Bright Flashes and Loud Voices

Vanessa smiled then faltered slightly. "So, your mom contacted me the other day. I wasn't sure whether or not I was going to tell you but I keep my word and I told her that I would talk to you." Vanessa was speaking very quickly. "She wanted me to see if I could get you to talk to her. I told her I can not get you to do anything but I will ask you if you want to see her."

"I don't." The answer is hard, quick. Like a door closing. And as far as he's concerned, that door closed tight already. But that's no reason to get upset with Vanessa. She's just playing messenger because she's wonderful like that. "Sorry. It's just... I don't." He hopes she understands.

Vanessa shook her head. "Believe me, I understand. I just told her I would speak to you and I have. The matter is finished. I'm sure she'll take the hint when I don't get back to her." She paused for a few seconds. "How was the football game last night?"

And in an instant he's animated, vibrant. Football, soccer, whatever they want to call it wherever they are, this is something that he knows. Something that he loves. "Oh, it was so great! I mean there was a shit call on the ref's part but there was this goal... Oh, 'Nessa, you should have seen it. So awesome."

Vanessa laughed. She knew that it would brighten his spirits. "I'll go with you and Dad to the next game. He's been trying for years to get me to go to one of the games."

"You'd enjoy it, I think," he laughs. "There's this energy to it." Indescribable but he tries anyway. "Even when your team's losing, it's this swell of feeling. Like hope and cheering and..." He looks at her, a bit of a shocked expression as he laughs. "I've never been to a game where people started singing like that."

"Trust me. There have been many a nights where Dad has come home singing because his team won. I don't even know who his favorite team is anymore." She shook her head and smiled, happy to see that Nate was happy and not thinking about what she brought up earlier.

"I don't have one," he admits. "A favorite team, I mean. It's just amazing to watch the teams put their all into it, you know?"

Vanessa smiled and nodded. "I think so. It's kind of like me with directors. There are some I prefer but I love each person's artistic take on things, it's almost like an insight into how they see the world."

"Yeah," he nods and the grin dims a little because he was kind of just flailing at Vanessa there for a minute, wasn't he? But the smile is still there, he still loves what he's talking about and he still loves who he's talking with. "I mean, everyone does things differently, you know? Coaches are going to give different types of direction and make different plays."

"Like I said, movies and sports are alike in many ways." Vanessa observed. "So, I definitely know what you mean." She looked out the window. "Looks like we're almost there. This restaurant is by far my favorite. I've been coming here for years. The food is amazing and hardly anyone knows about."

"Well, you did teach me the ways of good coffee," he jokes, leaning over to kiss her. Because he wants to and he can. "So I guess I can trust you with food."

Vanessa kissed him back before laughing. "Well, I'm glad that someone does. Bri didn't trust me when I tried to bring her here the summer before last."

"That's because Bri is generally paranoid," he points out with a laugh. "Come on." He opens the door and slides out, reaching a hand back into the car to help her out. "Good food awaits."

Vanessa smiled as she took his hand and slid out of the car. As usual, the paparazzi were all around. She glanced quickly at Nate to see how he was doing. He seemed to be doing alright and Vanessa breathed a small sigh of relief. It could get overwhelming but he seemed alright with it.

The bright lights are still there. The loud rush of voices are still there. But Vanessa's hand is in his and the meaningless chat they'd had in the car--where it was just them, like it used to be back in New York--helped. He feels... better.

"Nate," a voice calls out from the crowd, too piercing and familiar. "Who is Catherine Mason?"

Vanessa rolled her eyes and tried to pull him towards the restaurant. "Come on. Ignore it."

He tries. But the name makes him shake with all of the implications...

"So she's not the woman that you slept with for money? When your father fled the country after being brought up on charges of embezzlement and fraud?"

Vanessa took a deep breath and continued to try to pull him towards the restaurant. She leaned in close to him. "Let's go. Now."

"Christ..." He can't think. He just lets Vanessa pull him along and thank God for all of those early morning runs because his feet move on their own and he doesn't trip. So there's that. But by the time that they get inside, he's shaking like he's been dunked in an ice tank. And he still can't think. "Vanessa, I'm sorry..."

Vanessa shook her head. "Screw them. Are you okay?" She frowned slightly. Hopefully, this wouldn't get out. Hopefully.

No, he isn't. He really isn't. If one person found out, then they're all going to find out and yeah, he told Vanessa about it--she understood because she's a saint and she loves him--but no one else is going to. And what if Haley finds out? He never told her. He never told anyone. "I... I don't want this to hurt you, Vanessa." He can't even begin to think about what people are going to start saying about her associating with him now.

"Screw them." Vanessa said as she looked at him. "I don't care what they say or what anyone else says. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I promise you that I'll find a way to fix this. I mean, I fixed your ESPN problem, didn't I?" She gave him a small smile.

"You put parent blocks on the TV," he says but it shakes a laugh out of him. "Your dad's bad with technology and I'm still not that great with Spanish. That's cheating." But there's still this cold feeling in his chest. "They're going to find out, Vanessa. It's not like you can stop it."

"I can't stop them from finding out but maybe there is a way to spin the story to our advantage." Vanessa said slowly. "I'm going to talk to Andy but I need you to trust me on this one." She smiled kindly at him. "I promise Nate, I will think of a way to fix this and you know that once I put my mind to something, it usually gets done."