Drunk on Your Love

Chapter 9

  The bus ride is quiet. I sit on the couch with Nathan. I no longer sob, but the never ending tears continue to fall. Like a tap barely turned on, and you get those small water drops that never seem to stop.

  "So, can I ask you something?" he says. I just nod, wiping the tears away, but they still fall. "Brooke told me to take care of you, what exactly did she mean?"

  I knew this was coming, but for some reason, I cry even harder. This makes Nathan get up, pulling me with him. He walks to, what I'm guessing is his room whenever they use this bus. He closes the door behind him, then he brings us to his bed and we sit down.

  "Look, I know we just met. But you can tell me anything. I want to be your friend. The friend you can turn to no matter how bad it is."

  This makes me smile a bit. "Okay," I exhale. The tears finally stop, and I wipe by now dry eyes. "I'm not just here to start school, truthfully, I'm already doing it online, but my friends don't know that. I'm here to get away from my father," I look up at him, to see what his expression was like, but he just stares at me, truly listening. I look back down and continue. "You see, he's not your "average father figure", he beats me. And he has been ever since I was six, when my mom died. She was killed my a drunk driver running through a red light. She was killed on impact. Ever since then, he's always been drunk, even though alcohol was the reason of her death, and he beats me every night. So, I guess I'm here because I'm hiding."

  I play with my hands, but they are now in Nathan's hands. I look up to see tears filling his eyes. "I'm so sorry, do your friends know?"

  "Yes, well, just Brooke, Peyton, and my best friend Lucas. Everyone else just knows about my depression. But no one knows the real reason why I'm here. So I guess you're the only one."

  This makes him smile a bit, but a sad smile. He continues to hold my hands as he looks at me, deep in the eyes. "Is there more?"

  'Dammit. How did he read that?' I pause before I answer, hesitating. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, pulling my hands free from his. I lift the sleeves of my sweater and turn my arm over. "I told my friends that I'm a week clean, but the truth is, I've never been clean." I show him my cuts, never showing anybody before.

  The tears overflow and pour out of Nathan's eyes, falling to his bed. He looks up at me, with the saddest look ever before saying something that no one has before. "Haley, no matter what it takes, or how long. I'm going to help you through this. You're staying with us. I don't care if the fans hate on us, I don't want you hurting yourself. I don't want you being unsafe."

  I just stare at him, dumbfounded and shocked.

  "Look, I know we just met, but I feel like we've already became really close. You told me things that you haven't even told your own friends before. And I'm glad you can trust me like that. I promise you, can can come to me about anything, okay?" he says, wiping the tears the escape from my eyes again.

  I don't answer. Instead, I give him a reassuring smile. That's when we both hug  and cry into each others shoulders.

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  Nathan got the bus to stop back at my hotel room, so I could get my things and check out. Then we drive back to their house. I thought the boys were going to ask why I was staying with them, but I'm guessing Nathan made up a story.

  We step out of the bus, and the boys make a mad dash to the house, laughing and pushing each other. Nathan stay behind, helping me with my things. "Oh, by the way, I told the boys that you couldn't find any flats on the market and that's why you're staying. They were really happy about that," he tells me as I open the door for him.

  He tells me to follow him upstairs, showing me where my room will be. Upstairs, is basically the same paint tones as downstairs, all neutrals, but masculine. He points to every door, telling me who's room is who's, and where the bathrooms are. My room is in between his, and Jay's.

  He opens up the door, revealing a beautiful room. A white, black and red room, which is probably the size of my living room, waits for me. The bed is a queen sized, with black and red bedding. The walls are decorated with stencils of music notes. Red ones on the black walls, black ones on the red, and both on the white. A few records sit on a shelf in the corner, and a full-length mirror is built inside the huge walk-in closet.

  Nathan sets my bags on the bed. "Um, I'll leave you some privacy," he mumbles.

  "Nathan wait," I say. He turns to me and I walk to him, giving him a hug. "Thanks for talking to me, I really needed that," I say.

  He smiles before he closes the door, leaving me alone.