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

Chapter 9 - The Way I Loved You

[Harley]

The last thing I wanted to do was see Nick Carter. I was hoping since they had a concert in New Jersey the night of the VMA's that I wouldn't see him, but I did. I remember talking to a reporter and looking over to see him standing there, staring at him. He had those god forsaken diamond stud earrings in his ears which made me want to just laugh at him.

But I couldn't. All I could do was smile at him. Awkwardly I might add, very awkwardly.

My manager told me that if I ran into it him by some chance, not to speak to him in front of the press. They would eat it up and so I did what he said. After my interview ended, I walked away.

[/Harley]

[September 2001]

"She's walking away," Brian said as Nick stood there, watching her. He loved the way her hair looked. He loved that she was dressed more sophisticated than she typically did at the MTV Awards. "You going to say anything to her?" Nick shrugged. "Go on man, we can handle the interviews. If you want to talk to her, go."

"No," Nick said, as he followed the guys down the red carpet. He kept looking towards the doors of the Metropolitan Opera House, hoping he would see her peeking out, but he didn't.

He would smile for the cameras and for interviews on the red carpet, but waited until they finally reached the end of the carpet and the doors.

"Thank God," he muttered as they finally walked away from the media. "That couldn't have happened faster," he said as Howie smiled, patting him on the back. Then he looked over, seeing Harley standing by one of the huge staircases, talking with a producer. "Shit. We have to walk right past her."

"Go say something," Brian said, practically pushing Nick towards her. Nick stumbled a little, walking towards Harley as the producer walked away from her.

"For the record, Brian made me come talk to you," Nick spat out as Harley smiled weakly. "How are you?"

"I'm good," she smiled, playing with her bracelet nervously. Nick looked down, noticing it was the bracelet he had given her. "Busy, I'm on tour again."

"I heard," he said, putting his hands in his pocket. He was nervous too. "I like your hair," he said as she smiled again. "It's a good color for you."

"I hate your earrings," she said, causing him to laugh. "You look like you're trying too hard, Nick."

"My Mom said the same thing," he said, looking back to see Brian and AJ waiting at the bottom of the staircase for him. "I'm not going to be here long so I need to get going. It was good seeing you."

"You too," she said, watching him as he walked back up to the others and made his way up the staircase. She could feel his eyes on her as he walked the staircase and she looked up once to see that she was right.

Harley sighed. Talking to him in a crowded room, like they had just done, was awkward. Extremely awkward.

"Harley, since your talk is done, it's time for you to go get ready for the performance," the producer said, walking back up to her. "That looked awkward, by the way."

"It was," she sighed, following the producer to the backstage area so that she could get ready for her performance. She just hoped that Nick was gone by the time she performed it. She didn't know if she could bear to see him after performing it.

"Okay," a producer said as he walked up to the guys backstage after 'N Sync finished their performance which ended with Michael Jackson coming on stage. "As soon as Harley Harper is done with her performance, you guys will be introduced and you walk right out there."

"Got it," Kevin said as they stood off to the side, watching Carson Daly as he walked out to introduce Harley.

The next artist just embarked on her first headlining tour this year after the release of her third album which she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. With her latest album being rereleased next week with three brand new songs that she wrote and a DVD, she will be wrapping up her new tour this week in Boston. With her brand new single, "The Way I Loved You" is Harley Harper.

"The way I loved you?" Brian asked, looking at Nick. "And she wrote it?"

Nick crossed his arms across his chest, watching the curtain rise to show Harley in a pair of jeans, boots and a t-shirt. She was standing in the middle of the big stage with nothing but a guitar and a microphone. Her band was in the background with no lights on them. There was one spotlight and it was only on Harley.

He is sensible and so incredible
And all my single friends are jealous
He says everything I need to hear and it's like
I couldn't ask for anything better
He opens up my door and I get into his car
And he says you look beautiful tonight
And I feel perfectly fine

But I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
And it's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
You're so in love that you act insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breakin' down and comin' undone
It's a roller coaster kinda rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you

Nick noticed the other guys looking at him and he shook his head. "What?" he finally asked. "Yeah, I know. Don't say anything. I'm really sick of her singing songs about me at awards shows without me knowing about it."

"You really need to talk to her and not with that awkward shit you guys did earlier," Brian whispered.

"I agree with him," Kevin added as Nick took a deep breath, watching Harley as she stood there, playing the guitar. Suddenly she took her guitar off and tossed it across the stage before grabbing the microphone off the stand.

He can't see the smile I'm faking
And my heart's not breaking
Cause I'm not feeling anything at all
And you were wild and crazy
Just so frustrating intoxicating
Complicated, got away by some mistake and now
I miss screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain
It's 2 a.m. and I'm cursing your name
I'm so in love that I acted insane
And that's the way I loved you
Breaking down and coming undone
It's a roller coaster kinda rush
And I never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you...

Never knew I could feel that much
And that's the way I loved you

"I think I want to talk to her," Nick said as Kevin shook his head. "What?"

"Time to present the award," Brian said as Nick sighed, watching Harley walk off stage as he and the other guys walked on it to present the award. Nick kept looking back, seeing Harley's band move off of the stage and sighed. He really needed to talk to her.

During the entire time they presented the award, Nick kept looking around him. He wanted to catch her attention as she went back to the audience. Or maybe backstage before they had to leave.

"Let's go," Kevin said as he shoved Nick lightly so they walked off the stage with the winner of the award. Nick didn't even know who won. He wasn't even paying attention.

As they walked backstage, he nudged a production assistant on the arm, asking where he could find Harley's dressing room. The short guy pointed him in the direction and Nick ran down the hall only to find the door open and the room empty. Her jeans and t-shirt were lying on the sofa and he knew she had already changed and left.

"Nick," he heard someone say. He turned around to see Scarlett, her backup singer standing there. "Harley's already went out to her seat."

"Does she still have the same number she had in July?" he asked as Scarlett nodded. "Thanks," he smiled, running back down the hallway where the others were waiting on him. "Sorry."

"Nick, we're going to be fucking late," Kevin hissed, practically shoving Nick down the hallway as he pulled his cell phone out.

Harley sat down in her seat next to a seat filler. She had changed back into her black dress and wished Scarlett would hurry up and come out so the strange guy next to her would stop staring at her chest. She smiled, seeing Scarlett walk up the isle quickly as Limp Bizkit performed on the stage.

"Thank God you're back," Harley smiled as the seat fill got up and Scarlett sat down next to her. "That guy kept looking at my boobs."

"Have you got a text message or your phone rung yet?" Scarlett asked as Harley felt her phone vibrate. "Yes, I'm psychic."

"Just now," Harley said, taking her cell phone out of her clutch. She froze, seeing that she had a message from Nick. "It's from Nick."

"I saw him backstage," Scarlett smiled. "You missed him by like half a minute, I swear. He asked if you still had that same number." Harley opened the message and sighed reading it.
Loved the song. I miss the 2 am fights too. Text or email me sometime.

"He knew the song was about him," Harley whispered, staring at her phone.

"Text him back," Scarlett said, nudging Harley a little. "It won't hurt anything."

"Your phone's vibrating, Nick," AJ said as Nick practically stood up in his seat, taking his cell phone out of his back pocket. "Who is it?"

"It's Harley," he smiled, opening the message.
I wouldn't have written that if I didn't miss it. Glad you liked it. I liked your hair tonight. Get rid of the earrings tho :)

"She liked my hair tonight," Nick said as the others cracked up laughing.

"Was the song that obvious?" Harley whispered. Scarlett nodded and Harley sighed. She felt her clutch vibrate again and took it out again. "It's him," she said, opening the message.
I liked that it was the real you performing that's how you should always be. Getting ready for show. Later :)

"Take my phone away from me," Harley said, handing her cell phone to Scarlett. "I can't be indulged in the power of charm that is Nick Carter."

"Why?" Scarlett laughed, taking the phone from her.

"Because Nick Carter is my weakness and even a smiley face in a text message makes me weak in my knees," she said as Scarlett sunk down in her seat, laughing.

"Just admit that you miss him," Scarlett said as Harley kept her eyes on the stage. "Sure, tonight was awkward, but you still love him, right?"

"I never stopped."

"And I'm pretty sure he's not over you either from the way he was running down the hall to find you," she said as Harley looked at her. "Just text with him a little. Chit chat. See where things go and get me AJ's number because that boy is fine." Harley laughed at her, taking the cell phone back from her.

"Alright, are we ready for this concert?" Kevin asked as the guys stood in a circle backstage, ready to pray. Suddenly they heard a phone vibrate and everybody looked at Nick.

"Sorry," he said, taking the phone out of his pants. He opened the message and smiled.
have a good show im completely bored here. think I might leave early. headed to albany, montreal, concord and boston to finish my tour talk to you soon

"Nick, seriously!" Howie yelled, causing everybody to stare at him. It was very unlike Howie to raise his voice. "Sorry, his texting his getting on my nerves." Nick smiled, tossing his phone to one of the body guards and put his hand in the circle to pray.

There was a lot more he was about to pray for besides a great show.