Chapter Twenty-Two
Nathan stood frozen to the spot as he stared at his mother. Never in a million years would he have guessed she’d just turn up unannounced, especially given how their telephone conversation earlier that day had gone. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you,” Deb told him. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened earlier… I shouldn’t have said those things and I hated what happened.”
“Yeah?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “You could’ve fooled me, Mom.”
“I don’t blame you for still being angry and upset; the things I said were uncalled for and that’s why I’ve come here to see you. I want to make amends and try to put all this unpleasantness behind us.”
“By unpleasantness you mean Haley, right?”
“You said it,” the blonde quietly mumbled under her breath. “I mean the awful things I said. I’m not expecting you to just forgive and forget but doesn’t it mean something that I’ve flown out here to apologise?”
Looking at his mother, Nathan could see the hope etched upon her face and a part of him – that little boy inside of him who still wanted his parents’ approval - desperately wanted her to be sincere in what she was saying but he couldn’t help being wary. Sure, she’d made the effort to come and see him which was something but, right now, he couldn’t be certain that this wasn’t another way of her trying to cause problems for him and Haley.
“Nathan… Who’s at the door?”
Haley’s voice cut into his thoughts and turning to look at her, he smiled at the vision she made standing in front of him in one of his T-shirts; her hair a tangled mess due to their earlier activities. “Uh… It’s my Mom,” he said a moment later, opening the door wider so the older woman could enter.
The surprised look on her face matched the one Nathan had worn just a few minutes ago.
“Oh… Hi, Mrs Scott,” she said, tugging at the hem of her shirt and wishing it was considerably longer.
“Haley… It’s nice to see you again.”
Haley didn’t miss the way the other woman’s eyes disapprovingly looked her up and down as she greeted her and she inwardly groaned, having a pretty good idea that this visit wasn’t going to be trouble free.
“Nathan, can you bring in the rest of my luggage?” Deb asked.
Having already seen the fairly large suitcase that rested beside his mother and the smaller travel bag she was carrying, he figured that was it. “Uh, how long are you planning on staying?”
“I thought I’d stay for a couple of weeks…”
“A couple of weeks?”
Haley bit her lip to keep from laughing at the way Nathan’s voice got higher, although it really wasn’t a laughing matter anyway. The thought of putting up with Deb for the next couple of weeks was a depressing one.
“Yes… I figured that it might be nice for me to spend some time with you both. I mean, we seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot with everything that’s happened lately which I know is my fault.”
“I can’t really take time off work at the moment, Mom… Things are pretty hectic and—”
“Haley’s at home, isn’t she? I can spend time getting to know my daughter-in-law while you’re off working,” she said, her eyes darting over to Haley.
While Nathan missed the pointed look his mother gave her, Haley didn’t and that sinking feeling was growing stronger by the second.
“You don’t me staying here, do you, Haley?”
The young woman reluctantly shook her head. “No, of course not.”
“Good, that’s settled then. Nathan,’ she said, turning to address her son, ‘why don’t you finish bringing in my luggage and take it upstairs while Haley makes us all some tea?”
Giving his wife an apologetic look, he nodded. “Sure, Mom.” Stepping out onto the porch, he inwardly groaned at seeing another large suitcase and a couple of smaller ones. He couldn’t help but think his mother intended to stay for more than just a couple of weeks judging by how much stuff she’d brought with her although, having said that, Deb Scott wasn’t known for travelling light.
Inside the kitchen, the older woman’s eyes followed her daughter-in-law as she filled the kettle and then set about getting mugs out of one of the cupboards. “Actually, I prefer to drink my tea out of a cup and saucer,” she informed her.
“Uh… okay.” Not for the first time since Deb’s arrival, Haley wished she was dressed in more than just one of her husband’s T-shirts. She could feel the other woman’s eyes boring into her and it was taking everything in her not to run out of the room. The atmosphere was so tense you could cut it with a knife and it was a foreign feeling for her considering how friendly they’d once been when they’d worked together at the café.
“Did you make this cake?”
Taking a deep breath, Haley turned to face her mother-in-law who was sitting on one of the stools at the breakfast bar. “Yes… I made it this morning after Nathan left for work. Why?”
“No reason,” the blonde said, shrugging her shoulders. “I just would’ve thought you’d be aware that Nathan doesn’t really like chocolate.”
“Hmm, is that so? Seems a little odd then that he chose a slice of chocolate cake for dessert when we went out to dinner a few weeks ago.”
“There was probably limited choice on the menu,” Deb told her.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Haley replied before spooning some loose leaf tea into the teapot.
“You’re not going to warm the pot first?”
It was on the tip of Haley’s tongue to tell her where to go but she refused to spoil Nathan’s birthday by getting into a fight with his mother even if she had a strong feeling that’s exactly what the other woman wanted. “Sorry, it must’ve slipped my mind,” she said, tipping the tea back into its tin and then filling the pot with some hot water from the kettle to warm it up.
“I’m sure you’ve had an exhausting day… lying on your back,” Deb muttered under her breath but loud enough this time to be heard.
“Excuse me?”
“What, dear?”
“Look, Mrs Scott, if you’ve got something to say to me, just come out and say it. I’m a big girl and I can take it.”
“You’re a child, Haley…” she hissed, making sure to keep her voice low so that Nathan wouldn’t hear if he suddenly came back downstairs. “A child who has trapped my son into marrying her and who I know only did it for financial purposes. You may have fooled my son but you haven’t fooled me and the reason I’m here is to prove to him once and for all what a little gold-digger you are.”
Haley shook her head. “A child? I’m almost twenty-one. As for the rest, I—”
“And Nathan is thirty,” Deb interrupted. “He should be with someone his own age and someone a lot more sophisticated than you. He’s a successful businessman and, believe me, he’s going to be a laughing stock when he takes you along with him to business functions.” Looking the young woman up and down, she wrinkled her nose in distaste at her dishevelled state. “Oh, it’s obvious what he sees in you and once he’s bored of being with just one woman, he’ll cast you aside and move on to the next one that catches his eye. I’ve seen it happen time and time again with him.”
Haley could feel the tears prickling behind her eyelids and the insecurities she already carried within her rose to the surface and threatened to overwhelm her. “Y-You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I? I know Nathan better than he probably knows himself and while this marriage has taken me by surprise, I know it won’t last.” Getting up off of her seat, she walked around the counter to where her daughter-in-law stood and leaning into her, she whispered, “I’m going to make sure of that.”
The young woman gasped and hearing Nathan’s footsteps on the stairs, she quickly turned her back and wiped her eyes before busying herself with finishing making the tea. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her so upset.
He could feel the tension in the room as he entered and looking at his mother’s face as she stood in front of him, he saw her smiling which was usually a bad sign. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Nate. I was just complimenting Haley on the cake she made you, although I’m surprised it’s chocolate considering you don’t like the stuff.”
“What are you talking about? I love chocolate… I always have.”
“Oh, that’s right. Sorry, I must’ve confused you with Lucas.”
“Try again, Mom. Luke loves it almost as much as I do. Remember that time when he was around eight and Karen walked into the back of the café and found him practically covered in chocolate frosting?”
“Hmm… I must be thinking of someone else entirely,” she mumbled, forcing herself to keep her smile in place. The smile soon faded when she watched him cross the room and wrap his arms around Haley from behind.
“Are you okay, Hales?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple.
Haley froze, knowing only too well that Deb was watching them like a hawk. “Uh huh… I’m just a bit tired,” she whispered, trying to keep her voice neutral.
Having heard the young woman’s words, Deb seized the opportunity. “Haley, dear, why don’t you go upstairs and have an early night? Nathan can stay down here and keep me company while I drink my tea.”
“Sure,” she murmured, wanting nothing more than to get away from her mother-in-law. Turning around in her husband’s arms, she looked up at him and asked, “Do you mind, Nathan?”
He bit back his disappointment at their night coming to an abrupt end. “No, of course not. I’ll be up soon, okay?”
“Okay.” Kissing his cheek softly and giving his arm a gentle squeeze, she moved around him and made her way out of the kitchen.
“Goodnight, Haley.”
“Goodnight,” she managed to choke out around the lump that had formed in her throat as she rushed out of the room.
“What did you say to her, Mom?” Nathan asked when he knew his wife was out of earshot.
“Nothing, I swear. I meant what I said when I first arrived here, Nate. I want to make things right between the three of us and the last thing I would do is say something to Haley, especially since I know she’d immediately tell you about it. It’s probably just been a long day. Speaking of long days, I think I might take my tea upstairs and have an early night, too. Which room am I staying in?”
“Give me a few minutes to lock up down here and I’ll show you.”
Meanwhile, Haley had locked herself in the en suite bathroom of her and Nathan’s bedroom. Sitting on the floor with her back pressed against the door, she angrily swiped at the tears she could feel streaming down her cheeks. For a moment she had actually believed that her mother-in-law was wanting to make amends for what had happened back in Tree Hill when she’d first found out about her and Nathan getting married but she should’ve known better. She knew Deb wasn’t lying or exaggerating when she said she’d make sure their marriage didn’t last and she dreaded what the next few weeks might hold in store, particularly as Nathan would be out at work all day. Sure, she could tell Nathan what the other woman had said but even without him saying it, she knew he still craved his mother’s love and approval and it would break her heart for her to be the reason for further division between them.
From what Nathan had told her about his parents and his relationship with them growing up, she was well aware that Deb could be just as cunning as his father had been and she knew she’d just had a taste of it downstairs with the blonde’s faux concern for her.
While there was a part of her that was sure Nathan would believe her should she decide to tell him what Deb had said, the insecure side was scared that maybe he wouldn’t. After all, blood was thicker than water.
Getting up from the floor, Haley turned on the faucet and splashed cold water onto her face. She stared into the mirror and cringed at the redness around her eyes. One look at her and Nathan would know she’d been crying so, after patting her face dry with a soft towel, she opened up one of the cabinets and reached inside for the concealer . She’d just finished applying it when there was a light tap on the door.
“Hales?”
“I’ll be out in a minute,” she answered. Taking a deep breath, she unlocked the door and stepped out into their bedroom, giving Nathan a shy smile.
Walking over to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and lowering his head, he brushed his lips over hers. “I’m so sorry for the interruption tonight.”
“It’s okay, Nathan. Look, I know things have been pretty awkward with your mom…”
“That’s putting it mildly,” he said, running one hand over her mussed hair.
“She’s the reason you came home early from work, isn’t she?”
Nathan reluctantly nodded. “Yeah. She, uh, phoned me this morning and said some stuff…” he trailed off.
“About me, right?”
“Yes,” he admitted. “I ended the call before she could rant even more so she was the last person I expected to see on our doorstep tonight.”
“What was she saying about me?” Haley asked, despite having a pretty good idea already.
“It’s not important, Hales. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here a little but I think she might be serious about making amends. I mean, the fact she flew out here to see me on my birthday… it’s got to mean something.”
She bit her lip and willed her tears to keep from falling. There was no way she could tell him what his mother had said to her… not now. The hope in his voice just about killed her and instead of saying anything, she simply nodded as she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face against his chest.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing… I just… I hope you’re right. I know how much you hate fighting with her.”
Nathan chuckled at that. “I can’t really remember a time when we didn’t fight. I thought after she divorced Dan that things would get better between us but they still used me as a pawn in their twisted games and that’s one of the reasons I moved out here. I just needed to get away from all the madness.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that…”
“Hey, don’t cry,” he whispered when she looked up at him and he saw a single tear roll down her cheek. “It’s going to be okay.”
Pushing herself up onto her toes, she pressed her lips firmly against his; gasping into his mouth when he slanted his head and deepened the kiss a second later. Her fingers fisted his T-shirt before they slipped beneath the fabric to caress his warm skin. She needed to feel him… to know that he was hers and that what Deb had said wasn’t true. The thought of losing him… God, she couldn’t lose him.”
“How ‘bout I sneak downstairs and grab us some cake while you change into my birthday gift?” he suggested several moments later once he’d broken the kiss, his breathing just as ragged as hers was.
Shaking her head, Haley stepped out of his embrace and walking over to the door, she locked it. “Forget the cake.”
Nathan smirked at that and closing the short distance between them, he seized her lips in a fiery kiss as he began lifting up her T-shirt. They parted just long enough for him to strip it off of her completely and as soon as he’d dropped it onto the floor, he removed his own before cupping her face with his palms and pulling her back into the maelstrom. His hands roamed everywhere he could reach, revelling in the feel of her naked skin against his own. He felt her fingers tugging at his boxers and he gave her a sexy smile as he pushed them down his hips, stepping out of them when they pooled around his ankles. Picking her up, he started to walk towards their bed but before he had a chance to lay her down upon it, there was a knock at the door.
“Nathan? Haley? Are you awake?”
Nathan groaned at the second interruption that night and slowly opening his eyes, he saw the disappointment written across his wife’s face which he knew mirrored his own. “Damn! She has got the worst timing ever!”
“You can say that again,” she whispered, her fingers caressing the back of his neck. “You’d better go and see what she wants.”
“Or we could pretend we’re asleep… She’ll never know since the door’s locked. Good thinking, by the way,” he quipped.
The knocking grew louder and despite it being the last thing she wanted to do, Haley untangled her legs from around his waist and slid down his body until her feet were back on the floor. “It doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere.” Picking up her discarded T-shirt, she threw it on and then handed Nathan his boxers. “You’d better put these on before you answer the door.”
As he pulled them back on, she got under the covers and turned over onto her side.
“How come I’ve got to answer the door?”
Smiling at him, she replied, “Hey, she’s your mother.”
“Don’t I know it,” he mumbled. Running his hands through his hair, he sighed as he crossed the room to unlock and open the door. “What’s up, Mom?”
“You took your time,” Deb said. Noticing that his T-shirt was turned inside out, a disparaging comment was on the tip of her tongue but she forced herself to hold it in.
“Uh, yeah… We were asleep,” Nathan lied, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck. “So, uh, what can I do for you?”
“The lock on one of my cases is stuck and I was wondering if you could help me with it.”
“Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“If it could I wouldn’t be bothering you now, would I?” she told him, instantly regretting her harsh tone when she saw the look on her son’s face. “I-I’m sorry, Nate. It’s been a very long day and… There’s something in that case that I need but I guess it can wait until the morning. Sorry for disturbing you both.”
Sighing quietly under his breath, he shook his head. Talk about a guilt trip! “It’s fine, Mom. C’mon, let’s take a look at this case so we can all get some sleep.”
Following Deb along the hallway to the guest bedroom he’d put her in, he couldn’t help but wonder whether he was right to feel that his mother was being genuine in wanting to put things right between the three of them. When he’d come back downstairs earlier after taking her luggage up, he’d felt the tension in the air but he was certain Haley would tell him if something had happened while he’d be gone. Her tight hold on him though just a short while ago hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“It’s that one,” Deb said, pointing out the suitcase with the stuck lock. The truth was it wasn’t stuck at all but she needed some excuse to interrupt her son and that scheming little minx he’d married.
As soon as Nathan pressed the lock, it instantly popped open. “Are you sure this was the one that was stuck?”
The blonde nodded. “Yes. I guess you’ve just got that magic touch. Thank you.”
“No problem,” he replied. “So, uh, if that’s it, I’m going to go back to bed.”
“Why don’t you stay for a little while and keep me company while I unpack? I haven’t even given you your birthday present yet.”
“Uh… I don—”
“Please, Nathan,” she interrupted, placing her hand on his forearm. “We haven’t seen each other for a while and I know that’s down to me but I miss you and it’s still your birthday so let me spend a little bit of it with you.”
“Okay,” he told her as he took a seat in the armchair in the corner of the room.
Outside the door, Haley stood there listening. She knew it probably sounded petty but in just a couple of hours Deb had already managed to come between her and Nathan and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was simply a taste of things to come.