She's smiling up at me and I readily agree. I don't know where all these feelings are coming from, but I could definitely use a drink to make me forget them. It's always worked before.
Reluctantly, I release her and watch as she moves around the room, searching for something. "Guess we'll just have to drink straight out of the bottle," she smiles back at me again. But I have no problem with that.
I'm staring at her and I know that. But even when she notices, I can't stop. I grin and reach out my hand to her. "Come here." Because, for some reason, I can't help myself.
Her hand slides into mine and I pull her back into my arms, leaning down to capture her lips with mine. It feels even better than I remembered. I can't get enough of her, so I just keep pulling her closer. I pull her even closer and her feet lift off the ground. Almost instantly, I can feel her leg coming around my waist as she finds her balance. I reach one hand up into her hair, jerking her mouth harder against mine. I boost her up higher, so I can cup her ass. She says my name, but I just keep kissing her. I don't want to hear it if she's gonna tell me to stop.
I pull her even closer and push my tongue past her lips. She moans against my mouth, wrapping her other leg around my waist too. I walk us slowly toward the bed, then drop her gently on it, never losing contact as I put my hands down on either side of her and continue to kiss her hungrily. She eagerly reciprocates. I pull away and stand up, starting to take my shirt off. Her hand grabs mine to stop me. I look down at her. Please don't, I try to say with my eyes, but I don't think she gets the message because she goes, "Maybe we shouldn't..." in this soft, sweet, unsure voice that just makes it that much harder.
I sigh and let my shirt fall back. I sit beside her on the bed, breathing in deep gulps of air, trying to keep myself in check. "God, Haley," I groan, beyond frustrated, but not wanting to take it out on her, "you're killing me."
I hear her whisper that she's sorry and her hand lays itself on my back. I breathe in and exhale deeply one more time, almost choking when her skin makes contact with mine. After I think I'm composed enough, I look up and try to smile. "How about that drink?"
She grins at me appreciatively and pushes off the bed, searching for the vodka. Yeah... definitely time for a drink.
This can't keep happening.
(still Nathan's POV)
It's been a while since we started drinking and it kinda seems like we're wasted. But I guess I don't really know. Everything's kind of blurred around the edges. That can't mean anything good. But this feeling of lightheadedness is kind of nice, so I think I won't let it stop me. We're sitting calmly when all of a sudden Haley yells, "Hey!" My eyes shoot to her in a panic, but she keeps yelling. "What happened to the air?!"
I reach over to where she's sitting next to me on the floor and cover her mouth with my hand, widening my eyes at her for effect. "Shhh!!!" I sputter. "They can hear you!" And I really believe that.
She gasps loudly. I thought I told her to be quieter? "Who?! Can they see us too? What's happening, Nathan?" she asks quickly. So quick, I almost don't catch it.
I laugh. She can be so dumb sometimes. "I meant the people next door, Haley bo baley," I quickly explain, almost giddy with the knowledge that I knew something she didn't. Who's the smart one now, bitch?
She gives me a confused look, then starts yelling again. "Ooohhh. Well, I don't give a damn if they can hear us!" Then, she reaches out her hand and starts banging her fist on the wall that splits our room from our neighbors' and yelling, "You hear that?! I don't give a shit if we're bothering you! Might want to think about keeping it down yourselves! No one wants to hear you screwing each other!"
I laugh. Such a comedian, that Haley. Then, I pull her hand away from the wall and drop it back in her lap. "Such a trouble mailer."
She scrunches her eyes up again. "What's a trouble mailer?"
I furrow my eyebrows. What the hell's she talking about now? "Huh? A what?"
"You mean troublemaker," she says. What?! She doesn't make any sense... isn't make sense... doesn't making sense... none of those sound right... now, Haley's giggling.
I smile dopily at her. "Wanna order a pizza?" I'm starved!
She shakes her head and goes, "Nope. I wanna know... what happened to the air," popping the P in nope.
I gaze to where the air conditioner is... so far away... all the way across the room... and squint at it. Nothing jumps out at me. I shrug at her. "Dunno."
She punches my arm and I frown. Damn, that hurt! "Well, go turn it on," she says.
Oooo... something I'm good at. I wiggle my eyes at her. "Oh, I can turn it on." I'm such a gigolo.
She scoffs. "Fine, whatever strikes your fancy."
I frown again. This girl's crazy. "Whaaa..."
She rolls her eyes at me. Again. Why's she always doing that? "Just go check the air, dumbass," she bites out.
I glare at her. "Fine, I bill, witch." She giggles, but I don't care what she's laughing at, so I manage to get to the other side of the room before falling flat on my back when I try to kneel down next to the air. I try to get up a few times, but it's not working, so I lay there until, suddenly, Haley's standing there next to me, holding out her hand. I take it, but only succeed in pulling her down next to me. We both stare at the air conditioner. When it doesn't do anything, I hit it. Nothing happens. I pout. "Damned air conditioner!" I turn to her, still pouting. "It's broken."
She gasps and smacks the thing even harder than I did. That girl's one hell of a smacker... slacker... slapper? Maybe that's right. She starts pouting too. "What the hell?! It's not working!"
I nod sadly. "I know. It died," I inform her.
She glares at me and pokes her finger at my chest. "You killed it," she accuses.
I shake my head vigorously. I won't let her blame this on me! "Nuh-uh, I just slapped it . It died on its own."
She keeps glaring at me and crosses her arms. "Murderer."
I look down at her finger. "Finger pointer." I grin triumphantly. I win this one!
She rolls her eyes. "New game, please."
For the next 20 minutes, Haley keeps complaining about how hot it's getting in the room and blaming me for not being able to fix it. After the tenth time she calls me an asshole, I get fed up and stumble over to the bed, climbing under the covers with slight difficulty. Out of the corner of my eye, I see her pushing her lips out. What nerve! She's pouting at me. Well, I'll show her. I won't even acknowledge her.
I watch as she gets to her feet and sways over to the bed, tripping over her own foot and landing on top of me. Annoyed, I try to push her off, but, somehow, she winds up on the floor. Oops. I glance over the side of the bed at her and smile shyly. "Sorry?" I offer lamely.
"Just help me up," she grumbles. So, I reach down to help her and, after a few minutes of struggle, she's up on the bed next to me. Sweet Jesus, save me.
"Haley?" I start, not sure how to put what I want to say next out there.
"Yeah?" she asks quietly.
I take a second to respond. "Do you really hate me?" I finally ask, nervous about the answer.
She takes awhile to respond and, waiting for her answer, I suddenly don't feel so trashed. Finally, she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I was just upset." I restrain myself from sighing in relief.
I nod, accepting her apology. "OK." Not knowing what else to say, I grab up the bottle and take a sip, then hand it to her. When she's done, I set it back on the nightstand, fighting this itch I have to just keep drinking until it's empty. That conversation sobered me up more than I wanted it to. But at least I know the truth. And we can move on...
And then, she's shoving down the covers and moaning, "It's really hot in here."
I nod, deciding it would be best not to argue with her in the state she's in right now. Besides, for once, I agree with her anyway. "Fucking air conditioning. We're gonna die of a heat stroke," I say and watch as she nods without cracking a smile. And I have to laugh. "I was kidding. We won't really die."
She pouts, looking completely offended as she says, "You never know, we might could." I fight the urge to laugh again at how totally ridiculous she sounds. She might not appreciate it too much...
I find myself staring over at her again and wondering when she became so fascinating. I feel like I could watch her all day long and never get bored. Good God, it must be the alcohol talking. She turns and catches me staring and, for a moment, just stares back.
Then, we move slowly toward each other until we're kissing and I can't stop myself from bringing her right next to me, so she's pressed as close as I can get her. If only we could kiss like this all day long and she'd never talk to me... then, we could have the perfect relationship. But that girl's got one helluva mouth. And I only like it when it's on mine.
Then, she's lifting off of me a little and I almost die when she takes her shirt off and throws it behind her. This is it! Finally. No interruptions this time. I smile and reach out for her, bringing her back down to where she was before. Her body feels so good against mine. I run my hands all along her stomach and back. Her skin's so soft. Slowly, my hand makes its way to her bra clasp. She kisses me harder and I hold her tighter. Snapping her bra open, I start to pull it away from her body when I look at her and see that her eyes are closed.
"Haley?" I whisper, but she doesn't respond. I start to panic, realizing she must've passed out. "Haley!" I whisper a little more harshly. What if something's wrong? But I look at her face and it's all flushed and I realize she must've gotten over-heated. I feel like screaming into my pillow. Damn it! Why can't we ever just finish what we start? Just once?
I don't think I can take another night under her knowing she can't satisfy me. I start to get up, then realize it's too late... she's already fallen asleep with me in a vice like grip. And she won't let go for anything. Sighing, I get as comfortable as I can and wrap my arms around her bare waist.
I decide to leave the covers off...
...it's hot enough already.
So, there you have it. I hope it didn't disappoint too much, especially since I gave you way too much time to build up your expectations. :( I really can't apologize enough. I'm so sorry, I really am doing my best. And I promise this story will be finished, as long as you guys want it to be. Anyway, if you want them, here are some spoilers:
-Nathan tries to outmanuever Haley... but does it work?
-Nathan stops Haley and another guy almost before they start (what guy?)
-Nathan and Haley try to leave... but there's a little complication
Haha, OK, I guess that's enough. Wouldn't want to give away all my secrets, would I? Anyway, sorry and thanks like always (is it sad that there's a 'like always' tacked on to my apology?), and I hope you enjoyed. I will do my best to get the next chapter up soon, but I'm sure that doesn't mean much to you guys by now. I'll still try though.
Love you all, Ash