Many thanks to those still reading and reviewing. I really appreciate reading all of them and they seem to make a difference in my productivity.

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

* Chapter Twenty-Two*

It only took a few moments from when she pushed the door bell to when the door swung open to reveal Nathan dressed in a matching jeans and t-shirt combination. He smiled the moment he saw Haley as he stepped aside allowing her to step inside. She walked in and her eyes widened slightly while she looked around her.

"Wow Mr. Scott! I'd say you sure look like a big baller now. You've got quite the place here." Haley confessed somewhat in awe.

Nathan shut the door behind her and turned to witness Haley taking in his entry way and the decorations on the walls.

"It's a bit showy all thanks to the designer Brooke insisted I hire after I moved in. But it's livable none the less. You made pretty good time getting over here." He replied and then walked over to Haley. She instantly wrapped her arms around his neck and brought herself up to her toes to meet his lips. Nathan's hands started on her upper back but slowly he ran them down her back, finally resting one on each of her hips. He pulled his lips away from her lips slowly to look at her closely. She felt good in his arms after the long day he'd had.

"You hungry?" He asked.

Haley nodded as she smiled back at him.

"Great! I just starting making some spaghetti. Hopefully you're cool with that. Come on in to my humble abode." Nathan stated as he motioned for her to follow him. Nathan headed into the kitchen with Haley right on his heels. He stood in front of the stove giving the pot of boiling pasta noodles a quick stir.

Haley studied Nathan move about his kitchen as he prepared their food. They began conversing about Haley's day in the studio.

"So this opportunity just came up and don't get me wrong it's great exposure and a new challenge but it just seemed like something was little off. Normally Chris and I don't have that much trouble recording together. I mean, we've been doing it for years now. Peyton was just on a power trip today for some reason and decided to take it out on me. No matter what I did, no take was good enough for her." Haley said in frustration.

Nathan looked up from the tomato sauce he was adding fresh herbs to. "Whatever, it doesn't give her a free pass to be a bitch to you! You literally just got off a 4 month tour to have a much needed and deserved break if you ask me. Then she has you back to work not even 8 hours after you got off stage last night. That's bull shit!" He ranted and raved in Haley's defense. He couldn't help but feel protective over her and the schedule she'd been keeping.

She smiled tenderly back at him and couldn't help but feel loved. She had made it a point to go about life only relying on herself to be in her corner but it was starting to feel good to have someone else there for her. It was clear Nathan would go to bat for her when she was being wronged in any way.

"I'm used to surviving and working on little to no sleep and going 24/7. A lot of hard work and sacrifice in order to achieve our dreams right? I bet you've practiced your free throws for thousands of hours right?" She countered back.

Nathan laughed a little because she was right. He couldn't help but think deeper about if the sacrifices he made along the way were really worth the end result but also for Haley too. His mother's face flashed through his mind. Haley noticed an instant change in his face and body language.

"Nathan? You ok?" She called out to him and it shook him from his thoughts.

He looked back at her and tried to flash a convincing smile.

"I'm ok. The uhh…. food is ready." He stated out of the blue. He promptly drained the pasta, gave it a quick shake and returned it to the pot. He dished up some pasta and sauce and then handed the bowl to Haley.

"We can sit in the formal dining room if you want." Nathan added as he dished up his own bowl.

Haley made a sour looking face and then said "Naaaw, let's sit somewhere comfortable since it was a game day for you."

He smiled at her thoughtfulness as he added, "This way then." Haley followed him into the living room and sat on the couch next to him. She found herself looking around the room again taking in the deeper glance at who Nathan Scott was.

He caught her eyes wandering again and reassured her once they finished eating he would give her a proper tour of his house. Haley devoured her spaghetti which impressed her boyfriend when she set her empty bowl down on the coffee table in front of the couch. Nathan still had about a quarter of his bowl remaining.

"Damn girl! Am I good cook or what?"

"I'm sorry I was starving. Breakfast was a long time ago and lunch was pretty much non-existent today. However, the snacks I munched on at the studio while we were recording were hours ago. So thank you very much for fixing me dinner. I was starving!" She answered coyly trying not to feel self-conscious about the amount she had just eaten in record time.

He raised one eye brow as he looked over skeptically at his girlfriend. "Why exactly did you go for a run today?" he asked out of the blue.

"I just had to get my anger out after the studio and then for missing your game. Trust me I was kicking myself for my own stupidity about half way through my run when I had like no energy and was so light headed." She answered honestly.

"Hales, that's like working out 101! Do not run without having the proper nutrition beforehand. How many miles did you run anyways?"

"It was around 3 ½ miles which isn't a big deal except I was forced to pick up the pace after I had paps following me. I mean seriously, I'm just running it's not that exciting to look at pictures of that." She said.

"Same reason they follow people while they're grocery shopping." Nathan added with a laugh.

Nathan finished his spaghetti shortly after and decided to take Haley on a tour. She could see similar characteristics between his house and hers. The main one being a house that was only half lived in due to their hectic work schedules. Haley enjoyed looking at all of the personal touches throughout the house most of all. He explained certain people of interest in photographs which Haley liked. It was clear to see Lucas and Brooke were staples in Nathan's life and very important to him. Haley lingered over a photograph of Nathan with his arm around a blonde woman with a striking resemblance to him. She hesitated only a moment before questioning Nathan about her.

"I've seen her several times….who's this?" Haley asked while keeping her eyes on the black frame hanging on the wall in Nathan's office. He didn't respond right away so she turned to find him standing next to her looking uneasy.

"Nathan? Who is she?" Haley probed again hoping she hadn't pushed too hard.

"That's uhh….. that's my mom. Say do you want a cup of that tea you like? I picked some up at the other day. I'm sure your throat could use a good cup of tea after recording all day." Nathan stated abruptly and then left Haley standing in the office by herself. Haley was left completely shocked and confused about what had just happened. Just then she felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket and she pulled it out. She opened the text message from Peyton which informed her of a magazine spread and interview that she suddenly had been booked for later in the week. Of course there was no mention of what had happened at the studio earlier. Typical Peyton maneuver, shove it under the rug and pretend it didn't happen. Haley shoved the phone back in her pocket and glanced at the photograph once more than had changed Nathan's mood so drastically.

When Haley wandered out of the office and back towards the kitchen, she found Nathan at the stove heating water in a tea kettle. She noticed a box of her favorite chamomile tea on the counter next to a mug. She stood there watching him in silence honestly not sure what to say next. Nathan had sensed her presence the second she walked back into the room. He knew he'd acted out of character and he couldn't stop himself once it started. Old habits die hard. He pour the hot water into the mug carefully and then returned the kettle to the stove.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Nathan's head shot up like a bullet and instantly he felt his heart ache. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt Haley and he'd done just that. Why did he always hurt the people he loved the most without even trying to?

"No you didn't do anything wrong. Look I'm sorry I shouldn't have just walked out like that. It's just…this isn't something I like to talk about with anyone." He confessed trying his best to hold her eye contact. He could see genuine concern behind her eyes.

"If you don't want to I understand. It's late anyways, we could just go to bed if you want." She suggested hoping a change of subject would bring her boyfriend back.

Nathan pulled the tea bag out of Haley's tea and rested it on the counter. He walked towards Haley and then a little bit past. He paused in the dining room and picked up a frame off the table. With the frame in his hands, he walked back over to Haley and handed it to her. She took the picture and looked at it closely. She saw the same woman with Nathan as well as an older man.

"That's was taken after Duke won the championship my second year there. God that was a great game! I can still feel the energy from the fans, it was pandemonium that day." Nathan recalled looking at the frame and then back at Haley. As hard as it was for her, she knew this was a time when she needed to keep her mouth shut. Nathan swallowed hard and took a deep breath before he continued with his story.

"This is the last picture I have with my parents. It's the last happy memory I have of us all together. My mom died later that year." Nathan said ending in a hushed voice. The moment Haley's hand touched his shoulder a feeling of comfort and safety washed over him.

"I'm so sorry Nathan. The loss of a parent must be so hard to bear. Your mother was a beautiful woman." She offered quietly.

He nodded and then said "There's more to it than that and I think we better sit down." He grabbed her mug of tea off the counter and then headed into the living room. They settled on the couch together, Haley still holding the picture frame in her grasp. Nathan's hand rested gently on Haley's thigh while they sat in silence.

"Earlier tonight when you didn't show up for my game, it sent me in a tail spin." Nathan started but was interrupted by Haley.

"Nathan, I'm so sorry about that. I really feel awful I didn't get a chance to tell you I wouldn't be there." She tried to explain.

"I understand all that now but when I was on the court and saw your seat was empty I just couldn't get my game together. I played like shit Hales which I really can't afford to do." He paused and caught the heartbreaking look in her eyes.

"It's not your fault though! It all happened years ago and I thought I was passed it, I really did, but clearly I'm not. My third year at Duke my parents decided to fly out to catch one of my away games which they did from time to time. Dan showed up early of course to ensure he could watch my practice, rip apart my game some and barge his way in to talking with my coaches. My mom planned to fly out on game day since she had some work stuff to finish up on. I remember calling her the night before after I had dinner with Dan and he was such an asshole to me that night. The sound of her voice immediately made me feel better you know? She knew exactly how Dan could be and how deep his remarks could sting. She told me it would get better, that she believed in me and that she loved me. I couldn't wait for her to get there because I knew she would make it better but she never showed up." He concluded.

Haley sipped on her tea as she listened closely to his story. She set the frame on the table in front of them when he paused for a moment in his story. She feared where the rest was going. Her hand found his on her thigh and she laced her fingers with his.

"The seat next to my dad remained empty the whole first half but I just figured maybe her flight was delayed or she was stuck in traffic or something like that. After half time, I came out with the team to warm up a bit and it was still empty. I tried to play hard that game but it was struggle to even keep my head in the game. I tried calling her from the locker room after the game but it went straight to her voice mail. All I had was a text message from her earlier in the day telling me how much she loved me. I came out of the locker room after the game to find Dan standing there alone. He had a look in his eyes I'd never seen before. If I try hard enough I can still see it when I close my eyes. My mom never even made it to the airport that day. She died of a prescription drug overdose." Nathan finally concluded and then took a deep breath. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders having finally told someone about his mother. None of his current team mates knew the gritty details about her suicide.

"Oh Nathan!" she muttered as she reached her arms around his shoulder pulled herself close to him. She felt his stiff body slightly relax into hers as they sat there together. They sat in silence as Nathan blinked back the tears that had been hiding in the corners of his eyes. He wasn't going to surrender to them again in front of Haley.

Nathan took the next few minutes to explain what had happened afterwards and how much Lucas and Brooke took care of him when his own father wouldn't. She listened closely taking all the information in and desperately trying to make sure she remembered everything. Haley understood more why Nathan agreed for his dad to be his agent/manager. He was his only living parent and the desire to be close to him probably made the absence of his mother easier to bear. Deb Scott was the only woman in Nathan's life he had truly loved up until he met Haley James. The bond he'd shared with his mother was created out of necessity to survive Dan Scott.

They found comfort in each other after Dan had an outburst of anger or rage. They would take turns making each other feel better and promising they would get through it together. The relationship between Dan and Deb had become more dysfunctional after Nathan went away to college. He could sense it when he would phone home to speak to Deb or when they flew out to visit him. He felt torn wanting to protect his mother from pain but also wanting to start his own life away from Dan Scott. She promised him that things between her and his father hadn't turned violent again not since the last time when Nathan got in the middle. Dan had had too much to drink one night and an argument with Deb developed over something trivial. Nathan had been home from Duke on winter break and had enjoyed catching up with Brooke and Lucas. He had gotten home from meeting the two of them at the movies when he walked in on his parents arguing in the kitchen. He saw his mother forced up against the kitchen sink shuddering with fear while Dan held her shoulders forcefully in his hands.

Immediately Nathan rushed to his mother's aide and shoved his father out of the way. Deb braced herself on the kitchen counter while she watched in terror as Nathan stood toe to toe with Dan Scott. That was the first time Nathan punched his father square across the jaw and something inside of him knew it probably wouldn't be the last time. He explained how Deb's depression had worsened until finally it consumed her entirely. The last few months of Deb's life it was Nathan who had kept her going. It wasn't clear at the time but looking back Nathan knew it was the truth. He continued to struggle with guilt for leaving his mother alone with his father and for not protecting her from danger.

"When I saw your seat empty and you didn't call….I just lost it again. I couldn't focus on anything else until Coach finally took me out of the game. It felt all too familiar but not at the same time if that even makes any sense. After the game, I ended up at Brooke and Lucas' house. They helped talk me down from where I'd worked myself up to." Nathan said trailing off at the end. It was the first time he'd be completely honest with someone about his mom and he was scared as hell to be this vulnerable.

Haley brought his lips towards hers and she placed a tender kiss on his. She pulled away as she held his face in her hands. "Thank you for sharing all of this with me and for trusting me enough. I love you and I'm so sorry for any added stress or pain I may have caused you tonight."

"I love you too." He added before he inched his face closer towards hers.

Dan Scott watched the computer screen closely as he navigated his way through the program and waiting for it to respond. He'd been in a sour mood since Nathan's game and for some reason the alcohol wasn't taking the normal edge off. He'd been drinking straight for an hour and it felt like he'd been sipping on water.

"Why you little goodie two shoed bitch!" Dan muttered out loud as he stared at his computer screen. He double checked the location on the GPS tracking program and sure enough it was Nathan's house. Dan had managed to place a GPS tracking device on Haley's car while she'd been at the studio recording earlier that day. He wasn't sure if and when he'd want to use it but figured it couldn't hurt to think ahead. Haley James was at Nathan's house and had been for quite some time. Dan pulled out his iPhone and quickly composed a text message and hit send without a moment of hesitation. He replaced the phone in his hand with his glass of scotch and tossed it back. He peered closely at the photographs he'd had taken of Haley earlier.

The look of fear was evident on her face even to Dan Scott. He gave her credit for trying to conceal her identity with a baseball hat but his guys trailing her were professionals. They managed to produce a variety of images for Dan after only trailing Haley for a few minutes. He looked at the photograph closely, his eyes starting at her pretty face and continued down her body. Dan couldn't deny Haley had a killer body, no wonder Nathan couldn't resist her. Her work out top clung tightly to her body and her bust line was clearly defined in most of the photographs. Hints of her toned stomach peeked out from the hemline of her shirt and her shorts. His eyes moved down to her sculpted legs as they pounded the pavement. Haley James looked fit that was for sure but she also looked rather exhausted. Dan shook the last thought away as he tossed the photographs on his desk top before he headed towards the kitchen for another drink.

Peyton had found her way into bed rather early that night all things considered. With a lot on her mind, a good night's sleep would most surely put her the right frame of mind when she woke the next morning. She groaned loudly as she reached for her phone beside her bed when it buzzed.

"Let's kick this up a notch. I need Haley James unavailable for the next few days. Preferably get the woman out of town. Appears the happy couple has made up after the mishap this afternoon. Don't disappoint me.- DS"

Peyton rubbed her sleepy eyes before she opened up Haley's schedule for the next week. She double checked a few dates before composing a text message in response to Dan's.

"I have Haley booked for a magazine shoot in a Friday which will be a full day event and in San Francisco. I booked a surprise appearance on one of the late night talk shows which tapes out of New York for Friday night. More meetings in New York on Saturday before returning home just when Nathan is away. Happy?"

It took a matter of minutes before Dan replied to her message.

"Nice work Ms. Sawyer. This shouldn't take too long. Haley can't be that hard to break."

Peyton found herself internally conflicted with wanting to fight tooth and nail against someone who insulted her client but at the same time wanting to side with Dan Scott. She was leery of Haley engaging in a romantic relationship after how bad the backlash was the last time it went sour. She resisted the urge to reply to Dan's text message and decided instead to compose an email to send to Haley later covering details about her upcoming events. She saved the draft and planned to send it in the morning. She put her phone back beside her bed and threw the covers over her head praying she'd be able to get a few hours of sleep.

Nathan moved about his bedroom passing by Haley as he headed into the bathroom to brush his teeth. Surprisingly there was something completely natural about her being in his home and his bedroom. There was always that awkward stage of the relationship when you stay at new significant other's place for the first time but not with Haley. Haley smiled as she watched a shirtless Nathan walk past her towards the bathroom. She unbuttoned her jeans and slipped them off with ease before carelessly folding them up and tossing them on a chair in the corner of the room. She picked up the worn Duke basketball t-shirt he'd laid out for her to change in to for bed. Haley slipped her own t-shirt off as well as her bra before lowering his shirt over her head. She took a deep breath as the shirt passed her nose and breathed his scent in. The shirt hung loosely on her petite frame and stopped just above her knees. Her bare feet made noise once she entered the bathroom behind him to finish getting ready for bed.

"I thought I had an extra toothbrush around here somewhere but I don't. I guess you could use mine?" Nathan suggested.

She shook her head and thrust her first finger out towards him. He smiled at her and then squirted a small amount of toothpaste onto her finger. She shoved the finger in her mouth and went to work "brushing" her teeth while he stood there smiling at her. He looked her up and down and couldn't deny how turned on he'd become as she stood next to him in nothing but his old basketball t-shirt. Haley James was officially a goddess in his eyes. She could even make brushing teeth look damn sexy. They finished up brushing their teeth and then headed to bed. Haley laid back on the California King sized bed and couldn't help but moan with pleasure.

"Your bed is amazing!" She stated stretching her arms out above her head.

"I know! I told you so." He said at her smugly and in a swift movement rolled himself over and so he was now towering over Haley while resting most of his weight on his arm. He slowly lowered his lips and captured hers with ease. Haley's fingers rubbed through his short hair as she deepened their kiss. Her right hand found its way to his neck all the way down to his bare back.

The touch of his lips was enough to just about send her over the edge after they'd both had.

Nathan broke their kiss and pulled away just enough to look Haley in the eyes. His eyes peered deep into hers.

"I can't tell you how much it means to me to have you here with me after everything today. It feels good not to be alone. And about everything with my mom…..I didn't realize how much I wanted you here with me and how much I need you." He confessed not breaking his gaze from her eyes.

Her brown eyes now glistened as she fought to keep from letting tears fall. "I love you so much Nathan Scott. I didn't plan on you coming into my life at all but I'm so grateful that you did."

"I love you too!"

He closed the gap between them again and the twosome proceeded to make love to one another before finally letting sleep over come both of them.

Thank you for reading as always. Please leave a little review if you liked anything or if you have any predictions or ideas... :)