Hi guys. I know it's been a while but here's the next chapter. I know some of you think that the story is predictable but I'll try and throw a few surprises along the way and hope that I don't let you guys down ok. Anywho, I really appreciate your reviews and suggestions. You guys are the best readers. So here's the new one. Let me know what you guys think. Cheers! ;)
Chapter 13
"Hey guys!" Brooke exclaimed as she entered Karen's Cafe where she had agreed to meet the rest of the gang. As usual she was late which made Lucas late. By the time they got there everybody including Michael and Rachel was already there. "Hey Michael," she greeted and smiled. She had come to really like Michael and was glad that Haley introduced him to the gang. Rachel frowned when Brooke didn't even acknowledge her presence. Haley looked at Nathan and Rachel who were sitting across her and felt a bout of nausea rising in her throat. She didn't know whether it was the pregnancy or the sight of them together that made her sick to her stomach. A song was playing softly in the background, and her throat clamped as she listened to the words.
Don't know what to do anymore
I've lost the only love worth fighting for
I'll drown in my tear storming sea,
That would show you, that would make you hurt like me
All the same
I don't want mudslinging games
It's such a shame
To let you walk away
Is there a chance?
A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?
A reason to fight?
Is there a chance you may change your mind?
Or are we ashes and wine?
Don't know if our fate's already sealed
This day's spinning circus on a wheel
I'm ill with the thought of your kiss
Coffee laced intoxicating on her lips
Shut it out
I've got no claim on you now
Not allowed to wear your freedom down
Is there a chance?
A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?
A reason to fight?
Is there a chance you may change your mind?
Or are we ashes and wine?
I'll tear myself away
That is what you need
There is nothing left to say
But
Is there a chance?
A fragment of light at the end of the tunnel?
A reason to fight?
Is there a chance you may change your mind?
Or are we ashes and wine?
The day's still ashes and wine
Or are we ashes?
(A/N: The song is called "Ashes & Wine by A Fine Frenzy)
Great, Haley thought. The story of my life summed up in a song. She sighed and tore herself away from the song when she heard Peyton and Brooke quibbling.
Peyton rolled her eye when Brooke sat herself down next to her. "Do you always have to keep people waiting. I'm really hungry you know that?"
"Awww Peyton, I miss you too honey.. And you're always hungry by the way," Brooke said sweetly. "So, what's new? Anything good happened while me and Lucas were gone?" she asked.
Peyton and Michael looked at each other guility. Haley and Nathan's eyes met briefly, both concealing the pain and heartache that they were feeling inside. They managed to muster a smile before looking away. The four of them shook their head. Jake and Rachel just shrugged their shoulders.
"You guys are so boring," Brooke wailed when nobody said anything. "We were gone for a couple of weeks and nothing happened?" Under the table, Michael squeezed Haley's hand tightly. He knew how it was killing her inside not being able to tell Brooke that she was pregnant. "Okay, whatever. I'm starving. What are we having?" The moment she said it, a sigh of relief was heard all around. They finished their order and started chatting.
"So Lucas and I was walking around Venice and we saw this baby store," Brooke started to say. "Oh my God, you guys should see those tiny clothes. They're so adorable! I would have totally bought the whole store if I was pregnant," she gushed. "Which of course we are not planning at the moment," she said when she saw the stricken look on Lucas's face. Everybody laughed at the table, except for Haley, Peyton and Michael.
"Yeah, that would be a sight to see. Brooke pregnant," Jake mused.
Haley couldn't take it in any longer. She got up from the table and ran to the bathroom, closed the door and sobbed, her chest heaving with every breath she took as she tried not to make a sound. She cried for the life she and Nathan could never have. She cried for the baby that Nathan didn't know about.
"Haley?" a knock on the door sobered her up. "Hales, are you okay?" a concerned Nathan said.
She quickly wiped the tears from her eyes and washed her face, hoping that he didn't notice that she had been crying. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute," she said through the door, hoping that he would leave. A couple of minutes later, she opened the door and was surprised to see that Nathan was still there.
"Hey, are you alright? What happened back there?" he asked. Something was not right with her but he couldn't put his finger on it.
She gave him a watery smile. "I'm fine. Just an upset stomach," she said simply. "Come on, the food should be ready by now." She started to leave when Nathan's hand stopped her.
"Is there something you're not telling me?" Nathan asked, eyeing her curiously.
"What do you mean?" she stammered through her panic.
"I don't know. You've been acting really weird lately," he said. He put a hand on her cheek. "Hey, you know you can always tell me anything, right?"
She closed her eyes at his touch. "I know," she said. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Rachel must be wondering where you are. We should go."
"Wait, Haley. I wanted to ask. Are you okay with me going out with Rachel?" he asked. Apart from the fact that he wanted her to tell me that it wasn't okay, she was his best friend and her opinion meant a lot to him.
She looked at him in surprise. "Yeah, sure," she managed to say. "I mean, you guys make each other happy and as long as you are happy, I'm happy." She smiled more to reassure herself than to reassure him. "Come on. Let's go before they file a missing person's report," she said, relieved that it made him laugh.
"Where did you guys disappear to?" Rachel asked curiously as soon as Nathan returned to his seat next to her. She hated the fact that she was jealous of Haley although Nathan kept reminding her that he and Haley were just friends.
"So Rachel, word is that you are one of the brightest lawyers in town," Michael interrupted her, which saved Haley and Nathan from answering her question. Haley took in a breath of relief, grateful once again to Michael who always seemed to save her when she was in a rut.
Rachel blushed with embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't say brightest," she started to say. "My dad was a lawyer before he retired, so I'm just taking care of his practice." Michael's tactic seemed to work as the talk diverted from Haley and Nathan. All through the chatter, Nathan watched Haley with interest. He had a feeling that something was not right and he couldn't put a finger to it, but he was determined to find out.
"Oh my God, thank God that's over," Haley groaned as she hopped into Michael's car. They had just finished breakfast, and Haley was relieved that she was just in time for the doctor's appointment that she had scheduled in a town just outside Tree Hill. She didn't want the news of her pregnancy to spread and Michael had suggested they go to another town.
"Why? I thought that was fun," Michael said, grinning mischievously at her.
She smirked at him in disgust. "Yeah, I'm sure you thought it was. I saw you looking at Rachel the whole time. In case you haven't noticed, she was holding on to Nathan like she's got glue on her fingers or something."
"You're just jealous," Michael said, knowing that he had only stated the truth.
"Yeah, whatever," she said grumpily. "Are you taking me to the clinic or not?"
Michael was just about to turn on the ignition before he changed his mind. "You know, just because you're being extremely grumpy with me today when I saved your ass in there, I'm not gonna tell you my news." He folded his arms in indignation. Haley's ears perked with interest.
"I'm sorry. I know I'm being an ass to you," she said meekly. She saw that he was slowly starting to thaw. "So what's the news?" she asked.
"I got the Chicago deal. Yay!" he said and waited for her respond.
"Oh," she simply said. She looked out the window and closed her eyes.
He touched her arm gently. "Wow, not the reaction I was expecting. I thought you'd be happy. I thought this was what you wanted." He didn't get it. He had been working so hard to make the deal work for her.
She looked at him and touched his cheek. "It was. It still is. But then that means that all this is really happening," she said. "Thank you Michael. I know you put out your limb out there to make this work and I just want you to know that I really appreciate it."
"Yeah, you'd better," he said and turned on the ignition. "Now let's get your grumpy big ass to the doctor."
An hour later, she sat nervously in the doctor's room with Michael by her side. He had insisted that he be there throughout the whole process.
"Okay Haley. Let's see what you've got. Why don't you lie down over there and we'll have a look. Is this your husband?" the kindly doctor asked, indicating Michael.
Michael grinned. "Oh no, I'm not. I'm just a friend." He looked at Haley and winked. The doctor nodded in understanding, and being the professional she was, didn't ask further.
"Is this your first check up after you found out?" the doctor asked. Haley nodded and tried to make herself comfortable and laid down with her legs apart. She was already two months along and the pregnancy still felt like an out of body experience for her. She didn't know what to expect and she was grateful that Michael was here with her, holding her hands although he was looking greener in the face by the minute.
"It looks okay down there," the doctor said when she was done checking and walked over to her tray. "I'm sure you're excited to see a picture of your baby." She felt the doctor smear a cool gel on her stomach, making her flinch.
"Just relax Haley. We're looking for the baby's heartbeat ok?" She then placed a contraption on her stomach. "Here we go. Can you see that? That's your baby," the doctor, said pointing to the monitor.
Haley sat up on her elbows and looking at the monitor, felt her heart swell and tears started to form in her eyes. She placed a hand on her mouth and gasped softly. "Oh my God. That's my baby." The tears were now falling down unchecked, and she felt Michael squeeze her hand to reassure her.
Michael was also looking at the baby monitor in awe. "Wow, that's a baby right there." He turned to look at Haley and saw that she was now crying openly. "Hey," he said, pulling her closer to him. "It's gonna be okay," he said, although he wasn't entirely convinced himself.
Back home Nathan was still trying to figure Haley out. He walked up to the fridge and found a can of beer. He let the cold liquid slide down his throat and closed his eyes. His head was throbbing with all the buzzing questions. With a sigh he went to the couch and laid down with an arm slung over his eyes. He was sure that there was something Haley was not telling him. Eversince the night when they slept together, she had been acting weird around him and although things were better between them, something was still off. Remembering that night, he couldn't help but smile. He still had no clue as to why she left abruptly the following morning. Something must have happened between the time they woke up in each other's arms and when he came out of the bathroom. He let out a loud groan of frustration.
"I'm sorry. I thought there was a bear in here somewhere," Peyton's voice jerked him out of his mind sleuthing. He sat up and blinked at her. "Are you okay buddy? You left in a hurry justnow. Everything alright with you and Rachel?" She sat down next to him and picked up the still half full can of beer on the coffee table and took a sip.
He sat up properly and looked at the door. "Was the door open when you came in?" he asked her.
"Nope. Why do you sound so surprised anyway? Nobody in Tree Hill locks their doors," she said as if stating the obvious. "What's going on?" She switched on the telly and starting to channel surf before landing on MTV. She and Nathan had always have this comfortable relationship and aside from Haley, Peyton was the only other girl he was comfortable sharing his problems with. He looked at her with interest, an idea suddenly popping in his mind. If anybody knew Haley better other than him, it would have to be Peyton. After all, they lived in the same house and worked together.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Peyton asked suspiciously.
"Can I ask you something? About Haley," he started. For a moment he thought he saw her face change but he must have imagined it.
"Yeah, sure," she answered hesitantly. Shit, this doesn't sound good.
He chose his words carefully and took quite a while to speak. "Do you know if there's something Haley not telling me?"
She took another sip from the beer can, as if trying to stall. "What do you mean?" she asked.
He got up and started to pace, running his fingers through his hair and tried to think. "Did Haley tell you about that we slept together? What am I talking about? Of course she did," he said and looked at her for confirmation.
"Yeah, she did." She nodded slowly. "But that's all she told me," she quickly added. "Why, what are you thinking of?" she asked suspiciously.
"I don't know. There's something weird going on here. She ran away the morning after we slept together and for a while she was avoiding me. And now, I'm not sure. But something doesn't feel right. Come on, you live with her. You must know something," he begged. He looked at her intently and saw that she was avoiding his eyes. "You do know something, don't you?"
She lifted her face and looked at him. "Look Nathan. I really don't want to butt in-"
"I told her I loved her," he said, cutting her short.
Her eyes went wide with surprise. "You what? She didn't tell me that."
He smirked bitterly. "Yeah, I'm sure she left that part out. I did and she freaked out."
"Do you? Love her I mean?" she asked gently.
He closed his eyes and let out his breath slowly. "I did. I still do. But she wouldn't hear of it and she practically shoved Rachel in my face. I'm just so confused." He sat down again on the couch and leaned back. "I love our friendship. I mean, she's still my best friend no matter what but I'd like to think that maybe we could be something more, but she didn't even want to try."
Peyton sighed. This is more complicated than I thought. "What about Rachel? Do you love her?"
"I'm trying to. She's great but it's like I'm constantly trying to make it work and sometimes it just makes me tired." She looked at him and felt sorry for him. She understood Haley's fear and hesitation but Nathan really looked genuinely in love with her. "And then there's Michael. I know they're just friends but I feel like she's slowly slipping away from me and I'm afraid that one day, she might be gone from my life for good."
She placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Well, you've been spending a lot of time with Rachel and she probably feels lonely and Michael probably fills that gap."
"And who's fault is that? Did I mention she practically shoved Rachel in my face?" he yelled in frustration. "Rachel was just a one-night-stand for me until all this weirdness starting happiness. And now Rachel told me that she loves me but how can I love her back when there's somebody else in my heart?"
"Talk to her," Peyton said, surprising even herself. She knew that that was the last thing Haley wanted but she couldn't let two people who were obviously in love with each other be apart. She didn't think she live with the fact that she could have done something hanging over her head. That and the fact that Nathan deserved to know about the baby.
"What do I say? Everything I wanted to say to her I already did and she shot me down. I don't think I can do it again," he said, staring blankly into space.
"Tell her again. You know how Haley is. She can be very stubborn especially when her mind's made up, but if anyone can break that wall, it's gotta be you."
He looked at her and felt a flicker of hope in his heart. "Do you know if she's home?" he asked, his mind resolute.
She looked at her watch, knowing that she was going to see the doctor with Michael. "She went out for a while but she should be back in an hour. So, are you gonna talk to her?" she asked.
He smiled for the first time. "You're damn right I am."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Michael asked Haley as soon as they stepped into her house. They had just come back from the hospital and she had been quiet all the way back home. She simply nodded. "Hey, don't forget this," he said and handed her a picture of the baby's sonogram. She took it from him and smiled ruefully. Even though the baby was still the size of a cherry, she was already in love. She traced the black and white picture with her fingers and felt Michael's comforting arm around her shoulders.
"If the baby's a boy, I can tell he's already handsome like his Uncle Michael," he said jokingly and kissed her on the forehead. "You're gonna be a great mom Hales." She gave him a watery smile and placed the picture gently on the kitchen counter.
"So we didn't exactly had the chance to talk about Chicago. Are you sure you're alright with this?" Haley asked tentatively.
"Yeah sure. Why not?" he said off-handedly.
She stood staring at him with her arms across her chest. "Michael, are you sure about this? You just moved to Tree Hill and I know you love it here. Asking you to move to Chicago is a big deal."
"Haley, you didn't ask me to move to Chicago with you. I came up with the idea. You came to me for help and this is the only way I know how. I'm not gonna leave you alone, not when you're pregnant in a strange place. It's the perfect opportunity for me. I get to expand my business and I get to look after you." He walked over to her. "The question is, are you sure you're ready to leave Tree Hill?"
"Leave Tree Hill? Where are you going?" Nathan asked, making them both turn around. He walked over to them in the kitchen. "What's going on?" Nathan asked them.
Haley looked at Michael fearfully before turning her attention back to Nathan. "Nothing, we were just talking about Michael. He's leaving for Chicago," she said, her face looking flustered as panic set in.
Nathan didn't look very convinced and looked at them both intently. "Haley, can I talk to you? Alone?" Nathan asked.
Michael got the hint and gave Haley a last squeeze on the arm. "We'll talk some more later," he said quietly.
Just before he was leaving he heard Nathan ask. "Hey, what's this?" He saw Nathan pick up the sonogram picture before he could stop him and looked at Haley, who had a horrified look on her face.
"Is this a sonogram? Who's baby is this?" he asked as he looked at the picture with interest. And then realization dawned on him. "Haley, are you pregnant?" he asked, his voice trembling.