Chapter Fourteen
Knocking lightly on Haley’s bedroom door, Nathan waited for her to tell him to come in which she did almost immediately. After turning the handle and pushing it open, he crossed the threshold and saw she was lying on her bed, her back resting up against the headboard.
“How did it go?” He asked as he sat down on the cushioned window seat.
“It wasn’t too bad. I, uh, told them about you but I didn’t tell them that we’re married. I hated keeping it from them, but it’s something that I need to do face to face,” she said referring to the phone call she had just made to her parents.
“We need to do face to face,” he amended and was rewarded with a small smile.
“Right.”
“So, are we going to see them this weekend?”
“Yeah. They unfortunately haven’t got any other plans so this weekend it is. I thought we could drive up early Saturday morning… Of course, I’ll need to change my shifts at the café which I’m sure Deb will love.”
Seeing her in a panic, Nathan couldn’t help but chuckle and getting up from his seat, he walked over and sat beside her on the bed. “It’s gonna be okay, Hales.”
She sighed loudly. “You really think so because I don’t. My parents are going to be hurt and angry that I got married without breathing a word to them and your mom is seriously gonna freak that her son has married a mere waitress. She already made that perfectly clear and--”
“What? When?”
Haley realised her mistake and she tried to backtrack, but seeing the determined look on his face, she knew she couldn’t lie. “After our first date… She managed to find me during my lunch break at the café the next day and well, let’s just say she voiced her concerns about the two of us becoming involved with each other.”
Nathan ran a hand through his hair as he took in what he had just been told. What the hell was wrong with his mother and her interfering in things that didn’t concern her?
“I-I’m sorry, Nathan. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, you were right to tell me but I don’t understand why you didn’t say anything before.”
“I didn’t want to cause any trouble plus I figured it was what she wanted. You know, me to run to you and for you to then confront her about it so she could make you see how stupid I was for misinterpreting what she’d said.”
Giving her a small smile, he stood up and walked over to her and took a seat beside her on the bed. His hand covered and squeezed hers as he spoke. “You’re probably right in thinking that but you still should’ve told me. There’s no way I’d have believed her over you.”
“But…she’s your mother,” she said with a surprised tone evident in her voice.
“And that’s why I’d have believed you. Her and my dad were forever pulling this crap, trying to outdo each other while I was stuck in the middle and now he’s gone, I’m pretty sure she’ll be playing the same game with you, only you’re too good to be drawn into it.”
Turning her hand over, Haley interlaced her fingers with his. “I’m sorry you had to go through that when you were growing up and that you’ll be going through it again now.”
Nathan shook his head. “No, I won’t be. I was thinking that we could make the move to Chicago after we’ve visited your parents and told them our news. What do you think?”
“That soon?”
“I know it seems fast but I need to get back to the office and plus, things are most likely going to be getting heated around here once news breaks of our nuptials. And anyway, I figured you might want to check out the schools in Chicago and see about applying for the new school year. It’s your call though; if you’d prefer to stay here for another few weeks we can do that.”
Looking into his face, her eyes met his and she knew without a doubt that she didn’t want him to have to deal with Deb for longer than was necessary. The same also went for her and she knew that what he said about things getting heated was probably the understatement of the year, especially given the way news of their first date had spread around the town.
“I’ve never been to Chicago before,” she told him with a smile and she giggled when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and shifted her so she was sitting sideways on his lap.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive and besides, it was always the plan for me to move there with you after we were married so it’s no big deal.”
“Yeah, I know but I figured staying here for a couple of weeks at least would help us both get used to everything.”
Kissing his cheek, she smiled against his skin. “Uh huh, but that was before things changed between us,” she whispered shyly.
“There is that,” he said as he turned his head and caught her lips with his, kissing her slowly.
Haley’s fingers trailed over his cheek while his lips worked their magic on her. The slightest touch from him had her body humming and she couldn’t seem to get enough. So lost in their kisses was she that it was only when her head touched her pillow that she realised he had moved them so that she was lying on her bed with him on top of her.
She moaned with disappointment when his lips left hers, but she cooed happily when she felt him begin to kiss her neck and she tilted her head to the side to give him greater access. Her fingers idly played with the hair at the nape of his neck while her other hand massaged over his T-shirt covered shoulder.
As Nathan continued kissing and sucking on the column of her neck, his fingers slipped under her sweatshirt and caressed the warm, soft skin of her tummy. He wanted so badly to strip her of the fabric that was covering her but he remembered his words to her last night and he intended to stick by them. When they took the next step in their relationship, he wanted her to be completely ready and he knew that right now she wasn’t.
Moving back up to her mouth, he kissed her hotly before reluctantly drawing back and resting his forehead against hers as he caught his breath. “So, uh, what do you feel like doing to kill time before we face my mother?”
Haley blushed at his question since the only thing she wanted to do right then was carry on from where he’d left off. “Um, whatever you want to do is fine…” she said quietly, her eyes looking away from him.
The blush on her face gave him an idea of what she had in mind and he inwardly groaned. If only she knew what he wanted to do with her… “We could watch a movie or go for a walk on the beach?”
“A movie sounds good and I’ll even let you choose.”
Nathan chuckled. “Aww honey, you’re so good to me.” Giving her another kiss, he pushed himself up off of her and then climbed off the bed. He held out his hand for her to take which she did a couple of seconds later and he gently pulled her up.
“What time are we due at Deb’s?” she asked as they walked downstairs together, her hand securely clasped in his.
“Seven-thirty so I thought we’d leave around seven so we’re there on time. The last thing we need is to be late and give her cause for complaint before she hears our news.”
Haley nodded in agreement. “True.”
Entering the living room, she took a seat at one end of the comfy couch and brought her knees up into herself.
“So, what movie do you feel like watching?” he asked, standing next to the unit where his DVD collection was housed.
“You pick,” she told him before adding, “As long as it’s not scary it’s fine with me.”
“Not a horror movie fan, then?”
“Not really. I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to blood and gore.”
Running his finger along one of the shelves, he suggested, “How about Speed?”
“The one with Keanu Reeves?” Getting a nod from him, she smiled. “Definitely then.”
“I take it you’re a fan of his?”
“Hmm, you could say that,” she teased. “I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen that movie with my sisters. I remember we were so upset when we found out he wasn’t doing the sequel to it.”
Nathan laughed while he popped the disc into the player and hit the play button. Walking over to where she was, he sat down beside her and he couldn’t help smiling when she scooted over towards him and snuggled against him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her even closer to him, dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. As the movie played, he found himself watching her more than watching the TV.
* * * * *
When the movie ended, he reluctantly released her from his embrace but she didn’t move and glancing down at her, he noticed that somewhere during the last half hour, she had fallen asleep. He wished he didn’t have to wake her up but he knew they needed to start getting ready so that they could leave in plenty of time for dinner with his mother. A big part of him wanted to ring her and cancel but he knew they needed to get this over and done with. If Brooke hadn’t known that he was now a married man, maybe he could have gotten away with postponing it to another night, but she did know and so he was on borrowed time. While she had promised not to say anything and he trusted that she wouldn’t, he couldn’t help worrying that she would inadvertently let it slip.
Cupping Haley’s cheek in his palm, he caressed her skin softly as he whispered her name into her ear. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to be in too deep a sleep as she slowly started to wake up and her large brown eyes met his.
“Hey,” she mumbled, feeling a little embarrassed at having fallen asleep on him.
“Hey back. Have a good nap?”
“Uh huh. I hate missing the end of movies…and especially that one.”
“Don’t worry, we can watch it again sometime. I’m sorry I had to wake you up but we should start getting ready for my mom’s dinner and--”
“It’s okay. To be honest, I’m surprised I could fall asleep what with me feeling so nervous about tonight.”
Placing his fingers under her chin, he tilted her head back so her eyes were fixed on his again. “I want you to know that if she starts on you tonight, then we’re out of there, okay? She can say what she wants to about me but there’s no way I’m letting her do that to you.”
Closing the gap between them, Haley pressed her lips to his and kissed him, suckling his bottom lip into her mouth just before she ended the kiss. “Thank you, Nathan, but I’m a big girl. I can take it.”
Nathan nodded. “I know, but you shouldn’t have to, especially not now that things have changed between us. It’s more than you helping me out with a problem…a lot more.” This time he was the one to lean in and he kissed her long and slow, savouring the familiar taste of her. Knowing that they needed to get moving, he finally ended the kiss and opening his eyes, he smiled at the dreamy look on her face combined with a subtle blush.
Standing up, he helped her off the couch and giving her a gentle slap on her ass, he directed her towards the stairs. “C’mon, the sooner we do this, the sooner we get it over with.”
Reaching the staircase, Haley climbed the first two steps so she was level with his height before turning to face him. “Promise me something, Nathan.”
“What’s that?” Waiting for her to speak, he wrapped his arms around her waist and let his fingers caress just under her sweater.
She tried her best to ignore the feel of his slightly calloused fingers stroking over her skin and giving herself a mental shake, she replied, “Don’t let her draw you into a fight. If she starts throwing accusations around, don’t let her get to you. Please. I don’t want to be the cause of even more trouble in your relationship with her.”
He drew her in tighter to his body and rested his head on her shoulder. “You won’t be, Hales. I’ll do my best not to let her get to me but if she starts on you, then I’m sorry. I can’t let that go. She can say whatever she wants to about me but I won’t have her spouting all kinds of nasty shit about you… You don’t deserve that.”
Cupping his face between her hands, she leaned her head down and rested it against his. “You’re a good guy, Nathan Scott.”
Chuckling, he shook his head. “There are a helluva lot of people in this town that’d disagree with that.”
“Well, in that case they’re just stupid,” she said, a smile playing on her lips. “And if they can’t get past the fact that you’ve changed since high school and college, then that’s their own fault.”
“You’re going to give me a big head,” Nathan teased but her words had sent a warmth running through him and he knew that whatever happened between them, he couldn’t lose her from his life.
* * * * *
At seven-fifteen, Nathan and Haley stood on his mother’s doorstep but they hadn’t yet rung the bell. On the short drive over, it had been easy to sense how nervous she was by the way she kept playing with her wedding ring and when they had pulled up at a traffic stop, he had covered her hand with his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Now though was a different story as he too felt the nerves eat away at him. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that his mother was going to create merry hell when they told her their news but he was more concerned about what she was likely to be saying to his wife rather to him.
“You ready?” he asked a moment later and after receiving a hesitant nod from her, he finally pressed his finger on the bell and heard the chimes ring out.
After a couple of minutes had passed, Deb Scott opened the door and greeted them both with a broad smile. Haley wasn’t stupid and immediately noticed how the smile didn’t quite meet the older woman’s eyes and the butterflies that were already in flight in her stomach seemed to increase their speed and she suddenly felt nauseous.
“Nathan… Haley, come on in,” the blonde said as she opened the door wider and allowed them to enter. Turning to her son, she hugged him before taking his arm and leading him towards the living room, leaving Haley to follow behind.
Nathan knew what she was doing and disentangling his arm from his mother’s, he turned and smiled at Haley, extending his hand for her to take which she did. Facing his mother again, he smiled but made sure she saw the look of determination on his face which told her in no uncertain terms that he knew her game and wasn’t going to play it.
Deb couldn’t fail to see the way Nathan looked at his… girlfriend and the smile slipped from her face for a split second before she made sure it was back in place. While she had extended tonight’s dinner invitation to both of them, she had been hoping that Haley wouldn’t have attended and that she could have been left to speak to her son in private about the information she had uncovered. Oh well, maybe it was best that the brazen little hussy was there so that he could see exactly who and what he was getting himself involved with.
“Can I get either of you a drink before we sit down for dinner?” The older woman offered politely after they had sat down.
“Uh yeah, I’ll have a beer if you’ve got any,” Nathan replied before he turned to his wife and said, “Hales?”
“I’ll just have a glass of water, please.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like anything stronger? Oh wait, I forgot, you’re not twenty-one yet, are you?”
“No, she isn’t,” he interjected.
Haley didn’t rise to the bait. “Water will be fine, thank you.”
“Coming right up. Nathan, honey, why don’t you take Haley into the dining room while I get our drinks and check on dinner.”
“You didn’t cook, did you?”
Deb laughed. “Of course not, I’ve learned my lesson by now. No, Karen was kind enough to prepare something for me to pop into the oven and it should be ready in a few minutes. Actually, once you’ve got Haley settled, could you come into the kitchen and give me a hand?”
“Sure.” Nathan watched his mother leave the room and then leaning into Haley, he laid his head on her shoulder. “We should have cancelled,” he whispered so only she could hear and he was relieved when she giggled, although he could hear the nervousness in her laugh.
“We’re here now, Nathan, so we might as well get it over with. Oh, and you know she’s going to be listing my bad points when she gets you alone in the kitchen.”
Kissing along her jaw line, he smiled against her skin. “You don’t have any bad points.”
“Hmm, I’ll remind you of that when we’ve lived together for longer than just a day.”
Getting up from his seat, he took both of her hands in his and pulled her up. “C’mon, let’s get this over with.” That line seemed to be the theme of the day, he thought to himself.
After seating Haley at the dining table, Nathan went into the kitchen and watched his mother as she took a casserole dish out of the oven. “What exactly do you need my help with, Mom?”
“You could get our drinks while I serve the food,” she told him. “Oh, she’s not a vegetarian, is she?”
He shook his head. “No, she’s not but it’s a bit late asking that now, don’t you think?”
“You’re right and I’m sorry. I should have asked when we spoke this morning.” Dishing up the food into serving bowls, she hesitated for a moment before finally asking, “Nathan, is there, uh, any way we can have a private talk this evening? There’s something I really need to tell you.”
Pausing from his task of pouring a tall glass of water, he turned to look at his mother. “Is it about Haley?”
“Y-Yes, it is. You need to know th--”
“Anything you need to say about Haley you can say in her presence. I’m not going to talk about her behind her back.”
“Nathan…please. She isn’t the sweet and innocent person you think she is.”
“Just stop!” he said, his voice raised in anger before he lowered it again. “You don’t know anything about her and--”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she told him as she picked up a grey coloured file from the countertop that he hadn’t noticed was there. “Here.” Deb held it out for him to take but he didn’t move an inch except to shove his hands into his pockets.
“What’s that?”
“I-I did it for you… I was concerned that you were making a mistake getting involved with someone so young.”
“I’m an adult, Mom, and I don’t need you running interference for me when it comes to women.”
“She’s not a woman…she’s practically a child!”
“A child? She’s twenty years old… She stopped being a child when she hit eighteen.”
“And you’re almost thirty… That’s ten years, Nathan.”
“I can count! Anyway, so what if I’m older than her? It’s not a problem for me and I know it’s not a problem for Haley so…”
“I’ll bet it’s not a problem for her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Why don’t you read the file and find out.”
Nathan shook his head. “I don’t need to read the file because I know everything about her.”
“No, you only know what she’s told you.”
“Yeah, and I believe her.”
Deb ran a perfectly manicured hand through her shoulder length hair. “Why are you so gullible when it comes to women?”
He laughed although not a trace of humour could be heard within it. “Gullible, huh? Just goes to show that you know absolutely nothing about me.”
Trying a different tactic, she said, “Honey, I know she’s young and pretty and seems very innocent but this file makes it clear that she’s just another gold digger who’s after your hard earned money.”
“What exactly is that file and where did you get it?” he asked as he snatched it from her hand. Opening it up and flicking through it, he saw various photographs of Haley. There were a couple of her at the café, one of her at the local supermarket, another of her with him walking along the beach and the last one showed her entering Temptation, her former workplace.
“You hired someone to follow her?”
“I had to. It just seemed too convenient for her to have met you and for the two of you to then start dating.”
“You’re unbelievable. How is it too convenient for her to have met me? No one knew I was in town when I walked into the café that day and she had no idea who I was before you introduced us.” Okay, that was a lie but when he had met her just a couple of days before that ‘official’ first meeting, she genuinely hadn’t known who he was.
Shaking her head from side to side, Deb said, “I think you were targeted.”
This time when Nathan laughed, it was with disbelief at what he was hearing. “Are you kidding me? Targeted how?”
Taking a deep breath, she spoke. “I think you were the real reason behind Haley’s appearance in Tree Hill. The private investigator I hired discovered that she had to drop out of college due to financial difficulties and that her parents were unable to help due to their own money problems. I think she maybe did some research on rich and successful businessmen and that your name was top of her list.”
“Seriously Mom, can you hear yourself? I’m an architect not some hot shot tycoon who is constantly appearing in the news.”
“I know but you are worth a lot of money, and plus there’s the money you inherited from your father. Who’s to say she didn’t read about Dan’s death and--”
“You’re crazy,” he said interrupting her.
“I won’t be spoken to like that, Nathan. Show me some respect.”
“No, not until you do the same for me. It’s funny how it’s okay for you to insult my intelligence yet I can’t call you on being ridiculous.”
“Read the file… It’s all in there. Your girlfriend isn’t the model of innocence she makes herself out to be.”
“For your information, she isn’t my--”
“Nathan, don’t!”
Hearing Haley’s voice behind him had him immediately turning to face her and he felt a sharp pull at his heart when he saw the tear stains on her face. She’d obviously heard every word that had passed between him and his mother and he inwardly cursed. Going over to her, he wrapped an arm around her waist while his other hand cupped the back of her head and he brought it to his chest.
Lowering his head so his mouth was by her ear, he whispered, “It’s okay, Hales. Don’t cry…please.”
“Oh, here come the waterworks. See, this is what I’m talking about, Nathan,” Deb said gesturing with her hands. “She’s got you right where she wants you.”
“Stop it!” Keeping his arms around Haley, he shifted their positions slightly so that he could face his mother. “You know nothing about my relationship with Haley so don’t even try to assume you do. If you can’t say--”
A glint of something caught the older woman’s eye and she stared open-mouthed before choking out, “What’s that?”
“What’s what?”
“On your finger?”
Nathan felt Haley freeze in his arms and releasing a long breath, he looked his mother in the eye. “That’s why we agreed to come to dinner tonight. We have some news for you.”
“N-No! Please don’t say what I think you’re going to.” She clasped her hands together almost in prayer.
“We got married yesterday.” He watched the colour drain from her face and while he knew he should feel bad about it, he didn’t. It gave him a weird sense of satisfaction to see the anger and shock etched on her features, especially after all the horrible things she had been saying.
“You’re lying! Please tell me this is some sick joke you conjured up just to torment me.”
“Right, because that’s the only reason I’d get married… To piss you off.”
Taking a deep breath, Haley moved away from the safety of Nathan’s embrace and she turned to face the other woman. She felt sick at seeing the angry look in her eyes and she felt a shiver run through her.
Looking at the young girl standing before her, Deb’s anger grew. “You told him you’re pregnant, didn’t you? I mean, why else would my son marry someone like you.”
“That’s enough,” Nathan warned. “Haley isn’t pregnant and, for your information, we didn’t even sleep together before we got married.”
She laughed pointedly. “Oh, so she used that old chestnut, did she? The ‘I’m staying a virgin until my wedding night’ excuse. Hmm, it looks like I may have underestimated you, Haley.”
“It’s not an excuse,” she said quietly, forcing herself to keep her gaze locked with the other woman’s.
“So Haley, I’m curious. Was Nathan’s name at the top of your list of rich men to try and trap or have you tried this before?”
Ignoring his mother, Nathan cupped Haley’s face between his palms and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. Resting his forehead against hers, he kissed her lips softly before whispering, “Take my keys and go wait in the car for me… I’ll be out in a minute and we can go home.”
“Nathan, I…”
“It’ll be okay, I promise.” He removed his keys from his pants pocket and handed them to her. They shared a long look before she finally nodded and made her way to the front door.
Once he’d heard the sound of the door closing, he stared at his mother with a look of pure anger. “How could you say all that to her?”
“How? Because I love you, Nathan. You’re my son and I want what’s best for you and, believe me, Haley James isn’t what’s best for you.”
“It’s Haley Scott, now,” he corrected with a smirk.
“She doesn’t deserve to carry that name.”
“Whatever you say, Mom. The only person I care about is Haley and as far as I’m concerned, she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Until you can accept her as my wife, I think it’s best that you stay away from me and it goes without saying that I want you to stay away from Haley.”
Deb stared at him incredulously, a hurt look etched across her face. “Y-You can’t be serious. You’re seriously going to choose her over your own mother…your own flesh and blood?”
“Do you really need me to answer that?”
“You’re going to regret turning your back on me, Nathan.”
Ignoring her last remark, he said, “I need to get back to Chicago soon and Haley will obviously be coming with me so I’m not sure I’ll see you before I go. I guess that’ll be up to you and when you’re read to apologise to her.”
He was about to leave but before he did so, he added, “Oh, and I’m sorry about dinner, but I’ve lost my appetite and I’m pretty sure Haley has as well.” Giving her one last look, he turned and left.
Hearing the click of the front door closing behind him, Deb stood in the silent kitchen and felt a sudden urge to smash all of the dishes that were currently on the countertop. Taking several long, deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down but the rage within her refused to subside.
Knocking back the remainder of the glass of wine she had been drinking before they had arrived, she noticed the file she had earlier handed to Nathan lying on the corner of the worktop. Walking over to it, she flipped it open and finding the page she wanted, she picked it up and made her way towards the telephone whereupon she dialled the number that was typed on it.
She tapped her nails impatiently as she waited for someone to pick up and a few moments later, she heard a voice on the other end of the line.
Forcing herself to use her most polite tone, she asked, “Hello, can I please speak to Lydia James?”