Thanks again everyone for reading. I appreciate all of you...I can't believe I'm so close to 200 reviews...please help me get there! Hope you enjoy this chapter.
~~~ "I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All the Time" ~~~
* Chapter Twenty-Five*
Haley and Brooke had definitely hit it off well and were on the fast track to being genuine friends. Brooke ordered a round of shots knowing Lucas would need a little liquid courage before they took to the dance floor. Nathan took the first round of shots but declined after that having switched to water to make sure he got them home safely. He could also tell the alcohol was hitting Haley rather quickly as he noticed her cheeks looked flushed and she'd taken off with just Brooke towards the dance floor yet again.
"I think it's safe to say Brooke definitely approves of Haley. They're like two peas in a pod already. Remember the last girlfriend you introduced us to, Brooke spent the entire double date grilling her about her intentions with you." Lucas said to Nathan as they sat at a small table in the corner of the club.
Nathan nodded and then said, "I'm trying to forget about that date thank you very much. You must be happy now that I've provided Brooke with a more than suitable dance partner for the night thus letting you off the hook."
Lucas chuckled out loud and then tossed back the remainder of his beer. "Don't get me wrong dude, I love my wife but sometimes a brother just doesn't want to dance you know? I'm still trying to figure out how your lame ass dance moves didn't send Haley running off in the opposite direction the night you two met."
"I'm just good like that Luke! Naaaa, I'm just playing. I still have no idea how I managed to score this amazing woman who is so far out of my league I pray she never figures it out." Nathan confessed looking back at Lucas with honesty pouring out of his eyes. Simultaneously, they looked over at the dance floor for a moment to locate the new friends as their heads bobbed around to the beat.
"It's gotta be harder this time with her though. The last few chicks you were with didn't have such demanding careers to consider. The distance and time apart has got to be hard. It's one thing to leave town on business for a day but Haley is gone for months on end." Lucas stated.
"It sucks ass," Nathan replied and then drank the last of his water. "But it is what it is, at least Hales is home for a little while longer yet before she goes out on the road again. Gotta take what I can get, you know? I know it's still early but I really care about her Lucas."
Meanwhile, Brooke and Haley had decided to dance to one more song before returning to their table. Haley was laughing and having a great time with Brooke on the dance floor she hadn't a care in the world. She spun around in a circle and ended facing Brooke again who was shaking her hips to the beat as well. It was then Haley thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye lurking in the shadows. She quickly blinked and squinted a bit harder desperately hoping her eyes were playing tricks on her. Or maybe it was the alcohol affecting her vision. Could it be?
Brooke instantly noticed Haley suddenly stop dancing and all color drain from her face.
"Haley? What's wrong?" Brooke questioned with great concern trying to speak as loud as her raspy voice would go towards Haley's ear.
Haley barely heard Brooke's voice over the music but then again her attention was completely on the man she thought she saw standing against the wall watching her.
"Haley?" Brooke reached out and touched Haley's bare arm.
Haley jumped as if she'd been shocked and finally looked at Brooke.
"Huh? What'd you say?" She finally asked.
Brooke's right eye brow rose as she looked back at her new friend with questioning eyes.
"Are you feeling ok? You don't look so good sweetie. You look as if you've seen a ghost." Brooke stated as she studied Haley's face closely desperately looking for an answer.
"I'm fine. I'm just getting kinda hot and light headed from all the drinks and dancing. Let's go sit down." Haley replied hoping she sounded convincing. She flash a last minute forced smile hoping it would seal the deal.
Brooke wiped the small trace of sweat off her own forehead and nodded in response to Haley's suggestion. She followed Haley off the dance floor and through the crowd to their table. Nathan smiled as Haley suddenly became clear in his line of vision.
"There's my girl. Are you all danced out?" Nathan teased.
Haley sat down and offered her boyfriend another fake smile trying a bit harder knowing he would be harder to convince. She knew her imagination had to have been playing tricks on her, only to have been intensified by the tequila she'd had earlier. She silently cursed herself for taking the second and third shot with Brooke.
"Yeah, just getting hot and stuffy over there." was all Haley said before she took a sip of her water she'd left on the table earlier. Her fingertips nervously tapped the outside of the glass in a steady pressing rhythm.
Nathan couldn't help but noticed the puzzling look Brooke gave Haley as they sat down. Had they had a disagreement while dancing together? Something seemed off and he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He noticed Haley slowly peer over her right shoulder and look back towards the dance floor they'd just left moments before. She looked for just a few seconds, her eyes searching for the face she'd thought she saw staring back at her with those piercing dark eyes.
"So Lucas, Nathan tells me you're working on a new book. How's that going?" Haley asked out of the blue.
Nathan sat back and watched the exchange between them and continued to try and pin point what was going on with his girlfriend. He'd determined that at least through the conversation between her, Lucas and Brooke everything seemed normal. But he hadn't missed the troublesome look Brooke had shot his way after Haley looked over at the dance floor for a third time.
"I'm serious about what I said before Brooke. The next awards show I want you to dress me from head to toe." Haley said with a smile. She was trying with everything in her to be present with her boyfriend and new friends and not get sucked back into Damien West drama.
Brooke squealed with excitement and clapped her hands together, "It would be my pleasure, Quinn too if she wants me to. You've got the ideal frame for any designer to work with. I mean come on your body is amazing!" Brooke replied with a grin.
Haley could feel Nathan's eyes burning into her and knew the comment Brooke had made about her body probably bothered him. She knew he was still worried about her even though she'd been visibly less busy. Haley chose to let the comment go and respond with merely a smile. She heard Lucas engage Nathan in a discussion about his next away game and she let her attention wander again. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. A different kind of being watched then the normal adoring fans. She allowed herself to look one last time and then promised herself that her mind was just playing tricks on her. Haley slowly turned and peeked over her shoulder again to look around the club only to come up empty handed.
'Get a grip Hales, you're making yourself crazy!' She scolded herself and she looked back at her friends for the last time.
Nathan, Lucas and Brooke were engaged in a round of laughter and she instantly wished she hadn't been distracted so she would know what was going on. She opened her mouth to say something however was suddenly frozen in fear. Standing under a club light directly in front of her about 20 yards away was none other than Damien West. His eyes stared directly into hers, capturing her attention completely.
Damien couldn't deny it; Haley James still had the ability to make him weak in the knees. He'd spent the last 30 minutes or so watching her from afar finding it somewhat entertaining as she squirmed. He was surprised he still had an effect on her and she could feel his presence without even know he was there until now. Damien gave her a head nod as he raised both eyebrows at her. He slowly licked his lips not breaking her gaze before he said "Hi Hales" out loud. He knew instantly Haley had read his lips when she quickly looked away.
He watched closely as she spoke to the man next to her who'd been practically drooling over her all night long like a sap. He originally planned not to make any physical contact or speak to her when he decided to show up at the club earlier. However, now that she was standing in front of his, so close, he was finding it hard to control himself. Haley James was a drug and was still so damn irresistible.
"Nathan, I hate to do this but all those shots are getting to me and I'd like to head out." Haley said suddenly in a rushed manner not even noticing she'd interrupted the conversation already taking place at the table. Nathan looked back at her and noticed the rosy color of her cheeks had been replaced with a grayish white.
"You feeling sick baby?" He asked and then reached out and rubber her bare shoulder with his hand. He wasn't sure but he could've sworn her body flinch and almost shuddered under his touch.
She only nodded and then directed her attention towards Lucas and Brooke. She knew she had to hold it together a little longer not wanting to draw any more attention to herself. This was going to take every ounce of focus and willpower she possessed.
"It was so great meeting you guys and we should really try and go out again soon." Haley declared before initiating a hug with Brooke and then with Lucas as well.
"That sounds great Haley. You've got my number now so we don't need boy toy here to tag along either." Brooke added and then stuck her tongue out at Nathan. He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and then offered Lucas a handshake. Haley stood next to Nathan shifting her weight from side to side clearly feeling the anxiety building inside of her. It was creeping up from her stomach and was hanging around in her throat making her physically sick. She chanced a glance over to where Damien had been standing and gasped when she found the space he'd been occupying now was empty. Her eyes darted back and forth as she tried to locate his whereabouts before a full panic attack set in. She was not prepared for an encounter with Damien West period. Especially not when Nathan present for their reunion.
She felt Nathan grab her hand and she looked back at him trying to calm herself down with a deep breath. She offered him a reassuring smile hoping he'd buy it and not push for any further explanations. She also wondered if he could feel the sweat that was suddenly dripping from her palm. It was then out of the corner of her eye she saw Damien slowly approaching their table. Sheer panic had set in and Haley had resorted to the flight response to the stressful situation. She tugged on Nathan's hand more forcefully than she intended when she noticed his body shift unexpectedly.
"I guess we're going now. Bye guys!" Nathan called to his friends as he followed closely behind Haley. He took bigger steps to catch up to her before they made it to the main exit. She shoved the heavy door open and welcomed the slight breeze on her face.
"Hales, are you ok?" Nathan finally managed to ask as they made their way to his car through the crowd and paparazzi.
"I will be. I'm sorry I just had to get out of there." Was all she offered him.
Nathan was thankfully he had the radio playing to keep him company during the silent ride home. After two failed attempts to engage Haley in conversation he finally gave up concluding she must really feel awful. She sat next to him, her arms crossed in front of her chest as she looked out the window. He was pleased once he arrived to his gated community and felt like he could finally relax. He'd been on edge feeling the need to drive aggressively to deal with the cars chasing them all night and from the paparazzi taking their shots of them once they were out of the car at their destinations. He knew Haley was well seasoned in dealing with the press but still couldn't help feeling the need to protect her for some reason.
Haley didn't speak until Nathan pulled the car into the garage and shifted it into park.
"You must be exhausted after such a long day with traveling and stuff." She said quietly as she reached for the door handle.
"Yeah, it was fun to go out with Luke and Brooke but it does feel good to be home for the night." Nathan added as he too got out of the car behind Haley. She waited by the garage door for him to punch a code in to release the lock on the door. Always the gentleman Nathan held the door and waited until Haley walked through before he entered his own home. Haley steadied herself by holding onto the wall as she struggled to slip off her heels. She wasn't totally lying when she said the alcohol was having an effect on her. She watched Nathan walk into the kitchen and straight to the refrigerator flinging the door open with little to no effort. Now barefoot, Haley padded over to the kitchen and welcomed the cool ceramic tile on her hot, sore feet. She hadn't exactly worn dancing shoes.
"Maybe some water will help you feel a bit better." Nathan suggested as he offered her a large bottle of water. Haley couldn't miss the concerned look on his face as he waited for her to take it.
"Thank you, I'm already starting to feel much better." She confessed before she broke the seal and drank from the bottle. He seemed to feel content once she'd drank nearly half of it.
"Let's head to bed I'm beat." He declared and then reached for her hand as he led the way to his bedroom. Haley welcomed his touch knowing it would help her push Damien from her thoughts. She nearly jumped on Nathan the moment they entered his bedroom and pushed her lips against his. She stood in front of him quickly working on the buttons of his dress shirt as she felt Nathan's mouth open allowing her tongue to enter. Nathan's hands gripped her hips and pulled their hips together. Once she released the last button, she pushed it off his shoulder and let his shirt fall at their feet. The fury inside of her was similar to the night Nathan flew out to meet her in Miami while she was on tour. Haley felt like she was losing control and desperately had to get some of it back.
Nathan moved to her backside and started to pull the zipper down on her dress slowly. His lips found their way to her neck and he brushed her hair to the side clearing a larger canvas to cover with his kisses.
"God, Nathan!" Haley moaned impatiently while he had yet to pull her zipper all the way down.
Her hands moved to his belt buckle and within seconds she'd freed of his belt and his dress pants altogether. Nathan wasn't sure if he'd heard her correctly but could've sworn her groan sounded more annoyed instead of pleasured when he finally pushed her dress down past her hips to the floor. He managed to pull his lips away from hers and stared deep into her eyes. His loud panting matched hers as he tried to catch his breath. This sudden need for intimacy was out of the ordinary not that he was complaining. Haley's lips were swollen and bright red just aching to connect with his again. Nathan tried to study her eyes for reassurance, something felt off with Haley but then again she'd had quite a bit to drink earlier.
"Come here." She ordered as she pulled his shoulders towards her.
The moment she licked her lips he was a goner. In one swift motion, Nathan lifted her body up and her legs quickly wrapped around his waist as he walked them over to his bed. Haley's lips crushed his as she tried to kiss her haunting thoughts away. Her hands rested on his muscular shoulders steadying her as he lowered her onto his bed. She needed Nathan to stop the haunting memories flooding her head and the taunting voice creeping in. She needed him now to escape.
The next morning, Haley rolled over in Nathan's bed to find the other side empty. She propped herself up on her elbow while securing the top sheet over naked body. She was thankful the curtains were keeping the sunlight out because she was a tad hung over. She rubbed away the sleep from her eyes and glanced around the immediate surroundings. On the floor she saw last night's dress wrinkled in a pile as well as the rest of Nathan's clothing scattered about. The room was silently still and Nathan was nowhere to be found. Haley reached out and touched the open bed next to her and found it to be cold. After they made love last night, she literally passed out. A combination of alcohol and adrenaline was too much for her to handle.
Still feeling a bit foggy, Haley managed to crawl out of bed and slowly pulled herself together. She dressed quickly thanking her lucky stars she'd left several items at Nathan's from the last time she spent the night. Nathan had told her earlier he'd rearranged some items in his dresser and freed up an entire drawer for her stuff. Haley went into the bathroom to freshen up and wash her face. As she wiped the water away and last night's make up, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Her blood shot eyes gave away she was a bit hung over and short on sleep. She looked deeper into them and couldn't deny the pain looking back at her. Disgusted with herself, she looked away and hung the hand towel back up before exiting the bathroom.
Nathan had been at it for nearly an hour after waking up early but wasn't tired yet. He knew he shouldn't push himself too hard consider he was due at practice shortly but he couldn't help himself. He needed to think and this was the second best place he did his major thinking at. His favorite place would always be on the basketball court.
He pushed a button on his treadmill and slowed his body down to a brisk walk. He wiped the sweat from his forehead away with the side of his arm. He felt content after he reached mile four to move on to lifting some weights. There was something about the previous night that didn't sit well with him and he wasn't sure how to proceed. Ordinarily when a speed bump hit in a relationship, he'd ignore it, sweep it under the rug only to have it come up at a later point in time. He was really making an honest effort and everything in his power to do things differently with Haley. He still wasn't completely confident there was a problem at all. Something just felt different between them as the night progressed.
Nathan went over the evening once they arrived at the club as he set the weight he was intending to bench press. His mind was tracing over all the events and ended when they arrived home. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't enjoyed having sex with his girlfriend the night before. It was just different. Haley had been forceful and almost robotic at times compared to previous times they'd been intimate but then again maybe he was reading too much into it. He pulled himself up from lying on his back and sat on the edge of the bench for a bit. He brought his water bottle to his lips and took a long drink knowing he needed to call it quits.
After searching the kitchen and living room, Haley heard noise coming from Nathan's exercise room at the end of the hallway. The door was wide open and she took that as a good sign. As she walked down the hall, she felt an anxious feeling brewing in her stomach. Last night had to have been a freaky coincidence running into Damien after going so long without seeing him. She knew it was natural to feel awkward and a bit bothered after seeing an ex-boyfriend. She just wasn't ready to explain herself to Nathan let alone the relationship she'd had with Damien or how it fell apart. She'd barely made it through the whole ordeal in one piece and was pretty much emotionally broken afterward. On the bright side, Chris and Haley had written amazing songs stemming from Haley's broken heart and betrayal all of which catapulting them to their current state of success.
She peered through the doorway and stood still taking in the sight before her. Nathan's muscular bare back was in full view as he sat with his back facing the door. Her eyes went over him from head to toe and she instantly felt a wave of regret for how she treated him the night before. She had used him to forget her past and felt damn guilty for it doing so. He deserved better than that and maybe he deserved better than her.
Once she was certain he wasn't holding onto a heavy weight and at risk of dropping anything she decided to make her presence known.
"So you leave your girlfriend in bed to come down here and work out. Shall I remind you, your girlfriend was stark ass naked in your bed!" She joked with him smiling once he turned around and his eyes met hers.
"How else do you think I keep this rock hard body you love so much? It ain't a walk in the park Hales." He responded after he stood up displaying his full bare torso for her to see. His basketball shorts hung loosely around his hips and sweat glistened off his chest.
He too took in her appearance before him and noticed she was dressed in yoga pants and a form fitting tank top she'd left at his house earlier. She'd pulled her hair back into a messy bun on top of her head prior to washing her face.
"How ya feeling this morning drunkie?" Nathan teased her as he made his way across to room towards to door where Haley was still standing.
"Be nice! I'm just fine thank you very much. I think you're forgetting that I'm a rock star aka a professional partyer. I can rally with the best of them." She shot back at him giggling at the end of her statement. The anxiety in her stomach had eased after their brief exchange.
Nathan's hands found her hips quickly and pulled her close for a good morning kiss. He resisted hugging her knowing she wouldn't appreciate his sweaty smell after just working out.
"Whatever makes you feel better baby."
Haley and Nathan both found themselves busy over the next few days. Nathan played another home followed immediately by an away game. Workouts and game days were definitely keeping him busy. Haley on the other hand decided to dive head first into work again. She took advantage of some downtime to do more writing by herself as well as working with Chris. She'd been trying her best to stay busy to avoid an excess of idle time. She'd asked Peyton to lighten up on scheduling her for events earlier but Haley in turn had been filling her days up herself. She found the less down time, she had the less her mind went back to her haunting past.
Quinn had broken the news to Peyton about her pregnancy and the band's plans for the rest of the year were adjusted. She brought the rest of the band with her for morale support unsure of which version of Peyton Sawyer would show up for the band meeting. Surprisingly enough, Peyton was rather calm and almost excited for Quinn. Peyton's plan was to lock down the upcoming four months of dates within the week for their overseas dates and then afterwards The Fire Pistols would stick close to home. The band also agreed to add an additional keyboardist to the tour line up to provide Quinn extra support if she wasn't feeling well or if she needed a break during the tour.
Haley was somewhat surprised Quinn had moved out so quickly. Sure she understood the upcoming deadline of the baby's arrival but hadn't really expected Quinn to move her entire belongs out within two days. Haley insisted on splitting up joint large item pieces but Quinn didn't want to take much other than her personal belongings since Clay's house was fully furnished already. With the house to herself, Haley would finally win the "Great James Debate"…Which way the toilet paper roll should go…over or under?
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