The Story of Us (Book 1 of "The Story of Us" Series) [Completed]

Chapter 26 - Bittersweet World

[Harley]

Breaking up with Ashton and calling off our engagement was something that had been coming for a while. I knew it and I'm glad that it wasn't a total shock to him when I told him how I really felt. I just couldn't believe that he felt the same way. In a way though, I was glad he felt the same way... that way no feelings were really hurt.

I think deep down Nick had some small hope of us getting back together but I shot that completely down. Like I told him in London, I would always love him, really love him, but that our time had passed. I need my friend Nick more than anything. I didn't need the drama of the gossip websites and tabloids saying I left Ashton to go back to Nick and more importantly, Nick didn't need the drama either.

When I was younger, I had friends come and go from year to year whenever I changed classes. As I got older, where most girls develop friendships that last throughout the lives, I was too busy trying to become a singer and that's when I met Nick who ultimately became my best friend. Scarlett was right that time saying that I needed him back in my life.

The entire time we were apart and not speaking, sure, I was upset that he dumped me for Paris Hilton and I was brokenhearted but the thing I think I missed most was the little things. I missed sitting and talking with him in the dark or helping him finish the lyrics to a song that he had been trying to write. I missed just hugging him whenever he made a goofy joke or blushing at one of his dirty off-handed comments.

I missed my friend Nick and I was glad that I was getting him back.

[/Harley]

[December 2004]

Harley, Nick and her father sat in her living room Christmas Eve, watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on television. Harley had watched it every Christmas Eve since she was a kid and she never had a Christmas without watching it. Nick was amused that she knew all the words to it, but it put her father to sleep.

Harley and Nick both looked over, hearing him snore and started to laugh. Nick had stayed at the house the past two days even though he went into Atlanta both days to work and do some shopping since he was going to be there for Christmas and hadn't bought anybody anything.

"Daddy," Harley said, snapping her fingers. Jon jumped, looking over at Harley and Nick who wanted to laugh. "Daddy, go upstairs and go to bed. You're falling asleep."

"I just don't see the point in watching cartoons," he muttered, standing up from his chair. "Goodnight sweetie," he said as he started to walk upstairs.

"Goodnight, Daddy," Harley said, hitting Nick on the arm.

"Goodnight, Mr. Harper," Nick said as Harley tried not to laugh.

"I've got my eyes on you, Nick," Jon replied as Harley and Nick finally cracked up laughing. Nick reached over, grabbing one of the cookies that Harley had baked of the plate in her lap and took a bite, laughing.

"I think your Dad is starting to like me again," Nick smiled, watching Harley as she intently watched the cartoon. "He hasn't shot me, so that's a good sign."

"He's changed a lot since my Mom died," Harley said, looking over at Nick. "He's not as hard as he used to be. He knows I'm all he has left since Mark has his own life so he knows that he can't treat me like he used to. He's scared he's going to be alone all the time which is why when I'm home and I'm off, he comes here to stay with me a lot."

"So, what did you get him for Christmas?" Nick asked as Harley smiled.

"I paid for a week-long hunting trip to Oklahoma at some hunting lodge for him and his friend back home," Harley said as Nick smiled. "I think he'll like it. Then I'm having a huge flat screen TV delivered to the house in Alabama when he gets back home."

"He's racking up for Christmas," Nick said, eating the last piece of his cookie. "What did you get me?" Harley shook her head and smiled. "Come on. I know you went shopping yesterday so you had to buy me something."

"I bought you something but I'm not telling you," she grinned. "What did you buy me?"

"When I was younger, we had this thing where we could open one present of the other person's choosing on Christmas Eve. Remember, we did that before?" Nick said as Harley nodded. "Want to again?"

"Sure," Harley smiled, handing Nick the plate of cookies. She moved out from up under her blanket that she had on her and walked over to the tree. She reached down, picking up a small box and walked back to the sofa. As she got back under her blanket, she watched Nick walk over to the tree, looking at several presents and finally picked a small one that he could fit in the palm of his hand.

Harley smiled, already knowing it was – a charm.

"Alright, here you go," Nick said as he took the box from Harley and gave her the one he picked out. "Open yours first."

"You go first," Harley said as Nick smiled, unwrapping the wrapping paper to find a white box. He ran his finger to break the tape on the box to find a grey Tampa Bay Buccaneers sweatshirt. "Since I don't seem to be giving yours up, I bought you one just like it."

"I love it," Nick smiled, taking the sweatshirt out of the box. "I never regretted giving you that sweatshirt, though," he said, looking up at her. "Now you open yours."

"I can already guess what it is," she said, smiling as she tore the silver wrapping paper off of the small box. She opened the box to see a charm that was shaped like half of a heart. "What is this?" she asked as Nick started to laugh. She looked closer to see that it wasn't a charm for her bracelet but a pendant with a necklace attached to it.

"It's extremely cheesy," Nick said as he reached inside of his shirt, pulling out a matching necklace, except his chain was longer and he had the other half of the heart. "You were saying how I was your best friend and besides the guys, you're mine. So I went the best friend route but a little more grown up," he said as she started to laugh. "I know, it's hideous but you're getting so many charms on your bracelet that I figured I would get you something else and since we're starting this new phase as just friends, I figured this would be good."

"I love it," Harley smiled, turning her half of a heart pendant over to see that it had NC engraved in it. "Does yours have HH?" Nick nodded, tucking his back into his shirt. "It's cheesy, Nick, but I love it."

"I'm glad because the other presents suck," he said, watching her as she put her necklace on. She reached over, hugging him and he smiled, wrapping his arms around her to hug her back. "We're missing Charlie Brown."

"Shit," she hissed, reaching for her blanket and leaned her back against Nick's chest. She cuddled up closer to him and Nick sat there frozen, not sure what to do. He opened his mouth to say something when Harley realized she was leaning against Nick. "Sorry, it's just, that's how..."

"How we always sat," he said, shrugging. "It's cool. Not like I'm going to grab your boob or anything," he said as she smiled, leaning back against his chest. "Friends do this. Brian and I do this all the time," he said as she started to laugh until her cell phone rung. She reached over, grabbing it off the coffee table and saw that it was her manager.

"Simon, why are you calling me on Christmas Eve?" Harley asked, laughing. "But Merry Christmas."

"Harley, did you forget to call me or text me to tell me something?" Simon asked as Harley looked around, thinking. Then it hit her. She didn't tell him about breaking up with Ashton.

"Shit, Simon, I'm sorry. I was kind of sick that day and I just forgot," she sighed. "Why? How did you find out?"

"Ashton released a press release saying that the relationship was over because of you," he said as Harley started to laugh. "Is that true?"

"No, it was mutual, but whatever. I don't care. Release something and say that it was both of us or say that's it just me. I don't care to be honest. Spin it however you like, but you should probably also know that Nick and I are friends again and it has nothing to do with Ashton," she said before telling him goodbye. She tossed her phone on the other end of the sofa and leaned back against Nick. "Ashton released a statement saying that it was over between us and that it was my fault."

"Seriously? Fucker..." Nick muttered as Harley sat there quietly for a minute, not saying anything. "That's going to start shit in the tabloids."

"Especially if we're seen together," she said, leaning up. She looked back to see him nod. "If someone sees us together, or finds out that we're talking again then everybody will think I dumped him for you."

"What if it was the truth," Nick said, smiling. Harley glared at him and he laughed. "I know, friends only but we shouldn't hide being friends. I mean, what if you meet someone you want to date, then it'll prove that we're just friends now after all the speculation."

"That's true," she said, reaching up to touch her pendant. "If people want to think that we're more than friends, then let them. We know what we are. The people around us know what we are and that's all that matters."

Harley sighed, watching Charlie Brown but quickly started to smile. She forgot how comfortable it was to relax like she was with Nick. She kept her hand on the pendant, running it through her fingers, thinking about what Nick said about not hiding the fact that they were friends, but there was something about it that bugged her – the part about her meeting someone else.

She didn't know if she wanted to meet anybody, not for a long time if ever. She always dreamed about finding her Prince Charming. She wanted what Romeo and Juliet had before they ended up killing themselves. She just didn't have the luck other girls she knew had with guys. She just wanted to put guys out of her mind completely but if she did that, she would have nothing to write songs about.

"I think I'm going to just ditch guys for a while," Harley whispered. "Except you, of course, but there's just one problem with it all."

"What's that? I mean, be single for a while. You've never really just been single," Nick said as Harley sighed. "What's the problem?"

"Most of my songs are about love and relationships," she said as Nick chuckled. "How am I going to write songs about not having any guys in my life except for my father and a best friend?"

"Make stuff up...."

"I don't do that, Nick."

"Then look back on past experiences," Nick said as she shook her head. "What?"

"If we're going to be friends, I can't dwell on the past," she said, sitting up and turning around to look at Nick. "I'm so scared that I'm not going to be able to top the last album and it's going to be a failure. And you're right, I need to be single."

"Then babe, write about being single," Nick said as Harley smiled. "Just because you want to be single, that doesn't mean you can't date guys or go out and have fun. Just don't get serious with anybody."

"I can't believe you're sitting here telling me to date guys," she said, causing him to grin at her. "Or do you mean, have fun dating and playing around until you realize you want me?"

"Hey, I never said that," Nick said as Harley laughed a little, noticing 'Charlie Brown' was going off.

"I remember what you said when you gave me that last charm," she said as he looked down at his jeans, not saying anything. "You said it represented me and Ashton or the ring that you were going to give me one day."

"Harley, a lot of stuff can happen in the future," Nick said, staring at her. "Who would have thought six years ago when we were sitting in that hotel room in Vegas playing Truth or Dare that we would have been through all that we have together? I didn't and I know you didn't." Harley nodded, looking down at her hands. "We're still young. I'm about to be 25 and you just turned 23. We have a lot of time ahead of us. You want to be friends right now? I'll be the best friend in the world. But you know as well as I do that I still love you and if you didn't still love me, you wouldn't have written the majority of those songs on that album."

"Nick..." Harley whispered, looking up at him.

"We're going to end up together, but right now, we're best friends," he said as she looked up, smiling at him. "And I'm fine with that."

"I think it's time for bed," Harley said as she stood up, wrapping her blanket around her. Nick started to laugh and put his leg up on the coffee table, blocking her so that she couldn't walk by.

"You're mad at me for saying that aren't you?" Nick asked as Harley shook her head. "It's only ten... why are you going to bed so early?"

"Because Santa's going to come and I have to be a good girl, Nick," she smiled, causing him to laugh. "You didn't make me mad," she said, stepping over his leg. "I remember what you said to me in London, Carter. Plus, I'm not stupid. I know you still want this, but you're not getting it."

Nick laughed, turning his head to watch her walk out of the living room. He leaned back on the sofa, watching the local news come on television. He sighed, looking over at the sweatshirt Harley had gotten him.

He knew that it was going to be a while before Harley even considered being with him again the way he wanted. He had hurt her and if being just her friend was how he was going to win her back, then that's the way it was going to be.