Sitting in her car in the driveway of the house that she and Nathan had shared for almost four years, Haley felt, not for the first time since the day before, like she might be sick. It was odd how the house looked exactly the same as it had when she'd left when it seemed like nothing in her life was the same. She no longer lived in this house, the house she loved, the house she helped decorate. Her marriage was in shambles.

Even better, she was about to pretend for a week or more that things between her and Nathan were just fine and dandy.

No, things were definitely not the same. Haley actually felt insecure about walking into such familiar territory. Well, she'd be damned before she let Nathan know it. Gathering a degree of composure she didn't really feel, she grabbed her keys, purse, and a few grocery bags and headed for the front door.

She walked inside and found with relief that he wasn't home. At least that would give her a little time to gain her bearings. Haley headed straight for the kitchen, noting that Nathan had done little by way of cleaning up the house. At best, she had an hour of vacuuming and tidying up to do. Only a further perusal of the house would tell exactly how much more time she'd waste cleaning up after him.

Despite the annoyance that hit her on seeing the small mess he'd made of their home, she couldn't help feeling a twinge of relief to be back. Actually being in the house made her feel like she belonged there.

She had just finished bringing in the groceries when the front door opened and shut, announcing Nathan's arrival. She continued about her business, unpacking things and putting them carefully in the proper cabinets, until she felt a presence that she couldn't help but turn to face. Damn him, something about Nathan Scott could always draw her in like a moth to a flame. He stood in the entrance to the kitchen, dressed in nice slacks and a button-up shirt, just looking at her with those expressive eyes of his. Inside she felt a sudden surge of warmth and her heart thudded in her chest at the way his eyes swept over her, and she silently cursed him for being able to affect her that way.

Well, she wouldn't let him see it. "You didn't clean," she announced flatly, turning to put the milk and orange juice in the refrigerator. She wrinkled her nose when all she saw on the racks were beer, baking soda, a pizza box, and a few cartons of leftover Chinese.

"I'll get around to it," he told her, watching carefully as she investigated the contents of the fridge. She looked good, he admitted to himself. He didn't expect to feel so happy to see her again—in their kitchen, in their house—but he couldn't deny that he was glad she was back, if only for a week. And relieved, oh, was he relieved.

"Right," she replied doubtfully, picking up the Chinese and carefully peeking inside. Instantly she grimaced. "Oh, God, there's something green growing in here and it sure isn't broccoli." Disgusted, she plucked up all the cartons, not daring to look at or smell what was in the others, and pitched them into the garbage.

Nathan tried to stifle his laughter at her expression, but failed and tried a sheepish smile instead. "I've been meaning to toss those."

"Uh-huh." The pizza followed the Chinese into the trash.

"Hey! That was fresh."

"I'm not risking it." She wrinkled her nose and continued putting things away without missing a beat. Her cell phone rang and she reached across the counter and into her purse to grab it. "Hello?" Balancing the phone on her shoulder, she resumed her work around the kitchen.

Nathan watched her, leaning idly against the island in the center of the room. A frown marred his face when he realized who must be on the other end of the line—Randall Sumners, her editor and a guy who would follow her around like a puppy dog if she let him.

When she hung up a minute later, he felt a need to fill the sudden silence. "So how's work? You and Randy still working side-by-side?" he inquired coolly, immediately seeing it as the wrong thing to say—and the wrong tone to say it in. Work was a sour spot between them, and Randy had been the topic of many arguments in the past.

"As always. Hey, how's Cassandra doing?" she asked back, her voice every bit as sharp as his. Where in the weeks before their separation Nathan had been somewhat jealous of her relationship with Randy, Haley had become leery of his doe-eyed assistant Cassandra.

Nathan sighed as he caught the flash of anger in her eyes. This was not the way he wanted things to go, but he could hardly explain to her his unreasonable possessiveness. They weren't even technically together anymore but the thought of her with her doting editor made his skin crawl.

Haley grabbed into the last plastic bag and took a deep breath. She needed not to kill him. Prison life wouldn't fit her at all. She paused and then turned around, not realizing until it was too late that Nathan had moved closer and was almost right behind her. The carrots in her grasp smacked him firmly on the chest, breaking two of the bunch.

For a moment she felt flustered and embarrassed, but one glance at his confused expression and she couldn't help but laugh. "Oops."

"I know you're pissed, but you didn't have to attack me," he teased, trying to break the tension.

"Well, you deserved it." She smiled slightly and tossed the carrots in the fridge with a sigh. "This is going to be a long week if we can't at least be civil to each other. And if Dan feels any sign that we're weakening he'll be attacking us like a rabid dog. So let's just… stay on neutral ground, okay?"

Nathan nodded. Sounded perfectly fine to him.

"I put my stuff in the guest room closest to our old room," Haley went on. "It'll be easier for me to run in and out for the pretense."

"You can't sleep in the guest room."

"Excuse me? Why not?"

"You don't think they'll notice that?"

She frowned. "I'll be sneaky."

"They'll be able to tell," Nathan stated without doubt. "You know my dad. And mom will get curious if she sees anything weird, too. We have to make them think nothing is wrong and that means acting like we did around them before… everything."

Her stomach was starting to form knots, though she couldn't say whether they were from nerves or dread. "But we used to… I mean, you really think Dan's going to be paying that much attention?"

"To win? Have you forgotten what he's like?"

She was beginning to realize that Nathan had a point. "So… everything?" she asked, hoping her voice sounded like more than a squeak. "Kissing and sleeping in the same bed and being nice?"

He nodded. "The whole nine yards."

Had the bet been against anyone but Dan Scott, she would have walked out the front door without looking back. Very little was important enough to put herself through that kind of emotional turmoil. She wasn't even close to being used to life without Nathan yet; what if acting like a happy couple somehow screwed with her mind and made her believe it? Just so she could get hurt again?

"You're asking a hell of a lot for a guy that can't even clean the house when I ask him to," she pointed out, trying to buy time for her to think. Oh, what did it matter? She wouldn't deny him; they both knew it. "I got the food. Time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

Nathan chuckled. At least she hadn't fought that like he'd thought she would. "All right. Interested in helping?"

She shot him a skeptical look. "You're kidding. Get to work, Cinderella."

"But didn't she at least have rabbits or deer to help her?"

"That was Snow White."

"Mice?"

"You're lazy. You don't get mice." Taking one last look at his pitiful expression, she smirked and walked out of the room. It looked like she had some room changes to make.