Say It Ain't So

Haley debated whether to actually pick up the phone amd call Nate. After all, it was all lies anyway. Anne was just trying to cash in on Nate's fame. Still, there was that nagging in the back of her head. After a few more seconds of debate, she picked up the phone, dailed the number, and waited for Nate to pick up.

The phone rings and he really just doesn't want to talk to anyone right now. Period. But it's Haley's number and... she deserves an explanation; not the truth, of course, because that's what the trash mags are spreading around but if he can lie, just a little bit more, and make things good again for her, he will.

Flopping back on his bed, he answers the call. "Hey."

"Hey. " she said awkwardly. "So, I heard something from someone and it was about you. I didn't want to assume it was true so I thought I'd ask you. " God, this conversation was awkward and Haley didn't even know how to begin.

"From someone in particular or what mom said in the papers?" There's no point dancing around it.

Haley was slightly takenaback. "Oh. You've heard. Well, I heard it from Jack who saw it in the paper." She paused. "Is it true?"

"Yeah, I've heard." Well, at least she didn't actually read the article itself. Small miracles, right? "I don't think it matters to anyone anymore if it is or isn't." He can't do it, he realizes; he doesn't want to lie to her and he can't go on pretending it didn't happen. "There are enough people that have seen it that like watching train wrecks... It'll never go away."

"So it is true." Haley said, somewhat hurt. "Why didn't you talk to me? I thought we told each other everythiìng. I told you you everything. You were there when I cried about Mom. I never let anyone see me cry." She didn't want to make this about her but Haley couldn't help but feel hurt and at a loss for words.

"Haley... It wasn't something that I could talk to anyone about." At the time... It had all just been too much at once and he just buried his head in doing what he knew needed to be done, no matter how... unpleasant. Talking about it would have made it real. "And you were stressed out enough about everything that was going on. I was just doing what I had to so that things could stay the way that they were. It wasn't... I mean..." He sighs and slings his arm over his eyes. "I didn't want you to think anything had changed."

Haley sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I know you were just trying to protect me but Nate, I don't need saving. Not then and not now. And I'm not mad. I just wish that I found out from you instead of a friend from high school. It made me feel like we were back in high school. There were too many secrets back then. I guess it's true that the past never really goes away."