AN: Holy cow! It's been forever since I posted a new chapter...not sure if I lost some readers all together because of it...hope not. The holiday season seemed to take over my household for two months. It's taken a bit to get back on track to writing again.
It seems OTH fics have slowed a bit which is understandable since the show hasn't been on the air for some time. There are still some readers out there wanting to read fic right? If so...let me know :)
Many thanks to all the readers who've checked out this story, those that left signed reviews as well as any guest reviewers. Thanks for adding my story to your alerts too. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.
~~~ "I'm Never Alone, I'm Alone All the Time" ~~~
* Chapter Thirty-Six*
Haley was grateful she didn't run into much traffic on her way to Peyton's office. She'd managed to ward off a panic attack while she was driving trying her best to think of anything but her accident. She knew it was rather soon to be behind the wheel again but in a split second decided she needed to do it. For her. She pulled into the parking lot and promptly parked near the door. Haley slowly made her way out of the car and into the office building. Somehow she'd managed to find a boost of self-confidence as she walked down the long hallway covered with The Fire Pistols gold and platinum records just what she needed. She knocked on the slightly open door and walked in once she heard Peyton call to her.
Peyton looked up from her desk and a wide grin spread across her face.
"Haley, glad you could make it. Come on in and have a seat. Can I get you anything?" Peyton asked.
"No thanks I'm fine." Haley answered and then quickly sat down across the desk from Peyton. She'd be blind if she didn't take note to Peyton's overly helpful approach. So very unlike the Peyton Sawyer she'd recently come to know.
"Your face looks like it's healing really well so far. A couple more week and you won't be able to tell anything happened. We could style your hair differently for a while too to hide the scar on your forehead…how do you feel about bangs?" Peyton said as she looked back at Haley with a critical eye.
There's Peyton the shrew she knew was still inthere.
"More importantly, how are your lungs feeling?"
"I'm still pretty sore but getting along alright. Doing my breathing exercises and rehab like the good girl I'm supposed to be. When will the new tour kick off?" Haley asked desperately trying to refocus to the real reason Peyton called the meeting.
Peyton handed Haley a piece of paper and then looked at her own copy. "Here's the schedule so far. It's pretty much set in stone. The dates with asterisks indicate when the additional keyboardist will join the tour to offer support for Quinn. Everything is more condensed now not leaving much time for more than a few days off here and there to make up for missing the first month of the tour."
Haley nodded as she listened to Peyton's explanations while looking at the dates.
"Has Quinn seen the schedule yet?" Haley questioned.
"No not yet. I wanted to run it by you first of course."
"I'm sure she'll feel better about it if her doctor signs off on the schedule too." Haley suggested.
Peyton nodded in surprise, "That's a great idea. Now that the schedule is settled, let's talk about the magazine offers."
Haley tried her best to listen closely to the details Peyton laid out before her. The two magazine fighting for the first exclusive would be a great move for her publicly. Peyton was right about one thing.
"I think I can squeeze another 20 grand out of them before everything is said and done." Peyton chuckled deviously.
"The stipulations around the interview is as follows; including a few photographs of the crash wreckage, your detailed account of the evening what you remember happening and then finally how your recovery has gone." Peyton lectured.
Haley raised one eye brow in surprise before she asked, "You really want be to speak about everything that happened that night?"
"Please, Haley don't be stupid! Obviously omit anything having to do with Damien at the club, the photographs he took of you or the scuffle you had inside the club."
Haley laughed out loud, "So you basically want me to lie and tell them "your" exclusive version of the accident right? The one that paints me as America's Sweetheart right?" She snapped back.
Peyton glared at Haley's snippy comment and then said, "You know how delicate the situation is and we've got to get your version of the evening out there before any more speculation continues. I can have this whole things booked and to press by the end of the week."
The thought of getting in front of a camera for a photo shoot was the last thing Haley wanted to do. She thought to herself for a few more seconds before she could bring herself to reply.
"The shoot will be completely on my terms as far as what clothing I wear and the final shots selected for the magazine. Oh yeah and I want Brooke Davis-Roe to by the stylist for the shoot." Haley declared.
"Brook Davis-Roe? I've never worked with her before and I highly doubt she'd be available on short notice. I haven't seen any of her work in the music field lately. Isn't she all high end fashion?" Peyton disputed.
Haley smiled to herself as she felt the power shift in the room slightly. "I will contact her directly and see when she's available."
"How do you know her anyway?" Peyton questioned harshly.
Haley cocked her head to the right and replied, "Brooke's one of Nathan's oldest friends. She's such a sweet heart and I feel fully confident she'd be more than excited to work with me on this magazine shoot."
Peyton pursed her thin lips together and let out an annoyed sigh. Nathan. Figures as much.
"So is that everything?" Haley asked hopefully as she started to move to get up from where she'd been seated.
Peyton slowly leaned forward in her desk chair and allowed the drawn out silence in the room to be filled with her squeaky chair.
"Actually, unfortunately I have one more little matter to discuss with you before you go." Peyton started and paused until Haley stopped moving to and gave her full attention.
"What's that?" Haley questioned as she looked Peyton in the eyes.
"It's a matter having to do with certain terms of your contract."
Haley took a breath in surprise and winced slightly trying her best to hide the pain from Peyton.
"What terms in my contract specifically?" Haley shot back with a hint of skepticism in her voice.
Peyton cocked her head and offered Haley an artificially sympathetic smile before she answered, "Look Haley, I really don't even want to bring this to your attention but it seems as of late I don't really have much choice. You've forced me into a corner."
Haley's eyes widened as she snapped back, "And what have I done exactly?"
"You know, I've let this little "relationship" with Nathan go on for long enough now. It's time you get serious, quit goofing off and back on track with your career." Peyton started but was cut off.
"What the hell are you talking about? I wouldn't exactly call getting side swiped by a paparazzi car goofing off." Haley shot back fiercely.
"The media attention has only intensified because of your involvement with him and it's becoming nearly impossible to manage it efficiently. I can't keep all of the negative stories about you and Nathan from leaking. You need to focus on what's really important right now. Having you take all this time off to recover from the accident wasn't exactly factored into the success of the album and the tour. It's thrown the whole marketing plan completely out the window." Peyton explained.
"Are you even listening to yourself right now?" Haley questioned in utter disbelief of what she was hearing. She studied Peyton's face desperate to catch a glimpse of someone she used to know. The two women engaged in a stare down neither wanting to break away first. Peyton finally spoke again after a brief pause.
"Haley, break it off with him now! Your career depends on it."
Haley's mouth gaped open before she replied, "You can't be serious! I'm not breaking up with Nathan and there's nothing you can do to make me."
Haley turned towards the door and started to make her way out of Peyton's office signaling the conversation was over with.
"Oh one more thing before you go." Peyton started and then pulled out a folder with a large stack of papers. She slammed them on top of her desk creating a thud which surprised Haley.
"Does this look familiar?" Peyton asked as she waved a piece of paper with Haley's signature on it.
"It looks like the contract I signed after everything that happened with Damien."
"Ding ding ding you are smart after all Haley. I was really beginning to start to worry about you. In this contract you agreed to the label having the final decisions in a case when you are not acting in the best interest for your career and the rest of The Fire Pistols." Peyton snarled back with a cheeky grin.
Haley looked back in confusion before she said shaking her head, "I have no idea what you're even talking about. I would never sign a contract with those stipulations!"
"Well you did sign it. After the whole mess with Damien, the label saw you as a liability and the only way they would even consider extending your contract was create a safety net so to speak. They needed reassurance you would behave and go with the plan. So the new contract you signed references this additional section right here." Peyton said now holding up the larger stack of papers.
"You are such a bitch Peyton! You're trying to blackmail me!" Haley cried.
"It's business Haley and you are under contract to do what I say."
"And if I don't?"
Peyton let out a deep sigh and then answered, "If you don't do as you're told then your contract with be dissolved. You will no longer be the lead sing for The Fire Pistols or have any association with them what so ever. The label will retain all rights to your entire song catalogue including those you've written with Chris and any song recordings to date. They may be used per my discretion of course. You will literally walk away with nothing."
Haley looked at Peyton in pure shock over what she'd just heard.
"Is that why you planted a tracking device on my car so you could track every move I made just to make sure I was behaving? I can't believe!"
"What device are you talking about? I didn't put anything on your damn car." Peyton disputed with a genuine confused look in her eyes.
"Whatever Peyton." Haley replied in frustration.
The look on Peyton's face said it all and if Haley hadn't been watching she'd have missed it entirely but Peyton quickly recovered.
"Well, what's it gonna be Haley?" Peyton asked finally.
In one split second, Nathan had managed to connect his fist with Damien's face and plant his ass on the ground before Lucas could even attempt to physically stop him. The entire drive to Damien's house, Nathan had stated he intended to only speak with Damien. This was something entirely different.
"NATHAN!" Lucas called out in shock as Damien's body made a large thud sound when he landed on the entry way of his home. Lucas reached forward to pull on Nathan's arm as he lunged forward again.
"Let me go!" Nathan cried as he desperately tried to pull his arm from Lucas' grasp. Meanwhile, Lucas shoved Nathan further into the house and secured the front door closed.
"What the fuck! Get the hell out of my house or I'm calling the cops!" Damien muttered from his pile on the ground. Damien slowly moved his head to try and see the company now standing in his home. He struggled to his feet not giving much attention to the gift basket scattered at his feet or the fact his smartphone had fallen to the floor from his pocket during his fall.
"Oh you don't like it when someone comes in your home uninvited is that it? Funny I figured you'd be cool with it seeing as you had no trouble making yourself at home in my girlfriend's house." Nathan growled back. His crystal blue eyes peered into Damien's with pure hatred.
It was then Damien was able to fully register it was Nathan Scott who'd just dropped him to the floor in one punch no doubt defending his girlfriend's honor. He feared this day would possible come where he would be brought face to face with Nathan however rested easy figuring Dan Scott wouldn't let that happen. Boy was he wrong.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Damien offered only to be silenced by Nathan's fist connecting with his nose this time in a jab.
"Dammit Nathan, stop punching him!" Lucas called out after Nathan had managed to reach Damien's face. He'd underestimated Nathan's arm length.
Damien hunched over and held his face in his hands while he patiently waited for his eyes to stop watering.
"I know you were at the club the night of her accident. The paparazzi were following her after she left the club because of what happened between the two of you inside. She could've been killed!" Nathan shouted at Damien only to pause when Lucas stepped in between them and put his hand on Nathan's chest desperately trying to settle his best friend. "I know all about the video you recorded and the photos you left at her house. You're one sick son of a bitch. You're lucky she didn't go to the police and report your ass. I can't say I'm letting you off the hook that easy. You're a wannabe worthless piece of shit West who will do anything for a little bit of press! I should just level you right now and do the world a favor." Nathan continued as her peered past Lucas who was standing in between them his blue eyes looking cold as stone.
Lucas looked at Nathan slightly puzzled when Nathan referenced a video and photographs but didn't have time to question as Damien was on the move forcing Nathan's body to stiffen once more.
"Settle down Nate." Lucas warned and was relieved when Nathan took it upon himself to take a few steps away from Damien.
"Best you be careful, you wouldn't want to hurt those precious basketball hands on my face would you!" Damien fired back with a smirk in spite of the small trail of blood that had been seeping from his right nostril for the last minute.
Nathan's right fist balled up again as he snapped, "Trust me, it would be well worth it to finally shut you up."
A steady ringing noise and vibration caught the attention of all parties in the room and suddenly all eyes were on the floor. Damien's smartphone lit up and a name and number displayed across the screen. Damien hesitated to pick it up as it was now closer to Nathan's feet than his own, he tried to read who was calling but couldn't quite make the name out upside down. Nathan's entire focus was drawn to Damien's phone in utter disbelief. He bent down at his feet and within seconds the phone was in his hands. His brow wrinkled in confusion before he looked back at Damien. Nathan turned the phone around showing Damien the screen.
"DS?" Nathan questioned out loud, his eyes not leaving Damien's. The flicker in Damien's gaze didn't go unnoticed by Nathan.
"Give me my phone." Damien demanded and then held his hand out.
"Who's that? Someone important..or maybe you're missing a call for your next big movie role." Nathan pressed again.
Lucas looked from Nathan to Damien trying his best to anticipate what might happen next between the two.
"Nevermind..just give me my damn phone!" Damien ordered his voice rose in volume by the end of his sentence. Nathan was slightly startled by Damien's urgency.
Just as Nathan's hand stretched out to hand Damien his phone an alert went off again only once. Not being able to help himself, Nathan glanced at the screen again and saw Damien had just received a text message this time.
"Oh boy you got a text from DS now…must be important." Nathan started only pausing to glance back at Damien. He then looked back down to continue to read the text message.
'West, you better hope for your sake you've followed orders and kept your mouth shut. His car is at the recording studio….Haley better be borrowing it because if it turns out to be him….DEAD.'
Nathan's eyes flung open as he frantically re-read the message in case he misread it. He felt his chest tighten and his anger intensify
"Who the hell is texting you about Haley?" Nathan demanded as he took an angered step towards Damien. Lucas who'd remained quiet stepped to the side to create a barrier between the two men.
"Whoa..come on Nate…." Lucas started but was completely cut off.
"Who is this?" Nathan asked again nearly breaking his teeth from clenching them so tightly. His chest pressed against Lucas who was clearly prohibiting Nathan from unloading again on Damien.
Damien knew he needed to think on his feet and fast before Nathan completely broke his nose or worse.
"Trust me, leave it alone. Forget what you saw, give me my phone and get the hell out of here." Damien answered knowing full well Nathan wasn't going to willingly leave his home especially at this point.
"Like hell I am. Why the hell are you messing with my girlfriend?"
As Damien stared at Nathan, he knew he had little to no option to avoid getting his ass kicked completely by Nathan if he didn't do something. Dan Scott had already hung him out to dry and refused to pay him the remaining sum he was owed. Damien found himself wondering how far Dan would go to make sure he took the fall completely. From what he'd witnessed thus far, there was no limit to the means Dan would go in order to come out on the other side clean.
"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on." Nathan added.
Lucas looked back at Damien and then at Nathan once more. He'd seen Nathan's temper first hand as they were teens growing up and was physically able to prevent him from doing something stupid back then. However Lucas knew he was no match for the fit NBA player now.
"Nate, come on and try to relax." Lucas said only to be heard by deaf ears.
Damien took a deep breath and then started the process of double crossing Dan Scott.
"I was strongly encouraged by monetary means to mess with Haley in the hopes it would cause her relationship with you to disintegrate." Damien confessed pausing to slowly assess the situation as well as check to see if he needed to make for the nearest room and lock himself in to get away from a rage filled Nathan.
"Excuse me? You did what?" Nathan shot back nearly spitting with vengeance all over Lucas' shirt.
Damien raised his hands in front of himself in a "peace" offering type of manner and then answered, "The offer was made that if I popped up in Haley's life again and started to cause trouble I would be generously compensated. I weighed my options but couldn't pass up the money so I got in touch with her."
Lucas wiped his head around and looked directly at Damien after he spoke. This couldn't be really happening…was this punk really that stupid?
"You're fucking dead!" Nathan shouted and shoved Lucas to the side before he grabbed Damien by the front of his t- shirt twisting the fabric in his large hands. Lucas stumbled but managed to stay on his feet.
"What else?" Nathan demanded as he held Damien's frame in front of him and then pushed him against the nearest wall. His fists were shaking with anticipation of connecting with Damien's face again and the hope of being able to unleash the rage filling his body.
Damien's eyes darted from side to side looking for a way out while knowing there was none.
"It was only going to be just this little thing really….show up long enough to mess with her head again and force her into another emotional breakdown like she'd had before. Then she'd break up with you. I figured the pictures and threat of her secret coming out would have been enough for him but he wanted more. My backer was set to stop at nothing to destroy Haley James and get her out of your life for good. My initial offer was tripled if I'd only contact her one more time. So I did it but I had no idea she would end up getting hurt….that wasn't part of the plan….you have to believe me…" Damien managed to say only to be cut off by Nathan hands tightening once more.
"Believe you?….you break into her home and scare the shit out of her! Then manage to show up at the club she happens to have an appearance at, come on to her, touch her and force her to leave completely terrified….then she gets in her car to escape from you and the press only to….then her accident.." Nathan exclaimed finding it difficult to finish his statement. He'd never been so angry he couldn't form a sentence before.
Nathan's grip on the collar of Damien's shirt tightened yet again making it extremely difficult for Damien to speak let alone breathe. Lucas pulled on Nathan's forearms as he tried to pry him away from Damien with no luck.
"Nate, don't do this!" Lucas warned.
"I didn't know….I didn't know the plan was for the paparazzi to chase her." Damien said in a softened tone. It was clear he was struggling to speak, "I was only trying to get someone in the club to get a picture of us together. The paparazzi should've been gone by then, they had to have been paid off to sit around and wait for her. He must have paid them."
Nathan peered into Damien's eyes as he spoke clearly debating the information he was just told.
"Who's your backer? Give me a name!" He demanded in a low gruff tone as he tightened his hold on Damien once more. Damien's hands flew up frantically trying to pull himself free from Nathan's grasp.
"Nathan, let go!" Lucas pleaded as he pulled on Nathan's arms. He noticed Nathan didn't even flinch or respond to his pleas. Nathan was clearly in a fit of rage. Lucas pulled again this time causing Nathan's hands to slip some from Damien's t-shirt.
"Not until he tells me who it is. Who's doing this?" Nathan responded finally acknowledging Lucas' request.
Lucas looked at Damien who's facial coloring reflected a lack of oxygen.
"Look man, just give it up before he completely levels you. I can't stop this from happening!" Lucas warned hoping he'd be convincing enough for Damien to pick the lesser of the two evils. Sure he couldn't guarantee Nathan wouldn't unleash again on Damien but at least there'd be a small possibility some rage would be reserved for the true culprit behind the situation.
"Tell me!" Nathan screamed this time shaking Damien slightly.
"It was Dan." Was all Damien could say. Nathan froze and locked eyes with Damien unsure he'd heard him correctly.
"What did you say?"
Damien banged his hands on Nathan's trying his best to convey his need for air. Lucas as well noticed Damien seemed to be having difficulty breathing and finally was able to pry Nathan's hands completely off of Damien. The look on Nathan's face was pure shock. Damien's own hands immediately went to his throat and he rubbed it as he coughed.
"Dan, your dad err agent…whatever he is. He's the one who contacted me and paid me off." Damien managed to say pausing briefly to catch his breath between words.
"You're lying. You'll say anything to save your own hind right now." Nathan challenged right back.
"I'm telling you the truth. How do you think he knew when she got to the club that night? Or when I should go to her house to plant the photographs so she wasn't home? He installed a tracking device on her car so he was constantly one step ahead of her. He knew where she was going and when the whole time. Every time she was at your place, he knew about it. Think about it…"
Damien watched as Nathan's brain mulled over the allegations he just threw at him regarding his father and agent.
"Bet you didn't know he had a tracking device put on your cars too. Why else would he know that one of your cars is at Peyton's studio right now?" Damien added no doubt rubbing salt in the now open wound.
"Could he do that?" Lucas asked. He couldn't believe what Damien was saying. Dan Scott was a ruthless business man when it came to Nathan his star client but this seemed too extreme for Dan.
"What are you supposed to do next?" Nathan asked.
Damien shook his head and answered, "Nothing, after her accident he cut me completely out of the picture. I don't know what he's planning next."
"Who else was helping you then?" Lucas asked after he saw Nathan's blank stare.
"I never met anyone else or talk to anyone. The only thing I remember is him talking about this crazy psycho bitch from Haley's team. Her name started wit think."
Nathan struggled with what Damien was telling him and believing his father was behind it all. Sure Dan had his down falls just like anyone else but Nathan couldn't see him going this far. Damien noticed the skeptical look across Nathan's face.
"You still don't believe me do you?" He questioned Nathan noticing the expression on his face.
"Give me my phone and I'll prove it!"
Nathan made no effort to move so Lucas intervened yet again. He grabbed the phone from Nathan and handed it over to Damien. He took the phone and began to pull up the last call he'd received.
"Quiet." Damien ordered as his turned the call over to speakerphone mode.
It took a few seconds before someone answered on the other end.
"About time West!"
Damien glanced from Lucas to Nathan before he spoke, "I was in the middle of something. What do you want?"
"I thought I told you to lay low and keep quiet. Where are you right now?"
Nathan stood still as the sound of his father's voice filled his ears. He felt his stomach and heart drop knowing Damien had been telling the truth. His own father was out to sabotage his relationship with Haley.
"Uhhh….. I'm at home right now. What's going on?" Damien asked as he glanced at Nathan's shocked face.
"Things seemed to have come to a head and I need to get a handle of the situation. I wanted to make sure that you've kept your mouth shut about everything because if you haven't and I find out you've done anything to screw this up….I'll make sure your face is so deformed you never work again."
Lucas' eyes widened as he heard the cruel tone to Dan Scott's voice and then he looked to Nathan to any indication of how he was handling the situation.
"Scott, I heard the first threat you made and I haven't said anything about Haley and what we've done to anyone. Did something happen to Haley?" Damien asked hoping he'd be able to get Dan to admit to something.
Nathan's stance stiffened as he heard his father's response, "She seems to have survived her little accident all too well I'm afraid and is back to shacking up with my son. Clinging to him like the worthless leech she is. I have a feeling she'll be out of the picture for good before the night is over with."
Nathan's body jerked forward in anger and Lucas pulled on his arm warning him to keep quiet. Damien shot Nathan a glare at the same time.
"What are you going to do to her?" Damien asked quickly hoping he'd be able to gain information for Nathan in hopes he'd forget a mere five minutes early he was ready to rip his head off.
There was a longer pause before Dan replied, "It's not me per say….you know what West, it doesn't matter. At this point, I've outgrown your services anyhow."
Damien was quick to reply, "Are…are you sure? I'm sure there's something else I can help you with. Forget the money…I want to finish what I started."
Dan remained quiet which caused Damien to grow more anxious. Damien looked to Nathan again as if he was waiting for confirmation. Nathan managed to give him a slight head nod and then Damien spoke again.
"Let me know what to do…I'll help ya out."
Dan thought for a moment and then concluded, "I'm heading over to Peyton's now to see what's happening. Nathan's car is still at the office and it seems to be taking too long. I need to confirm if it's Haley or Nathan in the car and I can't wait any longer. I've gotta go West."
"Wait…what are you going to do if it's Haley?" Damien pleaded but was too late. Damien put the phone in his pocket and then looked back at Nathan. He didn't think it was possible but Nathan looked even more enraged than before. Thankfully it appeared now to be redirected to Dan Scott.
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