Logan; I thought our story was epic, you know?
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Swiping the thin brush over her closed lid again Haley sat back, admiring her handy-work in the mirror and finally satisfied with her dark green eye shadow she leaned back in her chair.
Do not think about him. Do not think about him. Do not-
But it was too late. He had been running through her mind ever since she had stormed out of her dressing room, ignoring his protests and his deep voice as he apologised, begged her to listen-which had shocked her, Nathan was never one to beg. But she had walked past him, her black high heels clacking on the hard floor as she threw over her shoulder 'I have an encore to do' and then she was back on stage. Letting the crowds screams take over the sound of her heart been ripped from her chest all over again. But this time it was her who was the one walking away.
When she had started tutoring Nathan Scott it was simply that; tutoring Nathan Scott. He wasn't anything special to her, even though to most of the school he was God reincarnated in basketball player form. But as the weeks went on and he realised she wasn't going to take any of his bull he became less of the guy everyone seemed to think he was and more of the guy she started to see that he was. To her, he was just Nathan, the boy who loved the paper route he had when he was a kid, hated away games because that meant he had to leave his beloved labrador with his dad, loved frappuccino's even though he thought it was a girls drink and hated yellow Skittles.
And as she learned more about him the more she found herself wanting to rip apart the façade he had grown accustomed, the part he seemed to think he had to play in the 'elite' crowd.
She found that he was just as human as everyone else.
..
"And that makes three tutoring sessions in a row you've been on time for." A fresh faced Haley smiled teasingly. "I'm almost impressed." When she merely received silence in return instead of his usual sarcastic response-Nathan Scott did sarcasm, who knew? - she looked up from the mock test she was marking. "What crawled up your ass and died?" She repeated those same words he had to her at their first session four weeks ago - and he still wondered why she hadn't jumped at the chance to tutor him?
"Are we going to talk or are you going to teach me something?" He asked more harshly than he had intended.
She let her eyes fall on the angry set of his jaw - she was used to being the bitchy one. "What happened? Straightness not working?" His usual gelled to perfection locks were sticking up in fluffy tuffs. She liked it. It was more… real.
He jerked a couple of his books from his backpack, letting them fall noisily onto the wooden table-top, ignoring her gaze as he felt it searching his face, she always seemed to be doing that. As if she was looking for someone else as she looked at him. But lately it was less searching and more… wondering. He kind of liked it.
Looking up, his cold blue eyes met her huge brown ones and he found the hard set of his jaw lessening as she blinked back at him.
"That's new." She commented as she finally saw his face for the first time fully since he had sat down.
He almost looked away. Almost. "Turns out I'm more of a klutz than you."
Ignoring the jab at her co-ordination skills - or lack there of, she continued to stare at the purplish swelling on his cheek bone. "Trip over a basketball?"
He chuckled and realised in these past few weeks he had smiled and laughed more than he ever had in his entire life. Ever. "Something like that."
She nodded, twisting her lips to stop herself from asking anything more and slapped her hand down on the English book between them. "I think we left off on page 42..."
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"I got into a fight with my dad."
Haley looked up, surprised at his sudden voice. "Huh?"
Nathan smiled uneasily, though he tried not to show it. It unnerved him, how she made him want to spill his deepest and darkest without even speaking. "This morning, I got into a big argument with my dad about basketball. He was talking about me being a fish and something about pig and small ponds and how I could be better if I just worked harder and I lost it." He chuckled darkly, looking down at his fingers as he picked out a splint of wood from the table. "I was going on about how he was trying to live vicariously through me because he had never made anything of his own life and then he - well, I guess the huge shiner on my face speaks for itself."
"It's not that big." Haley replied after a moments silence. Despite having him open up slightly over the past few weeks she had never expected him to talk about something so personal. "And vicariously, I am definitely impressed." She grinned, happy as he chuckled, the tension seeming to physically lift off his shoulders. "And I can fix that." She announced, pulling something from her old ratty bag before getting up and plonking down beside him on the small bench, ignoring the fact that her hip bone was pressed into his thigh.
"What are you doing?" He asked, feeling a little light-headed as her perfume wafted around him.
"Helping you." She replied, pressing the sponge gently to his bruised flesh, watching his face wince slightly. "Do you want to go to school and have everyone asking you tons of questions?"
Nathan sighed as he let her put concealer on his skin, he could have told her that he would have simply lied and made up some story, but he was tired of the lying and the stories. And she seemed to know that. And thought he didn't want to admit it, that scared him.
"Do you fight with your dad a lot?" She asked, softly. Not judging, not poking her nose into his business. Simply asking, letting him get it off his chest if he wanted.
Haley James may have just been his saving grace.
He shrugged. "Sometimes." Flinching away from her hand as she pressed down too hard on his cheek. "I mean, we yell and shout and stuff but it's never gotten violent before."
She nodded, her fingertips burning with a desire to stroke his tired face. "I fight with my mom a lot." She admitted, her eyes never leaving his bruised skin. "My dad left when I was young and he got re-married, it kind of tore us apart a little." She declared, as if they were talking about the weather.
He felt the rectangular sponge move away from his face and his eyelids felt heavy as her fingers replaced it, his eyes closing.
She tried to stop herself but she couldn't, simply let the tips of her fingers run down his cheek bone to the slight dip underneath to his strong jaw.
"Why did you tell me that?"
Her heart lurched in her chest as she found his piercing eyes staring intently into her own.
"Probably the same reason you told me about your dad."
He nodded; she had no idea why, just like him.
She finally realised that she was sitting down at the dock, her side pressed into Nathan Scott's chest as her fingers strayed along his neck, after having just put make-up on his bruised face. Quickly she pulled her hand away and as she went to stand up, get away from the scent of him that was making her feel dizzy he gripped her wrist in his fist.
"Come to the game tonight."
She looked over her shoulder from the half crouch half standing up position her body had taken.
"Please?" He tried, the word foreign to his tongue.
She wanted to laugh, wondering if he had ever had to ask for anything in his life. "Get more than an 80 on your History quiz today and I'll think about it."
He smirked, letting her move back to her side of the table. "How about if I get more than an 85 you come to the after party?"
She met his daring blue eyes and found her lips moving before she could even think. "More than 87 and I'll go."
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Jarred from her thoughts by a sharp rap at her hotel door Haley shook her head, her natural waves moving with the movement.
She wanted to laugh as she got up from her chair and made her way across the bedroom; he had gotten a 91 on that test.
Removing any thoughts about him from her mind she smoothed out the front of her dress before putting on her best smile as she opened the door and for the second time in two days was not met with the deep green eyes of her boyfriend but the pale blue ones of his driver.
"Miss James." The man smiled. "I'm here to pick you up."
Despite her slight disappointment she smiled at the man with greying hair. "Hi Rupert."
"He sends his sincerest apologies." The older man replied, waiting for the young girl to lock up her room before taking her arm and leading her down the large hallway.
"As he always does." She smiled back, letting him lead her down the marble steps and out into the cold night air.
"He has reserved your favourite table and promises to be there no later than eight thirty."
She nodded and just as she went to step into the limo she found her eyes wandering back over her shoulder, down the darkening sidewalk, masses of people still bustling about outside the large hotel.
"Miss James?" Rupert asked again, despite her always telling him that her name was Haley.
She ignored the heat that was burning up her spine and got inside the door he was holding open for her, her bare legs sticking slightly to the leather underneath her and she jumped a little as it slammed shut beside her.
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"Excuse me?" Haley politely stopped a waiter as he rushed passed her table. "Can I have another?" She asked, her empty wine glass dangling between her fingertips.
"Of course." He returned with an Oscar-worthy smile and he was off again.
She sighed, leaning back in her wooden chair and she found herself reaching for another breadstick, nibbling on the end of it. Looking out the large window she watched the world walk by, the string lights that hung above the seating outside the restaurant seemingly unnoticed by them all.
She found herself caught up in the white and gold glow, not noticing her wine glass been re-filled, or the large body coming to stand behind her.
"Would you forgive me faster if I told you that you look absolutely stunning?"
Shocked at the sudden husky voice she quickly got over it as she felt a familiar pair of lips press against her earlobe.
"Absolutely stunning, huh?" She twirled the half-eaten breadstick on the chequered table-cloth as she smiled teasingly at him.
"As always." He grinned back, taking the seat opposite her.
She laughed, feeling completely at ease as he took her hand in his, thumb stroking across the back of it.
"I'm sorry I'm late. I had a meeting and it-"
She shook her head, cutting off anymore of his excuse. "Let's not talk about work. I haven't seen you in weeks and I kind of missed you, Dean Winchester."
He grinned at her declaration, his green eyes finding her large brown ones. "I missed you a ridiculous amount." He leaned over the table to press his lips to hers.
"Good answer. That was a test." She replied one he pulled back and he chuckled in return. "I guess I'm still marrying you." She jokingly rolled her eyes in annoyance, the large grin she wore giving her away.
"I love you, Haley James, you know that?"
She looked up at his face, his white teeth a stark contrast to his stubbled jaw, his fingers toying with the beautiful white-gold engagement ring on her finger and she smiled back softly and she knew he meant it.
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"…and the whole crowed was on their feet." Haley finished, smiling wistfully as she remembered the feeling of been on stage, the music pumping through her veins as she sang her heart out. "I've never known a feeling like that in my life."
"Adoration?" Dean asked, his hand rubbing lowly on the base of her back as they walked along the streets of NYC.
She wanted to nod yes when suddenly a pair of blue eyes flashed into her mind and she almost had to stop and catch her breath.
"Well, then I must be doing something wrong." Dean announced, pulling her closer into his side as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo.
"What are you doing?" Her voice was muffled as her face was pressed into the white shirt he was wearing.
"Nothing." He returned, letting his hand continue it's journey over her backside. "I just don't want you feeling neglected. Un-adored."
She laughed, smacking at his shoulder as he winked teasingly at her, squeezing her butt as she pulled him along the streetlamp lit sidewalk.
"Indigo?" Her voice sounded sceptical as they stopped outside the nightclub - the place to be, apparently.
"Try to sound a little enthusiastic, babe." He suggested, nodding to the bouncers as they walked passed the mile long line outside, people protesting in indignation.
"I hate doing that." Haley reminded him.
"I know." He replied easily, flashing her a gorgeous grin, making his way through the grinding bodies, making sure he kept a hold on her the whole time.
"…and then I reminded her that she was fifty five, and she was probably born before Arbour Day." A raspy voice could be heard as the couple found their way to a booth hidden in the back of the club, the music a little less ear bleeding.
"Labour Day." A mans voice corrected, an adoring note to his tone.
"Dean?" Haley's questioning eyes turned onto the grinning twenty five year old beside her.
"You didn't really think I forgot did ya?" He asked, the faces that belonged to the voices finally being revealed. "Happy Birthday, baby."
She couldn't hide the shocked parting of her lips as he pressed a kiss to the side of her temple.
"Traitor Girl!" A voice squealed, quickly getting up from her seat and pulling the frozen girl into a hug.
Haley finally found her voice, laughing as she gripped tightly to the other brunette. "Traitor Girl?"
Brooke shrugged, pulling back from her best friend but not completely letting her free from her arms. "That's what happens when you leave me all alone for the bright lights of New York."
Haley raised an eyebrow. "You moved to LA a few weeks ago."
Brooke simply grinned her dimpled grin. "I missed you, Hales." She whispered, pressing the former tutor against her chest again. "Happy Birthday."
Haley smiled softly into Brooke's shoulder, tightening her hold and she wanted nothing more than to pull her away from the club and go back to her hotel and just sit with her.
Brooke closed her eyes, something was wrong.
Pulling back and flashing the Fashion Designer a large smile she rolled her eyes at the brunettes questioning hazel eyes. She knew, she always knew.
"I don't know about you man, but I'm feeling a little jealous."
Letting it go - for now, Brooke kept an arm around Haley's shoulders and turned back to face the table.
"As you should." The dressed to impress girl informed, but her smile was nothing but affection. "I was in love with Haley long before you." She let out a raspy laugh as the smaller girl simply leaned further into her side in response. "Hales, this is Julian Baker, part-time boyfriend and Julian this is Haley James, long-time best friend."
Julian rolled his eyes at his girlfriends dramatics while holding out a hand for Haley to shake. "It's nice to finally meet you."
Haley smiled back, unclasping their hands as Dean pulled her down into the booth beside him. "You too." Ignoring Brooke's inquisitive eyes which she could feel studying her face she finally remembered the man beside her. "Oh, sorry. This is Dean Winchester."
Dean chuckled. "Her fiancé, and we've already met." He told her, gesturing towards the other man.
"He worked on one of the movies I was directing." Julian explained. "Pain in the ass."
Both girls laughed as the rugged boy gave him a glare in response.
"So what are you doing here?"
Brooke stopped her eyes from running over Haley's face and smiled into her large brown eyes. "Well, your soon-to-be hubby over there phoned me up and said he was having a party for you and well, never one to miss a party, I got on the first plane out."
"Dragging me along with her."
"Kicking and screaming." Brooke nodded in agreement with Julian, her hand resting comfortably on his thigh.
Haley smiled knowingly at the expression on Brooke's face before something clicked. "Party? Bu-"
Suddenly there was a loud shout of 'SURPRISE!' and faces she instantly recognised and quite a few she didn't came out from their hiding spots.
"I am going to kill you." Haley promised before she was taken away, submerged into the chaos.
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Smiling at a couple as they walked by her, wishing her a happy birthday Haley then let out an inaudible sigh. She knew Dean meant well, but big parties weren't her thing. As boring as it was she would have rather have gone out to a club with a few friends, instead of having everyone here just for her. She just wasn't the girl who wanted to be centre of attention. She almost laughed at the ironic ness of that thought, she was a famous singer who didn't like people noticing her.
"Having fun?" Brooke asked, plopping down next to her friend and she gave a sympathetic smile, already knowing the answer.
"His heart was in the right place." Haley replied, finding said boy standing by the bar with Julian and a few other guys.
Brooke nodded, following her line of vision and was about to reply when she suddenly let out a quiet gasp.
"What?" Haley looked quickly at the brunette. "What's wrong?"
Without replying Brooke grabbed the singers hand and pulled her along side the bar before quickly opening the ladies' room door and pushing her inside.
"What the hell, Brooke?" Haley asked, stumbling slightly in her high heels. "Did you have a little extra crazy for breakfast?"
After checking all the stalls were empty Brooke turned back to the small girl, even in high heels she still only reached Dean's shoulder. "You're not telling me something."
"What?" Haley laughed, not having a clue what she was talking about. Okay, maybe a little.
Brooke raised a recently plucked eyebrow. "You're blushing. And not once have I ever seen you do that since high school. Or when you're thinking of something you know you shouldn't be. Spill."
Haley opened her mouth to tell Brooke she was out of her mind but stopped herself. "Nathan's here."
"What?" She nearly screeched, ignoring the smaller girls gestures to shut up. "Where?"
"Not here." Haley explained. "In New York."
"How do you know?" Brooke asked, feeling the protectiveness she'd always felt for the other girl kicking in.
"I saw him yesterday." She admitted. "He was there after my show."
"Oh no." Brooke said, pissed. "No, no. No"
"Brooke-"
"What does he think he can do? Waltz back into your life after all these years?" She let out an angry breath. "What did he say?"
Haley sighed, not wanting to remember the way he looked at her. "That he made a mistake."
"Damn right he made a mistake." Brooke fumed, then noticing her friends expression her face softened slightly. "Do you believe him?" She couldn't help the disbelieving tone in her voice.
Haley turned to look in the mirror, pretending to fix her already perfect eye-liner. "It doesn't matter. He made his choice and now he has to live with it."
Brooke watched her movements, remembering the words she had told her years before. 'Don't let him charm his way into your pantaloons.' Turns out it should have been her heart she had warned her friend to protect.
"It's kind of weird though, isn't it?" Brooke admitted, leaning against the marble sink. "Seven years ago tonight-"
"I know." Haley cut her off.
"At a party just like this one."
She looked back into the mirror, finding herself gazing into those blue eyes and remembered back to that night.
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"A 'Nathan Scott party.'" Brooke grinned. "Whoever thought we would be going to one of those?"
Haley rolled her eyes but let her best friend have her moment while linking arms with her.
"It's just a party."
"No. A party thrown by Nathan Scott." The brunette explained. "And I know, he's just Nathan to you." She mocked in her best Tutor Girl voice. "But these parties are meant to be insane."
Hearing the music which had been playing faintly begin to get louder Haley thought they must be getting close. "He was pretty good tonight, huh?"
Brooke looked at her.
"I mean the team." Haley corrected, not meeting the girls hazel stare. "The team was really good."
Letting it go- for now, Brooke nodded as a whole crowd of people could be seeing gathered outside a large white house- correction; mansion. "We won, so, yeah."
Haley's laugh, along with Brooke's raspy one was lost in the pounding music booming from house. Squeezing passed the hoard of people outside they stepped inside, eyes widening at the bodies scattered everywhere; leaning against walls, dancing, passed out on the floor, making out on couches…
"Whoa." Brooke mumbled, covering up her shock and acting like she belonged she dragged Haley along, gripping tightly to her hand. She cut her eyes backwards as someone barged through their hold, glaring at the obviously drunk boys back. "Asshole!"
"Alexander, actually."
Both girls turned to find a lanky boy standing before them, his messy blonde hair falling into his grinning face.
"Do you want to get a drink?" He asked, the side of his mouth lifting as he looked into the brunettes sparkling eyes.
Getting over her immediate shock of seeing this gorgeous boy in front of her, she sent him her best flirty grin. "Sure." And then she was following his broad back into the kitchen, making 'he is so HOT' faces over her shoulder, making Haley forget the fact that she had just been ditched alone at a party, where she knew no one.
But then the pair disappeared into the kitchen and the small girl looked around again, pulling her jacket tighter around her body. Happy Birthday, Haley.
Then her eyes were pulled in a different direction and there he was, just as good-looking as always. He was standing across the room, laughing with someone she recognised from the basketball game as another boy choked on a shot they had just done, the burning liquid coming out of his mouth and nose.
Haley found herself smiling at the way his nose crinkled when he laughed and then he was meeting her gaze. She felt her heart break at the smile that lit up his face upon seeing her.
Feeling a lot more confident than she ever had she took a step forward, only to have her way and view blocked by something large and green.
"Hey." A voice announced and she looked up, finding the green thing was in-fact the boy in front of hers t-shirt. "I'm Clay."
Haley smiled back at his large, friendly grin. "Haley."
"You were at the game earlier, right?"
She finally looked at him properly instead of trying to look around him, surprised. "Yeah. You were in the game." She finally realised. "You were the… Point Guard?" She tried.
He chuckled. "Centre."
She shrugged. "Close enough."
"Do you want to get a drink?"
She opened her mouth to answer when someone else appeared from behind Clay, making her heart flip in her chest.
"She's already got one." Nathan's hard edged voice announced, handing her a yellow cup filled with a liquid she didn't recognise.
Feeling her cheeks burn she accepted the drink. "Thanks." She smiled.
He grinned at the flush that rose to her face before turning back to look at the other boy, standing beside Haley. "Good game tonight, Evans. That rebound you missed was just superb."
Clayton smirked at the protective edge to Nathan's voice, the jealousy clear on his face; never had he seen Scott get wound up over a girl before. "Nice meeting you Haley." He nodded, sending her that winning smile before glaring at Nathan, muttering dickwipe as he walked past.
"That was mean." Haley announced, turning so she was facing the obviously pissed off boy beside her.
"Hey, I'm a nice guy." He replied, the hard set to his jaw turning into that smile.
"Oh, yeah. Everybody loves being around you for your winning personality." She quipped back.
"Did you just call me hot?"
"What?" She laughed.
Nathan smirked, finding it ridiculously sexy that she blushed just from that. "Well, everyone must hang around me for something other than my personality. Must be my good-looks."
"It's definitely not your modesty." She muttered, eyeing him over the rim of her cup as she took a sip of her unidentified drink.
"You think I'm hot." He announced, pleased, after a few seconds of silence.
"Oh my god." She laughed incredulously. "That's a back-handed complement if I've ever heard one."
He shrugged, that goddamn smirk set like stone on his edible looking lips. "Want to get out of here?"
Haley looked up, surprised. "Wont your minions miss you?" She asked, nodding to the seemingly endless girls staring at him, they would probably kill to be in her position, Haley realised.
Nathan shrugged. "I really don't care." He told her before locking his fingers around her wrist but she realised years later that he wouldn't have had to, she would have followed him anyway.
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Stepping down into the large room Haley nodded, impressed. "Is your dad, like, a pimp?"
Nathan laughed, shutting the door behind them, the music still audible through the wood. "Nah, he just likes spending my mom's money." He replied, bending down to take out a couple bottles of Vodka from the cabinet.
Haley bit the inside of her lip when suddenly something barked at her from behind the large chair she was standing in front of. Almost falling over in fright Haley found a brown dog smiling back at her, it's tongue hanging out the side of its panting mouth. "Hi." She said, surprised when it immediately bounded over to her, inhaling her clothes.
"Duke, man." Nathan called, and she watched as the dog's head quickly turned in his direction. "She's way out of your league."
Duke's tail went crazy as Nathan spoke to him.
Haley sent Nathan a look before bending down, scratching the brown Labradors fur.
"Duke?" She questioned, laughing as the dog licked at her face, thinking she was talking to him, as Nathan came over and sat down beside her on the floor.
Nathan nodded, poring some of the clear liquid into her now empty cup. "My dad named him when I was seven." He admitted, rubbing the old dog under his greying chin. "He had high expectations."
"He named him after Duke, the college?" She voiced her disbelief. "A lot to put on a seven year olds shoulders."
"That's my dad." He smiled bitterly, taking a big gulp of his own drink.
She pressed her lips together as the room suddenly became silent, expect for the faint music and Duke's panting breath.
"It's my birthday." She announced suddenly.
Nathan's baby blues immediately looked at her to where she was looking down at Duke as she scratched the back of his ear.
"Sorry." She laughed. "I didn't expect you to say anything, I just hate when it's quiet."
He heard something else in her voice and that scared him. He wasn't supposed to know her well enough to be hearing underlying meaning in her words.
"If it's your birthday why are you here?" He asked, feeling his stomach churn as her large brown eyes met his.
She laughed without humour. "No one remembered." She shrugged. "Plus it's just the day I was born, what's so special about that?"
As he watched her rosy cheeks turn a little redder at his staring he decided it was very special. "I feel like a dick. I didn't even get you anything."
"You didn't know." She laughed-giggled, even.
She would tell him about how she fought with her mam and her dad left when she was young but she never told him about her birthday? She was a riddle wrapped in a mystery.
Watching as she bit her bottom lip he suddenly wondered what it would feel like under his own teeth, and then he wasn't wondering as he pressed his lips to hers.
Haley's eyes widened as his nose bumped hers but then she felt his soft mouth on her own and she was pushing back against him.
Pulling back, still close enough to feel her breath on his face Nathan smiled-not his usual smirk, but a full blown knee weakening heartbreaking smile and her whole world as she knew it disappeared.
"Happy Birthday, Haley."
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As she leaned against a wall, surrounded by people she hardly knew-only invited because of their status, she realised that was the best birthday present he could have given her, no amount of anything - fancy watches, diamonds, pearls - could compare to the feel of his lips on hers.
And then as if some higher power was reading her mind he was there. It was his back she saw first, but she could recognise it anywhere, she had spent hours running her fingers over the firm muscles which were currently tensed as he hunched over the bar-then he was moving, as if he had felt her eyes on him and he was looking at her.
And there went the heart.
Taking a deep breath she pushed herself onto the soles of her feet and then they were carrying her towards him.
"Nice party." He smirked, using the beer in his hand to gesture to the large room, streamers and banners decorating the walls-tastefully, of course.
"I like it." She replied, not meeting his eyes as she let her eyes follow the same path as his.
"Sure." He shrugged, his tone telling her he knew she didn't, not really.
She sighed, folding her arms across her chest, as if the barrier could protect her thumping heart from his intense gaze. "What are you doing here, Nathan?"
He didn't reply but tipped the bottle in his hands to his lips. "Do you remember that night, on your seventeenth birthday?"
She wanted to laugh, of course she remembered. "That was a long time ago." She announced, staring at him defiantly.
"Seven years." He told her. "And for the past six of them I have regretted-"
"Don't." She stopped him, feeling her stomach twist.
"Haley-"
"No, Nathan." She stood her ground, feeling anger begin to sizzle in her veins. "It's not like we were together or anything. We were nothing."
Nathan's now dark blue eyes were such a swirl of emotions that she found herself unable to meet his gaze. "You know that's not true."
She snapped her eyes to him. "After all these years you expect me to believe that?" Her tone was hard, hiding the pain he had caused her. "You do not get to waltz back into my life." She stated, her voice firm. "You just don't."
Nathan felt the dark thing in his chest he guessed was his heart give a lurch at the crack in her voice. "Hales-"
His pleading tone was cut off as another voice suddenly announced their presence, wrapping a protective arm around Haley's shoulders. "Hey babe, you're missing the party."
"Sorry." She smiled, her lips straining with the effort as he pressed his lips to her cheek.
"Dean Winchester." The sturdy man held out a hand.
Nathan shook it firmly, not missing the challenge in his green eyes. "Nathan Scott."
Haley ran her tongue along her bottom lip, pulling it into her mouth with her teeth. "He's um…"
"An old friend." He filled in.
"Nathan Scott." Dean mulled the word over. "Wait, Charlotte Bobcat Nathan Scott?"
Looking uncomfortable he nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah."
"Aren't you guys playing in Chicago this weekend?"
Nathan couldn't help but watch as Haley leaned into Dean's embrace as he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "I'm sorting out a few things."
Dean nodded, feeling the end of conversation note in his voice.
"Well, we better get back." Haley filled the silence, feeling awkward standing in front of Nathan as Dean's arm slid down to her waist.
"Oh, wait." Dean stopped her. "Are you coming to the wedding?" Noticing Haley's large doe eyes give him a silent warning. "What?" He chuckled, his eyes looking back challengingly into the taller mans. "He's an old friend, right?"
Dean wasn't stupid, she knew that and he was also very observant when he wanted to be.
"Wedding?" The word clawed it's way up his throat before running like acid off his tongue.
"Yeah. It's not long now." Dean grinned, looking down at his bride-to-be. "A few months, right babe?"
"Something like that." Haley's smiled was strained, never wanting to get out of a conversation more. "We really should get back."
"Okay, but you'll come, right Nate?" Feeling his jaw tick at the use of his nickname Nathan's eyes found Haley's, she looked terrified of his answer. She had never been good at hiding her emotions.
"Sure." He forced out, if he had anything to do with it there wouldn't be a wedding.
"Great." Dean smiled happily. "We'll send you an invitation." And then he was pulling her away, the girl Nathan had spent the last third of his life thinking of.
Quickly, without thinking he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, his mind flashing back to that morning seven years ago when he had done the exact same thing.
Quickly she pulled her hand away and as she went to stand up, get away from the scent of him that was making her feel dizzy he gripped her wrist in his fist.
"Come to the game tonight."
She looked over her shoulder and he saw it in her eyes, she remembered, too.
She sent Dean a quick smile, telling him she would just be a second and let him pull her back, just an inch, out of his earshot.
"It's always been me and you, Haley." Nathan swore, his eyes burning with truth, his voice low, his words only for her. "I made a mistake when I walked away, the biggest mistake." He closed his eyes, his shoulders hunched as his face was a breath away from hers. "I know you don't believe me right now but I've changed, I'm not that stupid teenage boy anymore. You're it, Haley. You once asked me what I wanted out of life and I realise now that all I want, is to be able to spend the rest of it with you."
Haley never let her eyes wander from his face, the worry lines etched into his forehead made her thumb tingle with the want to rub them away, like she used to.
Then she felt Dean tug at her other hand and she was being pulled away, Nathan's grip loosening on her wrist as her fiancés tightened on her hand.
Even as Dean led her through the crowd she found herself unable to take her eyes from him but then she realised her future was holding her hand and she set her gaze forward. The hand Dean was holding felt nice, warm, comforting. But her wrist Nathan had held tightly was still burning.
You're it.
.
.
.
Oh and also, I have never watched VM. I just love the quote(:
Thank you for the reviews. Seriously.