Wow.. So it's been about a year and a half since I even checked my fanfiction page.. a lot has happened and I'm definitely in a very different place in my life now! But I suddenly discovered that I had three more chapters of this story written that I never published.. and I thought: why not? I actually even started to write another chapter for my story A Deeper Connection. Maybe I'll be able to finish? We'll see. Hope you all still like this story and that you're willing to still read and maybe review :) Thanks for all the good feedback! This is for all of you:

As usual: Italics = Haley's diary/thoughts

Chapter 5 – Our Secret Paradise

Day 6

I can not believe one week has almost passed already. I'm sure time will fly by faster everyday, but it feels like we just came. I love the feeling this place gives me. It's really boosting my mood! The only thing I miss is Lucy, but I'll get to see her a lot once we return back home, so no worries there. Actually, I'm also a little sad that my parents have gone completely MIA. I haven't seen them since we parted in the lobby after our arrival. I wonder where they are, and if they are okay..

Anyway, it's time for my secret adventure with Nathan. He has no clue at all where I'm taking him, and I love that. It turns out that Nate is a curious person, just like myself. I would HATE it if he did the same thing to me. But I think he's going to like it. I don't really know. Maybe I won't even like it, but I'm hoping it will be fun for the both of us.

When it comes to Taylor, I made a decision last night. I'm just going to stay away from her, simple as that. Once, I remember talking to this friend who felt like he was caught in a rip tide. Like the harder he tried to get out, the harder it was for him to keep from drowning. So I guess I need to stay clear of the water, aka Taylor, for a while.

I'll see you tonight. My adventure is calling my name, and Nathan is knocking on my door. Haha.

Haley

«Finally, what took you so long?» Nathan frowned as Haley finally opened the door to her room and let him in.

«I was just writing in my diary» Haley shrugged as she walked to her closet to find out which top she should wear. Her oversized sleeping T-shirt clearly wasn't right..

«You have a diary?» Nathan asked as he watched her pull out a light green tank top.

«Yes, but you can't read it! It's private!» Haley announced, thinking what disaster it would be if Nathan actually read her private thoughts. There was a lot of stuff about him in there as well, so that wouldn't make it any less embarrassing for her.

«Have you written anything about me?» He raised his eye brows with his question.

«Maybe» Haley smiled secretly at him, knowing he would only become more curious with that. Somehow, she liked the power she had over him in these rare moments.

«Well, what did you say about me?» Nathan spoke in a low and husky voice as he walked closer to her.

«I won't tell» Haley winked as she took her T-shirt over her head, fully aware that she was standing in front of him in nothing but a small pair of shorts and her bikini top.

«You're no fun» Nathan commented, but his eyes were looking everywhere on her body, except for her eyes as he spoke.

«I'm sorry, buddy. You can't know everything!» Haley laughed at his pout as she put on her tank top and smiled sweetly at him. She offered him her hand as she continued. «Shall we go?»

«We shall, but where in the world are you taking me?» He wondered as he inter twined their fingers and followed her out the door.

«To be honest, I'm not really sure!» Haley laughed at his expression.

«What is that supposed to mean?» Nathan frowned.

«When we first arrived here, I noticed this trail that goes into those woods behind the hotel. And we, my friend, are going to check them out!» Haley smiled at Nathan's sceptic look.

«Are you sure that's a good idea?»

«Where is your sense of adventure, Nate? Maybe we'll find our Utopia. Or maybe we'll discover a lost village or something!» Haley dreamed as she continued to drag Nathan towards the small trail she had seen earlier.

«You are a dreamer, aren't you?»

«I guess you could say that. And I'm a hopeless romantic!» Haley laughed at herself.

«What's you idea of a perfect love story?» Nathan asked her as he studied her face. She had slowed down a little, walking beside him. Their hands were still intertwined like a couple..

«I wouldn't say I have a perfect love story planned for myself, but I always wanted to fall in love with a guy that was it for me. And get married after about two years together, maybe longer. And when we were married, I would get pregnant and in the end we would have three children. But I love kids, so I'm open for more if that should happen. But most of all, I just want to be happy, and I want to find a guy that appreciates me for who I am. But then again, how often do all your dreams come true» Haley shrugged with a little laughter as they reached the beginning of the trail.

«You'll find him» Nathan assured her, slightly hoping he could be included in that dream.

«What about you? You have a dream for your life?» Haley questioned him as they walked into the woods, past the tropic landscape, and climbed over big rocks that covered their path.

«Not really. I always wanted to play basketball for a living. But as you know, my injury stopped that from happening. Right now I'm just happy with finishing college and getting a job and a good appartment» Nathan explained.

«Where are you going to live?»

«I got an internship with a big law firm in New York, so that's where I'll stay. I found a nice appartement on Manhattan. 7th and 34th» Nathan finished as Haley nodded. «What about you? Where are you going to college?»

«I got accepted to all the colleges I applied for. My dream has always been Stanford, but I don't know where I want to go anymore. I also got accepted to Duke and NYU. I really don't know right now..» Haley trailed of.

«Why not?»

«Because if I chose Stanford, I'm on my own. No one else is going there. If I chose Duke, I'm close to home. And if I chose NYU, I have my best friend with me as well as friends and I'd also get to live in New York, which I've always wanted to do. It's not exactly a no-brainer» Haley sighed loudly.

«What are you going to major in? Have you decided that?» Nathan continued their conversation. He really liked talking to Haley. She was a very interesting person!

«I think I'm going for english. I want to be a teacher» Haley smiled, happy that she had at least settled that!

«Well, I don't know about Duke or Standford, but I've heard that NYU has a great English program. And, if you chose NYU, you have me» He smirked.

«Yeah, cause you have time to hang out with me when you're a big time lawyer in the big city» Haley laughed sarcastically.

«I'll always have time for you, Hales» Nathan stopped and looked her deeply into the eyes with a serious look.

«Thanks. If you ever need to talk, I'm only a phone call away» She winked back, letting him know she valued their friendship just as much as he did.

«Where are we now, anyway?» Nathan commented as they looked around. They had walked pretty far in, and the tiny trail they had been on was almost gone. Haley could see a small part of it continue over towards some rocks where she assumed they had to climb.

«Come on» She smiled as she pointed and walked fast over towards the rocks. Determined to start climbing before Nathan had a chance to object or drag her down.

«Are you crazy? That's dangerous, Hales!» He yelled after her as she climbed higher. The wall wasn't that high, but she made a mental note to avoid looking down anyway.

«Come on, Nate! Live a little!» Haley replied, thinking back to Lucy and how proud she could be of her now. Haley was really becoming someone intirely different this summer. She almost didn't recognize herself and her large appetite for fun.

«Alright, but if I die, I am coming back to haunt you!» Nathan screamed as he started to climb himself. While he continued upwards, Haley had reached the top and climbed over it, stunned at what she found.

«Hurry up, Nate! You gotta see this!» Haley yelled at him as she continued to stare at the view in front of her. There was waterfall coming down not too far away, and it formed something that could be described as a tropical pool. Under the waterfall, Haley could see rocks that were able to sit on and all abound them were beautiful flowers and other accessories creating what she felt was a paradise.

«What is this place?» She was suddenly brought back to reality by Nathan's deep voice, standing right behind her.

«I don't know, but it's beautiful!» Haley whispered, almost afraid it would disappear if she spoke too loud.

«You want to swim?» Nathan asked her as he took of his shoes, socks and his T-shirt. The sun was shining on them, and Haley felt extremely tempted at his offer.

«Why not?» She shrugged as she removed her clothes as well and ran for the edge, ready to dive into the water. She didn't care if it was cold or not, but when she finally felt the water against her skin, she didn't complain. «Come on, Nate! The water is wonderful!»

«If you say so» Nathan laughed as he ran and jumped into the water, splashing water all over Haley. He came back up and continued splashing her, starting a mini water fight.

«Stop it!» Haley laughed, deciding she wanted to explore the waterfall some more. «Come on»

«Wow, this is really cool!» Nathan commented as they swimmed under it and found a big rock they could sit on. Nathan sat down on it and brought her to sit on his lap. Gripping around her stomach to hold her in place.

«You know, this is really nice» Haley smiled as she felt his hands stroking her skin under water.

«Yeah. It's like our secret spot» Nathan smirked, looking into her eyes.

«Our secret paradise» Haley whispered as she felt herself getting lost in his baby blue eyes. It seemed like time stood still as she brought one hand up to remove some hair from his face as well as stroking him on his cheek. She let her hand linger there, feeling his shaved skin against it.

«We should probably talk about what almost happened last night» Haley whispered, thinking back to their almost kiss the night before.

«Yeah, I guess we should» Nathan replied, his voice husky and low.

«Did you want it, or did we just get caught up in the moment?» Haley asked as she bit her lip nervously. She was really hoping he wouldn't turn her down. That would be really embarrassing considering their current position.

«I wanted it. I do want it. Don't you?» Nathan whispered as Haley felt her head being drawn to him by an unvisible force.

«I wanted it, too» Haley whispered so low, she wasn't sure if he had heard it. She could feel his heartbeat through his skin and it made her smile. «You're heart is beating really fast»

«That is what happens when I'm around you» Nathan explained. Haley looked him deeply in the eyes before deciding it was now or never. In a quick motion, she grabbed his face and connected their lips softly. The kiss wasn't forced or hard. It was simple and sweet, and after a few seconds; Haley pulled away.

«Stupid Jake» Haley mumbled as they both started laughing. Nathan tightened his grip on her as they sat in silence and looked at each other. It wasn't needed for them to speak. They both knew what the other was feeling, and they couldn't keep the smiles of their faces. They had discovered their own hiding place, as well as confirmed their feelings for each other. What could be better than that?

«Where in the world have you two been?» Taylor's voice called out as the newly formed couple made their way back towards the house. They had their arms around each other and Nathan's hand was planted in the back pocket of her shorts, feeling her ass move through the material. After they had continued to enjoy each other's company for a while, they had kissed some more and decided to walk back home before it got dark. Haley couldn't keep the smile of her face as they reached their rooms, but she was quick to pull away when she saw Taylor. They had both agreed to keep their 'relationship' between them for a while. Especially far away from Taylor!

«We went for a walk and talked. Why?» Haley shrugged as they both fell down on the couch next to the others.

«Mom left a message» Taylor announced as Haley's smile brightened.

«And here I thought they had forgotten about us!» Everybody laughed at her comment, except Taylor of course.

«Well, we all are going to eat dinner on their yacht the day after tomorrow. That was the message» Taylor shrugged as Haley nodded happily.

«Wait a minute? What yacht?» Nathan frowned.

«Apparently, they rented a yacht and have spent time on it these last couple of days» Rachel revealed.

«Well, that's gonna be fun. Isn't it?» Haley smiled as she looked at all the others.

«Sure. Exactly what I want to spend my time doing!» Lucas commented sarcastically.

«Well, I think it's nice that they invited us. I miss my mom!» Haley pouted as she sat back, letting Nathan wrap his arm around her shoulder and hold her tight.

«It's okay to miss your parents, Hales» Nathan assured her as she placed her head on his shoulder.

«Actually, it's immature and childish, but whatever» Taylor rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen and came back with a beer in her hand. «Anyone else want one?»

«Yeah sure» Lucas said. Rachel, Jake and Nathan also nodding.

«What about you, Bop? Coke? Water?» Taylor smirked.

«Nothing, thank you» Haley returned the smirk, clearly faking her cheery attitude.

«So, what's up with you two?» Jake asked them, unable not to notice the loving looks Nathan was sending Haley.

«What do you mean?» Haley frowned, feeling a little down at the fact that she couldn't share her newly found happiness with everyone else yet.

«You're all touchy feely» Lucas reasoned the question.

«We're friends» Nathan smiled as he used his free hand to mess with Haley's hair.

«Hey!» Haley objected as they all laughed.

«I think it's good you two have become so close! I hated seeing you alone every night, Hales» Rachel said seriously as she smiled towards Haley. She was seated besides Jake, and suddenly Haley saw that his hand was on her thigh.

«Speaking of touchy feely. Is there anything you want to tell me, Jake?» Haley raised her eye brows and motioned towards his hand.

«I'm not confirming anything until you are» Jake shrugged, testing her curiosity.

«Too bad then» Haley pouted as she looked pleadingly over at Rachel who smiled secretly.

«Alright poeple. Here we are» Taylor announced as she entered the room with 5 beers in her hands. She handed them out and stood ready to purpose a toast.

«To us! Young, fabulous and free. And finished with college!» Taylor smiled.

«And high school!» Nathan added, making Haley smile at him.

«Well, anyone can do that..» Taylor pointed out, causing Haley's smile to disappear.

«I think I'll call it a night. You grown ups have fun» Haley mumbled as she quickly stood up from Nathan's grip and rushed towards her bedroom. She didn't wait around for anybody to protest, and quickly slammed the door behind her.

Dear Diary

Did I mention earlier that I HATE Taylor? Well, she did it again Ladies and Gentlemen. She did her best to make me feel totally out of it.. But you know what? I'm not going to let her get to me! I've had the best day down here so far, and Taylor can not get to me today!

I'm sure you want to know why, don't you? Well, get this: I got Nathan with me in exploring that trail into the woods I told you about a few days ago. And we walked and talked for a long time before we climbed up this wall, and then we found this incredibly beautiful waterhole we went swimming in. And there was a waterfall where Nathan managed to sit down and pull me onto his lap. And, drumroll, I KISSED HIM! And he totally kissed me back! He is the best kisser ever! I'm not kidding. He's so gentle and soft, and he tastes good too.. I'm falling for him.. Seriously, I'm in deep trouble! I just hope he feels the same way. Somehow, this could be really great considering which college I'll choose. If we get involved, of course I'll go for NYU. Not only will I have Nathan, I'll have Lucy as well.. And Taylor.. Ugh..

Anyway, I'm going to bed now. I guess you'll hear from me in the morning, like you always do!

Haley James (Scott) Haha.. I wish..

«That was really low, Taylor. Why do you always do that?» Nathan snapped at her once Haley's door slammed.

«It's about time she found her place here, Nate» Taylor reasoned.

«And what exactly is that?» Nathan frowned as he stared angrily at Taylor. And she called herself a responsible and loving big sister. She was a bitch, that's what she was!

«She's living this dream that we want her here! When in reality, she's a major party pooper!»

«What makes you think we want you here?» Nathan narrowed his eyes at her, feeling his temper explode.

«Come on, Nate! Do you honestly think we're falling for your charity work? It's really nice of you to look after my baby sister and everything, but you can't think that we don't see through it. You aren't nice, Nate! This isn't who you are, I know you!» Taylor explained.

«You don't know anything about me!» Nathan raised his voice at her.

«Nate, easy» Lucas warned, but Nathan didn't listen to him. He was too angry to hear.

«Don't I? I know you lost your virginity to Tracy Shapman, freshman year of high school and pretty much drank your way through the rest of it while using every girl you could. Haley is starting college, and she's still a virgin! And I know you haven't been faithful to one of your 'serious' girlfriends, while Haley has never even had a boyfriend! Do you get where I'm coming from?»

«That's in the past, Tay. That's not who I am anymore!» Nathan argued as he drowned the rest of his beer.

«Really? Then why did you make out with that slut on the dance floor the first night we came here? You magically transformed in the past week?» Taylor's eyes were challenging him to snap, he knew it! But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing that what she was saying actually got to him.

«Whatever, Taylor. I don't understand how it's possible for a sweet girl like Haley to be related to a bitch like you!» He spoke calmly with hate in his voice before standing up and walking out of the house. Jake, Lucas and Rachel sat speechless behind, not really sure if they should run after Haley or him. Or if they should kick Taylor's ass for being such a major bitch..

Nathan paced around in his room, not sure if he could sleep at the moment. He didn't want to hurt Haley, but was he capable of not doing it? Was she the understanding type who accepted him as he was, or would she pull away once he showed his true colours? Nathan could see himself with Haley for a long time, maybe even forever, but he knew Taylor had a point. He didn't know how to be a boyfriend. Suddenly he felt a small hand on his back, and he turned in surprise to find Haley with a pillow in her hand, dressed in her PJs.

«I couldn't sleep. Do you mind if I join you?» She smiled her sweet smile which totally melted him and he nodded while giving he a soft kiss on the forehead.

«You're always welcome here» Nathan reassured her as he felt the previous tension leave his body.

«What's on your mind?» Haley asked him, sensing something was wrong.

«Nothing. Taylor just got under my skin» He sighed as they placed themselves on the bed.

«Don't let her get to you. It's what she wants! Trust me..» Haley trailed of as he nodded and smiled at her.

«Good night» Nathan whispered, giving her a soft kiss which lingered a moment or two.

«Thank you for trusting me on our little adventure today. I had a lot of fun» Haley giggled.

«I would do it again in a heart beat» Nathan assured her as she gave him one last kiss before turning around, and closing her eyes. She felt Nathan's hand wrap around her waist and pull her closer to his body before she fell asleep. Nathan listened as he breath became heavier and he smiled for himself.

I'm falling for you, Haley James.. But I'm not sure if that's a good thing...

Please Review :)