~~~ "I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All the Time" ~~~

* Chapter Fifteen *

Chris stood still in the kitchen of the tour bus completely dumbfounded. His mind was racing a million miles an hour. Instantly he began to recall the events of the last few days of the tour. More importantly, he was thinking of all the changes in Haley and Quinn's recent behavior. Chris wasn't an expert in signs and symptoms of pregnancy but he did know a few things. The most common symptom he first thought of was nausea. At that very moment, Haley was looking rather "green" in color and was sprawled out on the couch complaining of "motion" sickness. Then his mind brought him to several instances over the last few days when Haley suddenly didn't want food she had been known to thoroughly enjoy. Would that explain her recent drop in weight? He had noticed the slight change in her body but attributed it to her busy schedule. He had witnessed her being pulled in different directions trying her best to please everyone and not miss a commitment.

Then his mind shifted to Quinn. Suddenly her nose seemed overly sensitive to odors. Particularly foods she loved to eat usually in massive quantities. He thought back to what Walker had just said minutes earlier and the dip she know found utterly disgusting. Something very un-Quinn like. She seemed to be more tired than normal and was found napping all the time. But then again, Haley seemed run down and tired all the time as well.

"Oh hell this is impossible." He said to himself out of pure frustration. He glanced at the pregnancy test one last time before returning it to the box, shoving in down in the garbage again and then returning the lid. It looked as if he had never been there. Unfortunately the image of the positive test was burned into his mind. He quickly washed his hands in the sink and carelessly dried them. His tried to tame his thoughts as he made his way towards the rest of the band. He took a large swig of his beer and a few deep breaths before he opened the door. He quickly found himself staring right at them even though he had convinced himself moments before he would do anything but.

"What's the matter?" Haley asked noticing Chris' strange look on his face.

"You okay?" Quinn questioned as well taking in his odd facial expression.

Chris shook his head and brought himself back to reality. He flashed them a cocky smile and quickly made his way over to his previous seat on the couch.

"I'm cool, let's start this movie before one of you falls asleep yet again during movie night." He said testing out the waters looking for a reaction from one of them. Both James girls looked the same. Unsettled. 'Well, what now?' he thought to himself as he watched the opening movie credits play across the flat screen television.

-
Nathan stood still holding the same expression on his face as he had for the previous 5 photographers. He wasn't smiling or smirking like he normally did at charity events. He couldn't believe the situation he suddenly found himself in. The flashing lights from the cameras seemed to be the only thing that kept his body moving. He continued to turn his attention towards the next photographers anxiously waiting to get a piece of him. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of Nathan Scott that night. More than usual.

"Nathan over here! Nathan! Give us a shot of you and your lovely date!" One photographer shouted.

"What's her name?" Another one added.

Nathan began to feel extremely hot and sweaty. His heart had been racing since the moment he got out of the limo and had only increased as they walked the press line together. He wiped his now sweating palms on his pants again as he desperately tried to maintain a sense of control. The constant chatter from the photographers was slowly getting to him. He was trying his best to ignore them and not give into them with a reaction. When on the inside he felt nothing but panic.

"Have you ever seen her before?"

"One more shot of the happy couple?"

Nathan felt her tighten her hands around his bicep as they continued to walk together. Underneath his sports coat and dress shirt he felt his skin begin to crawl. He looked over at Dan who was a few steps behind them and couldn't help but notice a strange look in his father's eyes. It was only there a second until Dan noticed Nathan's stare. That was when Dan seemed to flip a switch and went into manager/agent mode.

"Alright that's all for the night. We're here for a charity after all and that deserves Nathan's full attention. Thank you all very much." Dan said coming to the rescue as he stepped forward ushering them past the last few photographers and into the building.

Nathan managed to shrug himself free once they were in the building and at their table. He pulled out her chair and stood still as she found her seat. He turned back to Dan with a clear scowl on his face.

"We need to talk right now." Nathan barked at him.

"Later. Nathan you should enjoy the rest of your evening. I'm going to get us some drinks." Dan answered back and stalked off leaving Nathan standing dumbfounded. He sat down next to his "date" and decided he wasn't going to let Dan see he was upset any longer. He was going to put on his happy face but only for the charity. He could explain this to Haley later. At least he hoped he'd be able to.

-
Haley double checked her phone for what felt like the millionth time. She had already called Nathan twice, left him a voicemail and a few text messages. She was bordering on stalkerish type behaviors and needed to get herself in check. Something in her gut was telling her to be cautious and that something was changing. She put her phone back down and focused on the ending of the movie. She tried desperately to lose herself in the story being played out in front her. Before she knew it, Quinn had the remote control turning their last movie of the night off. She changed the channel settling on the catching the end of an old sitcom rerun.

"Well, it felt good to close this leg of the tour with our old standby movie." Walker stated with a smile.

Chris laughed in agreement and replied "The Breakfast Club is a classic."

Haley chuckled to herself half listening to the boys while she glanced at the television on her way to the bathroom. Chris and Walker continued discussing the movie and their mutual admiration for actress, Molly Ringwald. Quinn was focused on the new entertainment show that had begun showing pre-show teasers. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You guys look!" was all Quinn managed to get out.

Chris and Walker were lost in their banter and ignored Quinn's request.

"Shut up you two and watch this!" Quinn ordered louder getting their attention this time.

Chris turned and looked at Quinn who was as pale as a ghost.

"What's the big deal?" He asked Quinn somewhat in a harsh tone.

"Isn't that….." was all Quinn said.

"Coming up after this commercial break we have the scoop on a possible new romance blooming in the NBA world. Normally, fairly private about his personal life it seems L.A. Clipper point guard Nathan Scott is finally letting his guard down. We share all the juicy details from the charity event he was spotted at this evening and the mystery woman on his arm."

"Holy shit!" Walker stated finally as the three sat in silence for a moment.

"What a two timing asshole!" Quinn exclaimed nearly in a shriek.

Chris was about to offer his opinion but stopped once he heard the toilet flush.

"Hales is coming back. What are we going to do?" Chris asked them looking from one to the other.

"She needs to know about this." Walker replied seriously looking directly at Chris.

"It's already in the press maybe she knows about it already and that's why she's been sick to her stomach today." Quinn suggested not wanting to break her baby sister's heart but silently knowing it was going to happen whether she did it or not.

"Ok so we agreed that we're going to tell her and let her watch this trashy show." Chris stated.

Walker was about to respond but stopped once Haley walked back into the room. She sat back down on the couch and looked at her band mates.

"What's up guys? You look like someone died or something." Haley joked trying to lighten the mood in the room that had clearly taken a negative turn after she brief departure.

The three people in question exchanged glances with one another silently trying to figure out who was going to speak up first up. Quinn was the first to speak up.

"We saw story on this entertainment show that you should know about and maybe you already do." Quinn said starting out in a strong tone but died off as she got towards to end of her declaration. As Chris opened his mouth to speak, the show returned from commercial break leading with the previously mentioned story.

Haley watched the images play out on the screen in front of her. The sight of a well dressed Nathan Scott getting out of a limo was just enough to make her heart soar. That is until he reached his hand out for a woman who was not her.

"It was observed the young woman escorted Nathan for the entire press walk posed for pictures with him and sat at his table for the charity dinner. He refused to comment further about who she was or even acknowledge they were indeed dating. But it's clear to see they look great together. We'll let you know of any further developments as the banquet ends later tonight….back to you in the studio." And with that Chris shut the television off.

Haley sat in silence feeling three sets of eyes staring her down. She couldn't believe her eyes. It had to be a mistake. She could pass off a photograph as being fabricated with photo shop type programs and different ways images can be manipulated. However, watching live video footage was something different.

"Hales are you ok?" Chris asked softly, his voice sounded especially raspy.

She blinked back tears not wanting to cry in front of them. "I'm fine you guys. It's just some stupid sleazy gossip show. I'm not worried about it." She said trying to sound convincing for them but mostly for herself.

Quinn's jaw dropped not buying one word her sister said.

"Bull shit! I thought you were exclusively dating each other. Because it sure doesn't look like that to me, not to mention the rest of the world now after watching that." Quinn stated rather bluntly.

"A little harsh there Quinn." Walker warned peering his dark eyes at her.

Quinn fought back with emotion "What? If he's going to prance around with some whore while claiming he's exclusively dating my sister…then she needs to know about it."

"It's called tact Quinn. You should find some." Walker shot back at her.

"Both of you shut up and get out! I wanna talk to Haley." Chris shouted over his bickering band mates.

Quinn muttered something under her breath as she stormed out of the room off towards her bunk. Walker followed suit and let the living room door slam shut. Chris waited a moment before finally speaking to Haley.

"Alright why don't you tell me what's really going on Hales? And don't bother trying to feed me a lie this time."

Nathan had tolerated sitting next to his "date" through the plated dinner. He was surprised he was able to finish his meal while inhaling her overly sprayed cheap perfume. She had followed him when he made his rounds schmoozing with other celebrities and posing for a few photos. Dan was never far behind the pair keeping a watchful eye on Nathan's behavior. Dan couldn't be more pleased with how the evening was unfolding. He had tipped off a few reporters ahead of time promising them a story once Nathan Scott had arrived. He had received confirmation via text message about the story aired about Nathan Scott's mysterious "date". Sure he couldn't guarantee Haley James had seen the show but in a matter of a few hours the story would go viral. If he got really lucky, a sleazy tabloid might put a few photos to press for their next issue.

Nathan had patiently waited for the appropriate opportunity and he was relieved when it finally presented it's self. Dan had made his way clear across the room and was speaking with a fellow agent mostly likely comparing notes or strategies. As he silently watched Dan in action, his blood began to boil and he knew he couldn't control his temper much longer. Nathan Scott was after all known for being a loose cannon when he played college ball. A behavior he had taken great lengths to manage and control now that he was playing professional ball.

"Say would you be a doll and grab us a few drinks from the bar while I use the restroom?" Nathan asked his "date" trying hard to fake a smile when he looked at her. He raised one eye brow knowing it would send her over the edge.

Sure enough she smiled back and replied "Sure, another whiskey and water?"

Nathan's quick head nod sent her on her way over to the bar for more drinks. He looked back at Dan once more and just about jumped out of his seat when he saw Dan's back facing him. This was his shot and he wasn't going to miss it. Nathan was on his feet and his body was in fast motion. He made his way across the room and silently slipped out a side door. He just about jogged over to where his limo was parked and hopped inside.

"Mr. Scott done so soon?" Said the limo driver once he regained his composure from being startled.

"Yes, let's go." Was all Nathan said as he fished his phone out of his pants pocket.

"Shall I wait for the rest of your party?" The driver asked.

"No! Just drive." Nathan snapped back feeling a bit guilty for taking his anger out on the driver. But he had more important mistakes to fix. He pushed the button to raise the window providing himself some privacy.

-
Haley sat quietly next to Chris as she quickly tried to gather her thoughts before answering him.

"Come on Hales, talk to me." He begged probing her once more knowing sooner or later she would give into him. She always did.

"I knew nothing about him bringing a date to his charity event tonight. We've talked about this before and his previous stance was to always show up single to keep the focus on why he was even there in the first place." Haley finally answered.

"But he did the exact opposite tonight. Has something changed between the two of you recently?" He questioned again thinking back to the pregnancy test he found hours earlier.

Haley shook her head slowly and relied "He left me a strange voicemail right before he left for the event tonight and he sounded off. I tried him back but didn't get a response. God I don't need this drama right now with everything else going on."

She let her head fall in her hands as she let an exhausted sigh out. Chris rubbed her back lightly unsure of what he was contemplating doing next. He had to find out one way or another if it was Haley who was indeed pregnant. It was now or never.

"Listen Hales, I need to ask you something and I'm not sure how to bring this up…." Chris started suddenly in a serious tone. Haley looked back at him with darkened eyes waiting for him to continue.

"I'm not sure if it's my place or not to even ask you this. I kinda feel like it is seeing as the band has always been our number one priority. So if something has changed that I want to know…" He started but was interrupted by Haley's cell phone.

"It's Nathan." Haley declared without evening looking at it recognizing his designated ringtone. She held the phone looking at it and then back at Chris as if for help.

"I don't know what to say to him." She confessed quietly mostly in fear.

Chris quickly snatched the phone out of her hands and took a risk sliding his finger over answering the call.

"Chris no!" was all she could get out before answered the phone.

Nathan sat back in the limo slightly thrown off having expected Haley's voice on the other end. Not Chris Keller.

"Hey Chris! It's Nathan did Haley leave her phone in laying around again?" Nathan asked trying to keep his voice from wavering.

"Not exactly Scott." Chris answered rather shortly.

"Oh well, grab my girl for me will ya?" Nathan said into his phone trying to lighten the conversation. He had noticed a stand offish type tone in Chris' voice not one he had ever heard before.

"Give me the phone now!" Haley ordered loud enough for Nathan to hear on the other end.

Chris ignored Haley's request and brushed her hand away when she tried to grab the phone from him. He was about to mettle into her life and he couldn't stop himself. He was feeling insanely overprotective of her not wanting to help her put the pieces of her life back together again. He had stood by Haley's side as she let music heal her heart the last time she had allowed herself to fall in love.

"The girl standing next to me just happens to be busy. Maybe you should go talk to the girl you were with earlier tonight." Chris said accusing Nathan of cheating on Haley. He knew the minute the words left his mouth he shouldn't have said it. He saw the look of hurt in Haley's eyes and felt like an asshole.

"Dammit Chris!" Haley shouted at him.

Nathan felt his heart drop into his stomach at the sound of Haley's distressed voice. Distress he had caused. She had found out about the woman on his arm earlier before he had a chance to explain himself to her.

"I can hear her in the background. Keller put her on the phone now!" Nathan demanded, his voice nearly growling into his iPhone.

Haley forcefully wiped away the few tears that had escaped from the corner of her eyes. She yanked on Chris' arm yet again forcing him to turn around and face her. She could hear Nathan shouting into her phone as Chris stared her down. He lowered the phone from his ear and slowly handed it to her.

"Hales, I'm sorry I just want to protect you." Chris confessed hoping she would understand.

She wrapped her hand around the phone not taking her eyes off of Chris.

"You can shut the door when you leave." Was all she managed to say before Chris headed towards the door. Once the she heard the door latch, she found her voice again.

"Nathan?"

Nathan let the air out of his lungs completely unaware he had been holding them in. The sound of her voice completely wrecked him.

"Haley, I'm so sorry about tonight. You have to let me explain what happened. I tried to call you before it all happened so you wouldn't find out this way. I wanted you to hear it from me."Nathan started forcing himself to pause mid statement mainly to double check she hadn't ended their phone call.

"That woman I was with earlier meant nothing to me. You have to believe me." He pleaded desperately.

"I thought you didn't bring dates to that sorta thing. Who the hell was she?" Haley replied finally finding a different emotion within her. She was getting mad.

"I don't even know who she was. It wasn't my idea and I didn't have a say in it." He shot back.

"Didn't have a say in it? Nathan I thought this was your life you were leading."

"Dan showed up and this chick was waiting for me in the limo. I tried to tell him I didn't want a date for the event but she was already in the car. He wouldn't talk to me about it the rest of the night. Everything just got completely out of control. I promise you Haley I was set up tonight and I fell for it like a completely ass. I'm so sorry." Nathan said.

Haley took a few moments to process what he had just said while trying to harness the anger building inside of her.

"I just feel so betrayed Nathan. I watched you on tv walking with that skank draped all over your arm. I know you told Dan your personal life was none of his business but he seems to think otherwise. Look what he did to us in one evening." Haley pointed out.

"I will handle Dan believe me! It ends now! I'm just so sorry this happened. Worst of all because I let it. I never want to hurt you, you have to believe me. I love you Haley James." Nathan confessed into the phone silently kicking himself. He had been waiting to tell her in person tomorrow but it slipped out. The silence on the other end was killing him as he waited for Haley's response.

"Nathan ?" Haley said in a whisper.

"Yeah baby.."

"There's something I have to tell you." Haley said.

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