The Forbidden and The Reckless - Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Due to his father often waking him up at the crack of dawn to start his workout, Nathan was used to getting up early but that wasn’t to say he liked it. However, since he and Haley had started their early morning tutoring sessions, such was his eagerness to see her that he found himself waking up before his alarm clock had even gone off.
He arrived at their usual table by the docks ten minutes early and he was just placing their breakfast down on it when he saw his girlfriend approaching and his face broke out into a smile.
“Bet you didn’t expect to see me here before you,” he teased and as soon as she was within reach, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his body, lowering his head to kiss her lips.
“Mmm, good morning to you, too. How come you’re here before me?” she couldn’t help asking as they took their usual seats opposite each other.
A big difference from all the times they had met up in the mornings after their relationship had shifted into something more than just tutor and tutee was that now they continued to hold hands. In the past Haley acted cold and aloof around Nathan, not wanting him to even suspect that she felt more for him. That meant no morning kisses or touches, accidental or otherwise. Those were reserved for when they were completely alone without the fear of someone stumbling upon them.
“I was up early and I figured I might as well get an early start,” he answered.
“Uh huh. C’mon spill, what’s the real reason?” she prodded before adding in a serious tone, “Is everything okay?”
Nathan nodded, a smile starting to creep onto his face. “Everything’s fine… more than fine.”
“What’s that smile for? C’mon, Nathan, tell me.”
“It depends, what’s it worth?”
“Hmm, let me think. How about no sex for a week if you don’t tell me in the next five minutes?” she threatened with a playful smile; a smile that he knew was anything but playful.
“You wouldn’t.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Okay fine, you win. I was here early because I couldn’t wait to see you. Happy now?”
“Aww, that’s so…”
“Don’t say it.”
“Sweet.”
“No, it’s not sweet. It’s a relief is what it is.”
Getting up from her seat, she walked the short distance around to his side and sat down next to him. Kissing his cheek, she asked, “What do you mean?”
“Nothing.”
“No, you meant something and I want to know what it is. Please?”
He released a heavy sigh and fixed his gaze on the grooves in the wooden table. “I just meant that it’s a relief to be able to see you in the mornings and kiss you… to hold your hand and know you aren’t going to pull it away from me.”
Haley sat there open-mouthed for a second before she brought a hand to his face and caressed his cheek. She gently directed him to look at her which he did and moving in closer, she kissed him, suckling first his top lip and then the bottom one into her mouth. “Do you know how many times I wanted to kiss you on those mornings? Or just reach over and hold your hand in mine? At night I’d dream about us doing just that; meeting here and doing more than just tutoring.”
“Haley, I—”
“No, let me finish saying this. I’m sorry for making you feel like you didn’t mean anything to me… that my helping you was just a way to keep you away from Lucas. Yes, it started out that way as you know only too well but everything changed so quickly for me. I liked the way you were opening up to me and letting me in, that you didn’t give me all the bluster and BS that you give everyone else.”
Her fingers trailed back and forth over his cheek as she debated whether or not to tell him the rest. Taking a deep breath, she finally said, “The one thing I really regret is the morning after we… um… you know, slept together for the first time. I hated being so cold to you after what we had done and especially as I knew that that was the last thing you needed after what had happened between you and your dad.”
Nathan’s eyes grew wide at her admission. Even though they had talked things through the other night, this part hadn’t yet been covered. If possible, his heart felt even lighter at the words he was hearing fall from her lips. Leaning forward, he closed the small gap between them and kissed her with everything he felt for this young girl who he had never expected to feel anything for. Now he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
Long moments later, he broke the kiss and nuzzled his nose against hers as their foreheads rested together. “Uh, what did you mean when you mentioned my Dad?” he asked curiously once he had caught his breath.
“Just that I figured he was at least one of the reasons why you ended up at my house that night. I mean, it had to be something pretty big to have you just standing out there in the pouring rain instead of ringing my doorbell.”
“It was just more of the same old crap. Reaming me out because I passed to one of the other guys instead of taking the shot myself. It’s like he thinks the game is one guy playing against another team instead of two teams playing against each other. Normally what he says goes over my head but he keeps saying this one thing and that night it really got to me. As he was ranting, all I could remember was not seeing you there up in your usual spot and I just had this urge to see you.”
“I wanted to get a head start on an assignment so I told Lucas I wouldn’t be there and he was cool about it so I stayed home,” she told him as her fingers idly played with the short hairs at the nape of his neck.
“I got used to seeing you there,” he confessed quietly.
“I didn’t think you noticed.”
His lips curved up into their usual smirk as he replied, “Oh, I noticed.”
“You, uh, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but… um… what is it that your dad keeps saying?”
He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter… it’s not important.”
“Hey, if it upsets you then it’s important. You know whatever you tell me stays between us, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” His gaze once again lowered from her eyes as he forced himself to tell her. Deep down he wanted her to know but it was hard voicing the words he’d been hearing over and over for the past couple of months from someone who was supposed to love him unconditionally.
Haley could feel his body shaking and she wrapped her arms around him in an attempt to share her body warmth with him. “It’s okay Nathan, you don’t have to tell m—”
“He keeps saying that maybe he chose the wrong son,” he said interrupting her.
She stared at him in disbelief. How could someone be so cruel to their own child, she wondered. Not for the first time since getting to know Nathan, she realised that Lucas was the lucky one in not having had any contact with Dan Scott as he was growing up. God only knew what kind of effect it would have had on him. Unsure of what to say, she simply hugged him tighter as she felt tears prickling behind her eyes.
Nathan held on to her as tightly as he could, taking comfort from her. A few moments later, he slowly drew back from her and he couldn’t help but notice the wateriness of her eyes. “Hey, it’s okay.”
“No, no it’s not. What he’s said to you is so cruel… I can’t believe someone could be so nasty to their own son. And after having him say that to you, you then had to deal with me acting like a bitch the next morning, practically kicking you out of my house. I-I’m sorry.”
“Don’t. We’ve already been over that and it’s okay. I understand. I’m just happy knowing that you did feel more for me than you were letting on.”
She blinked away her tears and gave him a smile. “I did,” she confirmed again, making sure it had sunk in for him.
After giving her another kiss, he grabbed the bag he had placed on the table when he had first arrived. “I’m guessing our coffees are getting cold now but the donuts are good.”
“Gimme, I’m starving,” she said as she made a grab for the bag. “And cold coffee will have to do ‘cause I need something to keep me awake since a certain someone kept me up on the phone last night and I didn’t get to sleep for ages afterwards.”
“Same here,” he teased. “I’m betting you didn’t have to have a cold shower though. I wasn’t expecting you to have such a wicked tongue, Miss James.”
Haley giggled while her skin flushed pink. “You can talk, Mr Scott.”
They ate their breakfast while continuing to exchange flirty banter with each other.
“This has been really nice,” she said as they cleaned up after themselves, dropping their trash into a nearby garbage can.
“Yeah. But this is where we go back to reality, right?”
Turning to face him, she raised up on her tiptoes and slid her arms around his neck, pressing her body firmly against his. “It’s only for a little while, I promise. I’m going to talk to him after my shift at the café tonight.”
Nathan nodded. “Okay. Will you call me afterwards and let me know how it went? Although I’ve got a feeling he may come looking for me wanting to know what the hell’s going on.”
She sighed, burying her face into the nook between his neck and shoulder. “I’m hoping it won’t come to that once I’ve explained that what’s going on between us is mutual and that if anyone started this, it was me.”
“Yeah, you were pretty aggressive that night from what I remember.”
“Funny.”
He laughed before kissing the tip of her nose. “C’mon, we’d better get going if we want to make it to school on time.” Even though he knew the answer, he still voiced the question he always asked. “Do you want a ride to school?”
“You know I want to say yes but I’d better not. Not until I’ve spoken to him. You understand that, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. I just want this to all be out in the open so I can drive you to school and hold your hand in the halls without worrying about us being caught by him or someone else who’ll then tell him.”
“I know and I promise I’m going to do it as soon as I can.” Smiling shyly at him, she added, “I can’t wait for us to officially be boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Hey, we’re already that. Just because no one knows about us doesn’t mean we’re not together.”
Sharing another long, lingering kiss, they grabbed their bags and made their way towards his car. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride? I can drop you off around the corner or something.”
“I’m sure. You’d better get going. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
“Okay. Good luck with telling him.”
“Thanks, I’ve got a feeling I’m going to need it.” Kissing his cheek, she opened his door for him and waited for him to get in. “Have a good day, sweetie.”
The scrunched up face he made caused her to laugh and giving him a wave, she started the walk to school. A moment or two later, Nathan drove past her, sounding his horn as he did so.
As she walked, Haley’s nerves were all jumbled up as she mentally prepared herself for telling her best friend that not only was she tutoring his sworn enemy, but that she was head over heels in love with him. She had a strong feeling she was going to need all the luck in the world to help her with this one.