Chapter Sixteen

Brooke was having a truly terrible day. Her alarm didn't go off causing her to wake up late, her shower was freezing cold because Nathan and Lucas got there before she did, and to make matters worse she didn't have time to make or pick up coffee. In a frenzy she dressed quickly and rushed out the door. "I really need to hire someone to open the store, this is insane," she said to her self with a groan.

She got to the store with less than five minutes to spare. Brooke quickly unlocked the door and went inside to turn the lights on and open the cash register. With a deep breath, she sat down in the chair facing the door. She was beyond tired and watched the people walk by to try and stay awake. When she seen a couple with a little girl, each holding one of the girls hands, walk by she placed her hand on her stomach instinctively. With a smile she closed her eyes and could picture her and Lucas with their little one. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Haley was freaking out plain and simple. In ten hours she was going on a date with her husband, absurd sounding she knew, but she was nervous. She was pulling everything she owned out of her closet and throwing it on her bed. She had more clothes than most stores but nothing felt right. Most of what she owned were tour outfits and she didn't want to wear anything like that in front of Nathan.

With one last huff she grabbed her purse and rushed to the one person she knew without a doubt could help her.

It didn't take her long to reach her destination. Haley parked along the road and fed the meter before going into Clothes Over Bro's. She was about the call out for Brooke when she seen her fast asleep on the chair.

Haley felt bad waking her but she was in desperate need of help and the clock was ticking. She gently shook Brooke's shoulder but all she got was a soft snore in response. Giving up the gentle approach quickly Haley yelled out, "Brooke, wake up, hurry there's a fashion disaster!"

Brooke jumped awake startled. "What?! Where?!" She asked looking around. She calmed down almost immediately once she seen Haley. "Did you say there's a fashion disaster?"

"I have a date tonight, a really important date, and I have nothing to wear," Haley told Brooke.

Anger flashed in Brooke's eyes. "Are you freaking kidding me?!" she demanded, making Haley take a step back.

"Brooke, what the hell? I thought you'd be happy."

"Happy? Seriously, do you even care what it's going to do to Nathan? Why did you stay if you had plans to date someone else?" Brooke asked, her hands clenched into fists at her side.

"Someone else. You think I'm freaking out about going on a date with a random guy. Oh thank God," Haley said laughing.

Brooke, getting even more upset, was ready to pummel her. "You're laughing? What about hurting Nathan more than you already have is funny?"

"I'm not going to hurt him. In fact, the date I'm freaking out about, is with him. I couldn't find anything to wear that wasn't every day casual or tour clothes," Haley explained. Once she finished she was glad to see Brooke had retracted her claws. Though she wasn't a fan of being yelled at, she was glad Nathan had Brooke in his corner.

"Oh Haley, I'm…. I don't know what to say."

"Say you have something I can wear," Haley said pleadingly.

"That I can do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After leaving Haley's house, Nathan went to the pier, he needed to clear his head. He couldn't get the feel of her lips out of his mind. Six years was a long time to go without kissing your wife. Without a thought his feet took him down to the beach where he walked along the water.

Letting the sea breeze calm him, he thought back to the last time he had gotten to kiss Haley. It was the night she had snuck out, abandoned him, and he should have seen it coming. That whole day she had clung to him, hung on his every word. It wasn't that she ignored him any other time, but that day, she was overly attentive. He was enjoying the extra attention she was giving him so he didn't question it. He didn't question why her kisses were desperate, or why after making love to her she clung to him like a life line, but when he woke up the next morning and she was gone he knew he should have known something was wrong.

Right before he had drifted to sleep that night she told him she loved him, looked into his bright blue eyes with her warm chocolate brown orbs, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world. What he wouldn't give to feel like that again, he though as he sat in the sand with is arms across his raised knees.

Nathan was jolted out of his thoughts by his phone. Happy for the distraction he answered it without checking the caller ID.

"Hello."

"Hey, Nate are you busy?" Lucas asked sounding hopeful.

"Not right now, no. What's up?"

"Think you can come to the school gym for a few hours? I need some help."

"Yea, I'm on my way," Nathan said standing up and brushing the sand off his jeans.