AN: Many thanks to those who are still reviewing my story. I really appreciate reading the reviews and knowing people are enjoying the story. There was kind of a drop in reviews for the last chapter so not sure what's going on. I totally hate to play this card but kinda feel I have to reviews fuel my writing and to be honest without them I don't always feel like writing. The more reviews I get, the faster I will write and post. Things are going to get interesting in this chapter...
Thank you for reading and let me know what you think!
~~~ "I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All the Time" ~~~
* Chapter Thirty*
Nathan glanced around the visiting team locker room and looked at his team mates. Everyone was fully charged after their team meeting. The Washington Wizards were coming off a 4 game winning streak on the road and Nathan felt the pressure to secure a win for the Clippers. He watched as Parker finished his interview and finished tying his shoelaces. He rose to his feet knowing the sports reporter would approach him next.
"Good evening Nathan, how are you feeling about the Jazz tonight?" questioned the reporter as he moved the microphone closer to Nathan's mouth.
"Feeling good and exciting about the game. The Jazz are definitely on a hot streak but I feel we've really upped our defense since the last time we faced off. It should be a good game tonight." Nathan answered barely phased by the camera lens shoved in his face.
"Your personal game has really stepped as of late. How's your knee responding to it?"
He tried to hide his annoyance with yet another question about his injury. What would it take for people to realize and finally accept that he was off the injured list, how much more did he need to prove himself.
"You know, I feel great and am excited to be back playing like I used to." Was all Nathan offered this go around.
"Last question Nathan, you've moved up in the roster with the team and seem to be taking on more responsibilities when playing defense and stepping up to the plate to really secure a win. What else can we expect from you tonight?"
Nathan paused for a moment and for some reason his father came to mind. He recalled how their relationship had shifted over the last few months and the sense of empowerment he now felt.
"Some call it stepping up, I call it pushing back." Nathan replied with a stern yet business life expression.
Nathan thanked the reporter and then placed his ear buds into his ears as he sat back down. He needed to focus on the game and what was important. How he wished he'd see Haley courtside tonight but knew it wasn't possible. He felt energized by her presence and wanted to do well for her. Be better for her. He flipped through his songs and settled once he found The Fire Pistols. As her voice entered his ears, all was right in his world. For the moment anyway.
Haley sat patiently as her trusty make-up artist/friend finished up her smoky eyed look for the evening. She was currently engaged in an important phone call with Quinn.
"I'm telling you Hales, Clay seems to be convinced that he's going to hurt the baby. Literally all he will do his hug and kiss me. I'm going crazy!" Quinn exclaimed.
Haley chuckled after hearing the desperation in her older sister's voice. "I'm sure it isn't that bad Quinny. Have you tried the logical approach to this? What does your doctor say about it?" Haley asked.
"She encouraged us to keep up the intimate part of our relationship and it was still safe to have sex. She literally explained it all in great detail I might add at my last appointment. However, Clay seems to think he's going to poke the baby in the head if we even get that far. As if! My hormones are going crazy right now and I just can't take this." Quinn whined.
"I can tell! I'm sorry I don't know what to tell you to do." She admitted quietly trying her best not to laugh out loud only to hear her sister loudly groan in frustration through the phone. "Maybe you should get him good and liquored up and just take control. I'm pretty sure "little Clay" won't be able to resist for long."
"Alright, Haley if this doesn't work you're making me chocolate chip pancakes for brunch tomorrow. I need something to make me happy!" Quinn instructed.
Haley giggled and happily agreed, "I'd love to make you brunch tomorrow morning. Do you want me to come over or did you want to come here?"
"I'll come there because I can't wait to see where you've been shacking up in sin. Speaking of, is it weird being there without him?" Quinn asked.
"Yeah it's a little different. Nathan's gonna be on the road for like a week so it will be nice to have some company. Look, I've gotta get ready."
"Have fun tonight and don't drink too much. You're heading out solo tonight so no one will be there to hold your hair back when you puke." Quinn joked.
"It was like one time and it's not like you've never puked e….whatever. Bye prego." Haley concluded and then ended her call. She looked back at the mirror and studied her face.
"Damn girl! You're a miracle worker!" Haley exclaimed with delight.
"I'm not a miracle worker when the canvas is amazing to begin with. What time is the car service getting here?" her make-up artist asked as she began packing up her supplies.
"I didn't call for one, it seemed like a waste for just me. Thanks again for driving a little further to do my make up here at Nathan's. I really appreciate it."
"Anything for you my darling. Let's get you changed and out the door!"
Nearly an hour later, Haley stood sipping on club soda with Peyton at her side. The two were actually enjoying each other's company and having fun together, a rare occurrence as of late.
"This DJ isn't half bad considering he's playing bubble gum mainstream pop music." Peyton pointed out. Haley nodded in response while she bounced her head to the steady beat. A fairly large crowd had gathered for her appearance and there was a line out the door waiting to get inside. Several mainstream media outlets had appeared to cover the event and get a couple photographs of just Haley James. She'd done as Peyton insisted and posed for all of them making sure they all were content with their coverage.
"You about to hit the road?" Haley asked Peyton after noting the time.
Peyton glanced at her watch and her eyes widened with surprise.
"Oh shit! If I don't leave now there's no way I'll make it to the airport in time!" Peyton said in a rush and then set her drink down.
"Hopefully the traffic won't be so bad." Haley added silently grateful Peyton was finally ready to leave. She knew once Peyton left, she'd be able to head out as well. If she left now, she'd be in her jammies hopefully in enough time to catch the last half of Nathan's game on ESPN.
Peyton gave Haley a puzzling look before she said, "You ok to drive yourself home? I wished you hadn't insisted on driving yourself."
Haley held her clear glass up and answered, "I'm just drinking club soda so no worries about me. Go catch your flight and sign that new artist." Haley offered Peyton a reassuring smile and sent her off with a hug.
Peyton flew out of the club in such a rush she barely noticed the shoulder she bumped into on the way out. Thanks to the tracking device Dan had planted on Haley's car, Damien knew exactly when she arrived at the club. He arrived not long after and had laid low avoiding any possible run in with Peyton Sawyer. That was one bridge he didn't want to cross. He was grateful Peyton hadn't turned around after she'd run into him. He'd been studying Haley from the moment he walked into the club. She was still breathtakingly beautiful he couldn't deny that. He was thoroughly surprised when he didn't see that punk Chris Keller by her side and pleased he'd have no trouble getting close to her. He was just waiting for the right moment to put his plan into action. With the amount of press inside the club and paparazzi waiting outside, capturing a money shot was a 100% guarantee. There was no way Dan Scott wouldn't be satisfied when all was said and done tonight.
He watched Haley as she moved about conversing with other guests and it appeared as if she was bidding them farewell. Damien tossed back his glass of whiskey, set it on the bar and muttered to himself, "Here goes nothing."
She made her way down the stairs her hand sliding along the railing to ensure she didn't lose her footing in her high heels. Haley quickly walked over to the bar hoping to say good bye to a bartender she'd met through Chris a while back. She stood next to the bar as she patiently waited for a small pause in the action. She settled for a brief wave and gave him a toothy grin which he returned as he lined up a bunch of shot glass for fellow customers. He barely missed a beat and was back to work on the other side of the bar.
"Can I buy you a drink?"
Haley's head shot up like a spring and she froze at the sound of the voice she heard. She reached forward and braced herself on the bar and closed her eyes tight. Her heart raced as she found her breath quicken.
'It's in my head…it's not real' she said to herself and then took a deep breath. Slowly she opened her eyes again only to see a pair of familiar hands snake around her waist and grip the edge of the bar settling next to her petite hands. She caught a quick glimpse of the all too familiar unique tattoo covering the left inner wrist as the man's hands tightened on the edge of the bar. She could feel a presence behind her but couldn't seem to bring herself to turn around to confirm it wasn't in her head anymore. This was real and right behind her. Her eyes glanced up hoping to connect with someone, anyone for that matter.
"Vodka Cranberry right?"
She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck confirming how close he really was. Too close for comfort making her skin instantly begin to crawl. The familiar smell of whiskey and the scent of his aftershave crept into her nostrils making her nauseous. She forced a hard swallow pushing the urge she had to throw up back down her throat. Her eyes darted around taking a quick scan to see who had noticed them. The lighting in the club had gotten darker and seemed to be more crowded than she remembered it to be.
"Cat got your tongue Hales." He said playfully and leaned closer to her before he spoke again. "I know it's been a long time but I kinda thought I'd get a little more of a reaction from you."
"Damien…" Haley finally said still not turning around to face him.
A sly grin formed on his lips in response to her saying his name. He'd contemplated the effect he'd have over her and played out what her responses might be. However, he neglected to factor in any effect she might still have on him. Hearing his name on her lips gave him a rush he didn't expect to get from her anymore.
"I'd have to say you still look incredible after all this time. You know when I found those old pictures of you I never expected you to look even better now. I kinda thought I would've heard from you by.….." Damien said but stopped once her body shifted in front of him. Haley moved to retrieve her clutch she'd tucked under her arm knowing her phone was in there. When she slipped the phone out of her clutch he spoke again.
"Who are you gonna call to come to your rescue this time around?" He asked in a gruff tone as he moved his right hand to touch her hand that now contained her phone.
She couldn't seem to get control over herself as a variety of emotions flooded her body all at once. Haley took a deep breath as she closed her eyes trying desperately to pull herself together. This wasn't her anymore. She didn't want to be his victim and knew she needed fight back.
"The all might Peyton left about 10 minutes ago and I haven't seen the weasel Chris Keller anywhere either surprisingly. Looks like it's just you and me tonight Hales." Damien replied.
She shook his hand off of hers as she still clung to her smartphone. The truth was she didn't know who she was intending to call. He noticed the screen of her phone light up as she slid her finger across the screen.
"He's not going to answer if you call Haley because right about now I'm guessing he's running back and forth trying to get a stupid orange ball through a hoop." Damien added knowing he had just put the last nail in the coffin.
"What the hell do you want Damien?" Haley asked as she finally found her voice after Damien made reference to Nathan.
"Uhh." Damien started to say but was silenced when Haley suddenly turned around and brought them face to face. She'd seen pictures of him in different gossip magazines but hadn't actually seen him in person in years. His face looked worn and weathered from the fast paced "Hollywood" lifestyle he'd been maintaining to boost his celebrity status. His hair color, style and clothing were barely recognizable from the Damien she'd once known.
"Now you've got nothing to say!" she snapped back at him after a drawn out silence while they both took in each other's appearance. Damien raised his right eyebrow in surprise of her assertive tone.
"Ohh feisty! I always knew you had it in ya, it's just a shame it took all of this to happen for you to finally just let it out. Talk about a total turn on." He replied as he reached his hand up to touch her cheek. She flinched and somehow managed to avoid his touch on her skin by tilting her head to the side quickly. She glared harshly at him sending him what she assumed was a clear message.
"It's a shame Mr. Baller isn't here tonight. I didn't get a chance to meet him the last time you two went to the club together. You looked amazing that night." He finally spoke referring to the night he watched Haley from afar. He watched Haley's face closely as she too relived the events as well.
"Go to hell!" she sneered at him and stepped past him in an effort to leave. She barely made it a foot away before Damien's hand grabbed her arm firmly and spun her around fast. She felt herself stumble in her heels and winced figuring it would hurt like hell when she eventually hit the ground. As she struggled to find her footing, his strong hold on her inevitably saved her body from tumbling down. Their bodies bumped into the other patrons next to them unfortunately drawing attention to themselves as they steadied themselves.
"Damien let me go!" Haley exclaimed as she pulled her arm trying to get it free. Tears had begun to collect in her eyes and she refused to let him see her cry.
"Is that Haley James and Damien West together?"
Haley groaned after hearing someone shouting their names over the blaring music. She wanted to get out of there before more people saw her with Damien or worse got a photograph of them together. That was something she definitely didn't need to deal with.
"Relax Hales, I just wanted to say hi and catch up a little bit." Damien offered in caring tone of voice almost too sweet. He released her arm from his grasp and plastered his best "fake" smile across his face praying his was convincing to any onlookers.
She felt her face flush with anger as he tried to play the "good" guy yet again. She became more self-conscious with each new pair of eyes than began to stare them down watching their exchange. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone raise their cell phone to snap a picture and knew she had to act fast. Haley turned around and tried to make her way through the crowd towards to exit.
"Excuse me please.." She said as she desperately tried to navigate her way through the crowd of people without any assistance from club security. She snuck a glance back only to see Damien making his way not too far behind her. A sense of relief fell over Haley as she finally made it through the crowd to the front lobby. She heard people shouting her name but refused to turn around to acknowledge them. Sheer panic had fully set in and she had to find some way to escape before she lost it completely.
Camera flashes inflicted sudden blindness once she was outside of the club and heard the paparazzi call out to her.
"Haley James!"
"What's going on? What's wrong?"
"Haley!"
"Is it true Damien West is really inside?"
"Haley! Over here!"
"What's the hurry? Give us one more shot!"
With her head down, she tried to shield her eyes from the flashes as best as she could while walking towards her car. She managed to retrieve her car keys from her clutch and was ready to go once she got to her car. It was next to impossible to see where she was going with the constant strobe light of camera flashes. She was thankful the club security had finally arrived to assist her with pulling out of the parking lot. She hadn't realized how fast her heart was racing until she was within the silence of her own car.
"Holy shit!" she said to herself finally coming to terms with what had just unfolded.
She took a deep breath as she eased on the brake pedal preparing to stop for a red light. Her fingers clung to the steering wheel which seemed to help her gain control over her emotions again. She glanced in her rear view mirror and saw an all too familiar paparazzi car pull up behind her. Almost at the same time, a black Audi pulled up next to her and recognized it to belong to the paparazzi as well. She knew the likelihood of them losing interest was next to impossible but was comforted by the fact they wouldn't be expecting her to drive to Nathan's gated community.
Dan Scott sat at this desk and watched the monitor displaying Haley's tracking device with a smile on his face. He'd received a text message from Damien indicating he'd made contact with her at the club and confirmed the sea of cameras inside and out. Dan knew press would be there for Haley's appearance however the small group of ruthless paparazzi hadn't intended on sticking around to cover the club after snapping a few photographs of Haley James.
His buzzing phone ripped his attention from studying the screen and looked down at it. He read over the text message closely and sighed with contentment.
'Pleasure doing business…. Got a few money shots so far. I've got two guys on the road to get more of her. Thanks again for the tip off. Let's work together again.'
Dan knew it was risky for him to personally contact the paparazzi to tip them off but he didn't see a way around it. He needed to pull out all the stops and stop at nothing to finally make Nathan see who Haley James really was. Or the version of Haley Dan needed Nathan to see. With just one photograph of Haley and Damien together, Nathan would start to doubt their relationship.
She had managed to create a little distance between her car and the paparazzi cars that had been tailing her. She nearly ran a red light to do it but managed to lose one of them for the time being. She took note of the street sign feeling a sense of relief as she got closer to Nathan's neighborhood and slowed the car speed down.
"Almost there." She reassured herself out loud. She watched the traffic crossing the road in front of her in a steady stream. She patiently waited for the last stop light to turn green. Haley's eyes glanced up at her rear view mirror again keeping tabs on the last paparazzi that had managed to follow her up to that point. She counted in her head and noted the car was about three cars behind her and barely in her line of sight. The stop light in front of her turned green and she eased on the accelerator once more. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar set of headlights coming straight at her before everything went black.
Nathan's shoes pounded the court as he ran towards the basket, dribbling the basketball by his side. He passed the ball to Parker and then made his way directly under the basket. With little to no effort, he jumped straight up in time to guide Parker's shot into the basket.
"Yeah baby!" Parker exclaimed in response to Nathan's assist.
The Washington Wizards called a time out and Nathan jogged over to the Clippers bench. He sat down briefly welcoming the break in action.
"Thanks" He muttered after he accepted a glass of Gatorade and a towel.
"Jefferson, go in for Scott for a few minutes. Nathan, take a breather. I want you in for the last two minutes of the game." The Clippers coach said.
Nathan only nodded in response as he wiped the sweat off his face with the towel. He'd been playing another great game and had 22 points and 6 assists by the 4th quarter. He took another sip of Gatorade as he watched the rest of his team head out on the court again. He heard the cheers for both teams grow louder as the play resumed. He remained focused until he heard something distracting.
"Was it really Haley James?" a young woman's voice questioned out loud.
Nathan's ears perked up at the sound of Haley's name.
"That's what it says according to E! news. I guess it just happened minutes ago." Another woman answered back.
Nathan tried his best to make out what the women sitting directly behind the Clippers bench were saying but he was having difficulties hearing over the game. He definitely heard the name Haley James clearly automatically drawing his interest.
"Oh God! Well does it say what happened exactly?" one woman asked.
"I don't know yet I'm still reading. They probably haven't released all the facts yet. I'll check TMZ instead to see if they have any more information on everyone." The other woman answered back.
"SUB, Scott you're back in!"
Nathan tossed the towel on his chair and made his way back down the court to check in. He crouched down as he waited patiently while the current play finished. He knew he needed to get his head back in the game but he was finding it increasingly more difficult. He was sure he'd heard the women correctly and they were talking about Haley James. His Haley, but what he couldn't clearly make out didn't sound good. He tried to ignore the unsettling feeling he now had in his heart. Something definitely didn't feel right.
He managed to pull himself together enough to execute the play called to perfection even surprising himself. He glanced up at the clock happy the game was almost over. Only 20 more seconds to go. He couldn't shake the feeling he had and it seemed to be getting worse. For some reason, Nathan looked over towards where he knew Tanya, Parker's wife, was sitting. She'd decided last minute to fly out for the game as well as visit some of her family in the area. He expected to see her smiling with excitement as the Clippers played out the last few seconds to secure the win. Tanya was listening to one of his team mates' wives and seemed to be listening closely as the women appeared to be reading directly from her phone. Nathan watched Tanya's hand fly up and cover her mouth in shock. Tanya then looked at the phone herself.
The horn blew signaling the end of the game and Nathan managed to follow the rest team to shake hands with the Wizards. He worked his way through the crowd towards the rest of his team.
"Nathan!"
He looked over and saw Parker standing with his arm around Tanya holding her close.
"Hey guys." Nathan said as he approached them noting they looked rather grim.
"Nate man, I've gotta tell you something….." Parker started to say but paused to look at his wife. It was then Nathan noticed Tanya had tears in her eyes.
"What's going on?" Nathan demanded.
"Haley…"
"What about her?" Nathan interrupted suddenly feeling sick to his stomach.
Parker rubbed his head in frustration and then answered, "According to TMZ she was in a car accident Nate and was rushed to the hospital."
Immediately Nathan took off running towards to locker room nearly trampling anyone in his way. He didn't bother waiting for security to escort him. He noticed the looks a few spectators gave him making him fear the worst that the news report was accurate. Once in the locker room, he quickly found his phone and within seconds he had placed a call to Haley.
"Come on pick up Hales!" Nathan exclaimed as he waited desperately for an answer on the other line.
"Hello?"
Nathan was taken back at the male voice answering his girlfriend's phone.
"This is Haley James' phone I need to speak to her right away. Who the hell is this?" Nathan asked sounding slightly angry.
"This is Officer Andrews from the Los Angeles Police Department…."
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